Pioneer Unveils New Exclusive Festival Oriented CDJ’s

CDJ's Loaded For Festival Use

Pioneer has always dished out quality DJ products for all levels, among their most popular (and perhaps most prestigious of all) is the CDJ series. A household name at this point, the CDJ's have built up a reputation as being the most reliable, rugged, and universally compatible players on the market. Knowing this, it would be safe for one to assume that their next offering will live up to it's predecessors.

So far, we have not been disappointed:

These are the new Pioneer CDJ-TOUR1's & DJM-TOUR1 respectively. With a high calibre spec list, a pioneer pedigree and jam packed features; is this overkill?

Yes… Yes it is.

Festival headliners are already accused of pre-recorded sets, unplugged mixers/headphones, and useless faders and knobs. This is not to say that this product doesn't have a market and it certainly doesn't mean that there are not performers out their who actually “Perform”, but what who is all this power and majesty designed for?

Maybe pioneer is on to something, maybe they want to bring the performance back into the set.

Performance For The Big Leagues

According to Pioneer, “The CDJ-TOUR1 multiplayer and DJM-TOUR1 mixer take the professional sound quality of the NXS2 set-up and add the components needed to deliver that performance in large venues such as festivals and arenas. Both models have an ESS Technology 32-bit D/A converter to eliminate low noise and distortion and give a clear, crisp sound at scale. The DJM-TOUR1 is the first mixer to have a pro audio grade AES/EBU digital output, so you can connect directly to front of house – even over long distances – with no loss of sound quality.”

Indeed, no expense has been spared, as evident by the price tag of $4900 for a CDJ and $5900 for a DJM.

But this is all par for the course for a professional system.

Pioneer also claims that this is the first, DJ oriented system in the world to have an AES/EBU digital output. This means you can connect directly to front of house, even over long distances, with no loss of sound quality, period.

Pioneer has been a roll lately it seems with the reveal of the NXS2's and the remarkably innovative TORAIZ – SP16. Featuring elements from both prior releases the new units combine practical thinking and innovative design with the hopes of inspiring performers to perform once again.

The Full Run Down

Here's the full list of features via Pioneer:

1. Advanced sound quality for large-scale venues
   The CDJ-TOUR1 features an ES9018 32-bit D/A converter, made by ESS Technology, to deliver incredibly low noise and distortion even at the super-high volumes needed for large-scale events. It can reproduce 96 kHz/24-bit high resolution sound and send it to the DJM-TOUR1 or DJM-900NXS2 through the S/PDIF digital out. FLAC and ALAC formats are supported and the power supply is separated from the main circuit board to further reduce unwanted noise.
2. 13-inch fold-out touch screen for enhanced browsing and control
   Use either the standard built-in 7-inch or the fold-out 13-inch LCD full-colour touch screen. The larger screen shows more information to help you browse and select tracks faster. Plus, with its own built-in CPU, the screen offers the potential for other features in the future. Both screens feature the same information as the CDJ-2000NXS2, including:
   • Track Filter mode: use the touch screen to filter tracks by rekordbox information such as BPM, key or My Tags.
   • Keyword search: bring up the Qwerty keyboard to search for tracks by name.
   • Multicoloured Wave Zoom and Multi-wave view: see detailed waveforms or opt to see waveforms from up to 4 CDJs at the same time.
3. Lockable LAN port for secure connection
   The CDJ-TOUR1's LAN port has a NEUTRIK etherCON® connector featuring a latch lock, so compatible cables will stay in place whatever vibrations and knocks are thrown at them.
4. Isolator feet, tilt screen and display shade adjust for any environment
   Adjust the isolator feet to ensure a stable set-up on any surface and tilt the 13-inch screen to suit your preference or the lighting. Attach the display shade to protect from the sun's glare when you're playing outside.
5. Familiar layout and features inherited from the CDJ-2000NXS2
   The CDJ-TOUR1 has the same layout and performance features as the CDJ-2000NXS2 to help you feel at home. Prepare your tracks in rekordbox as usual, adding Hot Cues, loops, tags, etc. – then load them to the CDJ-TOUR1 and trigger features including Beat Sync, Slip Mode and Hot Cue Auto Load.
6. Pro DJ Link enables even more features
   Pro DJ Link lets you share one source across up to 4 players and unlocks a host of information and features such as Beat Sync and Beat Countdown.