Pioneer DJ just announced the DDJ-XP2, a pad controller that works with both Serato DJ Pro and Rekordbox DJ. It’s the followup to the original DDJ-XP1 which was a Rekordbox DJ-only controller. It has 32 RGB backlit pads with pad mode buttons, touchstrips with Slide FX selector buttons (new for Serato DJ Pro), Silent Cue buttons for muting and instantly starting tracks while spinning with turntables and DVS.

For Rekordbox DJ users, the DDJ-XP2 has the new Transport Mode feature which turns the performance pads into deck transport controls like Play/Pause, Cue, and Pitch Up / Pitch Down.

It also has Slip Reverse, beat and key sync controls, library browse and loading controls, looping controls and the all important “Int” buttons that let you quickly switch to Internal mode in case something happens to your turntables or timecode media.

Finally, it’s USB powered so all you need to do is hook it up to your laptop, plus it gets Official Serato Accessory certification which means it’ll work plug and play with Serato DJ Pro, although you’ll still need a Serato DJ Pro-compatible interface / controller / mixer in order to unlock Serato.

Who’s it for?

We’ve reviewed the DDJ-XP1 and thought it’s a cool add-on for performance-oriented DJs and those who want to push their creative battle routines to the limit. The DDJ-XP2 is quite similar to the DDJ-XP1 with the main exception of it being compatible with both Serato DJ Pro and Rekordbox DJ. The 32 pads (16 per deck) let you maximise Rekordbox DJ’s Keyboard mode for pitch play routines – and you can now do the same in Serato DJ using Pitch Play.

That said, it can be quite redundant (and even unnecessary) if you’re already using a capable controller like the DDJ-1000 / DDJ-1000SRT, so it’s something that’s aimed more at DVS and CDJ/XDJ users who need added pad functionality in a club or turntable set-up.

Serato DJ users who have been clamouring for a follow-up to the DDJ-SP1 (released way back in 2013) will want to check this out. Check the promo video and photo gallery below.

Promo Video

• The Pioneer DJ DDJ-XP2 is available now for US$299. Check the Pioneer DJ site for more details.

What are your thoughts on this controller? Want it for your Serato DJ set-up? Let us know in the comments.