Pioneer DJ

Many a great DJ career started out with mixing tunes for friends at a house party, be it rifling through piles of cassettes with a dual tape deck, rummaging through a crate of records with a couple of turntables, or filing through a big catalogue of tunes with a laptop and controller like from Pioneer DJ.

That somewhat prehistoric concoction of devices soon got the upgrade I needed when I invested in my first proper direct drive turntables and a mixer with a crossfader! That was more than a year’s earnings in the early 90’s, and a far cry from what we all have available to us today. But, whatever stage you’re at in your DJ journey, an upgrade in gear is always a welcome proposition, and can often be the catalyst to taking the next step in moving your hobby into a career. It’s time to move beyond the house party and take the next big leap, with the aid of an improved setup by Pioneer DJ.

Read up on all the latest interviews, features and columns here.

The start of any year is always a good time to upgrade your computer. You can tell yourself, or your accountant, that it’s in aid of study, or business. That way, you can ensure you’ve got the most powerful engine for your DJ and production projects. But, the end of the year is when you can go a little wild, and use the holiday cheer as an excuse to invest in presents – for yourself. It’s always a good time to lash out on a little something special, and bringing your DJ setup forward certainly counts there. 

DJ decks

What makes this an even better time to improve your hardware is the cashback promotion that Jands and Pioneer DJ are running right now, up until the 22nd of December. There are cash rebates offered on 32 products from the Pioneer DJ range, with some items landing you $1000 back in your pocket. That’ll go a long way to helping with funding the laptop in the new year, that’s for sure. It’s pretty simple too. All you need to do is purchase any of the qualifying products from an authorised Pioneer DJ dealer before the 22nd of December, and then register the claim form by the 5th of January. That means you can buy all the DJ gear you want for Christmas presents, and sort out the cashback after boxing day when everyone’s come down from eating too much food in one afternoon.

DJ controller

So, what’s on the list? Well, there’s a great range of Pioneer DJ that will help kick your DJing into the next level, no matter where you’re at. Even if you’re just starting out, products like the DDJ-REV1 2-channel scratch controller could be a great option. I reviewed this rig in Mixdown a little while back, and loved the features it has to offer, especially at the price. That’s even better now with the cashback offer. If you’re looking for a really serious controller, to offer everything you need for performances in the clubs, then an upgrade to something like the XDJ-XZ could be an option. This is an all-in-one DJ system that has the look, the feel and the power of a professional DJ console. You can run it with a laptop, or simply with a USB loaded with pre-analysed tracks. The full colour LCD screen on the console allows you to browse, load, edit and mix tracks without the need to use your laptop at all. And the 4-channel mixer is all set to integrate additional hardware like a turntable, CDJ, or sampler for even greater show-stopping performances.

Speaking of turntables, for those of you like myself who still love your vinyl, the Pioneer PLX-1000 direct drive turntable can be found on the list of qualifying products. This is a seriously solid turntable. Built with that classic styling that most turntablists will instantly recognise, but loaded with modern upgrades. Tempo control is no longer limited to +/- 8%, with the PLX-1000 offering two gear options here to pick it up to 16% and 50% variances in tempo. Plus, a reset lock to bring the platter back to original speed at the press of a button. The high-torque direct drive motor is stabilized with a thick resin reinforced chassis, to remove vibration and improve tracking precision. It’s a serious turntable for the serious vinyl enthusiasts.

Looking for something more comprehensive? Pioneer’s OPUS QUAD in an all-in-one DJ solution, currently available with a startling $1000 cashback! The QUAD in this products name refers to the ability for it to playback for tracks on separate decks simultaneously for expanded options to mix tracks into one another.

Of course, many of you will still love your CDJs too. Or a combination of turntables and CDJs. With the CDJ-3000 being included in the promotion you can really trick up your setup, with the industry standard, professional DJ multi-player. These can be stacked up four units wide with the DJM-A9 4-channel DJ mixer, or used in combination with the PLX-1000 turntable on this same mixer. You can even pair these up with a new pair of monitor speakers for precision sound when rehearsing at home or in the studio. Check out the DJ-VM-70 monitors, which are my pick of the nearfield monitors available in this offer.

That said, the size and style of your newly upgraded setup is only limited by your skill and imagination. With these new tools, your skills will be taken to the next level in no time. The important thing to remember is that you make the most of the cashback offer before time runs out. You could save up to $4000 on the bigger rig if you’re ready to take your show to the ultimate level. So, get into your nearest Pioneer DJ dealer right away and check out the range of products they have on offer. It looks like 2024 is going to be a big year for many, so why not take the opportunity to make it yours, too!

Interested in an upgrade? Keep reading at Jands.