Trying to get rid of the Sync button.
So I’ve been Djing for five years and I’ve been using button based controllers so no jog wheels. I feel like I’ve been cheating all these years as a dj. I was planning to save up for the Pioneer CDJ350 system but I don’t know if it’s the right choice. What controllers/ cd players or any other devices would you guys recommend to learn to beat match manually?
Thanks.
Anything with a pitch fader that fits your budget… as simple as this.
A pair of Denon SC2000 works a treat.
ditto…
the phase meter in traktor should help you learn too
mmm… get rid of the screen would be the best… but it’s me.
+1 just take two tracks sync one to the other manually without ANY visual assistance. and keep em together for as long as possible. Don’t even worry about mixing, just keep em in sync. Best way to learn beatmatching IMO. You gotta train your ears.
It’s funny because I’m coming from the other direction, been beatmatching on vinyl and CD’s for nearly 2 decades and now I have this sync button that allows me freedom to loop and cue jump,basically remix on the fly. Ultimately I’m very happy with my current setup as it allows me to mix “oldschool” or “controllerist” depending on my mood.
turn off the phase meter and bpm/pitch% readings. time will train your ears not only to match bpms but know when the beat is phased (even the tiniest bit). you can turn snap and quant off for a closer “cdj” experience, will help your timing too
i’m kinda in the same boat as you since i’m going back to the basics a bit, just needed a proper pitch fader and keep myself busy on those not in the mood/not “live remixing crowds”.
i don’t consider it cheating, just wasted time if you are not doing something interesting with it.
The sc2000 currently has a firmware bug with the pitch faders, just an fyi. If you want to really learn to beatmatch skip a controller for now and get that pair of 350s. The s4 is no help either even since the settings for changing the pitch bend sensitivity are bugged in traktor s4 and the pitch faders are small. However, maybe wait a bit and take a look at the ddj t1 because the jog wheels and pitch faders are also nice and big plus it’s from pioneer so you know you’re getting quality.
I don’t have any pitch fader bug with my sc2000, I must be lucky?
One of the sc2000 threads here has mentioned it and there’s been talk of it on the denon forums as well. Supposedly they’re releasing a firmware update later in the month to fix it though.
mmm, interesting, I’ll dig it. Thanks.
True. No need to buy anything, just dim the screen to black and get your match on. That’s what I did, with midifighters no less.
GET SOME TURNTABLES…the easiest, cheapest and most fun way to learn how to beatmatch.
You can always find someone selling some good turntables cheap, there are literally MILLIONS of them out there.
There’s always some kid, that buys some thinking he was going to be the next ________(insert turntablist name here) and then decides that it’s not for him.
I have a friend that can’t say no to cheap turntables…he has I think 4 or 5 pairs of Tech 1200s in his house.
My advice is to troll craigslist or pawn shops and get some decent turntables: Tech 1200s, Vestax PDXs, or even Numark tt-500 or TTXs…then buy a couple records that you like.
You learn how to mix by ear without a tempo display and with no latency. Plus you might actually get into buying records and discovering music that you might not find online.
I have to say i’m thinking of going this route, i miss the feel of vinyl. Will be a while 'till i have funds though.
CDJs and turntables are a bit of a dead end.
You can learn to beatmatch on any controller with jogs and a pitch fader 
Bullshit. The pitch fader of most midi controllers isn’t nearly good enough to beat match with. They are always too small and standard midi isn’t accurate enough.
Get some turntables or some cheap CDJs.
Not true at all. Pioneer CDJs and a pair of technics are still the club standard for a reason, and they will be that way for a while. It’s because they’re the most reliable, and they do what they’re meant to do quite well. Also, manual beatmatching on an S4 isn’t even that nice to do at the moment, nevermind the cheaper controllers.
Don’t tell me you can’t… Back In the 80’s I learn on modified tape deck and on Radio Shack (Realistic) belt-drive turntables (with wax paper underneath the slip mat so it can slip easier)… oh yeah the pitch wasn’t a fader but the kind you have on the old Technics Sl-B2.
You may learn the hard way on regular midi controller if they don’t have high resolution pitch fader… nothing bad here. You’ll find it easier on higher end gear, and understand why It cost more. Still you’ll learn.
Exactly. You can always map buttons to arbitrarily small increments for fine adjustments.
Reliability and so on, while a strongpoint of Technics is not exactly a big factor when learning to beatmatch @ home.
If CDJs were cheap I’d recommend them. They’re not - buying a pair of CDJs gets you a workable but very basic and inflexible system, and at really considerable expense. The economics just don’t make sense.
I too am in the same boat.
I got all thee controllers and the theory but my skills are weak.
What I have been doing is setting the pitch fader to the encoder on the X1 so its more responsive then just trying to use a button to pitch adjust.
I live in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Nothing is really that cheap. I’m waiting for a turntable or two to turn up on the second hand market. Its a big wait.
X1 Encoder will have to do me for now.
It might be tough if you’re in a remote area but here in the states, especially major cities, turntables are everywhere and much cheaper than CDJs.
I see Vestax PDXs and Tech 1200s go for under $200 each all the time.
Here in Philly, they are standard in every decent nightclub, but Philly is a DJ town.