PIONEER DDJ-FLX6

Product Information

I do hope someone proves me wrong and we see some great uses of this, but while this was maybe a fun feature when triggered via the pads (the infamous “Jazzy Jeff” scratch mode on the Pioneer DJ DDJ-SB3), I just don’t get this at all, and feel it is best rapidly forgotten. Beat FX

Since the DDJ-FLX6-GT has a built-in sound card, you can start DJing as soon as you connect it to a laptop running compatible software and a USB cable. Jog-wheels and Intuitive Performing It has also been announced as working with Virtual DJ– This is good news, but then, it always did work with Virtual DJ in its previous DDJ-FLX6 incarnation. Maybe this is just exactly the same mapping made official and announced by Pioneer DJ, or maybe there are improvements (we’ll no doubt find out soon enough) The layout of the controls on the DDJ-FLX6 is similar to that on the club-standard CDJ + DJM setup, so you can perform intuitively. However, this DJ controller introduces a fresh look, with a dark gray matte finish and redesigned jog wheels that will make your setup stand out. Noticed that the DDJ-FLX6 has a fresh look? It’s the first Pioneer DJ unit released in a new dark gray matte finish, and its jog wheels have a unique design to complement the aesthetics. Watch the introduction video or find out more about the new DJ controller. It is strictly one effect at a time, and so what you basically have is a choice of six effects, to be triggered individually. The layout suddenly seems convoluted once you realise this. There’s an obvious software/hardware mismatch, but nevertheless it’s passable. The Beat FX section is underpowered, and while it’s at least easy enough to understand in Rekordbox, in Serato it is confusingly implemented.Jog Cutter allows you to jump between one of six sections on your wheel to trigger different scratching experiences. According to Pioneer, there are around 10 different scratch jog cutter patterns to explore by moving your play head position, as shown on your on-wheel display. The paradigm was this: DJ software came with two effects engines, each with three effects (you also got the choice of just a single effect per effects engine, with much more control). Pitch bending and scratching feel natural on the DDJ-FLX6 thanks to the large jog wheels, which are the same size as those on the flagship CDJ-3000 multi player. Each one features an On Jog Display too, so you can keep an eye on the playhead position. However, while existing mid-range options from Pioneer focus heavily on durability and build quality – this one is all about performance features. The jog-wheels on the FLX6 are the same size as those on the CDJ-3000 multi-player. Scratching and pitch bending feels natural, and the inclusion of on jog display ensures vital information can be seen at a glance. Sample Scratch - the all-new pad mode

The design looks good and follows a similar club-standard CDJ and DJM setup, so it allows for intuitive performance.

New Jog Cutter Feature

That said – if you’re looking to livestream with the FLX-6, you could connect it to an external interface like an iRig Stream or a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 and route that out to your device of choice. Though it’s not direct, it’s doable. With Rekordbox, your pads will give you access to musical samples in a keyboard fashion, allowing you to merge and trigger multiple experiences at the same time. One bonus is that you will be able to choose between whether the mic goes through the Booth outputs or otherwise.

For Rekordbox, it’s a 3/5 from me, and as this is primarily a Rekordbox controller, that is the score we have used on this review. But for Serato, it’s a 2/5 – I just can’t recommend it, and I’d direct people to the DDJ-FLX4 or Numark NS6II in a heartbeat. In total, if rekordbox is the selected music software management system then there are eight Merge FX pattern presets (this reduces to four if Serato DJ Pro is in use), and everything is customisable. One Merge FX is made up of four categories Build FX, Build Sample, Release FX and Drop Sample, which include 41 types of effects, all of which can be united to create over 9,000 different patterns. Additionally, there is the option to save eight of the users own patterns, where the FX Select button can be used to recall them when required. New Jog Cutter feature for pro-sounding scratch effects

Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX6-GT: 7 Things To Know Before Buying

It still works best with Rekordbox– Despite all the talk about “flexibility”, this is still primarily a Rekordbox DJ controller, and some of the features – Merge FX, Jog Cutter, Sample Scratch – don’t work as well or at all with other platforms While all of this might seem simple enough at first, it’s actually a lot more complicated than you might expect. The DDJ-FLX6-W is available in selected regions (only available at specific retail stores in Asia Pacific and the Americas and Latin Americas – not available in EMEA regions). It doesn’t have the mobile-friendly features of the new DDJ-FLX4– While we suspect that when the Rekordbox for iOS & Android DJ app is launched in early 2023, there will be a way to get it working with the FLX6, but it won’t be as easy as with the DDJ-FLX4 that’s just been announced. That’s because the FLX-4 has USB-C connectivity and a USB-C charging port, neither of which are on the DDJ-FLX6-GT, sadly

If Pioneer DJ hadn’t tried to make this a Serato controller too, and had redirected some of the budgets towards adding some of the much-needed omissions, it would have been a better device. Overall, the Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX6 is a decent consumer-focused controller intended for the mid-level market. This device focuses primarily on performance features rather than build, with four channels, and a host of new features – though some are more appealing than others. But if that was the brief, they could have done it so much better by ditching any pretence of it being a “pro” device, and making a better job of the usability and balance of features for that market. As it is, I fear it will confuse beginners (especially Serato users). A controller of mismatches?

Rekordbox and Serato DJ Pro compatibility

But the very best jogs are only really important if you are a scratch DJ, and with seemingly much of the budget for the DDJ-FLX6 having gone on the jogs, that other essential part for scratch DJing – the crossfader – is very average on this unit. Sure it works, but the pair of them are a huge mismatch. The jogwheels are excellent – a great feel to them, full sized. So why is the crossfader so ordinary? The USB power function means that you might find that you don’t get as much volume as you could get elsewhere, but this isn’t too much of a problem for most hobbyists. Originally codenamed DDJ-600 internally at Pioneer DJ, the Flex - as it’s now known – has been developed to enable complex transitions between genres for DJs whose musical taste, or that of the dancefloor, is fluid. The DDJ-FLX6 has two really powerful features to help DJs jump from one BPM range to another Merge FX and the Jog Cutter. Merge FX Despite a couple of grumbles, the DDJ-FLX6 is still impressive in its own way. There are a few advanced functions that you won’t get anywhere else. Pioneer also boasts a new aesthetic for this DJ controller, but we’re not sure how much of a benefit that is at first glance.