The World’s First DVD Turntable The future of audiovisual entertainment Pioneer has created DVJ-X1, the world’s first DVD turntable. This revolutionary piece of equipment allows DJs to bring a video element to their sets. This week WPOW (Power 96)/Miami’s DJ Fingaprintz and WWPR (Power 105.1)/New York’s and WZHT (Hot 105)/Montgomery, AL’s Chuck Dogg talk about what the DVJ-X1 has to offer. It’s becoming more and more common to see video screens in nightclubs, and the DVJ-X1 lets the DJ put images up on that screen and manipulate them just like they manipulate the music. “It’s cool because it takes the DVD to the next level,” says DJ Fingaprintz. “If you scratch or cue it back, it rewinds in perfect time, so it’s like you’re actually scratching the video.” Cutting, scratching and other DJ tricks are fun to watch on screen; however, in order to do these tricks, you’ve got to have two of the units, and with the DVJ-X1 selling for slightly over $3,000, most club owners aren’t willing to spring for them yet. “A lot of clubs don’t have it, unless they’re a very high-end club,” says Chuck. “That’s the one issue right now: A lot of clubs aren’t equipped to be able to use it. ” DJ Fingaprintz says, “A club that has video screens would be the perfect setup for it. It’s a little pricey for an average guy to use it at home.” Multiple Uses But there are uses for the DVJ-X1 outside of clubs. “It’s pioneering for the future,” says Chuck. “For instance, Internet radio stations may want to integrate video into their shows and do their own mix shows online. I’m sure that iTunes, if they haven’t started doing it already, will soon be able to incorporate video when people are doing their podcasts. “It is the wave of the future, and it will help a lot of mobile DJs who integrate video into their sets when they do parties and high school or college events. I’m sure people will want to pay for it because it’s a visual, as opposed to just an audio, experience.” DJ Fingaprintz says, “If a person is just starting to use the Pioneer, it takes a while to get used to compared to a turntable. But once you get the feel of it, it’s acceptable.” Another use is for radio-station concerts and events. In between artist performances a DJ usually takes the stage to keep the crowd entertained. Having a video aspect to the presentation would help keep the audience engaged. The DVJ-X1 could also bring a fresh element to music-video programming, because it’s a different way to present music videos. The Features The DVJ-X1 has a few features that are worth getting excited about. “You can set three points for where you want the DVD to start,” Chuck says. “Another feature that’s really hot is that it will remember what you played. “You use an SD card, which is like a media card, so you can recall your whole set later and the different saved points on each song. You can do loops on it and save them and have that continue to run while you’re cuing up something else.” The DJ is able to adjust the speed of the track to make seamless blends, and the quick-start feature allows the song to begin playing less than 0.01 seconds after the play button is pressed. The DVJ-X1 was also designed to resist skipping and vibration by incorporating the same technology used in Pioneer’s car audio. The floating mechanism prevents minor bumps from interrupting or disturbing the DVD in play. The jog dial and touch sensors allow the DJ to instantly stop and start with the same ease he would have with turntables. And the hyper-jog mode makes it possible to double the image and sound or speed. The vinyl mode makes DJ tricks like scratching and playing in reverse easy. “And when you scratch a song, the video scratches with it in real time,” says Chuck. The Next Level To take things a little further, instead of submitting audio airchecks to club promoters and radio PDs, mixers could use the DVJ-X1 to create audio-video air-checks to help them stand out from the crowd. “If DJs really thought ahead, they would put their own DVD presentations together right now,” says Dogg. While the DVJ-X1 has many positive aspects, there are a few drawbacks, besides the fact that many clubs can’t afford it yet. “The platter doesn’t spin like an actual record,” says DJ Fingaprintz. Chuck says, “There are some DVDs that aren’t compatible with the unit and can’t be played on it.” Also, with the advent of Serato products, DJs no longer have to carry vinyl or CDs to gigs, so some may be reluctant to carry DVDs for the DVJ-X1. Despite these minor shortcomings, however, Chuck is still a fan of the unit. “It’s just another way to have more creativity. It has to expand your level of creativity. If it doesn’t, what’s the purpose of all this technology?”.