Pioneer's XDJ-700 has several top-quality features crammed within its casing, including Auto Loops, Hot Cues, Beat Sync, Quantize and Slip Mode to name a few. In addition to this, it is the very first multiplayer, at its price point, to incorporate the Pro DJ Link feature. This specially incorporated feature enables up to four players or laptops to share one source between all of them, including the sharing of Beat Sync, Phase Meter, Key Analysis and Beat Count information. The well thought out design of the XDJ-700 is evident through its compact design yet it has not compromised on any of the superb features. Instead, a multiplayer has been built for use in venues looking to save on space or any home set-up. The size of the unit itself is 238mm (W) x 308mm (D) x 106mm (H) or if the stand is not needed then 79mm in height. Features: Using thumb drives with Rekordbox-prepared music is the way to go if you’re using an XDJ-700 set-up: the higher cost of an XDJ-700, compared to a DJ controller, comes from the fact that it works standalone without a computer. Again, if you really want to use a laptop running Rekordbox DJ when you gig out, go get a DJ controller that you can use at home like the DDJ-RX or DDJ-RB. You can then just plug in your laptop to the club’s CDJ/DJM kit when you’re at the gig, or you can take along your controller too if the venue doesn’t have a set-up. DJs can use Rekordbox or the Rekordbox app to plan their sets and the pleasingly large touch screen will display all the essential information including Beat Countdown, Active Loop, Wave Display with Wave Zoom, Key Analysis Indicator and Phase Meter.

You can play from a USB device, phone connected via USB or wireless router, or from a computer running RekordBox connected via a router.. The XDJ-700 has many of the same features of the XDJ-1000 included looping, master tempo, pitch range adjust, beat sync and more. Pioneer DJ’s slimmest player yet, the XDJ-700 has been designed with the small booth or home set-up in mind. The unit measures just 238 x 308 x 106 mm (W x D x H). Plus the stand can easily be removed, reducing the height to 79 mm – helping it to fit into even smaller spaces.Multicoloured USB port: Colour-code your USB devices in rekordbox, e.g. red for techno or blue for drum & bass, and the light around the USB port will reflect that setting for ease of identification in the booth. The Pioneer DJ XDJ-700 has a fully integrated 7 inch, full-colour, LED touch screen which is simply ideal for displaying the key functions of the DJ player including browse, play and perform. The browsing option has also been enhanced with the use of a QWERTY keyboard, enabling a keyword to be entered to search in addition to the usual method of using the rotary dial to scroll through the options.

The XDJ-XZ-W will be available in selected regions (only available at specific retail stores in Asia Pacific, the Americas and Latin Americas – not available in EMEA regions). VirtualDJ Home is the free version of the most popular DJ mixing software of the same name, used by professionals. It has a few limitations compared to the pro version, but it is capable of mixing audio and videos yielding somewhat professional result. With this program, users can start creating basic mixing compilations; and even though it’s not really a program for novices, it’s intuitive and can be learned fast. As such, the XDJ-700 is a niche product. However, there is a small audience of controller DJs there who would like to try spinning without a laptop present. They are looking for hardware that would let them cut their teeth on and, at the same time, retain essential functionality, library management, and controls found in DJ booths the world over without spending the equivalent price of a used car (or dipping into their kid’s college fund). For these folk, the XDJ-700 should be on their shortlist, along with the XDJ-1000MK2.

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Music can be loaded onto the Multiplayer from a computer, laptop or Smartphone through a USB or Wi-Fi connection or a USB storage device as an entity. It should be noted that the XDJ-700 uses and displays data (including preference settings) from Rekordbox software, therefore the device that stores the music library has to be running the Rekordbox software or Rekordbox app. It is also worth noting that any USB device charges when connected to the USB touch screen controller. Finally, the Multiplayer is fully MIDI compatible.

That said, there is a very real opportunity here for the controller DJ who wants to jump to using CDJs at clubs and bars as opposed to taking along a controller and laptop wherever. I’m more of a mobile DJ than a club DJ, so I tend to take my controller along with me because the venue I play at doesn’t have CDJs. As such, I’m perfectly happy with my DDJ-RZ controller. Of course, if you’re a club or pro DJ who spins on CDJs regularly, and you’d want some kit that you can use at home while retaining the Rekordbox workflow, the XDJ-700 are a cost-effective option, as far as Pioneer DJ gear goes. Professional layout for familiarity at home and in the booth The XDJ-1000 mirrors the layout of the club standard CDJs, so DJs can perfect their sets at home and move effortlessly to the booth to perform. The 206 mm jog wheels are the same size as those on the CDJ-2000NXS, for instant familiarity wherever a DJ plays.

Features:

The XDJ-1000MK2 inherits a high-quality audio design from the CDJ-2000NXS2. As well as analogue output terminals, a digital output sends audio without degradation, and the power supply circuit for analogue audio is completely separate from the digital circuit, reducing unwanted noise.

The XDJ-700’s jogwheel is mechanical, just like a normal CDJ, albeit much smaller. I prefer bigger jogwheels, but the one on the XDJ-700 isn’t bad at all. It works as intended, though I do miss the heft and travel of a full-size platter. TouchscreenA 7-inch, full-colour touch screen gives DJs intuitive control of the player’s features, while the three windows – browse, play and perform –stop the screen getting overcrowded. Browsing is effortless; DJs can choose to scroll using the rotary dial or call up the QWERTY keyboard to do a keyword search. MIDI controller interface: Connect the DDJ-SP1 controller with a USB cable for tactile control of numerous features of the XDJ-1000MK2, including Hot Cues, auto loops and Slip Mode. One DDJ-SP1 can control up to four XDJ multiplayers using Pro DJ Link. A 7-inch, full-colour touch screen gives DJs intuitive control of the player’s features, while the three windows – browse, play and perform – stop the screen getting overcrowded. Browsing is effortless; DJs can choose to scroll using the rotary dial or call up the QWERTY keyboard to do a keyword search. I also took a pair of XDJ-700s with me to a DJ gig. It’s in this tiny dive bar that gets really rowdy on weekends. I normally take my DDJ-RZ, and that makes switchovers a hassle because the desk in the DJ box can hardly fit it without shuffling other gear around, so the XDJ-700’s smaller form factor was a huge plus. The bar has an older DJM-350 two-channel mixer, so I just hooked up the XDJ-700s to the line inputs and spun from a thumb drive for an hour and a half.