Stems Now On Denon DJ’s Prime 4+, Soon On All Engine Hardware

Stems have officially made their way to standalone DJ hardware with the Denon DJ Prime 4+, and they’re soon coming to all other Engine DJ hardware as well. This is a first for standalone DJ systems, allowing DJs to isolate different track elements without needing a laptop in the booth with them.

In this guide, we’ll dive into how it all works, the differences from a previous beta version, and what to expect in terms of availability and pricing.

How stems work today on Prime 4+

Using Stems on the Prime 4+ is a bit different from other DJ software like Serato, Rekordbox, or Traktor. Instead of real-time analysis on the device, tracks now need to be pre-analysed on desktop software. Here’s how it works:

1. Pre-analyse your tracks: Load up the desktop Engine DJ software and drag any track, playlist, or multiple tracks you want to analyse into the dedicated folder for Stems. The software will analyse each track, which takes a bit of time but ensures high-quality sound
2. Export your playlists as usual to USB: Once your tracks are analysed, export them to a USB drive. When you plug this USB into the Prime 4+, Stems-enabled tracks are ready to go. Stems-analysed tracks can be mixed with non-analysed tracks in the same playlist

Do note though that this pre-analysis process has a couple of implications:

• No real-time or streaming stems: Currently, streaming tracks can’t be pre-analysed for Stems, so you’ll need to stick to your local music collection
• Much higher-quality audio: Pre-analysing results in cleaner sound quality than what you’d get from the initial beta version. It seems Engine DJ’s engineers have decided that real-time stem analysis is too intensive for current standalone hardware, but they’ve hinted that real-time functionality might come with future hardware improvements

Using stems in performance

To control stems on the Prime 4+, you simply tap the hotcue button twice. This action sets the top four pads to switch on/off vocals, drums, and melody. Additionally, by tapping the parameter left/right buttons, you can access instant acapellas or instrumentals for pre-analysed tracks – although sadly not if the pads are set to another mode.

This set-up is very similar to Serato’s stems mappings, and to our ears – the most important thing! – they sound very good.

What you’ll need

Be prepared with a decent-sized USB drive with fast read/write speeds, as analysed stem files take up more space. It looks like you do need to go down the USB export route too, as direct wifi connection didn’t appear to work for transferring stems in testing – it’s possible we’ll see connectivity improvements in future updates.

When will stems be available for other Engine DJ gear?

While stems are available now for Prime 4+ owners, they’ll arrive on 11 December at 3pm Eastern for all Engine DJ-powered hardware. When they do, they will work in exactly the same way. However, unlike the Prime 4+, where the feature is free, other hardware owners will need to pay a one-time fee.

Denon DJ hasn’t released a price yet, but they assure it won’t be a significant cost. This does, however, set a new precedent for paid features on Engine DJ hardware.

What’s next for standalone stems?

In the future, we can likely expect features like FX to enhance stems performance, which I’m betting will come on buttons 5-8 (the lower pads currently conspicuously empty), similar to Serato. Additionally, as hardware processing power improves, we might see real-time stems functionality on the Prime series and other standalone DJ systems.

Read this next: Acapella & Stems – Prepare First, Or Use Real-Time Features?

For now, Denon DJ’s approach aligns with DJ software platforms, where pre-analysis offloads heavy processing to the desktop, allowing the standalone hardware to handle the final mix with minimal strain.

Finally…

The arrival of Stems on Engine DJ is a groundbreaking step, making Engine DJ the first brand to bring this feature to standalone hardware. While real-time stems would be ideal, pre-analysed Stems offer a practical solution for now. If you own a Prime 4+, update your firmware and desktop software to version 4.2 and give it a try! For users of other Engine DJ hardware, mark your calendars for 11 December.

Find out more on the Engine DJ website.