Where to start? DDJ or CDJ?

[Justify]

Hey guys and girls.

Im looking at getting into DJing and have been looking around this

site and asking friends who DJ questions about what to get and such.

Ultimately I'm aiming at being able to DJ at a club but to get things

going, I'll be a party dj for mates.

One of my mates said to ONLY look at Pioneer gear and CDJs.

When I went to check out djwarehouse, the staff said looking at the

Pioneer DDJ-S1 was the go.

I have a new laptop (HP Pavilion Dv6 with i7 8MB ram 1TB HHD) so i'm sure

i wouldn't have problems running a DJ controller.

What's your advice for me to start? Should I be looking at a controller or more a CDJ?

If so, which model/product should i be looking at?

I don't have the money at the moment, but I would like to know what price level I'm looking at.

In case you didn't know what the DDJ S-1 is:

http://www.djwarehouse.com.au/specials/ ... llers.html

Thanks in advance

[pundaddy]

Ultimately if you're certain on heading to clubs in the future, cdj's are the way to go, but if you're content with mobile dj'ing, then go with a controller.

[LabRat]

Cdj's personally.

Although these days I don't see any issue with using a controller in a club. Technology is rapidly changing now days so go with what you feel

[Jaz]

CDJ for sure, everything DJ has + more

[awesome88]

CDJ for sure, everything DJ has + more

hmmm I don't go with this lol I think it is more like controllers now are CDJ's+more , but if you are wanting to move into clubs, I think CDJ's are the way to go. This is mainly due to

1. Clubs all have cdjs there already

2. Controllers still have a stigma to some degree.

If you want to go down the cdj path, you don't have to get pioneer. From what I have read/heard, the Reloop RMP-3's are right up there, and not going to set you back anywhere near what new Pioneer cdj2000/900's will cost. If you choose these, you'll still be able to transition into a club with pioneer gear easily because it is all basically the same.

On the other hand, you can always look into second hand gear which you can sometimes get some really good deals on.

If you want to have the benefits of both, you can get some cdj's with Serato time code, then you can use the cdjs with your computer.

theeeeen if you want to just muck around at home and play for mates/parties for now, the best option would be a controller. TBH I don't think the pioneer DDJ-S1 is the best value for money atm (unless maybe you went for the T1). I think you would be better off looking into a Traktor Kontrol S4 or Denon DN-MC6000. These seem to be the most value for money at the moment, granted I haven't had a look for a little while so someone else might have a better current suggestion.

[mattus123]

i would personally go CDJ, but using a controller still has its advantages

as for playing in a club, i have seen an increase in DJs using controllers, however most still use CDJs

as for your mate saying 'only look at pioneer'. i'd say also look at denon (or reloop as awseome88 said), i have mates who use denon and have no complaints. all CDJs have a very similar layout, so you wont have any problem transitioning into club if you use these decks

[Gandy]

if your ultimate goal is clubs then i would highly recommend cdjs + mixer. As it currently stands in the majority of the clubs you will play at there setup will either be using pioneer cdj 2000s or pioneer cdj 900s. Both the 2000 and 900 are quite pricey however, but pioneer also have the cdj 850 range which would be worth looking at.

controllers + laptop are great for parties/mobile because of how compact and easy they are to transport, plus they are loaded with features (sample decks, effects etc) to keep you happy, however most controllers have a smaller platter compared to the cdjs in the clubs.

I cant comment on the reloop cdjs but i have heard good things about them

also, as other users have stated the ddj-s1 is pretty average for the price, the traktor kontrol s4 and the denon controller are great bang for your buck if you do decide to go the controller route

[chrismak]

Its a good thing you came here for a second opinion. Your friend's "Pioneer ONLY" advice doesn't apply to every situation and you certainly shouldn't limit yourself.

In regards to CDJ vs Controller, the current CDJ trend in clubs may change by the time you are ready to play in them. I wouldn't get too concerned about what the clubs use just yet.

As a beginner your focus should be learning the basics on reliable gear. House parties are an excellent way to build your soft skills (reading the crowd, setting the right mood, composing a flowing set). Controllers are perfect for house parties as they're easy to transport and they don't take up too much space. As mentioned above, there are better controllers than others so continue doing your research while you save the cash.

If you find that you love and have a talent for DJ'ing and want to pursue venues, you can then determine what gear is used and upgrade accordingly.

[SolDios]

Cdj's imo. if your looking to get into clubs its better to give yourself the best transition to there equipment.

However, you could grab a mixtrack pro or mdex3 (yes I know) and see if you like it or not.

thats what I did, then I upgraded to cdj 800 mk1's

[Mitch]

Plenty have already mentioned above, depends on budget and what you want to get out of DJing. Controllers are good for mobile, cdjs are what your your going to be seeing if your aiming to head for the clubs

[OxyKon]

I'd personally go cdj's dude, smaller and easy to use, plus like every1 else has said most clubs already have them set up

[Mitch]

I'd personally go cdj's dude, smaller and easy to use, plus like every1 else has said most clubs already have them set up

Smaller than what? My CDJ setup is easily 3-4 times bigger than my midi controller. And about 50 times heaver

[OxyKon]

I meant smaller in the case of using serato wid turntables, not to mention lighter in weight, sorry bout the miss communication their dude

[Mitch]

O yer cdj definately smaller and lighter than Turntables, thought you'd gone crazy though saying they were smaller than midi lol, as op was comparing midi to cdj, not tt's

[OxyKon]

Haha yeah sorry man, was reading on my phone during lunch break, didn't get a chance to read every1's comments

[Mitch]

No probs

[ill_spector]

if you want to be taken seriously learn to beatmatch on cdj's

or want to be elite beatmatch on vinyl

otherwise buy controller play a few party have fun

work hard to get club gig....... oh fuck i can mix without a sync button.

depends how seriously u wanna take it?

but yeh if ur just after a bit of fun, controller and lappy all the way man

[MintyCondition]

I reckon it's all about how you prefer your music. The two are similar, but at the same time different. Try going to DJ stores and test some of the equipment out and see what you like best. It's all up to you! I chose to be a CDJ because I prefer CD music quality over PC mp3 quality and because the CDJ have more of a feel to them, but that is completely your choice.

[Jaz]

you music files would only be mp3 if you downloaded them as that or if you converted them to mp3...most of the time they will be WAV which will be the same as the files on your CD...same qaulity dude

[MintyCondition]

you music files would only be mp3 if you downloaded them as that or if you converted them to mp3...most of the time they will be WAV which will be the same as the files on your CD...same qaulity dude

Ohh my bad. I just see a lot of people having music as mp3 even if they buy online... Whoops

[Mitch]

alot of people do buy music as mp3 files online, and burn them onto CDs as mp3 files are cheaper. However you can pay the extra ($1 per track extra i think?) and get uncompressed WAV files. Alot of people can't tell much difference between 320 kbps mp3 and wav anyway though. Your crowd certainly won't, unless your own a larger sound system, then you start to notice more of a difference.

So mp3 320 files are fine for most, unless your playing on a bigger system.

[eggssell]

well it might depend on the larger sound system. some are still pretty loud but not necessarily have the best clarity, so you wouldnt be able to tell the difference.

ive read of several big name dj's buying music from itunes (and you cant compare their 260 aac or whatever it is versus a 320 mp3, different measuring system), and they play big ass festys. i think z-trip, and maybe craze were amongst them.

[awesome88]

so did you end up choosing?

[Justify]

so did you end up choosing?

Considering your guys opinions, I'm most likely looking at a controller.

Would love to go for CDJs but the cash isnt coming that quickly.

By mid December I should have about 2000 so most likely a controller,

case and a decent set of headphones looks like the go.

In regards to controllers, im tossing up between the NS6 and DDJ-S1.

The S1 package with monitors + stands and case 1690 from DJWarehouse

or NS6 1449 at StoreDj and ask if i can get a deal.

I assume I can learn most of the CDJ techniques on a controller; i.e. beat matching

and such if i dont rely on the screen so it shouldnt be too much of an issue (I hope)

[Mitch]

you can pick up some techniques, but i did however find the transition from the controller i learnt on (mixtrack pro) to CDJs, there was a different feel to all of the controls - for example the pitch faders and jogs have a very different feel about them. However if you get some basics down on a controller and learn the techniques properly, yes you will be able to transfer your skills onto other types of equipment with a bit of practice.

However don't forget reading the crowd is just as an important (or more important) skill as the technical stuff, so as soon as you practice and get some confidence up on whatever you buy, do any house parties you can and get those skills up too. This will help you get much further than mixing good but still playing the wrong songs for the crowd.