I still remember when Pioneer released a portable street-use cassette player called the Discorobo during the Breakdance era in the ’80s. It literally changed the Breakdancing scene especially in South East Asia, Europe and Australia. In the 90’s, Pioneer entered the Pro-DJ market and almost instantly killed the de-facto standard of Technics brand of SL-P1000 toploading DJ CD player and Denon dual-tray DJ CD players. Now, Pioneer is once again going to change the street scene by introducing its lineup of Steez digital music player with controls similar to its Pro-DJ and its Discorobo ancestry such as tempo control (but this time without changing the pitch), Dance Boost (to emphasize specific music instruments), and Dance Cue. Of course, since now everything is done digitally, all controls can be done in a much more precise yet easy manner. There are also Auto DJ Mode to create a non-stop music mix based on genre and tempo, 8-beat Skip to create a “break” loop (if you don’t know what “break” is, ask your nearest hip-hop dancer) and most importantly: Dance Cue where by using Pioneer’s free PC software application users can set cue points so any song can be accessed immediately (remember the “index” feature on Audio CD? It’s like that, but with this feature you create your own cue points.
The following are the variations of Pioneer STEEZ models and styles
STZ-D10S-L”Solo”
Available in light blue, Solo is ultra-compact and lightweight designed for the individual/beginner dancer at home or other indoor environments.
• MP3, WMA, AAC, LPCM support
• 4GB internal memory
• 2.4″ LED QVGA screen
• Dock for iPod & iPhone
• Full range drivers (40mm x 2)
• 5 Watt power output
• 6-AA batteries or AC adapter
The STZ-D10S-L is available in November for a suggested price of $299.
STZ-D10T-G “Duo”
Offered in stylish neon green, Duo is the rugged, go-anywhere model. It’s designed for the intermediate dancer and small dance groups. And, its water resistant design allows for both indoor and outdoor use. The unit features:
• Sealed iPod & iPhone Enclosure
• MP3, WMA, AAC, LPCM support
• 4GB internal memory
• 2.4″ LED QVGA screen
• Full range drivers (40mm x 2)
• 5 Watt power output
• 6-AA batteries or AC adapter
The STZ-D10T-G is available in November for a suggested price of $349.
STZ-D10Z-R “Crew”
The largest of the three models, Crew is designed for providing big sound in large or outdoor environments. Offered in flashy red, the unit provides more output and bigger bass performance, perfect for dance crews, instructors and choreographers. The unit features:
• Large 3.5″ LED QVGA screen
• Tweeters (25mm x 2)
• Woofers (75mm x 2)
• Dedicated subwoofers (135mm x 2)
• 40 Watts total power output
• Sealed iPod & iPhone Enclosure
• MP3, WMA, AAC, LPCM support
• 4GB internal memory
• 10-D batteries or AC Adapter
The STZ-D10Z-R is available in November for a suggested price of $499.