There’s been some controversy surrounding the Pioneer DDJ-SB3, a new budget controller co-developed by DJ Jazzy Jeff with the world’s first Pad Scratch. Digital DJ Tip’s Phil Morse interviewed Jazzy Jeff with the intention to get to the bottom of it all. The conversation is nothing short of fascinating and tackles a constant burning question that DJs face today – what defines a “real” DJ?

The Pioneer DDJ-SB3 allows you to imitate eight different scratch techniques pre-recorded by DJ Jazzy Jeff. Basically, any track that you’re playing or have cued up will be scratched, and the scratch speed automatically matches the track’s BPM. 

We can see why there are some opinions floating around about this new gear, but as Jazzy Jeff states in the interview – it’s a great option for younger or beginner DJs who want to experiment with scratching but can’t shell out thousands of dollars for a turntable set up.

DJ Jazzy Jeff is a legend, as well as a self-proclaimed vinyl purist. But he also describes himself as a technology geek and openly embraces the power of digital DJing capabilities.

So what does define a “real” DJ — and does it matter what kind of gear you use? Whether it’s turntables versus CDJs, or whether or not to use the sync button, the conversation around what’s “best” or “right” is endless. Jazzy Jeff makes some incredible points throughout this interview and we highly recommend watching.

Click here to see the original post on Digital DJ Tip’s website. Let us know what you think about the Pioneer DDJ-SB3. Do you think technology is having a positive or negative effect on DJ culture today? We want to hear from you!