Denon DJ Setup Guide
TimecodeLink reads Denon DJ Engine OS players over the local network using StagelinQ, the protocol the players already speak. There is nothing to install on the players: put them and the TimecodeLink computer on the same network.
Denon support is in beta. Beta users run it with SC5000 players and an X1800 mixer. The other players below speak the same protocol and should work the same way, but we haven't confirmed them on real hardware yet. If you play one of them, a report through Report Issue in the app helps a lot.
Supported hardware
| Hardware | Status |
|---|---|
| SC5000 / SC5000M | Tested by beta users (Engine OS 5) |
| SC6000 / SC6000M | Expected to work, not confirmed yet |
| Prime 2 | Tested by beta users (Engine OS 5) |
| Prime 4, Prime Go | Expected to work, not confirmed yet |
| X1800 mixer | Tested by beta users |
| X1850 mixer | Expected to work, not confirmed yet |
TimecodeLink follows the players themselves. The Engine DJ desktop app is not an input.
Step 1: Network setup
Connect the players and the computer running TimecodeLink to the same network switch. The X1850 has network ports of its own, so with an X1850 you can plug everything into the mixer instead.
- Use wired Ethernet. Wi-Fi works, but don't rely on it for a show
- Without a router on the network, the players give themselves a 169.254.x.x address. Leave the computer's network set to Auto (DHCP) and it does the same, so they can see each other
- Give every player its own player number in the player's settings. Two players set to the same number fight over the same decks
Step 2: Install TimecodeLink
Download and install TimecodeLink from the download page.
On a Mac, the first launch asks for permission to find devices on local networks. Click Allow. TimecodeLink needs it to find the players. On Windows, the installer adds the firewall rule for you.
Step 3: Select the Denon input
In TimecodeLink's Settings, set Input to Denon (beta). Leave Interface on Auto (recommended) unless the computer is on several networks; then pick the one the players are on.
The decks appear within a few seconds with track name, BPM and play state. Each player has two decks: player 1 shows up as decks 1 and 2, player 2 as decks 3 and 4, and so on. A Prime 4 is decks 1 to 4. Tracks played from a USB stick or SD card in the players also show their overview waveform.
Step 4: Map your tracks
Drag the same audio files you put on the players' USB stick or SD card into the Track List panel, and give each one a start timecode. TimecodeLink matches the track on a deck to your list by file name, so keep the file names the same on the computer and on the drive.
Step 5: Choose how the deck is selected
Pick how TimecodeLink decides which deck drives the timecode:
- On Air: follows the deck whose channel fader is up. A Prime unit reports its own faders; SC players pass on the faders of the X1800 or X1850 they're connected to
- Master: follows the sync master deck
- Fixed Deck: always uses one deck number
Troubleshooting
Players not appearing
Check that the players and the computer are on the same switch and the same address range (all 192.168.x.x from a router, or all 169.254.x.x without one). If the computer's firewall blocks incoming UDP on port 51337, the players stay invisible. Then restart TimecodeLink.
"Port 51337 in use"
Another app on the computer is holding the port the players announce themselves on. Close it and restart TimecodeLink.
Two players show up on the same decks
Both players are set to the same player number. Give each one its own number in the player's settings.
Something looks wrong
Denon support is new, so wrong track lengths, pitch or deck numbers are worth reporting. Use Report Issue in TimecodeLink while the players are connected; the report tells us what the players sent.
Comparing DJ timecode tools? See who TimecodeLink is for.