No one was shocked when these Denon DJ
SC Live controllers were announced. Not because people were expecting them – quite the opposite, in fact – but because they were leaked.

In my humble opinion, as someone who works in marketing (the marketing of DJ equipment, to be specific) I think InMusic either need to track down ‘the mole’ or stop teasing these products before launch. Personally, I prefer a good old-fashioned product launch…

Both the SC Live 4 and SC Live 2 were officially announced on the same day. The biggest difference between the two being that the SC Live 4 has a 4-channel mixer section, whereas the SC Live 2 is, well, 2 channel. Of course, the natural comparison with these new controllers isn’t really to each other, but more towards Denon DJ’s other 2- and 4-channel controllers, the Prime 2 and Prime 4. But it’s not a comparison I’m going to go into in this review (hopefully as you read on, you’ll understand why).

The standout feature for me on these two controllers is the layout of the mixer section. The workflow of the mixer on the SC controllers has opened up muscle memory for the ‘club standard’ layout. This means that even when switching from a different brand over to the SC Live controllers, you’ll know where everything is.

It’s quite clear, just from the layout of these SC controllers, that they’re aimed at club DJs. The mixer section mimics the layout of Denon DJ’s flagship X1850, although the Sweep FX are positioned slightly differently, over on the mixer’s lefthand side, and the BPM FX are down the righthand side.

Being a club DJ myself, I always struggled with FX on the Primes, as the BPM FX are spread out horizontally above the jog wheels, and the Sweep FX options are above the crossfader. However, I do understand that this layout is perhaps better-suited to the mobile DJ.

Another feature that InMusic seems to be favouring these days is built-in speakers. Whether you like this feature or not, there’s no denying that these speakers have got some serious kick to them. The limiter is decent, so they never sound distorted, even with the most bass-heavy of tunes. The speakers also have independent volume control, and they can run at the same time as the main master out and (on the SC Live 4) the booth out.

Both controllers have 6” touch-capacitive jog wheels. The SC Live 4 has in-jog displays but the SC Live 2 doesn’t. The jog displays are minimal (no options for song artwork) but welcomed nonetheless. I don’t think it’s necessary for the SC Live 2 to have jog displays anyway, as all the info is on the main screen, but they do come in handy when layering up four decks on the SC Live 4.
Looking down at the jogs you can see which deck you’re controlling: 1 or 3 on the left jog, 2 or 4 on the right. The jogs have a fair compromise of loose and heavy tension, and they feel great to mix on. It’s a shame that there isn’t a jog tension adjust on these controllers, as it’s always nice to have the option, although not really essential because the jogs feel fine as is!

Both of these SC Live controllers have the exact same Engine DJ operating system that we see across all standalone Denon DJ controllers and, in fact, the Numark Mixstream Pro.

Engine DJ is so advanced as an operating system, I’m not sure there are even enough pages in this magazine to cover it all, let alone this review. It’s honestly amazing, just like having a computer built into the unit, with Wi-Fi connectivity, on-board analysis, lighting control, and so much more. Plus, it’s constantly being updated with new features. It’s all pretty mind blowing.

The 7” touch screen is of ample size when covering two waveforms on the SC Live 2, but when covering four decks on the SC Live 4, it does seem a little cramped. Still, it’s HD, multi gestural, and you have options for vertical or horizontal waveform views.
Alongside Tidal, Beatsource Link, Beatport Link, Soundcloud GO and Dropbox, a brand-new addition to Engine DJ OS is Amazon Music streaming – and it’s exclusive to the SC Live controllers. At this point, I’m not sure what benefits streaming from Amazon Music would offer over the other options, which have been available in Engine DJ for a while. However, you do get a free trial of Amazon Music when you purchase an SC Live controller, so you can decide for yourself.

If streaming isn’t for you, both controllers have two USB inputs and a slot for an SD card. Unfortunately, there’s no built-in SATA drive bay – it seems that feature is being kept exclusive to the Prime Series. Both controllers can also be used with Virtual DJ and Serato, which is a very welcome addition, especially as the Prime 2 wasn’t compatible. The controllers include a Serato DJ Pro license, rather than the ‘lite’ version, which is a nice touch.

The Live 4 controller has 16 performance pads (8 on each side), while the Live 2 has 8 (4 on each side). However, you can access a second bank of pads (5-8) on the Live 2 by pressing the ‘bank’ button. The pads on both controllers are made of rubber. The Live 4 pads have an RGB colour strip, whereas the Live 2 pads have a blue LED colour strip instead.
Both controllers’ performance pads have the usual Denon DJ suspects – hot cue, loop and roll – and the Live 4 has a 'slicer’ mode, but this is sacrificed for the ‘bank’ button on the Live 2. Not a huge loss in my eyes, as I’ve never managed to get my head around the slicer, so if I was going to sacrifice a pad mode, that would definitely be it!

It’s worth mentioning that the pads aren’t that sensitive, so you do have to give them a bit of wallop to trigger them. The same applies to the cue and play/pause buttons too. I’m not sure if these might loosen up the more you use them, but if you’re a finger-drumming James Hype wannabe, you’re bound to notice.

Now, let’s talk inputs and outputs. The Live 2 doesn’t have a booth output, the Live 4 does (1/4). Both have XLR and RCA master outs. The Live 4 has an RCA aux input, but the SC Live 2 doesn’t. The SC Live 2 has one mic input (1/4”) and the Live 4 has two mic inputs (1/4” and XLR). There’s no physical mic EQ knobs on the controller itself, but you can control 3-band mic EQ within the Engine DJ settings on the screen.

So, which controller is best for you? Having the same OS across all the Denon DJ controllers could be seen as a blessing and a curse. It doesn’t matter which Denon DJ unit you’re using, you’ll know your way around the Engine DJ operating system. However, because of this, Denon DJ run the risk of all their controllers being too similar, and the models need standout features of their own to differentiate themselves. This is something that Denon DJ have nailed with the SC Live controllers. The combination of the club-style layout and the built-in speakers make them different from the Prime 2 and 4.

But the spanner in the works here (especially when it comes to the SC Live 2) is the Numark Mixstream Pro. Being 2-channel with the same sized 7” screen, built-in speakers and operating system, but coming in at nearly £350 cheaper, what’s stopping you from picking the Mixstream Pro over the SC Live 2?

For me, the club layout on the SCs is enough justification. You’re getting phenomenal features on a familiar, top end, professional layout, all for a very good price. Whether 2-channel or 4-channel, they both get a thumbs up from me. I have to say, as Denon DJ try to lose the ‘hobbyist’ DJ label, I find it strange putting built-in speakers, a feature designed for use at home, on a controller that is aimed at club DJs. As good as the speakers are, I think there’s definitely reason for these SC controllers to be released speaker-less in the future!

Because of this, I’m not too sure where these SC Live controllers sit in the market. In a way, it seems Denon DJ have created a whole new market with the SC range. But being the most innovative DJ brand on the planet, that doesn’t really surprise me.