Is the CDJ-900 Worth the dough

DJ Gear & Hardware Hardware: Controllers, Mods and Gear
1

Is the CDJ-900 Worth the dough

well i wish i could say it was one simple question but its more like one big complicated one, my dj buddy is finaly going all out on a setup, he started out using ableton with his apc 40 but wants to more onto a more traditional 2 deck feel of a setup, im pretty sure he has settled on Xone:22 and Audio 2 DJ, wich i helped him choose and i think are great choices, and the one area where i know he was having alot of trouble deciding wich way he wanted to go with control as far as controlling 2 decks in traktor, potentially to 4 if he were to get a new soundcard and mixer, anyway, he’s saying to me that he is pretty set on getting a pair of cdj 900’s for $2100 with tax, in my opinion this is very unessesarry, in my mind the reason why the value of the cdj 900 is so high is because of a few main things, 1. the precision jog wheel, 2. lcd screen with colour and wav display, disk drive with mp3 readability and sd and usb drive capability,and maybe high quality sound card and usb port are up there but i dont think there worth that much, the buttons, are they really that great, because the count vs the 400 istn a significant gain at all, so if you get where im coming from as a pure midi controller in my opinion the cdj 900 is not that amazing, personally, i think something like the otus or otus raw wich is for preorder on djdeals.com would be a much better decision, both feature dual channel soundcards, and dual deck functionality, alowing him to use them for decks a and b only, or potentially A,C and B,D , opinions/sugestions/idea’s/thoughts appreicated, i just dont want my buddy to spend way more than nesesarry and also make sure im not the only one that thinks it

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Imo cdjs all together seem like a waste of money. Think about it, they are in between vinyls and midi/software but have no real advantages. They don’t replicate the vinyl feel but they also don’t have very many features if you are comparing it to midi. They are aren’t as hard to transport compared to vinyl but they aren’t even close to the transportation ease of midi. Oh ya they also cost just as much as vinyl as far as I can tell…if you plan on getting a half-decent one at least.

Not to mention there are zero hotcues as far as I can tell for the cdj900 so good luck trying to edit a track while playing.

What’s wrong with controlling traktor with an apc40? I actually think you can do more with an apc40 than a xone 22 and two cdj 900s…

My set up is kinda similar, I use the apc40 for a bunch of functions and my lpd8 is my eq panel. If I decide to add 2 more decks if I feel like it I’ll just buy another LPD8.

Not to mention the cost of cdjs are a complete rip off honestly. 300 or so for an apc40 and like what…almost 900$ or so for a SINGLE cdj900?

I was actually in this guy’s shoes a while ago, I wanted to get cdjs for a “real set-up” feel. Then I realized though that all I really need to do is have a decent midi controller like the apc40, load my tracks into traktor, then just don’t look at the screen and I can practice without looking at the screen.

PHEW…anyway that’s my input.

EDIT:

Also, I really don’t see a point in a jog wheel unless you aren’t mixing EDM because as long as you have all your tracks beatgridded and cued up, I can’t see why somebody would need a jogwheel.

Another EDIT:

And if he wants the xone 22 for the filters, he can get the xone filters AND a 4-band eq on traktor so…the mixer would essentially just be 3 knobs and a couple faders worth…

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i was in the same position: about to drop 3 grand on a decent pair of cdj’s and a mixer before i opted to buy a vci-100se and in total, including all the software, soundcard, headphones, i’m spending a little over 1000$ dollars…

you can do just as much, if not more with a vci-100.. it’s just that people complain about the ‘traditional feel’

technology advances so we must advance along with it

4

In my opinion, it’s really dependent on the style of which he mixes music. There will be the MIDI people who say it’s no use because they have adapted to the controllerism feel for things that really only require a controller and computer. Then there will be the vinyl people saying the it has no use because it does a “crap” job of emulating the “real thing.”

(I feel the cdj-900 are for the semi-traditionalist DJs who use CDs and can go from club to club because they’re installations consists of CDJs. I don’t think they should be used with a computer because there are better options out there.)

And then there are people like me. The reason I use the CDJ-400s is because is small, has HID for Traktor, and the MOST important for me: I don’t need a computer. In other words, if ever our computer craps out on us (which has by the way), I can go directly into my DDM4000 and save the set with a few CDs or iPods in under a minute. Unlike those MIDI guys who have to reboot in the middle of their set.

(My CDJ’s aren’t just back ups either, they’ve got an Ean Golden style of mapping to them which I’m really proud of).

It looks to me like your friend hasn’t found the type of style he wants to DJ. The APC40 is a fantastic controller, but if he wants to do a more traditional feel, CDJ-900 aren’t the best way to go, especially if you’re just going to hit “SYNC.” HID is HID and the only difference between the 400 and the 900 is probably the literal feel of the hardware as opposed to how it will work in the software.

If he wants a more traditional feel, there are fantastic controllers out there that have jog wheels such as the many Vestax products. I recommend going to your local music store and trying them out. And if he still hasn’t found his niche, maybe he’s looking for the timecode type of feel. I’m sure there are plenty of local DJs who won’t mind letting a fellow DJ experience a different type of workflow.

However, I agree with you that, at this moment, the cdj-900’s are unnecessary, and I’d go as far as saying hold off on the xone:22 and audio2dj. If he’s got a good soundcard that does the job, keep it; the mixer doesn’t really fit in anywhere his set-up either. Once he’s discovered his niche, the key is upgrading to better suit your workflow, NOT expanding (unless you’re loaded and you just want to dick around).

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before i became interested in dj’ing i was simply interested in synths/samplers and talking to others there was a common theme called GAS. gear acquisition syndrome. people who believe that getting a piece of equipment will make their music better.

pioneer is to djs what moog is to synth geeks.
its often a bullshit excuse as to why your music isnt what you want it to be, so you make the excuse “oh if only i had…”

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I agree with this.

But as an owner of CDJ-900’s, all I can say try before you buy. With the advent of technology, there’s plenty of viable alternatives to get the same job done, but you pay a premium for feel and general experience with handling.

I love them, they integrate flawlessly with Traktor and they each come with a high quality built in sound interface. But it isn’t critical to get your job done, and much like in the early days when owning SL-1200’s were a luxury, you’re gaining experience on what is fast becoming a standard in todays club settings.

If you’re a junkie when it comes to quality and feel, I say go for it. But if you want to explore equally viable solutions which can easily “unlock” your creativity, it’s not required to spend thousands on a nice setup.

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I can live w/o the traditional feel, but 7-bit midi on the VCI-100 is the deal breaker for me (and I own one). You can make good mixes with it, but if you’re coming from vinyl or even CDJs, it’s a massive hurdle to get over. If you’re using Sync, it’s a non issue.

There are controllers to overcome this, but I think there’s yet to be a great all-in-one midi controller. I’m about to buy some low end CDJs.

8

I think as much as you can get done on anything that doesnt have a “traditional feel,” you guys need to keep in mind that personal preference is extremely important. The most comfortable of djs are the ones who really feel at home on their equipment and the only thing you can do to make that choice is to try it all out to see what feels best. Weather it’s cdjs controlling traktor, or a vci, or even an apc40…they’re all tools and it’s up to the person behind them to decide what suits them best.

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Simply put its more fun and gives you more control :wink:

I have used an all button and fader/ pot set up and was bored to high hell even using the vci with crappy jogs it simply bored me to death :rage:

Mind you I have used vinyl since 1994 and have used cdjs since 2003 for me its a MAJOR personal pref on my part :slight_smile:

All that sync gives me time rubbish is an excuse imo not hating pushing buttons is cool and its all tools at the end of the day but for me just mixing vinyl without any sort of computer is so much more fun and enlightening some new digi jocks should try it :wink:

I use a Laptop and TTs and Cdjs I would consider getting a vci 100 arcade as a mobile messing around thing BUT the TTs and Cdjs have to stay.

As to the 900 OMG Pioneer are very overpriced BUT just like Apple they tend to be solid and work

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i know there is the matter of feel but to continue with the synth analogy - with a moog what you are paying for is a hand made american instrument and reputation. not the sound. dave smith is a prime example - there are plenty of analog mono synths capable of delivering the same sound (and more) as a moog. there is no denying that having all parameters right there for the tweaking will make a difference in your workflow, but it doesnt change what you are paying for is an aesthetic. it might feel better, but it will not make your music any better. this is especially accentuated today when youve got controllers like the V7 that really eclipse the pioneer series both aesthetically and functionally as a controller. i am not saying they are devoid of value at the moment im just saying they are doomed if they dont re evaluate their current strategy. if they dont change it up i give pioneer a decade before theyre completely outdone by their competitors

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Oh no, I totally agree with that. My post was more of a $0.02 input, not directed in any way to your post in a rhetorical sense. :slight_smile:

It’s just the direction that the industry is moving, feature advancement and implementation are now becoming more centric to software than hardware, and while the hardware aspect is always important, it’s going to prove to be difficult for manufacturers centric to hardware functionality to justify the premium being paid.

I sold my CDJ-1000MK3’s because lets face it, paying $2000 to straight up play other peoples music is a dead end investment, and fairly boring to say the least. Cue, play, maybe hit a few hot cues, done. The CDJ-900’s are nice because you can at least customize the interface in a way which allows you to reach a bit further than before.

But even then, now I’m probably going to sell both my CDJ-900’s in favor of picking up the new EKS Otus Raw, which is effectively the same thing, without CD functionality. At a fraction of the price, I gain more flexibility, portability, and customization options - and two decks in one package with a built in sound card. At that point, that empty space which would have been taken up by a 2nd CD deck will probably be filled by something like an APC40, or APC20, whatever I think will suit my needs or style. All the while, still remaining considerably under the price of the CD decks.

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i just sold off my cdj400s (previously used cdj800mk2s beforehand, and technics 1210 before that) and got a pair of cdj900s - they are bloody awesome

as much as i love traktor, m really loving the rekordbox feature - one day in the future this might become a standard thing with cdjs (just like how most clubs got the 1000mk3s and use sdcards to store cuepoints/waveform data)

mixing off a single usb stick - no laptops - is really awesome, it puts the focus back in “mixing” - when you eliminate the laptop suddenly it feels really natural again

i know the quantised loops arents as good as traktor - and cdj900s dont have hot cues (it does have cue markers tho - just not as good as the 2000s) but if i had the option of playing off usb/rekordbox alone compared to setting up my laptop in the club for traktor scratch - id go with usb/rekordbox anytime , for now it might still be not common in the clubs to see the 900s/2000s (but a lot of clubs have switched already! give it some time?) but one day in the future - it might be a good alternative to dvs

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My crew (Beartrap Productions) have just bought a pair of 900’s to compliment the 1000’s we already have.

Beartrap have a gig coming up in the Mafia Islands (15 day party in Tanzania) and needed 4 decks.

So I am stoked! Not that I will be using em…as I have my own rig I play on…but will give em a go…forsure!!!

:slight_smile:

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Those functions are on the CDJ2000’s, not on the 900’s

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your an idiot, they are on both, and to say there not on 900 only makes me think you have no idea what ur talkin about. LAWL

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HAH! GAS also stands for Generalised Anxiety Disorder. Deadmau5 started on just Live and the Trigger Finger.

The thing is GAS has as much to do with what you said as it does with materialism/consumerism.

In response to the thread, I believe CDJs will soon wear out anyway. The majority of the best DJs out there grew up on CDJ/Vinyl and are consequently reluctant to buck the trend. Once they do, Pioneer and the likes may just have to face the flames and do something entirely different :eek:

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deadmau5 did not start on live and trigger finger, he started on pinoneer cdj’s and a mixer, wich exact ones i have no idea but he did not start on live and trigger finger LAWL, anyone who starts on live is lost

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Deadmau5 is quite the wizard when it comes to tech.

The following video quotes him saying he did indeed start out using a trigger finger and live.

1:40

:confused:

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ok if you dont have that great of an understanding what he is talking about it might seem like that but i can garauntee its not true, i dont know how long the trigger finger has been around but somehow i doubt longer than pre 2004, wich is around when deadmau5 came about, i think it was accually more like mid to late 2005, but maybe im wrong, anyway, he is most likely refering to when he started using ableton live he started out with a trigger finger, because that makese sense, but i can still almost garauntee he started on pioneer cdj’s

20

All those features are on the CDJ900 except the SD card slot.

But with an SD to USB converter, no biggie.