The design of the OPUS-QUAD is much different from other controllers in the Pioneer series, with a 5° slope for more comfort and accessibility. It also comes with curved edges and in a matte black finish, with “earth-like” accents around the outer panel. Pioneer describes the new design as one that will “enhance the aesthetics of any environment.” The jog wheel carries a new textured grip, and it lights up with customizable colors, corresponding to which deck is playing.

Cue and Playback

Sitting right below each display are eight hot-cue buttons, similar to those on the CDJ-3000 player. A new “Smart Cue” option changes the cue point on a track, with the Cue button corresponding to each color pressed on the hot-cue panel.

Smart Navigation

A larger 10.1” touchscreen display is available for song searching, and additional displays above each deck for song monitoring. The Smart Rotary button lets users navigate easier on the OPUS-QUAD; you can scroll through pages of music by pushing the knob up and down. Preview the beginning and middle of songs by pushing the Smart Rotary button left and right. Touching the screen to preview each waveform is also an available option. 

Sound Quality and Effects

Like their flagship DJM-A9 mixer, the OPUS-QUAD comes with an ESS Technology 32-bit D/A converter for high-quality sound. Built-in effects come standard, along with an XY-Pad on the touchscreen to move between multiple settings. Sound Color FX knobs and the Smooth Echo effect are also among the effects features on the OPUS-QUAD.

Zone Output

The four-deck playback function works standalone or can split to separate rooms using the Zone Output function. The Master and channels three and four can be split into separate rooms with quick changes in the options menu.

New Connectivity Options

The OPUS-QUAD supports multiple sound sources for song and playlist creation. SSD, WiFi (for rekordbox), Bluetooh and USBs work in unison with the controller. For rekordbox, tracks can be uploaded directly from the cloud using the CloudDirectPlay feature. Two USB-A ports sit atop the device, with USB 3 and USB-C connector ports in the rear, providing faster connectivity options. Bluetooth connectivity allows smartphones and other devices to play audio into the OPUS-QUAD.

Plug-and-Play compatibility for rekordbox Performance Mode are also available, with support for Serato DJ Pro coming in summer 2023.

The OPUS QUAD is out now and costs $3,199. Find more information and buy the OPUS-QUAD on Pioneer’s website.

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rekordbox CloudDirectPlay gives access to music and media on rekordbox without the need to upload any additional music to a USB. Libraries save on Dropbox and also work with existing tracks and files on the USB.

Editing any track metadata through rekordbox saves and uploads to the cloud immediately for accurate updates across all software and CDJ-3000 units. Once a playlist is ready, simply logging into rekordbox via the CDJ-3000 screen opens the playlist for full access.

If a user misplaces a USB, disabling playlist access is possible with a few clicks through rekordbox’s desktop app. Music on the USB will still be manually accessible, however.

Subscriptions to either rekordbox’s Creative or Professional plans ($14.99 per month or $29.99 per month) unlock CloudDirectPlay. Additionally, The CDJ-3000 needs internet connectivity via the PRO DJ Link terminal in order to utilize CloudDirectPlay in its entirety.

The Pioneer CDJ-3000 Media Player is available now for $2,399.  Find more information and download the CDJ-3000 firmware on Pioneer’s website. 

CDJ-3000 Firmware Update 1.08 brings full auto-caching of already loaded tracks. Prior to its update, when a USB or Ethernet link in the rear of the CDJ-3000 is unplugged, the CDJ goes into an “Emergency Loop” mode. Once this happens, a (usually unquantized) four-beat loop begins playing. Canceling this mode is only possible by either loading a track or stopping the CDJ altogether – a worst-case scenario for many disc jockeys in live settings.

CDJ-3000’s auto-caching eliminates this mode entirely, saving the whole track into the device’s temporary memory. This feature finally curbs the all-too-common accidental unplugging during setup. The CDJ 3000 updates via USB by placing the device into into firmware update mode.

Pioneer’s social network, KUVO, is also now CDJ-3000 available. KUVO’s network helps DJs and clubs using Pioneer’s family of Rekordbox-compatible devices to promote their mixes or showcase their venue’s events. Registration on the Pioneer DJ website grants one access to KUVO and other Pioneer DJ networks.

Cache is King

Pioneer — now the AlphaTheta Corporation — remains a staple in DJ culture since 1994. Their flagship CDJ-500 was the first flat-top CD player with pitch control for DJs. In 2001 the CDJ-1000 again changed the DJing the landscape, introducing a vinyl-like element to digital performing. The CDJ-2000 and CDJ-2000NXS in 2011 brought smartphone capability and introduced file organization software Rekordbox.

The CDJ-3000 was released in September 2020. More information on the CDJ-3000 Firmware Update 1.08 is available on the Pioneer DJ website.

The simply titled Edit Mode allows users to splice audio and make custom versions of song files. Functions such as extending intros and outros and removing breakdowns in tracks can now be performed within the app – no DAW export required. The Beatgrid – normally to set quantization in order to sync tracks across Pioneer media players and controllers – serves as the arrangement window. A Palette function stores and organizes clips as the track is edited, and project file saving is available to make changes to tracks at any time within Rekordbox.

A Creative subscription plan starts at $15/month (with a 30-day free trial) in order to use Edit Mode and other features, such as their new Vocal Detection Algorithm.

A TIDAL subscription introduces integration with Rekordbox as well as over 60 million high-quality songs and music videos. Once paired with TIDAL, a Hardware Unlock device – like their latest CDJ-3000 or DJM-V10 mixer – can use the update in Performance Mode along with any Pioneer subscription plan.

The flagship version of Pioneer DJ’s Rekordbox was introduced in 2009, with their first mobile app (1.5.2) being introduced in 2012. The 3.0 upgrade in the summer of 2014 made the interface more intuitive with a two-deck player mode and tagging systems. In late 2015, Rekordbox DJ Pro Plus subscription packages were made available, giving users various levels of access to pioneer performance tools and other features.

For starters, the CDJ-3000 comes with a tougher aluminum build with an upgraded full-color display in the center of the jogwheel showcasing file artwork, titles and BPMs. It’s a big step forward from the hallowed “vinyl” mode graphic that brings the device up to date with the aesthetics of Pioneer’s other controllers. They notably upgraded the components where the most damage occurs on previous models by making the play and cue buttons more durable.

A new built-in micro-processing unit (MPU) allows faster load times as well as new features in its later firmware updates, and support for all playable audio formats in a high-quality encoding environment is now available. A Gigabit Ethernet upgrade to their Pro DJ Link software gives connectivity up to six CDJ-3000s when paired with compatible gear, such as their new DJM-V10 6-channel performance mixer.

The CDJ’s nine-inch LCD touch screen (with full search functionality) showcases the new Rekordbox 3Band waveform display that color-codes each track based on their frequencies from high to low. Dual waveforms also show smaller tracks being cued up rather than colored lights and simple lines for easier and more creative beat matching capabilities.

New additions to the performance and looping side of the CDJ-3000 include eight hot cues, four buttons added to the fold and placed below the LCD screen, an eight-bar loop button, beat jump buttons that adjust the looping into different quantized beats (1/2, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, or 64 beats respectively) and a “key sync” and “key shift” function that matches the incoming track’s key to the one playing by changing its overall pitch.

The CDJ-3000 also continues smartphone connectivity. Users of the iOS version of rekordbox can DJ with the mobile software, connecting iPhones to the CDJ-3000 with a lightning to USB3 Camera Adapter Cable. Stage lighting integration is also available with the CDJ-3000 via the separately-sold RB-DMX1 interface, and light editing options are available in the rekordbox software.

 A New Dimension

The new and long-awaited upgrades are a result of some serious restructuring in the Pioneer universe – now a company named AlphaTheta that still holds the Pioneer DJ name. The brand has remained a staple in the DJ equipment industry since entering the market in 1994 with the introduction of the CDJ-500, the first flat-top CD player with pitch control for DJs.

Pioneer DJ came to prominence again in 2001 and dominated the market with its groundbreaking CDJ-1000 that emulated the feel of playing vinyl in a digital format. A decade later, they delivered the CDJ-2000 and CDJ-2000NXS line of media players that boasted smartphone capability and introduced their one-of-a-kind Rekordbox digital media and hardware software solutions made for DJs and live performers.

In March 2015, the corporation sold its Pioneer DJ Equipment division to KKR &Co, Inc., creating a separate entity of its synonymous parent company. KKR then sold it to Noritsu Koki Co., Ltd. (who owns the AlphaTheta Corporation) in March of 2020.

The CDJ-3000 is available for preorder at $2,299. More information is available on the Pioneer DJ website.

The stylized promotional video for the CDJ-3000 with the caption and hashtag #ANewDimension boasts a plethora of new hardware and firmware features without giving away too much. Among the additions are what looks like a layered three-band waveform profile on the CDJ screen that splits apart each frequency to its color-coded area, and new pads near the platter that are similar to those of the standalone DJS-1000 sampler the company released in 2018.

 

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#ANewDimension

A post shared by Pioneer DJ Global (@pioneerdjglobal) on Sep 3, 2020 at 12:00am PDT

Some cosmetic upgrades somewhat visible in the video include a new jog wheel, a bigger backlit area around the USB inputs (no more fumbling around for the slot in the dark), more buttons around the main loop in/out functions, and the same middle display as the DDJ-1000 line of controllers.

Although Pioneer DJ has been busy with the release of the DJM-V10, a six-channel mixer with built-in compressor and master isolator, as well as TORAIZ line of multi-track sequencers, they have been relatively quiet on upgrading their CDJ series until now. The last update was the current NXS2 edition released in early 2016.

Pioneer DJ has yet to disclose a relelase date for the CDJ-3000 at the time of reporting but Selector will continue to provide updates as they share more information.

Image credit: Enzo Martinez