There are loop half and double buttons, and a Reloop button for immediately jumping back to the last-used loop. “Auto” simply enables a loop at the length the current loop is set to in software, so you could leave it at four beats, four bars or eight bars, for instance, and engage with one button (holding Shift and pressing the Auto button always engages a four-beat loop no matter what the software loop length is set to). Looping itself is handled by four buttons above each jog. This covers off the main use of “slip” out there in the real world, so the absence of further Slip functionality isn’t a huge blow by any means. It’s this loop roll that has a “slip” functionality, because when you select it and perform a loop roll using the pads (the rolled amount doubles from left to right on each pad), as soon as you stop, the track carries on playing from where it left off. The features they control are all eight cues (split over two “modes” – you access modes by holding down the “pad mode” button and pressing one of the four upper pads), a cue loop mode, and a loop roll. The two banks of eight pads underneath the jogwheels aren’t really what they seem, as the lower four pads are transport, sync and shift controls, and only the upper four control any type of performance features. Truth is that Denon DJ is gambling that many DJs don’t want these distractions, and for what it’s worth we think the company is on the money here. It lacks four software channels, and also lacks “controllerist” features like slicer and a full “slip” mode (but see later to see how this idea has nonetheless been implemented partially) plus, you don’t get on-jog fancy lights or stuff like that. The MC4000 is a joy to use – if what you’re looking for is a pro two-channel controller for mobile use, that is. In Use Though the MC4000 looks like it has eight pads, the bottom four are actually transport controls, so you’ve only got four hotcue pads here. Plug in your headphones, speakers, mic, and you’re ready to go. Once installed, plugging in the controller in is the last step, and everything “just works” – no extra settings required. This presumably allows Denon DJ to keep the price point low initially, and kind of makes sense as many DJs would already own Serato DJ, so paying for it again in the price of a controller is an unnecessary hit.Īs ever, Serato makes installing and using the software easy (the upgrading is in-app, too), so the only extra hoop to jump through is installing a driver if you’re using Windows as opposed to Mac. The controller comes with Serato DJ Intro software, with a half price voucher code for upgrading to the full version, something of course that any pro DJ would want to do. Accordingly, there are two mic channels with echo and twin-band EQ for each a split cue button a mono / stereo button for the output a censor feature balanced booth outs alongside jack and RCA master outs some classic pitch bend buttons (a la CDJs) very long throw pitch controls a Kensington lock fitting and interestingly, four sample trigger buttons with an independent volume away from the cue pads (better to have them separate for mobile DJs, for triggering idents etc). The fact that the controller is designed primarily for the mobile / professional DJ is clear from the outset. Not so here, with just enough space around everything to make it easy to use. One nice thing about this controller, though, is the fact that (partly because it only has two channels), everything is laid out just that little bit more logically one criticism of some previous Denon devices was that they were fiddly. The Denon DJ MC4000 has Master and Booth outputs as well as two mic inputs, which are sure to please mobile DJs.Īpart from the obvious difference of a shift in jogwheel design from “old” Denon, the knobs and even the typeface used give a nod backwards, and users of previous Denon controllers will feel at home here. The jogwheels are more Numark than Denon, but that’s fine – they’re completely solid with not a single sign of any “give”, and just the right amount of weight / tension to feel natural in use. Nothing has really changed as far as build quality goes here, with the usual high standard apparent from picking up the box, before you even open it: When you do, you see that this is a heavyweight device, sober and businesslike, in black metal.
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