The Pioneer genes are clear in the CDJ1000MK3. The deck offers the same robust build beloved by club owners and DJs, is finished in the familiar high-quality polished look and remains faithful to the clean, clear layout that has become the accepted format for tabletop CD decks. But the subtle revisions add more intuition, make it easier to transport music, and improve track info: refinements that make cueing, looping, scratching and stretching a track easier than ever. With full MP3 support including VBR files, intelligent features, such as the direct folder search button, allow DJs to quickly access files within folders on the disc for intuitive, fast cueing. A total wide tempo range (+70% to –100%) also gives greater control than many competitor models. Along with multimedia cards, SD cards are now also compatible with the CDJ-1000MK3 so that HOT CUES, HOT LOOP points and WAVE display data can be easily stored and loaded. The CDJ1000MK3 includes a unique JOG feeling adjust (to the top right of the JOG wheel). It tailors the deck to performers’ individual styles by altering the resistance of the wheel, which benefits from a new metallic ‘non-slip’ finish. The visibility and detail of the information shown on the 360° JOG Display is also improved: the fluorescent display has been raised, increasing brightness. The cue marker is larger and new 45° angle marks make it easier for scratch DJs to time their effects. The track display has similarly advanced. Its resolution has been doubled, the lighting is multicolour and fluorescent and, as well as displaying the total number of tracks and track position, the WAVE data and playing address details are extended so that a DJ can see a track’s entire length at a glance. HOT CUE is now partnered by a new HOT LOOP feature that stores up to three loops per track. The buttons are backlit orange for the loop and green for the cues while the re-loop button is now also backlit. A further addition is ‘resume play’: the deck will restart playing from the same point if a CD is ejected accidentally. In keeping with the high quality components of the CDJ1000MK3, gold RCA connectors are fitted along with a digital out for connection to digital mixers such as the DJM-800 / DJM-1000, ensuring the highest level of sonic purity available. Subtle design changes like the metallic master tempo button also mark the player as the third generation of the industry standard deck. The new features add to the unique capabilities of the CDJ1000MK2 and ensure that, as single tabletop CD systems cement their position as the dominant market platform, Pioneer continues to define the mark for digital DJ’ing: a level that has again been raised by listening to and acting on feedback from DJs.