Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 25

Thread: CDJ Suggestions

  1. #1

    CDJ Suggestions

    It's been a while since I've DJ'd but have been thinking about getting back into it again. When I quit I sold my Pioneer CDJ 1000s (which were the top of the line at that time) and most of my higher-end gear. I'm looking to get back into actual CDJs (I tried the digital route after and didn't like it), but I'm not sure which model to get.

    Money is definitely an issue, so I'm hoping to get something relatively affordable. I see old Pioneer 800/1000 pairs going for around $250-350 in my area, but I'd like to find something with a USB in as well.

    Who's played what and how do they compare? I'm hoping to get something that feels like my old 1000s.

    I'm talking to a guy that's selling a pair of 400s, but these look more like the 200s I used to have on the side for samples and FX. I could never get a tight mix with the platter on the 200. Anybody used the 400s and are they an big improvement (aside from the FX and USB) over the old 200s or just one step up?

    I think the older 2000 model is still a bit pricey since I'm not sure I'll stick with DJing more than a few months. The 850 looks good, anybody used it and what do you think?

    Thanks for your suggestion

  2. #2
    Deez Beats! KLH's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    In your head
    Posts
    7,963
    Nice to see you on DJF, DJ Elroy!

    Have you considered the XDJ series? They are very similar to the CDJ series, but don't have CD players. I'll let others discuss their merits.
    -KLH
    Visit DJF's Beginner's MEGA thread and drop by my Facebook Fan Page.
    I've read the books like How to DJ right... to learn about... beatmatching, phrasing w/e , Speed Test Scrabble Word Finder Solitaire but when I go to mix...

  3. #3
    Yeah! Been a long while since I've stopped by lol.

    Checking out the XDJ now, looks like it could work. It's like a CDJ but uses USB instead of CD? I'm just running thru a mixer into amp, no computer at all. Will I be able to use music straight from a USB (no prep work with Rekordbox first)?

    I've got a ton of old CDs I'd like to be able to use, but this thing is a few hundred cheaper than the 2000 and even a bit less than the 850. Or if I grab an RX I could get the entire setup for around $1k.

    What's the learning curve going from regular CDJ to the XDJ?

    Found a few used XDJ-RX for around $1200 here.
    Last edited by DJ Elroy; 04-25-2018 at 09:37 PM.

  4. #4
    Don't touch the 400's they were nice decks but the USB support is very limited. They are outdated entirely.

    If you don't need actual CD support but just USB, with the same feel as your old decks, the XDJ-1000mk2 is probably what you want. If you have the bucks the 900NXS is very pretty and has CD. And yes you can just put files on a flash drive and play th
    them.. but on the XDJ there are some limitations in that you get a very lame waveform display and also some of the fancier features don't work if you don't use RB. The important stuff works. I don't use RB and I'm happy because learned without all this stuff...

    Ironically the older CDJ-2000 gives you a nice waveform display without RB, they can do it...basically they are just making me suffer until I give in and use RB.

  5. #5
    The 400s are okay but theyre pretty hard to find. CDJ900mk1 are the best choice for you in your budget. They can be had for as little as $500
    Last edited by JackStalk; 04-26-2018 at 12:47 AM.

  6. #6
    The 400 not only doesn't do RB but also does not play anything other than mp3, not even wav. That's why I say they are a no go even tho they were nice in every other way. In a small cheap deck like that, with CD as well as USB, the CDJ-350 would be the one to get now.

    I agree with JackStalk on the 900mk1, they are a bargain right now. They are really good decks.. it will be like putting on a comfy old shoe for you.. and the screen displays enough information to use USB decently easily. These are the last Pioneer decks to use the fluorescent display instead of LCD, but if you don't use rekordbox it is a little painful on long filenames because they don't display very many characters wide. When you use RB you get a multiline display from the RB database and it's much easier.

    As I said I now have the XDJ-1000mk2's and they give you a longer filename display even without using RB. Honestly that is the main thing I like about em, they are similar feeling to the 900.. the controls are almost identical. The knob and buttons for track selection off the USB feels a bit nicer, which is good because you will use that a lot. It is still pathetic that they have this huge screen, and they could easily display a ton of information but they still clip the filename before they need to. But it still shows a lot more information at once than the 900 so I feel so much more free to scroll through my tracks and improvise my sets. Without using Rekordbox the waveform display is kind of useless but if you do use rekordbox it's great, and you get a lot more info on each track and fancy searching modes, just a lot more features.

    So yea, while I am really an old schooler who is quite happy with a deck that gives me solid basics and therefore loves the 900, I have to admit I'm enjoying the 1000mk2's and now plan to get everything into RB so I can use it properly.. and so I think you ought to think about that and what you want going forward. But that you can get a pair of used 900's for <= a single XDJ-1000mk2 new.. it is pretty hard to find used XDJ1000mk2's.. I paid $1800 for mine.. they are $2200 new.. the ones I got were mint.. barely used.. so it was worth it to me. But not the greatest savings there. There are just not a lot of mk2's available used and from what I understand the mk1 has some firmware problems so I'd tend to avoid that. So yea, the fact that the 900 is so cheap used now, yet really while it is not flashy it is solid and has what you need...
    Last edited by light-o-matic; 04-26-2018 at 11:23 AM.

  7. #7
    Thanks for all the input. The 400s I might be able to get for $100 each so I'm still leaning toward that despite the warnings. Just want to see how long it takes me to re-learn to spin and see if I still enjoy it without spending a bunch of cash.

    I'd prefer some 2000s or 900s or even 850s, but I'm having trouble finding something affordable. They still seem to be over $1k for a pair of the 850/900 decks and since I'm not sure I'll stick with spinning more than a few months I don't want to invest a lot right away. If my livestream takes off then maybe I'll upgrade.

    Besides, most of my extra cash seems to go to my video game collection

    I'm seeing plenty of old CDJ 800s for around $250-300 per pair. I'd grab those but they don't have the waveforms and since I usually just play new tunes live without bothering to listen to them it'd be nice to see where the breaks and everything are.

    I don't see any local used XDJ-1000mk2 around here. I still do see a Pioneer XDJ-RX posted for $1200. Maybe I could talk him down to a thousand, but I dunno.

    Trying to avoid any type of software-based DJing, as I'm too lazy to map the tracks to whichever software I'm using.
    Last edited by DJ Elroy; 04-27-2018 at 05:01 PM.

  8. #8
    Well, for 200 bucks it's hard to go wrong! Like I said it is just the fact that they cannot play lossless files nor Rekordbox drives. You can totally put mp3's on flash drives and they'll work just fine.
    Also, I mean.. I burned CDs for years.. it didn't kill me. I actually kind of miss them in some ways.

    As far as the XDJ-RX yea they are very popular.. everyone's buying them, not too many selling them.. so the resale prices are super high. Hence why someone is asking $1200 for something you can get brand new in the box for $1400. But basically the RX is like having a basic Pioneer mixer and two XDJ's (but with just one screen) in a single unit. You plug your flash drive in and go. They are good if you are down with a one piece unit.

    But as a sound engineer I have to say, it drives me nuts when I am supplying sound for a party and there are two XDJ-1000mk2's on the table with a DJM-800.. and DJs will actually show up with their XDJ-RX's and rearrange the whole table and make a mess of everything just to plug in their XDJ-RX and play when there are full size decks sitting right there that are 100% compatible and work pretty much exactly the same as the RX.. but better. Just plug in your flash drive and go. I can count on one hand the number of times I didn't play on the same decks everyone else played on.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by DJ Elroy View Post
    I'm seeing plenty of old CDJ 800s for around $250-300 per pair. I'd grab those but they don't have the waveforms and since I usually just play new tunes live without bothering to listen to them it'd be nice to see where the breaks and everything are.
    I've had a pair of CDJ 800's for many years... very reliable and sturdy, like most of the Pioneer stuff anyway. The price of used 1000's has gone down, although as stated before a mixer&CDJ setup takes up a lot of space, not to mention the weight factor as well.

  10. #10
    If you want the same exact functionality that you had with your cdj-1000s, the only players that will give you that are the CDJ-2000 line. The rest either cut out some features and/or have different button placement. I use the 2000NXS2, but they're overkill for 99% of applications, especially bedroom. CDJ-2000MK1 are perfect for bedroom if they can be had in your budget.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
a