B-52 Prodigy FX DJ CD Workstation
Professional Dual CD-MP3 Player / VCA Mixer with Accutrack.
Overall User Ratings (based on 10 ratings)
Submitted December 3, 2009 by a customer from yahoo.com
"Stay Away"
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
B-52 needs to go back to the drawing board and re-design this system so it is more reliable. My $30 Sony Discman reads discs better than the Prodigy and has seen some abuse.
Sound
Clean sounding. 3-band EQ on each channel makes it easy to dial in the right sound.
Features
Yes, it has alot of features. Sound effects are neat and sound good.
Ease of Use
Pretty basic operation. Some advanced features require reading the manual, but east to figure out.
Quality
Had 2 defective units where the CD-ROM drives would occasionally read DISC ERROR & skip in the middle of songs. First one lasted 5 months then started skipping on my NYE gig. Send back to B-52 twice and they could not fix the problem. B-52 authorized Guitar Center to issue a replacement unit. 3 months later...same problem. Traded in for a new system.
Value
When it worked, it was great!
Manufacturer Support
As bad as the Prodigy FX was, I must admit the support was excellent. I was able to speak directly to the VP of the company on several occasions who even let me use his UPS account to ship.
The Wow Factor
It's easy to be attracted to the Prodigy because of its sleek design and professional-looking facade.
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Submitted November 2, 2012 by Gregory E. Love in Atlanta, GA
"B52 Prodigy FX Overpriced"
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
B52 Prodigy FX is a professional looking mixer/cd player with many desirable features. However, it is composed of many inferior components making the entire unit an unreliable one. The mixer has dual equalizers with kill switches and dual cd players with readers. On the very first gig I used the Prodigy FX, the left cd player became stuck and would not eject the cd that was in it. Fortunately, I had made an MP3 cd with 135 songs on it. I slid it into the right cd player and played off that cd the rest of the night. The song search feature for cd's on the Prodigy FX allowed me to locate any particular song (on this cd) in two or three seconds or less. I carried this unit back to the Guitar Center where I had bought it. They were also unable to get the cd ejected and they promptly gave me another brand new Prodigy FX. This new Prodigy FX also developed a problem with cd's that would not eject. It also developed a short in the receptacle for the power which would cause the entire unit to shut down at any time. Also both cd readers at times would display "error" when a cd would go into the cd player and would not play the cd nor would read the cd. After ejecting the cd and reinserting it into the same cd player, it would read as well as play that same cd. I also bought a B52 Prodigy (a cheaper version of the B52 Prodigy FX) and I had the very same problem as I did with the Prodigy FX. As A result, I would not recommend anyone to buy either the Prodigy or the Prodigy FX. These are products that should not be on the market. The Prodigy and the Prodigy FX are good for use at home. I would not recommend either of these for use by a professional or mobile DJ. They are not reliable units.
Musical Background:
I started mobile DJaying in 2007, djayed in earlier years, I also play the bass guitar
Musical Style:
I play r&b, rock and roll, hip hop, country, blues, etc.
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Submitted March 20, 2010 by a customer from live.com
"Prodigy FX - Read Reviews Before You Buy One"
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I have purchased an Apple laptop computer, a Denon 1500 mixer, and a Denon HS 5500 media player and controller to use in place of the Prodigy FX. When I purchased the FX I was looking for a mixer that was pretty easy to use with a lot of features that are not found on a typical cd player. This product had the features that I was looking for but the quality of the different components caused the FX to be a unit that was unreliable. Because of B-52's reputation, I thought the Prodigy FX to be a quality product. Was I wrong. In spite of it all, and though going digital, if B-52 were to get the bugs out of the Prodigy FX, I'd buy another one in a heartbeat. Presently I still have a Prodigy FX and a Prodigy. I will be trading them in on other DJ equipment in the near future.
Features
The track finder on each side of the Prodigy FX allows a DJ to quickly find tracks on any cd. Even with MP3 cd's with over 120 tracks (songs), I was able to locate tracks that I wanted in two to three seconds. This feature is extremely helpful when doing a gig with so many things going on at the DJ table. I also like the mic setup which allowed
Ease of Use
The Prodigy B-52 is very easy to use. The manual that accompanies the product is very informative and easy to follow. With the equalizers on each channels and kill switches, it is easy to get just the sound you may want from any musical selection that plays on the Prodigy FX.
Quality
This is a very impressive looking piece of equipment. Fit and finish are excellent. However, the quality and value versus the cost of one of these units does not match up. This is an extremely unreliable unit with a tremendous amount of features. I bought an FX in November, 2007 and at a gig the following month a cd became stuck in the cd player. I did everything I could to get the cd ejected but nothing worked. I had to finish the gig with only half of the unit functioning. I carried it back to Guitar Center where I bought it and no one there could get the cd ejected either. They immediately gave me another brand new FX. In 2008, the same thing happened with this unit. It also developed a short in receptacle connection that connects to the power cord. I bought a Prodigy, the cheaper version of the FX, in 2009, and a cd stuck in it the first time I used it. It's apparent that B-52 knew there would be problems with cd's becoming stuck in the cd players which is why there is a stated procedure in the manual for ejecting cd's that may become stuck. This procedure does not always.
Value
In my opinion, the Prodigy FX is not worth its selling price. The quality and value is just not there. I could slide a cd in for play and the disc reader would say "error." I would take it out and put it into the cd player on the other side, and disc reader would read the same cd and play it. I would then take it out put it back into the same cd player that previously stated "error," and the cd reader would read it and play the cd. When doing a gig, I would be sitting on pins and needles wondering when this unit would quit doing what it was supposed to do. Just too many problems for a unit costing this much money. With all the features it has, the Prodigy FX could have been a hell of a mixer.
Manufacturer Support
I have been in contact with the company only once. This was because a company I was using (Wizard Electronics in Atlanta, never will use them again) to get the FX repaired claimed to have sent the unit to the factory for repairs. They even went so far as to send me a form for authorization to send it to the factory. In any event after almost a month, I called the factory and found out that Wizard Electronics never sent the unit to the factory and still claimed to have done so until I informed that I had talked to the factory. The individuals I spoke to at the factory were most helpful and cordial.
The Wow Factor
Aesthetically speaking, this product is very appealing to the eye. It looks very "professional." Operation wise, I thought it was well laid out and overall a very good design. I would have had a little more separation between the buttons for looping and some of the other components on the FX.
Musical Background:
DJ
Musical Style:
R&B, Hip Hop, Jazz, etc.
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Submitted July 21, 2013 by Eli Klein in Valley Village, CA
"GREAT for frequent use, reliable product w/ great features A+"
I love this product. When I first bought the original, when it came out the left CD drive did work. I contacted the store and they gave me the contact information of the actual factory that makes the workboard. There, I spoke to the vice president of the company. They paid for shipping to and from the factory, replaced the whole left side of the broad and sent it back this was 3 years ago, I use the product at least once a week and it has not gone bad since. GREAT reliable product. I am going to recommend to all my friends. B52 has now permanently replaced all the work-boards sold with new CD drive, this makes for a better system that will last longer. You can find it for cheap and it's worth the price.
Musical Background:
I'm a DJ for small events and love to listen, make, and produce music
Musical Style:
All types
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Submitted March 14, 2013 by Joe K in Los Angeles, CA
"Great Product"
This is a great product, I got the recently upgraded one and it works really well, high quality mixing, and features! I love it and use it from the range of big parties to family get-togethers.
Musical Background:
Play semi-professionally,
Musical Style:
hip-hop, rock, electronic, techno
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