Noted! I appreciate the advice. My dilemma is this. I played on a pair of CDJ-400s and DJM-400 for roughly 5 years, so I know how to use them. I recently switched to the X1; I just use that, my laptop, an Audio 6 sound card, and whatever mixer the venue provides. To set a perfect loop on the X1, all you have to do is press down on the necessary rotary--that's all. I've gotten so accustomed to it that 99.9% of my mixes involve loops in some way, which you can hear if you check out my mixes on my SoundCloud page:
Now, setting loops on a CDJ compared to an X1 just seems unnecessarily complicated. I've watched demos on it and not only is it more challenging, but I don't have the equipment to practice on. For these bigger shows, some artists prohibit any and all extra gear--even if it's an extra RCA cable plugged into the mixer. That's why I'm curious about rekordbox and some of its functionalities. I won't be able to utilize it before the gig, anyway, because they're temporarily withholding all license keys until their new product is released. Long story short: I'm having to compromise but doing my best to adapt. It'd be cool to mix the way I normally mix with my X1 + 4-channel mixer but on CDJs instead, and to be able to roll up to the club with headphones and one or two USB sticks, but it's just unlikely. If Pioneer integrated a more user-friendly loop function on their CDJs/mixers, I'd be a very happy man.
That's very, very frustrating given how expensive CDJs are! Well, I suppose I can create a backup USB with my tracks on it should my primary USB with rekordbox malfunction. Anyway, sorry for being so long-winded. Thanks again for your input.
Rekordbox is a pain in the balls, but in all honesty, it'll help you use the features of using cdjs without sounding like a dumbass. I' recommend showing up before the show to test out the music you have from your USB/HD, you run the risk of your cue points and music being corrupted if you transferred them incorrectly or because rekordbox just decided to ruin one of the most important openings of your life, so take your laptop with you!!!! Either you do the USB/HD route or just take cds and use them ears for the loops. If you use sync then have quantize on in the main menu of the cdjs, if you save your music from rekordbox you can have the quantize mode activated automatically through rekordbox settings, it'll automatically import with your music. Just make sure your beatgrids are on point or else you run the risk of sounding like a dumbass, even with sync. Good luck mate, post up vids and pics of the performance for us!!
Really? Press 'In' to start the loop and 'Out' to set the end point. press 'Exit' to leave the loop.
There's lots of other advanced loop functions on the CDJ but the above is all you really need to know for your gig.
If you can't get a rekordbox licence key in time then just burn some CDs as a backup.
Don't believe all the bad press about rekordbox, it's not the best program in the world but it's perfectly fine if you use it as a librarian to manage and transfer your files. Looking forward to seeing what improvements the new version has...
Yeah, but the difficult part for me is adjusting the loop if I get the timing wrong. I've watched videos, but I just don't feel confident enough to attempt anything like that on the fly. What other advanced loops functions are there?
Cool, thanks. And I'm looking forward to checking out the new version, too.
VCM100 / X1 / DJM250 / DJM900 / CDJ2000s / Maschine / Audio2+4 / 2i4 / HS8s / TSP 2.6.8
Macbook Air i7-3667U+8GB 10.9 / Win7x64 i5-3570k+24GB
no probs and glad to have been a bit of help. Intrigued as to what Pioneer have in mind with the new Rekordbox (and if any new gears about to drop)?
Sadly with the CDJ 2000 nexus and only having it a few weeks, I was building up my gear working a bar each week and scrimping and saving. Managed to get an RMX 1000, then an exdemo CDJ 2000 just as they were dicontinued. Then managed to put a deposit on a simiar exdemo DJM 2000 (again just as the Nexus version arrived). Saved for both that and a CDJ Nexus 2000 which I loved - and was hoping to get a 2nd so I'd have 3 decks. But just as I managed to get my cdjs and djm setup, a festival I'd been working on for a 9 months promoting didn't do so great and had to sell the whole lot to try an cover some of the loses. Heartbreaking but it happens.
So I've been slowly getting gear back again piece by piece, this time all in white (apart from my current CDJ 1000s which I'm selling on next week and the ecler mixer - going to get a pair of 850s to use with Mixvibes Cross 3 and use my Aero as a mixer, then hopefully a DJM850 and finally a pair of Reloop RP-7000 turntables. So still lots of scrimping and saving ahead - but it's all good)
Good luck with your set and hope you have an awesome time and as others have mentioned, have some CDs as backup too (always handy to have plan B's)
Last edited by Jane; 05-22-2014 at 07:15 AM.
CDJ 2000s : DJM 900: Reloop RP-7000s : Mixvibes Cross 3+ : HPCompaq : iMac: Maschine 2 : Traktor Pro2 : XDJ-AERO : RMX1000
facebook.com/djanedalton / and my DJ alter-ego, The Imperatrixx
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DJM 900 Nexus
Two Traktor X1s
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