Pioneer DVJ-X1 The Next Step In The Evolution Of Spinning & Mixing

Yes, you may get a pile of random broken plastic, but if you’re the in the product development department of Pioneer’s Pro DJ division, you just might come up with the new DVJ-X1 – the world’s first DVD video turntable.

Basing the DVJ-X1 on the already proven CDJ-1000 platform, the DVJ combines existing A/V technologies into a single unit which interfaces with currently available software and hardware to introduce a completely new form of entertainment. Pioneer’s engineering team took four years of innovative technology to achieve a product which now allows DJs-turned-VJs to manipulate video and audio just like vinyl. Previously, this kind of video manipulation was only available in high powered (and very costly) video editing systems. With the advent of the DVJ-X1, all the scratching, reversing, looping and pitch bending can be done in realtime on one unit. Audio and video are kept in sync when playing, being pitched, scratching and reversing. The video doesn’t get shaky – even when going for that familiar turntable “power-down” effect.

The housing itself is slightly larger than the CDJ-1000, an acceptable growth to accommodate all the horsepower inside this box. Many of the buttons and functions are similar in layout and operation; track selection, search, play, cue, reverse, hot-cues, looping, vinyl/CDJ mode, master tempo, pitch control (±6%, ±10%, ±16% and wide; +70%/-100% ranges) and vinyl speed adjust (start and brake) are all present. There’s an extra row of buttons which are reminiscent of the buttons on your home DVD player: title, angle, subtitle, audio, menu, top menu and a 4-way navigation controller and enter button. All of these functions are very easy to use and you can easily see what you’re doing courtesy of the preview output – think of it as a booth monitor cueing for video.

If you want to talk video outputs, you’ve got them and in any format you need: component (BNC), composite (BNC, RCA, S-Video) and preview outputs in composite (RCA, S-Video). There’s analog (RCA) and digital (S/PDIF); 96kHz or 48kHz audio with Dolby Digital, Dolby DTS 5.1 surround or SRS TruSurround. Both normal and DJ audio modes employ the Pioneer LegatoLink technology, which up-samples the audio from CDs and DVDs to a fuller frequency range, enhancing audio information lost in some formats, to present a richer sound.

You can use the internal memory or a removable SD card to store cue points and loops. As an added advantage, with each video cue point or loop, you get thumbnail images stored to the memory point which are viewable on the preview monitor. This makes finding your essential cues and loops much quicker than before. The hot cues have been improved as well, now allowing you to store and recall a loop or standard cue. Each button will visually indicate the type of hot cue you have stored, illuminating green for a cue point or orange for a loop.

The DVJ-X1 introduces a new feature to Pioneer decks – Hyperjog. Like the CDJ-1000, the DVJ-X1 offers extraordinary control with the touch-sensitive platter, but press the Hyperjog button and you double the reaction speed of the platter. Winding the jog dial causes the rate of change of image and sound to increase to 2x the rate normally produced. It adds a new level of scratching performance for the DJ, with more sensitive movement.

We’re all familiar with the seamless looping available with Pioneer’s CDJ units so we couldn’t expect any less with the DVJ-X1 – offering manual looping and adjustment, as well as an emergency loop which instantly sets a seamless four beat loop in sync with the BPM, perfect for when you’re running short on time!

Pioneer carried forward two of the favorite features of the CDJ-1000. The first is the wave display, which shows an audio level waveform, much like the grooves of a record allowing you to “see” the breakdown. The other is the jog display in the center of the platter which shows rotation and a cue marker – a great visual assist for beat (and now video) juggling.

As for media, this player can take almost anything you throw at it: DVD, DVD-R, DVD-RW, CD, CDR, CD-RW. This allows VJs the flexibility to compile their own samples and movies at home and take them to the club that evening for fresh custom visuals and audio.