When DJing, there are three basic ways you can play music – vinyl, CDs or MP3s. Well, now with the new Digital Media Player from Denon it feels like vinyl, plays any audio/MP3 CD and works with leading DJ software like Traktor and Serato. The DN-S3700 is Denon’s new benchmark tabletop CD player, set to give CDJs a run for their money and its most noticeable feature is its 9-inch direct drive platter. The platter spins at 33 and 45 RPM, and also includes a replaceable vinyl and slipmat – think of it as a miniature turntable.

New and Improved
Along with its motorised 9-inch direct drive platter, the DN-S3700 packs new features and improvements from Denon’s predecessor the DN-S3500. First off, the size matches that of a CDJ-1000 even though the platter is larger. This means that it fits in most road cases and booth setups. The buttons on the DN-S3700 perform basically one single function, so you no longer have to navigate multiple options in a menu. One function buttons apply to actions such as loops, effects and cues. The display screen on the DN-S3700 is tilted giving you a better view of track details. The DN-S3700 comes with music manager software, which allows you to create playlists and analyse your track’s BPMs before going to a gig. The playlists can be stored on the DN-S3700 – also when tracks are analysed they appear as a waveform on the DN-S3700 display screen. A waveform allows you to visually see the tracks build-ups and breakdowns.

The DN-S3700 sampler has also been improved to include three ‘Hot Start’ buttons. These buttons can be used to automatically cue or loop three sections of a track, and this is useful for creating quick cues or instant loops, giving you the chance to remix the track on the fly. Denon have also added industry standard effects – echo, flanger and filter, all the effects have an adjustable hi/mid/low frequency setting making the effect highly customisable.

Scratch like vinyl, play CD’s and control with MIDI
The Denon DN-S3700 play’s regular audio and mp3 files. The music can be retrieved from three different format; each format is a button on the unit. ‘CD’ loads music from the CD slot, which can be an audio or mp3 CD. ‘USB’ allows you to get music from a USB device such as a USB key, external hard disk or even an iPod. ‘MIDI’ turns the DN-S3700 into a midi control surface so you can use it with DJ software such as Traktor. ‘MIDI’ also enables the unit’s built in soundcard – so using MIDI not only sends midi signals to the computer, but also audio signals.

The Denon DN-S3700 features two play modes, ‘Platter’ mode and ‘CD’ mode. CD mode is used when Platter mode is turned off. With CD mode, the platter acts like a standard jog wheel, used to adjust and set cue points or to pitch bend the track. Platter mode allows the platter to function like a turntable, so you can scratch tracks or pitch bend by gently adding pressure to the side of the platter.

Along with the play modes the DN-S3700 features three platter functions – ‘Brake’, ‘Dump’ and ‘Reverse’. Brake stops the platter like pressing stop on a turntable when the needle is still on the record. Dump is used to reverse the track instantly; this effect is used on songs that contain explicit language. Reverse can be found on most new turntables. This mode reverses the rotation of the platter. Along with these features the Denon DN-S3700 controls and buttons are pretty standard amongst player on the market.

Setup and Playing
To get the DN-S3700 up and running is pretty simple, all you need is an audio cable and you are ready to go. To connect the unit to a computer you just need a USB cable, which is not provided. Software drivers and manual are included. The unit itself is a pretty solid build. The buttons are well illuminated, and are easy to press. Each section of the unit is labelled, although the effect buttons and effect knob are on opposite ends. Hot Cues/Loops and the standard loops are also on opposite ends. Playing in CD mode is pretty standard; the larger platter does give you more control and accuracy when setting cue points on a track.

Platter mode is where the DN-S3700 outshines its competition. Platter mode turns the unit into a miniature turntable. Because the DN-S3700 uses an actual 9-inch vinyl, it feels like you are touching a record. The unit’s direct drive motor has a decent 2.5kg of torque, so you can perform most scratch techniques. Torque is the power that platter has when turning – the more torque you have the quicker the response is of the platter when you start and stop the record with your fingers. The moveable platter rotates at 33/45 RPM, so you can use the side of the platter to slow down or speed up the track, just like on a turntable. The response time on the unit when scratching is instant and the sound is pretty close to scratching on vinyl – minus the needle jumps.

Sum Up
For a CD player that seeks to emulate playing on vinyl, the Denon DN-S3700 is by far the closest it has come. The 9-inch platter delivers the power, feeling and control you get when playing on turntables. Its size matches that of a CDJ 1000, so upgrading won’t require a new road case or adjustments to studio settings. Its play formats allow you juggle between CDs, an iPod or Traktor without having to mess with extra cables or additional setups.

The Denon DN-S3700 gives CD users the feeling of playing and interacting with vinyl, a feeling that has prevented some vinyl users from switching to CDs – maybe with the Denon DN-S3700, we’ll finally see a change.