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Creativity potential SeratoDJ vs RekordboxDJ

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  • April 1, 2016 at 8:48 am #2377621
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    Having 4 pads might not be too big of an issue if you decide to have extra/separate (pad)controllers on the side. What DOES matter in that respect that Serato does not support free Midi-mapping, essentially meaning that you can only add gear that is Serato-approved. This could limit your choices. As for RB in that respect, it seems (still a tad early to tell exactly) that the recent update has brought (free?) midi-mapping.

    April 1, 2016 at 9:07 am #2377761
    5miiks
    Participant

    I can’t really compare the programs as I haven’t used either one actively. But what I can put in this convo don’t go for XDJ-RX if you plan to use it with software. It’s meant to be utilized as all-in-one controller (there isn’t even full HID support for the screen!). It wasn’t even intentioned to work with rekordbox DJ (performance mode) at start but later Pioneer surprised the RX owners since there were so many requests for rbDJ support. You get more for your money with DDJ series if you’re using software. Just my humble opinion as XDJ-RX user 🙂

    Good luck with your choice tho, hope you make the right one!

    April 4, 2016 at 9:31 am #2378891
    Terry_42
    Keymaster

    Removed post that had nothing to do with original question… please do not post stuff because it might work for you with things you made up or have no experience with 🙂

    Actually the way midi works is pretty similar in both Rekordbox and Serato. And the programs are pretty close to what they can do, even the look and feel is pretty close. Now Serato has Flip and still more plug-ins.
    Now the plug-in gap will be closed shortly by Rekordbox, but it will stay with the “instant-sampler” compared to flip.
    So the question is which suits you more. The Sequencer/Sampler of Rekordbox is defnitely more beginner friendly, while Flip is harder to learn, but in the end can do a little more.
    The newest thing of course Serato has going for it is pulselocker if you are into such a thing.

    Now as for controller I would also advise against your choice.
    If you go Rekordbox take a DDJ-RX or similar, if you go Serato… well one of the good Serato controllers.
    If you really want standalone, the MCX8000 is hard to beat. (and would work with Serato)

    April 5, 2016 at 5:14 am #2379271
    Arkadiusz Mikina
    Participant

    Thanks for all your voices guys.

    Vintage
    Do I understand correctly that, if the free midi mapping in RB is true, I can hook up an additional pad controller to xdj-rx and map it to my liking? (something like reloop neon or akai lpd8 or pioneer’s sp1 and so on).Of course this wouldn’t be necessary if I went with ddj-sx2 as it has a ‘generous’ 8 pads performance section hehe.

    5miiks
    Yeah, I am slightly getting the same impression that with DDJ-SX2 I would be getting more value for money at $1000 vs $1500 for XDJ-RX (well, granted I don’t count the cost of the laptop into it as I already own a powerful one). And DVS is possible with SX2 where with xdj-rx isn’t.
    What draws me to xdj-rx though is that it mimics the club/nexus setup so much for like 25% of nexus’ price. I know, Vintage already told me that switching to nexus setup for the first time in the club (from practicing on something like ddj-sx2 at home) is half an hour thing but….I don’t know….I guess I am bad at making choices 😀

    Terry_42
    Is there any way you could send me the removed post to my email please? It is meekeen@gmail.com
    Yep I am a beginner so I suppose RB’s Sequencer/Sampler would be more friendly for me then learning Flip in Serato. But I didn’t know that Serato didn’t have ‘instant sampler’?
    Why would discount xdj-rx in favor of ddj-rx/ddj-sx2 and/or MCX8000? Neither of these controllers will give me 2 things I am really after to be there together:
    -as close ability to learn/practice on club setup/nexus workflow (and I mean here RB on screens of CDJs + DJM) as possible without shelling out $6-7k on the actual nexus setup itself (what alternatives do I have? One XDJ-1000 costs $1000 and I would need two. Then I would need to buy the mixer. Then some accessory controller like SP1 and RB DJ software too. Getting expensive then, and complicated with wires and so on)
    -being laptop free (so the laptop failure/freeze is taken out of the risk + it becomes even more mobile friendly with just XDJ-RX needed to lug around instead of a controller + laptop)

    Thank you very much.

    April 5, 2016 at 9:15 am #2379381
    Terry_42
    Keymaster

    Nope the post is gone sorry and it was bogus anyways 🙂

    Serato does have a sampler, it just does not work the way the recording sampler in Rekordbox works.

    If you are starting out (which I suppose you are asking these questions) after my 20+ years of DJing I can tell you the following:

    argument 1: as close to a Nexus as can be

    is the most wrong argument you can go for. The nexus setup is a dying breed. After the 2000 Mk IIs that just came out to milk the dead cow ones more from the few club owners that still buy into it, I doubt there will be many new releases. About 30% of the clubs (at least here in Europe) now do no longer offer a Nexus setup. They have some older CDJs meant as backup, but they actually expect you to bring a controller (these are the smaller clubs, which is your main target).
    As far as bigger clubs are concerned (and I mean the biggest clubs in the world) that I played in: They will have a technician ring you up or tell you to phone them or have an on location rehearsal to setup your gear. While they have a Nexus setup they actually encourage you to bring your own gear (usually the top DJs have more than one controller) and you talk the technician how you want them set up. Before the gig you will hand your gear to the tech and he will set it up for you in the booth. Most festivals I DJed on are pretty much the same, even smaller ones with 1k-5k people.

    argument 1.5: because I want to know how to DJ on a Nexus setup
    If you master a DDJ-SX or the MCX (or anything similar for that matter) it will be a total no brainer for you to DJ on a Nexus setup, as long as you prepare your USB stick for it (which you can do for free and without any CDJs at home). There is not magic behind a Nexus setup, it works pretty much the same as any DJ thing, it even has sync buttons if that is your thing. You will need 5minutes to find all the buttons, so play 2 tunes that you just beatmatch at the beginning or just show up early and tell the venue owner you want to check out the gear and how it is setup.
    I actually charge extra if someone wants to make me use their Nexus gear, because it can hurt my reputation as a Nexus setup will limit my creativity as it actually can do A LOT LESS than my laptop/controller setup.
    So it is like pretty much like you will learn driving on a Porsche and when you get into a Smart you can still drive right? The only fun thing in DJing is that the Porsche is actually cheaper than the Smart, because the Smart has such a legacy. That makes it still a more crappy car.

    argument 2: laptop free operation

    Is often from a false sense of security. In big cases you will have backup (a standby CDJ or similar. In case of the DDJ for example you will still have the option to use it as a standalone mixer, so you can hookup mp3 players for easy backup (what I do). In case of the MXC8000 it can go completely without a laptop, all you need is a USB stick with music.
    However I do digital since, hmm donno. I had a MacBook from 2008 and it retired in January (still working perfectly) and I actually never used my backup to date. (Actually I used it once, but that was because of a fault on my part…) So never did I have to use my backup because my laptop died. Which makes my point: Invest in a good laptop. If you put any of the controllers I mentioned in a case or a backpack (I use backpack mainly, except for flights of course) then putting a lightweight laptop (MacBook, MacBook Air, even MacBook pro or a Surface or HP EliteBook Folio) the laptop is so light you wont even notice it. So mobile friendly is bogus argument. If you truely do mobile gigs, you will have so many cables, PA etc. that you will not care if you have to take 3 laptops additionally. If you mean for going to a club, then just throw that laptop into the controller bag and take a cab/taxi to the front door.
    In my huge experience lugging a laptop is not a problem at all (of course I also was DJing back in the days where I had to carry crates full of vinyl, so a laptop and a controller is a huge relief hehe).

    That is my experience. Like I said if you do not know me, I DJ for 20+ years, I tour a lot, I DJed all over the world in front of thousands of people and I come here to give back to the community (and because Phil is such a great friend). So take it with that in mind, of course the final decision is with you and if you are more happy with something else go for it.

    April 6, 2016 at 12:29 am #2379851
    Arkadiusz Mikina
    Participant

    Hey Terry

    Thank you very much for your opinion and time taken to write it. I really appreciate it and I mean it. I must remember to be grateful for all this in the future, and hopefully when everything goes well, give back to DJ community myself helping others with their doubts/frustrations/issues.

    Thanks a lot for the insight how it works with clubs/setting up/technician – it’s not that you can find this info anywhere.
    It is also extremely reassuring about my whole nexus/2 fixation (fear of not being able to use nexus setup once I make it to the proper DJ booth, and I will make it :D). Plus the fact that nexus/2 is limited in comparison to a laptop+controller setup (I mean in creativity). Maybe 12-14 years ago nexus/CDJs were cool and the forefront of innovation and creativity but since digital DJing has got mainstream they basically lost the battle and are just there riding the wave of ‘legacy’ but it will not be for ever anyway. I even was considering selling my car + getting a loan in order to find this $6k for whole nexus2 – how crazy was I? I don’t want it anymore and it feels good 😀 I don’t even want the XDJ1000 neither hehe.
    Reading this paragraph…why would anyone really buy nexus2 for $6-$7k for home use instead of controller? For so much money you get restrained system in creative terms (Smart car) when compared to controller+laptop setup.

    1. I have been thinking about this topic I started and it occurred to me that what I get a lot is a feeling when listening to a certain track (I listen mostly to deep house) I think to myself: ‘I don’t like this section, it should be cut out’ or ‘I really like this part, if I was making this track I would make it longer’ or ‘there is just a bit too much vocal here, it should be more dub’ – and I guess that’s what I call ‘creativity’ for now and in my case at least. So my question would be: which software/solution would give me the best ability to manipulate tracks so that I adjust/change them to my liking and then beat mixing another track please?
    Maybe I should turn towards Traktor as they have the Stems system and also Remix Decks (whatever that is 😀 ) or this kind of ‘creativity ability/defintion’ can be done in any software by easily utilizing hot cues and loops? Or Serato’s Flip would be best for that? Or maybe my best choice would be editing the track before actually playing/mixing it? (I have purchased digitalDJtips editing course but I have not watched it yet) – and therefore choosing software/controller would be irrelevant in that respect (as I would achieve my creative goal by ‘editing tools’, whatever they are hehe). I am sorry for a lame question, but I am just starting and not entirely sure how it’s done…

    2. It seems that I am leaning towards ddj-sx2 (with the SZ being twice as expensive and offering 2 sound cards for DJ changeovers which I don’t need + it doesn’t even have native Flip controls). I do have a thing for Pioneer products to be honest – they just feel high quality and there is ‘something about them’ (I know – a personal thing entirely). So as far as Serato controllers I think that DDJ-SX2 is the best one at the moment in my book (DDJ-RX is the same but can’t work with Serato/Traktor so SX2 is a better choice. And MCX8000? Looks awesome and I haven’t seen any reviews of it online yet, which is strange but it’s just not….Pioneer product hehe. I think it’s safe to say that MCX8000 is like SX2 with 2 screens on it?). What I am trying to ask here (sorry for being so long winded) is why are you discounting XDJ-RX (in favor of DDJ-SX2/RX or MCX8000-I know it has only 2 channels and doesn’t support DVS like these two do – but what else?) ??? Is there a specific reason? Or a set of reasons? Or is it only because it is not as powerful in creative terms? (and what are they?)

    Thank you very very much again and sorry for writing so much.
    Peace.

    ps. May I please ask you what controller you use and also how do you connect mp3 player to a controller for a back up solution?
    ps2. I hope Vintage is having loads of fun in Frankfurt. I wanted to go too… 😀
    ps3. If it changes anything I am a mix DJ (no scratching/beat juggling at all) who adores deep house between 117-125bmp and not a fan of using effects all the time. I also will never want to use visual waveforms to mix 2 tracks together but to beat match them by ear – that’s it my goal from the beginning (no waveriding! I love my music and want to feel it, not see it 😉 ) I already have a powerful MacBookPro. Using samples/sampler? I am not quite sure I will need that (isn’t a sampler/sample much more useful with something like hip-hop/rap and scratching?) – I mean, what samples can I use with 120bpm deep house? Or maybe I am wrong and don’t understand the working principle of samples?

    April 6, 2016 at 9:21 am #2380241
    Terry_42
    Keymaster

    You are most welcome my friend.

    As far as stems go, they do not work that way. They work more like layers in the song and they are mostly limited to a 4-track system (I know they can do more, but that is all the stems I have seen and bought). Now that will give you for example a song the complete song + vocal track + bass track + drum track + melody track. Now you can up and down those with the respective faders. So that is not re-arranging the track like you proposed and I actually found that it is way easier for me to buy the single from a good service and many will come with not stems but the main song, the acapella version and the instrumental version. Now even without stems I can easily put that in respective tracks and play with it OR what I like even more take a classic songs acapella version (for example Vanilla Ice, Ice Ice Baby) and put that over a matching deep house background and just cut the right vocal parts in by using hotcues. I think that makes people go “AH” more than using stems. If you spice that up with more samples and the like I find I can be hugely creative here 🙂 and Serato aids me in that.

    Now what you want to do (re-arrange a track) you can do in several forms. First would be to use the slicer and flip in Serato. They are made exactly for the purpose of slicing the song up and re-arranging or even skipping parts of it. Pair that with the use of hotcues and you are up and running. Now of course this method has some limits, but they are far stretched, for me it is sufficient to totally re-do a song the way I like it.
    Now in rare cases I “re-package” a song. This means I go into a completely other application (in my case Ableton Suite) cut the song apart in there and totally re-arrange it. However this is a lot of knowledge you need to do this, so I would first master the Serato Slicer and Flip before going that route. (It is what you suggest as editing before play and yes it is commonly used.)

    Now for the controllers: Yes Pioneer controllers of the DDJ line are very good and well built. Honestly the Denon MCX is better built. Denon has a reputation with DJs that they are not always the most innovative, but all their products are built like tanks. So if build quality is your thing then Denon is the best thing you can get. Not saying that Pioneers are bad, but they have some plastic parts and you cannot drive your truck over them 😉
    Now why the controllers I recommended: Simply because they give the best control with the most flexibility, which the XDJ lacks in its setup. Now I recommended the MCX because in case of a fault of your laptop work standalone with a prepared USB stick, so you do not need anything else. This is not the mode of operation I would use it in all the time, as I would prefer Serato with it, as in standalone mode some functions are of course not working, but it is nice as backup.
    I really do not care about DVS as it is way expensive and I do not mean the first investment. You have high upkeep costs associated with DVS, as you need timecode vinyl (they will get damaged over time), needles, heads, slipmats… so you can calculate about 50-100 bucks a month upkeep for a good DVS system.

    As far as what I use it is tailored to my workflow:
    I use a reloop Terminal Mix 8 as my main controller. Mainly because of the jogwheels. I come from a vinyl past so the flat jogs with no break are very suited for me and the pads are in the right location for me. I have a reloop Neon addon controller added to this setup, as the Neon is better for operating flip for me (again this is my personal workflow). Now in a mobile setting (corporate events mostly, as I rarely do weddings) I add a small Yamaha MG PA mixer for microphones and connect an mp3 player to one of the channels for emergency backup.

    I think Vintage has fun, I called him yesterday and he seems having a good time.

    I am also really into deep house and belearic. I encourage you to use F/X and samples and as you said: rarely and subtle. This is where Serato shines, the basic F/X packs have studio quality F/X, but they are hard to “overdo” and you can add very subtle reverbs and echos to spice up your song or parts of a song. Which is nice to have at your disposal.
    As for samples, in that setting I also would use very subtle samples that you can use to fill-in, transition samples etc. But you can add this later to spice things up, when you mastered the rest of the controller. I often use very basic things like a little white noise, build ups and similar samples.

    April 11, 2016 at 2:06 am #2382451
    Arkadiusz Mikina
    Participant

    thank you so very much again Terry

    Great way of thinking and DJing. Thanks for explaining not only stems but also what you do instead in Serato and why/how you do it.
    At least I know that crossing out Traktor as a software of choice (mainly because it looks too complicated for me-the beginner) will not make me think I made the wrong decision as I ‘won’t get Stems with Serato/RekordboxDJ’ (or Remix Decks for that matter-which, as I understand, are more complicated Stems).

    Thank you very much for relating to my needs and offering best solution in the form of Flip+Slicer+Hot Cues. I keep noticing more and more now that this is/will be really important for me (re-arranging a track). If this method/combo is good for you (a pro)….I’m sure it will be more than enough for me for years to come. And since pre-play editing (I have seen Ableton couple of times and omg….it’s very complicated) with tools like Ableton Suite is complicated…I will leave it for now hehe. I am sure that in couple of years I will start looking at Ableton and stuff like that but for now certainly not…

    In this instance (Flip+Slicer+Hot Cues) it seems I will be restricted to SeratoDJ (Flip only there) and choosing between:
    1. DDJ-SX2 as it will give me Flip+Slicer+Hot Cues so the full set (DDJ-SZ doesn’t have Flip so would have to buy something like Reloop Neon additionally, plus it’s just so big and quite expensive)
    2. MCX-8000 (I have looked at its pictures and I can see there is a control for Flip as well as for Slicer – so again the full set of Flip+Slicer+Hot cues is provided by this controller) and I think I nearly made a decision on MCX8000 – it looks cool (+all metal) and I am tired of waiting for DDJ-SX3 or 4 channel/8pad XDJ-RX. I think I will wait a week or two until first reviews will start popping on the internet just to make sure it’s an awesome unit and there is no major problem with it or anything (I am constantly searching the net for reviews but nothing yet).

    In the light of going for MCX8000 which will give me Flip and Slicer (and not buying DDJ-SX2) may I just please ask you this question. This damn XDJ-RX is not letting me sleep hehe (or maybe I am a sucker for Pioneer gear? 🙂 ) and I noticed on its pads there is a option called ‘Loop Slice’. I am assuming that this is the same as a Slicer found on DDJ-SX2 and MCx8000.
    If so (why wouldn’t Pioneer call it simply ‘Slicer’? I mean on DDJ-RX, which is Rekordbox only, they still called it ‘Slicer’ so I am assuming that Slicer is not Serato exclusive tool/naming?) my question is how much less flexible/able the XDJ-RX is, in comparison to MCX8000/DDJ-SX2, in the area I am particularly interested in (re-arranging the track) where it offers hot cues + Slicer (Loop Slice) but misses on Flip (which is only found in Serato)?
    I mean….is XDJ-RX going to be much more limited in comparison to full set of features you suggested i.e. Flip/Slicer/hot cues found on MCX8000/DDJ-SX2 or just 10% less or 20% or what? I guess what I am trying to ask is that: if I buy XDJ-RX instead (and provided that the option on it called Loop Slice is the same as Slicer), will I be missing Flip from Serato much in what I am so much interested in doing (being creative in re-arranging the track)??

    Thank you very very very much again and sorry for dragging this topic so much 🙂 But where I live (Poland) DJ shops are horrible….badly stocked and you can’t even try the gear out (forget about it) and the sales people know little about the gear so it is really frustrating.
    Peace

    ps. you’re also into deep and balearic? Awesome. I have been having Betoko – Foreverness (original mix) on repeat recently hehe
    ps2. I have noticed on MCX8000 and DDJ-SX2 that when Shift is pressed the Slicer becomes “Slicer Loop” – what is this feature please? Will it additionally extend my creativity with re-arranding the track beyond the solution you have suggested i.e. Flip + Slicer + Hot cues ??

    April 12, 2016 at 10:03 am #2383121
    Terry_42
    Keymaster

    Howdy,

    Nope the LoopSlice on the XDJ-RX is totally different from the Slicer and Loop Slicer in Serato.
    The XDJ can slice out part of a song (cut it out) and you can play this in 4 loops (4 pads).

    The Slicer and Loop slicer work totally different. The slicer actually puts slices (cut of 4 beats) of the current song playing through at your fingers and you can re-arrange them on the fly. The Slicer-Looper can do the same, but it will loop the part of music you are in when you start slicing it up… I know this sounds weird and it is best to see it.

    I made a small video some time ago. It is very old, so I am much better now with it, this is from the time I just started the whole slicer thing, but you get the idea what is happening… but in short terms: Yes the XDJ is much more limiting than the DDJ-SX series or the MCX8000 and that is why I would not consider it at all.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uy5UzETdlE

    April 12, 2016 at 11:18 pm #2383681
    Arkadiusz Mikina
    Participant

    Hey/Howdy 😀 😀

    Thanks for replying and for the video Terry. Much appreciated.

    So LoopSlice is not the same as Slicer at all? That does it then 😀
    XDJ-RX doesn’t have Slicer nor the Flip so I’m staying with SX2 or MCX 8000 (although it makes me wonder why Pioneer has left/used Slicer on their Rekordbox only version of DDJ-SX2 i.e. DDJ-RX).

    I have also only now noticed the Serato’s new PitchNtime on MCX8000 so it may even further inspire creativeness in Serato’s ecosystem and this controller. I just hope that Denon has really thought everything through and there won’t be any major flop with it after the reviews will have flooded in.

    End of the topic I suppose 😀 thank you very much to everyone who held to it and contributed. I hope the rest of the members in the community can take out as much out of this as I did!

    Peace and love

    ps. terminal mix8 starts to look more and more appealing (good price, all metal, lot of functions). I generally start liking Reloop hehe (really good turntables, Neon seems to be great, TerminalMIx8 is good)

    April 13, 2016 at 9:32 am #2383921
    Terry_42
    Keymaster

    That is easy to explain:
    Rekordbox DJ (which is used for the DDJ-RX etc.) is a totally different thing. It has copied much of Serato and in many cases is so similar that some people and internet rumor mills even suspect it is developed by Serato. The look and feel is very very similar. However to differentiate a little Serato has (at this time) more plugins and flip, where Rekordbox DJ has the sample thing and bigger buttons in the software.
    However Rekordbox DJ has not much to do with traditional Rekordbox which is used with the XDJ and hence the XDJ line has totally different functions.

    As far as reloop goes, as I said the jogwheels are my main thing I like most. Apart the controllers are solid and the people from reloop are really nice. I meet them from time to time on some events and they always have been very generous and forthcoming with infos etc.

    April 13, 2016 at 4:00 pm #2384021
    Arkadiusz Mikina
    Participant

    Hey

    Sooooo…..XDJ-RX doesn’t use Rekordbox DJ when laptop is connected but Rekordbox instead?
    Haha, that’s getting even more confusing 😀

    I always thought that Rekordbox was and is only a ‘preparation software’ for transferring music to USB sticks (hot cues and analysis) which are later used on Rekordbox enabled Pioneer hardware (mainly CDJs and XDJs).
    With recently introduced Rekordbox DJ I thought that it is a fully operational DJ software which mimics the workflow of Serato and is used to DJ in real time on a laptop when compatible hardware is connected.

    Reloop seems like a cool company and good quality/value products. Too bad their support is bad (I have emailed them before and never received an answer) – which is strange since they are Germans so one would anticipate they have everything in perfect order.
    What I think Reloop should have a go now is standalone controller now (like mcx8000/xdj-rx) but I guess it’s not that easy as you have to have a software to run the screens/controller in laptop free mode and developing it is not that simple?
    If I were them I would also take RMP4, add 8 pads below the platter, curve the screen + make it bigger (with waveforms) + touchscreen, make it entirely out of metal and call it RMP6 😀
    Before anyone else does it before them (probably Pioneer more then anyone else in 3 years time). I think it would sell by buckloads 😀

    holla 😀

    April 14, 2016 at 7:48 am #2384361
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    Ok, let’s get this thing clear before we get others asking questions:

    RekordBox = crate preparation software. Allows you to make a USB-stick and stick it into any RekordBox-compatible Pioneer gear. You can then use the display on the gear to select and load your track. In an all-in-one controller like the XDJ-RX, RekordBox is used to run the unit with no laptop connected. Just add your USB-stick as you would on a compatible CDJ and off you go. You will have some more features than on a CDJ screen (like parallel waveforms for example), but essentially it is all the same.

    RekordBox DJ = full-featured DJ software, just like Serato, VDJ, Mixvibes Cross, etx. This software is supported by ALL Pioneer controllers/CDJs that have USB connection. In case of the XDJ-RX I am assuming that some of the information about tracks will be sent to the screen from the laptop, but essentially all the work you do happens on your laptop, just as it would if the controller was not a laptop-less version.

    So with the XDJ-RX you have the option of either using it with a RekordBox USB-stick and NO laptop attached or use it as a regular midi-controller with a laptop attached. Without a laptop you will not have all the full DJ software features, but you can just show up with your controller and USB-stick.

    April 15, 2016 at 2:42 am #2384791
    Arkadiusz Mikina
    Participant

    Great. Thanks Vintage.
    So Rekordbox is prep software + runs some and/or newer CDJs and XDJs in standalone/analog mode.
    Rekordbox DJ is like Serato DJ.

    So pretty much, in mcx8000 world: rekordbox is what engine is (preparation+standalone mode) and Rekordbox DJ is what Serato DJ is (laptop plugged in).

    And now….IT OCCURRED TO ME! As to why XDJ-RX doesn’t have Slicer but instead has LoopSlice which is different to Slicer as Terry mentioned (and of course, Flip is absent as it’s only available in Serato).
    I think that when Pioneer was designing XDJ-RX, which must have been in 2014 (as they released this unit in Jan 2015), they didn’t have Rekordbox DJ at all (which has been released in the end of 2015) + it was a unit meant to be totally laptop free/standalone. So they made it running with Rekordbox taken (probably) from CDJs right? Therefore, they couldn’t, for some reason, put Slicer in this unit (maybe something to do with hardware limitations and/or computing power? or maybe Slicer is tied/owned somehow by Serato? I am only guessing) and came up with something else, and named it LoopSlice. Then of course, Rekordbox DJ came in the end of 2015 and with it, Pioneer released DDJ-RX and RZ – controllers able to control only Rekordbox DJ – so they were able to put Slicer there.
    What do you guys think of my train of thoughts? 😀

    Also, it surprises me how (digital)DJing has come full circle now (analog/physical -> digital/software -> analog/physical-standalone again) but I guess it’s a good idea for a different post here 😀

    Greetinx 😀

    April 15, 2016 at 4:17 am #2384841
    DJ DanKnow
    Participant

    Lol I just went through all this and bought the DDJ-SX2 and love it. I wanted to try the Rekordbox DJ but didn’t want to be stuck into it.(DDJ-RX) I use Serato but really like the fact that with just Rekordbox the music prep, organizing, tag, cueing etc.. is so superior to Serato plus the Rekordbox iOS app lets you beatgrid set cue points when on the road etc.. with new songs and just sync when back at the computer. And if you are DJing somewhere that has gear that supports Rekordbox USB you can just bring your music already prepped on USB sticks. I would love to switch to Rekordbox DJ now that it’s getting more stable. I might try DVS as well which with Serato it’s another $100 anyway but with Pioneer as of now has Rekordbox DJ with DVS for $10/mn so….. Now just waiting for Rekord Buddy 2.0 so I’ll be able to import my Serato library and maybe make the switch to Rekordbox DJ and hopefully have the best of both world!

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