In the market for TT's or CDJ's.

[BuRdTuRd]

So my tax refund is going to be pretty hefty this year and i'm looking to buy a pair of Technics or pioneer cdj's. I just need some personal opinions on the different 1200's models, and for the cdj's i've been looking at 900s and 1000s. I personally can not decide at the moment whether i want to go the tt route or cdj, so please help me sway my decision to either or .

[guiltyblade]

Two diff animals.

With technics you will either be playing straight vinyl or DVS. the feeling of techs cannot be compared. really quite awesome.

In terms of CDJs I would go with the 900s. There is just way too much functionality over the 1000s. Sure the jog might not be as nice, but for USB, Rekord box, cue points, quantize loops, slip mode, HID support etc. Very versatile. I love my CDJ 2000s so I'm biased, but its cause i like having every option.

Eventually i'd like to have technics too but I chose ot go the CDJ route first cause its seen the most in clubs, and it one of the most versatile pieces of equipment out there.

[Nilicious]

Two diff animals.

In therms of CDJs I would go with the 900s. There is just way too much functionality over the 1000s. Sure the jog might not be as nice, but for USB, Rekord box, cue points, quantize loops, slip mode, HID support etc. Very versatile.

I'll second this, but to be honest I haven't got the change to play with Technics that much.

[TorqueScope]

When it comes to 1200s you basically can't go wrong. They're built like tanks so even a pair of decks with a good 15-20 years in service will give you great torque, sound etc. There is no huge difference between the marks and models either, the MKII was industry standard for years, so if you´re buying a used pair it's most likely that wich you will find. The MK5 and MK6 for example have some new fancy LEDs and colors, but no immense difference in performance.


Also,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technics_SL-1210

[mostapha]

You can't go wrong with any Technics, and mk2s are perfectly usable. Depending on the size of your refund, though, m5gs win hands down if you have the money. The digitally controlled pitch is smoother, more stable, and requires less calibration. No center click, just a reset button. Don't ever look up the pitch resolution and you wont' care. If you can't mix on them, it's not the pitch fader's fault.

And an LED target light. Plus that pretty paint. Stanton tried with internal phono pres and even wider pitch and key lock for some stupid reason, but they never did improve on the m5g.

As for CDJs, I think the 1000s win hands down if they're in good shape. 900s feel like toys and cost more. USB and beat grids are not worth sacrificing feel to me, though that really is the difference and I could see people going either way.

None of the other features actually matter unless you have routines/techniques built up on having easy looping or hot cues…and if you did, you wouldn't be asking which one to get.

If you're going to use a DVS with the CDJs, 1000s win again. There's no reason to pay more for features you're not going to use unless you actually want to use CDJs in HID mode, which seems sketchier to me somehow.

If you were considering 1000s vs 2000s, my opinion changes. 2000s win hands down…same feel, better features. They just cost twice as much.

As for Technics vs. CDJs. That's more complicated. I prefer turntables to everything but the CDJ 1000 and 2000. At this point, I think I prefer them to the 1000s. Technics vs. 2000s is a lot closer because I really like the cover art browser on the 2000s and not having to have a laptop to use digital files.

But…

You can use digital files with a DVS and if your computer doesn't suck, performance is virtually indistinguishable from vinyl. And even the SL1 sounds better than vinyl ever would.

I think Technics would get the nod from me for 2 big reasons:

1. They're cheaper. A lot.
   
   A pair of CDJ-2000s costs as much as a used pair of m5gs, m447s, an SL1 or SL2, and a Macbook Air. And historically, pioneer products being discontinued has neither flooded the used market nor lowered prices, so don't count on the 2000nexus making the 2000's price drop.
   
   
2. CDJs are easy to play on.
   
   At least, the good ones are. If you already know how to spin, CDJ-1000/2000s take like 2 minutes to get used to. 900s/850s/800s take another 10 seconds at the beginning of each mix for a while to remember that their platters suck. Everything else takes a little longer, but they're also not worth buying. Do it once and you're good for life.

[BuRdTuRd]

You can't go wrong with any Technics, and mk2s are perfectly usable. Depending on the size of your refund, though, m5gs win hands down if you have the money. The digitally controlled pitch is smoother, more stable, and requires less calibration. No center click, just a reset button. Don't ever look up the pitch resolution and you wont' care. If you can't mix on them, it's not the pitch fader's fault.

And an LED target light. Plus that pretty paint. Stanton tried with internal phono pres and even wider pitch and key lock for some stupid reason, but they never did improve on the m5g.

As for CDJs, I think the 1000s win hands down if they're in good shape. 900s feel like toys and cost more. USB and beat grids are not worth sacrificing feel to me, though that really is the difference and I could see people going either way.

None of the other features actually matter unless you have routines/techniques built up on having easy looping or hot cues…and if you did, you wouldn't be asking which one to get.

If you're going to use a DVS with the CDJs, 1000s win again. There's no reason to pay more for features you're not going to use unless you actually want to use CDJs in HID mode, which seems sketchier to me somehow.

If you were considering 1000s vs 2000s, my opinion changes. 2000s win hands down…same feel, better features. They just cost twice as much.

As for Technics vs. CDJs. That's more complicated. I prefer turntables to everything but the CDJ 1000 and 2000. At this point, I think I prefer them to the 1000s. Technics vs. 2000s is a lot closer because I really like the cover art browser on the 2000s and not having to have a laptop to use digital files.

But…

You can use digital files with a DVS and if your computer doesn't suck, performance is virtually indistinguishable from vinyl. And even the SL1 sounds better than vinyl ever would.

I think Technics would get the nod from me for 2 big reasons:

1. They're cheaper. A lot.
   
   A pair of CDJ-2000s costs as much as a used pair of m5gs, m447s, an SL1 or SL2, and a Macbook Air. And historically, pioneer products being discontinued has neither flooded the used market nor lowered prices, so don't count on the 2000nexus making the 2000's price drop.
   
   
2. CDJs are easy to play on.
   
   At least, the good ones are. If you already know how to spin, CDJ-1000/2000s take like 2 minutes to get used to. 900s/850s/800s take another 10 seconds at the beginning of each mix for a while to remember that their platters suck. Everything else takes a little longer, but they're also not worth buying. Do it once and you're good for life.

This is pretty much the exact answer I was looking for. I was thinking about the cdj 900's because i'd most likely be using USB, I have very few cd's lying around here. But... now I can say i'm leaning towards a pair of used technics. Plus, I have this numark m3 mixer that I bought a while ago to use with my Kaossilator pro (Which I sold) and it's been collecting dust. I don't believe i'd be willing to dish out the money for the 2000's, they'd be ideal but i'm not planning on playing clubs anytime soon and it just seems out of my league to spend that much. How much would you pay for some second hand m5g's? Just trying to figure out a reasonable price. The mk2's are relatively cheap, but i'd rather shell out the extra dollars for something I plan on keeping for a while.

Edit: there's someone selling a pair of mk2's in my area on craigslist for 500. Actually somewhat tempted to jump the gun on that.