This week Roland is debuting a pair of new DJ controllers as part of its latest all-in-one solutions. The new DJ-505 and 202 are based on the company’s previously released DJ-808 controller and come with much of the same features including Serato integration, vocal processing, some classic Roland drum sounds built-in and much more…
Much of the hype surrounding EDM has started to fade, now only almost everyone you know wants to be a DJ. Although Roland is certainly still looking to cater to beginners, these new offerings support a plethora of features geared towards traditional turntablists, producers and actual DJs on the run.
The DJ-505 is a 2-channel, stripped down version of the flagship 808 model. It sports four decks and ships with the complete Serato Tool Kit for “responsive, lag-free” turntable-style scratches and more. It has 8 pads and 13 different modes for direct Serato control.
The 505 has a built-in TR-style sequencer for creating drum patterns on the fly. Normally this might be a bit of a gimmicky kind of feature for a DJ controller, but with Roland you’re getting its classic TR-808 and TR-909 drum sounds. Nice. The drum sounds can be sequenced or just triggered in one-shot mode using the performance pads.
The DJ-202 is a more portable, lightweight Serato DJ controller. While somewhat stripped down compared to the 505, it still has two low-latency platters, a built-in drum machine with the same classic sounds, 8 dedicated performance pads and a 16-step sequencer.
Like the DJ-505, the DJ-202 includes two low-latency platters, a built-in drum machine with TR-808 and TR-909 sounds, and eight dedicated pads. A 16-step sequencer accessible via the performance pads controls Serato DJ Intro’s sampler for on-the-fly beat creation.
Both models function as 24-bit/48 kHz high-res digital-to-analog converters and feature a MIDI output for controlling external gear. You’ll also find a 1.4-inch mic input with your typical gate, hi-pass, reverb, echo/delay FX. It is nice to see Roland offer up a pair of options for those already invested in its ever expanding Aira gear. Sometimes producers with home studios don’t require a massive and expensive DJ controller despite having already dumped a load of cash into their setup.
The DJ-505 will run you around $699 and the 202 will go for $299 when they both hit store shelves later this year in October.
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