Soulsonica™
6:25 PM - 9 December, 2009
Alrighty cats n kitties, sorry it's taken so long to get back to this. Been crazy busy with a bunch of pressing stuff so haven't had a whole lot of extensive playtime on her, but here's my take so far.
Pros
• Incredible build quality. This thing is a tank. Built like a true tool rather than a toy like so many other supposedly "pro" bits of gear in the DJ/producer market. Solid metal casing, clean machining, flush assembly fasteners, etc. When you pick this thing up the first reaction is "wow, it sure is heavy" - and it deceptively is. The weight is much heavier than what it looks like it should be, but that's a good thing because it stays put while in use. No need to worry about it sliding around in the mix.
• Aesthetics, fit and finish is grade A+. Nice matte/satin black chassis so the surface shows no chicken prints when used. Crisp, bright white text labeling only where it should be and none where it shouldn't screams pro instrument.
• Native SL layout and programming. No nonsense or generic one-size-fits-all kind of stuff here. True Plug n' Play. The developers basically chose SL as the platform to design around and did it. Feature set, text labeling, etc. is exactly as it is in SL environment. With a few exceptions (which I'll get to in a minute), for the most part I think they nailed it. Extremely intuitive right outta the box. I understand this unit can also be easily mapped for TS/TSP users.
• Buttons and knobs feel and react outstanding. Very tactile and with crisp, responsive, reassuring feel when engaged. The low-profile rotary knobs have just enough resistance as well and don't wobble the slightest when controlling off-center.
• Compact chassis size. Measuring a mere 10"W x .75"H (and about 3.5"D), she packs very nicely into a small gig bag. It also just happens to match the chassis width of the Rane Empath (and other Rane 10" mixers) which is a nice aesthetic bonus for those owners.
• Four scenes, three of which are custom mappable. The first scene is the factory pre-programmed one that basically handles most user's needs. The other three you can custom program any way you want, which is what I did after not finding some essential features on the original layout (I'll get to that in a minute too on cons).
• Value. At $160 this baby is a no-brainer. I've yet to find anything else currently on the market that addresses the in-field needs of SL users as well as this unit does – at any cost.
Cons
• As any SL user knows, Absolute, Internal and Relative modes are key features that are constantly moved in/out of during a set. I would've thought that because quick and easy access to these modes is essential that Denon would've included them as far as the primary button layout - but they sadly (and strangely) not. Why three basic ABS/INT/REL buttons for each deck aren't on the control surface as primary functions I have no idea and really makes me wonder where Denon's head was when designing this. Anyway, the workaround for this lies in the mappable scenes, which is exactly what I did. It's not as clean as I'd like it to be because I have to train myself what another button's label means/doesn't mean, but I'll get by and make it work. It's still lightyears beyond a generic MIDI controller.
• The four scenes don't have visual indicators (LEDs) to let the user know what scene they currently are in. There are LEDs that light up when engaging a scene, but nothing constant to remind you the rest of the time. Stupid move, and again, makes me wonder why something so blatantly obviously needed (and inexpensive to include) would slip by the designers.
• The left side mounted mini USB connector port makes cable management fussy if you need to connect to computer/other gear on the right side (a common setup scenario for me). A minor gripe, yes, but one that could've been easily avoidable had the designers simply positioned the port on the bottom by recessing it and channeling small grooves for the cable so the user could choose to exit the cable any direction they wanted. I'm currently trying to source a left-hand/right-angled mini USB cable to help solve this issue. No luck so far, but if anyone reading this happens to know if they exist and where they are, please let me know.
• This last con technically is yet to be determined, but the text labeling Denon uses on hard rubber buttons of their other models of equipment doesn't have the best reputation for holding up after extensive use in the field. We've all seen how the labeling rubs off and not only starts to look like shit after a while, but doesn't let the users know what the damn button is supposed to do once the text is gone. Like I said, it's TBD as to whether or not Denon has gotten their act together in regards to the chemical compound and application process of this type of labeling. Time will tell, but I personally think they should've just decide to forgo this method and use a proven method such as machine aluminum with laser etched labeling (eg: CDJ-1000 MK3 play/pause/>>/<< buttons)
Bottom line - aside from a few glaring design flaws /omissions (IMO) this piece of kit is a winner overall. I recommend to any DJ using SL extensively as their primary weapon. The only thing I ever touch my computer for now is when I want to do a keyword search. Other than that, it's strictly all hands on decks (pun intended), mixer and MIDI.
