First Traktor and now SSL -
cdj firmware v3.1 SSL v2.1
When Pioneer teased and then finally released the new species of CDJ, the overwhelming feeling was one of sticking a middle finger up at pretenders to the Pioneer club throne i.e. vinyl wielding DVS systems. But times have very rapidly changed, and rather than alienate a massive and growing market sector, Pioneer have gone to great lengths to ensure that their CDJs snuggle up very happily with the market leaders via the medium of HID. Traktor did properly in v1.2.6, and now the yet to be released for a while v2.1 of Scratch Live.
Nutshell version - Pioneer have new firmware for the CDJs that will make them interact with SSL v2.1 more than ever before, and because of HID you don't need the timecode CD. But you'll still need the necessary Rane hardware to enable SSL, even if it's just hanging off the back and acting as a dongle.
Things do look good for the CDJ/DVS marriage. A CDJ-2000 review is coming that contains a section on using Traktor v1.2.6 via HID - and it fairs pretty well.
Here's what Pioneer have to say:
PIONEER CDJ -2000/900 FIRMWARE 3.1 WORKS
IN UNISON WITH SERATO SCRATCH LIVE 2.1
Pioneer and Serato deliver the ultimate club-standard software and hardware integration
Pioneer DJ today announces new CDJ-2000 and CDJ-900 firmware that adds support for rekordbox Link and Scratch Live 2.1. It features enhanced HID Technology for DJ software, along with even more player features, like 8-Beat Auto Loop on the CDJ-2000 and increased BPM display accuracy.
First up, rekordbox Link bridges the gap between our hardware and rekordbox software to become the easiest way of playing digital music. With rekordbox installed, wherever you find the new CDJ-900s / CDJ-2000s, you can perform instantly with just one standard network cable. The major advantage is that music is played on the CDJs, not in the software, so there’s no need to export.
Since the launch of the CDJ-2000/900, Pioneer has worked with the leading software companies to deliver the ultimate digital media player and controller experience. Unlike existing Midi controllers, the CDJs feature HID control that enables enhanced, two-way, low-latency data communication.
Developed together with Serato Audio Research, Pioneer’s new CDJ-2000/900 firmware v3.10 enables software to use the built-in color displays. Detailed track information, text, album artwork*, track overviews, cue/loop points and other track information for quicker visual feedback and enhanced DJ performance. In addition, checking playback status and selecting tracks can all be done directly on the CDJ players, minimizing the need to browse through a computer screen.
Unlike any other DJ controller, the CDJ-2000 is the first to use a full colour display to show track information and artwork from DJ software. Not only that, the browsing experience is displayed directly on the deck, so you can browse and select Scratch Live crates, right from the player.” – commented Product Support Specialist, David Eserin.
Serato Audio Research have implemented advanced HID technology to offer the best experience for Scratch Live users. Pioneer’s CDJ-2000/900 players (updated with firmware v3.10) will work in perfect sync with the Scratch Live software Version 2.1, which delivers the best integration of our club-standard hardware and software to date.
The CDJ-2000/900 will now enable DJs to operate Scratch Live Version 2.1, together with official Rane hardware, without the need for timecode control discs. Scratch Live’s functions will automatically link to the corresponding controls of the CDJ-2000/900 players when a computer running the software is connected through the players’ USB connection. In addition, functions such as tempo adjustment, play/cue and loop can be made without a computer keyboard or mouse.
Pioneer CDJ-2000/900 firmware v3.10 is planned for release on July 12, 2010 and will be a free download from our new global homepage
www.pioneerdj.com The free Scratch Live v2.1 software update is planned for release in Quarter 3 of 2010 from Serato Audio Research. Check
www.serato.com for more information.
To see the CDJ-2000/900 and Scratch Live 2.1 in action, along with details of all the new CDJ Firmware v3.1 features, watch our the video introduction on DJsounds.com or
www.youtube.com/pioneerdjsounds from 3rd August 2010.
Pioneer CDJ-900 / CDJ-2000 Firmware Update v3.10 Key Features
* HID Support (Serato 2.1) - Strengthen connectivity between DJ software and player, which allows the software to show the following information on the CDJ display.
- Browsing music file
- Cue/Loop Points
- WAVEFORM
- Album Art (Jacket picture, CDJ-2000 only)
- Track End Warning
* Auto 8-Beat Loop setting by pushing the 4-Beat loop button for more than 1 second. (CDJ-2000 only)
* Track End Warning - when the remaining play time of a USB storage device or CD track is less than 30 seconds, the Jog illumination will blink and the "PLAYING ADDRESS" icon is inversed. (CDJ-2000 only)
* 0.1 Decimal BPM - Now able to show one decimal point of the BPM (CDJ-2000 only)
* Quantize Always On - The factory default of QUANTIZE is changed from OFF to ON.
* Anti Glitch - LOOP smoothing process was improved to reduce glitch sounds between the LOOP END and LOOP START points.
BUG FIXES
* Slip Mode Fix - When SLIP mode was cancelled, a beat mismatch occurred. (CDJ-900 only)
* HID Jog Indication - The color of the Jog illumination was red when DJ software is used and should be White. (CDJ-2000 only)
* CDJ-900 Track Search Speed - The start time of playing back a track becomes quicker when "AUTO CUE" is enabled. (CDJ-900 only)
* CDJ-2000 Response Improvements - Operation time of "HOT CUE REC", "REAL TIME CUE IN" or "4-BEAT LOOP" after "SEARCH" or "SCAN" with MP3, or other music files becomes quicker. (CDJ-2000 only)
Skratchworx