Pioneer officially unveils their flagship DJ midi controller, the DDJ-SZ ($2,000), powered by Serato DJ.  They went an extra yard or two and upped the quality on the platters to simulate a full CDJ-2000 experience, but these new larger platters will contribute to much more difficult portable measures.  Granted, it weighs more than all of their previous models, but still falls short to Numark’s piano coffin, the NS6 or 7.  To merely call it a controller may truly be an understatement due to its proven stand alone feature that Pioneer firmly stands by.  The colored pads, called “performance pads” may certainly indicate a bit of NI’s F1 controller multi-color led influence that may spark a bitter battle down the line.

Some features include dual usb ports, built-in effects, detailed platter indicator leds, a built in vinyl control interface (so you won’t need an external scratch box!), and better build quality than its predecessors.

Could this finally be the end of the CDJ?  Ya know, those little five inch silver disks popularized in the nineties…  I THINK SO!

BUT, I still believe that ditching your laptop would be a lousy move mainly because it would be a bit of a chore to navigate four channels comfortably, and you will lose out on some more detailed effects, but it’s nice to know that you can continue to keep things pumping in case of a system crash.  For $2,000, it’s a pretty hefty investment and dent in your bank account.  Traktor users can look forward to some mere mappings.  C’est la vie…