As more DJs make the move to MP3, they’re becoming pickier about what they want in a playback unit. After all, MP3 is about having greater choice in your music, so why shouldn’t you be able to get the exact set of features you want in a player too?

Unfortunately, this hasn’t been as easy as it sounds. For example, one of MP3’s many conveniences for working DJs is that you can organize your tracks into folders and conduct a quick search to find any given title, artist or type of music. However, most modestly-priced MP3 players are without this Folder Search ability. To get it, you typically had to step up to a higher-end unit, but many of these also come with spiffy options like digital scratching effects, which the average club jock isn’t ever going to use -- and shouldn’t have to pay for.

That’s where American Audio’s new MCD-710 dual MP3/CD player fits in. A 2-space rack mount unit, it’s designed for DJs who want to take their MP3 performances to the next level and enjoy the full conveniences of the MP3 format, yet don’t want to pay for a deck loaded with gizmos they don’t need.

Looking at the MCD-710, it’s apparent American Audio put some serious thought into which whistles and bells to include. It’s almost like they’ve taken a “wish list” from working DJs and put it all together in a neat little deck with a street price of under $400.

A far cry from not-much-lower-priced bare-bones units, MCD-710 is actually a rather cushy player. It’s got some nice amenities like Looping, an Auto BPM Counter, a Bop Effect, Fader Q Start (when used with compatible American Audio mixers), and Tempo Lock, so you can change the speed of tracks without altering the pitch.

It’s also got the capability to process the handy data provided by the MP3 format, such as listing MP3 tracks by artist and title (which appear on a bright easy-to-read fluorescent VFD display). And it’s got the aforementioned Folder Search feature, which is a great tool for pros who work different types of gigs, because it lets you essentially create playlists of different music categories such as “Wedding Songs” or “’80s Tunes” and quickly search for any desired track.

Performance-wise, we were impressed with the MCD-710 from the get-go. We popped in our MP3 disc, hit the Start button, and it began playing instantly. Some comparably priced decks can take up to a minute to start. Even some of the more expensive players that claim to have Instant Start often have a lag time. But the MCD-710 truly lives up to its 10-millisecond Instant Start billing. You’ll really appreciate this great speed in front of an audience, because it saves you from embarrassing dead spaces.

Another thing you’ll like is how the MCD-710 allows you to do basically everything with your MP3 tracks that you can with regular CDs. It gives you adjustable pitch control of +/-4%, +/-8%, or +/-16% for both MP3 and CD tracks. It also has an Advanced Cueing feature that searches MP3 tracks by frame, as CD players do, rather than by second, as MP3 players have typically done. Since there are 72 frames per second, you get vastly superior precision control in your MP3 cueing with the MCD-710 – the same high level as CDs.

We found some other nice DJ-friendly touches on the MCD-710, like a convenient jog wheel that allows you to search smoothly through discs. We also liked the fact that it uses only one cable (as opposed to two) to connect the control unit to the player, which makes for easier set-up. And it’s trimmed-down in size, taking up only 2 rack spaces – another advantage brought about by American Audio’s careful picking and choosing of which features to include and which to leave out.

American Audio has always prided itself on its staffers’ having DJ-ing experience, and this hands-on knowledge really shows itself in the MCD-710. The company has hit the mark on the most-wanted features in an MP3 player, and served them up at a really great price.