Denon DJ drops SC Live controllers: DJ without a laptop and mix tracks direct from Amazon Music Unlimited

It’s not just music producers who like the idea of ditching the laptop - DJs want a piece of the standalone action, too. That’s certainly what Denon DJ is hoping, anyway, as it’s just launched the new free-roaming SC Live DJ controllers - the SC Live 4 and SC Live 2 - both of which enable you to mix tracks direct from Amazon Music Unlimited.

These controllers are the first to offer integration with the Jeff Bezos empire’s music streaming service, and feature an “exclusive secure chipset to meet Amazon’s music streaming requirements”. Cloak and dagger stuff; Denon could tell us how it works, but then it would have to kill us.

What we can confirm is that both the SC Live 4 and SC Live 2 enable you to access a library of more than 100 million lossless songs (providing you have an Amazon Music Unlimited subscription and a Wi-Fi connection that is). Song analysis is said to be speedy, so selecting and playing tracks mid-set shouldn’t be a problem.

The SC Live 4 and SC Live 2 inherit their “club-standard” layout and workflow from Denon’s flagship SC6000 Prime media players and mixers, with each offering a seven-inch multi-gesture touchscreen, SD and USB media slots and performance FX. You can use a combination of songs stored on physical media and from a streaming service during the same performance.

To ensure completely standalone operation, both SC Live controllers have a set of built-in speakers. Obviously, you can turn these off when you’re hooked up to a bigger system.

Specs for both controllers are below. Available now, the SC Live 4 and SC Live 2 cost $1,299 and $1,099 respectively. Find out more on the Denon DJ website.

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Ben Rogerson
Deputy Editor

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.