Maybe a sampler or something with mass appeal instead.
Maybe a de-featured sc5000, cheaper, less features
Maybe it’s a sc5000 with no brains, no memory, no processor, no firmware (much), just a case with some buttons and a platter just for midi users
Maybe they’ve just done a pioneer , like we’ve got no new hardware so we’ll pick out some old model from 10 year ago, spray it another color, tweek the model number, throw in some headphones, add 10% to the price and claim it’s new like:——-
Looking thru the forum I think I’ll add a guess of, it ISNT new hardware.
Denons current hardware runs fine. The basics, the intermediate and the whistles and bells.
The firmware though … and Engine Prime , needs to show that some of the attention that the developers have given to both over the last few months/years has reached a marvellous new high point.
Anything “mere hardware” under that cloth is going to get jeers of “how dare denon work on new gear before working on existing ones” blah blah blah
Maybe they should add an extra feature to this SC5000 “dumb” to make it more exciting than just midi. They should make it a control surface for the second layer of a real SC5000, so no layer switching
To me, it looks like it has the same footprint as the SC5000s.
Maybe it’s an update - it’s been almost three years since the release of the original unit (Pioneer’s typical product life cycle except for the NXS2, btw.)
The SC5000 does not seem EOL, though, with so much potential left in it’s current state.
My bet: After years and years of requests for a modular jog controller for software, Denon DJ probably will make it happen. We’ll know more at NAMM for sure.
I think another option might be that what’s under the cover is an ordinary SC5000, although, my gosh, compared to pioneer ■■■■, there’s nothing ordinary about SC5000.
But… I think our attention will be drawn to something on the main screen. May be both DJ softwares logos serato/traktor on screen showing some advanced control of those softwares. Maybe it’s an 5000m with serato.
Or maybe, now that the WiFi “secret” has been activated, with mind blowing functionality and results already tried by many of us, maybe the Bluetooth is now doing something.
Now after witnessing the serato update bonanza I’m starting to think that it might actually be a controller that that you can plug into a prime deck for next layer control, as a few have already mentioned and as a software controller. The new firmware update for the 5000m mentions that you can plug controllers in. Whether this is for software only is not clear.
And I’m starting to think that under the covers lay a new 4 CH mixer too. Maybe with switchable USB controller inputs.
With a lot of people wanting to add samplers and extra peripheral hardware and some people knocking the classic DJ , their two decks, their mixer , setup, I’m not sure if two channels is going to be as wanted now as it used to be.
But a classic, yet, updated 2 channel mixer might still have a wide enough appeal to make it viable
Hopefully not something else that pioneer does; release the same exact hardware (with different firmware) for a different of software i.e. Traktor HID controller.