DJzone DJ Magazine

American Audio’s MCD Series professional rack-mount MP3/CD players have become known for providing cutting-edge features at affordable prices, giving DJs the tools to take their MP3 performances to the next level. Now American Audio has added a new member to its MCD family – the MCD-710 Dual MP3/CD Player– to fill a niche for an MP3 player that’s smaller and priced below the top-of-series MCD-810 model, yet delivers many of the same upper-end features.

Like its bigger brother, the new MCD-710 offers track listing of MP3 songs by artist and title – a must-have convenience for today’s digital music jocks. The MP3 tracks are listed on the unit’s easy-to-read bright fluorescent VFD display. What’s more, like the MCD-810, the MDC-710 has a Folder Search feature, allowing DJs to organize their tracks by folder such as “Wedding Songs,” and call up a search of each folder.

The MCD-710 also shares some other highly desirable features with its upper-end sibling, including Seamless Loop, Tempo Lock (Master Tempo), an Auto BPM Counter, and an on-board Bop Effect.

Yet, the MCD-710 has a suggested retail price of only $599.95 (MAP $399.99). It’s also smaller and more compact than the top-of-the-line model, taking up just 2 rack spaces and weighing only 12 lbs.

there’s a demand for a more diversified arsenal of players

“As more DJs switch over to MP3, there’s a demand for a more diversified arsenal of players to meet their different needs,” said Tom Freret, national sales manager for American Audio. “We came out with the MCD-710 to provide DJs with some of the most-wanted features on an MP3 player -- like track listing, looping, tempo lock, an auto BPM counter and a bop effect – at a price that would be considered low even without these terrific extras, and in an extremely compact unit.”

Like all of the models in the MCD Series, the MCD-710 is equipped with a number of other features that aren’t readily found on MP3 Players at any price point. One of these is Advanced Cueing, which searches MP3 tracks by the frame, as CD players do, rather than by the second, as MP3 players have typically done in the past. With 72 frames per second, the Advanced Cueing feature allows DJs to achieve the same degree of precision control in their MP3 cueing that they do with CDs.

Other superior features of the MCD-710 include: adjustable pitch control of +/-4%, +/-8% or +/-16% for not only CD but also MP3 tracks; and a convenient jog wheel that allows DJs to search smoothly and effortlessly through CD and MP3 discs. Additionally, the MCD-710 features electronic shock protection, Flip Flop (Relay Playback), Fader Q Start (when used with compatible American Audio Q-Series mixers), and S/PDIF digital output.

Taking up 2 rack spaces, the MCD-710 has dimensions of 12”L x 19”W x 3”H for the player unit, and 4”L x 19”W x 3”H for the controller. The suggested retail price of the MCD-710 is $599.95 (MAP $399.99).

In addition to the MCD-710, American Audio’s MCD Series includes 3 other models: the top-of –the-line MCD-810 dual player (MSRP $799.95, MAP $499.99); the MCD-510 dual player (MSRP $499.95, MAP $349.99); and the MCD-110 single player (MSRP $299.95,MAP $219.99).