Denon’s latest standalone DJ controllers offer huge value for money, bringing pro quality and a few unique features at a beginner-friendly price.
In recent years, Denon DJ’s mission has been clear, with the brand making huge strides to establish itself as the number one rival to Pioneer DJ, whose media players, mixers and controllers include a number of industry standards. There’s little doubt that Denon’s SC media players have proven to be worthy rivals to Pioneer’s CDJs, and the brand’s controller range is following suit, with the flagship Prime 4 standing up to anything Pioneer have to offer. The Denon DJ SC Live 2 is the brand’s latest offering, a two-channel standalone DJ controller with some unique features, pitched as a serious, club-standard controller which is affordable enough to appeal as a practice setup or an option for streamers. (It’s worth noting that there’s also an SC Live 4, which packs very similar features in a four-channel format.)
The SC Live 2 has a recommended retail price of £950 but sits just under £850, making it substantially cheaper than Denon’s own Prime 2 controller and Pioneer’s XDJ-RR. The feature set is very impressive at the price point: full standalone operation (or the option to control Serato DJ software with full hardware unlock), a large, multi-touch screen for loading tracks, and a fully featured mixer section in between the two large jog wheels. The layout of the two deck sections and the mixer will be familiar if you’ve used other Denon gear, but perhaps more importantly, it’s close enough to the conventions of other manufacturers that you won’t find anything surprising if you’re coming from a cheaper controller or hoping to advance to other professional gear.
The build quality and feel of the Live 2 are impressive, but what’s most important is that everything about the operation of the unit feels well thought out, from the response of the jog wheels to the throw of the pitch faders. In terms of standard features which set the Live 2 apart from alternative controllers, there are a few particularly nice touches. Firstly, the quality of the effects is excellent. Alongside the three-band EQ in the mixer section, you’ll find Sweep FX for each channel as well as the assignable BPM FX section. There are only four performance pads per deck, but a Bank button effectively gives you eight options. It’s worth noting that the SC Live 4 offers eight performance pads for each deck as well as a few extra features like jog wheel displays, making it slightly more advanced as well as having four decks.
The SC Live 2 follows a pretty standard formula for controllers, which are becoming more and more similar as time goes by. However, there are a couple of main areas where the Live 2 sets itself apart. The first is the option to stream tracks losslessly from Amazon Music over Wi-Fi, a nice bonus feature which allows you to grab tracks on the fly if you suddenly feel the need to play a track you don’t have in your collection. In most cases you’d probably rather have tracks loaded and analysed in advance, but it’s a nice option to have as a backup.
The second major feature is the inclusion of built-in speakers, which is becoming more common on small controllers but still unusual for a full-size unit like this. Some might think that speakers are a bit of a gimmick for a supposedly pro unit, but in practice they’re useful for a number of reasons. You’d never expect to rock a party with them or use them as a substitute for a club sound system, but the sound quality is certainly good enough for quick practice sessions, and they can also be used as a booth monitor, which is handy. If you don’t like them or feel the need to use them, you can of course turn them off completely.
The SC Live 2 could probably be described as a semi-pro controller, coming in at an RRP some £350 cheaper than the Prime 2 but offering a lot of similar features. It’s a very impressive unit for the price, and certainly when compared to the XDJ-RR it’s hard to make a case for the Pioneer offering. The Live 2 is ideal for live streaming or bedroom practice, and certainly powerful enough to be taken out and used in a bar or party setting. What can’t be denied is that Denon’s DJ controllers always offer huge value for money. Coming in at just under £850, the SC Live 2 is great value. With the Prime 2 rumoured to be discontinued, the Live 2 fills the gap nicely.
Greg Scarth
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