A while back I asked about a couple of midi controllers, and got some really great responses. I have, however, decided that going down the cdj route would be better and more rewarding for me and I’ll have the money (all going well) for these in a couple of months. I know theres tonnes of info around but often asking specifically for your needs is the best way to get a definitive answer, and you guys are great with answers.
The main reason I want cdj’s is that I’d be looking at eventually getting a few gigs as I know various people running small nights, and would like to jump straight on their setup. The best setup in my budget (top of my budget (probably just out of my budget in reality)) would be 1000’s x2 & a DJM800 I imagine.
If I can learn on something cheaper but which will almost be the same though that would be great. Like I say, I want to be able to hop on club standard equipment with as much ease as possible (eventually).
A bit of info:
I’ll be playing house
I’m a complete beginner
I want to be able to use Traktor
I would also like to just be able to turn up with a USB stick or memory card
I’d imagine I’ll need to play mp3’s. Not sure whether to start buying WAV files instead? (there will be loads of topics on this, I know)
I’m looking at second hand gear
Very top end of my budget £1500
I’ve looked at cdj350’s, djm 350, cdj800’s, djm600, djm800, djm400, cdj900, cdj 1000 mk2, cdj 1000 mk3. It’s not easy choosing what would be right for me, hence this thread. Cheers for any help fellas.
if you are in no rush i would wait until mid summer after the DJ-Expo in NJ Mid Aug. If Pioneer was to bring something new out it would be around that time. Plus maybe even the slashing of exsisting gear thats out.
Mate just do a search for “cdj’s” on here. There are LOADS of threads on this.
Ive heard some say that they would avoid all of the cdj’s that don’t have the larger jogwheel, but that leaves you at the pricey-er end of the range.
I largely agree with that view however, i have used the 400’s in HID mode and i thought they were reasonable. Certainly good enough as your first pair and don’t break the bank. I will say though that if you get to like CDJ’s you will quickly grow out of the 400’s and want to upgrade. In that situation i personally would go for 850’s or 900’s. The 2000’s offer me nothing i would use over the other 2 that id be willing to pay the extra cash for.
I know there’s loads of threads and I’ve looked into it loads, but it’s not easy with all the options available. I wanna get it right, you know?
I see stuff like the 850’s with a djm350 going for £300 less than 1000’s with djm800 and I’m left wondering if it’s worth just coughing up that extra cash? It’d help with the whole jumping straight on the club setup thing wouldn’t it?
Not really to be honest. IMO you use one cdj you can pretty much use them all. I posted before id seen your follow up post about your budget. I personally would choose 850’s over 1000’s just for the usb and rekordbox compatibility. Thats not to say that the 850’s are better than the 1000’s. IMO they are the same to use. BUT the usb thing wins for me personally. Plus the 850’s can also be used in HID mode. From what people have said on here they work better this way with serato but I’m hopeful that native instruments will address this at some point.
Bottom line… if i was you and had your budget i would buy 850’s in a heartbeat!
If you have to ask that question, you don’t need CDJs. Buying CDJs is something people who know they want CDJs do, if you’re completely unfamiliar with the media player market, you’re going to come out disappointed some way or another.
You’re not going to have the slightest issue at all jumping onto a CDJ setup from a controller like the S2/4, DDJ-S1, or a VCI-380. Quality high end controllers are much more within your budget, cost effective, and easy to work with. Going from a controller to a CDJ isn’t going to be a process at all, if anything it might be a bit easier to transition? There’s absolutely no reason to spend a ton to “get used” to a nonexistent gap in hardware.
You can get a used pair of 900s for £1500 but that leaves you without a mixer.
pair of 1000mk3’s and a djm 800 you can probably get for £1500,
you talk about taking just a usb stick to gigs, has the venues got usb players? otherwise i think youll be best sticking to burning RAW audio CD’s. can never go wrong there.
and are you wanting to use traktor in the house or at your gigs?
The way I look at it is if I can afford (even if it is second hand) what I’d only be buying later on now then why not?
Yeah going down the 900’s route seems to be a bit out of my range. I’d happily pay £1500 for 1000 mk3’s and a djm800.
I was thinking of using Traktor both in the house and then taking my lappy to the gigs. All the venue’s I know have mk3’s so that’d be memory card right?
I was just wondering if there’s something I can learn on at home that basically does the same for slightly less (giving me more to spend on music etc.). I want to be able to use them without always having my laptop though, hence not going the controller route.