Pioneer’s New MIXTRAX Technology Puts a New Spin on the Music Experience

MIAMI–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. continues to innovate entertainment and audio technologies and today introduces MIXTRAX™, a proprietary technology which creates a nonstop mix of an entire music library to create a club-like atmosphere. Designed for music lovers and the club-going audience, MIXTRAX takes the music from an iPhone/iPod or USB/SD device and plays it back with added transitions and effects creating a virtual DJ inside select Pioneer products. Derived from Pioneer’s experience in developing world-renowned professional DJ products, MIXTRAX is implemented in a variety of worldwide Pioneer car audio products and STEEZ products designed for the dance community.

“Pioneer’s MIXTRAX technology combines our rich DJ heritage with our passion for music and delivers a unique DJ infused listening experience to our customers.”

“Music has a unique ability to affect our moods, our feelings, and even our energy levels. With MIXTRAX, the listener hears the same kind of high-energy, nonstop mix they’d hear in a club or at a party, but now created seamlessly from their own music collection,” said Andy Parsons, senior vice president at Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. “Pioneer’s MIXTRAX technology combines our rich DJ heritage with our passion for music and delivers a unique DJ infused listening experience to our customers.”

Pioneer’s MIXTRAX technology transforms a consumer’s music library into customizable tracks that can be processed by select Pioneer products. Using Pioneer’s free MIXTRAX music management software, the user’s entire music collection is analyzed and various musical attributes including tempo and beats per minute (BPM) are identified. The software then tags each song and creates an assortment of playlists categorized in different genres and musical styles such as Beat, Chill, and Thump. The advanced analysis of the software identifies the best transition points of each song in the music library and seamlessly mixes and blends the tracks together, much like a DJ performing live.

Additionally, the Mix Style can be selected between Active, Standard and Simple, adjusting the intensity of the effects and transitions used, and the duration of each track within the mix. The custom MIXTRAX playlists can be transferred to a USB/SD memory device (not included) and played through an assortment of Pioneer in-car Audio Video products (see model list below) and STEEZ products, as well as transferred directly into STEEZ products for playback. Pioneer’s in-car Audio Video receiver takes advantage of its large LCD touchscreen by animating the album art of the currently playing track in time with the mix, creating a truly unique in-vehicle music experience.

To easily and quickly enjoy nonstop mix of music, a simpler version of the technology called MIXTRAX EZ is built-in to several Pioneer in-dash products for both in-car CD receivers and in-car Audio Video receivers. Featured in new in-car CD receivers (see model chart below), three types of DJ-style transitions (Flanger, Echo and Crossfade) and six sound effects (Backspin 1 and 2, Echo, Trans, Roll and Scratch) are automatically added between songs for a nonstop, continuous listening experience.

To further enhance the “dance club in your car” atmosphere, the illumination buttons and display of the in-car CD receivers pulsates and changes color. Two modes of illumination (defeatable), each with six color patterns, create different light effects to give users a cool and fun experience.

The third in-vehicle implementation of MIXTRAX is in an iPhone App that can be used with Pioneer’s revolutionary AppRadio™, the first in-vehicle product designed to utilize the smartphone’s processing power, storage capacity, network connectivity and apps as the primary source for its information and entertainment capabilities. Similar to the MIXTRAX software, the MIXTRAX iPhone App compares the tracks stored in the iPhone’s music library with Pioneer’s list of analyzed music stored in its Internet servers to identify musical characteristics and create custom playlists with DJ style effects and transitions for a nonstop mix of songs that can be played back and controlled through the Pioneer AppRadio.

Microsite: http://www.mixtrax-global.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mixtrax/

The MIXTRAX feature is available in the following car electronics products:

About Pioneer

Pioneer’s Car Electronics Division is known for offering the kind of in-car products that make driving more enjoyable by offering high quality audio and video, seamless connectivity and ease-of-use. Its focus is on the development of new digital technologies including audio video, navigation and emerging media, while maintaining its strong heritage in products for car audio enthusiasts and sound competitors.

Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. is headquartered in Long Beach, Calif., and its U.S. Web address is www.pioneerelectronics.com. Its parent company, Pioneer Corporation, is a leader in optical disc technology and a preeminent manufacturer of high-performance audio, video and computer equipment for the home, car and business markets. The company focuses on three core business domains including home electronics, car electronics, and Digital Network Entertainment™.

PIONEER is a registered trademark of Pioneer Corporation.

IPOD, IPOD TOUCH, IPHONE and iTUNES are registered trademarks of Apple Inc.

MIXTRAX is a trademark of Pioneer Corporation.