Looking for a CDJ Style Midi Controller

[ksandvik]

If you really want/need simple CDJs, get a set of used Pioneer CDJ-200. Most of the other cheap CDJs have very bad build quality (price != quality) so don't expect them to work properly for a decent time period. Plus you can't re-sell those others for any decent price, either.

[zimfella]

I love my eks otus

you can find them for a really good price on ebay now. also got a studio quality sound card in them.

[turbo]

Thanks for all the input, I might look into a diy route a bit. Ill also keep an eye out for used denons. If I had the money id just get cdjs, but I can't really justify them since I have techs already.

[dmsuperman]

The SC2000's have a very very solid build quality and are less than half the size of CDJs, plus they are absolutely packed full of features and you can control 2 decks at once with a single unit. Definitely solid machines, worth the price tag...especially if you're looking for a portable setup.

[mostapha]

If you really want/need simple CDJs, get a set of used Pioneer CDJ-200. Most of the other cheap CDJs have very bad build quality (price != quality) so don't expect them to work properly for a decent time period. Plus you can't re-sell those others for any decent price, either.

CDJ-200s don't scratch.
And they don't hold their value.

I owned a pair, and they were the worst purchase of DJ gear I've ever made.

I can't warn people enough about them. They suck. You're paying like $400 a piece for a pitch fader, cue, and play buttons that require time code to be used with Traktor…and using time-code means that the cue and play buttons don't work right. So used with Traktor/SSL, they're $400 pitch faders.

Seriously…they suck. Even looping doesn't quite respond as well as, well, anything else I've used. The effects are complete rubbish. And they failed on me more times than any other gear I've used except one of my 25-year old 1200s. The only good thing about them is that when they failed…power cycling them brought them back to their normal level of suck.

I'd buy Reloop's RMP-whatevernumberthey'reupto long before I'd buy CDJ-200s again, and when they break…I'd just throw them away. I'd probably net spending about $300 more for total cost of ownership, and if they last a year I think it'd be worth it.

Oh yeah…when I sold mine, I didn't get any money out of them to speak of. I tried to sell them on DJF, here, and a couple other places…plus craig's list and facebook marketplace…for over a year. When I finally got an offer it was so low that I honestly considered stuffing them full of fireworks or setting them on fire to get rid of them…and I'm slightly sorry that I didn't see them die horribly. The money I got was not worth the satisfaction of seeing them in pain.

Seriously…those decks suck. The only thing they've got going for them is that they're only slightly less reliable than Traktor on my Mac…the problem is that they don't do anything right except not break.

Oh wait…he was talking about used ones. If you can get them for about $100/each they're almost worth it. But you will get sick of them and end up pissed off. They're not worth $200/deck, not by a long shot.

[ksandvik]

Yes, I talked about used CDJ-200s. I would not expect the features, effects, looping and so on, be that robust. But compared with spending similar amounts of money on something non-Pioneer built in China/Vietnam et rest, at least Pioneer has some kind of quality control in place.

[Frank112916]

Glad you buy into the hype.

[zestoi]

cdj-200's don't look exactly awesome and around 200quid each 2nd hand? if i had some and had no other option then i'm sure i'd use them - but they don't exactly seem like a tempting purchase

those denon sc2000's seem like way more value for use with traktor etc and around the same price or cheaper (tho i only had a quick scan for both on ebay)

[ImmY]

correct me if am mistaken but if you got cdj 400s cant you connect them with usb and use them as a midi controller ?

[zestoi]

correct me if am mistaken but if you got cdj 400s cant you connect them with usb and use them as a midi controller ?

cdj400 sure... but why would you drop about 400quid for a second hand cdj400 to then only use it as a midi controller?

not that i wouldn't mind a pair of cdj's but pretty sure i'd be wanting to just use them as standalone players mostly... be a waste to only use them as midi controllers anyway