Pioneer at NAMM 2008

Pioneer this morning opened up the NAMM music expo with two digital offerings in its Pro DJ lineup. The MEP-7000 (shown) is aimed at a modern DJ who may never bring stacks of vinyl or regular CDs to a set. Dual DVD drives allow it to play and mix both traditional music CDs as well as AAC and MP3 tracks, while USB connections allow flash drives, external hard disks, and other removable storage loaded with AAC/MP3 as well as raw AIFF or WAV cuts -- including from Mac-formatted drives, according to Pioneer. Connecting to a Windows PC also provides direct control over Pioneer's own DJ software as well as other live DJ or music editing tools.

When used independently, a 4.3-inch LCD serves as the command center while two OLED screens above the turntables provide pitch and other track information for each of the two sources in a mix. In addition to its physical scratch controls, the MEP-7000 can also automatically beat match and mix without input if necessary. The deck ships in June for $2,299.

A more focused device, the SEP-C1, is designed strictly for notebook DJs who want a traditional interface for a live performance and largely strips out the DVD readers and other storage in favor of just the connection to a PC for software control. The LCD, dual OLEDs, and automix features carry over from the MEP-7000. It also launches in June but takes advantage of its driveless nature to reach a $1,199 price tag.

By Electronista Staff