Hi all first i want to say thank you in advance for reading this.
I am a beginner looking on buying some dj equipment, I’ve been looking around and i dont no what to get either pioneer CDj’s or them controllers everyones going on about for example cdjr1 controller or a pioneer xdj rx.. whats the difference between these have they both got the same functions?
I was pretty keen on getting cdjs then just buying a mixer but then ive seen these and its all in 1 and alot cheaper! I want something thats a good piece of kit but easy to use.. dont want to be buying something thats good for beginners but i wont need to sell so soon after buying for something alot better if that makes sense.
for starters i highly recommend learning how to DJ on vinyl and avoid software. If its something you are unsure about Controllers are a great place to start
check out the Native Instruments s2, which comes with traktor software… the great thing about controllers is the fact that they are easy to sell if you decide DJing is not for you, you can also pick them up used at decent prices.
Yea I have to agree that learning to DJ on Vinyl in 2015 is just not needed. You need to go and do your own research. Check youtube videos, product reviews, etc. to know the differences between gear and then watch some videos on DJing itself with different gear to give you an even better idea about the differences. We can’t do your research for you and tell you what to buy, there is plenty of information out there to educate yourself.
Looking to spend about £1000 less if possible. I’m into house and deep house but want to be able to do other stuff not just to please myself might do a few house party’s once I’ve got a bit of practice in! Was the images I posted above any good for starting me off? I don’t mind using a laptop would like to do with and without
So it’s CD-J and mixer versus laptop and controller.
Here are a bunch of bullet-points.
With CD players you aren’t looking at a ‘screen’. This is more enjoyable for the crowd - there is little chance of you checking your emails on a CD-J - and generally more enjoyable for you. You aren’t dealing with a computer. It’s more tactile and just sexier. (This is quite subjective of course.)
Most clubs have CD players and a mixer. So you just need to bring your CDs. Less of your own stuff to break/get ruined. But setting up equipment is also seen as attractive by some people.
CD-J forces you to learn to beatmatch. This is very valuable even if you do end up mixing on a laptop with automatic synchronization taking care of this mundane non-artistic task. It will allow you to detect when the computer hasn’t got it quite right.
Compact discs are not good technology. You waste time burning them before each set. You have to decide how many tracks go on each CD and waste time on other silly non-artistic decisions. They can be scratched or not burn properly. On a laptop you have none of this foolishness. You don’t have to burn anything. You can re-order your tracks during the set, search using a keyword, it’s crazy.
I wouldn’t blow all your money in one go. Perhaps start with a secondhand set of CDJ 400s and a mixer. If you want to go to controller/laptop instead of CDJ you can just use them in HID mode. If you don’t, these baby CDJs will teach you everything you need to know about the basics of the bigger, more expensive ones.
Another option is the Pioneer XDJ series of all-in-one units. They are very underrated.
CDJ 1000 has no HID, so you only use it with MP3s on SD cards and you can’t connect it to a laptop. CDJ 900 means you can use USB thumb drives, and use HID to connect with a laptop should you wish to go in that direction.
The 900 is worth the extra, but will take you well outside your budget.
glad you clarified that…vinyl, turntables, and the way we get music almost renders it obsolete for someone starting.
The S2 was my thought also. You can get a cheap laptop from woot.com and get rocking pretty quickly.
If I was OP I would start collecting music now. So when you do buy something you have a decent library to play with. (even if they aren’t the same genres)
I agree that vinyl is not necessary to get the basics today. I remember carrying a coffin of mixer, 2 turn tables and 2 CDJ’s, plus a 50 LP case. Not fun. With the advancement of digi dj’ing, you can still learn on the S2. Just don’t rely on the sync button too much, until you can manually beatmatch.
