New DJ – Need some help with deciding on my set up CDJ's or Controller?

Ok here is the deal:
I have been using turntables for more than 10 years, after that at least 5 years of CDJs and I am now 4 years exclusively on controllers….

No there is no real advantage to CDJs: any controller is much more convenient, has more options than any current CDJ and is lightyears more efficient to use.

The only thing keeping CDJs alive is because some people think it is more “pro” and numerous big name DJs having sponsorships so they have to use CDJs, so that bedroom DJs think it is more pro.

Also the most pro Clubs in the world, say Ministry of Sound in London (rated one of the top clubs in the world) their tech will ask you in advance what you will bring and when you show up you give them your controller and laptop and they will setup anything for you the way you tell them to, including backups …

Also you never need to learn on CDJs. Anything you can do on a controller easily translates to CDJs. You can learn the basics (manual beatmatching, basic transitions, cue juggling, beat juggling, scratching,…) on a controller.
If you ever come across a situation where you NEED to use a CDJ setup, then most likely it will be a full Nexus setup (or else I just would not use them) and they are basically the same to use as a DDJ-SZ just with more USB cables…

So basically yes controllers are the future, do not waste tons of money on the past.
I have done so the last 4 years, from smaller gigs, to club work and up to festivals in front of thousands. All with the same controller and laptop. Worked like a charm.

Ok, so you want to learn the basic first from CDJ, even tough just like Terry said you CAN still learn the basic from a controller, thats why you really want to get the CDJ setup, but in reality is your budget is not sufficient enough for it
As Terry already pointed out to learn CDJ basic you need the full force of the NEXUS setup, which with 1 set of CDJ 2000 Nexus and DJM 900 Nexus it going to run you around £3,000

With your current budget @ £700, you prolly can get your hands on the all brand spankin new CDJ 900 Nexus, mind you thats prolly just for one and you need 2 of em

With the budget of £700, you can get some nice high-end controller, if you insists on Pioneer brand you can get the Pioneer DDJ-SX which is real nice (review at http://www.digitaldjtips.com/2012/11/pioneer-ddj-sx-serato-dj-controller-review/)
This controller actually replicated the CDJ setup, which much better options and creativity involved vs the CDJ setup in my humble opinion

And if you still insist wants to get the hands-on experiences with CDJ setup, why dont you check out your local area for a studio DJ that rented out CDJ setup (for an hourly rate), or you always welcome to drop by my studios =)

hey djrizki, I know it wasn’t me who asked this question but it is related to what you’re talking about. I was looking at the Pioneer R1 controllers, and whilst I know they aren’t decks, they still have the cdj function as well as being the controller etc I’m sure you know the one I’m on about,

what I really wanted to know is that, if I was buying this R1, for around £800, over what I actually was going to buy, which is the Pioneer 800’s with a 650 or 1000 mixer I think second hand, do you think It would be wiser buying the R1?
It has similar features to the Pioneer CDJs, and I want to know could I learn the basics of Pioneer 1000’s through my controller? i think that’s what someone else asked above, but I want to feel confident that I can mix with normal Pioneers anywhere I go, so if investing in the CDJs for a lot more money is the right thing to do I can wait, but everyone is telling me is fading out and soon everything will be controller frenzy!

Appreciate any response! 🙂

CDJ 800 and 1000s are a total waste of money. They are lightyears behind anything today. Same goes for the DJM you asked about.

The only CDJ setup that is on the level of todays controllers (and I mean even controllers like the Numark Mixtrack or the reloop Beatmix beat the CDJ 800 in ALL categories) is a setup of 2 CDJ 2000 Nexus and a DJM 900 Nexus.
Everything below this CDJ setup is a waste of money.

Learning to DJ and learning the basics (no matter if you use CDJs or controllers) can be done on the cheapest controllers. All you need to learn is basic beatmatching by ear (easily learned on a controller as they have pitchfaders and you do not need to use sync), counting bars (can be done without anything listening to music on your ipod), basic mixing (can be done on any controller and mixer) and flexible mixing with “nudging” of jogwheels (can be learned on any controller with jogwheels).
All these basic skills will be the same no matter what you use, the big difference from there is what else does your setup offer you in terms of advanced skills (beatjuggling, cue juggling, F/X, filters, loops, slice, scratching,….) all of these advanced steps ANY controller can do more than the old CDJs, the only CDJs that come close to highend controllers are the Nexus setups, period.

And for being more pro with CDJs?
I DJed in the Octagon for thousands of people with 2 laptops (MacBook pros), a reloop Terminal Mix 4, a NI Maschine and their A&H clubmixer. No CDJ involved.
Did I upgrade lately?
Yes to a Terminal Mix 8 😉
Do I use CDJs?
Well if I get to a club that already has a Nexus System I bring my USB stick as BACKUP and still use my controller, but I know I can use the CDJs if the controller decided to cut out (which never happened, but just to be sure).

By ALL managers, venue owners and techs in big clubs or at festivals I am considered a pro DJ (even though my pro times are past and I do only a few big events a year), not because of the gear I use, but because I come with all cables and adapters (which mostly I do not need), I can tell the tech exactly what I want and how I want my setup to be in the booth. I can talk to the next and previous DJ and talk beforehand on how we will transition from my setup to their setup (most likely the also have controller(s)) and I can talk to the VJ/lighting guys on what I would like. This knowledge together with the basic skills you need to run in your sleep, a professional attitude, being punctual, having backups, helping the newer guys and self-awareness are what make you a Pro, not the gear you use.

The way I see it is as follows:

DJ controllers are built to control the software on your laptop (e.g. traktor + s4), CDJ’s well the older ones anyway are not they are designed for cds. So if you are using software you might aswell be using a controller, yeah I understand djs who use cdjs with the software as they’ve always used them and thats what they are comfortable working on.

IMO the best djs are guys who can play a great set on all three forms (vinal, cdjs and now digital) these are usually older guys who have been through the 3 generations. I can only play with my digital gear (S4, Z1, Maschine) as this is what I started on and have had no need or the idol cash just to go away n spends thousands on vinal, a good mixer and cdjs when I don’t need them.

Cds will soon be extinct as will the cdj setup. Remember the 1st mobile phones, desktops and widescreen televisions all you could describe as ‘bricks’. Everything has gotten so much compact and this is the future of djing not these huge messy setups which are the nom in dj booths.

So if you’ve got spare cash for cdjs and a decent mixer go n buy them but I would defo buy a Mac controller n software before you do.

@Terry any chance you be sellin dem Technics ? ^_^