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REVIEWED
REVIEWED: Pioneer DJ XDJ-XZ
Taking centre stage for the beginning of 2020 is the brand new powerhouse standalone controller from Pioneer DJ - the XDJ-XZ. This is the next step in the XDJ series evolution, bringing you NXS2 features from an all-in-one unit without breaking the bank.
When the box arrived it was absolutely huge, so my first thought was, “what mobile DJ is going to lug this around?” Thankfully, the large size was mainly down to the significant amount of packaging Pioneer DJ had included to keep the precious cargo safe! The unit itself is only 15cm wider than the XDJ-RX2, with which this shares a lot in common. It has many of the same features, plus a whole lot more!
The guys at Pioneer DJ are marketing this controller as a ‘professional all-in-one DJ system that’s perfect for events, a bar or club, or your private studio’. It now sits at the top of the brand’s range of all-in-one standalone DJ controllers and will be of interest to professional mobiles looking for a true Pioneer club mixing experience from a single portable unit.
The XDJ-XZ is essentially a four channel version of the XDJ-RX2, however it is important to point out that it doesn’t offer four channel standalone playback, only four channel mixing. The extra two channels can’t be used with the internal decks, but can be used with external line inputs or CDJs connected using Pioneer DJ’s Pro DJ Link. So, although there are a few enhancements when it comes to playback, the real gains here are in the mixer department. You’re essentially getting the mixer portion of the DDJ-1000 combined with souped-up XDJ-RX2 playback.
As with the XDJ-RX2, the new XDJ-XZ model allows a variety of different playback options. If you’d prefer to DJ without a laptop in sight, you can simply plug in a USB storage device loaded with tracks and play directly from that. Alternatively, if you don’t want the hassle of exporting your music, you can hook up your laptop using rekordbox dj in Link Export mode. This keeps all of the mixing / track selection within the XDJ-XZ, essentially using your laptop as a glorified USB drive. Finally, the unit can also be used as a regular controller for DJ software running on your computer.
The XDJ-XZ features a plethora of inputs and outputs, giving plenty of flexibility. On the back panel there are five stereo pairs of RCA input sockets (2x Line, 2x Phono and 1x Aux) as well as two Microphone inputs (both via combination XLR / 1/4” TRS Jack) and a USB B port for connecting your laptop. There are also three RJ-45 ethernet-style sockets for connecting external CDJs to channels 3 and 4 using Pioneer DJ’s Pro DJ Link protocol. This is the first time Pioneer DJ have included Pro DJ Link on an all-in-one unit. It not only syncs the audio from the external devices with your mix, but also allows you to use the XDJ-XZ’s screen to browse the libraries from the external sound sources.
On the top of the unit you’ll find two USB A inputs for external storage devices (or compatible iPods / iPads), which each have a status LED and ‘stop’ button to allow easy connection / removal during a gig. The headphone sockets are located on the front panel of the unit, with both 1/4” and 1/8” jack options provided.
Two Master outputs are provided on the back panel, the main one as a stereo pair of balanced XLRs and the other as a stereo pair of RCAs. There is also a dedicated Booth output, provided via a stereo pair of balanced 1/4” TRS jacks as well as an additional unbalanced stereo pair of ¼” TRS jacks as an effects Send.
The unit offers flexible standalone media support, allowing you to play AAC, MP3, WAV and AIFF files either direct from USB or from your laptop in Link Export mode. One of the USB ports can also be used to record directly from the Master output to a USB device, allowing you to easily record your sets to listen back / self-critique later. At the time of writing, the unit could only be used as a software controller for Pioneer DJ’s own rekordbox dj software, however support for Serato is due in January 2020.
With a layout that feels inherited directly from Pioneer DJ’s flagship NXS2 setup, established users will feel right at home with the controls. A host of advanced features are right at your fingertips when using this robust unit, which produces high-quality sound through its inbuilt sound card. It allows for some pretty awesome, imaginative and creative DJing. Whether you are a beginner or a wizard on the decks, this controller has every feature you’ll need to ‘rock the dance-floor’.
It features the same size 7” touchscreen used on the XDJ-RX2, which I would have liked to see bigger, maybe a 10” to match other options on the market. However, it is big enough to allow easy track selection, which is facilitated through a rotary push button control, dedicated Load buttons for each deck, four additional option buttons along the top as well as the touch screen itself. This interface – inherited from the RX2 – is easy and intuitive to use, making finding and selecting songs without a laptop extremely easy. The software also remains the same, so your music needs to be analysed via rekordbox first, to enable full standalone use. However, as with any DJ that goes it alone without a computer, it’s important to have a very organised music library and prepped playlists, so this is no bad thing.
The full-size jog wheels are the same 206mm ones found on Pioneer DJ’s flagship CDJ-2000NX2 units and offer all the features that DJs who use the club-standard equipment will expect. You have jog tension adjusters, loops, track search, tempo/pitch controls and the full colour displays in the centre of each wheel, which can be helpful when trying to quickly cue up to a certain part of a song. Just like the DDJ-1000, they can also be set to display track artwork or useful information including the waveform, cue points, BPM, tempo range and time, if you’d prefer (although this information is also displayed on the main touchscreen).
Below each jog wheel is a set of performance pads for Hot Cue, Beat Loop, Slip Loop and Beat Jump, which we are now used to seeing on most controllers and help us to be creative on the fly. As with other Pioneer models, these buttons feature multi-coloured LED illumination, which helps to give instant visual confirmation of each button’s current state.
The mixer element of the unit is a fully-featured 4-channel model that boasts a range of pro features which anyone used to playing on Pioneer DJ equipment will feel right at home using. Each of the four channels has a level fader, Trim control and 3-band EQ, alongside a dedicated LED VU meter. Every channel also has a backlit Cue button and can easily be assigned to either side of the crossfader (or set to bypass it) using a simple slide switch.
Channels 1 and 2 can be run in standalone or controller mode, while channels 3 and 4 can be switched between laptop, line or phono input. There is also a dedicated level control for the auxiliary input, which is switchable between the line input and a connected portable device.
Of particular interest to mobile DJs, the microphone controls on the XZ offer a marked improvement to what was included on the RX2. In place of 2-band EQ shared between both mics on the RX2, the XZ offers independent 3-band EQ for each of the two inputs. There is also a Talk Over feature, which can be applied to each mic independently, as well as a pretty awesome ‘Feedback Reducer’ feature with Light and Heavy settings. When testing the system, I found that I could walk in front of my PA system with a ‘live’ microphone and generate zero feedback - pretty impressive and very useful when you are working in very tight spaces or you have to have your speakers closer than you would normally like.
For creative mixers, the unit is absolutely loaded with FX, again inherited from Pioneer DJ’s flagship DJM-900NXS2 model. There are 14 selectable beat FX, which can be assigned to any channel (including either or both mics), the Master output or one side of the crossfader. These can be set to apply to particular frequencies (Low, Mid or Hi) and can be manipulated using a touch-sensitive X-Pad. In addition, there are six selectable Sound Colour FX, which can be applied independently to each of the four main channels using dedicated level controls.
In addition to the channel EQ, there is a separate master 3-band EQ which can be used to tweak the overall output to get the most from your PA based on each individual room’s unique acoustics. There is also a Master level control as well as a separate control for the Booth output.
In summary, this is a great unit from Pioneer DJ and I am sure it will prove very popular, although I would have loved to have seen a bigger screen and four channels of standalone control. However, if you’re in need of an upgrade or looking to ditch your laptop for the first time, this ‘All In One Powerhouse’ will certainly help you out!
When the box arrived it was absolutely huge, so my first thought was, “what mobile DJ is going to lug this around?” Thankfully, the large size was mainly down to the significant amount of packaging Pioneer DJ had included to keep the precious cargo safe! The unit itself is only 15cm wider than the XDJ-RX2, with which this shares a lot in common. It has many of the same features, plus a whole lot more!
The guys at Pioneer DJ are marketing this controller as a ‘professional all-in-one DJ system that’s perfect for events, a bar or club, or your private studio’. It now sits at the top of the brand’s range of all-in-one standalone DJ controllers and will be of interest to professional mobiles looking for a true Pioneer club mixing experience from a single portable unit.
The XDJ-XZ is essentially a four channel version of the XDJ-RX2, however it is important to point out that it doesn’t offer four channel standalone playback, only four channel mixing. The extra two channels can’t be used with the internal decks, but can be used with external line inputs or CDJs connected using Pioneer DJ’s Pro DJ Link. So, although there are a few enhancements when it comes to playback, the real gains here are in the mixer department. You’re essentially getting the mixer portion of the DDJ-1000 combined with souped-up XDJ-RX2 playback.
As with the XDJ-RX2, the new XDJ-XZ model allows a variety of different playback options. If you’d prefer to DJ without a laptop in sight, you can simply plug in a USB storage device loaded with tracks and play directly from that. Alternatively, if you don’t want the hassle of exporting your music, you can hook up your laptop using rekordbox dj in Link Export mode. This keeps all of the mixing / track selection within the XDJ-XZ, essentially using your laptop as a glorified USB drive. Finally, the unit can also be used as a regular controller for DJ software running on your computer.
The XDJ-XZ features a plethora of inputs and outputs, giving plenty of flexibility. On the back panel there are five stereo pairs of RCA input sockets (2x Line, 2x Phono and 1x Aux) as well as two Microphone inputs (both via combination XLR / 1/4” TRS Jack) and a USB B port for connecting your laptop. There are also three RJ-45 ethernet-style sockets for connecting external CDJs to channels 3 and 4 using Pioneer DJ’s Pro DJ Link protocol. This is the first time Pioneer DJ have included Pro DJ Link on an all-in-one unit. It not only syncs the audio from the external devices with your mix, but also allows you to use the XDJ-XZ’s screen to browse the libraries from the external sound sources.
On the top of the unit you’ll find two USB A inputs for external storage devices (or compatible iPods / iPads), which each have a status LED and ‘stop’ button to allow easy connection / removal during a gig. The headphone sockets are located on the front panel of the unit, with both 1/4” and 1/8” jack options provided.
Two Master outputs are provided on the back panel, the main one as a stereo pair of balanced XLRs and the other as a stereo pair of RCAs. There is also a dedicated Booth output, provided via a stereo pair of balanced 1/4” TRS jacks as well as an additional unbalanced stereo pair of ¼” TRS jacks as an effects Send.
The unit offers flexible standalone media support, allowing you to play AAC, MP3, WAV and AIFF files either direct from USB or from your laptop in Link Export mode. One of the USB ports can also be used to record directly from the Master output to a USB device, allowing you to easily record your sets to listen back / self-critique later. At the time of writing, the unit could only be used as a software controller for Pioneer DJ’s own rekordbox dj software, however support for Serato is due in January 2020.
With a layout that feels inherited directly from Pioneer DJ’s flagship NXS2 setup, established users will feel right at home with the controls. A host of advanced features are right at your fingertips when using this robust unit, which produces high-quality sound through its inbuilt sound card. It allows for some pretty awesome, imaginative and creative DJing. Whether you are a beginner or a wizard on the decks, this controller has every feature you’ll need to ‘rock the dance-floor’.
It features the same size 7” touchscreen used on the XDJ-RX2, which I would have liked to see bigger, maybe a 10” to match other options on the market. However, it is big enough to allow easy track selection, which is facilitated through a rotary push button control, dedicated Load buttons for each deck, four additional option buttons along the top as well as the touch screen itself. This interface – inherited from the RX2 – is easy and intuitive to use, making finding and selecting songs without a laptop extremely easy. The software also remains the same, so your music needs to be analysed via rekordbox first, to enable full standalone use. However, as with any DJ that goes it alone without a computer, it’s important to have a very organised music library and prepped playlists, so this is no bad thing.
The full-size jog wheels are the same 206mm ones found on Pioneer DJ’s flagship CDJ-2000NX2 units and offer all the features that DJs who use the club-standard equipment will expect. You have jog tension adjusters, loops, track search, tempo/pitch controls and the full colour displays in the centre of each wheel, which can be helpful when trying to quickly cue up to a certain part of a song. Just like the DDJ-1000, they can also be set to display track artwork or useful information including the waveform, cue points, BPM, tempo range and time, if you’d prefer (although this information is also displayed on the main touchscreen).
Below each jog wheel is a set of performance pads for Hot Cue, Beat Loop, Slip Loop and Beat Jump, which we are now used to seeing on most controllers and help us to be creative on the fly. As with other Pioneer models, these buttons feature multi-coloured LED illumination, which helps to give instant visual confirmation of each button’s current state.
The mixer element of the unit is a fully-featured 4-channel model that boasts a range of pro features which anyone used to playing on Pioneer DJ equipment will feel right at home using. Each of the four channels has a level fader, Trim control and 3-band EQ, alongside a dedicated LED VU meter. Every channel also has a backlit Cue button and can easily be assigned to either side of the crossfader (or set to bypass it) using a simple slide switch.
Channels 1 and 2 can be run in standalone or controller mode, while channels 3 and 4 can be switched between laptop, line or phono input. There is also a dedicated level control for the auxiliary input, which is switchable between the line input and a connected portable device.
Of particular interest to mobile DJs, the microphone controls on the XZ offer a marked improvement to what was included on the RX2. In place of 2-band EQ shared between both mics on the RX2, the XZ offers independent 3-band EQ for each of the two inputs. There is also a Talk Over feature, which can be applied to each mic independently, as well as a pretty awesome ‘Feedback Reducer’ feature with Light and Heavy settings. When testing the system, I found that I could walk in front of my PA system with a ‘live’ microphone and generate zero feedback - pretty impressive and very useful when you are working in very tight spaces or you have to have your speakers closer than you would normally like.
For creative mixers, the unit is absolutely loaded with FX, again inherited from Pioneer DJ’s flagship DJM-900NXS2 model. There are 14 selectable beat FX, which can be assigned to any channel (including either or both mics), the Master output or one side of the crossfader. These can be set to apply to particular frequencies (Low, Mid or Hi) and can be manipulated using a touch-sensitive X-Pad. In addition, there are six selectable Sound Colour FX, which can be applied independently to each of the four main channels using dedicated level controls.
In addition to the channel EQ, there is a separate master 3-band EQ which can be used to tweak the overall output to get the most from your PA based on each individual room’s unique acoustics. There is also a Master level control as well as a separate control for the Booth output.
In summary, this is a great unit from Pioneer DJ and I am sure it will prove very popular, although I would have loved to have seen a bigger screen and four channels of standalone control. However, if you’re in need of an upgrade or looking to ditch your laptop for the first time, this ‘All In One Powerhouse’ will certainly help you out!
The full review can be found in Pro Mobile Issue 99, Pages 72-74.
