Denon DJ SC Live 4 (& SC Live 2) standalone controllers in the review

The Denon DJ SC Live 4 and 2 are well-equipped standalone DJ systems that work with Serato DJ and Virtual DJ software. They feature built-in speakers, built-in WiFi for streaming services, and clever built-in controls for both smart lights and professional lighting.

Both run Engine DJ OS, by far the most powerful standalone DJ platform available - yet they're built more like club DJ units, a premiere for Denon DJ. And because the units are made of plastic instead of metal, and some of the highest-end features of Denon DJ's Prime line have been stripped away, the company is able to offer both units at the lowest price Denon DJ standalone units have ever sold for.

Find out how the two devices perform in practice here in the review.

First impression and setup

After unpacking it, our first impression was, "It should have had the Numark name on it." We tested the Denon DJ SC Live 4 in the process, and its abundance of plastic and relatively light weight immediately made us think it could have been called a four-channel version of the popular Numark Mixstream Pro.

That's not a criticism, by the way - Numark units are excellent for their money, but it was a bit surprising to see Denon DJ units made of plastic. We also immediately noticed the built-in speakers - again, typical Numark, although fortunately here they are at the top of the unit rather than at the bottom where your hands are. This makes more sense, not least because they are better positioned for small parties at home.

In terms of features, however, the two units are much more "Denon DJ".

The units have all the features like track skip, beat jump, censorship, auto/manual looping, full color pads and in-jog displays that you would expect from a decently equipped DJ system. The only hardware control we find lacking is the beatgrid setting.

Club instead of controller layout

The mixer has been given a club layout that looks more like the Denon DJ X1850 (and all Pioneer DJ units, of course) than the Prime 4 with its traditional "controller" layout. This means that there is an effects strip to the right of the four channel strips. This is the first time such a layout has appeared on an Engine DJ all-in-one unit.

The colors have also been refreshed: the lush green of the Prime 4 and Prime 2 is gone, and instead the colors now glow subtly in white, blue, and orange.

Inputs and outputs

denon-sc-live2-4-connections

On the front left are 3.5 and 6.35mm headphone jacks.

At the rear, an XLR (Live 4) and a 6.35mm jack input for the microphones, the aforementioned RCA aux input (Live 4), both RCA and balanced XLR main outputs, jack boot outputs (Live 4), a USB jack, and two USB and one SD card slot.

The good news is that these slots are protected from accidental bumps by the underside of the fixed, tilted 7" touchscreen; the bad news is that they're awkward to reach, although you can understand why they had to be moved here - to accommodate the two speakers.

Finally, the power input and on/off switch are located on the back. Disappointingly, the unit comes with an external 12V power supply. At least there is a cable holder, but for DJ devices of this size, we would have liked to see a cold-device connection.

In practice

Turning it on for the first time is fun!

We press the power button, flip the speaker switch and are greeted by the operating system with some built-in tracks that already invite us to play. Rarely has a first start been faster and less complicated than with the SC Live - with the possible exception of the Numark Mixstream Pro.

Built-in speakers

denon-sc-live2-4-speakersThis is one of the first DJ units we've tested mainly through the built-in speakers, because they're honestly pretty good. No, they aren't high-end, but they are pretty darn loud and deliver a surprising amount of bass.

The whole unit vibrates when you turn up the Volume in a very satisfying way. It's a rather mid-range bass and also overall the speakers can be described as "mid-range", almost hollow sounding - but they are quite usable and louder/better sounding than those of the Mixstream Pro for example.

Of course, you can also connect your own speakers and choose whether to turn the built-in speakers on or off. To test the sound quality, we did just that and routed the audio signals to a pair of monitors here in the studio. The sound is flawless and clean.

 

Streaming services and local music

denon-sc-live2-4-streamingOnce you get tired of the integrated tracks, you will naturally want to put on your own music. One of the easiest ways to do this is to connect to the WLAN and then connect to one of the integrated streaming services.

Like many DJ devices, this unit has TIDAL, SoundCloud Go+, Beatport Streaming, and Beatsource Streaming built in, but it's the only unit that also has Amazon Music Unlimited. No matter which service you connect to, you can access your playlists within your streaming services.

Denon had to change the hardware and integrate an additional chip that is compatible with Amazon's special security mechanisms. Therefore, this feature cannot simply be upgraded via firmware update on older devices.

DJing from streaming services is not as optimal as using your own files for several reasons, but the services work just fine. Streaming is undoubtedly the future, and the best version available on any Engine DJ-equipped device can be found here.

To add your own music, you export it from your laptop to USB or SD, then select the drive as the source and access your playlists, etc., as with all systems of this type. This works quickly and well.

Playlists can even be created spontaneously, even if you cannot currently save them in the main library. Those who do not want to bother with SD or USB storage can also access their music via Dropbox.

It is worth noting that there is no SATA drive bay like on some of the Prime devices; however, so much fits on a large SD card these days that this is not a particular shortcoming.

The Touchscreen

denon-sc-live2-4-Touchscreen

The screen displays library and playlists or the waveforms.

You can switch between different types of waveform displays to suit your personal preference. Since the unit can control four decks (the "decks" have "layer" buttons that let you choose between decks 1 and 3 on the left deck and decks 2 and 4 on the right deck), it can get a little crowded.

Especially when you get into the settings menu and in certain places where track info is displayed, the font just got too small for our liking. We would have wished for a larger screen.

It's also a touchscreen with multi-touch capability, so smartphone users will feel right at home. The Engine systems have by far the best touchscreen implementation among the current DJ equipment, out of all manufacturers.

Deck control

The rubberized performance pads are smaller than those on the Denon DJ Prime units and of the "click" variety (unlike those on the Prime units), but they are great to use- they have full RGB coloring and can be used to control cues, loops, rolls, and slices (no sampler on standalone units).

The main cue and play/pause buttons are plastic with a firm "click". The pitch sliders are long and precise, and the jogwheels are nicely weighted and feel larger than those on the "pro" Prime 4. They're not actually larger - they're still 6 inches, they're just angled inward less at the top.

They also have the above-mentioned useful built-in displays for BPM, elapsed time, etc. (Live 4 only). However, you have to do without a display of the cover artwork.

denon-sc-live2-4-serato-and-fx

The big new feature of the mixer is its club layout, which many people will prefer. Here there are four manually controllable "sweep effects" (Filter, Noise, Echo and Wash - all sound good) and an additional BPM-linked single effect that you can assign to one or all channels (though not to the microphones) by selecting a beat cycle length, time or parameter. This setup will certainly seem more familiar to those who work with Pioneer DJ club equipment.

Differences between the SC Live 2 and 4

The hardware inside the controllers is the same. There are also no differences in the operating system, the display or the speakers. The following table shows the exact differences between the two controllers:

  SC Live 2
SC Live 2
SC Live 4
SC Live 4
Jog-Wheels 6 Inch Jogwheels 6 inch jog wheels with LCD display
Performance-Pads 4 pads per deck 8 pads per deck
Number of channels 2 channels 4 channels
Outputs Master: 2x XLR & TRS Master: 2x XLR & TRS
Booth: 2x Jack
Inputs 6.35 Jack Mic-In XLR/Jack Combo Mic-In
AUX TRS Input
Price 1319 € 1559 €

 

The SC Live 2 is therefore better equipped, especially in terms of connections, offers twice as many performance pads, LCD displays on the jog wheels and of course 2 more channels.

Whether this is worth the extra price of a little over 200 €, you have to decide for yourself. In case of doubt, we recommend the larger 4-channel version. So you are in any case equipped for all application scenarios.

Conclusion

The Denon DJ SC Live 4 and SC Live 2 are interesting new additions to the Denon DJ range. These devices are aimed at both hobby DJs and professional DJs alike and can score with a price/performance ratio that you are not normally used to from Denon DJ.

The standalone mode works great and runs stable and reliable. The option to also run the controller with Serato DJ or VirtualDJ in software mode makes the controllers even more flexible.

Other standout benefits: The built-in speakers that can be used for practicing or monitoring, the integration with Engine Lighting, and the world's first integration of Amazon Music Unlimited currently make these controllers something special.

The case, which is made of plastic, has to be accepted as a drawback. Furthermore, the 7-inch touchscreen might be a bit too small for some people.

If you can live with these minor drawbacks, you get an excellently equipped DJ controller at an attractive price that currently leaves nothing to be desired.

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