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-- Next generation CDJ / XDJ / etc
Next generation CDJ / XDJ / etc
Ok some background, I've been pretty much removed from dance music for the last decade but over the last year I've been itching to get involved again. So browsing the Internet it quickly become apparent that dusting off my old 1210s isn't gonna cut it. 
I'd decided to buy a pair of CDJ 2000 nexus'es but my concern is how quickly will these be superceded? Is there another CDJ in the pipeline, then the XDJ is announced, les face it a logical progression because who carries CDs when you can carry a memory stick?
I can't for the life of me dream up what features the next gen will have though? Cup holder maybe?
Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
I would not discount the use of 1210s just yet, there is a resurgence going on in the vinyl industry, its coming back and with Pioneer having brought out the PLX 1000,
Clubs and DJs are actually investing in vinyl and vinyl decks again, my local club has just installed 2 of the PLX 1000's and I am seriously thinking of getting a pair to.
As far as I know there is no news of Pioneer releasing a new CDJ unit to replace the CDJ 2000 Nexus, but why do you need a 2000 when a 900 Nexus is almost as good for a lot less money?
Save some money on the 2000's and get the 900s, add a few quid to that saved money and get a DJM 900 Nexus mixer and that's money well spent!
The 900s still hook up to serato / traktor / rekordbox with no problem, they play from usb / mem sticks and also play audio cd/dvd - data cd/dvd.
If going totally digital then as far as I am concerned there are 2 options, the new Pioneer XDJ-RX
or the Native Instruments Traktor S8
2 very different systems of digital controller but both small enough and portable enough to take to a club, the main difference in the two is that you still need a laptop with the S8 but I believe you can use the pioneer unit as stand alone (reading files of a mem / usb stick)
I would totally ignore the Pioneer XDJ 1000, waste of time and money in my opinion.
To be honest I've never used a CDJ but I like the idea of a separate unit that plugs into a mixer, as opposed to the whole thing combined.
Have to say I'm shocked about vinyl! As I said I've been off doing other things for the last ten years, I thought the two tonnes of vinyl packed away in my attic would never see the light of day again.
awesome ive been looking everywhere for exactly two tons of vinyl to sample 
What kinds of records do you have, out of curiosity?
Also, I'd suggest even going one model below and getting the 850s. No link and a more basic screen but it does everything else just as well.
| quote: |
| Originally posted by henke To be honest I've never used a CDJ but I like the idea of a separate unit that plugs into a mixer, as opposed to the whole thing combined. Have to say I'm shocked about vinyl! As I said I've been off doing other things for the last ten years, I thought the two tonnes of vinyl packed away in my attic would never see the light of day again. |
Thanks for the input guys it's much appreciated. And it's clear a lot more thought and research is needed before I jump in.
And my vinyl... I started buying house in '96 although I didn't have anything to play them on for a couple of years. By that time trance had taken over my life and every spare � went on vinyl for about the next 6 or 7 years. There's some hard house, quite a bit of global underground style prog house and even some old school rave tunes. Maybe 8-10,000 records in all but I've never counted.
Don't get me wrong I probably only a paid for about half of them but at maybe �6 a go it was a lot of money for what was essentially worthless (to anyone else) a few years later. The other half were given to me, mostly promo stuff sent out to friends on mailing lists.
And when I said two tonnes I was only partly joking. I had these stackable boxes made from mdf at one point, sixty of them taking up much of one wall in the dining room of my old house. Each box held around 140 records and they were sturdy as hell too, but I heard the floor groaning one day and had to redistribute the weight.
Anyways, I've just had a good read of the Beatport thread and I'm about to open an account! 
Welcome back Henke!
Tbh, Vinyl is killing off CDJ's again (go figure). Soon, there won't be CD drives in er, CDJ's, they will all be technically UDJ's (USB DJ's).
But there's really not point buying the 850/900/2000's if you already have that vinyl.
Just get a Digital Vinyl System like serato or traktor for about �400 and that means you can play all your new digital tracks via your technics and your own vinyl at the same time.
The only downside is that you need some kind of computer to cue up the track but other than that, it's rock solid.
Most clubs I know have Turntables as an option (if not the primary option) but don't rush out and buy those silly Pioneer decks; there's basically no difference between them and Technics apart from a lisghtly heavier base, some vibration technology (neither of which have been proven to make any difference as yet) and a toy looking round pioneer button instead of the square technics start stop button.
If you've got techs, you have to be a muppet to swap them for the pioneer kockoffs
| quote: |
| Originally posted by DJ RANN If you've got techs, you have to be a muppet to swap them for the pioneer kockoffs |
Yeah, I know the Pioneers are decent decks deep down; they basically bought the parts / patents from Technics so they are really just technics with a couple of changes. I get they changed the button to the same one, so as to not have to manage a different part for the button across their devices.
I don't quite get what all the fuss is all about for having connections at the back though; Sure, if you're lugging them to clubs every weekend or you're a sound and light rental place, it's a welcome change but I haven't plugged/unplugged my MK5G's more than 10 times in 7 years. It would make absolutely no difference to me.
If you need help with the refurb of the M3D, please feel free to hit me up; I used to be a Technics qualified service engineer and I fully serviced my own M3D's back in the early 00's before I flogged them to leave for the states.
| quote: |
| Originally posted by DJ Sarah H I agree, if you have a pair of Technics, then no way should you get the Pioneer PLX 1000s They may be a 'knock off' but the Pioneers are incredibly good decks, I have used them a few times at my local club and they feel just like the Techs of old, the toy round button is of course there to help distinguish it as a Pioneer Deck as of course their CDJs use the round button. I like the fact that they now have connections at the back for power and phono instead of the Techs of old which were of course hardwired into the depths of the deck making replacing them a pain in the arse. The small updates to the deck are good updates. Even though I still have a Technics 1210 M3D kicking about (I sold one of the pair when vinyl took a backwards step and kept one for playing/ripping my numerous vinyl collection) I am still interested in buying a pair of the Pioneer Decks for my home set up Note - I am currently refurbing my 1210 M3D as it got into quite a sorry state over the years of dragging the pair of them from club to house parites to home to the club etc etc, I may even do a separate thread in here for it. |
Yeah do a thread, I love to see equipment in bits. My 1210s are mk2s I've had to replace the earth wires on both of them cause, get this, my cat chewed through them!
Im not sure I fancy a digital vinyl system, I've decided it'll be CDJs of some variety.
| quote: |
| Originally posted by henke Yeah do a thread, I love to see equipment in bits. My 1210s are mk2s I've had to replace the earth wires on both of them cause, get this, my cat chewed through them! Im not sure I fancy a digital vinyl system, I've decided it'll be CDJs of some variety. |
Lol, just now, some bloke has posted up an ad in this forum to sell his 1000's. Apparently he bought them in 2011 and is now selling the pair for $1000....
........and just 3 years ago you wouldn't have got change from $3000 new. They're great decks, but that is horrific depreciation.
The one real problem I have with DVS is that most clubs are simply not geared up for it, for home use, its great.
The majority of clubs I play do not have vinyl decks so if you only play on vinyl or DVS you either have to take all your own equipment and set up hours before you play, if you are sharing a night with other DJs its likely they will be using the already in place CDJs so where do you put your decks.. or simply not play.
Some clubs wont even let you use your own equipment no matter what, I had one club refuse me plugging my laptop into their CDJ 900s so I could use Traktor (Luckily enough I had also brought CDs so I could still play a set)
Another club I played insisted on virus checking my keydrives and memory sticks before allowing me to plug them into their CDJs, they said they was worried about a virus spreading across their club as all their CDJs in 2 different booths were networked to a main server which held all their music files on
(I have never heard of a case where a virus has been spread via a CDJ to a network)
The new technology available to DJs now is amazing, it can enhance the experience for both DJ and audience alike but with no industry standard, its still a minefield in what technology to buy.
At least when we all played vinyl, the only thing you had a problem with is choosing what vinyls to put in your bag and carrying the bloody bag to the club 
This is gonna sound mental but I take it DVS systems have came on a long way from Final Scratch? As that's what I remember from about 12 years ago.
I'm not that fussed about what clubs are using. As a DJ I was never much better than mediocre and the only journey my set up will be making is from the spare room to the kitchen when friends come over to get pissed. 😄
| quote: |
| Originally posted by DJ RANN Honestly, mate - I was a total Luddite on this subject, but DVS is really the best way to go.... Over the last 12 or so years, CDJ models have established a lifespan of less than 3 years before they are made obsolete by a newer one. I'm not one to always keep up, but pioneer's business model is to hold back features for new models, and the only way they make money is by making people upgrade to the latest one. They quite literally could have put out 1/3 of the models they have over the last decade, and just waited a little between releases to put features that would be ready in say 6 months. Look at the list CDJ models they put out since 2001: 1 CDJ-200 2 CDJ-400 3 CDJ-500 3.1 CDJ-500II 3.2 CDJ-500S 4 CDJ-800 4.1 CDJ 800 mk2 5 CDJ-850 5.1 CDJ 850 mk2 6 CDJ-900 6.1 CDJ-900NXS Update 7 CDJ-1000 7.1 Updated version 7.1.1 CDJ-1000MK2 7.1.2 CDJ-1000MK3 8 CDJ-100S 9 CDJ-2000 10 CMX-3000 11 CMX-5000 12 MEP-7000 13 DMP-555 14 DVJ-X1 15 DVJ-1000 That's fucking bonkers. And bear in mind many of those final revision versions like the 800 mk2, the 1000 mk3 (etc) were replaced less than a year after launch by other models like the 850 and 900/2000. You have to be made right now to buy a CDJ when a DVS does everything you need any the only part that need upgrading is the software. Also, a pair of CDJ 850's or 900's will set you back �1500 new. The top of the line Serato box (SL4) is �600. Your techs will last you another 30 years, don;t waste you money on kit you don't need and won't last. |
| quote: |
| Originally posted by DJ Sarah H The one real problem I have with DVS is that most clubs are simply not geared up for it, for home use, its great. The majority of clubs I play do not have vinyl decks so if you only play on vinyl or DVS you either have to take all your own equipment and set up hours before you play, if you are sharing a night with other DJs its likely they will be using the already in place CDJs so where do you put your decks.. or simply not play. Some clubs wont even let you use your own equipment no matter what, I had one club refuse me plugging my laptop into their CDJ 900s so I could use Traktor (Luckily enough I had also brought CDs so I could still play a set) Another club I played insisted on virus checking my keydrives and memory sticks before allowing me to plug them into their CDJs, they said they was worried about a virus spreading across their club as all their CDJs in 2 different booths were networked to a main server which held all their music files on (I have never heard of a case where a virus has been spread via a CDJ to a network) The new technology available to DJs now is amazing, it can enhance the experience for both DJ and audience alike but with no industry standard, its still a minefield in what technology to buy. At least when we all played vinyl, the only thing you had a problem with is choosing what vinyls to put in your bag and carrying the bloody bag to the club |
now if only the PLX-1000 had a usb thumb drive and somehow made a miniature LCD screen that shows track info and hmm ok colored waveform would be a plus if it fits plus USB HID function as well.
| quote: |
| Originally posted by Innocence Lost now if only the PLX-1000 had a usb thumb drive and somehow made a miniature LCD screen that shows track info and hmm ok colored waveform would be a plus if it fits plus USB HID function as well. |
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