I just want to mix - what CDJ's? [Archive]

wilbarrett

18-Jun-09, 10:44pm

Ahoy there,

Currently testing the waters on getting a new DJ setup (2 x CDJs and a mixer) and have some fairly noob questions I need a bit of help with.

My housemate and I have a pair of Stanton C.314s with a cheap 2 channel mixer that we bought 18 months ago. Setup is fine, but we're moving into different places soon and he's offered to buy out my half, so I will need to get a new set for myself.

All I want to do is mix CD's. Don't need effects, don't need looping, don't need scratching - all I need is a play button and a pitch fader. Basically i'm after the CD equivalent of vinyl, if that makes sense.

The Stanton's were great, good feel and effects but I just don't use them to justify having all the extra bells and whistles.

To give you a background, I play deep house, tech and minimal and i've recently been getting some gigs, albeit low key ones. I don't have huge aspirations, I just really enjoy mixing and playing for people, and the cool thing with the Stantons was the carry-case so we could take them to house parties etc.

So i've been looking at Pioneer CDj 100 and 200's, as well as the Numark Axis 4.
Are there any others I should consider?

And as far as the mixer goes, why should i spend more than a cheap little 2 channel mixer?
If im not going to be using more than 2 channels, is there any point?
The mixer would only be plugged into home sound systems, so I don't need a huge output.

Oh and I have seen the big sale that DJ Warehouse are having this weekend, so i will probably check that out, but I will likely be buying the decks, mixer and carry case as a bundle so i imagine i should be able to get a better deal as a package.

Any advice would be well appreciated!
Cheers,
Wil

D-VE

18-Jun-09, 11:03pm

I think the Axis 4's are horrible, I'd say avoid them. Thats just my 2 cents.

richcur

18-Jun-09, 11:33pm

http://www.inthemix.com.au/forum/search.php?f=65

toilet trained

18-Jun-09, 11:35pm

1) Having a two channel mixer is fine, but if your not after effects, there are still quality mixers that cost more, because they have much much better sound.

i always like the simple Vestax mixer 002 something, that has decent sound, and your not paying for effects.

2) dont buy a CDj100, it doesn't have very good pitch resolution, so you'll find yourself constantly having to readjust...if your already experienced mixing on better decks, i wouldn't go back to them, but CDJ200 are pretty good. I would look second hand for those as well, because everyone seems to want to always upgrade to CDj1000's, so the there is always people selling CDj200s and 800s on ebay

wilbarrett

18-Jun-09, 11:58pm

Yeah i noticed the cdj100s only go down to a +/- 10% on the pitch control, much prefer 8 or 6% for beat matching.

I have noticed with the cheap mixer we currently have, that the eq is not so good, and the cutoffs don't really work (ie. eq-ing out all the treble, yet you can still here the higher range)
Is that sound quality what you're getting in the better mixers?

From what i've read it sounds like the 200's might be the way to go, considering the reputation pioneer have too - stanton don't have a great one with their decks, is denon and numark similarly bad?

Papanikolas

19-Jun-09, 12:09am

if u want a basic 2ch mixer, i can recommend the vestax vmc 002xl. full cut eqs, XLR outs, nice clean sound (for the price), pretty cheap - u could pick one up new for $250-300

wilbarrett

19-Jun-09, 12:15am

if u want a basic 2ch mixer, i can recommend the vestax vmc 002xl. full cut eqs, XLR outs, nice clean sound (for the price), pretty cheap - u could pick one up new for $250-300

sweet, thanks for the advice man.
as i said, im looking for a setup that will mostly be at home, and a couple of house parties.
so don't need anything too pro.

currently scrolling ebay for 200's and used 400's...

Bracko

19-Jun-09, 12:54am

http://www.inthemix.com.au/forum/search.php?f=65

search ID's don't last.

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quantum8

19-Jun-09, 07:22am

Yeah i noticed the cdj100s only go down to a +/- 10% on the pitch control, much prefer 8 or 6% for beat matching.

that's the range you be talking about, cdj 100s have a resolution of 0.1% so you'll constantly have to readjust. 800s have a resolution of 0.05% which i find decent enough for mixing

the 400s and 1000s can take you down to 0.02% with a +/- 6% range

depending on your cash and you had to go pioneer, i'd suggest the 800s but the 400s are quite nice too

richcur

19-Jun-09, 08:09am

search ID's don't last.

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manuka

19-Jun-09, 08:19am

shame we have such irregular ones :P *tee hee*

wilbarrett

19-Jun-09, 09:32am

that's the range you be talking about, cdj 100s have a resolution of 0.1% so you'll constantly have to readjust. 800s have a resolution of 0.05% which i find decent enough for mixing

the 400s and 1000s can take you down to 0.02% with a +/- 6% range

depending on your cash and you had to go pioneer, i'd suggest the 800s but the 400s are quite nice too

The Stantons we currently have use 8,16,32 and 100 % pitch control, and the 8 I find is fine.

I've played on quite a few 1000's which seem great, you can tell they are made well and are solid.
I like the adjustable jog wheel sensitivity, though its not entirely necessary - I find I just get used to it after the first couple of mixes.

Having said that, what is the sensitivity/feel of the jog wheel on the 200's and 400's like?
I will attempt to check them out over the next couple of days, but just interested to hear other peoples experiences.

No other suggestions to other entry level cdjs?

slackas

19-Jun-09, 10:08am

just go buy a pioneer "im-a-dj" instant dj pack.

done

j_hunter

19-Jun-09, 10:32am

get the 200's.

i have them and i'm looking to upgrade when i have the cash (in say 6 months) to 1000s probably.

200's have a semi-decent platter that's reasonably sensitive but still very usabable, +/-6% increments so you need minimal platter adjustment anyway if you have it on the mark. You can maintain 1-2 minute mixes quite easily.

they have 3 effects (half-decent) but as you said you just need a solid little deck for mixing CDs... so def the 200s. Don't get 400s as they have wayyy too many features for what you need.

Lloyd C

19-Jun-09, 11:16am

I rate the denon dns1000 for the price, they are small and offer a fair few features for the $$ (i think these are replaced by the dns1200 now?)

my only gripe is that the platter is shithouse on the 1000

Matty_neal

19-Jun-09, 11:26am

Just get two 1000mk3's and a djm800, get annoyed with them and sel them off really cheap. Seems to be what everone else does :p

All jokes aside, If you like the Stantons try the C313's. They're just like the C314's but without all the funky features.

http://www.storedj.com.au/products/product.php?id=1523

unfortunately they're out of stock but you should be able to find them floating around somewhere.

QUICK! THIS ONE ENDS SOON!!!!

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Stanton-C313-Tabletop-Scratch-DJ-CD-Player_W0QQitemZ270407359838QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_ DJ_Gear_Lighting_Equipment?hash=item3ef588dd5e&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A1|66%3A2|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1| 293%3A1|294%3A50

wilbarrett

20-Jun-09, 05:33pm

Yeah I will check out the Stanton 313's, completely missed that one!

As far as getting a road case, are most of them designed to house specific-sized decks/mixers or can you fit most brands of CDJ's into them?

Are there any road cases i should look out for?

wilbarrett

06-Jul-09, 10:56pm

Ok, so just a quick update,

I've been into a couple of stores to get some advice and see what's available for the amount i'm looking at spending and would like some help on what is working for others.

There are some old Pioneer CDJ-100s that are going hella cheap, which seem to be a decent unit without all the bells and whistles that come on pricier units. I could get a setup with a roadcase for around $1200-1300.
However, my main issue with the 100s is that the pitch control is not adjustable, and does not seem to be as easy to fine tune as the 200s which go to +-6%.
Does anyone find this to be a big issue when mixing on the 100s?

The Pioneer CDJ-200s seem to be the standard for the pricepoint, and both of the guys in the shops I visited mentioned the "Pioneer quality" as something over other brands.
They do have a good feel and I could get a setup for around $1700 with a roadcase.
I don't think there's much to ask on this setup, I know it will take a while to get used to mixing with the smaller jog wheel compared to the stantons, but I can handle that.

The other option that I hadn't really looked at was the updated Stanton 324's, basically the newer version of what we already have.
One of the sales guys reckoned Stanton had solved the issues they had with the 314 and that it was a good quality unit - the Digipak costs $1900, including mixer, cords and roadcase.
I am a bit dubious with this as I have experienced some issues with the 314s, though i'd like to hear others experiences.

Also, the Denon (DNS?) popped up as an option, but neither of the sales dudes really mentioned much about it - any particular reason for that?

Any help would be appreciated guys!

Cheers,
Wil

pomrocks

06-Jul-09, 11:07pm

stantons are shite fin....

denons are a good option, or the pio;s

Matty_neal

06-Jul-09, 11:51pm

They'll push the stantons, they make more money selling them. It'd be silly for them to NOT talk about them! Go denons.

wilbarrett

07-Jul-09, 12:10am

Yeah fair call about the Stantons.

I dont know heaps about the Denons - why would you choose the DNS 1200 over the Pioneers?

Sprouley

07-Jul-09, 01:40am

get a horse
they can do many agricultural chorus round the farm

drwillis

07-Jul-09, 01:50am

CDJ1000s,
anything else ya wasting ya money! you wont see anything else in any clubs or events either!
ya better of gettin a pair of clapped out Mk1s then anything else on the market brand new!

Thebestwannabe

07-Jul-09, 02:10am

ill happily mix like a champ on pioneer cdj100s. i know people who mash 3 tracks at a time using the 100s. if you can get a couple for 150 each or so, id go those. 2 chan mixers are fine for what you want to do, but its best to buy a secondhand good item than a new, shittier item - or you get fader bleeds, crap cutoffs etc. you can quite happily do a decent job with the pioneer 300.

the good thing about the above setup $450-$500 total sort of thing) is that theres always a market for them, and youll always find someone to buy them off you at a similar price quite quickly - so youre not frittering money away. the cash will quickly be there once you find the setup that you want - and when pioneer drops prices again in a few months, secondhand 400s, 800s, and 1000mk1s will be around in plenty, as will secondhand 600 mixers. thats when youd drop 500 apiece for 400s plus 500 for a 600, 200 for a case, and you have a fully functional, versatile, high sound quality setup that takes usb sticks/mp3 etc for a whopping $1500 total.

cheers

quantum8

07-Jul-09, 07:18am

the 100s are alright for cheapo decks, but a lot of work if you want to do long mixes - the resolution isn't fine enough to get a proper lock with the other track.

denon's are a pretty decent alternative over the pioneers, the sales guys never know much about them though as pioneer have a much bigger advertising campaign to get them to know their products. avoid the stantons!

Lloyd C

07-Jul-09, 08:07am

FYI - DJ warehouse have the denon 3500's on sale at the moment for just a bit more than the cdj-200 and dns1200.

These would be my choice for a cheaper deck

Fig Smiff

07-Jul-09, 09:24am

I would go buy some CDJ 200s if your budget is cheap id never buy anything else than pioneer decks as the feel of the play and cue buttons will beat anything out there. For the mixer what ever you can get your hands on really. Thats just my opinion. Hope you find something.

pomrocks

07-Jul-09, 09:35am

CDJ1000s,
anything else ya wasting ya money! you wont see anything else in any clubs or events either!
ya better of gettin a pair of clapped out Mk1s then anything else on the market brand new!

you're an idiot

there's quite a few places around that DONT have CDJ1000's...what you going to do when you rock up to a gig and they have something different / harder to use?

you're much better off buying 2 x new denons rather than 2nd hand CDJs

slackas

07-Jul-09, 09:49am

you're much better off buying 2 x new denons rather than 2nd hand CDJs

Thats an opinion...i would take (good quality) 2nd hand pioneers...

Tried stantons, denons, technics, american audio and my preference is pioneer...

pomrocks

07-Jul-09, 09:57am

Thats an opinion...i would take (good quality) 2nd hand pioneers...

Tried stantons, denons, technics, american audio and my preference is pioneer...

not really, two new denon cd players with warranty is surely a better option than two 3/4 year old cdj's.

i've used a very varied range of cd players and have owned Denon & Pioneer units, i much prefer the CDJ1000's, but they deffinately arent the be all & end all...

for a first unit i'd deffinately suggest new Denon DNS1200 or similar, or maybe CDJ200 or 400 over 2nd hand CDJ1000s.

DJ D one

07-Jul-09, 10:09am

Will,

I sent you a PM...you have my email address...

D1

slackas

07-Jul-09, 10:12am

not really, two new denon cd players with warranty is surely a better option than two 3/4 year old cdj's.

i've used a very varied range of cd players and have owned Denon & Pioneer units, i much prefer the CDJ1000's, but they deffinately arent the be all & end all...

for a first unit i'd deffinately suggest new Denon DNS1200 or similar, or maybe CDJ200 or 400 over 2nd hand CDJ1000s.

cdj400s and cheap as these days, and will more than do for any bedroom banger... :)

Lloyd C

07-Jul-09, 10:19am

cdj400s and cheap as these days, and will more than do for any bedroom banger... :)

800's are cheaper and better IMO

wilbarrett

07-Jul-09, 10:31am

From the sounds of it, I think I owe it to myself to check out the Denons a bit more thoroughly - could be a good option.
Otherwise the Pioneer CDJ-200 is probably what i'm looking for.

Kind of in two minds about buying soon or waiting for prices to decline in the next 6 months, not exactly sure as I would like to get my hands on them soon

pomrocks

07-Jul-09, 10:40am

i'd suggest looking at the below, weigh up things like; price, build quality, and most importantly if you like how they operate

i think the actual build quality of the denons is a bit more solid than that of some of the pioneers, but the actually use of the units is down to personal preference (things like platter / cue button / pitch+/- buttons). only way to tell is to have a play with them in the store

Denon, DNS 1200 / 3500
Pioneer, CDJ200/400/800

Any of the above plus a cheap 2 ch mixer and you're set, ie numark/denon/vestax would be fine for 1st miser

seanious

07-Jul-09, 10:47am

wilbarrett

07-Jul-09, 11:31pm

Ok, so i'm currently investigating a 2nd hand set of Pioneer CDJ-200s for $900 - sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

I have the option of checking them out (a 40 minute drive) so hopefully I can extinguish any doubt I have about dodgy 2nd hand purchases.

Is there anything I should be looking out for specifically when I check them out?

Obviously make sure all the buttons and functions work, but anything else that I could miss?

The warranty from a new set is very tempting, but so is a saving of $500!

slackas

08-Jul-09, 07:59am

Lloyd C

08-Jul-09, 08:22am

rather than start a new thread, does anyone know if the platter on the dns3500 is as shit as the dns1000??

pomrocks

08-Jul-09, 02:19pm

rather than start a new thread, does anyone know if the platter on the dns3500 is as shit as the dns1000??

totally different, the 3500 has the full spinning platter whereas the 1000 has that little plastic one (which i didnt find all that bad)

Lloyd C

08-Jul-09, 03:27pm

totally different, the 3500 has the full spinning platter whereas the 1000 has that little plastic one (which i didnt find all that bad)

I knew the 3500 has a spinning platter... Personally I believe the platter on the dns1000 is rubbish, and was wondering if the 3500 acted the same way, all spinning aside :P

seanious

08-Jul-09, 03:31pm

I knew the 3500 has a spinning platter... Personally I believe the platter on the dns1000 is rubbish, and was wondering if the 3500 acted the same way, all spinning aside :P

I've used a beat up old pair once and experienced some very weird shit - then I realsed the plastic platter had come un hindeged and was doing all sorts of things to the playback! Locked it back in and away it went - obviously its not a problem if the central cap thing isn't missing!

But other then that they are pretty decent! Loads of torque on that platter mind

slackas

08-Jul-09, 03:38pm

i used 3500s in a club environment, they were so fucked out. Worst experience....

quantum8

08-Jul-09, 03:46pm

i once used an older denon with the spinning platter. it was the one that was belt driven, so if you so much as sneezed on the platter it stopped. biggest POS

Lloyd C

08-Jul-09, 03:48pm

well if the platter is as crap on the 3500s asit is on the dns1000, then I retract my previous statement about the dns3500 being best value for money at the moment.

Fig Smiff

08-Jul-09, 06:09pm

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/cdj-200-x2-djm400-hdj1000-and-coffin_W0QQitemZ160347338023QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_ DJ_Gear_Lighting_Equipment?hash=item2555723527&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C 301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

Just seen something that might suit you its a really good price [=

toilet trained

08-Jul-09, 07:57pm

the platters on the 3500 are no where near as crap as the 1000, they are leagues apart. besides, you don't have to have it in spinning mode, personally i think thats just a silly gimmick anyway.

but the actual platter is way sturdier, im just wondering why slackas had such an ordeal with them? i mean, they have a silly amount of bells and whistles that affect their reliability, wondering what specifically anyone would find shit about them.

dj_terence

08-Jul-09, 09:55pm

i dont think there's anything wrong with cdj100s. I mean sure, there are better ones you can get but for something cheap for the bedroom, they mix fine

Thebestwannabe

08-Jul-09, 11:28pm

if youre going to go second hand, go for the 400s over the 200s - there isnt a huge difference in the secondhand price, but a large one in the rrp. youll end up having a higher resale value for sure, and in the meantime, the usb function on them makes them super convenient, either at home (dragging your new music onto a usb stick is a looot more convenient than burning discs) and also, if you ever do go out and do functions, you plug an ipod straight into them if neccessary - great for those weird requests, or as a backup in case you lose a neccessary cd. leaving yourself open to gig work is always a good plan imo, but then, im biased cos i dj for a living

wilbarrett

09-Jul-09, 09:35am

^ I appreciate the advice, but I don't really need all the functions on the 400's and I don't like the platter as much as the 200s, just my opinion.

I'm just tossing up between a couple of sales at the moment, one features a Pioneer DJM400 mixer, and the other doesn't have a mixer at all.
The Pioneer looks like you can get it 2nd hand for about $500 or so.
I was recommended at the shop to check out the Numark M3 for $239, which seemed fine - but would I pay the extra for the Pioneer Mixer?

It looks like the DJM 400 has a lot more FX and functions, but the main idea I like the Pioneer is that it mimics the mixers they use in clubs, so that would be cool to have a more familiar setup.
however, thats not going to make me pay an extra $250 if thats all im getting.

pomrocks

09-Jul-09, 09:47am

but the main idea I like the Pioneer is that it mimics the mixers they use in clubs, s.

its actually not that similar to a DJM600/700/800 at all

all mixers are pretty similar, eq, faders etc. main diff is usually the cueing

toilet trained

09-Jul-09, 07:42pm

^ I appreciate the advice, but I don't really need all the functions on the 400's and I don't like the platter as much as the 200s, just my opinion.

.

apparently (not that i have ever used 200's) the platter on the 200 is actually really crap for mixing, because the polished metal is too slippery, so although it looks the part you dont really get a high level of control

wilbarrett

21-Jul-09, 05:32pm

Just FYI, I ended up getting the CDJ-200s second hand, in very good condition.
I haven't hand extended time on them but will post my thoughts in a month or so.

Im glad i went for these given the price, and for anyone looking to get an entry-level system to have at home, these are a simple unit that dont make you pay for all the extra features.

Thanks for all the help and advice,
Cheers

j_hunter

22-Jul-09, 07:35pm

the 200s arent slippery

ive been pulling some very tight mixes lately... just need to practise with them alot :)

techsta_girl

23-Jul-09, 09:51pm

HAI...

question...cdj200s (pioneer) - with the platter can you cue up/speed forward/speed backwards USING THE PLATTER...

i realise this question must sound dumb as fuck for djs out here - i recall ordering two of these (only one came...company was dodgey as) and the platter being shitful (however the whole device was faulty and had to send back) so i don;t know what contributed to it or whether it was simply like that...

DirtyN

23-Jul-09, 10:43pm

im planning now on getting a pair of CDJ800s, looking for Mk1 models because i dont want to pay extra for some extra backlit lights on the MK2 model

DirtyN

23-Jul-09, 10:45pm