Network link 2 sc5000 to destop pc

Hi, is it possible to connect the sc5000’s to a network hub and connect a desktop pc that will show up on the sc5000’s as a media source?

Thanks Gary

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Hi Gary

The short answer is “not currently”. However, our development team have a long long list of user suggested features, of which computer linking, for two different ways, is already on the list eg:

1). Using a computer as a music source, just as if the computer were a hard drive.

2). Using the computer as a searching tool for tracks, pushing found tracks out to either layer of player 1,2,3 or 4, instead of using the players as standalone devices.

Exciting things ahead.

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Maybe this has already been suggested, but it would also be extremely helpful to connect an SC5000 to a computer and then use it as a remote control for the engine prime software running on the computer. And also to then have the SD card in the player accessed directly by the engine prime software without the need to physically remove it. This kind of close integration of player and software would really streamline the workflow for adding new music and setting up crates.

What do you think people?

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The idea has been mentioned before, and whilst it detracts from the true “standalone” and “No computer needed” premise which the SC5000 is championing, it is an idea that has been added to the list of considerations for the development team,

Some would welcome the idea, whilst others would say that they got the SC5000’s to facilitate their shift away from dragging a laptop around with them.

The ideal answer is to have the SC5000’s and Engine Prime enhanced by future updates to allow the “Push from Engine Prime to any of the eight layers” functionality, should the user so choose.

Whilst I can see the appeal of having everything on the laptops internal hard drive and never exporting anything, I could understand that some users might stop keeping regular backups of their music library - but that’s not a DenonDJ specific issue of course.

Either way… the idea is on the dev team list, though,

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@Gee_DenonDJ Good to hear it is on the list. Even that I prefer to work ‘stand alone’, this functionality would allow to test things out while still preparing in EP. Today I would Need to prepare on the Computer, Export to the Flashdrive, plug it in the Deck and Play around on the Deck to see how it would work. Being able to connect the Deck via Network to EP directly would allow to simply check the preparation done in EP directly with the Deck before even to copy to the Flashdrive. Thinking of working on multiple tracks, it would be much easier. And even a lot of plug in / unplug the Flashdrive into / from the Deck / Computer wouldn’t be needed.

My preferred way of working is: In a gig -> stand alone; at home -> connected to the Computer

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@Gee_DenonDJ, How is this whole idea going? I´m the same way, at home i preffer to use computer so i can prepare and choose from a bigger pool of music and select for the style of the night :+1:

@j0KZ: Gee is not a part of Denon anymore, so try to see if Jay is the right one to ask :slight_smile:

That’s always a problem. How many DJs would use a single laptop based collection to workaround the export option, so using their only copy “ live”

It’s very sad that Denon removed a feature that was already present in their previous Engine software, used by users and is still present in their biggest competitor’s offering.

And after two years still not added back.

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@Jay_DenonDJ , as i´ve been told, maybe you can update everyone on how is this going

I presume Engine Prime is new software built from the ground up and the feature was not removed, rather just not added yet.

Please explain how that makes it any better for users.

There are areas where inMusic deserves not to be thrown mud at. This is DEFINITELY not one of them. Walk away.

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Nobody is throwing mud, but I can actually see the idea… A lot of Pioneer djs only play with RB, so if Denon want to “capture” those djs, they should (at some time) work on a similar solution.

But I agree that its not where the focus should be right now.

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Who are you talking to? I presume by “that” and “it” you mean either this being new software or this feature still missing.

This is such a shame, the DJ-set in our bar is up for replacement and I’m having a hard time trying to convince the others that we should go Denon. In our booth there is a dedicated pc for the music which is then used in both manners described above. I really hope to both features soon.

To be fair to InMusic when they finally put this feature into the new Engine Prime, it will function the way we all sort of originally expected the Pioneer and old Denon system to function but did not: with redundancy in case the computer failed. The fact is, the old systems all require constant network connection to stream and do not buffer the track significantly. Since the Prime players buffer the track extensively, you’ll have minutes of the track actually still playable even if the computer or network connection drops out.

Heck, the old Denons never even had the ability to choose the drive you were linking. If you had two decks on the 3900, you could choose the opposite one to link and have a drive in each deck. If you had 3 or more over a hub, you could only have one drive connected at a time and you had to disconnect the decks’ ethernet with a drive you didn’t want to link. Even Gemini finally sort of resolved that on the MDJ while old Denon lagged.

So new Denon is certainly headed in the right direction with their network link. I suspect the delay you’re seeing on this feature’s implimentation is probably the issue with buffering an entire large track over the network. They might be trying to figure out how to deal with that in terms of analysis and such. Certainly we can assume this feature is a lower priority than getting the speed issues and sound quality up to snuff, though.

Wow, seems you don’t even know that linked PC could be used just as a library screen for drives plugged into the players. No music data then goes between PC and players - so much for your theories and explanations, let alone excuses.

Fact is: they took a 2 year step back when they ditched the Engine 1.5 and started from stratch. Just to avoid paying non-inMusic company further development of software.

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I did not know that feature even existed on them. I was talking about the OP’s feature request offloading tracks from the PC to the players that both Rekordbox and the original Engine (apparently… I never actually tested that function on the 3900) did, not using the PC to browse the single currently-accessed USB drive plugged into a deck.

Why would you even need a computer to browse the player-connected drives on the SC Prime players? You can already browse any of the connected drives on any linked deck, search, and even plug in an external mini keyboard if you find the on-screen one too awkward. The 2900/3900 screen and search is comparatively useless, so I get the utility this computer browsing of the linked drive on those to some degree, even if it seems like plugging that drive into the laptop itself would make more sense if it can do that too, especially with the finicky link. On the SC Primes, having a huge, unlimited library on a fast computer and bumping the tracks onto the decks would be an improvement over the current functioning.

When we demo’ed the 3900s I became less interested in them at the point when we had three decks connected to a switch and we couldn’t choose which drive the other decks pulled from when more than one deck had a drive plugged into it. I was shocked they were that far behind the Pioneers. If you had more than two decks, you had to unplug a deck from the switch during a DJ turnover and put the new drive on the un-networked one. I’ve since wondered if they ever fixed that, but was most recently told the final firmware had not.

I considered just getting the 3900s to use exclusively with the PC offloading function but abandoned it and got the older 5500s instead. Once I got used to the 5500s I found the 3900s to have been a step back in some areas – smaller screen & browsing area, worse search, limited linking replacing the quite flexible slave mode, no dual layer Alpha mode, no HID, no pitch ranges between 16% & 100% and still only 1% increments on 100%, no onboard database creation, etc. All they improved apparently was the sticker drift when you’re at the beginning of the track, the setting of hot starts, and the ability to manipulate the platter edge when the motor is on.

Any updates on this feature? It is one of my favorite things about rekordbox. I have a setup in the bedroom and living room… both of which are hooked up through ethernet. And when i’m arranging sets its nice to be able to just jump on any decks and they’re ready to access the library so i don’t have to keep messing with the USB exporting over and over again

will be ordering sc5000’s to replace my xdj1000mk2s this weekend. very excited!! this feature isnt a deal break… just one that is a nice luxury that offers incredible convenience

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Hi all, do we have the option to use a computer as a source yet, either over usb or Ethernet? Cheers