Pioneer DJ just announced its DDJ-XP1 grid pad controller for Rekordbox DJ and Rekordbox DVS. It’s got 32 full-colour RGB backlit performance pads (16 per deck), touchstrips and buttons for the new Slide FX feature, and pad mode select buttons including the new Keyboard and Key Shift modes. The pads are fully customisable and assignable using the Pad Editor in Rekordbox DJ 5.0.
A library browse knob, deck load buttons, loop controls, deck select buttons, and Sampler navigation round out the controls on the DDJ-XP1. It ships with licences for Rekordbox DJ and Rekordbox DVS.
The DDJ-XP1 seems like a controllerist’s dream – it’s basically the DDJ-SP1 on steroids. You get most of the features that the older DDJ-SP1 has to offer, and much more: 16 pads per deck mean you’ve got access to more hot cues than ever before, and it takes full advantage of the new “16 hot cue” limit in Rekordbox DJ 5.0. Plus, using these pads with the Keyboard and Key Shift modes gives you more hot cue performance flexibility, kind of like how you can “play” a synth using a Novation Launchpad or Push 2 in Ableton Live.
The Slide FX also look intriguing – you can select from among three Slide FX, and you use the touchstrip to control the effect.
We can’t wait to get this in the lab – watch out for our review of it soon. In the meantime, check out the promo video and photo gallery below.
Promo Video
Photo Gallery
• The Pioneer DJ DDJ-XP1 will be available for US$259 from September 2017. Check the Pioneer DJ site for more details.
What do you think about this pad controller? Want to add it to your DJ set-up? Think it’s great, or think it’s too much? Share your thoughts below.
Joey Santos
