Am I missing something? (Effects = garbage)

Seems every time anybody constructively criticizes Denon there is intense blowback here. I don’t get it. It’s a corporation, not a religion. I get emails almost every week touting new updates to Prime firmware and Engine Prime software and how great it is. Well guess what there is room for improvement on all fronts. We should all be coming together and helping Denon make it better.

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But “Effects = garbage” isn’t constructive, in anyones view. I’ve highlighted the reverb effect on the prime, which was the only effect I felt needed any work. Not only that, I explained when and how I used reverb and what I used it for. I hope my level of detail was constructive. Others have specifically mentioned the flanger effect and how they felt it needed to be settable to durations or cycles greater than 8 beats. Some people mentioned 16 beats would be ok, others asked for 32 beat cycles, one or two people even wanted 64 beat cycles for flanger.

It’s like if you take your van to a repair garage and just tell the mechanic “It’s gone wrong” and walk away, giving no more information, expecting that your description was somehow detailed enough for him to fix in 10 seconds. But instead, tell the mechanic that there is a burning smell and a lack of propulsion when going up longer hills, might give him somewhere to start looking and a base point to start formulation of ideas and a possible diagnosis.

There’s plenty of room for improvement on the effects and it’s fair to use Pioneer DJ as a reference.

From what I understood, Denon DJ is currently working on the effects and the new algorithms will be available for older Prime hardware, too. At least the X1800 will get a firmware update with re-worked effects (has been stated by Denon DJ reps in several NAMM videos). My guess is that the whole prime eco system will benefit from that development.

Maybe someone from Denon DJ can chime in to clarify that.

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I think if you regret Pioneer effects, go back to Pioneer devices. What we love here are different fx, with Denon touch ; they sound pretty good but they’re different.

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Really? Constructively? “Effects = garbage” In the title none the less.

I hope he returns the unit to the store because of “garbage” fx and us “morons”, because of people like him I get great deals on great gear at my local DJ store :wink:

I just remembered how my DJ-ing buddy once took a crap on DJM909 and it’s FX’s because they were “complicated and useless”. Especially that synth effect. Later I sent him video of that guy dj co-ma absolutely killing it on the mixer. But hey, my buddy is not to blame, he was only comparing it to the djm-600, the “industry standard” back then.

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I agree the effects need some attention, considering Denon have gone to the effort of incorporating a fairly comprehensive and complex suite of controls.

I started a thread back in June last year ‘some fx and cues not quantised’.

Apart from the standard filter and wash effects the only other one I like to use is the 1/4 beat auto gate affect - to get that choppy trans effect - but until Denon implement a quantise option for the effects it is pretty redundant and not worth risking in a live environment. It always sounds slightly ‘out’ and also drifts. Same with most of the other effects - they don’t quantise accurately with the track. A simple quantise effects option on/off in the utility menu would be helpful.

I still think the unit is great and hope future firmware updates will address this.

I came from the pioneer XDJ as I preferred the Denon sound over the pioneer (plus my 1210’s sounded flat when hooked up via phono on Pioneers) but they are both great units.

I mainly use it for messing about on, house parties and putting out occasional mix CDs for friends / sound cloud.
Only other gripe is the low volume recording levels - but there’s plenty of threads on that already and hopefully a fix on the way.

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My 2p is pretty much agreeing with the OP, as well as the effects being a bit dodgy I find their placement a bit unintuitive

It’s not a deal breaker for me but it’s a whole section of the unit that I avoid and can see me struggling to use effectively :slight_smile:

You think they should have been somewhere else, not on the right?

Telling guys that “changed their rider” to go back to where they came from isn’t very smart!!

I personally think the screens should’ve been placed below the knob so you can see them better.

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Exactly wrong! Customers won’t complain about effects, but they will notice that something didn’t sound right (like effects not quantised or flanger that repeats itself 6 times over a relatively short break). It’s also NOT his problem alone, there are many here that feel the quality of the effects are not on par with Pioneer (not sound the same, but quality-wise not as good). As amusing as your meme is, your ‘poster comparison’ is extremely weak (to put it politely).

Nobody ever said it wasn’t an effect. The general idea of an effect is for it to have a good effect on the music. If you had no option on the effects that came with your purchase (as is the case here) and you are unhappy with the quality of the effects, then you either 1) don’t use them. 2) ask about them on a forum like this. 3) return the product & get something else. I’d rather grow the Denon family, sarcasm & wit aren’t very helpful in this case.

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I think you’ve identified the most valid point on this thread. The effects might need some work but labelling the whole lot as “garbage” isn’t right and should be removed from the thread title.

Looking at past posts about new firmware features denon have never advertised an upcoming new effect they’ve just added them quietly without being asked.

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coincido contigo amigo. los efectos del prime 4 son una BASURA me gustan incluso mas los de traktor 3 que los del prime 4 :frowning:

Hello all. As prime 4 for me it’s an amazing piece of art I would like to confirm that first days after I played a lot yes I agree that from design view the effect screens should be below the knobs. Anyway I loooooove it!!!

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I hear you bud. I got jumped all over by some cretins on here for posting my disappointment at my sc5000s which both bricked within weeks. Put me right off. There seems to be a little army of self appointed mods scrolling for posts that might not be in exactly the right thread and generally making folk unwelcome. As for the effects, I got the x1800 and coming from pioneer too ive all but given up with with them other other than delay. I have found the occasional sweet spot with some but no way could you just go with feel on the fly when recording or live. Even the filters can’t be used with any great subtlety. Like me, you have a decision to make it seems

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If you’re gonna quote the title, please quote it in it’s entirety. You conveniently left out the “Am I Missing Something” part, which changes the entire attitude of this post. It’s good for Denon to hear that some people, especially people “changing their rider” feel this way. It is 100% constructive criticism as it mentions things he likes & dislikes in a fair way.

Is that your motive to try diss a legit post and make a new Denon owner feel unwelcome? We all have the right to express how we feel here. Im not surprised he describes some as “morons”, as some of the responses are moronic (people don’t go to a club to listen to effects, etc…). How difficult is it to understand that he is unhappy with the effects on this unit?

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It’s a trend of rudeness in a tiny minority of new forum members recently, maybe it’s the lock-in making everyone edgey. Another newbie called forum members cretins for suggesting the forum search function, which is advice that quite a lot of forum members do suggest to people to try the forum search function for answers.

You are right, it makes it worse: he is willing to intentionally make a exagarated claim even when he is unsure of his knowledge about the subject he is talking about. Get me your drug dealers number if you think his words are constructive or fair (let me repeat the quote: “effects = garbage”) because you mate are on some seriously good shaite…

You mean…like how I express how I feel when a ridicolous post from a user like this comes along? :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

Yeah, we all have the right to express how we feel… but then also you have to take the consequences of that… in this case, ridicule of such exaggarated claims and poor knowledge of the subject.

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You see a claim after a question, I see a question before the claim. Eg: Am I color blind? (forum screen color=red) I think you’ve got it backwards!! But we’ll have to agree to dis-agree on that. My statement about constructive criticism refers to what he said in his very 1st post. How the hell are you supposed to express constructive criticism in a title?

The big difference is that your “feelings” or statements are negative and come at someone elses expense. Like “I hope he returns the unit” or suggesting I use drugs. Why not ask me first? Oh wait!.. that’s how you feel. At least the OP had the decency to ask if he was missing something first. Your entire argument is based on a “claim” that was actually a question and your lack of knowledge on what constructive criticism actually is (you cannot expect that from a title). Taking cheap stabs at me won’t make it right, it just shows your character better to all.

Case closed!

This is getting off-topic and OP wisely hasn’t participated in that off-topic discussion for 5 days now.

@Thealz: Sorry if you didn’t get the best answers. There isn’t another workflow to get better FX really. If you feel they are not sounding right, then that’s basically it.

The best part is that DenonDJ can change or add FX (they did the same on the X1800), as they are not printed on the surface. It means you have to wait for better days…but your issue with the FX is in the present. The community can help to create better FX, so if you’re up for that, please do make a request.

If you don’t mind, I would like to close this topic within 24 hours if it stays off-topic.