So many CDJ models! Need help choosing my first one please.

DJ Gear & Hardware CDJ & Vinyl DJing
1

So many CDJ models! Need help choosing my first one please.

Hello all

So here’s the deal.

I purchased a Pioneer DDJ-SX recently. It’s great and I’m becoming pretty good with it and blah blah blah.

Now here’s the thing. 99% of clubs/bars I go to have a CDJ set up.
As much as I know I could take my DDJ-SX set up and do some laptop DJ ing wherever I go (a) it’s a hassle to set up and carry around and (b) more importantly, I would like to take a step back (if you want to look at it that way) as I know I will feel like a fake if I never learn the skill to rock up to a venue where they have a CdJ setup and start DJ ing with CDs and USB sticks without needing a laptop.

Note: as much as I’d like to do vinyl, I just know it’s not gonna happen in the near future.

So if someone can recommend a CDJ to start with please? There are just so many different models! I want to buy and learn on a CDJ that will allow me to rock up and play with most CDJ that you would typically find in the average bar/club. So far it seems the 1000 mk3 is the most common. But should I go for an older one or a newer one? I don’t want anything too new or fancy because I feel I will be a bit lost if I turn up to a gig and they have some much older Acadians

Thanks!!

2

any of the large pioneers (800+) will do if you want to get used to club gear.
if you don’t mind burning CDs, 1000mk3 is a solid pick

3

Doens’t your controller function as a cdj?

I have two cd-players that a nowhere near pioneer standard, but have no problem playing out on cdj 2000s. It’d save you a lot of money

4

I’ve currently got a pair of 1000s (did have a 2000 and 2000 nexus but had to sell sadly last year). Maybe try getting a pair of these as you can’t (I don’t think) use your DDJSX to prep rekordbox USBs for the 850/900/2000/350 options, so CDs would still be a main use I guess, plus that means you can play venues which have much older decks as well as the newer Rekordbox decks

1000s are pretty nice, you can get old memory cards to store cue points on (though these are different on Mk 2s and mk3s), and best of all they hold their value well so you can sell them on for about the same as you bought them.

Have to say though 2000s are gorgeous. Well worth trying to get a pair if you can afford

5

cdj 850, 900, 2000 and 2000NXS (but not 900NXS) are supported with HID in the latest Serato DJ 1.6.1

in theory you should be able to use them as an HID controller while your DDJSX does the rest, at the same time you can have them plugged in to the ext in of the sx for normal recordbox/CD mixing

here is someone doing this with the SX and a CD2000:

that way you can do both at home switching between the two styles, downside with this is that the DDJSX as an external mixer is pretty basic, noFX just filters but for practice should be fine

6

I’m still rocking my 800mk1s, as i use timecode with traktor scratch, i haven’t felt the need to upgrade them. the jogs are the same size and the main buttons are more or less in the same position.

7

Same, but I use MK2s… I feel no rush to upgrade, I learned on these via only CDs back in the day so playing on any CDJ via USB or Cd is no issue now.

8

I’ve been looking into these for the past few weeks. I just invested about 5k in a setup with 2 CDJ 900NXS and a DJM 900NXS. I got the 900’s because I don’t have enough for the 2k’s, and I still want to get up to speed with all the effects.

Basically here is how I see it:

CDJ 2000 Nexus - the cream of the crop, lighted jog disks.. and some other fancy stuff. This is the industry standard and what you’ll see at all the top clubs and festivals.

CDJ 900 Nexus - Lowest model with Nexus technology. Basically you get to sync this to a Nexus Mixer (DJM 900 or 2000) and you also connect the decks. With some software that comes with the Nexus package you can do cool stuff like have your music scanned to put a beat grid on it so your mixers are always 100% in tune. This one has a nicer screen than the 900’s.

CDJ 900 - if you don’t care about the Nexus technology, this is a good option that still has the USB option.

CDJ 800’s - if you don’t care about some of the effects you can go with any of these, but this is where you lose the “professional” label

9

CDJ 900 or 2000. If you can’t afford them, then CDJ 850s. I wouldn’t get anything other. Those are the standard club setups.

10

Pretty dumb statement

11

Since when do CDJs have effects?

12

Exactly what I was thinking.

13

Bear with my stupidity for another couple months. It’ll get better.

14

Since the CDJ400 :stuck_out_tongue:!

15

Ha ha!

16

errr

17

I would agree!

IMO any CDJ with built in effects was designed with the bedroom setup, ergo the 500, 500mk2, 500s (700s in the USA), 800, 800mk2, 850, 900, 900nexus, 1000, 1000mk2, 1000mk3, 2000, 2000nexus was originally designed with professional/club use in mind

18

850’s would be a great place to start. USB’s never skip!

19

most standard is the pioneer cdj 900 and 2000

20

Go something that is USB capable if you’re getting into CDJS, imo. This will save you tons of time from having to rip a bunch of CD’s.
Personally I have the CDJ800’s and wish I was usb capable.