Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX6 4-deck Rekordbox and Serato DJ Controller

Product Information

The DDJ-FLX6 has two really powerful features to help DJs jump from one BPM range to another Merge FX and the Jog Cutter. The Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX6 is a four-channel controller that is compatible with both Rekordbox DJ and Serato DJ Pro. Depending on the effect pattern you’ve chosen, the pitch of the track might start to climb while a snare drum sample is triggered at shorter intervals until you’re ready to drop your next song.

There are four slots available to you whether you’re using Rekordbox or Serato DJ, although the latter has slightly less FX available to use. The Pioneer DDJ-FLX6-GT is a 4-channel DJ Controller with new features, a unique style, a fresh-looking layout, full-sized jog-wheels, the ability to mix tracks from different genres effortlessly and professional sounding scratch effects. The Serato FX Pack and Pitch 'n Time DJ Expansion Pack licence keys are also included with the DJ controller.The FLX6 sadly doesn’t shine with Serato DJ Pro and although including the Pitch n Time expansion, we feel Serato users can get better value for their money with other controllers in the market. Despite being capacitive, they act very similar to Pioneer DJ’s infamous CDJ jogs: weighted, noisy, and tactile. Each one also has an "On Jog Display" so you can see where the playhead is, and the new rubberised finish on the outer ring provides a much better feel, especially when pitch bending. Pioneer DJ aren’t re-inventing the wheel here, as such you will find on this unit the same Jogwheel size that is on their flagship CDJ-3000 series players with on-display functionality that allows you to truly feel immersed in your mixes. All these features are combined in a compact design making the DM-50D the perfect match for DJing, producing and simply enjoying music at home.

Sample Scratch relies on Rekordbox’s usual sample bank and sadly offers less options than Serato’s Scratch bank. The new graphite (matt grey) colour, with metallic texture on top and rubberised coating on the outer ring, gives the DDJ-FLX6 a fresh new look, feel and playability.The unit is bus powered and, when connected over USB, it will unlock whichever included software platform you choose. So, when you want to create a live remix of a track or simply add some texture to the music, you can scratch with your favourite sounds. One great aspect of the Merge FX is that they allow for very complex FX chains, which would usually require more than two hands. That said – if you’re looking to livestream with the FLX-6, you could connect it to an external interface like an iRig Stream or a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 and route that out to your device of choice.

Beginner DJ’s wanting to start on Rekordbox DJ, this controller serves those with larger budgets well.Originally codenamed DDJ-600 internally at Pioneer DJ, the Flex - as it’s now known – has been developed to enable complex transitions between genres for DJs whose musical taste, or that of the dancefloor, is fluid. There are 10 different scratch patterns and you can switch from one to another by simply moving the playhead position, shown on the jog wheel’s display, to point toward the angle for the scratch you want to use. If you already own a beginner controller, the FLX6 would only be advisable if having access to four decks was essential. The rest of the unit also boasts a sophisticated look, with a brand-new matte gray color across its body.

Virtual DJ worked overall without too much hassle, but if you want to use these Merge FX at all, you will need to go into the settings and install a custom extension. As the Flex is dual platform, the unit offers Dual Deck Controls – making four deck mixing and transitioning simple and effective. Pitch bending and scratching feels natural thanks to the large jog wheels, which are the same size as those on the flagship CDJ-3000 multi player. It creates instant effect buildups when activated and turned and cuts out the previous track when “dropped,” allowing for another track to be subsequently played.While the original FLX6 was advertised as being for Rekordbox and Serato only, it now supports Virtual DJ and Traktor as well. When you activate Merge FX, you can see the software engaging built-in FX and sampler to try and simulate the sound. With full size jog wheels, which are the same size as the flagship CDJ-3000, as well as a four-channel mixer - the first thing you’ll notice about the DDJ-FLX6 is that it feels like a step up from the entry level Pioneer DJ kit. When you press the knob again, the effect is released – and if you’ve chosen one in the settings, another sample fires off to end the track so you can simply hit play on the other deck to introduce the next song or genre of music. The included RCA booth output is an interesting feature as booth monitors are usually found in professional DJ booths and connect via TRS cables.