Pioneer XDJ-XZ Crossfader only controlling video

[h2a]

MacBook Pro M1 16- inch
macOS 14.2.1
djay Pro 5.1.3
Pioneer xdj-xz

Your question:

My hardware crossfader is only changing the video. I have CH 1assigned to A and 2 as B on the controller but nothing happens when i move the slider. Nothing is assigned to it under the midi settings and it doesn’t show up as something i can even assign. I was hoping to use the new crossfader effects with it.

Anything else i should check?

[Slak_Jaw]

Hi @h2a, I could be wrong, but I believe the XDJ-XZ operates as an External Mixer device. You can check this by navigating to the Audio Device Settings in djay. With External Mixer devices, the mixer controls are performed on the physical hardware not within the software. So things like EQs, Channnel Faders and the Crossfader are not sending MIDI commands to djay.

[h2a]

Hi @Slak_Jaw – Yes and no. It’s correct to say that it operates as an external mixer but DJay Pro is able to tell the position of the crossfader to change the video from one deck to the other, so it seems to me that this information could feasibly be passed onto the software to initiate crossfader effects as well, but it doesn’t, and i cant seem to map it to do so.

[Slak_Jaw]

Hi @h2a,

I just confirmed with engineering and the XZ is an External Mixer Mode device. Many external mode devices do also send MIDI information even though it’s not technically necessary. For the XZ, we intentionally map that information to the video crossfader so you can mix video while the audio mixing is being handled inside the XZ hardware.

However, because the audio mixing is being done inside the XZ circuitry, djay cannot disable these controls and perform them via software instead. This would lead to situations where the software is doing one thing and the hardware is doing something else. For this reason Crossfader FX are not supported on external mixer mode devices. Hopefully that makes sense. Thanks.