Subtle CDJ Differences That Destroy DJs
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 8. 07. 2024
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Playing gigs can be nerve wracking. But itâs made even worse by playing on unfamiliar CDJs. There are HUNDREDS of tiny little differences that can add up to chaos in the DJ booth. Iâm going to tell you how to deal with them so you can be prepared for every set.
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đ Contents
00:00 - The reason CDJs can ruin your set
00:49 - CDJ-3000
04:49 - CDJ-2000NXS2
09:00 - CDJ-2000NXS
12:17 - CDJ-2000
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đ§ Music
* Sarah, the Illstrumentalist / Trance / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
* Fredrik Ekstrom / This Is Not The End 4 / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
* dreem / searching forever / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
* Blue Saga / Shift Trust (Extended Version) / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
* Blue Saga / Palette / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
* Brendon Moeller / Lost a Little / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
* National Anthem Worx / National Anthem United Kingdom / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
* House Of Say / Not Done with You (Instrumental Version) / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
* Craft Case / Laps Around the Sun / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
* Heyson / Gettin' Ready / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
* Trailer Worx / It Lurks Below / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
* Mai Ligne / Come Back Stronger / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
* T-Shirts & Sweats / Don't Bother / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
* Matt Large / fresh perspectives / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
* T-Shirts & Sweats / Adrenaline Junkie / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
* This Other Space / Brain Hacking / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
* DJ DENZ The Rooster / 80s Horror Movie / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
* Max Anson / Ancient Saga / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
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My first DJ set in a venue had a CDJ 2000 and a 2000 Nexus, I still remember the panic when my hot cues I worked on for all of my tracks would not load lol. Noone told me about the Hold/Call Button and how all of that works lol. It was a total disaster at first, but then I just mixed normal without hot cues and all was good.
Glad you managed to recover! đ
"it stops u pulling it out, whilst bangers are being delivered" - the calm in your face.... good video btw ;)
Alpha Theta should make a CDJ Nexus2 Classic - exactly the same as the CDJ-2000NXS2, except cheaper and without the optical drive. They also need to fix the quality issues of the CDJ-3000.
Isn't that essentially what the XDJ1000 MK2's are?
@@ride-time You're not wrong. The differences between the two are that on the XDJ there's the minor size difference, lack of HID support for non-Pioneer equipment, only up to 4 beats beatjump, no SD card reader (and obviously CD support), and a lot of the functions are moved to the touch screen. That being said, a mk3 version would be sick. I'd also kill for a re-release of the DJM-900NXS2 - with a faster processor, a better sound card, and maybe two-track-per-deck capability.
I'm probably just showing my age, but I'd be happy if the classic club standard stuck around. Personally, I don't need all the added features of the 3000s - and I'm used to the hot cue layout.
@@LawsonBarnetteHot cues are everything. Sucks to shell out so much to have them
Instead, they will make a CDJ-Nexus2 in a different color scheme, angle it upwards and price it at 4000 dollars.
@@DobuDobuDobuDot Maybe they'll give it the woodgrain look like the Opus-Quad. đ
I'm glad I started DJing in the early 90s and kept up with the technology. I've always seen new things as challenges and sometimes made odd detours, but almost always with the right outcome. That's why I also sold my CDJs two years ago and switched to SC6000s, the best choice in years.
How are you finding them?
@@ReallyChrisM I find them absolutely great, especially in combo with Xone96. They have build in WiFi, Bluetooth all my music is inside on an SSD. Stream services like Beatport and Tidal directly on the unit. They have on-board touch effects with the multi touchscreen. They read Rekordbox USB's and I could go on like this for a while. They are far superior than anything on the market right now.
i dunno why but ppl that buy denons are like first time vegans ... they tell everybody
@@ReallyChrisM "...the best choice in years"
@@gbrl_cyber have you tried them out yourself for a longer time period than just once or twice?
I play on cdj 350 in 2024
Literal legend
Cdj350 + Djm 600 + 1210 mk2 @2024 gang đ
I play on a numark ndx 400 and a numark m2 mixer. I will always love this setup.
350s r the best!
Itâs funny that pioneer makes their mixer layouts intuitively evolve but not so much with their cdjâs.
You are an an absolute hero. Really valuable and appreciated info. As a new DJ whoâs playing on all sorts of janky equipment and just having to wing it at times the battle pack is an amazing addition. Thank you dude - youâre awesome
Amazing and useful video as always Chris!
xdj 1000mk2 has some of these CDJ 3000 features, i know i know these are never seen in clubs and festivals but having them at home is useful to get familiar with any of the gear mentioned in this video
Definitely!
This video would of been helpful if it existed when i started djing as I was always extremely nervous what club glear I would be using for my first gigs and if it had a beat counter or not. Sick video, definitely super useful for those starting off.
Wow this video is super useful! Thanks a lot!!
Three BIG issues I encounter when playing in smaller venues with older equipment across South East Asia:
1) No FLAC, meaning converting batches of files to AIFF and praying they're the right tracks for the party
2) No support for modern filesystems like ExFAT, meaning I need to keep some max 32GB FAT32 formatted USB handy just for that
3) The lack of beat jump. Means having to set hotcues that I otherwise would not require. And of course since this also means working with a freshly converted batch of AIFF for every gig, means having to set these hotcues again!
I've contemplated switching to storing everything as AIFF, but it would double the cost of my storage options, not to mention fit less tracks per USB. At home using Denon SC6000 which has all the 21st century features you could think of. In general, playing on Pioneer (old or "new") feels like stepping through a portal, to some ancient era.
Thanks for doing this!
Thanks for the video. It is not only very informative and interesting, but also entertaining. As usual, your well-timed humor takes it up to the next level, LOL!
such valuable content, big ups to you g
Hi Chris,
thank you a lot. I really appreciate your effort, your knowledge and mostly your humor...
cheers from cologne. .
This is why I'm using 1200s with DVS.
I'm surprised you didn't mention the CDJ-1000s.
I guess its just because it aint *Digital at all* meaning it only go with CD :P
This guy kills me , I love your humor manđđđŒ
Smashed it mate. 2015 me would have cried out for this video, and I'm so glad you included the bit about calling hot cues at the end.
I'm so traumatised by this terrible design decision from my early DJ experience I just religiously only use memory cues on CDJs these days. Trust issues that will take years for Pioneer to rectify.
Another feature I never understood was Autocue. I thought this would set a cue for me so I always had it off in my preferences, then got annoyed when tracks would start when loaded! Learned that the hard way.
Ah, was waiting for the inevitable dig at tech house đ. Thank you for not disappointing.
Like tech house.
My favorite one from you is still something along the lines of "this transition technique will really hype up your 125.1 to 125.2 BPM transition in your tech house set", but I forget which video it was from.
I love the club standard being 5 different standards
đ
Up next.. the cdj 900, just imagine the cdj 2000 but with all the good bits removed.
this was very entertaining and informative haha
played my last DnB set on 2 CDJ 850s, thankfully the venue let me play on them at sound check since ive learned to DJ on controllers and modern gear. def an experience only being able to mix by ear but it worked better than i thought :)
@symphony1966 Youâre a true pro.
Nicely done!
Love the fact its done backwards as if they are Devoluting đđđ As always wikid video dude x
Large ups for the help as always đ„
makes me glad i dont rely on hot cues or loops, worst issues ive ran into are the lack of file support on certain players
đ I love that fun feature with the que points on the original 2000 that has made me look fabulous đ on more than one occasion đą
Itâs not the best đŹ
I'm glad you made this, I'm looking for a 3rd deck to hook up to my XZ, so the 3000 isn't the be all. Good to know! Also like all the DnB you're loading up in this đ
I have two CDJ 900âs hooked up to my XZđ
Luckily my first time was on CDJ2000nxs but I requested 4 decks only got 2, still made it happen though! Being able to adapt on the fly is a must.
My strategy is to never remember exactly how all the controls work and figure them out all over again every time đ oh and being really prepared and knowing my music really well helps a lot too âš
That's certainly one approach đ
@@ReallyChrisM I'm maybe exaggerating slightly, but I always spend some time at the beginning of each set playing around with the gear a bit to get a feel for the controls and try to find any quirks, and generally I don't ever take for granted that the gear will work how I expect. I never play on gear that looks exactly like what I own, I play on a diversity of gear including Denon and pioneer, and sometimes that gear doesn't work perfectly. So the mindset that I must confirm how everything works or know how to adapt if it doesn't do what I expect is really important
@@HollyJokerst Very sensible approach đ
CDJ 2000 NXS and NXS2 will be the best models ever made although Denon will steal the spotlight with such good features that they provide in a few years, just my personal thinking
that will never happen as no club or DJ will switch to Denon
if no DJ is willing to change, no club will. Screw Pioneer/AT overpriced garbage.
@@BlueHawk80 DJs wont. Clubs too. Wonât happen in a million years
6:22, Chubrub! Nice!
Banger
This video is very useful. I don't think I'll use CDJs in a near/middle future, but I found it very interesting. CDJs 3000 look like standalone controllers nowadays. I see that the screen and features are very nice, but I've read many complaints about their stability. I guess that these bugs are software based, so they'll be solved in future updates.
You got me when I saw the cat setting hot cues đđș
đđŸ
Oh boy! intro cause instant PTBS! for my very first gig I ask what equipment they got: âpioneer cdjâ⊠but it was cdj 850-k đ” ⊠the display was the size of a Nokia 3310 ⊠i barely could see anything and no quality of life functions at all
Ouchhh
â@ReallyChrisM The exact reason that I bring my own gear.
Dennon Prime 4 +.
By the way the CDJ 3000's have been banned in all the clubs in Sydney Australia due to reliability issues, the plastic spindle that supports the Jog wheels breaks easily and that half arsed media player then gets written off.
@@JohannesNielsen I learned my lesson on that day and i am kinda glad that i learned it early on âŠ
So i agree bringing gear, you know that works and you know to work with, is the best way! If this is not possible for any reason, prepare for the worst ⊠what ever they say!
I donât know but pioneer seems to be getting worse every year âŠ
Bro, your presentation is so good. Are you using Keynote?
i got booked for my first ever "real" gig at the aggie in town in 2022 and i showed up with my little sb3, and after running a sound check it sounded terrible through rca. i had 45 minutes to learn how to play on cdjs, prep tracks in rekordbox, and get over nerves for a sold out crowd lol, this video would have saved me so much trouble
oof - baptism of fire!
Remember my old CDj-1000mk3 the last CDJ i ever played on it was awesome apart from mastertempo that sounded like a robot as soon you went above 3 % pitch XD
there's some other differences between the CDJ models as well that can bite you in the bum. USB Formats! the more modern CDJs can read ExFat as well as Fat32 (as well as some other formats like the old Mac HFS format). The older CDJs cant read ExFat, which can really screw you up if you show up with a modern large USB, and try to use it on an older CDJ. I havnt tried it but I wouldnt be surprised if the oldest CDJs cant even read Fat32, and might require Fat16!
Yeah USB formatting is key. But ExFat is risky, even on newer models. I don't believe it is officially supported
@@ReallyChrisM I like to use ExFat on CDJ3000 and Opus Quad amongst others. have also used it on CDJ 2000 Nexus 2. Seems to work fine on those at least but ive had some USB sticks not work on earlier CDJs, especially larger USB sticks. I usually use 512GB, sometimes 1TB sticks. On Some older CDJs I had to use much smaller sticks (eg 32GB) On the Opus Quad we get to use USB 3.0, which loads tracks super fast.. almost instant (maybe 10x faster). As for CDJ3000.. saw a recent video from James Hype where he explained why he uses CDJ2000NXS2... he says he cant mash the buttons as fast... do you know what the specific issue is? I do prefer CDJ3000 and I use a lot of the creature comforts. like waveform stacking.. but also, previewing the track ahead using the touch screen, even whilst playing the same track at a different point. I find it useful to find the best mix out point on unfamiliar tracks, and mark it with the green line
@@aerojez Yeah I think ExFat *can* work on newer gear, but Pioneer won't put their name on it for official compatibility. I think Hype's primary beef is with Hot Cues plus quantise not being very responsive on the 3k
Because i keep it simple i just use jog wheel, pitch, and cue/play.. i barely notice what players im using lol. I actually hate the new displays. As ive beern doing this for a long time i dont use the search features, im all about having properly setup playlists.
Okay now try the cdj1000mk3. What a fun.
Amazingly helpful video again - thank you! I have something a bit related to this which I encountered yesterday that I think you would know the answer to. I have an RX3 and exported my music to USB normally. It plays on CDJs and the RX3 no problem, however, yesterday when I was supposed to play a gig and plugged it into an RX1 I got this error "E-8307: DEVICE NO RESPONSE", which as you can imagine, was a little concerning.... Anyway, it didn't work and I've done research to find out why. It was because my (in RB export mode) USB device library setting was set to 'CDJ/XDJ(excluding RX1)' - this makes sense. I needed to have the key set to "XDJ-R1" - that was the issue. My ask (sorry it's taken so long to get there) - is other DJs playing yesterday didn't have this problem and didn't even know what I was talking about when I mentioned the device library settings AND they said their keys work on CDJs too. So, the ask - should I just set my USBs to "XDJ-R1" to have the most compatible key for all devices - RXs through to CDJS. Sorry it's a big one! Had to give context as I think others will run into this and ppl come to your videos for this type of advice.
side note - I tried to post this in the RB community forum but there's something wrong with their website. Not letting users post new threads.
cool vid tbh
1) Get the SC6000
2) Save lots of money
3) Enjoy better features
4) Still use your RB sticks
5) Thank me later.
i use ddj 400 for learning :D
You should do one on mixers and all the functions theyâve removed
Fader start, lan hubs, jet/zip fx
đ€
also Midi-out or Balance/Pan
personaly i just export the playlists never use hot cues or anything else and i played on mutiple cdjs every month never had an issue i also cary 4 usbs 2 main 2 backups so iv never had an issue
From this video alone, I'd definitely prefer the 2000NXS2. Also, if the CDJ-2000 was released in 2009, I wonder which CDJs Justice were using for their first tour back in 2007/2008. CDJ-1000MK3 perhaps?
Helpful informative video! laaaaaaaaaaag đ, 1 step forward 2 steps back
cdj 2000mk1's for life
Nah, Sc5000
The Wii U of CDJ's is such a great comparison lmao (Maybe because I loved the Wii U đ€Ł)
It was before itâs time :D
Thatâs why you bring your own denon SC6000s
No wonder so many DJ stick with Serato
Owner of a few cdj 3000s, and planning on getting a 4th. Not a flex, just context. With quantize disabled im not finding any lag (just me being off beat a bit when spamming said hot cue).
When you say hot cues lag, do you mean when quantize is on? If i press them slightly late w/ quantize on, they jump to the next beat instead of the closest (previous) beat. This scews me up big time but im still new, and developing the muscle memory to turn quantize on/off.
Im trying to do fast, technical mixing. Ive never tried the cdj 2000 nxs2 to compare to the cdj 3000. Does the 2k nxs2 not act the same when activating hot cues with quantize enabled?
Yeah quantise on is the primarily complaint from lots of DJs I spoke to (and my experience). It's a bit better with recent firmware and somewhat subjective so it may bug you more/less than others
lol at the two "lettters in white" dog whistle to draw out all the nerds! i wont do it!!
Thanks Chris. I just picked up the Battle Pack. I have a issue that drives me nuts. I have play gate set in Rekordbox for hot ques and my DDJ1000 works great. I hit A, B, etc and the track jumps to that mark and waits for for me to hit play. I use to to QUE up where I want to start the track. BUT on CDJs, everytime I hit hot que buttons the track play at that location... it doesn't pause. I have to some crazy pause wizardiary and usally back it up to the que point and it QUE. This is dumb as hell! How do I get the same functionality on CDJs as my Rkbx and DDJ1000? Any advice welcomed!! :) Cheers
Have something coming on this soon - but the TLDR is cdjs just donât have the option - hope you enjoy the battle pack!
Wait until this dude finds out how many features are "missing" on vinyl turntables...
"whaaa', no waveform?? omg it's like going back in time!!1!"
I learnt to DJ on (not very good) turntables
@@ReallyChrisM It's just weird the way you presented this (otherwise very comprehensive) video: "in this cdj that's 10 years older they REMOVED this feature" like, what??
Also, waveform at the bottom "making it difficult to understand song structure" and the solution is to add memory points, instead of just knowing the tracks? Not a good example for beginners.
i don't understand why you wouldn't just use serato or record box so you can see a full screen to browse for tracks.
Hello, please can you explain how to get the same key green labels in performance mode that you see on the CDJ3000?
czcams.com/video/-iAWMz1hDb4/video.html
@@ReallyChrisM thx pal
yeah no I am sticking to my Denon sc6000s haha
Iâm looking for some tips on the CDJ-850s, anyone?
I'll be honest, i threw events and had many role types of cdjs, currently still just have 4 2000nxs2s , i actually just found out that you could be grid and such in rekordbox... I just assumed you got what pioneer gave you from the initial rekordbox scan...
Nothing about rekordbox is intuitive so I wouldnât feel too bad about it!
@@ReallyChrisM rekordbox freaking sucks, but it does get a bit more bearable once you learn the hotkeys, makes everything much faster
james hype plays on cdj-2000
@0:16 The CDJ-900 was a terrible design even 15 yrs ago when it came out, even for the lounge floor. I lugged my S4 to gigs to avoid having to use it.
They are comparing the 3000s with the 2000 from the year 2009, which some still consider "new". How about comparing the new cdj3000 with the cdj800/1000 or the much older cdj100/200/500s? Some of us poor dj's still use those things from the yesteryears.
I had to draw the line somewhere - maybe Iâll take a look at these in future!
You arrive at your gig and did not bring your own gear...đ
if the music is cool, the only thing a DJ need is a play / stop and pitch button, nothing else,
DESTROY nothing less
The bar between de players and de mixer, what is that?
Stops people stealing the gear from the studio đ
The 2000nxs didnât that come out in 14 and the 2000 in 2012?đ€ Or do I remember wrong đ
I triple checked the dates, these things are old đŽđ»
What's destroyed DJing, is companies like Pioneer, realizing if they just made DJing easier, they would sell more gear. Auto sync ruined the art of beat matching. Mix in Key, ruined training one's ears to mix in key. Bad DJ's pretending to work the mixer, and producers who call themselves DJ's and can't DJ, ruined DJing.
DJ's these days, rely so heavily on FX to cover up crappy mixing abilities, and also rely heavily on all the bells and whistles to save them from making a mistake, that they never have to actually learn to mix.
Tech 1200's for life. Own your mistakes, and get better at knowing your tracks.
Jesus i remember my best sets and best nights I played on cdj500 and djm500 and later my boss bought djm600 plus two technics 1210
Bro what are you on, 3000âs are the standard for a while now every event supplier or decent club has them.
Tamagoshis problems. đ
Where are the older ones? đ€Ł
Are you at Pirate? lol
cdj 1000 mk2 ftw
oh. oh no. i use beat jumps exclusively
The grid above the cdj shows that even though it is aligned, the two tracks still not actually match.Even on rekordbox they are correctđ
For the same price of one Cdj 3000, you can get the new Rane performer or four (comes with Serato Dj licence) & a laptop, with a ton more features than any cdj & djm setup can provide.
Pioneer suck.
People who had years of experience mixing on vinyl, have no problems with any CDJ.
They mix using their ears, and not with their eyes.
CDJ-TOUR1 ?
The CDJ-2000NXS2 is still the best product Pioneer ever released. Ergonomics were almost perfect, software was quite stable, and it had just the right amount of features before becoming distracting.
Hopefully the next CDJ after the 3000 is a more refined version, instead of trying to cram new features in. Also the high FPS on the 3000's display makes me woozy. Sometimes 'better' isn't really better.
We lose two inches, which is almost as much as.. Nevermind..
đ
use records :)
Low key I hate how cdjs are the norm lol. NI Traktor is such a better software and just makes sense out of the box.
But we all know traktor is never coming back rip
if you got a usb full of bangers you will befine anyway ...
and How about Denon CDJs?
called SCs and they are indeed muuuuch better
1200 mk2s. The obvious choice.
I love how well they play digital only releases
DVS
@@badfoot well then you're choosing a laptop software
It's really frustrating that this really is the best we've got. So much potential but the execution is just bad
I still have my 900nxs o(*ïżŁâœïżŁ*)ă
Know your music.....
Never bad advice
@@ReallyChrisM How so?
@@KevvyQuezada as in - it is never a bad idea to know your music
@@ReallyChrisMYeah just incase something like that ever happens
Xdj1000đ?
I gave the 69th like
"how to press play"
meow!
If you cannot handle that kind of small issues your not a real dj, you should be able to handle all situations except when you bring your usb to a vinyl only party.
Lkk
LMAO!!!! Play vinyls to get past all of this bullshit. And seconddary, Bring your own digital DJ console to your gigs, so you are not depending on some random pieces of gear that might as well not work for you. Ever wonder why so many PROÂŽs these days use NI TRAKTOR or similar? That is so they will not get such "surprises" which for any experienced DJ will be no surprise, as we have had it once or twice, and that is enough to learn. I personally use my Denon DJ Prime Go, which is a great small but fully professional standalone digital DJ console with two decks. My production partner has the exactly same device, so when we play sets anywhere, we most of the time play with 4 decks (2x DJ Prime Go). They fit nicely in a backbag, so you can conviniently take them on a plane as handluggage (99% less changae of your gear getting lost somewhere in international airspace). Denon laos plays ANY audio format flawlessly and without any need for analyzing the tracks before starting to play. So you just plug and play as easy as that!
just bring your own gear, fuck this shit lol
Fine if you're a mobile DJ or playing private events. Club DJs should almost never
@@LASHH9669 and that's why I'm not playing at a club unless they have CDJ-3000's probably lol