Pioneer DJ DDJ-1000 Review - Best Rekordbox DJ Controller? 

Love this guys vibe, very good presentation 👌

Great review Joey and as a owner of this controller, I can concur that this is Pioneer’s most complete model to date with the jog wheels being the stand out feature.

been waiting years to upgrade my $400 dj controller ive had for 7 years.. finally there is something truly exciting :)

I’ve been waiting for this!

I've had my DDJ 1000 for around 2 years. I had a a Traktor Kontrol S4 mk2 beforehand, a great controller in its own right (and arguably more powerful than the DDJ 1000). I happened to be walking past a music equipment shop and they happened to have a DDJ 1000 demo unit on display. I popped in, had a play, and after just a couple of minutes I'd made the decision I was going to buy it. I've not looked back since. The only thing I miss from Traktor and the S4 mk2 is being able to assign a channel to sample playback, and therefore having a much higher level of control over your sample playback. But the pay-off is that I'm now using kit at home that is has very, very similar experience to the Pioneer kit in most venues.

Looks great! Thank you for all you do!

Thanks Phil you delivered as promised :) Great work.

This is the Lamborghini of controllers. . .the price makes it a no-brainer upgrade. 💪❤👈👍🕺🕺🕺🕺

Great review as always, keep it up

Watched it again! F%cking brilliant review!!! I think this will be my next controller!!!

Great video, very informative

Look forward to getting mine later this year 😉

Great review! I got to have it!

Hi. Have you tried running turntables through the phono input on channels 3 and 4? I've heard Pioneer have really cut corners on the pre-amp leading to a low quality sound when playing vinyl??

This is really tempting me. The only other thing I would liked to have seen would have a Time knob on the Fx strip. It's so much more satisfying squealing the echo with a knob as opposed to buttons! If you don't know what I mean it's just when the echo gets to very small increments it sounds like a squeal... Lots of fun!

Any advice on using 1210s with these? is there an amp available? because vinyl sounds terrible through them.

Bought mine on day 1 and never looked back. I still need to crawl sometimes into the Pioneer ergomic (memory call / memory lop / hot cue / hot loop) and so other things, but it is highly manageable.

Looking forward to the serato dj version, hopefully they continue making for serato in the future. I'm doubting they're gonna stop at the sz2.

Would you recommend that DDJ 1000 for me

need to upgrade from my DDJ-SX1 and this looks like the one. Trying to encourage other DJs in the strip club community to start using controllers rather than VDJ automix. Hopefully rolling up with this will help.

I owned one of these for a couple of weeks, but couldn't make it work with my laptop. It could be either Windows 10 or Rekordbox problem, but i got random crashes and gave up finding a solution. Interestingly my laptop works super fast with gaming and sound or video editing, but when conntected this DDJ-1000 everything just went wrong... In summary I still don't feel comfortable using a laptop (though a MAC could be different) but i don't want to risk and get any problems during a live gig. So that's why i went for an XDJ-RX or RX2.

Truth! But this one or the Serato version! Again, great review!!!!!

Job well done. This is the best controller I ever seen hand down. The ns7111 is the only other controller that will be perfect.

This is a great unit and will also be great for a giveaway!!

Great talk through, thanks. The mixer fx are standalone, correct? (i.e beat FX can be assigned to line/phono inputs) Great controller! Frequency selectors on the beat FX would have been awesome.

Which one is best pioneer DJ ddj 1000 vs denon mcx8000

This looks fucking insane basically a cdj setup for £1000 , will defintly be picking this up in the coming weeks

this made me want it more ...cant for summer to get it

What are the recommended laptop specs for using rekordbox as a performance software? I am thinking of selling my xdj rx2 for a ddj 1000, but that’s not a good plan if my laptop is too slow.

How are you.. The headroom output level on a ddj 1000 is set to -9 dB. I'm looking for that clear crystal sound when you download a new song from a record pool it sounds great on my laptop iTunes using jbl speakers but when I play the same song on my ddj 1000 controller with Recorbox it sounds flat not as loud and clear . I'm using most settings defaults on my controller and my Allan and heath all 12 o'clock the final sound is not the same as the download song sounds. Any advice Thanks

what speakers are those behind you, they look rad. KIFF video

They need to have an update that allows you to zoom in on the waveform

Now if deck-saver would get on the ball and make a freaking cover and someone make a shelved flight case that doesn’t cost 1/2 as much as the controller. (Looking at you Odyssey) Love this kit. .. would have paid $1000 more to be able to plug 2 USBs in and Browse on the screens... or a 3rd screen just for Browsing. But overall very happy I didn’t get the DDJ-RZ or RZX. In the Army we had a saying. “Train as you Fight!” And this is hands down the best option for under 6K.

I passed up on this controller, since I already have the DDJ-RR (which works just fine). I wanted a full DJ layout (mixer, CDJs). I will, at some point, buy this controller though...

Did they discontinue the DDJ1000? Looking like it cause I can't find one from top source for awhile now. Wonder whats coming out

Should I sell my SX2 and pull the trigger on this? I use VDJ as content unlimited is amazing.

i think that price tag is a move to grab even more market share from serato.and its working

I can''t decide between the DDJ1000 or the Native Instruments S8. There both awesome in different ways. In fact you can''t really even compare the two. So how am I ever going to decide which to choose?? :(

Pioneer DJM 750 mk2, 900 nexus or DDJ 1000? Construction quality is the same?

a very good dj controller, I hope they will make like this too that is compatible with Serato Dj Pro, It's not that I don't like Rekordbox but for the reason that I already invested most of my time with serato and Im used to it.

Hi Joey! Can you do a b2b with two laptops using this controller?

Did anyone else notice the sequencer functionality is missing from the DDJ-1000? Is there any workaround to get this working?

I've invested in a DDJ-1000. My old laptop can't run Rekordbox. I'm considering getting a 2018 MacBook Pro i9. Though I'm hearing that the new M1 chip is going to change all processing. Is it worth waiting for Pioneer/Apple to work out the kinks keeping Big Sur from DJ softwares? Or will an i9 with 16-32gb of RAM be more than enough processing power for a wedding/corp DJ? (I presume someday I'll want to use the lighting features of Rekordbox).

What sound card is being used in this compared to the SZ2?

How is the sound quality playing normal vinyl on turntables? Is it as good as djm mixers? Or do you feel the sound is slightly flat? I am looking to upgrade to 1000 as my current controller I have sx2 the vinyl sound going through is really bad.

I just bought this controller. And it is the first time that I started using Rekordbox software. I used to work with Traktor. In Traktor there are 2 ways to use the sync function. The most common way is to pick one deck as the master Tempo. And then the other Track will sync to the master tempo deck. However in Traktor there is also the function of General Master Tempo. That you can set your self. You just type the bpm number. And all tracks you load will always sync to that BPM number. That way you never have to choose a deck to be a master deck. Does anybody know if Rekordbox has this function and where to find it?

How does it compare to the Denon DJ MCX8000? Also, could you compare Rekordbox to Engine Prime in an article or video at some point

Could someone explain to me the difference in these jogs vs the sz or the sx? I own a ddjsx and turntables but I have never djd with cdj’s 😳

Hi There Digital DJ Tips. I really like the DDJ-1000 and actually bought it because of your review. But here lies one question, which makes me really really sad that nobody mentioned this. The question being, why does every reviewer seem to overlook the problem with the beat effects unit on this controller? Pioneer is well aware of this problem and stated in their forums, that due to a inherent problem with the signal pathing regarding the beat effects unit, the controller tends to cut the sound for some milliseconds so that perfektly beatmatched tracks jump out of sync and when disengaging the effects unit the tracks actually jump back so that they are in sync again. Because of that failure in design, i have returned my unit and won´t recommend anyone to buy this unit until pioneer fixed this problem in a reliable way other than telling everybody that lowering the latency of the recordbox dj software will help (yeah if lowering some latency will actually negate a hardware problem). Thanks in advance for your answer. Oh btw, pioneer was kind enough to delete all of the posts regarding this problem in their forums.

i can use sequencer with this controller like ddj rx or ddj rr?

So for Rekordbox , would you recommend this over the RZ?

They could not add a crossfader curve adjustment knob and hamster switch?

If I plug in turntables via phono inputs am I right in saying only the colour fx work not the best effects? Thanks

Great review ... too bad they wont release one for Serato... Sucks really

Looks awesome. The pricing got to be a tactical move, compared to the RZ/SZ (SZ is what I have) - To bring people over to Rekordbox DJ. What a great price. All those effects and the effects strip on the hardware. Love it.

How is the sound quality when playing vinyl through this controller?

This as a stand-alone would be perfect, maybe in 1-2 years

Good thing Mines been on back order for a little over a month

Do you guys think that there is going to be a bigger version of this one?

My question will it work with serato im not a big fan of rekord box

dose this Controller also compatible with serato as well as Rekord bx

Could you use this for 2 regular vinyl decks and the other 2 for rekordbox?

Nice review By the way please can you tell how to connect my 2000NX2 to external input please Detail ? Thanks :)

Will Pioneer ever come out with a DDJ S1000??? Curious to see if they come out with a Serato version.

do you know if i can put innofaders on the line faders ?

Been playing on it since the release date and I never watch to the dispays. Only now and then for the bpm.

Can u get the name and title of song in jogweels plz ?

9 mins for ddj 1000 and 20 mins for the SB3. Come on guys...I remember when your Rekordbox controller reviews were long. Surely this deserved more than this. I've had this controller for nearly 2 months now and it's amazing. Sorry joey. Love your reviews but Phil should do a more in depth one too.

Guys need help. Buying ddj 1000 or 2xdj 1000 mk2 with a simple mixer?

I order some today about sell my cdj mk3 but I noticed something, where is release start ,this is important too me

Would these work fine with Virtual DJ? What can i get that is similar to this but kinda for VDJ

Can this controller be used with virtual dj 8?

how's the weight? is it a heavy controller?

Very punctual comments. A reference guide. May get one of them. Always wanted some cdj and a djm. Still using the xdj Rx. I still on the balance think is better using the computer- Only to prepare. May be this will make me change my mind.

How’s the sound quality on this? I heard that it’s the same as the ddj sx2

Does this work for serato as well?

Strip out version of earlier controllers from pioneer. NO master filter, NO second FX controls, only 1 fx per deck select or master, for exemple you can not selec FX ON on deck 1 and 2 and leave 3 and 4 without FX, LOOP is made worse, on DDJ RZX, DDJ RZ, DDK RX, DDJ RR looping was perfect(you have buttons to select loop size and button to activate and deactivate loop) now you can chose to map auto loop size for exemple 4 bars and when you press ACTIVATE LOOP button it always will activate 4 bar loop, there is no loops size select buttons on controler and no maping option of them. When you use PAD FX there is no parameter buttons, but you can map it (as I am) on SEARCH track buttons (exemple: use 1/2 echo or beat roll , pres button to make it smaler or bigger 1/4, 1/8, 1/16 or 1, 3/4, 2, 4...) there is no sampler colour FX knob as on DDJ RZ DDJ RZX, there is no master colour FX knob, there is no NEEDLE SEARCH, there is no REC and PLAY and SLOT buttons for SAMPLER, there is no PAUSE stop time knob, key shift buttons, no KEY SYNC button... Becouse DDJ 800 have more buttons i bought it insted of DDJ 1000 but I so regret selling DDJ RZ, and olso regret why i didnt bought used DDJ RX insted new DDJ 800...

Everyone! Post below should i get the Ddj 1000 or ddj rx

Are there any downsides? From users?

Nice dj

Wait... The jog wheels on the DDJ-RZ & DDJ-RZX are touch sensitive? Really??? I thought they were mechanical...

Does it work with Traktor?

Your info is wrong, you can search your tracks with the dials at the top right of the controller on both decks.

Anyone Know the release date here in U.S. ?

Ddj rz vs ddj 1000 ??

Came here for a hands on review. Left here feeling like this is just a bad commercial.

Bad ass yo!

No mention of the Denon McX 8000s as a better comparable with its 2 usb inputs???? Hellooooooo LoL

The only thing that would make this perfect is if it were compatible with serato dj pro

Anyone else’s order keep getting pushed back???

the cheapest and the best ! are you giving away one?? (",)

"low framerate screen like idunno in a cdj 2000 nxs 2" WHY IS THE TOP OF THE RANGE PIONEER GEAR SO BAD LMAO. their best products are the controllers and software atm imo

the screen is too small.

I just bought one and all I have to say is ffffffffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Can you donate one to me?

Browsing is really stupid!!! All controllers have them almost why this one has to remove it??? Typical Apple!

Lol Pioneer chasing denon

Yeah that's all good..but can't use Serato or VDJ software...so it's useless only Redbox which totally sucks! What a huge mistake on Pioneer DJ part...👎!

Wow...halatang accent mo!

Can you dj off USB sticks with this controller?