Pioneer DJ DDJ-RZX Rekordbox Video Controller Launched

Pioneer DJ just announced the DDJ-RZX Rekordbox DJ four-channel controller. It’s got three large 7″ touchscreens onboard for viewing track information, waveforms, and videos, and are meant to take full advantage of the new Rekordbox Video Plus Pack, which lets you VJ in Rekordbox DJ. It’s also got two large jogwheels, a four-channel mixer, and Sound Color FX and Beat FX inherited from the DJM-900NXS2 mixer.

The Pioneer DJ DDJ-RZX comes with two USB jacks for DJ switchovers – this is not a standalone system like the XDJ-RX, and you still need to connect it to a laptop running Rekordbox DJ to use it. It’s compatible with the Rekordbox DVS add-on: there are two phono inputs for hooking up turntables and four line inputs for CDJs. There are also two combo XLR jacks for connecting microphones. The output section consists of XLR and 1/4 master outputs as well as a 1/4″ booth outputs.

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The Rekordbox Video Plus Pack is good news for folk who DJ with video and are coming from Virtual DJ or Serato DJ, and it’s compatible with the entire range of DDJ-R controllers too, not just the DDJ-RZX. It supports a variety of video files (MP4, AVI, WMV, and so on), and can display image slideshows as well as a live camera feed.

A true multimedia DJ controller?

Pioneer DJ is producing Rekordbox-enabled devices at a feverish pace, but out of the entire DDJ-R line this stands out as the one that’s truly meant for multimedia DJing. It’s the first Rekordbox DJ-specific controller that comes with onboard displays, and is the first to be bundled with Rekordbox Video. It looks a lot like the DDJ-RZ at first glance, but the addition of the new screens as well as the updated FX, layout, and functionalities set this controller apart from the rest of the DDJ-R pack.

The displays remind us of the Numark Dashboard, which is an accessory for Serato DJ, but these take the concept a step further by being high-resolution touchscreens that are capable of displaying video instead of just deck information and waveforms.

While hardware touchstrips for needle search are absent here, the FX paddles from the DJM-S9 two-channel mixer make an appearance in the effects section of each deck. A dedicated Mic FX is also onboard (Echo, Reverb, Pitch, and V Tune) along with a three-band EQ.

The DDJ-RZX is the most feature-laden in Pioneer DJ’s current lineup, but it’s not for everyone: if you aren’t into video and you just want to mix tunes together, you’ve got a ton of other options within or even outside of the Rekordbox ecosystem.

It’s also very expensive: The DDJ-RZX comes in at just under US$3000. Pricey, but if you take into account that it comes with Rekordbox DJ, Rekordbox Video Plus Pack, and Rekordbox DVS (almost US$400 separately), then it just costs half a grand more than the former flagship DDJ-RZ controller. For the extra dollars, you’re getting those sharp screens as well as the updated FX and layout / functionalities. If you’ve got the cash, it would make for a beast of a controller that could make even the most die-hard CDJ purists take a second look (it does look like a CDJ/DJM combo, after all).

Check out the promo video and photo gallery below.

Promo Video

• The Pioneer DJ DDJ-RZX Rekordbox DJ controller will be available on July 2016 for US$2,999. Check the Pioneer DJ website for more details.

What are your thoughts on this controller? Are you a video DJ, and does something like this interest you? If not, do you now want to get into video DJing because of this controller? Let us know below.