Pioneer DJ is one of the better-known companies in the DJ equipment landscape for a reason. Known throughout the world for its exceptional quality of materials and brilliant attention to detail, Pioneer DJ shows the world what’s possible with the right technology in a compact package.
The Pioneer DJ XDJ-700 is a convenient piece of mixing technology, equipped with a large touchscreen, a convenient club layout, and a selection of handy features borrowed from the Pioneer XDJ-1000.
The compact design size of the Pioneer, and its removable stand offer endless setup possibilities for even the smallest home environment or booth.
Pioneer also includes support for free RekordBox software to help professionals effectively manage and mix their tracks with a Mac or PC before they go to work.
The Pioneer DJ XDJ-700 really takes high-tech DJ media players to the next audio output level. The general layout doesn’t alienate modern DJs either, with a cue or transport buttons appearing where you’d expect.
Is the Pioneer DJ XDJ-700 any good? (in short)
If you’re a DJ keen to explore the flexibility and potential of digital music mixing and creation, then you’ll be able to use the Pioneer DJ XDJ 700 to develop your skills without splashing out on a more expensive player before you’ve had a chance to properly learn.
XDJ 700: Key Features
The Pioneer DJ XDJ-700 is a very compact consumer-style product compared to much of the professional gear on the market. This lightweight product might feature more plastic than anything else, but that doesn’t mean that it feels flimsy or cheap.
The overall finish still gives you a sense of professionalism, and nothing seems as though it’s going to fall apart too soon.
Brimming with handy main features, the Pioneer DJ XDJ-700 isn’t quite the same as many other CDJ and XDJ players on the market.
It’s ideal as a compact tool for beginners and professionals alike, with a stand in the box that also clicks onto the bottom of the player so that you can bring it up to the standard height as your club mixer.
Essentially, what you get here is a professional DJ media player and a unique software controller that’s perfectly suited to busy, digital DJs. Features include:
- Large full-color LCD touch screen with QWERTY keyboard
- Intuitive GUI performance for advanced settings and wave zoom display
- Compatibility with AAC, MP3, WAV, and iOS/Android.
- Large jog wheel and professional controls
- Advanced tools like hot loop move, beat jump, and slip mode functions
- Rekordbox software app included with Wi-Fi playback
- Pro DJ Link function to connect with up to 4 units· Advanced setup interconnectivity
Setup
The Pioneer DJ XDJ-700 is a handy addition to the Pioneer DJ XDJ range, that’s sure to capture the attention of many musical professionals. Unlike other controllers that are constantly updating to stay one step ahead of the competition, the Pioneer DJ XDJ-700 feels and looks like quality.
This is a tool that can adapt to suit the end user’s needs, whatever they might be.
The multi-player is part of a product range that responds to the shift in demands of digital DJs who use the industry-standard CDJs from Pioneer DJ. Thanks to the proliferation of affordable media (solid-state) like USB and SD cards, DJs have been leaving CDs behind at a rapid pace.
Pioneer DJ offers a solution to this new digital landscape in the Pioneer DJ XDJ-700. The technology leaves the CD transport behind, allowing you to create a lighter, smaller, and more affordable device that retains the rest of the tool’s must-have functionality.
Connections
Connections are a common consideration in any DJ setup. However, these advanced performance features are particularly essential when you’re a digital music creator.
The rear of the Pioneer DJ XDJ 700 has only one pair of RCA outputs and a socket for a power brick. There’s also an ethernet port so you can hook up another Pioneer DJ XDJ 700, and a USB mini jack.
The great thing about the XDJ-700 is that it focuses heavily on the digital landscape. You can plug in your Rekordbox USB, connect your iPhone, or load up an Android phone to move your tracks straight to your XDJ.
There’s also access to various advanced performance features when you’re preparing your tracks in Rekordbox USB too.
The machine supports up to 4 players or laptops accessible via a LAN connection, and you can share the same source for all of your devices. Combine this with pre-prepared cues and loops from Rekordbox, and you’ve got an excellent tool for all-in-one DJ performance.
The Pioneer DJ XDJ 700 is also fully MIDI assignable through a USB connection. You can send control information to external devices to use the player as a MIDI control.
The Jog Wheels
As mentioned above, the Pioneer DJ XDJ 700 might be small, but that doesn’t mean that it’s missing out on any crucial features. The compact design makes the XDJ 700 more convenient for life on the move, but you still get a great jog wheel.
There is only one of these wheels available, but it’s the same smaller size as a standard CDJ.
The good news is that the jogs on the Pioneer DJ XDJ-700 are best-in-class and brilliantly responsive. However, you don’t get the same performance you’d expect on a normal CDJ.
This device is a lot more lightweight than a standard CDJ, so you might not get the same heft you’d expect if you’re used to bigger equipment. On the plus side, the wheel is still mechanical.
On some other, smaller mixers, you get nonmechanical jog wheels that don’t have the ball bearings that would help them to glide and whirr like a typical device.
It’s nice to have a more authentic feeling here.
The Touchscreen
The touchscreen is probably one of the first things you’ll notice about the Pioneer DJ XDJ 700 when you see it in person.
This large full-color screen takes up much of the device with LCD technology. Inside that screen, you’ll find all the information you need to manage your music, including beat countdown, Wave Zoom, phase meter, and key analysis indicators.
It’s really impressive how well the screen performs in even the most complicated conditions.
Even in a dark and humid place like a bar or club, you can still see the screen clear and crisp in front of you. The touchscreen remains responsive in moist environments, and the Qwerty keyboard will make it much easier for many professionals to quick scratch songs without relying on a browse control knob.
The Software
The screen on the Pioneer DJ XDJ-700 alone is enough to catch the eye of any DJ professional. However, it’s the software available with it that will really take your experience to the next level.
The XDJ-700 works brilliantly with music files on a thumb drive that features Pioneer’s DJ Rekordbox software. You can export entire playlists from the app into the thumb drive.
Exporting information onto a thumb drive from Rekordbox includes moving hot cues and track relay metadata too. The technology also works with a laptop that runs the full Rekordbox DJ software. In this case, the Pioneer DJ XDJ 700 can become a controller and sound card for your setup.
The main benefit of using the equipment this way is that you get to use your laptop for browsing tracks, viewing waveforms, and more.
For most people, using thumb drives with music prepared via Rekordbox will be the best way to go with the Pioneer DJ XDJ 700.
If you want to stick with a laptop using Rekordbox DJ when gigging, it’s best to get a DJ controller that you can use comfortably at home. You can plug your laptop into the DJM and CDJ kit of the club when you’re at a gig.
There’s also a handy “My Settings” feature on the Pioneer DJ XDJ-700 that allows users to prepare their system setting preferences in Rekordbox and save them to SD, USB, tablet, smartphone, and other devices.
This makes it much easier to switch to your favorite settings instantly.
Performance Mode
In performance slip mode is where the Pioneer DJ XDJ-700 really stands out from the crowd. There are tons of functions available here, depending on what you want to do with your equipment. On the bottom left-hand side of the screen, you’ll find slip mode, where you can scratch the track and continue to play music underneath, staying in sync.
When you’re not in slip mode, the auto beat loop buttons on the Pioneer DJ XDJ-700 activate a range of pre-set size loops varying between half a beat and 16 beats.
The arrows on the right of the screen mean you can change the size of your active loop quickly and easily. Pressing the same buttons in slip mode also engages a roll while the track plays.
You can use hot cue buttons to access the hot cues on your system, and you can also set cues on the go while you’re playing by hitting the record button.
Pioneer DJ also ensures that you can add extra functionality to your Pioneer DJ XDJ 700 with extra Rekordbox plans.
Check out this video from the guys at DJCityTV to learn more:
Pros and Cons
Though something of a budget product compared to other items in the Pioneer range, the XDJ 700 is far from cheap and nasty.
You get plenty of bonus features to enjoy and tons of performance mode enhancements that can support the creation and management of professional music mixes.
The Pioneer DJ XDJ 700 doesn’t replace the flagship models from Pioneer in the Nexus range.
However, we may begin to see Pioneer creating similar compact and low-cost options for the Nexus range in the future too. A CD-less solution could become the norm for many digital experts in the years ahead.
For now, the XDJ-700 is an affordable entry point for the world of standalone players.
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Pioneer DJ XDJ-700: The Verdict
The Pioneer DJ XDJ 700 is a brilliant piece of technology, whether you’re looking for a standalone solution or something to mix with other essential tools.
For the price, you get a durable and reliable product that’s well-built and stable (though a little plasticky in places). You also don’t get any built-in power supplies included here.
In terms of ergonomics and comfort, the Pioneer DJ XDJ 700 is a little shallower than most standard CDJs. The flat panel stands about 6cm above the surface you place it on.
This means that the device would typically sit a lot lower than most other DJ gear. This is why Pioneer is supplying its units with an optional stand included.
The stand elevates the product to the standard mixer height.
On the plus side, the Pioneer DJ XDJ 700 being small isn’t always a bad thing. This equipment is also incredibly lightweight compared to any other XDJ or CDJ model. By comparison, the XDJ 700 weighs around 2kg, while the XDJ-1000 weighs around 3.3kg.
Although the difference may not seem huge at first, most experts agree that the Pioneer DJ XDJ-700 is one of the most portable standalone players available by quite a bit.
Aside from a few significant differences between the Pioneer DJ XDJ 700 and other leading Pioneer products, the user experience is pretty similar.
You’ll feel just as comfortable with this technology as you would with many more expensive CDJ models for the most part.
While it’s true that the small jog wheel is an obvious step-down, and a possible problem for some professionals, it’s easy to see why you might need to compromise in a couple of areas when you consider the price.
The Pioneer DJ XDJ 700 is clearly an entry-level approach to digital mixing. However, this technology provides newcomers with an excellent introduction to the Pioneer range.
