REVIEWED
REVIEWED: Pioneer DJ DDJ FLX-10
The Pioneer DJ DDJ FLX-10 launched all of four days before Pro Mobile Conference 2023 – a distraction I could have done without! The run up to our conference is best described as ‘hectic’ and to have such a weapon land on my doorstep the weekend before we put on the best DJ conference in the world (yes, really) was one of the last things I needed. Then again, it’s not too surprising that Pioneer DJ – in designing, building and launching their most advanced DJ controller ever – did not take my diary into account.
Not only did I have a week to learn this new bit of kit, but the company also sent a new DDJ FLX-10 and an Opus-Quad, along with two of their team, to the conference for all to play with. So I guess that calls us more than even.
When the DDJ-1000 was launched it quickly established itself as the benchmark 4-channel DJ controller on the market. Now, I know that there are other contenders for that title. But based on what I have seen at DJ conventions and in DJ training workshops over the last five years, it’s hard to argue that it hasn’t been a smash hit. Indeed, pretty much every mobile DJ I know who chooses Pioneer DJ as their controller has a DDJ-1000. And now those people have a difficult choice to make: stick with what is a perfectly good bit of kit, or splash out on its successor?
The big changes
The single biggest change on the DDJ FLX-10 is the introduction of instant stems; the ability to quickly and easily separate parts of a track to dampen or eliminate certain aspects or to apply effects to those parts.
It’s also worth noting that the DDJ FLX-10 actually replaces two models, the DDJ-1000 (Rekordbox) and the DDJ-1000 (Serato), as it can be used with either program. There are many more changes, but these two are the most instantly noticeable.
Stems
This was the big noise on launch and every DJ and their dog had an opinion when it came to stems. I was intrigued to see several DJs dismiss the concept, as, after all, the tracks we play are more important than anything else, right? To a degree, I am in agreement. But having had a chance to play with stems for the very first time, I now believe it to be the most important advancement in controller technology that I’ve seen in my time as a DJ. It really is that big.
I’m a firm advocate for the case of song selection being the mark of a great DJ. However, there is no doubt in my mind that a good controller can improve what we do way beyond any other format, and, even more importantly, make our job more enjoyable. After all, what we do is fun – and being a better DJ simply makes the ‘job’ more satisfying. You really don’t need to mix to make sure a party is brilliant.
But it can be more satisfying to nail a brilliant transition, and your dance floor definitely does notice. In the words of one recent party guest at an event I worked at, you become a “DJ who does smooth song changes.”
But what does stems add?
The first thing I did with stems was create a mash-up, which I managed within ten minutes of loading my first songs. It really is that easy to learn. Whilst I enjoy playing a good mash-up, doing one on the fly with a live dance floor is not something I’ve ever done. Long mixing points using hot-cues and EQ trims, yes, but never actually playing two songs together for a proper length of time. But with stems, this is now easily achievable.
My most-used mixing technique is to drop the bass out of an outgoing track to blend in a new one. Now you just press a button and drop the drums out. Or perhaps just bring the vocals of the new track in over a loop of the old one, and then swap at the correct point. The possibilities are endless, your only limitation is your own creativity. And that’s just mixing. I can also give you just two fantastic examples of how you can quickly and easily improve the energy on your dance floor using tracks you frequently play:
Bon Jovi ‘Livin’ On A Prayer’
“Oh, we’re half way there.” Who hasn’t dropped the sound so that the crowd ramp up their singing? It works a charm and no busy dance floor has ever not reacted. I honestly think that this simple act makes people feel much more part of the occasion and better connected to their enjoyment.
But there is always one annoying aspect – the audience somehow gets out of time. Bring the song back and they have to adjust not only their vocals but their dance moves.
It’s always noticeable and sometimes a little awkward.
With stems, just drop the instruments and drums and they’re singing in real time with Jon. Alternatively, drop his vocals out and keep the background song – instant karaoke without needing to provide screens and microphones!
Even better, you can put the same track onto two decks and reduce the vocals so that they simply become part of the track. Or transfer the effects to the EQ knobs and go anywhere from full-on to zero.
Queen ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’
Another dance-floor staple which we all know is going to be soon after, or soon before, the aforementioned track. ‘Don’t Stop Me now’ can literally bring people running to the dance floor; as cheesy as it gets, it’s very often a must-play song.
If you get a chance to play with stems, just load it up, start the song as normal, and then drop the background instruments and drums out when Freddie sings his first “don’t stop me now” during the introduction. Leave them out and then whack them back in when he gets to the word “having” in “’cause I’m having a good time”. It’s electrifying and will absolutely add atmosphere and energy.
So, stems mean you can perform mash-ups on the fly and alter songs in a really creative way by reducing the volume or even muting certain parts.
But what else is there? Well, you can also apply effects to those parts individually. There are endless possibilities. For me, the most obvious was applying echo to the vocals only. It’s really effective and a massive improvement to what is a great transition effect. You could add reverb to vocals, phaser to drums, and even stretch instruments (new to the FLX-10). No doubt there will be a whole new lexicon of clever effects added to our armour and making our job even more fun.
I’ve laboured on the stems part, but only because I genuinely think it’s a game changer. It’s hardly new, but its popularity has been affected by how easy it is to apply. Now though, Pioneer DJ are bringing this way of working to a whole new group of regular gigging DJs for mobile, bar and club – in fact, any DJ who doesn’t have the luxury of a studio or at least the time and space to create their own bespoke mixes and mash-ups.
As it stands, stems is not perfect in Rekordbox. I haven’t had the luxury of finding out for myself, but I hear that Serato’s version is better. I think over time both will improve but what we have already is certainly good enough to use, to get more creative with in mix and lift energy at any party.
Aside from stems, what else is there to report?
The DDJ FLX-10 features four channels with two microphone inputs, two headphone ports, two USB ports, full-size jog-wheels with customisable multi-coloured jog rings (each with customisable on-jog display), a bank of performance pads, and various connections and output options. Pioneer DJ also gives us stems, two different FX banks, and (new to the DDJ FLX-10) call and mix-point link buttons.
The well-documented effects of the Covid pandemic have resulted in horrendous supply issues. In fact, there has been a back-log of unfulfilled DDJ-1000 orders for some time (the majority of which I assume will now be filled with the DDJ FLX-10). This does mean you’ll notice some new parts, not least of which are new phono pre-amps. I found it quite hard to tell the difference between the new controller and its predecessor, but I was always happy with what a DDJ-1000 could do.
Also new is a DMX output. This effectively replaces the Pioneer DJ RB-DMX1 lighting unit which was used to control lighting via Rekordbox. This system strikes a nice balance between full DMX control and putting all your lighting in sound-to-light mode. It’s not an aspect I got a chance to test, as I had a delay in receiving the BETA version of the new version of Rekordbox and effectively only had two hours to learn as much as I could. But I know the system is great if you want to move up from sound-to-light but don’t necessarily want to go full DMX.
These are the main stand-out features of what is a very comprehensive 4-channel performance controller. As a mobile DJ, you could be forgiven for thinking there are loads of things you don’t need. But it’s hard to imagine there is anything you need that it doesn’t have.
The level of creativity you can now achieve is almost limitless. Stems is enormous fun and incredibly satisfying – and it will get even better over time. If you’re already a Pioneer DJ user, the DDJ FLX-10 is a fantastic controller to move to, as it will feel very familiar and you’ll quickly get to grips with the new features. Don’t take it from me though, get down to your local retailer and have a play.
Not only did I have a week to learn this new bit of kit, but the company also sent a new DDJ FLX-10 and an Opus-Quad, along with two of their team, to the conference for all to play with. So I guess that calls us more than even.
When the DDJ-1000 was launched it quickly established itself as the benchmark 4-channel DJ controller on the market. Now, I know that there are other contenders for that title. But based on what I have seen at DJ conventions and in DJ training workshops over the last five years, it’s hard to argue that it hasn’t been a smash hit. Indeed, pretty much every mobile DJ I know who chooses Pioneer DJ as their controller has a DDJ-1000. And now those people have a difficult choice to make: stick with what is a perfectly good bit of kit, or splash out on its successor?
The big changes
The single biggest change on the DDJ FLX-10 is the introduction of instant stems; the ability to quickly and easily separate parts of a track to dampen or eliminate certain aspects or to apply effects to those parts.
It’s also worth noting that the DDJ FLX-10 actually replaces two models, the DDJ-1000 (Rekordbox) and the DDJ-1000 (Serato), as it can be used with either program. There are many more changes, but these two are the most instantly noticeable.
Stems
This was the big noise on launch and every DJ and their dog had an opinion when it came to stems. I was intrigued to see several DJs dismiss the concept, as, after all, the tracks we play are more important than anything else, right? To a degree, I am in agreement. But having had a chance to play with stems for the very first time, I now believe it to be the most important advancement in controller technology that I’ve seen in my time as a DJ. It really is that big.
I’m a firm advocate for the case of song selection being the mark of a great DJ. However, there is no doubt in my mind that a good controller can improve what we do way beyond any other format, and, even more importantly, make our job more enjoyable. After all, what we do is fun – and being a better DJ simply makes the ‘job’ more satisfying. You really don’t need to mix to make sure a party is brilliant.
But it can be more satisfying to nail a brilliant transition, and your dance floor definitely does notice. In the words of one recent party guest at an event I worked at, you become a “DJ who does smooth song changes.”
But what does stems add?
The first thing I did with stems was create a mash-up, which I managed within ten minutes of loading my first songs. It really is that easy to learn. Whilst I enjoy playing a good mash-up, doing one on the fly with a live dance floor is not something I’ve ever done. Long mixing points using hot-cues and EQ trims, yes, but never actually playing two songs together for a proper length of time. But with stems, this is now easily achievable.
My most-used mixing technique is to drop the bass out of an outgoing track to blend in a new one. Now you just press a button and drop the drums out. Or perhaps just bring the vocals of the new track in over a loop of the old one, and then swap at the correct point. The possibilities are endless, your only limitation is your own creativity. And that’s just mixing. I can also give you just two fantastic examples of how you can quickly and easily improve the energy on your dance floor using tracks you frequently play:
Bon Jovi ‘Livin’ On A Prayer’
“Oh, we’re half way there.” Who hasn’t dropped the sound so that the crowd ramp up their singing? It works a charm and no busy dance floor has ever not reacted. I honestly think that this simple act makes people feel much more part of the occasion and better connected to their enjoyment.
But there is always one annoying aspect – the audience somehow gets out of time. Bring the song back and they have to adjust not only their vocals but their dance moves.
It’s always noticeable and sometimes a little awkward.
With stems, just drop the instruments and drums and they’re singing in real time with Jon. Alternatively, drop his vocals out and keep the background song – instant karaoke without needing to provide screens and microphones!
Even better, you can put the same track onto two decks and reduce the vocals so that they simply become part of the track. Or transfer the effects to the EQ knobs and go anywhere from full-on to zero.
Queen ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’
Another dance-floor staple which we all know is going to be soon after, or soon before, the aforementioned track. ‘Don’t Stop Me now’ can literally bring people running to the dance floor; as cheesy as it gets, it’s very often a must-play song.
If you get a chance to play with stems, just load it up, start the song as normal, and then drop the background instruments and drums out when Freddie sings his first “don’t stop me now” during the introduction. Leave them out and then whack them back in when he gets to the word “having” in “’cause I’m having a good time”. It’s electrifying and will absolutely add atmosphere and energy.
So, stems mean you can perform mash-ups on the fly and alter songs in a really creative way by reducing the volume or even muting certain parts.
But what else is there? Well, you can also apply effects to those parts individually. There are endless possibilities. For me, the most obvious was applying echo to the vocals only. It’s really effective and a massive improvement to what is a great transition effect. You could add reverb to vocals, phaser to drums, and even stretch instruments (new to the FLX-10). No doubt there will be a whole new lexicon of clever effects added to our armour and making our job even more fun.
I’ve laboured on the stems part, but only because I genuinely think it’s a game changer. It’s hardly new, but its popularity has been affected by how easy it is to apply. Now though, Pioneer DJ are bringing this way of working to a whole new group of regular gigging DJs for mobile, bar and club – in fact, any DJ who doesn’t have the luxury of a studio or at least the time and space to create their own bespoke mixes and mash-ups.
As it stands, stems is not perfect in Rekordbox. I haven’t had the luxury of finding out for myself, but I hear that Serato’s version is better. I think over time both will improve but what we have already is certainly good enough to use, to get more creative with in mix and lift energy at any party.
Aside from stems, what else is there to report?
The DDJ FLX-10 features four channels with two microphone inputs, two headphone ports, two USB ports, full-size jog-wheels with customisable multi-coloured jog rings (each with customisable on-jog display), a bank of performance pads, and various connections and output options. Pioneer DJ also gives us stems, two different FX banks, and (new to the DDJ FLX-10) call and mix-point link buttons.
The well-documented effects of the Covid pandemic have resulted in horrendous supply issues. In fact, there has been a back-log of unfulfilled DDJ-1000 orders for some time (the majority of which I assume will now be filled with the DDJ FLX-10). This does mean you’ll notice some new parts, not least of which are new phono pre-amps. I found it quite hard to tell the difference between the new controller and its predecessor, but I was always happy with what a DDJ-1000 could do.
Also new is a DMX output. This effectively replaces the Pioneer DJ RB-DMX1 lighting unit which was used to control lighting via Rekordbox. This system strikes a nice balance between full DMX control and putting all your lighting in sound-to-light mode. It’s not an aspect I got a chance to test, as I had a delay in receiving the BETA version of the new version of Rekordbox and effectively only had two hours to learn as much as I could. But I know the system is great if you want to move up from sound-to-light but don’t necessarily want to go full DMX.
These are the main stand-out features of what is a very comprehensive 4-channel performance controller. As a mobile DJ, you could be forgiven for thinking there are loads of things you don’t need. But it’s hard to imagine there is anything you need that it doesn’t have.
The level of creativity you can now achieve is almost limitless. Stems is enormous fun and incredibly satisfying – and it will get even better over time. If you’re already a Pioneer DJ user, the DDJ FLX-10 is a fantastic controller to move to, as it will feel very familiar and you’ll quickly get to grips with the new features. Don’t take it from me though, get down to your local retailer and have a play.
