CDJ knockoffs for practice
I’m starting to get opportunities to play live. A lot of venues have a no laptop policy. Are any of the cheaper (Numark, Behringer) CDJ knockoffs close enough to the real thing for me to learn on? I have a lot invested and the price of good CDJs when I really enjoy using software seems out of this world to me. A pair of any Pioneers will be a minimum $800.00 and I may not use them that often.
Just use a controller with jog wheels and turn sync off.
Watch some YouTube videos on setting up the CDJ 2000. USB button. Link button. Quantize mode. Vinyl mode. Master tempo. Tempo range. Quantize. Etc.
Also download the Rekordbox software and watch some YouTube videos on preparing your tracks and exporting them to USB thumb drives.
If exported Correctly, The CDJs will use quantize and make it a lot easier to beatmatch and loop.
Gemini mdj1000 or reloop rmp-4, Bo h fairly cheap and will give you the cdjs feel. The reloops dont have the fancy screen thou and the Geminis still have a quality question about them
Just get a low end pioneer controller and use it with rekordboxdj. That way you have the same software solution for both at home and when you export to usb.
Yeah that’s a good call.
The actual mixing part will be very similar, using the jog wheel and pitch control will be similar enough to other players and even turntables to not feel alien. However, the menus, selecting your usb stick, using link and picking tracks is a process unique to CDJs (even the pioneer controllers won’t show you that).
It would be worth reading up and watching videos on how to use CDJs and have someone who knows them well standing close by for the first couple of times you use them.