Denon Twin DN-D6000

If you prepare two CDs in parallel, you don’t need a second player to switch between tracks: the dual CD and MP3 player with Next-Track function Denon DN-D6000 plays two discs and lets you cue the next track while the current one continues playing. A switchable internal crossfade blends the transition. The rack-mountable system consists of a player unit and a separate controller.

The two slot-in drives read audio CDs as well as finalised CD-R and CD-RW discs. The unit also plays MP3 files from CD-R/RW, provided they are in a supported format: MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 at 44.1 kHz and 32 to 320 kbit/s, CBR or VBR. Each disc supports up to 255 files and directory depths of up to eight levels; M3U playlists and packet writing are not supported. For multisession discs, the format of the first session determines whether audio CD or MP3 content is played.

The Scratch Disc is used for scratching, searching and temporary pitch bending. The pitch control has a centre click; Instant Start takes place within 0.02 seconds. Different pitch ranges are available depending on the medium, and Key Adjust keeps the pitch constant when changing the tempo. Scratch, pitch and Key Adjust functions therefore support transitions and hands-on adjustments directly from the controller.

Hot Start and seamless loops are available for CD and MP3. You can adjust a loop’s B point during playback using the Scratch Disc. The integrated sampler records up to 15 seconds; pitch and output level can be adjusted separately. Recordings can be looped or played in reverse. The Scratch Disc can also serve as a sound source for Scratch mode.

Flanger, Filter, Echo and Echo/Loop are available for shaping transitions and sounds. The 3-way BPM counter detects the tempo automatically; BPM Lock, manual tap and direct BPM input offer additional ways to find the tempo. Drag-S lets you set how playback starts, Brake slows playback after pausing, and Reverse plays in reverse. The platter effects also work during MP3 playback.

A large fluorescent tube display shows status and track information. For MP3 discs, ID3 details for title, artist and album can be displayed; CD TEXT is shown with a scrolling function for longer names. The track selector lets you choose tracks by turning it, or in increments of ten when pressing and turning it at the same time. Quick Jump skips in adjustable time intervals; manual search has an accuracy of 1/75 of a second.

Cue points, pitch settings, Key Adjust and loop points can be saved using the CD Memo function and recalled later; a total of 1,000 memory locations are available. For rack installation, the player unit requires two rack units and the controller three. Analogue RCA and coaxial digital outputs connect the system to a DJ setup; a fader start input is compatible with Denon mixers such as the DN-X1500.

The DN-D6000 is suitable for DJ setups that use CDs and MP3 CDs, where tracks are cued and transitions are shaped directly on the unit. The combination of two drives, a separate controller, memo memory and standard audio outputs makes the configuration easy to plan for rack installations and mobile DJ systems.