As for the professional market, I believe a Mk2 version is needed with balanced outputs before the FLX can be viable for them. Nonetheless, the FLX6 has found a seemingly untouched niche in the DJ market, and will likely sell very well to lower-budget hobbyist DJs. In Rekordbox, it at least has some potential – you can alter the volume (pressing shift and turning the Merge FX knob does that), and there is a panel built into the software where you can choose your samples and effect combos to come up with your own choices.

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. While there’s no jog wheel adjustment, like that offered by the DDJ-800 and DDJ-1000, the tension setting feels just right – especially if you’re upgrading from the smaller DDJ controllers. The DDJ-FLX6-W is available in selected regions (only available at specific retail stores in Asia Pacific and the Americas and Latin Americas – not available in EMEA regions).Since the DDJ-FLX6-GT has a built-in sound card, you can start DJing as soon as you connect it to a laptop running compatible software and a USB cable. Jog-wheels and Intuitive Performing I feel a bit sorry for Pioneer DJ here. They took a lot of flak for not making their DDJ-1000 controller for Rekordbox work with Serato (they eventually released a Serato variant, the DDJ-1000SRT). Now they’ve released a controller that works with both, and they are still going to get flak for it. Plug and play capability is available via the in-built soundcard and DJ Performance functions with either rekordbox or Serato DJ Pro. All you need to do is connect using a USB cable to a connected laptop that is running either of the music software applications, and you are ready to get DJing. Take away the Merge FX and the Jog Cutter and this is a completely standard software controller – think Reloop Mixon 4, Denon DJ MC7000, Numark NS6II (although generally those are higher specced, better units than this one). It has four software channels, three-band EQ, Color FX knobs (they’re filter only when using Serato), eight performance pads, looping controls. In total, if rekordbox is the selected music software management system then there are eight Merge FX pattern presets (this reduces to four if Serato DJ Pro is in use), and everything is customisable. One Merge FX is made up of four categories Build FX, Build Sample, Release FX and Drop Sample, which include 41 types of effects, all of which can be united to create over 9,000 different patterns. Additionally, there is the option to save eight of the users own patterns, where the FX Select button can be used to recall them when required. New Jog Cutter feature for pro-sounding scratch effects

Overall, the Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX6 is a decent consumer-focused controller intended for the mid-level market. This device focuses primarily on performance features rather than build, with four channels, and a host of new features – though some are more appealing than others. And maybe that is the idea. In this time where hobbies rule and social media is how people express themselves, maybe that is the aim here – a fun home device that’ll help bored hobby DJs to play passable DJ sets, and do some of the “clever” sounding stuff they see their heroes doing on the big stages. Jog Cutter allows you to jump between one of six sections on your wheel to trigger different scratching experiences. According to Pioneer, there are around 10 different scratch jog cutter patterns to explore by moving your play head position, as shown on your on-wheel display. The DDJ FLX6 also offers an FX strip on the right similar to other products from Pioneer’s DJM portfolio. There’s a button to support toggling between each of the different effects in Rekordbox and Serato DJ pro banks, which you can choose and access whenever you like. There’s also a button to toggle between different channel assignments too. BONUS: Existing DDJ-FLX6 users can get all the new functionality too– I thought it was worth adding an eighth “bonus” point for those who own the original DDJ-FLX6, just to make it crystal clear: Aside from the paint job, the hardware hasn’t changed at all, which is great news for existing users, as they can get all the functionality with a simple firmware upgrade

One bonus is that you will be able to choose between whether the mic goes through the Booth outputs or otherwise. Prefer for me to show you this? If you’re considering the new DDJ-FLX6-GT, this video details everything you need to know to make the right decision.

Still, the brand surprised most music enthusiasts when it released the new DDJ FLX6, a Rekordbox, and Serato DJ Pro dual-compatible DJ controller with a host of tools for creative mixing. The FX select simply cycles through the effects you’ve chosen for the two engines, with up to 6 options available.The controls on the DDJ-FLX6-GT are set up the same way as on its predecessor, which is a club-standard CDJ + DJM setup. This makes it easy to perform. But the new matte grey body and graphite jog wheels give it a more elegant look. Virtual DJ Support When Pioneer DJ launched the DDJ-1000 controller, it changed things up. Instead of having controls as I just described, the controls were more like those found on club mixers, such as the DJM-900NXS2. The Jog Wheel’s dimensions might be full-sized, but they’re not made of metal. These 7-inch capacitive jog wheels are tactile and weighted, despite being largely made of plastic.

As a Rekordbox controller, the Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX6 fills a gap for a reasonably priced, four-channel model. And on the surface, it looks nice – great jogs, decent size, lots of lights. It is going to look good on livestreams and it is going to look good on social media videos. It can instantly sound impressive too, as some of the noises you can make with the Merge FX do indeed sound epic. I do hope someone proves me wrong and we see some great uses of this, but while this was maybe a fun feature when triggered via the pads (the infamous “Jazzy Jeff” scratch mode on the Pioneer DJ DDJ-SB3), I just don’t get this at all, and feel it is best rapidly forgotten. Beat FX One exception to that statement is that the DDJ-FLX6 has a booth output, but no DJ is going to want to play with this controller in any venue big enough to have booth speakers – plus, when you have “booth” and master, having them both as unbalanced outputs doesn’t make sense.From a control perspective, this certainly isn’t the most advanced option on the market. There are a few things missing, such as key shift hardware or sync buttons. Despite a couple of grumbles, the DDJ-FLX6 is still impressive in its own way. There are a few advanced functions that you won’t get anywhere else. Pioneer also boasts a new aesthetic for this DJ controller, but we’re not sure how much of a benefit that is at first glance. Pioneer DJ has just launched an update to its DDJ-FLX6 mid-range DJ controller, which now works offically with Virtual DJ and, interestingly, Traktor, as well as Rekordbox and Serato DJ Pro as before.