First off I’d like to say that for the past 2 years I’ve been strictly a controllerist DJ. While I feel that I’ve gotten pretty good with using just a controller, I feel limited by how compact it is. All of the controllers I’ve used/tried out, even the bigger ones like the DDJ-T1 and the Numark NS7 seem like they’re jus too cramped to accommodate what I want to do.
I like playing on more than just 2 decks at once, so a 4 channel setup is what I’m leaning towards. Controllers don’t really offer the tactile feedback and capabilities that 4 CDJs do. This brings me to my questions:
Which CDJs should I get (if I should even switch)? Its a huge step up in my budget (from only a few hundred to easily a few thousand) so I’m thinking that I may want to start small.
I found online that I can buy refurbished CDJ-850s for only around $550 a piece, whereas is I want 900s they’ll cost around $850 refurbished. I’d rather have to spend only $2200 than $3400, but if someone here can convince me to spend the extra thousand I’ll do it. Are there any huge differences between the two players? Obviously the 900 has slip mode and the link port but I don’t really feel I’d use slip that much and is the link necessary? My only real concerns are with the main playing controls and media options. Also, I’d like a player that will be backwards compatible with Traktor so I can continue to use that library rather than having to put my music on a flash drive and browse on the player.
If you’ve gotten this far in the post thanks for taking the time to read it! Hopefully I get the answer I’m looking for and I can get started with CDJs.
The 850’s arent that bad. I would say get them only if you come across a deal you cant refuse though.
The positives on the 900 are just too good. For instance you can link up to 4 players at once using just 1 USB thumb drive. The 850’s would require a stick for each player. I know you said you don’t think thats a big deal but 4 usb sticks? Thats gonna be a pain to keep track of. Maybe just use CD’s, but again, that would complicate your library most likely.
850’s do not have advanced HID mode. AKA not so plug in play as the 400/900/2000’s. I dont know if you plan on using Traktor/Serato/etc anymore after making the switch to CDJ’s but just throwing that out there. The 850’s can be a bit more ‘finicky’ and often require the user to ‘fine-tune’ some settings in the software you are using. There are alternatives to mapping the 850 via MIDI mode into Traktor but that is a process I am not 100% clear on. I beleive there are some threads in this forum regarding that.
I myself am in the market for some CDJ’s and a mixer. Preferably 900’s and a 900 nexus. Anyone want an s4???
850s are a nightmare to run with Traktor. They work really well with SSL and they’re great units, but the lack of proper HID support in Traktor makes them next to useless (certainly not as good as pretty much any reasonable controller. The 900s and above on the other hand are plug and play, which is a major advantage in my book. And as the last person said, proper rekordbox support with Pro DJ Link is a real step up from browsing individual USB sticks on the CDJ screen. The screen is absolutely awful for browsing.
Is there HID support with the 850s in SSL? I’ve never actually used Serato but I’d be willing to make the switch.
And when it comes to browsing, with the 900s can I browse the tracks on my computer? I’ve heard that that is how rekordbox works with them but I don’t really understand it.
Yes they work with SSL flawlessly, but don’t forget you’d need to buy a Rane SL interface to use it.
Read up on Rekordbox. It’s basically a music management program not dissimilar to traktor’s browser which you can plug into Pro DJ Link CDJs like the 900s and above and load tracks from your laptop.
Since I’d have to buy the Serato box, I don’t think I’ll go that route yet, but its nice to know that its possible. And even if I went with the 900s I’d still need Serato’s hardware.
I watched a video of the Rekordbox connected with a hub to the CDJs (over the link port) and I liked it a lot. It looks like the best possible option, but I’m a little hesitant because its going to raise the price by over $1000. For now I may just go with 2 850s and 2 900s. That way, if I need to I can access everything on 2 players, but I’ll still have 4 total decks I can work with.
I would wait a couple of months to see what Pioneer do, I think they might update some of the other CDJ’s in their product line.
Also look into Dennon, a lot of people like them and they are cheaper which is great in my opinion as a decent CDJ is insainly expensive for bedroom set up.
Hopefully I get the answer I’m looking for and I can get started with CDJs.