Announced at Winter NAMM 2020, the new Denon DJ Prime Go and Prime 2 are the latest models in their Prime series of DJ controllers. We reached out to the team at Denon DJ to learn more and ask them some questions about these lastest offerings.
The HUB: What were the key features you knew needed to be in Prime Go? How do you make something portable without sacrificing the most-important features and quality of components?
Denon DJ: With Prime Go, we knew that we needed to make the unit fully functional, regardless of the size constraints. Along with being fully functional, we also needed ultra portability. So, a battery was a must, allowing the user to be power-free for hours of professional proformance. To achieve this performance, we needed to make sure that the unit was fully functioning with Engine OS, Denon’s stand alone operating systems that is at the core of all our professional DJ products.
The HUB: What do you imagine will be typical use? Use on gigs? Bedrooms?
Denon DJ: This is a tough question because the more people who discover the Prime GO, the more use case scenarios are thought up. For the mobile DJ, its not only the ultimate back-up piece, it is also the dream piece for remote ceremony locations, allowing them to conduct a ceremony soley on battery power. For the professional DJ, it is amazing to be able to prepare sets on the go, and also have a compact unit for recording podcast mixes. And, for anyone interested in DJing, having TIDAL streaming on the unit provides instant satisfaction, simply search, load and mix.
The HUB: What kind of connectivity options are there?
Denon DJ: The Go has high-end, professional connections including; XLR Master out, 1/4" booth, AUX input, 2 combo microphone jacks, USB and SD for Media, and a link cable to share media with other players.
The HUB: What is Engine OS and how does this connect it to the other Prime family products?
Denon DJ: Engine OS is the central, stand alone, operating system that powers all professional Denon Prime products. It has advanced features such as onboard analysis, music streaming, beat griding, key shifting, time stretching and many more. It is the core of all products, allowing any user to comfortably use the entire Denon range with confidence and comfort.
The HUB: Does it share the same audio processing algorithms as other Prime products?
Denon DJ: Yes, it does.
The HUB: How can you bring your music into Prime Go?
Denon DJ: Prime Go offeres a USB and SD port for attaching media, and also, WIFI for streaming contectivity.
The HUB: How does it integrate with streaming platforms?
Denon DJ: All Denon Prime products will access TIDAL, with many more partnerships soon to come. The unit will download the song, then analysize in realtime and store the song in an internal buffer. This ensures that there will be no audio drop outs when the song is playing back. The analyzed metadata is stored into the attached media source, so the next time the track is downloaded, the user will not have to analysize the track at all.
The HUB: How long is the battery life?
Denon DJ: The battery life is specd to 4 hours. The GO will optimize its internal performance to ensure it gets the best battery life.
The HUB: Moving on to Prime 2, where does it fit into the Prime family of products? Why would someone want this instead of Prime Go?
Denon DJ: The Prime 2 is a 2-channel stand alone console right below the Prime 4 and above the Go. For those who want a larger console, with bigger jogs and more pads, the Prime 2 is the way to go.
The HUB: What do you anticipate the typical application/use will be?
Denon DJ: The Prime 2 is a professional, 2-channel unit that is great for any mobile DJ that need a reliable 2 channel unit. Its fully feature, includes Engine OS but is still portable enough for easy travel. The Prime 2 is also a great piece for a club DJ to practice at home. Allowing them to perfect their set, and then simply transfer their media source to the SC6000 club standard players.
The HUB: What were the key features Prime 2 needed to make it club-ready?
Denon DJ: The Prime 2 features Engine OS, this allows the user to be ready to rock any club, with 8 hot cues, 8 loops, beat jump and 2 effect units.
The HUB: Can you speak to some of the I/O connectivity and what it means for workflow and rig integration?
Denon DJ: The Prime 2 maintains all the professional coneection that you would expect in an industry standard stand alone unit.
The HUB: How can the performance pads be used?
Denon DJ: Hot cues, loops, rolls, and slicing.
The HUB: Thanks for your time!
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