CDJ time-stretching (master tempo) quality

[Spicy]

hey guys, i was wondering if you can tell me if there is a difference with the quality of the time-stretching on the more expensive CDJs compared to cheaper ones?

the reason i ask is that i have some garage stuff that's generally quite fast (around 135) that i love to slow down for house speed (128 more or less) but while playing on CDJ400s last weekend i pitched a few tunes down by about 6-8% with the master tempo on, and the end result was a bunch of stuttering and very average sound quality. i couldn't really hear it while playing but listening back to the recording on headphones, it is really apparent.

the stuttering was the most annoying. this doesn't happen to me when playing off traktor because its time-stretching is very accurate and sounds awesome.

so should i expect this out of all CDJs or do the more expensive ones (2000s maybe) do it better? i'm afraid i haven't got CD decks at home and don't know anyone with new pioneers so can't really test it myself.

cheers for your help!

[richcur]

Can't comment on the 2000's but yes, the 1000's create significant artifacts when time-stretching

[Spicy]

fair enough.. well that sucks! stupid pioneer :(

[stAlka]

the trick is not to use the master tempo button until you have actually mixed your track... Adjusting speeds whilst in master tempo mode can cause some serious fuck ups when you are pitching down more then +10

[Spicy]

yeah, cheers. tbh i might just not use master tempo anymore. it was nice while it lasted to cover up any of those nasty pitch bends but it really sounds rubbish!

[kieran_l]

yeah, cheers. tbh i might just not use master tempo anymore. it was nice while it lasted to cover up any of those nasty pitch bends but it really sounds rubbish!
Someone said that to me one day about not using master tempo and they were right, and like youve stated does cause issues. Similar to the way the harmonic effect does, puts the music off beat/laggy kind of thing.

[mortarman]

glad someone else brough this up. i have 400s and i think the master tempo sounds rubbish even when pitching 1 or 2 percent. thought i might have i had dodgy 400s. never tried turning it on after iv pitched tho. will try that : )

[Spicy]

yeah i think though that the problem with that is the pitch (key?) of the track will change as soon as you push that button.

[kieran_l]

yeah i think though that the problem with that is the pitch (key?) of the track will change as soon as you push that button.
Yeah, and if you have gone down/up a noticeable amount this would be obvious and be heard in the song

[Rogan Josh]

Could you not re-burn 'em after adjusting in a DAW?

[kieran_l]

Could you not re-burn 'em after adjusting in a DAW?
yes....i swear ive noticed logic create a bit of a laggy effect (like the master tempo button) when down/up tempoing though sometimes....well, i believe that was what the issue was

[prjkt]

try some of the other time machine algorithms

btw, why is it even called "Master Tempo?" Key or Pitch lock would make a great deal more sense

[mortarman]

Yeah, and if you have gone down/up a noticeable amount this would be obvious and be heard in the song

u would obviously push the button while cueing. not when song is in the mix

[macc4]

u would obviously push the button while cueing. not when song is in the mix


there are no obvious rules, why not press it on the drop or during a breakdown? change the pitch while you are at it and you won't even need the little button

[ChemicalJames]

My cdj 800 sounds WAY better than my dns 3000 - but still sounds like shit. The solution? Don't use it.

[Spicy]

Could you not re-burn 'em after adjusting in a DAW?might have to resort to this, or just don't use master tempo.

[Rogan Josh]

might have to resort to this, or just don't use master tempo.

It's quite a bpm drop though, might sound a bit shinola whatever method you use!

[Spicy]

well that's the thing! i wanted to keep the master tempo cos at least that way the hats and things wouldnt sound worse.. alas they did anyway on CDJs! LOL

looks like the long way is the shortcut to success! :rock:

[deejaydee]

I tend to only use the master tempo when I'm doing a large pitch shift (+/-5%). Otherwise things can sound a bit weird with the vocals etc. This is when it comes in handy to have your music organised by BPM! :D

[camlv]

I tend to only use the master tempo when I'm doing a large pitch shift (+/-5%)

But the bad effects from less then +/-5% with master tempo on are not so noticeable, why not leave it on all the time?

I don't get why so many people don't use master tempo, unless you are playing completely percussion oriented songs.

[deejaydee]

It depends on how I'm mixing.. If I'm mixing trance, which I do harmonically, I'll have it on all the time. I've got my collection organised by both key and BPM, so this isn't really a problem. If I'm mixing house though, I'll generally keep it off. When you're using a larger sound system I do think the music loses a little quality when you're using pitch lock than when you're not.

[avatar_karma]

Meh, I always mix with it on :lol:

[quantum8]

try some of the other time machine algorithms

btw, why is it even called "Master Tempo?" Key or Pitch lock would make a great deal more sense

maybe it's marketing speak for the pio fanboys? you know...the guys who do 2 second mixes using the bpm counter alone. they prolly wouldn't know what key or pitch is :lol:

[deejaydee]

maybe it's marketing speak for the pio fanboys? you know...the guys who do 2 second mixes using the bpm counter alone. they prolly wouldn't know what key or pitch is :lol:

I press the button because of the "Master" part, but what is this whole "Tempo" thing of which they speak..? :?

[prjkt]

probably another case of Engrish

[Spicy]

I press the button because of the "Master" part, but what is this whole "Tempo" thing of which they speak..? :?oh wut i thought the master was that it does all the mastering for u automatically?????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!

anwyay, i played the same tunes without master tempo on the weekend, and surprise surprise - the beats were a lot more stable and easy to keep in sync and sounded much better without those artifacts and glitchy shit.

:rock:

[deejaydee]

Yeah, agreed there mate. There are just too many little niggly issues with pitch lock that deter me from using it unless absolutely necessary. Mixes will be much tighter without it imo - have also noticed some pretty obvious breaking up of highs with it turned on at times...