-X Z : £ 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. 72 72 sponsored by 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 PIONEER DJ XDJ-XZ 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’. STAYING PIONEER MOBILE DJ XDJ-XZ Pioneer DJ XDJ-XZ 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 clubstandard 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 EARLY DAYS 7733 Pioneer DJ XDJ-XZ The mixer element of the unit place of 2-band EQ is a fully-featured 4-channel both mics on the RX2, model that boasts a range of pro independent 3-band features which anyone used to the two inputs. There playing on Pioneer DJ equipment Over feature, which will feel right at home using. Each to each mic of the four channels has a level as a pretty awesome fader, Trim control and 3-band Reducer’ feature EQ, alongside a dedicated LED VU Heavy settings.

When meter. Every channel also has a system, I found that backlit Cue button and can easily front of my PA system be assigned to either side of the microphone and crossfader (or set to bypass it) feedback - pretty using a simple slide switch. very useful when in very tight spaces Channels 1 and 2 can be run in have your speakers standalone or controller mode, would normally like. while channels 3 and 4 can be switched between laptop, line For creative mixers, or phono input.

There is also absolutely loaded a dedicated level control for inherited from Pioneer the auxiliary input, which is DJM-900NXS2 model. switchable between the line input selectable beat FX, and a connected portable device. assigned to any either or both mics), Of particular interest to mobile DJs, output or one side of the microphone controls on the XZ These can be set offer a marked improvement to particular frequencies what was included on the RX2.

In Hi) and can be 74 74 shared between touch-sensitive X-Pad. In addition, the XZ offers there are six selectable Sound EQ for each of Colour FX, which can be applied is also a Talk independently to each of the four can be applied main channels using dedicated level independently, as well controls. ‘Feedback with Light and In addition to the channel EQ, testing the there is a separate master 3-band I could walk in EQ which can be used to tweak with a ‘live’ the overall output to get the generate zero most from your PA based on impressive and each individual room’s unique you are working acoustics.

There is also a Master or you have to level control as well as a separate closer than you control for the Booth output. In summary, this is a great unit the unit is from Pioneer DJ and I am sure it with FX, again will prove very popular, although DJ’s flagship I would have loved to have seen There are 14 a bigger screen and four channels which can be of standalone control. However, channel (including if you’re in need of an upgrade the Master or looking to ditch your laptop the crossfader. for the first time, this ‘all-in-one to apply to Powerhouse’ will certainly help (Low, Mid or you out! manipulated using a PIONEER DJ XDJ-XZ