Stanton Emerges From Hibernation With SC System DJ Controllers
We haven’t been too bullish on Stanton in the last couple of years due to their lack of serious innovation. They like to portray themselves as a cutting-edge DJ equipment manufacturer, but the reality is, they’ve been way behind the curve. However, today marks a new beginning of sorts for the concern with the launch of their SC System, two designated DJ controllers.
Stanton hyped the SCS.1m mixer controller and the SCS.1d bigtime with a large countdown menu on a designated Enter The System micro-site. However, once you’re past the “The Future Of Digital DJing on Mac and PC” headline, there’s not much material to delve into… In fact, none of the navigation buttons actually work. Not good…
But this is what we can tell you before we get our grubby hands on the decks at NAMM. The SCS.1m and SCS.1d have been designed from the ground up to work with most DJ mixing software available today on both Mac & PC.
SCS.1m
Features:
» 4-channel design with intuitive high-precision metering
» Assignable Encoder section with 360° of LED feedback
» LCD scribble strips for two-way communication with selected DJ software
» Easy controller mapping into popular DJ and VJ software
» Navigation section for remote browsing through playlists
» Mic and Phono / Line input for sampling, archiving vinyl, and remixing
» Built-in FireWire connections with full Mac and Windows compatibility
» Perfect as a standalone mix controller, or in combination with SCS.1d deck
» Balanced, studio-quality TRS output for mains; RCA booth output and 1/4″ headphones output
» Unique footswitch input enabling hands-free control of software parameters
Faders / Encoders / Buttons
» 24 Potentiometers (MIDI CC)
» 4 Virtual-pots with 18 segment LED rings (MIDI CC or Incremental CC)
» 4 45mm Linefaders (MIDI CC)
» 1 45mm Crossfader (MIDI CC)
» 1 Rotary encoder (MIDI CC or Incremental CC)
» 37 Momentary backlit pushbuttons (MIDI Note On)
Displays
» 4 Multicolor 8 character alphanumeric LCDs with contrast control (MIDI SysEX controllable)
» 6 9-segment LED meters. One for each channel, one L/R pair for master (controllable via MIDI)
Audio:
» Frequency Response (20Hz – 20kHz): +/- 0.2dB
» THD+N (at 1kHz): 0.013%
» Signal to Noise Ratio (A-weighted): 105.1dB
» Sampling Rates: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 96kHz
» Audio Format: 16-bit, 24-bit
» Latency (roundtrip): <5 ms
Inputs / Outputs:
» Phono / Line Input: 2 (RCA) Phono / Line switchable, +21dBu unbalanced
» Microphone Input: 1 (1/4″) @ +9.1dBV unbalanced
» Balanced Output: 2 (1/4″) @ +27.7dBu
» RCA Output: 2 (RCA) @ +21.5dBu
» Headphone Output: 1 (1/4″)
» Footswitch Input: 1 (1/4″)
Dimensions:
» 5.96 lbs / 2.71 kg
» 3″H x 10.75″W x 16.75″L
SCS.1d
Features:
» Adjustable high-torque 10″ motorized platter with vinyl surface and superior tracking
» 100mm motorized pitch fader with recall for sync with software
» Velocity-sensitive pads assingable to loops, cue points, etc.
» Assignable Encoder section with 360° of LED feedback
» LCD scribble strips for two-way communication with selected software
» Familiar Tansport section for direct music control
» Perfect for adding maximum control capabilities into existing DJ software
» Easily controls multiple virtual decks for powerful multi-channel mixes
Compatible Software:
» Traktor Studio
» Ableton
» MixVibes
» Deckadance
Faders / Encoders / Buttons / Switches:
» 4 Virtual-pots with 18 segment LED rings (MIDI CC or Incremental CC)
» 1 100mm Motorized fader (MIDI CC)
» 4 Velocity sensitive trigger pads (MIDI Note On)
» 46 Momentary backlit push buttons (MIDI Note On)
Displays:
» 4 Multicolor 8 character alphanumeric LCDs with contrast control (MIDI SysEX Controllable)
» 1 Cue position display with current deck indicator (MIDI SysEX controllable)
Motorized Platter:
» Motor Type: 16 pole, 3 phase, brushless DC motor
» Speeds: 33 1/3 rpm, 45 rpm
» Starting Torque: >4.5 kgf.cm
» Starting Time: 0.2 sec
» Braking Time: 0.2 sec
Dimensions:
» 13.88 lbs / 6.29 kg — 3.25″H x 14.5″W x 16.75″L
The SC System has reportedly been in development for the past 4 years. Four years. While we certainly don’t think the SC System is “The Future Of Digital DJing” — Stanton has done an noteworthy job of playing catch-up with the rest of the field. Unfortunately for long time mixers, the true future of DJing will most likely move away from the “platter” or turntable metaphor and forge ahead into a new paradigm.
The Future: The SCS.1d and SCS.1m are a good start for Stanton, but we’re hoping that there was some additional research and development going on for the past four years…in fact, if it takes Stanton another 4 years to again play catch-up to the market, their wobbly brand status could be down for the count.
No pricing or availability has been announced for the Stanton SCS.1d and SCS.1m, but we can assure you, these puppies won’t come cheap. More information on the Stanton SC System.
