Alphatheta simply introduced their XDJ-AZ – it’s an all-in-one standalone with 4 decks constructed into the unit. On this piece, I’ll share among the particulars on the unit and supply just a few first impressions and ideas on how it’s to combine on. On this planet of digital DJ gear, standalone units appear to be more and more dominant, so I’ve additionally received just a few ideas on the place the AZ suits into the busy panorama. Maintain studying!

XDJ-AZ: the 4 decks that had been promised

The XDJ-AZ has felt like Alphatheta/Pioneer DJ’s worst-kept-secret lately. I first noticed rumors of the unit on Reddit about two months in the past, confirmed by business sources just a few weeks later, after which received provided a unit for assessment about two weeks in the past.

I’ve been craving 4 deck mixing in a XDJ-RX type issue for years. I used to be upset when the XDJ-XZ was introduced and it was touted as “4 decks!” however actually was “4 channels or pay for Rekordbox and convey your laptop computer with you!” The economics of Rekordbox and promoting DJ {hardware} are intriguing (see “That Worth Tho” part under), and it felt like Pioneer DJ would by no means compete with their very own top-of-the-line gear.

Now, Alphatheta has delivered. Sure, they provided me a loaner unit to take a look at, however no, this isn’t a paid assessment. The opinions on this piece are my very own. Sure, we’ll promote these in our retailer – assist a small enterprise together with your preorder in case you’re inclined:

Must you purchase an XDJ-AZ?

I’ll hold my ideas simple to parse on the outset in order that quick and to the purpose:

• If you happen to’re in search of four-deck mixing on near-club-style gear in a single bundle, that is it. It’s actually enjoyable to combine on, delivers on providing what’s wanted, and I believe it’s going to turn out to be the dominant mannequin of XDJ over the following few years.
• If you happen to’ve purchased a unique standalone system lately: Need to have the ability to combine on three/4 decks with out the rest? I’d suggest attempting to promote your unit as used and improve. I anticipate that older fashions will retain their worth nicely as many Pioneer DJ units have through the years, however one of the best time to promote your previous gear is all the time yesterday.
• If you happen to don’t need to combine on greater than two decks, the XDJ-AZ most likely isn’t the proper match for you.

Numerous the good options on the AZ are merely protecting issues that labored very well on the XDJ-XZ. There’s a purpose why the XZ has so many followers, and the product designers clearly took discover of that on this launch.

What’s Nice On The XDJ-AZ

• 4 decks, clearly. You possibly can combine on them. They behave as you’d anticipate and really feel dependable. The deck controls are “layer swap” type – so both sides controls both 1/3 or 2/4. My two cents on 4 deck mixing: most DJs will discover 4 decks extreme to combine on in a non-B2B state of affairs, however virtually each DJ can think about why having a third deck is sensible for his or her mixing type.
  • Questioning what you’d do with greater than two decks? Give Ean’s traditional “Mixing For The Stage” video a watch.
  • Value noting, the channels are labeled left to proper: 3, 1, 2, 4. That is to maintain 1 and a couple of within the “center” of the mixer and the first decks, however it feels a bit bizarre to anybody used to organising 4 CDJs and a mixer, the place it’d often be channel 1, 2, 3, 4.
• All the pieces matches the professional setup: The magic of the XDJ standalone line is that almost any aspiring membership DJ sees the profit: the workflow and muscle reminiscence that you simply study on the XDJs interprets shortly to the CDJ setup. The AZ continues this development by updating most of the controls to match the CDJ-3000, together with looping, beat leap, key sync, and the workflow of the person interface and browse knob immediately subsequent to it.

• Grasp Out EQ/Isolator: this was one of many nicest options on the XDJ-XZ: the power to regulate the EQ on the primary out. It’s a very fast strategy to both
  • add extra performative parts to your combine a la mixing with isolators or
  • do a quick-EQing on a fundamental PA system that wants a bit little bit of assist however there’s no sound man / mixing desk / precise processing occurring past your DJ gear.

• These full measurement jogwheels really feel nice: with the full-color jog show, these are successfully what you’d get on a CDJ-3000. It has the identical pressure alter and mechanical motion, which means that sure, reloads/rewinds really feel as they need to. One of many challenges that XDJ-R fashions all the time have had is their comparatively “small-feeling” jogs.

Options I’m Uncertain About

I’m nonetheless not totally satisfied by two options that Alpha Theta is closely selling on this system:

• Cloud Direct Play together with Beatport/Beatsource streaming: Music libraries within the cloud an amazing backup resolution for in case you forgot your USB, or if you’ll want to take a request. I’ve but to come across a single DJ within the wild (weddings, bars, golf equipment, festivals, renegades, receptions, commencement events all included) who was utilizing a streaming library as their major music supply. I believe that “having the ability to play music from no matter supply you need” is a good function, however I don’t see most DJs shifting to cloud-only anytime quickly – particularly as a result of subscription fatigue appears to be at an all time excessive.

• SonicLink wi-fi headphone connection: Sure, I’m very completely satisfied that there’s a motion in the direction of incorporating low-latency wi-fi audio into DJ gear. My hope was that it could begin with fundamental outputs, not headphones. I’d like to have Soundboks and WaveEight audio system capable of join shortly to a tool like this with out a dongle. Wi-fi headphones are good for some issues -but what DJ goes to be greater than 3-5 ft away from their decks whereas they’re mixing and carrying headphones?

What Wants Bettering

• 4 deck show: The waveform show wants extra view modes which can be optimized for 4 deck mixing. I think about this may very well be very simply added (Denon DJ did an amazing job of including tons of extra view modes on their Prime lineup). Proper now the view mode for 4 decks implies that you see a “zoomable” waveform of the 2 decks being managed presently, after which can solely see waveform overviews for the opposite two. There ought to completely be a mode the place the display screen exhibits all 4 zoomable waveforms concurrently.

• Extraneous “workflow debt” within the Efficiency Pads: Product designers at Pioneer DJ, and now Alphatheta, appear to be reluctant to take away options that had been added to a product household prior to now (ie: reminiscence cues and CDJ mode). Usually these options confuse new DJs. It has began to really feel like that’s the case with the efficiency pads on this unit: a remnant of the glory days of the DDJ-SX ten years in the past that isn’t ok to placed on the high-end fashions. Why not put the identical cue buttons which can be on the CDJ-3000 above the jogwheel on the XDJ-AZ? Or, if cue level juggling on pads is prepared for the large league, why not put them on the CDJ-3000? It’s an odd state of affairs.

• “Mixer Settings“: Alright, I’m nit selecting, however what even is that this button doing right here, why is the textual content so massive, and why does it occupy a lot actual property?

• No Stems Options: This one stings, particularly after the discharge of the DDJ-GRV6 yesterday which has a Rekordbox-based distinctive stems function. It looks like this could have been a straightforward win for Alphatheta to innovate and lead the business on a high-end mannequin, not only a $829 controller.

That Worth Tho

The XDJ-AZ is $3,199 (precisely the identical because the Opus Quad’s present value). The truth of DJ gear economics for this system are intriguing. As talked about when the Opus Quad launched, if the designers at Alphatheta made a unit too just like 4 CDJ-3000s and a DJM-A9, they may run the chance of cannibalizing gross sales of their high-end merchandise. I believe that the $3,199 value level right here makes “sense” for the enterprise, however nonetheless will really feel very excessive to most DJs who aren’t evaluating it to the worth of a brand new CDJ/DJM setup.

The opposite factor that I hope is that that value level goes primarily in the direction of utilizing actually good high quality supplies and elements on this system. XDJs get put by lots (see at a photograph of my XDJ-RX under) and product sturdiness over time makes a giant distinction to customers like myself.

What concerning the Opus Quad?

Yup, it is a massive query. Pioneer DJ launched the Opus Quad, their first crack at a 4 deck all-in-one standalone, in March 2023. There was a little bit of a complicated “who is that this for?” response when it got here to the polarizing (folks love or hate the retro look) design.

We’ve received just a few items within the DJTT retailer they usually’re cool units, however the format and workflow isn’t the identical as every other system, usually deferring to aesthetic selections than purposeful ones. It implies that DJs who’re XDJ/CDJ/DJM acquainted have a more durable time studying on the fly on these items at a gig. Since that was a part of the enchantment of the XDJ lineup to start out with (familiarity that interprets throughout units), the Quad has felt extra distant of a product launch to the core customers of Pioneer DJ / Rekordbox programs

Just a few DJs have remarked to me about how the Opus Quad felt like a life-style product (extra about the way it appears to be like than the way it capabilities) extra so than different Pioneer DJ merchandise. Are you able to think about taking a very aesthetically-focused product out for use closely by different DJs at golf equipment, renegades, and small events? Maybe the XDJ-AZ is the workhorse and the Opus Quad is the beautiful pony – however it seems like a splintering of the gear lineup is nicely underway. Talking of which, let’s discuss….

A crowded Rekordbox all-in-one panorama

There’s another factor that’s price mentioning right here earlier than I wrap up this writeup: the present state of the standalone market. For Rekordbox customers, issues have turn out to be extremely saturated. From my vantage level, this saturation began again when the XDJ-RR was launched in 2018. The RR felt like a strategy to make a barely lower-price product with a barely totally different design and fewer options however nonetheless doing virtually precisely the identical factor because the RX2.

Let’s take a fast have a look at the all-in-one items {that a} Rekordbox-oriented DJ may contemplate shopping for new proper now:

• XDJ-AZ ($3,199, 4 decks, this product)
• Opus Quad ( $3,199, 4 decks)
• XDJ-XZ ($2,499, two decks however 4 channels on the mixer, discontinued for the AZ)
• XDJ-RX3 ($2,099, two decks)
• Omnis Duo ($1,499, two decks, battery-powered transportable)
• XDJ-RR ($1,049, two decks, from the RX2 era)

Then, add to that the XDJ-RX2 as nonetheless an affordable purchase on the used marketplace for good situation items.

To me, there are just a few massive points with the present lineup:

• All the pieces is just too costly (welcome to 2024, proper?)
• There are too many fashions that do the practically the identical factor
• Fashions are deserted too early / don’t get updates / appear to be lacking options to create a value level

I hope that Alphatheta will consolidate over the following 5 years and make fewer fashions. Ought to there actually be this many all-in-one items, all with their very own small variations, elements, firmwares, idiosyncrasies, workflows, and person interfaces – from one producer?

The Closing Thought: Standalone

I personally sit up for getting again to mixing 4 decks on the common realizing that will probably be an choice extra locations with the XDJ-AZ available on the market.

So many smaller events and occasions have latched onto the XDJ lineup over the previous couple of years, and it has meant that I’ve thought much less often about practising with a 3rd or 4 deck. Why even trouble if I received’t have the choice? Most DJs don’t have riders, they’re simply taking part in what is offered to them on the gig, or what they introduced.

The promise of 4 deck mixing was clear a decade in the past with the controller revolution, Kontrol S4, and DDJ-SX. It’s about time it involves Rekordbox’s world in approach that is sensible.

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