Nice thread about Denon Engine from John 00 Flemming

I really don’t enjoy performing on rubbish having to work around the limitations of the hardware, so I just carry my own field equipment around nowadays when necessary.

Oh that won’t matter to me, Ive downgraded and removed them ;)… but yes, if you’re using Stems there will be additional time taken to process them, if you choose to depending on the genre of music you play (does deep house really need Stems?)

The decks we use at gigs are a mk2 and an M3D, one with the click on zero. One of them needs a service quite badly so is prone to slipping if you’re not careful, it sharpens the mind.

After looking at various YT videos and asking on social media it appears the Denon stems are quite rubbish, so I’m just going to let it pass. It’s the most basic of implementations and the quality just isn’t there. It’s as though they just had to do something to shut people up …

Classic setup :slight_smile:

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They’re all quite rubbish to be fair, especially when compared to a genuine acapella or instrumental. People get all gooey eyed over Serato but I find them pretty bang average.

I don’t have Threads. Anyone willing to post whole text here?

Thanks

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@STU-C , I think you missed part of my point. I’ve also had a long-term DJ residency using CDJs and have switched between various setups throughout my career, which proves that it’s absolutely possible to adapt. I even mentioned that in my post—that it just takes a small adjustment period. So, in that regard, we’re actually in agreement.

As for stems, that was more of a playful jab because, of course, Pioneer doesn’t support stems (at least not yet). However, I still stand by my view that if you really want to push the boundaries of performance art and fully utilize the features of your controller or players, it definitely takes more than 10 minutes to get familiar with all the functionalities. Additionally, preparing specific mixes that take advantage of those features also requires time and effort.

That’s not to say a DJ can’t mix competently on new gear after a short adjustment period, but if the goal is to truly make the most out of the equipment and elevate your performance, it demands more dedication.

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I may be wrong, but I think the point of his post wasn’t to be an ambassador for the brand, but rather say that innovation is what helps fuel creativity and Denon is the brand that enables this in the DJ industry currently. That is, unless he’s paid by Denon, then that’s a different story. :rofl:

Please be careful hitching one’s identity to a brand. It’s a recipe for future failure and disappointment.

When people ask me what I use, i say “I DJ with Denon Gear”, not “I’m a Denon DJ”.

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I’m not sure if he’s an officially endorsed Denon DJ artist, but he frequently puts up pictures from his studio with his SC6000’s/x1850 - so at least he does a good job promoting the units :blush:

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Yeah I fully agree with this of course, my whole point was based around the fact loads of ‘normal’ DJs who just mix music together fall into the trap of thinking they have to follow this ‘club standard’ thing.

You are correct though, being fully familiar with specific gear requires time and effort.

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@PKtheDJ so standalone Stems work without a Laptop on CDJs 3000?

No, if you read the FAQ that’s not what it says. However it does show that Pioneer supports stems.

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My View on SC6000 Vs CDJ3000 is that for a number or reasons the Denon are better.

Personal taste I prefer the cue buttons in front of the plater rather than above, better way of working. The Denon’s are dual decks so four decks compared to two. They have internet so updates so very easy. I believe they have more features overall than the Pioneer. Apart from the basic Rekordbox you have to pay for the software this I find very wrong if you have purchased their media players this should be included if you purchase their equipment. The sound spec are the same on both yet I believe the Pioneer are about £800. more each. If I pay more I want better quality and more features, so in short I think they are over priced and for some reason people think if you don’t have Pioneer you wont be taken seriously as a DJ, rubbish. DJs and Clubs should purchase what’s right for them not what badge it has on it. If all venues went over to Denon would all the top DJs refuse to work there, of course not.

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Great post from JOOF, I’ve booked him to play at my events several times over the years and used my own 6000s where they’ve been rock solid every time.

I think it’s great to see the amount of people saying positive things about Denon in the comments. Could there be a shift happening with the catastrophic rebrand to AlphaTheta?

Who knows, I’m super happy with the 6000s and really hope all the rumours of them pulling out of the stand alone game are false!

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The effects on a A&H DB4 mixer being just one example. Had mine for some time now and I’m still learning and discovering new ways to use it. Most DJ’s are familiar with the basic functions of decks/dj mixers. I agree though, in order to utilise the full potential of the advanced features of the equipment I think spending more time familiarising yourself with it will not only alleviate any stress/anxiety while DJing but give you more confidence to take your dj set to a whole new level with ease.

Would somebody kindly clarify to what extent exactly Pioneer currently supports stems - with the “best” of the hardware that they do have available?

As far as I know, there is no standalone stems support on Pioneer DJ gear, not on the CDJ-3000 players, nor on the new XDJ-AZ. To use stems, you will need a combination of a laptop, rekordbox, and a compatible controller. Several controllers can be used, you may need to MIDI-map the functions for stems control manually. Compared to the four stems offered by Engine DJ, rekordbox generates three: DRUMS, VOCAL, and INST. The FLX-10 controller has three buttons for stems control.

Stems support in the Pioneer DJ world is a rekordbox-and-laptop-dependent feature, even with their “best” hardware. And you will need either a rekordbox subscription or a controller with a built-in software unlock feature.

So this is utterly insane to me, that the competitor charges exorbitant prices, and a subscription mode, for an inferior product. I love rooting for the underdog, especially when their products are actually better and cheaper! What’s crazy about the world we live in though, is that our rational expectations for the success of such products just doesn’t seem to happen. Or even worse, when they do happen - the underdog becomes the new “more expensive and worse product” offering. Forgive me for waxing poetic this morning!