Options for CDJ'ing

[sphilibin]

DJTT,
Hey Guys! I've been searching for months now, and I just can't find something that seems suitable for me. I am a mixing dj, not so much controllerism, no scratching, like classic Avicii, big festival mixing. My problems are these:

1. I'm a student. Money is not flowing in, especially living in a small town in PA, there's no need for dj'ing.

2. I don't know if i should try to stick with traktor, or use cdj's and a mixer standing alone. My current setup is an S2, an MPD 32, and a Stanton SMX.311. If i were to move to stand alone cdjs, i could sell all of those, for around $700 i guess, along with maybe another $100-$150, so stand alone cdj budget = lets say $850, give or take a little.

3. No cds. I would want something that takes thumbdrives, so i don't have to load discs constantly.

4. If i stay with traktor, i would probably sell my MPD 32, which leaves me $350 to add onto my S2. Or i could sell the S2, use timecode CD's and mixer, obviously lots of options.

5. I just realized these are no longer problems, just bullet points lol

I produce a type of mainroom trance, or as i like to call it, hard trance. Here is a link to my remix of "Somebody That I Used to Know" by Gotye. Shitty audio file, not finished yet, so don't be to harsh. http://cl.ly/3p3C0r2y0M2V2k151M3y

My big thing is this. I want pioneers, but can't afford them. The 200's don't have usb, so i'm screwed there, and 350's are too expensive. Numark NDX 800 would be awesome, but look like toys. Gemini's are poorly build, and denon's style doesn't impress me. Yea, i'm picky, but i'm looking for someone to tell me, "listen, you've got this all wrong, _____ are good cdj's, they're not what you think."

So please, give me all your suggestions, and input. I need somebody to help direct me!! Thanks guys, and i hope to hear from you all!

[guiltyblade]

400s. With proper searching you can get a pair from 600-800 no problem.

[geminimech]

I'm looking at these as replacements myself at the moment. ~350 a piece on Ebay, or 400 a piece anywhere else.

They are extremely feature rich, and can be linked. I'm still up in the air on the looks, but that shouldn't be the reason why you don't buy media players, if they otherwise fit the bill.

[sphilibin]

The stanton's have too many buttons, everything too close together. It's almost too much for the small surface area. I'd totally do the 400's, but i'm having trouble finding them in that price range. Can anyone help with that, or suggestions on good places to look?
I'm not a dumbass, i've checked ebay lol but even in google search, they're tough to find

[geminimech]

They certainly aren't easy to look at, that's for sure. Ebay, DJForums, and here are your best bet man. Maybe check around guitar centers. My local one has new ones on sale for 440 a piece.

[sphilibin]

They certainly aren't easy to look at, that's for sure. Ebay, DJForums, and here are your best bet man. Maybe check around guitar centers. My local one has new ones on sale for 440 a piece.

I think I'll be trecking to the GC near pittsubrgh over easter, so i'll have to check that out then! Looking at the 400's, they'd be PERFECT for me... btw, how's the X1 workin for ya bud?

[geminimech]

It's absolutely great man. It has become my only Traktor controller. I just don't need anything else, as I pair it with my Zero. I have the soundcard built into the mixer with some of the ancillary features of the program (filters, key) mapped to a few pots on the mixer itself. I got the overlay and manual and such, Appreciate you sending it!

[sphilibin]

That's awesome! I'm glad you're digging it, i actually used that and a mixer while i had it too, no other controller, and that's a fun, intuitive setup to work with!

[Bassline Brine]

Honestly, the 400's are the best bet. I kinda wish I had gotten them myself, as I'm following a similar path as you.

[guiltyblade]

I had 400s and they served me well. Worked flawlessly. My favorite cdjs besides like 900 and 2000. Honestly I'd rather play on 400s then 1000s but thats my own preference.

Thumb drive acceptance is a huge driver for me.