Everything in one unit: two decks with jog wheels like the CDJ-3000, a 4-channel mixer in the style of the DJM-A9 and a large touch screen. You play from a USB stick, just like in a club, with no laptop.
Touch display (10.1”)Touch screenA large touch screen: library (up to 13 tracks in the list), deck waveforms, BPM, key, phrases and mixer settings.
You scroll and load tracks with a tap, and tap a waveform to preview a track (Touch Preview, Touch Cue).
Mentor tip: The screen shows info for all four decks, but the scrolling waveforms are only for the two active ones. Watch the deck number.
SOURCE / BROWSE / TAG LIST / PLAYLIST / SEARCH / MENUNavigation buttonsThe same buttons as on a CDJ: media select, library, tagged tracks, playlists, search and menu.
Inserted a USB stick? Press SOURCE, select it, then PLAYLIST, and find your track.
Mentor tip: Navigation mirrors the CDJ-3000 — get used to it here, and the club will be easy.
Rotary selector / BACK / LOADRotary selector, BACK and loadThe rotary selector scrolls the list, BACK goes up a level, and the LOAD buttons load the selected track onto the deck you want. Press LOAD twice to get the same track at the same position (Instant Doubles).
Pick a track with the rotary selector, then press LOAD on the deck that isn't on air right now.
Mentor tip: Check the deck number on the screen before pressing LOAD — with four decks it's easy to pick the wrong one.
TAG TRACK/REMOVE / TRACK FILTER / SHORTCUTTag track, filter, quick settingsTAG TRACK/REMOVE sends a track to the “play later” list, TRACK FILTER narrows the list by BPM, key and tags, SHORTCUT opens quick settings.
While a track plays, tag 3–4 candidates, and use the filter to keep only the ones that match by BPM and key.
Mentor tip: Filters work with the rekordbox library — analyze your tracks in advance.
MIXER SETTINGSMixer settingsA dedicated button opens the mixer settings on the screen: fader and crossfader curves, EQ/isolator mode, headphones, Bluetooth routing and more.
Before a lesson, check the fader curves and the EQ mode here — on the XDJ-AZ they aren't on physical switches.
Mentor tip: If a fader acts strange after the previous student, look in MIXER SETTINGS.
MASTER LEVEL / MASTER EQ (HI, MID, LOW) / BOOTH LEVELMaster, master EQ and BoothThe overall volume, a 3-band EQ for the whole mix (to suit the room's acoustics) and the volume of the monitors in the booth.
Touch the master EQ rarely and only a little: for example, to tame bass boom in a small room.
Mentor tip: Make sure the master meter doesn't go into the red.
DECK SELECTDeck select 1/3 or 2/4Switches which deck the left side (1 or 3) and the right side (2 or 4) control. The active deck lights up.
With 4 decks: you play on deck 1 and prepare a track on deck 3 on the same side.
Mentor tip: Before pressing anything, check which deck is selected: controlling the “wrong” deck is a classic mistake.
PLAY/PAUSEPlay / pauseStarts and stops the track on the selected deck.
Start the track exactly on the downbeat of the one playing.
Mentor tip: Don't press PLAY on the deck that's on air “just in case” — that stops the music for the room.
CUECueWhen paused, sets a cue; while playing, returns to it; holding it plays from the cue for as long as you hold.
Hold CUE, start in time, press PLAY and release CUE.
Mentor tip: Practice starting with CUE here — on a CDJ in the club it works exactly the same way.
SEARCH / TRACK SEARCHSearch and track searchSEARCH scans while you hold it, TRACK SEARCH jumps to the previous or next track.
When paused, SEARCH moves the track in small steps — use it to set a precise cue.
Mentor tip: The fastest way to scan is to hold SEARCH and turn the jog wheel.
SLIP / SLIP REVERSESlip and slip reverseSLIP turns on a mode where the track keeps playing silently during loops, hot cues and scratching. SLIP REVERSE is a reverse after which the track returns to its place.
A short SLIP REVERSE before a drop is a safe, flashy trick.
Mentor tip: Plain reverse without Slip knocks the track out of phase.
QUANTIZEDeck quantizeSnaps cues, loops and pads to the rekordbox beatgrid.
Turn it on when you play with hot cues and loops on the fly.
Mentor tip: Check the track's beatgrid in rekordbox first — quantize is only as accurate as the grid.
BEAT JUMPBeat jumpJumps forward or back by a set number of beats; during a loop, it moves the loop.
Skip a long intro with a 16- or 32-beat jump.
Mentor tip: Jump in whole phrases — then no one hears the jump.
4 BEAT / 8 BEAT / LOOP IN / LOOP OUT / RELOOP/EXITLoops4 BEAT and 8 BEAT give an instant loop (during a loop they halve and double it). LOOP IN and LOOP OUT set the loop points by hand, RELOOP/EXIT exits and returns to the loop.
Loop 8 beats at the end of a track so you can mix in the next one calmly.
Mentor tip: Set LOOP IN on the “one” of a bar and exit the loop at the start of a phrase.
CALL ◀ ▶ / DELETE / MEMORYMemory cuesMEMORY saves a cue or loop, CALL steps through saved cues (during a loop it changes the loop length), DELETE removes the selected one.
Set memory cues by phrase in rekordbox and jump between them with the CALL buttons.
Mentor tip: Memory cues are bookmarks for preparation; hot cues are for performing.
HOT CUE / BEAT LOOP / SLIP LOOP / BEAT JUMP (+SHIFT)Pad modes and SHIFTThe buttons above the pads choose what the 8 pads do: hot cues, a loop of a set length, a slip loop or a beat jump. SHIFT opens the buttons' second functions (in rekordbox on a computer: KEYBOARD, STEMS, KEY SHIFT, SAMPLER).
For a set, keep HOT CUE on; to build up before a drop, use SLIP LOOP.
Mentor tip: Learn which mode is lit before you press a pad on air.
Performance Pads (1–8)Pads8 rubber pads with lighting. In HOT CUE mode they are the 8 hot cues A–H from rekordbox; there's also Gate Cue: the sound plays from the cue only while you hold the pad.
Put hot cues on the drop, the vocal and the break — and jump between them in rhythm.
Mentor tip: Hot cue colors are set in rekordbox — use the same colors for the same kinds of spots.
Jog wheel / JOG MODE206 mm jog wheel and VINYL modeA jog wheel the same size as on the CDJ-3000: turn the side to nudge the track; the top in VINYL mode scratches and stops. JOG MODE switches between VINYL and CDJ. The light ring glows red when the deck is on air.
Nudge the side of the jog wheel to bring drifting beats back together.
Mentor tip: A red ring means this deck is playing to the room. Don't touch its top without a reason.
JOG FEELING ADJUST / VINYL SPEED ADJUSTJog tension and brake speedJOG FEELING ADJUST sets how stiff the jog wheel is to turn. VINYL SPEED ADJUST sets how fast the track slows down and speeds up in Vinyl mode.
Adjust the tension to suit your hand before a lesson.
Mentor tip: On the CDJ-3000 the same controls are called JOG ADJUST and VINYL SPEED ADJ. — they do the same thing.
SYNC / MASTERSync and masterSYNC matches tempo and beats to the master deck (hold it for Instant Doubles). MASTER manually makes a deck the master.
Use SYNC as a helper, but choose the transition and the phrases yourself.
Mentor tip: At the school we first learn to beatmatch by ear without SYNC — in a club, sync may not work.
KEY SYNCKey syncShifts the track's key to match the master deck with the smallest possible shift.
Turn it on when the melodies of two tracks clash.
Mentor tip: A better fix is to pick the track by Camelot and keep KEY SYNC as a last resort.
TEMPO / TEMPO RESETTempo faderThe fader changes the track's speed; TEMPO RESET returns it to the original speed.
You match the incoming track's BPM to the playing one, watching the screen and listening in your headphones.
Mentor tip: Fader isn't changing the tempo? Check whether SYNC or TEMPO RESET is on.
TEMPO RANGE / MASTER TEMPOTempo range and master tempoTEMPO RANGE switches the tempo fader range (narrower is more precise). MASTER TEMPO keeps the pitch when you change the tempo.
For mixing, keep a narrow range and MASTER TEMPO on.
Mentor tip: Sped up a track and the vocal sounds like a cartoon? Turn on MASTER TEMPO.
TRIM / HI / MID / LOWChannel gain and EQTRIM evens out the input volume; HI/MID/LOW are the three EQ bands on each of the 4 channels. EQ or isolator mode is chosen in MIXER SETTINGS.
Even out TRIM using the meters, then swap the basslines with the LOW knobs.
Mentor tip: In a mix, only one track has the bass.
COLOR / SOUND COLOR FXColor FXA COLOR knob on each channel and effect select buttons: DUB ECHO, NOISE, SWEEP, FILTER, SPACE, CRUSH (as on the DJM-A9).
FILTER on COLOR is your main tool for a smooth transition.
Mentor tip: Return COLOR to center after every effect.
BEAT FX (X-PAD / BEAT ◀ ▶ / FX FREQUENCY / CH SELECT / TIME / LEVEL/DEPTH / ON/OFF)Beat FX14 beat-synced effects, as on the DJM-A9 (DELAY, ECHO, PING PONG, SPIRAL, REVERB, TRANS, FILTER, TRIPLET FILTER, FLANGER, PHASER, ROLL, TRIPLET ROLL, HELIX, MOBIUS). You get a touch X-PAD and controls for channel, beat length, frequency bands, depth and QUANTIZE.
ECHO at 1 beat on the outgoing track's channel is the simplest nice-sounding exit.
Mentor tip: The logic is the same as on the DJM-A9: learn it here and you'll handle it in a club.
Channel fader / CrossfaderFaders and crossfaderVolume faders for the 4 channels and a crossfader. Fader curves are changed on the screen in MIXER SETTINGS.
Bring in a new track by raising the fader smoothly over 8–16 bars.
Mentor tip: If the crossfader “cuts” the sound, check the curve and the assignment in MIXER SETTINGS.
MIC (ON/OFF, TALKOVER, LEVEL, EQ)MicrophoneTwo mic inputs (XLR and jack). On/off, TALKOVER (the music gets quieter when you speak), voice volume and tone.
For an announcement, turn on TALKOVER, keep it short and switch the mic off.
Mentor tip: Don't hold the mic near the speakers — you'll get a squeal.
CUE / MIX / LEVEL / PHONES / SonicLinkHeadphonesCUE on each channel, MIX (balance between CUE and master), LEVEL (volume), 6.3 and 3.5 mm jacks. The built-in SonicLink transmitter pairs HDJ-F10 wireless headphones with one button.
Press CUE on the next track's channel and beatmatch it in your headphones.
Mentor tip: Start with LEVEL at minimum — protect your ears.
MASTER (XLR, RCA) / BOOTH / LINE/PHONO (CH3, CH4) / MIC 1, 2 / USB / LANConnectorsMASTER outputs (XLR and RCA) and BOOTH (jack), LINE/PHONO inputs for channels 3 and 4, two mics, a ground for turntables, USB Type-C for a computer, a LAN port, and two USB-A ports for USB sticks.
You can connect external players or turntables to channels 3 and 4 — then the XDJ-AZ works like a club mixer.
Mentor tip: Room sound goes from MASTER over XLR: it's the most reliable cable.
Lessons run on the school's Pioneer DJ / AlphaTheta gear. A mentor shows you every control live, and you mix your first track yourself.