What CDJS would you recommend?

[AxeD]

The way people DJ on the 2000 Nexus players is just like Traktor or Serato really.
With the looping abilities and the precise waveform display.

A DVS system and some older CDJ's is a way cheaper option. You can also just buy the one
CDJ first, that's what I did. Quite easy to mix just on one player with Traktor, just copy
the track you just mixed in to a different channel on your mixer and pick it up there
Or go from turntable to CDJ, line or phono.. whatever.

[ashley BORG]

Buy now pay later is a dangerous game lol. I prefer the but now start paying it monthly now.. Otherwise I forget I have to pay it lol

Yeah or there's that option. I actually just pay monthly even if it's BNPL. Works a treat though. Those Pioneer ain't cheap

[Thumper]

I went with Denon sc2900s over the Pio stuff when I got mine last year. Got mine new for £580 the pair - I think that was a mistake, though. A few days after I'd got mine the price at the place doubled. The SC2900s aren't Pio Nexus2000 quality, but they are at least as good - if not better in many respects - than 900s. Uses software called Engine which seems to be alright not had nay problems with it so far. You could always get these and DL Rekordbox from Pio if you need it.

Whats the display like on them?

The display quality is...not amazing... I find it's good enough for me, and if you're using them with Traktor/Serrato/Engine on a laptop i guess it's a moot point. The Pio 2000 NX has an amazing display. This isn't the 2000NX... The SC2900 is pretty old school - at least where the wavform is involved.

Build quality is rock solid. Nice weight and the jogs feel better than any of Pio's. Aside from that: Variable brake speed, cue points, separate start/stop time adjusts etc. Like I said, at least as good as a 900 plus it's cheaper and more feature complete. Hell, it's even got sync if that's your thing.

Denon should be pushing these more than they are. A lot of people simply buy Pio stuff because they fall for that 'Industry Standard' bullshit. All they're doing is spending anothe few hundred quid on the brand name. The Denon's are great decks - especially hooked up to a decent mixer. You can always DL Rekordbox on it's own.

[Macca]

I went with Denon sc2900s over the Pio stuff when I got mine last year. Got mine new for £580 the pair - I think that was a mistake, though. A few days after I'd got mine the price at the place doubled. The SC2900s aren't Pio Nexus2000 quality, but they are at least as good - if not better in many respects - than 900s. Uses software called Engine which seems to be alright not had nay problems with it so far. You could always get these and DL Rekordbox from Pio if you need it.

Whats the display like on them?

The display quality is...not amazing... I find it's good enough for me, and if you're using them with Traktor/Serrato/Engine on a laptop i guess it's a moot point. The Pio 2000 NX has an amazing display. This isn't the 2000NX... The SC2900 is pretty old school - at least where the wavform is involved.

Build quality is rock solid. Nice weight and the jogs feel better than any of Pio's. Aside from that: Variable brake speed, cue points, separate start/stop time adjusts etc. Like I said, at least as good as a 900 plus it's cheaper and more feature complete. Hell, it's even got sync if that's your thing.

Denon should be pushing these more than they are. A lot of people simply buy Pio stuff because they fall for that 'Industry Standard' bullshit. All they're doing is spending anothe few hundred quid on the brand name. The Denon's are great decks - especially hooked up to a decent mixer. You can always DL Rekordbox on it's own.

Been looking at these and cannot see a reason not to buy them.
The feature list looks great on them.

Might go DVS for now until I can afford these.
Cheers for all the reply guys!

[Lag]

Here's just my two cents:
If you just wanna use CDJs to play stuff you burnt on the CD - get the CDJ 1000 MK3.
If you want extra options like the Rekordbox (which is great), linking with Traktor and Serato with bunch of Cue points and stuff - Nexus 2000s.
Anything below the CDJ 1000 MK3 has a slightly different platter feel compared to 1000s and 2000s (which are the standard in clubs) and can be dodgy at times, especially the 800s and 850s. Also, the earlier versions have less stuff you can setup like whether or not you want a "heavy platter" feel, and separate controls for play start and breaks.

In case you have two turntables and just want to be able to play something you don't have on vinyl - get Traktor or (my preferred) Serato ad forget about CDJs. I don't know much about Traktor so just gonna talk about Serato now. If you just wanna play for your own entertainment - get Serato SL1. You can switch easily between vinyl and timecoded records on any Serato interface. If you actually plan on playing in clubs, on good soundsystems - get Serato SL2 or upwards (SL3 for optimum usage as you can use three decks, or record the set directly via the interface while using the sampler on the third channel outputs). The main reason for this is that SL2 and upwards have better sound (24bit compared to 16bit depth on the SL1 - due to compatability with USB 2.0 which SL1 doesn't have) plus you can use the Serato DJ software instead of Serato Scratch (which is the only software SL1 can use). Serato DJ has more options (like the Sync option which is kinda shit, but can help if you are paid to go a gig in a club with shitty monitoring - but honestly, Traktor is way better for SYNCing), some better audio effects (I use the iPad Serato app for filters whenever they give me an A&H mixer to play on cause the Serato filters sound much more like the Pioneer ones), plus they have some very, very cool options (for example you can scratch and then let the platter/vinyl go and the program just drops back to where the track would have been if you hadn't messed with it).

And finally - if you plan at all on playing out my advice is to never get anything but the industry standard (which are the Pioneers 1000 MK3 and upwards). You get used to the Gemini or Denon platter/button layout and then you are fucked when you play out cause there will be all these things you have to get used to (like a strob in your face, different and louder monitoring than the one you use at home etc.) on top of having to deal with a CDJ you are not used to. This will make you struggle to get in the comfort zone soo much longer. Just fuck it, save up and buy something which makes you give it your best when you get the chance to shine.

[ashley BORG]

And finally - if you plan at all on playing out my advice is to never get anything but the industry standard (which are the Pioneers 1000 MK3 and upwards). You get used to the Gemini or Denon platter/button layout and then you are fucked when you play out cause there will be all these things you have to get used to (like a strob in your face, different and louder monitoring than the one you use at home etc.) on top of having to deal with a CDJ you are not used to. This will make you struggle to get in the comfort zone soo much longer. Just fuck it, save up and buy something which makes you give it your best when you get the chance to shine.

Absolutely agree on this. My gig last month was OK at best, due to too many new factors: Using USB instead of CDs (having to set up the menu interface across x3 decks), new club - booth layout, sound system, lighting (very important), crowd interaction.
I'm partly to blame for actually not spending enough time in the booth before hand to set up/familiarise. I literally walked in to the booth when it was time to go on, despite arriving 45 mins before.

In the end it resulted in an 1.5 hour set where I spent half the time trying to find my groove, since too much of it felt alien.
This month coming I'm going back to CDs, but will have 1 of the 3 decks set up for USB. Don't think I'll entertain the idea of USB properly until I can practice at home.


I'd say Lag summed up your options perfectly.

[Mattias]

Great post Lag. Very useful info.

[Wiu]

Defo a fair point about getting the industry standard. Only problem is, these days the industry standard keeps changing. Sure it's Pioneers CDJ's, but the problem is, Pioneer will keep updating them to drive their sales and at over a grand a time, that shit's expensive. Unlike the trusty old 1200/1210's that were standard for fuck only knows how many years (and built like damn tanks) and only had a handful of updates.

[Lag]

The shifts are insignificant. 1000 mk1 were an industry standard since 2001. If you learn to work on them you are good with mk2, mk3 and 2000s as well. I just prefer not to get them cause they are old and sometimes that makes them buggy.
The MK3 is discontinued cause they are succeeded by the 2000s. This means that they feel 95% the same. Every next generation will have the same tiny "jump" (instead of changing everything up) for the very reason you just pointed out: if the jumps between models were big, everyone would think this way and the Pioneers wouldn't be the standard.
What I'm trying to say is that I honestly think that you are good for the next 10 years if you get the 2000s now.

Edit: re the price - once you buy CDJs you don't need to buy new needles and pitch sliders every 3 months man.

[Wiu]

Yeah fair points Lag. Although I've never changed the pitch control on any of the 3 Technics I own!

On a side note, is that a track of yours on the new Darkfloor Sounds release? Defo the pick of the bunch off that release for me.

[Lag]

Yarrrr. Thanks, I enjoyed making it. Sounds a bit like the old stuff off of Emergence records, eh? Especially the melody at the end.

[Lag]

Why does this smiley look like a beggar asking for two Euros?

[Mslwte]

Real djs use vinyl...

For fuck sake guys where is the subsekt de-rail lol

[Macca]

....Couldn't help myself after everything.
Pioneer XDJ 1000's are coming in tomorrow.

[ashley BORG]

....Couldn't help myself after everything.
Pioneer XDJ 1000's are coming in tomorrow.

Good choice I think. It's difficult to see USB (and the other digital files) going out of fashion anytime soon.

[mainst09]

Real djs use vinyl...

For fuck sake guys where is the subsekt de-rail lol

hey you wanna fuck?

[Mslwte]

Real djs use vinyl...

For fuck sake guys where is the subsekt de-rail lol

hey you wanna fuck?

I like my arse holes to have a woman attached to them but thank you for the offer

[Críoch]

Arsehole attached to a woman? What.. like, married?

[mainst09]

Arsehole attached to a woman? What.. like, married?

No like a shemale

[Macca]

I fucking love shemales