Learning CDJ without Your own Players

[Jaz]

So my local City has 2 clubs (not a big city) and i know for sure 1 has there resident CDJ1000 mk1's,and although im not quite ready, 1 day i would like to end up as a Club DJ if i get sick of Mobile

But im more of a fan of digital DJing, what is the general Rule with this in Clubs? i know it tends to get alot less respect then CD or Vinyl

But i also want to learn to DJ using some CDJ's as ill never know when ill need that knowledge or if i would like it more then Digital

But then there is the problem with Affording my own Set , i am 1 broke motherfucker at the moment and will be on tight budget until about mid next year

Then how do i go about learning?

[CBG]

I'll put it to you straight. You cannot work in clubs as a starting out DJs if you cant use decks.

Yes its crap, but also gd, because its the one last sanctuary for truly skilled DJs.

THe reality is, you have to buy your own, unless you have a friend. But then you still have to practice your skills.

Welcome yto my world, I still ahve these shiity american audio decks and I dont think I will get Pioneers for years .

Which means I cant hit DJing full on.

Sucks ey

[Jaz]

Ouch was hoping for a better option

[CBG]

others may try to dance around it... but I thought I'd be honest.

Just put ur head down and save man.

Do what I did and get decks that are similar. You just need to learn beatmatching and you can do that on any decks.

Just on pioneer they have the features I cant get to

[djarmed]

Yeah mate pretty much gotta buy your own and learn with them. Like CBG said you dont have to buy pioneers you can learn to beatmatch on any type of cd deck,but pioneer has much better pitch resolution and accuracy

But the first cd decks i owned after i finished with vinyl was numark axis 4 and they were enough to learn on.

How much $ can you spare???

As for Dj'ing in clubs with a laptop its not a good move and kinda frowned upon and you wont get much respect.

Little scenario for you........you get your first gig at a club, they have cd decks and mixer and you ask if you can use ya laptop and they say yeah no probs. You get to the venue start ya set and 15 minutes into it your computer shits itself (this does happen) then you'd be kinda expected to do the rest of ya set on the decks but you can't cause you can't beatmatch.

owner=very pissed off

you= NO PAY

i remember writing in a post a while ago about comparing learning to dj with learning to drive.

if you learn on an auto (software) you're restricted to an auto, BUT if you learn manual (decks) you can do both, because at the end of the day the autosync button will be like the little devil on your shoulder and you'll get lazy.

And people that say i use software and dont use autosync are idiots because the analyzing of songs are pretty good these days and BPM's are accurate (except breaks and some other genres) so all you have to do is adjust the bpm so it matches the bpm of the other song, but for some reason they think thats ok and thats not cheating but they're kidding themselves. it takes 1 second to press autosync and 2 seconds to adjust bpm on software, so......its still cheating.

Dont get me wrong software DEFINATELY has a place in the dj world e.g. live mash ups. but to me thats where it ends (obviously except production) you can incorporate a laptop with software into your set but it shouldn't be relied upon for the entire set, only for those little creative moments that we all have

So GET SOME DECKS!! you'll thank yourself for it.

[Gandy]

yeh learn on the decks mate, just remember, the bank has plenty of money xD

[Jaz]

thanks

well right now i can barley spare a cent but saving will help that, i meen i dont want mk3's or anything that gonna cost me $4000 lol, and i will admit i dont no shit about mixing CD's, like besides the minor shit like crossfader n how to load the song to your deck, could probly create a loop here n there, and i dont yet know how to work out the bpm by ear, besides an obvious 128 like a majority of house beats, thats pretty easy to pick

but mobileing with my midi and speakers n lappy should hopefully get me some cash towards decks

and i only have a part time job thats not bringing in much cash lol

[Skank]

maybey hire some dj gear using a fake id and dont take it back

[Jaz]

I enjoy my asshole being tight and out of prison skank haha

so im struggling to understand the numbering with the CDJ's

i meen a 400 is newer then a 800 correct?

what do these number meen or are they basically just pioneers random way of telling them apart...?

to get my head around them what would be ideal to get without buying a set of 1000's or 2000's of corse?

[Skank]

ideal is cdj400 and a 2 channel mixer is perfect for digital dj and mobile dj end price you could get for about 1600 second hand

[Jaz]

sound good, anything i can use my Current Midi for with it?

[Skank]

if you get serato or traktor you can map it using the 400s and you device

[Jaz]

hmmm would probs just sell the midi if i was to get them

[Skank]

i carnt recomend them enough there light for mobile djing but powerful they are just pure awsomeness

[CBG]

I've used 400s in clubs man. So yeah, go for them if you want

[lloydc]

I've recommended them before and i'll recommend them again.... denon 3700s!

[eggssell]

And people that say i use software and dont use autosync are idiots because the analyzing of songs are pretty good these days and BPM's are accurate (except breaks and some other genres) so all you have to do is adjust the bpm so it matches the bpm of the other song, but for some reason they think thats ok and thats not cheating but they're kidding themselves. it takes 1 second to press autosync and 2 seconds to adjust bpm on software, so......its still cheating.

i know this keeps coming up here and its gonna have to be agree to disagree but i really disagree with this statement. back in the day all the boys would mark up their records with the bpms, and this would make it easier to pitch their records, i.e. take half the time then chucking a record on. are they cheating?? the bpm counter just reduced the time of sitting their with their records and stop watch. bpm analysers will never be perfect so you have to adjust by ear anyway.

same with using cues. isnt using cue points or even the cue button on cdj's making life easier. so by your arguement that means all cdj users are a bunch of cheats. how easy is it to tap the cue button to beat, or not have to use doubles and just keep looping a section by repressing the cue button. what a bunch of cheats??

but of course their not. again back in the day we use to mark our records up with labels to drop the needle exactly where we wanted it to start just like a cue point, the cdj's just made it easier.

i guess what im saying is at what point does making it easier make it cheating?

[ruggs]

so im struggling to understand the numbering with the CDJ's

i meen a 400 is newer then a 800 correct?

what do these number meen or are they basically just pioneers random way of telling them apart...?

The higher the number the "better" in pioneer's eyes but all of there gear now days will do the job great and have the similar lay out to get used it..

[Skank]

The higher the number the "better" in pioneer's eyes but all of there gear now days will do the job great and have the similar lay out to get used it..

what about the cdj 900 and cdj 1000

[Jaz]

yeh and from what ive been reading the 400's are better then the 800's. obviously cause of age

oh well, im either gonna save up for a set of 400's with a djm400 or save even more and go all out and get some second hand mk3's or possibly 2000's so i never have to upgrade lol

[ruggs]

The higher the number the "better" in pioneer's eyes but all of there gear now days will do the job great and have the similar lay out to get used it..

what about the cdj 900 and cdj 1000

ha ha thats the one exception now i guess lol....seems hot cue's are better then a screen and auto loop haha

[lopsyd]

i got a set of 400s and a djm400. and that is all you need dood. even cdj200s. learn to beatmatch by ear. and your sweet. i got the 400s super cheap from a friends international relatives, but started with a numark m4 mixer. even that was dope. you just have to remember, while pioneer is all good and well, its not the be all and end all. although ive never used then, i hear denon cd player go fricken sweet. dont be so quick to jock pioneer like most new DJs.

[ruggs]

most denon stuff beats pioneer but its not classed and sold as 'the standard' so it doesn't get as many units moved as pioneer

[Jaz]

400 deffo sounds the go, they are easily the most attractive as well, not that that should affect my decision at all

i basically have to have the ability to plug MP3 as well, love the idea, i mean im only doing mp3 now, would love to get a big USB stick or that rekord box thing, and then just have a folder of CD's as a backup

cant afford the 900's, although second hand 1000's will start becoming common as people upgrade to the 2000's they still dont have the mp3 ability, as for the 2000's, yeh keep dreaming DJaz

[Buck_Choi]

1000's dont have mp3 compatibility.. ?