Denon DN-SC2000 (SSP 210.32)
Denons ongoing march to fill every gap in the DJ equipment market takes another step forward with the latest addition to their Media Player range, the DN-SC2000. This is their entry level model aimed at the Traktor Pro user, although it does include native support for Virtual DJ. So what were my first impressions like? When it came out of the box it seemed considerably smaller than I was expecting, which is no bad thing. Whether youre trying to keep your setup compact for a mobile event, turning up to a club or using it at home, space is always at a premium. In terms of its physical footprint its fractionally smaller than an iPad, but about four times as deep, and weighs a hefty 1.3KG. Most importantly, it feels like a quality piece of kit which is all the more impressive considering its retail price. It connects to your PC or MAC via USB 2.0 so setup is very straight-forward. Having used many similar devices over the years and agonised over installation problems this was by far the easiest to get up and running. In fact it took less than 5 minutes for both machines, literally plug the device in, wait for the drivers to auto install and then download the TSI control file from Denons website and paste into the appropriate folder, import the file using Traktors controller manager and everything just works. All the main Traktor controls are present and correct, with the sizeable and weighty jog wheel taking centre stage. This is flanked by the lengthy pitch fader on the right complete with the traditional Denon Pitch Bend +/buttons above, and the familiar Cue and Play buttons in the bottom left corner. Above these are the Track Skip buttons and the Cue/Loop Delete button. However, its the top portion of the unit that deserves most attention, starting with the four Cue buttons, which when combined with the Select button can be switched between the 1st or 2nd bank of Traktor Hot Cues, giving access to a total of 8 hot cues per deck. Above these are the looping controls with the de-riguer Loop In and Loop Out controls. Then, to the right of these is the Auto Loop function with plus and minus buttons either side to allow you to expand or contract the size of the loop from a whopping 32 beats or 8 bars, down to a tiny 1/32 of a beat. Further to the right of these is the first of the rotary controls, which operates Traktors dedicated Channel Filter, with a high pass filter when turned to the right and a low pass filter to the left. The effect is turned on and off by clicking the rotary down, though strangely unlike the other rotaries it doesnt light up when the effect is engaged. Next up are the browser controls, which consist of four buttons and another rotary. The Browser button allows you to toggle the Browser full screen, while the Previous and Next
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buttons are used to navigate around the browsers folders. The Duplicate button does exactly that, it replicates the track already on one deck onto the other. In the centre of these is the Track Select knob, which allows you to scroll up and down through your lists of tracks and then when you locate the desired tune just click the knob and the track is loaded to the active deck. Top right are the controls for turning the two effects banks on and off, along with buttons for Key Lock and the Sync/Master switch. At the top of the unit is the effects section which consists of four rotaries, the first controls the Dry/Wet balance and the other three alter the parameters of the selected effect. To the right is a switch for toggling between whichever of Traktors two effects processors is being controlled. Sadly however, there is no way to control both at the same time. Then, finally, there is the Deck Change button which is the most significant and unique part of the device as this turns what at face value looks like a single deck controller into a twin deck controller. Essentially there are two layers, when illuminated blue all the controls operate Deck A and then if you push the Deck Change button it turns to Red and everything controls Deck B, a simple and very effective solution to give far greater functionality than first meets the eye. So how does it fair in use then? Pretty impressive all be told, considering it uses USB. I had concerns that latency may be an issue, but everything works just as you would hope it should. The buttons are responsive; however, you do need to make sure you hit the play button bang in the centre to ensure the track starts each time. I do have a niggle with the pitch fader; when trying to precisely move it in very small increments it is tricky to get it to stay on the value you want. The looping functionality is well resolved and the hot cues work brilliantly, being very intuitive. Again the effect controls have been implemented well, and give good flexible control over what youre doing. The channel filter works well, however when you have

64 Pro Mobile Denon DN-SC2000
Reviewed By Johnathan Dobson
finished using it and have returned the knob to the dry position at 12 Oclock the value indicated in Traktor never displays zero as its always either plus or minus by a seemingly random small amount. I havent been able to hear any audible evidence of this being an issue and for those less obsessive than I, it probably isnt a problem. I tested the unit in a variety of ways, firstly just playing records without any beat matching and for that purpose there is nothing to fault. Start times are bang on and I was able to find records and cue them really easily. I then moved on to some traditional beat matching which again worked without issue, with the jog dial having a nice feel to it, so it was easy to pull or push the track in time as necessary. Lastly I played for a while having created some Beat Grids; this necessitates the use of the Sync button to slave the new track you are queuing to the master track already playing and again the unit didnt put a foot wrong. Well it didnt until I started using the hot cues in fairly vigorous fashion and found that this could inadvertently move the jog wheel fractionally and therefore turn the Sync mode off, meaning that your mix could be liable to go out of time. If this does happen, you need to quickly re-engage the sync switch, to avert a potential train wreck. Whilst Denon may not have marketed this as a beat jugglers tool, the same thing could happen if a customer were to knock your booth, or you were to accidentally knock the unit, so its something to be aware of. So, who would actually buy it then? I think it will appeal to a great mixture of DJs, and is absolutely perfect for mobile jocks due to its great build quality, simple but comprehensive interface and diminutive size. This, when coupled with the price, actually makes it feel like somewhat of a bargain. I can also see plenty of people buying two and utilising all four decks that Traktor has to offer; thats professional quality control over looping and effects, control of four separate decks and browsing of your music collection all for less than the price of one normal CD turntable! I cant really say fairer than that, highly recommended.
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For Immediate Release Contact: Clyne Media, Inc. Tel: (615) 662-1616 Fax: (615) 662-1636 pr@clynemedia.com
DENON DJ NOW SHIPPING THE DN-SC2000 CONTROLLER
ITASCA, IL, November 1, 2010 Denon DJ, a leading manufacturer of premium-grade DJ equipment, is now shipping its DN-SC2000 Controller. The unit is an affordable, compact, professional-grade, solid steel MIDI controller designed for the home DJ or party laptop DJ on the go. Used together with the DJs favorite mixer and PC software of choice, the DN-SC2000 offers party and bedroom DJs a compact, portable, user-friendly control solution. A two-layer system, the unit can control two decks at once (with visible deck color change), or be paired with another DN-SC2000 unit to control four decks. The DN-SC2000 is optimized for TRAKTOR Pro users and natively supported by Virtual DJ. The unit connects with the users PC or Mac via a USB 2.0 interface. The DN-SC2000 includes many advanced functions, including MIDI-mapable capability, auto loop function, a wide range of effects, rugged pitch slider, pitch lock, automatic beat sync, durable rubber button controls and much more.
The feature-rich DN-SC2000 also includes: - Newly designed, high-resolution 105-mm touch-sensitive jog wheel - Smooth 100-mm long Pitch Slider with high 14-bit resolution - Pitch Lock function, which holds the pitch value position until the NULL point is reached when using both layers for control - File browse navigation buttons and rotary encoder file selector knob with illuminated ring - Large size Cue and Play buttons - Eight (4 + 4) Hot Cue/Sampler buttons with dual bank selector key 1
- Auto Loop Button with Beat Jump (Loop Cut) and Manual Loop In/Out buttons - EFX Unit 1 and 2 layer button with color change LED - Dry/Wet Parameter encoder knob with illuminated ring - Three EFX Parameter encoder knobs with illuminated ring - EFX 1&2 On/Off buttons with color change LEDs - Powerful Shift Key used for various dual button operations - Search Keys to advance around within the file - Denons legacy Pitch Bend keys - Vinyl and Pitch Bend Jog modes - SYNC button for beat matching between decks - Key Lock on/off button with LED confirmation - Utility presets to adjust paired MIDI channels 1-8, and other items
The DN-SC2000 measures 6.7" x 1.2" x 8.6" and weighs approximately 2.9 lb. Power is supplied through the USB connection (i.e. no wall adapter needed), and a 1-meter (39.37") USB cable is included. The unit also features a Kensington lock security slot terminal to prevent theft.
The DN-SC2000 Controller is now available with a U.S. MSRP of $299.99. For more information, please visit www.denondj.com.

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Photo Files: DN-SC2000_Photo1_Top.JPG, DN-SC2000_Photo2_Back.JPG
About D&M Professional D&M Professional, through its Denon Professional, Marantz Professional and Denon DJ brands, manufactures and distributes a leading line of professional audio and video equipment for the broadcast, commercial, corporate, DJ, education, government, audio/visual, education, houses of worship, security and related industries. Visit D&M Professional at www.d-mpro.com or Denon DJ at: www.denondj.com.
About D&M Holdings Inc. 2
D&M Holdings Inc. is a global operating company providing worldwide management and distribution platforms for premium consumer, automotive, commercial and professional audio and video businesses including Denon, Marantz, McIntosh Laboratory, Boston Acoustics, Snell Acoustics, Escient, Calrec Audio, Denon DJ, Allen & Heath, D&M Professional and D&M Premium Sound Solutions. Our technologies improve the quality of any audio and visual experience. All product and brand names with a trademark symbol, with the exception of TRAKTOR and Mac, are trademarks or registered trademarks of D&M Holdings, Inc. or its subsidiaries. For more information visit www.dm-holdings.com.

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