Pioneer DJ surprised us with the DDJ-FLX6 controller for Rekordbox (here’s our DDJ-FLX6 review). We were expecting the company to launch a “DDJ-600”, to fit in between the two-channel consumer DDJ-400 and the two-channel pro DDJ-800. Instead, we got the DDJ-FLX6. Sure, it has four channels, but it also is clearly aimed at a very different market segment.
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In this article, then, we’ll look at five things you should know before buying this unit.
5 Things To Know
- It’s your only choice sub-$1000 with four channels for Rekordbox – That makes the decision easy if you definitely want four channels, because there’s no competition. You have to pay $1,200 for the next four-channel Rekordbox controller, the DDJ-1000
- Buy it for the jogwheels – They’re excellent. Not quite the same as the ones on the CDJ-3000 club players, but damned close. They’re great fun to DJ on, and if jogwheels are the most important thing to you, you’re getting a pair of good ones at a good price point
- DO NOT buy it for Serato – It unlocks Serato – that’s the good point. The bad point is that it is not made for Serato. The labelling on the controls is all wrong, and the Serato implementation for the Merge FX (more in a sec on those) is poor. Buy to use with Rekordbox, Serato is just a bonus
- It is missing some basics – For this money, I’d expect to see an aux in (for a backup or extra music source) and a balanced output, for making the unit sound great when plugged directly into a PA system. The latter is all the more confusing an omission, because the FLX-6 does have booth and master outputs!
- The new “Merge FX” feature is clever… but only for EDM DJs – Seen Guetta and the gang making mad build-ups and drops in their DJ sets, and wanted to do it yourself? The Merge FX knob is a macro FX control that lets you do just that. But it is gimmicky, and not for us – yet I do realise that some DJs will love it (oh, and for us the less said about the Jog Cutter scratch effect, the better – we just couldn’t get it)
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Overall…
If you were expecting a “DDJ-600” from Pioneer DJ, you’ll likely be disappointed by this – too under-powered where it counts, and a bit too gimmicky, despite the great jogs.
But if you’re the target market, you’ll probably love it. It looks “pro” to a point, mainly because of the jogwheels, and the Merge FX are undeniably fun, for a while at least. Just use the five points above to help you buy with your eyes open. And if you’d like to read our full review of the unit, find it here.
Let us know what you think of this unit in the comments below.
Phil Morse
