- Pioneer DJ has just
announced the XDJ-XZ.
A new flagship standalone controller
which many are seeing as a
response to the Denon DJ Prime 4.
Many DJs already invested
in the Rekordbox ecosystem,
held off on purchasing the Prime 4
in hopes that Pioneer DJ would follow suit
and release a four channel standalone unit
of its own.
So now that the XDJ-XZ has been announced,
DJs around the world
are beginning to ask,
how does it stack up against the Prime 4?
What do they have in common?
What features separate one
standalone unit from the other?
And most importantly,
what four channel standalone
unit is best for me?
Well, in this video we'll
go over the similarities
and differences of these two
four channel standalone units
to help you decide which
unit might fit you the best.
And if you're interested
in more DJ hardware videos
just like this one, make sure
you subscribe to this channel.
But now, let's get into the comparison
of the Pioneer DJ XDJ-XZ
and the Denon DJ Prime 4.
Both the Pioneer XDJ-XZ
and the Denon DJ Prime 4
have the kind of build
quality that a DJ would expect
from a flagship piece of gear.
The Prime 4 has a mostly metal build
that we've come to expect from Denon DJ.
While the XDJ-XZ features
a more plastic build,
similar to Pioneer DJ's
club standard Nexus 2 setup.
While the metal build of the Prime 4
is a sure sign of durability,
the type of plastic that
Pioneer DJ has been using
on it's higher end hardware
has proven to be durable over the years.
The size of the XDJ-XZ and Prime 4
are both larger than the
majority of DJ controller's
on the market.
This may be a positive or negative
depending on what you're looking
for in a piece of hardware.
If you're a mobile DJ
that is looking for a piece of gear
that will instantly give
a professional look,
the larger size of these units is a plus.
If you're looking for a smaller
and lighter piece of
gear for easier travel,
the size and weight of the XDJ-XZ
and Prime 4 may not be appealing.
Especially the XDJ-XZ which is truly huge.
While the mixer sections
on both the XDJ-XZ
and Prime 4 have four channels,
the input and output options
of each are quite different.
The Prime 4 definitely offers more
in terms of inputs and outputs,
when compared to the XDJ-XZ.
When it comes to channel inputs,
the XDJ-XZ offers RCA
inputs on only two channels,
while the Prime 4 offers RCA
inputs on all four channels.
This means that the Prime
4 allows for twice as many
external sources to be connected.
The XDJ-XZ does however, offer
and auxiliary input on RCA
while the Prime 4 does not.
Both the XDJ-XZ and Prime 4
have two microphone inputs
channels on combo jacks,
with three band EQ per channel
and a talk over function.
The microphone channels on the XDJ-XZ
have a feedback reducer function
with a low and high setting,
which mobile DJs should find useful.
While the Prime 4 microphone channels
do not have that function,
it does have an echo effect function
that can be turned on and off per channel.
The XDJ-XZ and Prime 4 have
the same number of outputs
but they are set up
differently on each unit.
The XDJ-XZ has the master
output on both XLR and RCA,
booth outputs on quarter inch jacks
and a send output on a quarter inch jack.
The Prime 4 has its master output on XLR
and RCA like the XDJ-XZ
but instead of quarter inch jacks,
the booth output is on XLR.
And finally, the Prime 4
does not have a sends output
but instead it had a zone output
which is especially
helpful for mobile DJs.
The zone output on the Prime
4 is especially interesting
as it is not a common
feature on most DJ hardware.
It allows the DJ to send
specific channels of audio
to a completely separate output.
This means you could be mixing
using channels one and two
like normal in one room,
using the master output.
Then, sending something like
a tablet running Spotify
on channel three to a
completely separate room
using the zone output.
Large touchscreen displays
can be found above the mixer section
on both the XDJ-XZ and the Prime 4.
The size and technology
behind the two displays
are completely different
and affect the user
experience of each unit.
The touchscreen on the XDJ-XZ
is the same older technology
found on Pioneer DJ products
as far back as 2015.
While the touch functionality does work
on this older Pioneer DJ tech,
it definitely feels dated.
This is due to the fact
that it doesn't support
any type of multi-touch or gestures,
like we're used to using
on our smartphones.
The touchscreen on the Prime 4
is a completely different story.
The first difference you will
notice is its larger size.
The screen is the size of a tablet
which is a great thing
when so much information is
being displayed on the screen.
It also uses more modern
touchscreen technology
that anyone familiar
with using a smartphone
or tablet will feel comfortable using.
The Prime 4 touchscreen allows
for gestures like swiping
which makes the touchscreen
feel like an integral part
of the user experience.
Unlike the touchscreen on the XDJ-XZ
which feels like an addition,
not a necessity.
The big draw for both of
these pieces of hardware
is their standalone functionality.
Both units can be used to
play your digital files
without the need of a computer.
Both companies had
standalone units in the past
but this is Denon DJ's first unit
that can play standalone on four channels.
And Pioneer DJ's first standalone unit
with the four channel mixer.
The Prime 4 allows for a wide
array of media to be used
to play your music.
You're able to play music
from multiple USB flash drives
or external hard drives, SD cards
or from an internal hard
drive that can be installed.
This makes it possible for multiple DJs,
using different types of
media to play from the Prime 4
at the same time.
The Prime 4's multi-core
processor technology
allows for another level
of standalone support.
A DJ can analyse tracks
and even organise them
all on the Prime 4 without
the need of a computer.
None of the Pioneer DJ standalone
units have this capability
and the computer is needed
to both analyse tracks
and to place them into playlists.
Another feature that set the Prime 4 apart
at the time of its release,
was the fact that DJs would
be able to play standalone
on all four channels.
Denon DJ's previous
standalone product the MCX8000
only allowed for standalone
functionality on two channels.
This four channel support
sets the Prime 4 apart
from all the other standalone units,
even with the release of the XDJ-XZ
which only supports two
channels of standalone.
Many Pioneer fans have been waiting
for a four channel
standalone Rekordbox unit
since the release of the Prime 4.
While it is exciting that Pioneer
did release a standalone unit
with a four channel mixer,
unfortunately, this unit only allows
for two channels to be used in standalone.
And unlike the Denon DJ Prime 4,
the XDJ-XZ only supports
the use of USB flash drives
or external hard drives
to play your tracks.
Like Pioneer DJ's previous
standalone hardware.
So the standalone experience
on the XDJ-XZ is very similar
to the XDJ-RX2 which is also two channels.
The Prime 4 recently received an update
that added support for one of
the most popular DJ software,
Serato DJ Pro.
By connecting a computed
to the Prime 4 via USB,
the Prime 4 allows for
four decks of control
for Serato DJ Pro.
The Prime 4 also allows for
all four channels to be used
in DVS mode, if external
sources such as media players
or CDJs are attached.
It is worth noting
that putting the Prime 4
in this controller mode
disables the hardware
effects of the Prime 4
and the effects hardware controls
now effect the Serato
DJ Pro software effects.
The XDJ-XZ will also
support Serato DJ Pro,
although we do not have exact
details at the time of filming
as to how this will look,
we'll find out in January 2020.
If we were to guess, with
how many products Pioneer
and Serato have developed
together in the past,
the XDJ-XZ will have great
integration with Serato DJ Pro.
Along with support for Serato DJ Pro,
the XDJ-XZ also supports
Pioneer's own Rekordbox software.
In Rekordbox DJ control mode,
the XDJ-XZ will function
a lot like Pioneer DJ's
previous standalone
units, like the XDJ-RX2.
What's different about the XDJ-XZ
is that it allows for
Rekordbox to be used
in two different modes.
Unlike the previous standalone units
that only allow for Rekordbox
to be used in Rekordbox DJ control mode,
the XDJ-XZ also allows
for Rekordbox to be used
in what's called export mode.
With the Rekordbox software
open to export mode,
the XDJ-XZ treats a
computed connected via USB
or ethernet more like
an external hard drive
rather than a computer
running a full DJ software.
It allows the DJ to not only
load songs from playlists
directly from the Rekordbox software on the computer
but more important,
provides a tactile keyboard
that can help when searching
through a large library.
The highlight of the
jogwheels on both the XDJ-XZ
and Prime 4 is the
center jogwheel display.
The jogwheel display on
both the XDJ-XZ and Prime 4
feature album art mode
that allows the DJ to view the album art
of the tracks playing
directly on the jogwheel.
Both jogwheel displays
also show needle position
which can be really helpful
when trying to cue up a
certain part of a song quickly.
The XDJ-XZ jogwheel display
also has a second mode
that shows useful information,
exactly like the jogwheel
displays on the DDJ-1000.
In this mode you can see
the waveform, cue points,
BPM, tempo range and time.
While it is nice to have this
information on the jogwheel
because this same information can be seen
on the center display on a
larger, easier to read screen,
it's a bit redundant.
There is a difference in
size on the jogwheels.
The jogwheels on the XDJ-XZ are
the same 206 millimeter size
as their flagship CDJs.
The jogwheels on the Prime 4
are more in line with what you
might find on a controller
sized at 152 millimeters.
Another difference between the
jogwheels on these two units
is that the XDJ-XZ jogwheel is mechanical
while the Prime 4 has a
capacitive jogwheel.
The mechanical XDJ-XZ is the
same as what you would find
on the club standard
and much more expensive,
CDJ-2000 Nexus 2.
So if you're looking for jogwheels
that mimic what you might find
in the larger clubs in the world,
the XDJ-XZ delivers at
a fraction of the price.
If you're more comfortable
using the type of jogwheel
found on the majority
of modern controllers,
the Prime 4 may be the way you want to go.
Both the XDJ-XZ and the Prime 4
have multiple effects engines
that can be used together.
Both units have channel effects,
called sound color effects on the XDJ-XZ
and sweep effect on the Prime 4.
These effects are taken directly
from their club mixer counterparts,
the Pioneer DJ DJM-900 Nexus 2
and the Denon DJ X-1800 Prime.
The beat effects on the XDJ-XZ
functions like they do on
the DJM-900 Nexus 2 as well.
You are able to select
one beat effect at a time
and apply it to selected
channels on the unit.
The beat effects also
include a frequency isolator
which allows for things
such as removing the low end
for effects like echo and reverb,
which can help them sound better.
This means that the XDJ-XZ
can have up to two effects
applied at the same time.
The Prime 4 handles beat effects
more like a DJ controller
than a mixer.
Above each of the jogwheels,
you will find effects controls
like many other modern DJ controllers.
Each of these effects sections
can have up to three effects chained.
So at any time a DJ can have
up to seven effects applied
to a single source at the same time.
It may sound like overkill,
but the extra flexibility is appreciated.
Denon DJ introduced the
first modern four channel
standalone hardware and in some regards,
the world is still waiting
for Pioneer DJ's response.
While the XDJ-XZ has four channels,
it still lacks four
channel standalone control.
The XDJ-XZ makes up for it
by providing more flexibility
as a DJ controller with native support
for both Serato DJ Pro and Rekordbox DJ.
If you are looking to mix
with more than two decks
and want to do it without
the need of a computer,
the choice between the two
is clearly the Prime 4.
If you have already invested time
into the Rekordbox ecosystem
and want something that will work
without the need for
converting files, the XDJ-XZ
is Pioneer's latest top of the line unit.
Both pieces of gear are great
and it really breaks down to,
what features are more important to you?
And we'd love to hear your
answer to this question.
What is more important to
you in a standalone unit?
Having more than just two
decks to use in standalone
or not having to convert your DJ library
just to use a unit like that?
Go ahead and leave that
down in the comments below,
we'd love to hear what
you guys have to say
and as always, if you enjoyed
this DJ hardware video
and are looking for more
content just like this,
make sure you subscribe to this channel.
Now, get good, get out
there and make the moments.
(light electronic music)
