It’s that most wonderful time of year – the sun is shining more, it’s getting warmer outside, and DJ companies around the world are announcing awesome new products. Today, we’re going to take a look at the best releases from one of our favorite manufacturers, Pioneer DJ. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re most likely familiar with Pioneer. They’ve been producing industry-standard gear for decades now. Despite creating the most well-loved equipment on the market, they continue to update their products each year. In this article on new 2023 Pioneer DJ gear, we’re going to focus on 3 great new releases – the DJM-A9, DDJ-FLX10, and OPUS QUAD.
Looking for the best deal on Pioneer DJ gear? Click here.
2023 Pioneer DJ Gear – DJM-A9
If there is one category that Pioneer DJ has absolutely dominated for years it’s club mixers. Their various offerings, like the supremely popular DJM-900NXS2, have defined the industry standard. Now in 2023 Pioneer’s newest club mixer, the DJM-A9, takes that legacy to a new level.
Of utmost importance for a DJ mixer that finds itself on giant speaker systems is sound quality. Previous Pioneer mixers were no slouch, but the DJM-A9 only ups the quality with a 32-bit high-quality analog-to-digital converter along with improved microphone and headphone clarity. The face of the mixer has been revamped with more space around EQ knobs and upgraded channel faders. One extremely cool feature is the new “center lock” toggle which prevents the Sound Color FX from moving past 12 o clock.
The effects section now has a color display along with 3 new beat FX. Dual soundcards allow for head-to-head DJ transitions and Bluetooth is available for a backup in the event of laptop issues. There is also now a second headphone output with its own dedicated volume and balance controls. It’s clear that Pioneer has looked at areas that DJs frequently use and improved the mixing workflow.
DJM-A9 best features: Upgraded sound quality, new “center lock” FX knob feature, dual soundcards and headphone outputs
DDJ-FLX10
Just like with their club mixers, PIoneer DJ’s controllers have been some of the most heavily used for years. As DJ software and DJ’s needs continue to change, Pioneer has once again stepped up to the plate with the new DDJ-FLX10.
The most obvious addition to this controller is control over Serato stems. Track Separation, as Pioneer calls it, allows DJs to exert control over individual components of a song such as vocals or drums. Dedicated buttons make cutting out the instrumental or vocals extremely easy and streamlined. Utilizing stems looks to be the future of the industry, and it’s great to see Pioneer embrace this technology.
Track Isolation isn’t the only standout feature of this controller. The jog wheel screens have newly expanded information displays for accessing critical information. DJs can switch between deck info, waveforms, artwork, and even logo displays. For those using Rekordbox, Pioneer has created something called Mix Point Link. In essence, DJs are now able to create predefined points in tracks that will automatically mix seamlessly without the need to count down or hit the play button. For those DJs that like to mix quickly, this could be a huge benefit. The last (and most unique) feature of the DDJ-FLX10 is its DMX lighting control output. With this functionality, a performer can send a signal to DMX-enabled fixtures that will adapt the lighting perfectly to the tracks being played. For mobile DJs, this further streamlines setup and reduces the need to program light shows.
DDJ-FLX10 best features: Serato stem control, improved jog wheel displays, DMX lighting output
2023 Pioneer DJ Gear – OPUS-QUAD
The Pioneer DJ OPUS-QUAD is the absolute Mac-daddy of DJ controllers. From its design to its workflow, the OPUS-QUAD is a strong contender for the most well-designed 4-channel standalone controller on the market.
The biggest draw to the OPUS-QUAD is hinted in the name – four deck standalone functionality. It frees DJs from being tied to a computer, giving them the flexibility to mix from a variety of music sources. Users can keep track of what they’re doing easily with color-coded jog wheel rings to match each deck. Whether it’s a flash drive, SSD, PC, or even cloud streaming, the OPUS-QUAD can handle them all. A large 10″ touchscreen and super fast processor make quick work of searching for tracks in your library.
Sound quality is also prioritized with much of the same electronics seen in the flagship club mixers discussed above. Likewise, the effects section is robust and packed with all of the Pioneer essentials DJs love. One feature particularly enticing to mobile DJs is the zone audio output. Through the zone output, DJs can pipe a second type of music to an alternate location like a lounge or cocktail area. For example, background music to a sitting room and a dance set on the main dance floor.
OPUS-QUAD best features: exceptional build quality, 4-deck standalone mixing, zone audio output
Looking for the best deal on Pioneer DJ gear? Click here.
