High-end gear and learning curve

[Nahum]

Hey,

I've been thinking about the transition a DJ will do from practice at home to begin preparing to play in a club environment, let's say a common gear arrangement in clubs would be a Xone 92 or DJM 800/900 plus CDJ's or something similar unless you bring your own equipment.

I just began djing a short time ago and I'm nowhere close to be either known or ready to play in a club but should learn high end CDJ's and mixers be part of a newcomer DJ training ?

I mean I don't have 4 or 5k to buy a CDJ 2000 and a high end mixer so how ends learning equipment coming into a DJ's learning curve?

I've recently acquired my first controller (reloop TM 8) and I can say I pretty much got the grasp of it in less than 2 months (first experience djing ever) however if I try to emulate what a pro does I lack a lot of FX management as an example.

So there is an inflexion point whereas I need to learn how to play in high end equipment (because is a must if I ever want to play in a decent gig).

I'm guessing the ways are either appoint to a DJ school where I can practice with their gear until I become used to it and good or being friends with a known DJ who happens to own the gear you want to learn and can teach you.

How did you guys who played in a club or big gig put hands on high-end gear and what are your suggestions for those who are learning and want to play at a big gig someday ?.

Kind of offtopic - The last sunday I saw Coyu playing at a gig in my country, is one of the biggest gigs here and I believe he played using a Xone 92, two Traktor X1 MK2 and his laptop plus some other analog FX units I guess, that is a way cheaper approach to become a pro DJ.

[Daniboy]

I see too many people here talking about CDJs like they are the right thing to have, use, and worship.

Look, this is a comunity of laptop DJing, which is a type of DJing that is more advanced that using CDJs, period.

Controllers are not for "low budget training for CDJs", controllers are better than CDJs!

Pioneer marketing is f*cking up with newcomers' minds.

What you need to do my friend is to learn about the differences of CDJ-DJing and Laptop-DJing and quickly realise that Laoptop-DJing is cheaper, faster, more reliable, and much more complete and customisable than CDJ-DJing.

CDJs are dead. What may come in the future are CDJs that are actually controllers for softwares, because hardware can't compete with software (unless for mixing audio quality purposes).

There is a world of possibilities for you and you can only think about spending huge money on old-facelifted-gear like you were in 2002! Let yourself enter the Software world bro!

[ragverp]

everybody is saying its imperative that you would learn to mix on cdj's, hell you have to learn how to beatmatch otherwise you are no dj ..., i have been playing for over a year now , even bought the xdj-1000 to learn the cdj way and sold it again 3 weeks later.

The dj's(techno) i see playing are on various gear, cdjs, kontrol s8, traktor , xone k2's,push they even use sync.. etc etc ...i never heard anybody in the audience complain over the fact that he or she is no real dj.... so yeah don't let the marketing game get into your head use what your comfortable with

[DJAdeSands]

What you need to do my friend is to learn about the differences of CDJ-DJing and Laptop-DJing and quickly realise that Laoptop-DJing is cheaper, faster, more reliable, and much more complete and customisable than CDJ-DJing.

As much as I agree with most of your post, and as much as I totally embrace the software/lappy/controller element, I've never felt so on edge about reliability as I do now when I use a laptop. Yep, it is quicker, easier, more creative, but more reliable? I say no.

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[Kwal]

As much as I agree with most of your post, and as much as I totally embrace the software/lappy/controller element, I've never felt so on edge about reliability as I do now when I use a laptop. Yep, it is quicker, easier, more creative, but more reliable? I say no.

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Not only that, I simply have zero desire to bring a cart full of my gear to a club to setup and play.

[SlvrDragon50]

If you are worried about using CDJs, just get a Pioneer controller, and you'll be good.

It's really not all too different. All modern CDJs have sync if you need it.

[Daniboy]

Not only that, I simply have zero desire to bring a cart full of my gear to a club to setup and play.

That is another good thing about laptop DJing, you can choose not to bring a cart full of gear. A 13" macbook air, a slim modular controller and 2 USB cables are enough, if you like HID you can even ditch the controller. All of this will not weight more than 3kg? It is not normal that this amount of effort will be a pain in the ass for someone

[Nahum]

The replies were indeed very helpful, so it actually makes a lot of sense to think about learning the digital DJ way using notebook and controllers. As far as my skill goes it makes me think a mixer, gear to fully and comfortably control 4 decks plus maybe another controller to mix stems or remix decks live would be enough to fully exploit a DJ creativity and play a great set.

[Jester]

CDJ's are the Beats by Dre of DJing ... TBH they are just grossly overpriced controllers with a cd player that no one uses thrown in. *ducks*

[Stazbumpa]

CDJ's are the Beats by Dre of DJing ... TBH they are just grossly overpriced controllers with a cd player that no one uses thrown in. *ducks*

I second this.

I do use CDJ's, but they ain't Pioneer, are way better than Pioneer, and cost nowhere near as much as Pioneer. I got them because backup plan: laptop DJ'ing is unreliable by nature.

@OP: Get a decent controller, job done.