Smart Fader is a button on the Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX4 (and the DDJ-FLX2) that takes care of matching the speed of your tracks for you as you move the crossfader. Slide from one deck to the other and the tempo changes gradually so the two tracks stay in time, and by the end you’re playing at the new track’s own speed.
It’s one of several “smart” features on these popular beginner controllers, and it’s worth knowing exactly what it’s doing before you rely on it. In the video above, I show you how it works in Rekordbox, do a transition with it, and give you my view on whether you should be using it.
How does Smart Fader work?
In my demo, I’ve got a track at 118bpm on the left-hand deck and a track at 125bpm on the right. Press the Smart Fader button and as you move the crossfader, the right-hand track immediately changes to 118bpm to match the one on the left.
That looks like what the sync button does, but here the crossfader is in charge of the tempo. Move it all the way to the right and both tracks are now running at 125bpm, the speed of the right-hand track. Anywhere in between, the tempo shifts a little at a time so the two tracks are always in sync, and when the fader reaches the other side, you’re at the right speed for the new track.
It does a few other things along the way, too. It adjusts the volume and the bass as well as the tempo, and you’ll hear it add a bit of echo in the video, all to make your transitions sound smooth.
In the video, I start with the crossfader over on the right-hand deck and move it across to the left. Smart Fader moves smoothly between the two tracks and slowly adjusts the speed as it goes, so by the time the fader is all the way over, the left-hand track is playing at its own correct tempo, with no jump in speed at the end.
Should you use it?
Smart Fader isn’t the only automatic help on the DDJ-FLX4 – there’s classic beat sync but also Smart CFX (“Color FX”) too. But the controller also has all the standard controls you’ll find on any DJ gear, right up to the kit in a pro DJ booth.
So use it if you like, but understand what the automatic stuff is doing for you. That way, when you use it, you’re not caught out – and if you ever DJ on gear that doesn’t have it, you can fall back on the traditional way of doing things.
Learn to DJ properly on your DDJ-FLX4
That’s what we teach in our How To DJ Fast On Your DDJ-FLX4 course. We cover every control, every button and every fader, setting it up and getting your music in, and then we teach you to DJ properly from the beginning (plus all the cool tricks, of course, like ths one). You’ll be playing music very quickly, and within a few days you’ll be moving past beginner.
