Pioneer mixers, much like the Pioneer CDJ line, have become standards in many clubs. They offer flexibility on channels, internal effects features (on some), powerful eqs and reliable sound.
OVERVIEW
The DJM-800 is Pioneer's new flagship 4 channel mixer, improving upon the popular DJM-600 platform with quite a few new features, a totally redesigned 96kHz / 24bit digital mixing bus and a much higher quality construction. The DJM-800 is designed for the...
expand review professional DJ or club installation and includes many input / output options as well as a myriad of onboard effects and Pioneer's latest development, Auto Harmonic Tuning. This function detects the key of the song playing, and automatically corrects it to the closest true key, an especially useful tool for djs who are trying to mix records harmonically. This is a big, robust mixer which gives you total control over your sound. FULL REVIEW COMING SOON. -the mgmnt
OVERVIEW
The DJM-909 Pioneer is the new high end standard for the fully featured 2 channel mixer category. For the 909, Pioneer has taken the 3 most popular features of the DJM600 dance mixer (effects, quality sound, strong EQs), unveiled some revolutionary features...
expand review (tension adjustable optical fader, touch screen), and added a powerful, built-in effects unit. In addition, Pioneer has introduced a new layout and controls, making it user-friendly across the board from house djs to hip-hop djs. This is a truly ground breaking mixer.
The crossfader of the Pioneer features a new exclusive technology that allows you to tighten and loosen the tension of the fader without removing any parts. To make adjustments, just take the included tool, put it in the small hole next to the fader, and turn either way. This way, djs can put the tension at loose for scratching, then switch to a tighter tension for mixing, all on the fly. In addition, you can adjust the fader curve and crossfader cut lag (precise cut-in time control) using the control knobs with the curve displayed on the screen. The actual feel and construction of the crossfader is very solid, comparable to Rane's optical fader in the TTM-56.
Touch Screen Control and Effects Unit
This is a first for any mixer. The touch screen control is used to control the powerful effects unit of the 909. There are 50 different effects with BPM control (synch your effects to a beat), plus several effects that you can assign to the faders (click here for full list of effects). Each channel has 3 memory banks that can each hold up to 3 saved effects, all controllable through the touch screen. You can also adjust several individual aspects of each effect by pressing the FX ADJ button and using the touch screen. Additional effects controls include mix depth (effects intensity) knob, BPM tap buttons, and a spring loaded effects on/off switch with lock option. External effects can be controlled with an effects send/receive with effect depth controls. Any effect can be previewed in headphones by switching to EFFECT preview. The 909 also allows you to plug in a footswitch to control any of the effects.
Quality Sound and Layout
Pioneer mixers are most known for their club quality sound, and their strong, clean EQs. The 909 keeps these qualities intact with high quality sound processing (20hz-20khz response and low noise and distortion rate), powerful 3 band EQ (-26dB to +6dB), and both RCA and XLR outputs. The layout, although it may seem cluttered with features, is actually quite functional. The fader area is very clean, and the controls are laid out very intuitively. Like the DJM600, the feel of the rotary knobs is excellent, loose enough for quick kills, but with a solid feeling at the same time. Pioneer even got smaller details correct, like the mini-fader for cue control, and flash (spring loaded) switches for the effects on/off.
Additional Features
In addition to the revolutionary features mentioned above, the 909 has close to every useful feature we've seen in the mixer market: BPM counter, reinforced headphone jacks, master + channel LED display, mic channel with 2 band EQ, headphone master preview, fader reverse and curve adjustment for all 3 faders, trigger capabilities for Pioneer CDJ CD turntables, EQ on/off switch, session in/out, booth out with separate level, and more.
Our Opinion
This mixer comes at a hefty price tag, built for the consumer that truly wants it all. We can't justify the price or all the features here to every customer, but we can tell you that this mixer has the most features we've seen in one unit, it is well built, sounds great, and is very functional. It is potentially the best two channel mixer available. The effects unit is truly a key feature because it is fully integrated into the mixer and allows much more flexibility and control than using a Kaoss pad. The touch pad seems like overkill, but once you've used it, you'll realize how it makes using effects easier. The crossfader, at initial testing, is excellent in all aspects, however the volume faders feel like PCV rather than optical (the one apparent weakness). In conclusion, this is definitely for the high-end dj with a big budget. We think you'll be ultimately satisfied with the purchase, because the 909 looks and functions like it costs- and that's a good thing. -mgmnt
OVERVIEW
The top of the line mixer for straight mixing. We don't recommend these for hip-hop usage because the faders are not designed for rugged use, but this is what all the top mix DJs are using because of its complex 8 second...
expand review sampler, expanded effects, 4 simultaneous channels, the best 3 band EQ controls, and mix friendly features. A bit pricey but you're also getting a sampler, beat counter, and effects pad in this mixer. -mgmnt
OVERVIEW
With the DJM-400, Pioneer has finally made a mid-range mixer that incorporates some of their famous on-board effects, in-demand features and the general style of the popular DJM-600 and 500 mixers. The DJM-400 is like a streamlined DJM-600 with two channels,...
expand review but it also has quite a few unique features including Pioneer's new in-loop sampler, kills on the 3 band equalizer and a completely digital 24bit/96Khz mixing bus.
FEATURES
In terms of basic mixer functions, the DJM-400 is geared towards mix DJs and is set up in standard fashion. There are 2 phono/line RCA inputs, 2 CD RCA inputs with fader start connection, 2 master RCA outputs, and 2 ¼" mic inputs. The crossfader feels similar to the one used in the DJM-500 and DJM-600, but it has been improved for both scratching and durability. The crossfader curve is adjustable with a three position switch, and while it doesn't feature the razor sharp cut that scratch djs demand these days, you can definitely scratch with it and the curve is much sharper than the 600 or 500. In comparison to previous Pioneer mixers, the eq's have been pumped up considerably and now offer a full kill on all three bands (the trim also goes down to kill). The 2 mic channels each have separate level controls with a mic master eq (lo/hi) and an on/off/talkover switch (talkover is activated when you speak into the mic, then all other sound is taken down 20db). The headphone cueing offers all the necessary options for monitoring: both channels and the master output can either be heard on their own, or in any combination (ie: when both channel 1 and master are on, you hear channel 1 in the left headphone and the master in the right).
The digital 24bit/96Khz mixing bus is the platform that sets the DJM-400 apart from other mixers in this price range. Not only does it process the sound cleanly and provide an excellent signal for users of digital equipment like Serato and Final Scratch, it also gives the DJM-400 enough power to do all the "intelligent" things like count BPMs, auto synch effects on-beat, run the sampler and more. The effects are the classic set of Delay, Echo, Flanger, Filter, and Phaser plus a couple new ones- Robot and Roll. They are assignable to channel 1, channel 2, mic, or master and are controlled with a depth knob, beat variables (1/1, 2/1, 4/1, etc) and 2 pitch control buttons (+/-). The effects are automatically synched up with your music when you engage the BPM counter.
The sampler is something we haven't seen before. Pioneer calls it the "in-loop sampler" and it allows you to automatically loop up 4 beats of a song for on the fly remixes and mashups. In other words, you can set it to record on a drum break or whatever you want, the sampler cleanly grabs 4 beats (note: beats, not bars), then loops them up and stores them in the bank buttons. The time is not variable- it will grab 4 beats whether the song in question is 150bpm or 30bpm- but through messing with your sample points and using the tap-in bpm counter you can actually get pretty creative and do more with it than you'd think. You can also use it to record beatless samples, noises, and acapellas but the playback will still be looped. Playback functions the same way as the effects: you can assign your sample/loop to any channel (ch.1, ch. 2, mic, or main) and control the tempo through the pitch buttons and the volume through the depth knob. There are 5 different banks to store loops, with a total of up to 12 seconds sampling time.
OUR OPINION
There's no question that the Pioneer DJM-400 offers an awful lot in a relatively small and inexpensive package. The sound quality will be great across the board, even the loops are run through the 24bit/96Khz mixing bus so there is no loss of quality or noticeable downgrade from the source. The effects are always fun, and with the right touch they can make your set that much better. And the in-loop sampler is something we could see being a really useful tool for many DJs. It's unfortunate that Pioneer didn't take it a step further and include the great crossfader that was used in their DJM-707 and 909 mixers, but for anybody who isn't heavily into scratching, this mixer offers plenty room to maneuver and quite a lot to play with. It also comes at a price point that will get you into the big boy club mixer world without having to spend $1000 or more. -the mgmnt
OVERVIEW
The DJM-700 is the latest high-end 4-channel mixer from Pioneer, with similar features as its big brother the DJM-800, plus several new ones to set it apart from the rest. Featuring superior sound quality and functionality and cutting edge effects(including the world's...
expand review first Effect Frequency Filter) and MIDI connectivity the DJM-700 is definitely designed to set new standards for working DJs in the club, bar or studio.
FEATURES
The DJM-700 inherits the super clean sound quality of its higher priced brothers, the DJM-800 and DJM-1000. This means top of the line 96kHz/24-bit sound with mixing carried out by 32-bit DSP (Digital Signal Processing).
In addition, there is a myriad of top quality effects at your disposal including delay, echo, transform, filter, flanger, phaser, reverb, robot and crush, 13 beat effects, an enhanced roll sampler (makes tempo-specific manipulation of audio samples easily accessible through real-time sampling using 4-Roll effects: roll, reverse roll, pitch up roll and pitch down roll), AND fully assignable MIDI function with 49 assignable controls. This mixer also features the world's first Effect Frequency filter which allows for ultimate high and low pass filter control affecting any chosen effect meaning you can add an effect to either the music or the effect only, or both simultaneously.
Other functions include a powerful 3 band EQ per channel, fader curve for both crossfader and channel faders, fader start function for CDJs, on board auto or tap BPM counter with digital read out for effects settings + BPM counter, and talk over function. It also features industry-standard size and layout and a dual shield structure that eliminates digital noise.
OUR OPINION
This is obviously a very big and powerful mixer that will appease even the most demanding DJs. With top quality all around, a robust effects package, and MIDI connectivity, the DJM-700 can provide for ultimate freedom and creativity when behind the decks. Basically, if this is mixer is in your budget - go for it (it won't disappoint). Recommended. -the mgmnt
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