Denon Debuts DN-M2000R Professional MD Recorder

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Denon's DN-2500F and DN-2000F MKII have already been accepted as the defacto standards for double CD players in the DJ market. Now, the DN-M2000R joins their ranks by featuring the same ease of operation, but in the flexible MiniDisc format. The DN-M2000R houses a single MD transport with integral controller in its 19-inch, 3U chassis.

The MiniDisc format not only provides CD-quality audio, but is also rerecordable-a cost-saving option when remixing, editing or archiving dance music in the project studio. MD discs are also more rugged than CDs, providing a more reliable live performance medium. Up to 74 minutes may be recorded in stereo, with 148 minutes available in mono.



A Hot Start feature allows songs or sound effects to be loaded into memory locations for instant playback at the touch of one of the machine's five front-panel Hot Start buttons. Sound can be loaded into Hot Start from any track location, and loaded tracks may continually be replaced with new tracks. A loop's 'Start Point A' and 'End Point B' may be set without interrupting playback, and the A-B Seamless Loop can be executed during Hot Start playback. The DN-M2000R's Pitch Control slider may be set to offer pitch adjustment up to either +4 or +8 percent of playback speed in 0.1 percent steps.

The DN-M2000R sports a large jog dial and shuttle wheel similar to that found on the Denon's DN-2700F Pro DJ CD player for fast searching and precise cueing. Once a track has been selected, the MD player's Auto Cue function cues it to the point where audio starts, rather than where the track starts. The level at which sound is first detected can be set between -36 and -60 dB (five steps). Playback starts less than 0.01 second after the PLAY button is pressed. Up to five cue points can be assigned to each track for quick searching, and up to 25 tracks can be sequentially programmed for track-by-track or continuous play. In addition to the traditional Play mode, the DN-C680 also offers Finish mode. Available only when Single Track play is selected, Finish mode can operate in three ways: Stop, which simply stops after finishing a track; Next, which cues up the next track; and Rescue, which re-cues the track that just played.

Another helpful feature is the EOM (End Of Message), which flashes the PLAY/PAUSE button at the end of a track to provide a visual warning to the operator that the track will end shortly. EOM can be set to one of seven steps within a range of zero and 30 seconds prior to the track's end.

A comprehensive list of editing functions is provided on the DN-M2000R, including Divide (smallest edited unit is one frame, or 11.6 msec), Erase Track/Disk, Combine, Move and Track/Disc Name (up to 255 characters can be used for each name). Text editing is accomplished via the rotary knob.

The DN-M2000R features a thinner profile than the DN-2500F or DN-2000F MKII for trouble-free mounting in slanted rack frames. The AC cable and connectors are all located in a recessed area on the top panel to allow table-top use if desired. Also offered is a headphone jack with volume control for monitoring purposes.

For more information, visit their web site at www.denon.com.