controller, cdj, or turntables. just curious...

DJ Life & Community General Discussion
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controller, cdj, or turntables. just curious…

i’m fairly new to djing and i’ve just been practicing on my mixtrack. i mix electro-house type of stuff but im wondering. what do most dj’s use for their gigs? i have yet to see anyone use a controller in the club (btw im not trying to bag on anyone who does). i see a lot of them using cdj’s.

the reason im asking is cuz i cant choose between an s4 or cdj’s with serato. the more logical way to go would be to buy an s4 since it would cost much less and it will come with traktor 2 soon :smiley:. thanks for the feedback.

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When I started I felt like vinyl was the best to start with so I got a time coded vinyl setup. If you want to be taken seriously in the clubs in the near future, you MUST know how to use vinyl/cdj(either or, depends on the venue). Im not sure if this will change anytime soon.

To me, playing with a controller feels like only half the experience. It doesnt take long to beatmatch. If you have enough skill, you can beatmatch AND do fancy loops and stuff. I also favor traktor over serato but whatever floats your boat.

Again, this is just my opinion, do what you feel is best and what is comfortable to you.

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ya i was thinking of getting turntables with serato before the s4 because cdj’s are way out of my price range. then i saw traktor 2 is coming out… what turntables/mixer did you start out with?

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where i sit on this is that you have to have the ability to mix with anything , its much easier to learn using cdjs then use traktor/serato than the other way around , if you learn without the visual element and the aid of sync etc, just with your ears. Learning on a dvs is like learning to drive an automatic car , if u get put in a manual , ul probably stall .

im in sort of the same boat as you , iv been djing with vinyl and traktor scratch 4 about 3 years but i find clubs are increasingly less bothered about the condition of there vinyl decks as most people use cdjs , and i fancy geting myself a pair now , but the s4 seems so much better value , think im gna go 4 the cdjs tho

and definitely traktor over serato, no idea why i like it more , just personal preference i guess

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I have an interesting opinion as I’m coming at it from the other end than you are.

I started with a friends Torq setup, with crappy CDJ’s, and a diamond in the rough DDM4000 mixer.

I learned how to beat-match, and how to do it by ear or by eye. I learned the importance of a consistent beat-grid philosophy. So in essence, I taught my ear with my eye. I can now beat match two turntables just as quickly as I can using the pitch faders and a MIDI platter in Traktor.

My first stumbling block was going from my Denon CDJ DVS background, to using a vinyl DVS for the first time…

With ought ever having anyone tell the do’s and don’ts of vinyl. It wasn’t a large event, but it was a house party, and I was a nervous wreck, my fingers were constantly wet with sweat… I treated the turntables like glass sculptures cause I just had no idea what I shouldn’t do…

That being said, I have a friends borrowed TT’s in my room as a DVS setup right now, and have had them for 3 months.

I now know everything you need to know about “operating” a turntable. I’m not talking advanced scratching, because I DJ, I don’t scratch, but thats just me.

The money it takes to invest in turntables, when everything you need to know about using them in a club with dvs can be learned in like 3 weeks, if you have somewhere you can get some solid practice on a real Turntable…

(Record stores are a good place to start looking if you don’t have any friends with a set, they almost always not only have listening booths where you can get familiar with it, and an owner who can tell you the do’s and don’ts of using it to play a record, but a lot of them have a DJ setup, and either for free or for a small fee you can practice on it)

…is a very high price to pay for a piece of equipment you really don’t NEED to personally own, especially if you used a computer, DVS or no.

Same with the CDJ’s unfortunately. My Denons are just.. different from the way Pioneer does things, so it took a bit to get used to the “CDJ-X” series, but I got it down now from just playing on them at parties.

Personally, I cant wait to get these two borrowed turntables out of my room and replace them with the two DN-SC2000’s I have on the way.

SO much less weight. SO much less maintenance, and just overall sensitivity. NO MORE WARPED VINYL, AHHHHHHGGGGGG!!!

Never show up at a club and have a CDJ decide it doesn’t like my time-code. Or having to deal with a different CDJ everytime. I can practice on what I’m going to play on. I either put them on foam on the TT’s, or CDJ’s (aurolux ftw) or the guys are real cool chaps and they let me move stuff to make room, those denons are quite small.

I might have to buy a third stand so I can just clamp a couple stands to the back of the mixing console at wherever and put my stuff up there on a long piece of wood i put across all three to make another level…

shrug

I fully advocate “learning” how to use turntables, and how to operate pioneer’s CDJ series, but I really don’t think you have to own them to learn these things. A single deck controller that has shift function is going to be:

Cheaper.

Smaller.

Do everything you need regarding track control, as well as giving you a wealth of other MIDI stuff you can map to your needs.

I would much rather have an audio interface, an analogue mixer, and a couple controllers, than one big honking all in one thing. I really don’t mind the cables (Im not a crack-head, I can route even an extreme rats nest of cables into a neat, pleasurable to look at routing). And I prefer the modularity of being able to use the interface and just the laptop for super minimal, add a controller for a little more control and still maintain super minimal status, ad an analogue mixer and all my controllers and have ultimate control with main-stage quality output.

^This is what I find is the best mix, for ME.

A lot of things to think about getting into this for the first time :wink:. Its a fun road, and there are lots of things to learn. Spending the LEAST amount of money for the MOST amount of learning is the name of the game. It leaves you with lots of money for the stuff that is going to be the perfect medium for you as an artist.

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I havent ever played on turntables, but I just got a pair of cdj800mkIIs after messing around with controllers for a year or so.

The change of feeling from controller to CDJ is notable. The tension that develops between two tracks seems much more significant on the CDJ Jog +pitch fader compared to using midi-fighter buttons mapped for the functions.

I’d like to ditch the laptop altogether but I dont quite have the time to burn Cds so timecodes will do.

I think the space between the difference of the two bpm’s is what creates the tension. Your not getting the tension if your accurate to 0.01%. That tension is where the party is at.

One day I’ll have a set of turntables to play and I can only imagine what that experience is like.

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from what i’ve read so far i think i will find a friend who has turntables and practice with that. then i’ll save for forever and get cdj’s haha

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I mean, to each their own… but.

I have been playing DVS type system for 2 and a half years. Its what I learned on. Ive had turntables, and Ive had CDJ’s. Ive played on Technics, and Numarks, and Pioneers, and Denons, always doing the time-code balancing act, all those cables too hook up are not so fun in the club… then troubleshooting time-code issues right before your set.

To be honest I’m over it. MIDI platters are up to par to now. I played with a friends like twice, and I used it for a set lest night. I did not miss having two CDJ’s (I’m mainly getting two of the denons because I live with a good buddy I DJ with, and hes dieing for 4 decks of control) at all. I plugged in the USB cords, plugged in two RCA’s to open inputs on the house DJ mixer, loaded the first track with my X1 and the rest of the night just happened. The workflow was so smooth.

I mean, if having a player that can actually play physical media on is an absolute must for you(like you want to rent them, or maybe you have people who play regular CD’s and you would like them to be able to use your setup) then obviously saving up for them CDJ’s is going to be the thing for you.

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What about turntables and new traktor scratch and 2 x1’s to control fx’s loops cue points and the new saample decks

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I’m faced with this same decision right now. The club in Ann Arbor where I eventually want to have a residency runs CDJs. I don’t know how comfortable they are with controllerist djs, but a couple friends of mine were able to host a night there with their vinyl Traktor DVS + APC40 setup.

I feel that moving forward I have to be capable of mixing with CDJs even if it’s not my preferred setup. My uncle, a former Chicago house dj, is pushing me towards classic scratch turntablism. I’m currently using a Total control and I’ll have a midifighter on the way next week.

What I’m thinking of doing is getting an X1 and replacing my total control with a VCI-100 SE. With those and my current gear I could run several different setups catered to my needs at the time. Examples:

  1. VCI + MF + X1 + Audio 4 out to club stereo,
  2. Club CDJs w/ timecode cd’s + audio 4 out to club mixer + X1 + MF
  3. Club TTs w/ timecode vinyl + Audio 4 out to club mixer + X1 + MF.

I’ve spent $340 so far and plan on spending at least another $600 for the VCI and X1. That’s $940 for my personal setup, but only $495 invested in what I would need to bring to a club.

Basically, I’m saying that if you can’t decide where you want to go, gain a level of competence with all the mediums and buy a setup that is very flexible. For me, integrating controllers no matter what you’re using for decks is the way to go.

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I used DeckaDance then moved to traktor and was using a mouse until last year for mixing and since getting my MP3e2 I have improved alot but I have gone down to guitar center and messed with a CDJ800MK2 and CDJ1000MK3 and was able to beatmatch and mix with it even though the 1000 was broken looool CD skip+it ate my cd and wouldnt give it back XD. Only device I have trouble with is the NS7 it seems… >.> something about it doesnt sit right with me.

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For those clubs that wont allow midi controllers just plug 2 broken CDJs to an S4 and mess with the cdjs before transitions. Rock the place and then either tell the owner that the cdjs dont work or, like any good rockstar, before a godlike drop pick up a cdj, wave it in the air and (optional) smash it to the floor. Crowd will go bananas.

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lmao that would be cool. but ya might only get away with it if your the likes of Carl Cox :slight_smile:
but if a DJ of that caliber did it, it would seriously be a statement to the future of DJing. and yeah, the crowd would go bananas

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Kinda happy that the promoter I impressed uses a midi controller lol. i dont think I need to worry too much but Even if i run into such situation I would use cdjs as backup in an oh Sh** situation

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That would be so awesome!!! then i wouldn’t have to spend so much money! lol but ya i will definitely have to at least learn to use other equipment