Pioneer DJ DDJ RR – Video & Review

In this review for the Pioneer DDJ RR we will be highlighting it’s features, and answering some common questions that we keep getting asked about this controller. We even have a short routine to show off some of its more advanced performance features in action.

Pioneer DDJ RR – The 2 Channel Rekordbox DJ Controller

The first thing we noticed about this controller was its build quality. It has a nice metal face plate with sturdy EQ’s, cue & play buttons, responsive performance pads plus solid jog wheels and faders.

The Inputs and Outputs

The controller can be powered by just your laptop using a USB cable or via a DC cable. What’s the difference? Basically, if you use the DC cable it takes the strain off your laptop or computer, incase you have an older machine. It also makes all the lights on the controller brighter. Bonus!

It has both an XLR & RCA master out, accompanied by a booth output too. It also has a headphone output and microphone input as standard.

Can I plug CDJs or Turntables into the DDJ RR?

Yes, this controller has two line/phono inputs allowing you to turn it into a 2 channel mixer for use with external players. One thing to be aware of, when playing from a CDJ or turntable you have to select either line or phono input for both channels. You can’t switch each channel independently so mixing from one CDJ to one turntable doesn’t really work.

DJs can sync the sampler within Rekordbox to the track you have playing on CDJs or turntables too. This is a great additional feature for this controller when using it as a standalone mixer.

Rekordbox DVS Mode

The controller also comes bundled with Rekordbox DVS mode allowing you to control your tracks in performance mode with either turntables or CDJs and a control signal.

Does the Pioneer DDJ RR work with Serato DJ or Traktor?

No, this controller is designed to work with Rekordbox. It also works plug & play with Virtual DJ 8 too. It is a midi controller so you may be able to map it out to Serato or Traktor. However, you would be better looking at the DDJ SR or DDJ SX2 if you wanted to use Serato DJ.

Pioneer DDJ RR Performance Features

There are 8 RGB coloured performance pads with the modes as follows:

Hot Cues:

Save and activate up to 8 cue’s or loop points within any track.

Beat Jump:

Jump through the track in beats, bars or phrases to help you set up cue points or skip through a track while keeping it in time.

Pad FX 1 & 2:

Rekordbox’s PAD FX are tactile effects mapped out to the 8 different pads. The top layer of pads is an individual effect with 4 different parameters. The bottom 3 are individual effects from the Pioneer DJM range series and the last pad is reserved for a release effect. This will kill all other effects that are currently active, getting you out of some complicated effect combo’s. We cover loads of creative techniques using the Pad FX in our Rekordbox – Intermediate DJ Course.

Slicer Mode & Slicer Loop:

When active this maps out 8 beats on the loaded track to the 8 pads. If you hold any of the pads this creates a roll effect with that individual beat. The slicer loop just holds the track in its position rather than continue to load in the next 8 beats.

Sampler:

Use the sampler to launch one shot clips or even loops underneath the mix. There is a dedicated sampler volume on the DDJ RR to fade the sampler in and out of the mix.

Sequence Call:

The recorder on the DDJ RR is amazing. It allows the DJ to record a sequence of samples in either a 1, 2 or 4 bar loop and then save that sequence to be recalled at any point in your mix. This is an amazing advanced feature that we cover heavily in our Rekordbox – Advanced DJ Course.

Capture:

Is there a part in a song you absolutely love? If so you can highlight that part of the track and capture it, ultimately saving it as a separate file in the sampler. This means you don’t have to open up third party audio editing software to save different samples out of tracks.

DJs can also capture a slicer loop, which will export all 8 pads into the sampler to then recall at any point.

Quantize:

You can turn quantize on and off on the controller rather than having to do it in the software which is a nice feature to have access to. This will lock your loops and hot cues to the grid of the track.

Looping:

There is the option to set an auto loop at all the common parameters, plus a 2x and 1/2x loop option to chop the loop bigger or smaller on the fly. There is also manual looping with an in and out point. Using the shift mode you can even move a loop using the loop mode buttons.

Channel Effects

Along the top of the controller are 6 different channel FX which can be assigned to either channel, the sampler or the master. These effects are packed full of the Pioneer DJM mixer series effects plus a few extra for good measure. There are also release FX which allow DJs to get out of some complex combo FX with the push of a knob. The 3 release effects available are echo, backspin and vinyl brake.

Pioneer DDJ RR Video Review

Conclusion

We really do love the Pioneer DDJ RR. It’s such a solid 2 channel controller that’s packed full of performance features. It’s got a good price tag and is a compact size for any bedroom, or mobile party DJ set up. We would definitely recommend this controller to both new DJs looking to take it seriously in the DJ industry or seasoned DJs that need a compact but reliable controller for at home and to take to private gigs.

Our DDJ RR Performance Video

This video heavily showcases the capabilities of the Sampler and Recorder in action.

Learn how to DJ with the Pioneer DDJ RR!

We have 3 Rekordbox DJ courses available on our website that are all applicable to DDJ RR users. Our beginner, intermediate and advanced DJ courses don’t just show you the features of Rekordbox but teach you how to use them effectively. From learning how to load your first songs and beat match by ear, to creating amazing mini mixes while combining all of Rekordbox’s performance features. Our courses have you covered! Click here to find out more about our online DJ courses.