Pioneer DDJ-Ergo V DJ Controller: Let’s Take a Look

Today we’ve got a guest post from Steven Williams, a DJ pushing past 7 years in the industry that has seen quite a few DJ controllers (and equipment) passed around in his day between fellow DJ friends and his own setup.

Since its launch last year the Pioneer DDJ-Ergo v DJ Controller has had all DJ’s talking about it.

This could be said with almost any product from one of the DJ world’s most renowned brands, Pioneer, typically it has an intuitive interface but with a stylish new look. And all of this for a very affordable price, especially by Pioneer’s standards, the Ergo could certainly be the ideal controller for beginner DJ’s and is ready to tackle more professional situations when you are.

Looks

The first thing you notice when you look at the Pioneer DDj-Ergo V is that it is a visually stunning controller and its clear Pioneer had the design high up on their priorities list.

Its curved white shell and contrasting black panel would look perfectly at home in a DJ booth or in you’re living room, a stylish modern living room at least.

The actual panel are designed around the typical two-platter design with the main controls in the centre of the unit. We also notice that convenience was high up on Pioneer’s priorities list as all the controls: the filters, cues, FX etc are all within easy reach and conveniently placed.

To ensure full versatility Pioneer have also included an audio interface with audio circuitry taken from Pioneer’s legendary mixers.

Pulse Control LEDs

As you’ve probably noticed the unique pulse control LED lights, although look really cool.

They’re primarily designed as a visual representation of exactly which functions are currently being used, the tracks that are being loaded, and how accurately the beats match.

So what else could you buy?

The Ergo’s main competitor is probably the Traktor Kontrol S2 which is roughly the same price and comes included with Traktor 2. Also the Novation Twitch which is cheep, lightweight, small and has got loads of cool features, its not as professional as the Ergo but it will save you a bit of money.

I think it really depend on what you’re looking for or even what type of music you’re going to play. If its looks you want then its got to be the Ergo but you probably will get more stability with the Traktor Kontrol.

As a digital controller the Pioneer DDJ-Ergo V comes with Virtual DJ limited edition, but because it is a MIDI based DJ Controller it can be simply configured to most DJ software including Traktor, and it even comes with instructions on how to do this in the box.

Have a watch and see what you think:

Here’s a recap of some of the main features of the Pioneer DDJ-Ergo:

• Ultra-stylish LED design
• Convenient functionality and ergonomic design
• Compatible with most DJ Software
• Built in audio interface
• Mac and PC compatible, designed to dock laptop underneath to minimise space required yet keeping the screen in full view.
• Professional audio circuitry
• Very affordable Price

Overall

The reality is that this is Pioneer’s first crack at a cheap, beginner DJ module and it just feels strange.

Like a cheap Ferrari, they just don’t exist and it just seems that they have made some sacrifices to build quality and stability, and is by no means vintage Pioneer. And it doesn’t live up to the high standards we come to expect. But don’t get me wrong, for beginners this would be ideal, as its really stylish and straightforward. But when you’re ready to step up to a higher level you may need to upgrade you’re setup.

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