Contemplating my first pair of CDJs... Possibly my first Pioneer products...

Home :: Oldschool - vinyl and disc Djs topic :: Contemplating my first pair of CDJs... Possibly my first Pioneer products...Reply
Contemplating my first pair of CDJs... Possibly my first Pioneer products...
Posted on: 03.01.2013 by Lavenia Markwell
I'm working up a budget for CDJs this year, ready to step outside the laptop. I primarily use Traktor with a Midifighter and external mixer, and I may use the CDJs with Traktor... but I'd ultimately like to be able to leave the laptop out of my setup for most of my gigs. Also, part of the reason I'm going this route is to learn to dj on standard club setups.

I don't have a solid budget set yet, but somewhere around $600 or less for a pair of CDJs is choice. My main considerations are (second hand gear of course) the Pioneer CDJ-400 and the Gemini CDJ-700.

Features I need:

- USB slot for flash drives
- accurate scratching (minimal or no tape-drift), backspins, pitch bending, looping
- reliability and durability!!!
- similar workflow to the club standard (aka mega-expensive gear I can't afford)
...ability to easily integrate into Traktor is a definite plus, but not necessary

Thoughts? Suggestions? Warnings about either of these CDJs? Alternatives?

Much thanks!
Danae Dumler
15.01.2013
Originally Posted by HigherFi
Honestly, save a little more and check out DENON SC-2900. Low end CDJ's are just that, and, I believe Pioneer have been skimping on build quality, as of late. The 2900 competes favorably with the CDJ-2000. And ENGINE is great. Look it up.
Thank you for this. After reading up on it, I believe this is better than a CDJ-2000 unless "industry standard" is important to you. At less than half the price, it sounds like it's still better build quality than the Pioneer, and the software sounds like it's better as well. And I trust Denon gear over Pioneer in general. Something to convert ENGINE to rekordbox would be the killer app here but even without it I might pick one of these up.
Gigi Weese
04.01.2013
Originally Posted by Mavis Concave
Definitely not looking for another controller.
Let's see your initial post mentioned:

1. part of the reason I'm going this route is to learn to dj on standard club setups.
2. USB slot for flash drives
3. similar workflow to the club standard (aka mega-expensive gear I can't afford)
4. ability to easily integrate into Traktor is a definite plus, but not necessary

It's not about another controller it's looking at what fits best within your budget to achieve what you are asking, in my book that's an Aero or save up for the CDJ 900's.

Originally Posted by Mavis Concave
And I'm not sure why I would even need to bother with Record Box software... ???
That's like saying why do I need to analyse my tracks in Traktor first. Why do you need to set your cue points etc.. It's all about taking your JOB as DJ serious and prepare yourself to be able to give a maximum performance. If your tracks are analyzed by Rekordbox you will have waveforms and accurate BPM as well as your cuepoints set. There is no point in spinning with the CDJ 2000 Nexus if all you use are the features you can have on a CDJ1000. If your tracks are analyzed you will have accurate Quantized effects on the DJM 900 and 2000, etc.
Tatum Ansaldo
03.01.2013
Originally Posted by Johnv
Why would he consider a Aero when it shows less information on screen (For RB) compared to the any of the modern Pio CDJ's?
Because he can't afford any of the RB compatible CDJs and he wants a laptop free system that can prepare him for the CDJ workflow. That is the xdj-aero.
Tiara Bastarache
03.01.2013		Am I the only one that read the OP?

Originally Posted by Mavis Concave
I'm working up a budget for CDJs this year, ready to step outside the laptop. I primarily use Traktor with a Midifighter and external mixer, and I may use the CDJs with Traktor... but I'd ultimately like to be able to leave the laptop out of my setup for most of my gigs.
The guy already has a mixer. He wants to leave his computer out of the setup in the long run. Why would he consider a Aero when it shows less information on screen (For RB) compared to the any of the modern Pio CDJ's?
Gigi Weese
03.01.2013
Originally Posted by Johnv
I'm not going to because its not worth him wasting his money on something outdated.

I told him to simply save up for 850's.

Also by the sounds of it he already has gear so I'm going to assume that he can wait until he has enough cash.
Makes most sense... save up instead of wasting. You do want to play your Tracks via Rekordbox instead of CD's. It will be much easier to use the full potential of the gear in the club. If you really can't wait get an XDJ Aero at least that way you will use rekordbox and can control Traktor via the standard available midi mapping. The aero has a similar workflow as to what you will have on any Pioneer gear.
Tiara Bastarache
03.01.2013
Originally Posted by jonham
Then recommend him something else for $600 or less, John.
I'm not going to because its not worth him wasting his money on something outdated.

I told him to simply save up for 850's.

Also by the sounds of it he already has gear so I'm going to assume that he can wait until he has enough cash.
Danae Dumler
15.01.2013
Originally Posted by HigherFi
Honestly, save a little more and check out DENON SC-2900. Low end CDJ's are just that, and, I believe Pioneer have been skimping on build quality, as of late. The 2900 competes favorably with the CDJ-2000. And ENGINE is great. Look it up.
Thank you for this. After reading up on it, I believe this is better than a CDJ-2000 unless "industry standard" is important to you. At less than half the price, it sounds like it's still better build quality than the Pioneer, and the software sounds like it's better as well. And I trust Denon gear over Pioneer in general. Something to convert ENGINE to rekordbox would be the killer app here but even without it I might pick one of these up.
Shan Bauerly
14.01.2013		Honestly, save a little more and check out DENON SC-2900. Low end CDJ's are just that, and, I believe Pioneer have been skimping on build quality, as of late. The 2900 competes favorably with the CDJ-2000. And ENGINE is great. Look it up.
Tatum Ansaldo
07.01.2013		It's only ever been the TOTR CDJ that has hot cues, so every iteration of the 1000 and 2000. Not even the 900 has more than 1 cue point.
Dell Brais
06.01.2013		Hi op.

I just got my hands on a set of CDJ 350s from a friend but started off similarly to you with Traktor and controllers.
I definately believe trying CDJs is great, if nothing else its slightly different and a whole lot of fun albeit without the level of control/power you get with software and a whole bunch of controls.

I would say what i don't believe has been mentioned yet is that the 350 only has 1 cue point which I find is very limiting other than to have a bit of fun at home and get familiar with the CDJ layout and (what I believe is the biggest benefit of spinning on CDJs) - rely on your ears and less on fancy wave forms and visual aids that without getting into a whole debate about beatmatching etc will help you musically which is a good thing.

To that extent, the lower end CDJs are actually better than splashing out for the higher end ones which I feel really blurs the line between controller and CDJ at which point you may as well just go the full on controller/laptop route, esp if the you have got full wave forms etc like the 2000nexus. Not sure if the 400 has hot cues but that's probably all you need for now.

Also - i agree prepping your tracks on RB etc etc is all about being a good DJ esp if you are relying on live performance and not making mistakes but you need to find the right balance between fun and a good performance and IMO doing things on the fly is a lot more fun plus the beauty of my 350s are that i don't need to waste time with a computer and if i'm going to start warping and pre-cueing tracks i may as well just use traktor.
Tamela Batara
04.01.2013		The 350's are recordbox compatible, and would be only slightly more expensive than 400's. They would easily be comparable to the 400's.

That said, I sold mine after a year, because they were a bit basic for my liking (as the 400 would be also), and am currently saving for 900's or 2000's. Don't believe I would bother with the 850's as they have no DJ link for pulling tracks off different decks and recordbox (like the 900's and 2000's do).

If all you want is a decent CDJ with half decent spec list, then the CDJ 700 from Gemini would fill the gap fairly well, assuming your not looking for club standard, or the Denon players are nice and not as expensive as Pioneer.
Lavenia Markwell
04.01.2013		F*ck. If only the 400s were compatible with rekordbox... They would be a perfect fit for me.

I'm going to pass on the Aero route as I want the ability to be able to load up cds at any moment as well as play from usb sticks. I totally see what you mean about it being a solid learning tool for the Pioneer workflow. Good suggestion for anyone who doesn't have interest in using cds in their media players ever.

So it looks like my options at this point are:

- save up for 850s or 900s refurbished or used (to be Rekordbox compatible)
- get 400s or 800s used and not bother with Rekordbox (like people have been doing for years)
- go totally rogue and get gemini or some other brand of media players (which nobody has commented on so far)

Thanks for all the input thus far. I'm kinda torn between getting 400s and 850s. Saving money is a pretty big deal right now... I can definitely wait to buy gear, but I'm not sure if I'll ever have enough saved for something like 850s as income has been pretty shakey the past year.
Mimi Mahaffee
04.01.2013		i wouldnt consider the xdj aero as a controller since its a standalone hardware unit with a real mixer and a soundcard.
its like having a cdj 350 set but without being able to play cds and even better in the aspect of functions since it has a dedicated filter for each channel.
i have cdj 2000 nexus + djm 900 which i normally use but i also have a aero which i use when i have to bring my own gear, it does the job. definately recommend it to anyone who want the "pioneer" club feel but dot want to shell out so much money!
Precious Pequignot
04.01.2013		Rekordbox is the way forward for pioneer. If u want similar workflow, thats the only way i believe.

Save up for cdj 850s/ cdj 900s?
Gigi Weese
04.01.2013
Originally Posted by Mavis Concave
Definitely not looking for another controller.
Let's see your initial post mentioned:

1. part of the reason I'm going this route is to learn to dj on standard club setups.
2. USB slot for flash drives
3. similar workflow to the club standard (aka mega-expensive gear I can't afford)
4. ability to easily integrate into Traktor is a definite plus, but not necessary

It's not about another controller it's looking at what fits best within your budget to achieve what you are asking, in my book that's an Aero or save up for the CDJ 900's.

Originally Posted by Mavis Concave
And I'm not sure why I would even need to bother with Record Box software... ???
That's like saying why do I need to analyse my tracks in Traktor first. Why do you need to set your cue points etc.. It's all about taking your JOB as DJ serious and prepare yourself to be able to give a maximum performance. If your tracks are analyzed by Rekordbox you will have waveforms and accurate BPM as well as your cuepoints set. There is no point in spinning with the CDJ 2000 Nexus if all you use are the features you can have on a CDJ1000. If your tracks are analyzed you will have accurate Quantized effects on the DJM 900 and 2000, etc.
Tiara Bastarache
03.01.2013		Less of a hassle, all tunes are prepped.
Lavenia Markwell
03.01.2013		Definitely not looking for another controller.

And I'm not sure why I would even need to bother with Record Box software... ???
Tatum Ansaldo
03.01.2013
Originally Posted by Johnv
Why would he consider a Aero when it shows less information on screen (For RB) compared to the any of the modern Pio CDJ's?
Because he can't afford any of the RB compatible CDJs and he wants a laptop free system that can prepare him for the CDJ workflow. That is the xdj-aero.
Tiara Bastarache
03.01.2013		Am I the only one that read the OP?

Originally Posted by Mavis Concave
I'm working up a budget for CDJs this year, ready to step outside the laptop. I primarily use Traktor with a Midifighter and external mixer, and I may use the CDJs with Traktor... but I'd ultimately like to be able to leave the laptop out of my setup for most of my gigs.
The guy already has a mixer. He wants to leave his computer out of the setup in the long run. Why would he consider a Aero when it shows less information on screen (For RB) compared to the any of the modern Pio CDJ's?
Tatum Ansaldo
03.01.2013		The xdj-aero is a much better solution for preparing yourself for using a club installed setup, you can use the same rekordbox prepared USB sticks that you'd use on an 850, 900 or 2000 and it'll work with traktor as a controller.
Verline Sura
03.01.2013		from what i hear refurbed pioneer cdjs and mixers are the way to go. as good as new at a fraction of the price.
Mimi Mahaffee
03.01.2013		yeah, the way to go is cdjs with rekordbox for sure.

or go for a xdj aero if u want the pioneer workflow for a better price!
Gigi Weese
03.01.2013
Originally Posted by Johnv
I'm not going to because its not worth him wasting his money on something outdated.

I told him to simply save up for 850's.

Also by the sounds of it he already has gear so I'm going to assume that he can wait until he has enough cash.
Makes most sense... save up instead of wasting. You do want to play your Tracks via Rekordbox instead of CD's. It will be much easier to use the full potential of the gear in the club. If you really can't wait get an XDJ Aero at least that way you will use rekordbox and can control Traktor via the standard available midi mapping. The aero has a similar workflow as to what you will have on any Pioneer gear.
Tiara Bastarache
03.01.2013
Originally Posted by jonham
Then recommend him something else for $600 or less, John.
I'm not going to because its not worth him wasting his money on something outdated.

I told him to simply save up for 850's.

Also by the sounds of it he already has gear so I'm going to assume that he can wait until he has enough cash.

03.01.2013		Then recommend him something else for $600 or less, John.
Tiara Bastarache
03.01.2013		400's don't use Rekordbox and the 850's do. You'll have to resort to CD's for use on all CDJ's. I wouldn't pick the 400's for a silly effect that you can recreate on a mixer.
Danae Dumler
03.01.2013		Damn, why are decent CDJs still so damn expensive?

03.01.2013		Mavis, sorry to interject. You're getting too deep into this, braj. Get the 400s. You can't afford better and you will be very happy. Trust me.
Lavenia Markwell
03.01.2013
Originally Posted by Tiefer
very limited unfortunately with that budget. the cdj 400 is a solid choice but i have found is glitchy in certain live environments. (platter is not steady). I would recommend at least cdj 850's imo.

What type of environments have you found the 400 to be glitchy?

Is the backspin of the 400 the same feel as the 800 or 850? Does the platter size matter for how long the backspin trails out?

03.01.2013		Yes, you would be fine.
Lavenia Markwell
03.01.2013		If I were to learn on 400s, then get booked at a gig where I'm faced with 800s / 900s / 1000s / 2000s, would I be fairly capable of operating those models?

Is the pioneer workflow pretty universal across the CDJ models?

04.01.2013		I prefer 400s over 850s, especially with the built-in WAH effect, which works like a filter. I have 350s at home, use 850s at the venue I play weekly at, and mess around with my friend's 400s every week or so. If you have money to spend, use it on a good mixer. As far as CDJS are concerned, IMO, go with the 400s. Cheap and straight to the point.
Tiara Bastarache
04.01.2013		You can grab a pair of 850 refurbs for a little less then 1100$ USD.
Verline Sura
03.01.2013		very limited unfortunately with that budget. the cdj 400 is a solid choice but i have found is glitchy in certain live environments. (platter is not steady). I would recommend at least cdj 850's imo.

<< Back to Oldschool - vinyl and disc Djs topicReply

Copyright 2012-2023
DJRANKINGS.ORG n.g.o.
Chuo-ku, Osaka, Japan

Created by Ajaxel CMS

Terms & Privacy