PIONEER DDJ-FLX6

Product Information

You do get a few simplicities built-in, such as a set of beat buttons, a level/depth knob, your standard on/off button, channel select, and FX select. The truth is that what you can do with pretty much any DJ controller nowadays is amazing, and this is no exception. And when it comes to the advanced functions, in recent years it has been all about the pads. The performance pads Still, the brand surprised most music enthusiasts when it released the new DDJ FLX6, a Rekordbox, and Serato DJ Pro dual-compatible DJ controller with a host of tools for creative mixing. But the very best jogs are only really important if you are a scratch DJ, and with seemingly much of the budget for the DDJ-FLX6 having gone on the jogs, that other essential part for scratch DJing – the crossfader – is very average on this unit. Sure it works, but the pair of them are a huge mismatch. The jogwheels are excellent – a great feel to them, full sized. So why is the crossfader so ordinary?

As for the professional market, I believe a Mk2 version is needed with balanced outputs before the FLX can be viable for them. Nonetheless, the FLX6 has found a seemingly untouched niche in the DJ market, and will likely sell very well to lower-budget hobbyist DJs. Some DJs will probably find it easier to use the jog cutter feature than to learn how to scratch in the first place. It seems pointless to focus your attention on learning this new functionality when you could just practice scratching – and use your skills on other devices too. Beat FX

Sample Scratch

The Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX6 is a dual software platform, four channel DJ controller designed to simplify genre hopping transitions for DJs who are ready to upgrade from the DDJ-200, DDJ-400 or DDJ-SB3.

Now, it may just be that people will come up with cool and clever things to do with the DDJ-FLX6 – but anyone getting serious about their DJing will soon miss more obvious things, like proper control of the software effects, external inputs, and a bit more durability. Why not a DDJ-600? Besides the new graphite colour scheme and added software compatibility, not much has changed from the original DDJ-FLX6. And while the GT is more flexible, it still functions best as a Rekordbox DJ controller. Finally… The big jog wheels on the DDJ-FLX6-GT, are the same size as those on the top-of-the-line CDJ-3000, which make pitch bending and scratching feel natural. Each one also has an "On Jog Display" so you can see where the playhead is, and the new rubberised finish on the outer ring provides a much better feel, especially when pitch bending. Merge FX Feature And maybe that is the idea. In this time where hobbies rule and social media is how people express themselves, maybe that is the aim here – a fun home device that’ll help bored hobby DJs to play passable DJ sets, and do some of the “clever” sounding stuff they see their heroes doing on the big stages.It is strictly one effect at a time, and so what you basically have is a choice of six effects, to be triggered individually. The layout suddenly seems convoluted once you realise this. There’s an obvious software/hardware mismatch, but nevertheless it’s passable. The Beat FX section is underpowered, and while it’s at least easy enough to understand in Rekordbox, in Serato it is confusingly implemented. In total, if rekordbox is the selected music software management system then there are eight Merge FX pattern presets (this reduces to four if Serato DJ Pro is in use), and everything is customisable. One Merge FX is made up of four categories Build FX, Build Sample, Release FX and Drop Sample, which include 41 types of effects, all of which can be united to create over 9,000 different patterns. Additionally, there is the option to save eight of the users own patterns, where the FX Select button can be used to recall them when required. New Jog Cutter feature for pro-sounding scratch effects This full-sized DJ controller is almost as large as the Pioneer DJ DDJ-1000, but it feels closer to the DDJ-200 in build quality. This is essentially a device built for beginners and people who don’t want to spend a small fortune on their craft. I do hope someone proves me wrong and we see some great uses of this, but while this was maybe a fun feature when triggered via the pads (the infamous “Jazzy Jeff” scratch mode on the Pioneer DJ DDJ-SB3), I just don’t get this at all, and feel it is best rapidly forgotten. Beat FX The jog-wheels on the FLX6 are the same size as those on the CDJ-3000 multi-player. Scratching and pitch bending feels natural, and the inclusion of on jog display ensures vital information can be seen at a glance. Sample Scratch - the all-new pad mode

It’s the first new Traktor-compatible controller to be announced for three years– This is in itself worth noting, because while we’re still waiting for Native Instruments, the owners of Traktor, to announce new “official” gear for the platform, it shows that the team is active and working on integrations for the software One exception to that statement is that the DDJ-FLX6 has a booth output, but no DJ is going to want to play with this controller in any venue big enough to have booth speakers – plus, when you have “booth” and master, having them both as unbalanced outputs doesn’t make sense. It is fiendishly hard to get your head around, even harder to get anything decent to come out of the speakers, and if a DJ of 30 years cannot understand it (albeit one who is not a scratch DJ, but still…) I guarantee few others will.

In Rekordbox, it at least has some potential – you can alter the volume (pressing shift and turning the Merge FX knob does that), and there is a panel built into the software where you can choose your samples and effect combos to come up with your own choices. There are a set of four DJ software channels to choose from, a set of color FX knobs, and a three-band EQ to enjoy. There’s also access to looping controls, eight performance pads, and some basic inputs and outputs. I feel a bit sorry for Pioneer DJ here. They took a lot of flak for not making their DDJ-1000 controller for Rekordbox work with Serato (they eventually released a Serato variant, the DDJ-1000SRT). Now they’ve released a controller that works with both, and they are still going to get flak for it. You’ll also find VU meters in all four of the channels here, but there’s no master VU meter available. The meters are a little dim, however, so make sure you’re equipped to see them properly if you’re DJing in outdoor festivals with a lot of sunshine. D DJ FLX6 : The Verdict Later, with the Rekordbox DDJ-400, Pioneer DJ maintained the “club-style” effects control, only this time, you were controlling the software effects, as it had no hardware effects of its own. It was limited, but they managed to make it work.