Offizieller Kommentar
@brad > The effects functionality changed due to the introduction of the DDJ-1000.
Open your rekordbox preferences, click CONTROLLER, then the Effect tab, and verify that you have the BEAT FX selection set to "Use... as FX SEND/RETURN." That will allow you to use the DJM-900NXS2 in external mode and still have post-fader effects.
Perhaps instead of suggesting that groundbreaking features like Lyric are "gimmicks," you might check in the change-log / documentation to find the reason for the change.