DJ Controller to CDJ / DJM Comparison - time to make the jump!!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- This video is huge!! I put the DDJ 400 side to side with club gear (CDJ and DJM) and show you what's exactly the same and where the main differences are with one goal, that I demystify club gear and show you how similar all DJ gear is.
You have to check out my Free Mini Course with videos to help you get started as a DJ (finding music, best DJ gear, where to set cue points, harmonic mixing and more):
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The goat
I brought this course last year. Within 6 weeks it had taken my skills to a whole new level. Infact I was able to get a set on a live radio show here in the UK on boxing day.
I am now mixing psy trance, techno and tech house almost by "muscle memory" which allows me to be more creative with transitions which honestly has taken the fun level to new heights.
This course is gold. Thanks Andrew
This means so much to me, thanks Aaron
thank you SO much for this video. I am learning how to DJ on my own and finally got some gigs and the transition between my DDJ400 and CDJs was super intimidating.
The big thing for me when I started using CDJs was not staring at the waveform on my laptop. But I also NEVER used Memory Cues on a controller. I never even set them in Rekordbox. I only used Hot Cues on my DDJ-1000. The way the main Cue button worked didn't even make sense to me! But on CDJs now I mostly use Memory Cues. I only use Hot Cues for loops. I'm not sure why I'm so much more comfortable with the Cue/Play button now. I think it's just because it feels nicer than the Hot Cue buttons, and there's only one of them, so when I select a Memory Cue I sorta have a muscle memory thing going on when I tap Cue along with the beat then start the track with Play. And I think most DJs are about the same. The only person I really see using Hot Cues a lot is James Hype, but he's using the deck as more of a sampler half the time, and I think those are mostly loops.
As usual really well said, I always value your input Raquel
Thanks a ton!. Learned from you over DDJ400.
Excellent comparison!! Congrats for such a complete content
Nice video 👍😎
this video is amazing, thanks so much!!!
very useful Tips
I’m the odd one who plays on CDJs at home but will take an entry level controller to the festival 😬
It is convenient!
I also like seeing DJs like Desert Dwellers play on Ableton with standard midi controllers
Djing for about 25 years now!Bought a Numark Mixtrack Platinum FX last month and it was the best thing I could spent money into!
@@guido69x wait another month and you will be where I am now...angry for not spending a bit more and going for a ddj1000 or a rane one...
I’m the same. I love my cdjs at home, but out on a gig doing dances, weddings, etc, I just take my controller. No need lugging my cdjs and djm to gigs where no one cares what I play on, just gonna make it easy on my. Controller is lighter, easier to set up and take down, etc etc. I’d only take cdj and djm to a festival if they rent it from me haha. Obviously if I’m playing there, they already got them.
I still load cds into the cdjs at home sometimes when I play with the cdjs and 1200s, it’s fun to juggle around vinyls and cds into the 1200s and cdjs.
Great info, thanks again! 👍🤠
In Serato you go into Library Mode. The problem is you now can’t see your saved Loops.
Have to use the force my friend, you've got this!
Awesome video! I really want to upgrade from my DDJ-400. At first I was really set on the Denon Prime 4 because of its capability of being a standalone 4 channel mixer with a nice touch screen but after hearing about the affects not sounding as crisp on engine software and track analysis it being as good.. I started to look at the DDJ-1000. My question is, should I upgrade to the DDJ-1000? Or wait to see what pioneer will release in the future? I’m hearing there are rumors that there might be something coming up this year that might replace the 1000. Or do you think I should avoid a controller that requires a laptop all together?
Do whatever fits your budget and style. Period.
Pioneers due to release new gear soon, so I'd wait. On the denon, the effects are fine and sound just as good as the pioneer stuff in my opinion. In my experience the analysis is only an issue with notoriously hard genres like drum and bass, for example, which pretty much all software has trouble with. If you really want standalone get the prime 4, as there's not a chance pioneer will ever release a 4 deck standalone because they don't want to eat into their cdj market. Regardless of what you go for you'll be happy. Just depends on how much you don't want to have to depend on a laptop.
The DDJ1000 ia an excellent choice and you can use it on partys an weddings, it is compatable with club equitment. Also good to get more information about Pioneer devolpment first. They will do their best and it will be solid. However if you are looking for affordable stand alone players, look at Denon Sc. This will be a swith.
Go to a good store, look at your budget, connect there and be critical, see what resonates with you!
Tip, take a freind tot the store. Look alsaw at XDJ-RX2 or XDJ-RR.
Even though it's answered below, I'd just follow your heART. As mentioned, all same same but different, but if it was a choice to wait or get something now, you should never wait on ideas, you have to move on them to keep momentum!! No right or wrong gear, just what feels good to you :) I personally love the DDJ1000 - it feels great t me, I love playing on it - also has a pro image - could use at events, functions, parties etc
Why is record box the standard man I hate that shit, everything about serato is superior to record box including the stems (which is huge) but it seems like it’s one of those things old heads prefer over serato because it’s “og”🤦🏽♂️. Great video tho
I got one question. I have practiced djing for some time now, however one of the things I noticed is that for some tracks (I play melodic techno and house usually) the tempo moves by itself (not so much though, max 0.5), so I am in the middle of the transition (after doing beatmatching) and the sounds are clashing a but and I have to adjust it in the middle of that. Is this normal that sometimes u have to adjust the tracks constantly until u transition out? A bit of help would be much appreciated
Sounds like you did not tempomatch both tracks exactly, which is completely fine, but then you have to continuously beatmatch the slower/faster track. If track A is 127.0 bpm and track B is 127.5 bpm, track B is gonna want to race away a little.
Hope that helps.
It happens a lot in other genres of music. I play reggaeton and the old ones can introduce a delay somewhere and destroy your mix. Even if the BPM is the same. I got used to it and use my hearing more than watching the grid, and beatmach continuously using the side of the jog wheel. Yes you will need to beat match all the time but you'll get used to it.
You can stack the waveforms, or at least the grids, on CDJs! It works excellently as long as your grids are setup appropriately. This is essential for fast paced mixing like most modern dubstep where there’s a lot of doubles and triples.
I feel like I would be comfortable moving from my Traktor S4 Mk3 to club equipment. I have played full sets using my buddy's XDJ-RX2 and it felt okay. But, I definitely still prefer Traktor's super easy looping options, comprehensive beat grids, spectrum waveform colour and other colours, sync options being more accessible, and ability to navigate through tracks without having to fiddle with settings etc. I just wish DJs had more option as to using their desired controller or mixer etc. Sure it looks professional to have a huge, complex-looking setup, but would you rather have a solid mix whereby the DJ is entirely comfortable, or would you rather look professional and maybe have the DJ mess up more or mix differently than they would on their own controller?
What do you guys and girls think?
The main reason is reliability. Clubs want as little chance as possible of a crash ruining everyone's fun. Peoples laptops are not reliable enough for that atmosphere there is just way too much that can go wrong.
@@elysiandreamz you actually have a point
Great video ... it felt very familiar, as after some months with DDJ 400 (just a few, but with music education), I had the opportunity to DJ in a club with pro gear, 900eds with separate screens and 4 ch mixer. I managed to be there 2hours before to practice. Quite a challenge but I managed, beat matching by ear is the biggest challenge, the rest is just a lot more fun. Keep it up!
If you force yourself to beat match by ear (browse mode), you'll adapt quickly I assure you.
Thanks for the great video, really informative while being straightforward to understand
It's great to see your enthusiasm for this which helps massively
I've subscribed and will definitely be checking out your other videos and keep your courses in mind!
Just saving up to get a FLX4 and headphones etc purely for enjoyment at home fore now. Not planning to use any of the beat sync/smart fader as I want to learn proper beat matching and mixing. I'll also hide the waveforms after watching this video!
Would love to play on a proper cdj and mixer set-up one day!
Just made the switch from DDJ-1000 to CDJ setup. The complexity was aligning phrases. That's pretty simple when looking at on-screen stacked waveforms. I never used memory cues, but now I'm using them extensively. My CDJ screens have stacked bar counters on top that count down towards the next memory cues. Whereas I've put hotcues 8 or 16 bars before the transition point I now place memory cues at the beginning of a phrase. E.g. when replacing the drop, this allows me to align my incoming loop or phrase with the upcoming drop of the outgoing track. When the beat counters are showing the same count I release the loop and get my phrases aligned.
Great to see you on hear Nachos, you're the man!!!! xoxox
You really wanna "feel" it instead of watching on a screen? Spin genuine vinyl, which one can't obviously do nowadays because of lacking tables, and most not even ordinary odd compact discs any more (in my opinion a full fail for a system named "cdj"). Aside of saving the weight of gear I absolutely can't see ANY advantages using this hardware instead of a controller...
You can use memory cues in almost the same way as hot cues. There isn't much of a difference. If you place memory cues throughout the track you can just use the arrow 'call' buttons to access those points. It takes a little finesse is all.
1:40 finally, finally someone gave me a simple explanation about the difference between hot / memory cues.
Thx again and again......👌
just wanted to let you know that i've been practicing and had finally gotten the confidence to play in front of my friends just the other night. thanks for being a huge part of my journey. cheers
I mean I get what your saying but you don’t need to stare at your laptop it takes seconds to line up waveforms
Serato isnt a pioneer brand, not yet anyway... awesome vids thanks
I've only Played on my DDJ-800 yet and in a few weeks I will play at a club for the first time. I am afraid, because I don't have any experience on playing with CDJs and a mixer. Would you recommend to use HID mode then?
You can always go into browse mode or watch the info inside your jogwheels and look less at the screen :)
any chance you could do a video on rotary mixers? definitely feel like they're a different style of mixing that some people would resonate with (reasons a ton of old school house DJs prefer them). they also emphasize different mixing ideas and thinking about sets as composition and adjustment of grooves in a mix rather than flashy mixing techniques etc.
Good idea, will do my best
I saved enough money to purchase my xdj xz. Great video information
I LOVE coming back to your older videos. Going on 1.5 years of dj’ing and I still find ways to improve through you and didn’t realize browse mode was a way to practice beat matching and now I’m excited to put time into learning without beat sync and lining up a grid
Tis i sawesome..I'm still learning the cue loop buttons at the top
Wish I could spend the 7 to 10k on a Pioneer DJM and 3 CDJs. Just not as important as other things at the moment.
For me it was an eye opener that Andrew said that all gear works the same. It is also a mindset so you can operate any gear with confidence and don't worry about minor technical details. If you come across a complex setup, go for a tryout before. Great tip.
Also to move away from the screen is a golden tip!!
Nice. I recently got two turntables with a behringer djx750 as I am a novice and didn't have the money to get a djm 450. Which is ok for me because I'm still learning.
Exactly the time when I need this knowledge
The browse mode, what a fantastic little trick to play without the big waveforms, brilliant. Thanks for noting that.
You've got this!!! browse mode all the way :)
I was looking for this videos for so long man, I use the DDJ 400 for the mixes I do for a radio station but I want to be ready to perform at a club.
Thank youuuuu
thank you for being born
Really great video
Very nice video ❤
I've got a question, i bought a ddj flx-6, am i able to connect 2 cdj 2000? as an example, to fill the last 2 channels with them?
Thank you. I just played a gig using my DDJ-1000 and got a lot of compliments. Then someone said, you should be playing in a club lol. After I told her I wasn't comfortable on CD-J's she said, it'll be a breeze to transition. Now I'm here watching this very informative video and will make time to learn to transition from my manual transmission Mustang to a Corvette. Great analogy btw.
Great video as usual! But can you still connect CDJs to your computer/rekordbox and use it like a controller?
Hi mate, I've got my first set tomorrow and this has helped massively! One thing that's bothering me is how to start off a 4-beat loop on club decks, as when I press start on beat then press the loop-out button to loop the start, it does something completely different to what it does on my DDJ-400.
Just press play and then loop out after 4 beats and it'll loop it back to the first beat
@@ClubReadyDJSchool Thanks for your reply mate, it might just be the particular decks but that doesn't work as I usually use that method. But one of the lads just showed me to press loop in and play at the same time, then loop out on the 4th. Set went really well and I owe a lot of that to you, keep doing your thing!
Video😊
Can I prepare my music on Serato for the pioneer club equipment or does it have to be rekordbox ?
Love the vids mate got my first club gig this weekend and I think this will help thx 👌👌👌👌👌
Good luck!
Good luck Jack! Let us know how it went :)
Top man! Thanks for these vids! Very helpful indeed!
Really appreciate it now do understand difference between controller and CDJ
Great vid Andrew!
I love your comforting heart Thank you
thank you this video was very helpful! i have the ddj 400 and i'll be playing on cdjs in 2 weeks
You've got this!!
Just moved from a Traktor S2 Mk3 controller to a DDJ-800 so I take it Rekordbox will not recognise my Traktor cues and loops etc? 😬
That's correct - new beginnings!
After spending the last year practicing and getting familiar with cdjs (2000 nexus and the new 3000) I have decided that I’d rather play on my traktor.. looping and fx are so much more fun and I can get so much more creative with that. Plus using rekordbox is awful I don’t understand why ppl deal with it every time they download new music... any thoughts on those alternative gear outside pioneer?
I honestly believe all DJ gear and software operate in the same way, go with what you resonate with, but if you want to play in clubs USBS (RB) is easiest - I have a video all about that coming out tomorrow :)
was just watching some video on cdj3000 and they had waveforms from both decks playing on screen?
Yes the 3000's are awesome, however I doubt you'll see them for a while in clubs - clubs typically have older gear.
i am interesting in your course. But interesting in tech house, melodic house, indie dance.. Are you learning of mixing these styles... Where you need real mixing letting tracks together for long time.. Will i find in that course?
That's my specialty! You'll see :) www.clubreadydjschool.com/club-ready-dj-course/
I'm 16 and wants club decks and mixer anyone want to buy me them 😂
So good Andrew can't wait for my mixer to turn up and jump on your course ..
Appreciate you Andrew! I was wanting to know the differences since I started. Cheers!
Does it make sense to buy a Traktor S4mk3 at this moment? To practice at home first but eventually go to events too. The hardware is just so much better than anything else in that category. Is it possible to transfer lists and cues to rekordbox if something comes up on a Pio gear?
You'd have to prepare your music a second time on Rekordbox if you wish to use USB's on club gear
I am about to have a practice on CDJ's for the first time. Only DJ'd on DDJ-400 so this video was super helpful! Thanks!
You got this!
Love this video I needed exactly that thank you
Hello Andrew. I am following your channel for quite some time now. I was thinking about getting the course but I am not sure what package to get. Can you help?
Can you send me an email andrew@clubreadydjschool.com - it's easier to send info you need and options :)
Man I gotta xone 23c can you explain to me how much better it would be for me if I went to a DJM mixer, I feel like I'm missing out on so much by not having a pioneer mixer with all the effects but with the xone is get such better sound quality 🤔
Stick with the xone - effects IMO are over rated - nothing beats good sound and cool EQ work! then if you play on a club set up, trust me, the jump won't be that hard - see it more as fun :)
I have a ddj 400, and my problem is that I spend a lot of time with beatmatching because I have to push the jog wheels a lot more due to the small size of the jog wheels
Yeah bud that's not supposed to change something. When you beatmatch you play the song at the correct beat. The rest is micro adjustments
I’m sold. CDJs it is.
You touched on how browsing for tracks is different between the 2 setups, but another area is previewing tracks. On the computer, I can just click on the preview waveform and hear parts of the track, quick and easy. To accomplish this on CDJs using a USB I have to load a track and scan forward in the track. Not super time-consuming, but not as easy as click on the preview waveform. I know on the CDJ 3000s tracks can be previewed without loading if using certain Pioneer mixers.
Good call
You’re the best teacher.
I currently use a ddj400 and am pretty reliant on my computer screen, which is something I want to not do anymore. However, I don’t have the best eyesight, and it’s hard for me to see the tempo and mini waveforms when I go to browse mode in remordbox. What do you suggest I do?
I guess you could use sync, otherwise get is as close as you can without hurting your eyes and then do micro adjustments on jogwheel if the beats drift apart
@@ClubReadyDJSchool Thanks so much! Its hard being a perfectionist and trying not to constantly check if I have the tempos exactly correct, but this video and comment helped a lot!!
Fuck I like this guy.
love the teaching approach on your videos, just bought the full pack so lets see how this goes!! thanks for all of your work.
love the positive energy
If you set hot cues on songs on rekordbox, transfer the songs onto a USB, and then connect to club gear - will the hot cues show up on the DDJs?
Or do only memory cues show up?
Memory cues show up on all club gear, hot cues only on the 2000's and up
@@ClubReadyDJSchool ahh I see, thanks man!
Thanks a ton
i fucking love your vibe!!! its sl nice to listek to you
Thanks mate I appreciate that
I did exactly what you said in this video, i started on ddj-400 , at first i was lining beats on the screen before i learnt how to mix, than hide the waveforms and started mixing and beatmatchin like that,it really helps you understand music much better, than i went and stsrt practicing on club gear, actualy it is kinda same,.the only ptoblem i found i was practicing on allen& heath mixer and it was quite differeny from ddj-400, but after second play i got used to it a little bit, I am still strugling with it becouse i don't know many things on thst, than i played on pionner mixer and god, it felt amazing, I even recorded my first vidcast after 4 plays on club gear, maybe you will go trough allen&heat mixer, most of venues have them, once again thank you for your amazing content
Thanks for constantly showing up Nika - respect!! xo
oh, I am more than happy if you noticed me, haha 🤣 I learnt everything from you,more in life than in djing that is unvaluable and not many would say, I think about you as my mentor,haha ❤️❤️ I would be always so greatful to you
Excellent video, as always 🙏🏻
Great video
What about the sound Quality on the controller?
Through a small sound system you wouldn't notice but it's like a small picture that gets enlarged and the bigger it gets the more blurry it becomes :)
Is it correct that you need one USB per controller right? So if you are playing with a standard set up you need 2 usb's with your songs, and if you play a 4-mixer set, you need 4 usb's?
No you can actually connect the cdj's and the mixer with each other so you only need 1 USB
@@jeroenbaan8129 True but always bring clones in case there's a problem with the link functionality. Though if you bring a spare ethernet cable as well then you might be able to get it working.
@@cmjones83 That is definitely a good tip 👌
This has been answered by both Jeroen and Chris - thanks guys
👌👍
great vid man, loved the car references haha
Thanks mate, I love using metaphors to teach
@@ClubReadyDJSchool cars and women can always be translated metaphorically haha
I love what you’re teaching!
Traktor 2 also doesn’t have stacked waveforms and feels a lot like club equipment :)