Pioneer CDJ2000 problemo or me?? To hang the headphones up or not?
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Pioneer CDJ2000 problemo or me?? To hang the headphones up or not? Posted on: 11.08.2012 by Eliz Saide Hey just making a post as I done my first gig last evening
in a year. This was easily the worst evening
of Dj'ing in my life if I am honest. I have been Djing for 8 years, started on vinyl and worked my way through the stages as technology advanced until I got the Traktor s4. Basically the club had cdj2000's so no need for me to bring my gear
. I was very nervous as I had never used the cdj2000's before and rightly so. I am just wondering if anyone else has experienced this. Basically I got to the gig and put the cd in. Yea I was nervous as it was first gig in a long time, though I basically could not beatmatch. I kept trying but basically it kept fucking up. I knew the cdj2000's have the bpm on the screen so I started following by this and bammm I was still messing up even following the on screen bpm counters. I did not put these tracks through Rekordbox because it was acting up so I was just using normal cds but they still should of been fine. The amount of effort I had to put into beatmatching and then they would be fine, and then they would drift and be all over the show I just threw the head up and got very cross which did not help at all. I felt the jog wheel was not consistent in its response also. I got really down about this and was ready for hanging up the headphones and still considering canceling next weeks gig because I would not like to embarrass myself in front of a larger crowd. The other guy before me seemed to do it pretty fine though and I would never be a person to blame a bad set on the gear . The other thing is I started Djing probably over 8 years back so I am not a newbie. I learnt to beatmatch on vinyl, cdj's etc so I was not raised as a 'sync' DJ and beatmatching was never a problem though I do admit I use sync most of the time on the s4 because I hate how small the pitch fader is on the things. If I was the promoter as well I would never have booked me back as it was worse than my first gig and I have never had a gig that has went this bad. Anyone had any evening s like this DJ'ing or problems with the CDJ2000s I can not stress how much I do would not blame gear as the guy before me was fine but something was just not right for me. And the big question should I cancel next weeks gig and take time out as it will be a full house. Cheers M | |
| Babette Poppiti 23.08.2012 |
Originally Posted by wampaone
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| Amira Gotcher 23.08.2012 |
Originally Posted by manus
i believe i know what the problem was - i suspect that the cdjs were running an old firmware and that Master Tempo (Pioneers pitch/key lock) was switched on. The older firmware had fault in the algorithm which would make tracks sound like they were drifting out of time, even though they actually weren't. Naturally you'd try to correct it, but you were actually making the timing worse and if you weren't aware what was happening you could quickly trainwreck a perfectly good mix. Couple that with a lack of practice and a few nerves and you've got a recipe for a problem. Pioneer eventually fixed the problem in a recent firmware update. I doubt your tracks were at fault either unless they were all recorded from vinyl or had been damaged. highly unlikely though - i have never experienced an error or a skip in any digital file i've played on the 2000's in the last couple of years. |
| Eliz Saide 23.08.2012 |
Originally Posted by DJ Bob
I am not sure you are right. I mean i did practice and it was all okay and had no problems with any other device before or after. I also realised how easy it is to beatmatch on the 2000's as well with the bpm basically in front on you once I got everything sorted. It wasn't like I had an off day on the technics. THE BPM WAS STARING AT ME! I believe after 8 years of DJing throughout every method of DJ'ing I know when tracks are drifting. The more I believe about it the more it does make sense. I know the guy before did okay but then again he was not using my tracks either to play with. I do not mean to sound like a bad loser in this post. Trust me I dont. Maybe it was an off day but I believe my mother could beatmatch on 2000's with the bpm value being in front of you. |
| Amira Gotcher 23.08.2012 |
Originally Posted by manus
the 'solution' you describe above though is not correct though. the problem that some people found with the last version of rekordbox would not affect your ability to beatmatch at all. it also wouldn't matter when the clubs cdjs were updated either. the gear wasn't the problem, it sounds like you just needed a bit of practice... |
| Lizabeth Peight 19.08.2012 |
Originally Posted by defmd
Kudos to good advice. |
| Eliz Saide 15.08.2012 |
Originally Posted by ksandvik
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| Teresia Janusch 13.09.2012 | Just realised ur in Belfast...same as myself, so im guessing if they had CDJ2000s, this was either Thompsons or Yello? Ive found the CDJ2000s to work the same as every other CDJ made by pioneer when it comes to beat matching etc... since im in the area, if i can help u out, give me a shout |
| Karolis Petrauskas 27.08.2012 | I'd say practice at home with your s4 and mix by ear. This will warm you up for the next gig. I got so used to using sync with traktor that I took down my s4 and plugged in my 1200's. I also started using Serato thanks to Haze on the boards. |
| Alla Bluemke 23.08.2012 | I also just bring un analyzed tracks as well. So CDs, or a thumb drive with just folders of tracks. That way the software can't play a role in it just the CDJS. |
| Babette Poppiti 23.08.2012 |
Originally Posted by wampaone
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| Amira Gotcher 23.08.2012 |
Originally Posted by manus
i believe i know what the problem was - i suspect that the cdjs were running an old firmware and that Master Tempo (Pioneers pitch/key lock) was switched on. The older firmware had fault in the algorithm which would make tracks sound like they were drifting out of time, even though they actually weren't. Naturally you'd try to correct it, but you were actually making the timing worse and if you weren't aware what was happening you could quickly trainwreck a perfectly good mix. Couple that with a lack of practice and a few nerves and you've got a recipe for a problem. Pioneer eventually fixed the problem in a recent firmware update. I doubt your tracks were at fault either unless they were all recorded from vinyl or had been damaged. highly unlikely though - i have never experienced an error or a skip in any digital file i've played on the 2000's in the last couple of years. |
| Eliz Saide 23.08.2012 |
Originally Posted by DJ Bob
I am not sure you are right. I mean i did practice and it was all okay and had no problems with any other device before or after. I also realised how easy it is to beatmatch on the 2000's as well with the bpm basically in front on you once I got everything sorted. It wasn't like I had an off day on the technics. THE BPM WAS STARING AT ME! I believe after 8 years of DJing throughout every method of DJ'ing I know when tracks are drifting. The more I believe about it the more it does make sense. I know the guy before did okay but then again he was not using my tracks either to play with. I do not mean to sound like a bad loser in this post. Trust me I dont. Maybe it was an off day but I believe my mother could beatmatch on 2000's with the bpm value being in front of you. |
| Amira Gotcher 23.08.2012 |
Originally Posted by manus
the 'solution' you describe above though is not correct though. the problem that some people found with the last version of rekordbox would not affect your ability to beatmatch at all. it also wouldn't matter when the clubs cdjs were updated either. the gear wasn't the problem, it sounds like you just needed a bit of practice... |
| Hyman Werness 22.08.2012 | they did say the most recent version of recordbox was specifically for MEP-7000 and DO NOT USE WITH CDJ'S!!!! hope everything starts going well for ya ... it has happened to us all at some point ... no quitters here!!! KEEP MIXING!!! |
| Jason Mcewing 22.08.2012 | you're just nervous dude, happens to all of us.. I'd be nervous as well because I use CDJ1000mk3s and i have never used the newer cdjs so i'd be getting all my easy mixes done early to adjust to them. |
| Erich Vallabhaneni 22.08.2012 | I don't believe you should quit, that'd be giving up. Just remember, for every evening you aren't on your game and missing your beats, there will be a evening you will be on fire and it will all come super easy. Just be confident in your skills as a DJ |
| Eliz Saide 21.08.2012 | Well just to make an update on the situation. I went to the point of nearly renting out the 2000's for a evening
to get used to them. Thank God I did not. I mixed constantly just using the pitch bender on my s4 and no issues what so ever. I still did not explain what had went so wrong on the Friday. However I got the problem fixed! Basically what was wrong was that the rekordbox I was using was a too recent update with some bugs in it. I was chatting to some guys in DJ shops, the DJ on the week before me and they all came to same conclusion and advised me to downgrade my rekordbox to 1.5.3 because the clubs CDJ's might not be upgraded. All I can say is this worked perfect and I had not one issue in the slightest. Apart from a couple of tracks not showing up on my USB's there was nothing that faulted the gig overall. I know it sounds bad to blame gear but my lack of knowledge going into the gig is what made the issue with Rekordbox etc. I thought it was just a case of burning tracks via rekordbox and then going to gig without taking into consideration updates etc.(Which in my opinion is a bit of a pain) I mean my tracks played perfect on a $100 pioneer car stereo and had issues on a $2000 pioneer CDJ. The gig went well and I got asked back on the Sunday for another gig so it was all good. I suppose sometimes you have to learn the hard way |
| Alla Bluemke 21.08.2012 | Pioneers still take a little beat matching to get perfect. Because even if the screen says 128.0, and the another CDJ does as well. It could actually be like .05 off or something like that, or more, its hard to tell, so screening the track is needed. I would go with the next gig, and just prepare more next time. Give your tracks a rinse through rekord box, and try to familiarize yourself with the 2000s a little more. |
| Teresia Janusch 20.08.2012 | if uved used any cdj in the past you should have no problem with the 2000's, they all work the same way from a user point of view |
| Jenae Hensarling 20.08.2012 | I own a S4 and CDJ 1000's and I have never a day in my life used the "sync" button. Increase the pitch resolution on s4 to 4 or 6% to simulate a longer pitch fader on the 2000's. Then go into settings and turn off the BPM display. This way you're not "cheating" and just looking at the BPM's to beat match. I have seen a fair number of dj's who depend on the BPM read out of Traktor and then when they are forced to mix on a CDJ with a BPM read out to the tenths, they still can't beat match. Like others have said, practice. In my opinion beat matching isn't like riding a bike. You must continue to practice the skill or you loose it. Best of luck. |
| Babette Poppiti 20.08.2012 | i was gonna say... maybe there was a delay on the monitors, which would make getting your cue off point & beat matching extremely hard - however if the guy before you was fine & didn't say anything, i doubt it. definitely work on youe cdj & skills again - no harm in just polishing your timing skills up. i'd have thought the 2000's will be almost identical feel jog wheel wise to the 1000's, so should be pretty easy. |
| Lizabeth Peight 19.08.2012 |
Originally Posted by defmd
Kudos to good advice. |
| Gigi Weese 19.08.2012 | I hope my honest reply does not get slaughtered. In my opinion if you can beatmatch it really does not matter what gear
you use. Whether it is an S4, CDJ's, denon or plain vinyl you should be able to go by ear not by bpm's on the CDJ display. I started on belt driven technics which are known to drift by default, so you always had to make minor corrections. If you come from that era then all it takes is practice without the sync buttons. Forget about the tools as they are just tools and it's all about dusting off your beatchmatch skills. Rekordbox does not matter, it only saves you time just like with traktor. You can set beatmarkers and the Grid / BPM is available. Still all those things won't help you if you can't make the final corrections. They way I see i at the moment the problem is you and only you can fix it by practicing. The other option is to use the CDJ 2000 in combination with Traktor. You can control Traktor via the CDJ 2000 using the advanced HID, no timecode required. This way you can continue to use the sync feature of traktor and there is no need to even look at the laptop screen (I still recommend practicing your beatmatch skills). You do need to get yourself familiar with how to use the CDJ2000 to control Traktor, e.g. Link, create an Agregate device, Layout of the default button mappings as you don't want to use a mouse, etc. In order to do this you do need to spend some time with the CDJ 2000 and how to set them up. Hopefully you have a friend or club owner which allows you to spend some time with them. In the club I never bring my S4 and always use the CDJ2000's in combination with Rekordbox, Traktor, X1 and F1. I can switch between between rekordbox and traktor on the fly. There is no easy way back in, practice, practice and practice. In the meantime use traktor and it's sync features to your benefit. |
| Eliz Saide 15.08.2012 |
Originally Posted by ksandvik
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| Malka Wickerham 14.08.2012 | You got to bounce back and keep moving forward. If the dude before you was spinning alright then it's not the gear . Try messing with the pitch range on the CDJ. I believe it defaults at +-10. If your used to technics with the +-8 then this might be messing with you as it did with me. I change the CDJs to +-6. Also were the CDJs set to vinyl mode? When you mess up, just smile and keep chuggin. Don't let the crowd know your sweatin. |
| Celine Surico 13.08.2012 |
Originally Posted by Era 7
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| Tesha Freudenstein 13.08.2012 | if you started on vinyl you should certainly be able to get it down with CDJs. just keep trying |
| Eliz Saide 11.08.2012 | I know that I am good enough. I have been doing it for over 8 years and have had residencies, radio shows etc. so its not that that I living in denial and believeing I am good when I am not. I have the ability definitily and it has proved in the past. I just took a year out from playing out to concentrate on saving money and moving to Australia and now I am here I wanted to get back into the scene and was excited because I was starting from scratch out here. Unfortunately the gig was a evening mare and I have put my S4 up on gumtree for swap for pioneer cdj's 1000's and its only about a month old with a flightcase, warranty receipts etc. Its a move I did not want to do but I never want to go through that again so thought it was the only option as I do not know anyone out here I can go over to and have a spin on theres yet. I read up about the tracks drifting and it seems to be a common problem on the cdj 2000's that has never been properly fixed. In saying that the guy before me played with no problems at all so its probably just a case of getting used to the cdj's but still I do not feel like getting used to anything while there is a club full of people in front of me. As I said before I can beatmatch I have been doing it for 90% of my DJ'ing life and never had a problem before even when taking a break from it before so it really got me down when everything went tits up on friday. Do not get me wrong I was in a really shitty mood and not as prepared as I would like to have been on Friday but it was unacceptable what happened. I just do not know how I could some practice in before then. I doubt they would let me practice some time before the gig and if they did I am sure they would be a bit warey that they just hired a DJ to close a evening club who is not 100% with the gear he is using so do not want to go down that road. |
| Celine Surico 11.08.2012 |
Originally Posted by padi_04
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| Nedra Fresneda 11.08.2012 | He already knows how to beatmatch. |
| Celine Surico 11.08.2012 | You could learn beatmatching without sync on the S4, too. Not that I never understood why some are so purists about sync, if the audience likes the atmosphere, that's the main thing. I.e. with sync you have more brain cycles to splice together 6 songs in six minutes. |
| Nedra Fresneda 11.08.2012 | Don't cancel your next gig. Try to practice your beatmatching during the week and don't panic, it only makes things worse. |
| Charline Dye 11.08.2012 | See if they can let you in to practice on the gear and get more familiar with it. |
| Janyce Henningson 11.08.2012 | I've never used 2000's mate but i've had evening
s like that when it was just a trainwreck, it happens. Sounds like you just got more stressed as you went along - anyone who has Dj'ed out of the bedrroom has had a evening like that, trust me - if they say not they are liars. Only you really know if you're good enough - if you believe so don't give up Just be better prepared next time - download recordbox, get everything analysed and use the USB drives - and make sure your set is solid, practice it if you feel like you need to. |
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