Multiple CDJ's in one USB port

DJ Gear & Hardware CDJ & Vinyl DJing
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Multiple CDJ’s in one USB port

Hey guys

So i recently started playing in a club (actually my first club gig). Before going in to my first gig i was told that i had 3 CDJ-2000 nexus’s and a DJM2000 nexus at my disposal… This was not true however, as none of it was from the Nexus generation but from the original 2000 generation…

This is not a massive setback for me, as i have now DJ’ed two gigs at the place just fine. However, there are a couple of features that i would like to take advantage of that i dont have at my disposal on the CDJ 2000’s… My solution was, at my recent third gig there, to use Rekordbox DJ. (i already own a DDJ-RX for home use, so i had the performance pack on my computer already)

Having DJ’ed with that method (only with two of the players in HID and the third with a USB stick for backup) i got interested in a Midi controller (like the Midi Fighter or NI Traktor Kontrol x1). Since Rekordbox DJ now supports midi mapping i saw the opportunity to make a really cool custom midi mapping that suited my needs.

BUT! Then came the limitation… My MacBook only has two USB ports. Currently i run a CDJ in each of those, and i have been told by a lot of people that your soundcard should always have a dedicated USB port. But that leaves no extra ports for midi controllers…

Does any of you guys have experience, good or bad, running multiple CDJ’s on a USB hub so they connect to one port on the laptop? Am i asking for trouble or would i be just fine?

2

I would use the CDJs as HID controllers and connect them thru a USB hub into one port of your laptop, then use the DJM as the soundcard and run that into a USB port on your computer.

3

Really didn’t consider this option at all, thanks! Definitely need to try out using the mixer as soundcard. Running the CDJ’s only in HID and with no sound going to them, would i be able to safely run a Midi Fighter in the same USB hub?

4

You will be able to do that yes. All your units can be plugged in a single hub and then into one usb port on your laptop and the mixer will go into the other usb port. I run 3 cdjs through a usb hub as an aggregate sound device and a maschine, and have no problem whatsoever.
Bare in mind that the big midi controllers do require additional power but the midi fighter is not one of them :wink: Just thought you should know :slight_smile:

Cheers