Pioneer CDJ2000 problemo or me?? To hang the headphones up or not?

**manus** · 08-11-2012, 07:03 AM

Hey just making a post as I done my first gig last night in a year. This was easily the worst night 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 equipment. 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 equipment.

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 nights like this DJ'ing or problems with the CDJ2000s I can not stress how much I do would not blame equipment 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

**Nicky H** · 08-11-2012, 10:24 AM

I've never used 2000's mate but i've had nights 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 night like that, trust me - if they say not they are liars.

Only you really know if you're good enough - if you think 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.

**VanGogo** · 08-11-2012, 01:29 PM

See if they can let you in to practice on the equipment and get more familiar with it.

**padi_04** · 08-11-2012, 02:30 PM

Don't cancel your next gig. Try to practice your beatmatching during the week and don't panic, it only makes things worse.

**ksandvik** · 08-11-2012, 02:50 PM

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.

**padi_04** · 08-11-2012, 03:12 PM

He already knows how to beatmatch.

**ksandvik** · 08-11-2012, 03:17 PM

Originally Posted by padi_04

He already knows how to beatmatch.

Yes but this is beatmatch based on BPM values and feel for the tempo. As with CDJs.

**manus** · 08-11-2012, 09:12 PM

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 thinking 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 nightmare 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 nightclub who is not 100% with the equipment he is using so do not want to go down that road.