At last year's NAMM Show, Pioneer DJ turned heads when it announced the arrival of a sleek, angled, all-in-one standalone DJ console with four decks, but the unprecedented impact it made this year set the stage for triumph. in all areas.
Beyond music producers and DJs, it quickly caught the attention of stagehands, club owners, audio engineers, and more. Aesthetically, she is a supermodel among devices with curves that romanticize her attractiveness. Its appearance is complemented by optimized functions that make it a powerful tool for both home and travel.
For music and event producers who don't want to sacrifice any performance potential or sound quality in a more compact rig, it's an absolute win. This is especially true for those who need something that can travel well.
While it's an undoubted advantage that the Opus Quad can fit comfortably in a small DJ booth or art car, the price, which is around $3500 with tax and shipping, we wonder how it would distinguish itself from its predecessors like the XDJ- XZ and the CDJ. -3000.
So we got an Opus Quad and spent a few months fiddling with its numerous knobs and buttons. This is what we learned.
Big screens make a big difference
Those who say they don't judge a book by its cover have probably never seen a cover this sexy. Like a classic sports car or an Apple device at its best, the Opus Quad sets the precedent that DJ consoles don't need to be clunky or cumbersome. In truth, while all-in-one devices from other brands can look and feel stiff and fragile like those old Ford Model T movies, Pioneer's Opus Quad arrives dressed like the Batmobile.
Its 10.1-inch central touch screen shows enormous potential with an intuitive layout in a first impression that is enough to leave any artist on stage speechless. Housing two decks, each side has its own smaller, independent screen for additional details about the music playing on each deck. These vibrant, colorful screens offer a solid yet simple menu packed with goodies like FX color control, cloud access control via RekordBox, tracking data, and more.
The most authentic “all in one” yet
Its ability to control four channels independently without four separate CDJs also contributes to its visual appeal. While it's not intended to replace the four-CDJ setup that artists love, it offers a solid alternative that only takes up about half the space. By contrast, its predecessor, the The Opus Quad stands as a true “all-in-one” in this sense, meeting the growing demand for four decks right out of the box.
Before the four-deck purists run to the comments section, let's be clear. Obviously, the quad CDJ setup will still have its advantages, so we don't expect the conventional CDJ-3000 setup to disappear from our favorite sets anytime soon, but as far as all-in-ones go, the Quad Opus is more complete than its predecessors. And the fact that it's more compact means it travels better than four CDJs and a mixer too.
In addition to eliminating the need for external CDJs, the Opus Quad can run from SSD drives, USB-A 3.2 drives, and USB-C drives. As a result, you don't need to rely on an external laptop. Obviously, many artists on stage only travel with a USB drive to perform, so some will find this a bit old-fashioned, but any poor soul who in the past needed to carry or keep an eye on a laptop for a set will surely celebrate this aspect of the set. Opus Quad. Without a monitor placed above the console, you'll probably enjoy a better connection with your audience as well.
Beyond the CDJ-3000
For those who love the CDJ-3000, the Opus Quad will feel in some ways like its cousin. It has redesigned jog wheels with waveform indicators and tension adjusters, which are a firm nod to one of the CDJ-3000's most beloved features.
In a way, it also goes a step further. For example, instead of traditional performance pads, it is equipped with hot cues that are more intuitive because the RGB color displays on the jog wheel waveforms can be customized, making it easier than ever to Synchronize with track cues in perfect style. Another nod to the 3000 can be seen and heard in the FX controls, which have moved up a few steps on the Opus Quad. Across all four decks, the Opus Quad's mixing toolset offers 14-beat effects with six adjustable colors.
With this feature, choosing the perfect beat effect for the moment can be more intuitive or even thematic. For example, face-melting effects with dense bass can be displayed in red, mid-shaking oscillations can be green and icy, transcendent chills can be blue.
Perhaps the best part of all these new features is the fact that there are enough distinctive visual elements to separate the Quad Opus from its predecessors and peers, but certainly not enough to prevent a motivated artist from learning it all in an instant.
It's an audio engineer's dream.
The often unknown “sound guy” also has some reasons for opting for the Opus Quad. Namely, it has separate XLR and RCA outputs, making it a snappy addition to a variety of venues and soundscapes. It also has multi-zone output so it can function as a command center for a variety of vibrations in separate areas. Its ultra-compact design makes it very easy to use for loading and unloading and also for configuration between series.
Of course, it's certainly marketed with touring DJs in mind, but in its feature set and spatial design, the Opus Quad seems to open up a world of possibilities for almost anyone who wants to make, play and perform electronic music. In this article we don't discuss how it loads tracks faster with SQLite or how it stays cooler longer with an optimized thermal airflow design out of the box, but those who get one will quickly find that These advantages are a blessing.
Plus, with features like cloud access, a LAN port, updated Bluetooth technology, and a direct SSD connection, it won't take long to notice that the adaptive Opus Quad comes ready for marathon series, next-level learning, and just about anything else. . .
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