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The DDJ-T1 will be instantly familiar to anyone that has used the company's CDJs.

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Despite the CDJ-2000s offering full Traktor control over HID, and Traktor Scratch allowing you to get your hands on Native's pride-and-joy using the industry standard DJ booth regular, it was almost inevitable that Pioneer would join the dedicated controller party.

Over the past year we've been graced with a shift in the approach to DJ controllers and more and more companies are opting for the large, bespoke software specific units, either mimicking what you see on screen or sticking to a traditional layout.

The excellent Glanzmann Digital DJ Solutions 4midiloop has its feet planted firmly in the former category while NI's flagship Kontrol S4 gives you clear control of a specially made software version. Pioneer's DDJ-T1 falls somewhere in between with a classic layout and familiar components joining forces with Traktor-specific features.

Familiar interfaces

"The T1 tames some of Traktor's complex functions and takes away the learning curve in the process."

Familiarity is in fact the strongest aspect Pioneer have got going for them with the DDJ-T1. The jogs, cue and play buttons and general design replicate that of their industry standard booth equipment.

Though it might seem odd that Pioneer are pitching this as a bedroom or house party device, it actually makes sense as what you learn on at home will be familiar if you have to make the move to CDs or USB sticks in the club.

The result is instant comfort for anyone who's used CDJs coming to the controller new and vice versa. In fact, we roped in some friends who had never used Traktor before but were CDJ veterans and they got it within seconds. This kind of fluency is absolutely vital when it comes to performance controllers, and is definitely the strongest advantage the T1 has over NI's S4.

Speaking of the S4, we think it's fair to say, despite Pioneer's claims that the T1 is for home use, a lot of potential buyers will be directly comparing the T1 and Native's flagship controller.

To cut a long story short, it really comes down to what you need. With no Sample Deck or Loop Recorder control on the T1, now available to all Traktor users through Pro 2, you're limited to Cue Points, which we'll get to later.

On the other hand, the CDJ-2000's Needle Search has found its way on to the T1, so quick searching and cueing is possible via the ribbon controller, something the S4 lacks, though it's not really a deal-breaker.

What is nifty is pressing the Function button activates five hotspots on the ribbon, which are unmapped by default but could become your Sample Deck controls or whatever you can think of.

Traktor Pioneer Edition

Bundled with the DDJ-T1 is a special edition of Traktor Pro developed for and by Pioneer. It's pretty much the same as Traktor Pro LE except it includes the Record function - although Broadcast is still out of the picture.

The effects section differs in that it's not possible to switch to Advanced mode and some effects are missing. Chained is the only option, but if you already own the full version of Traktor Pro, there is an option to switch to Advanced on the controller.

It also allows four-deck control, unlike LE. There is an upgrade path to Pro for 120 Euro. Furthermore, if you already own Pro, installing Traktor Pioneer Edition will simply add the DDJ-T1 to the list of Pioneer controller in the controller Setup Wizard.