A cdj is a specialized digital music player for djing originally designed to play music from compact discs many cdjs can play digital music files stored on usb flash drives or sd cards in typical use at least two cdjs are plugged into a dj mixer cdjs have jog wheels and pitch faders that allow manipulation of the digital music file similar to a vinyl record on a dj turntable.
Vinyl vs cdj vs controller.
Most controllers with jogwheels on the market today have two modes.
Music laptops use music libraries cdj s use cd s usb sticks turntable use vinyl records equipment is usually sold separately and prices range from not too expensive 200 500 for cheap equipment to holy shit 1 000 you don t want to know.
Andin the recent decade there s been more opportunities to jump in by david may 28 2020.
Cdj mode and vinyl mode.
Which one is right for you.
Vinyl djs require a large collection of records cdj users need digital music files on a physical memory device like cds thumb drives and sd cards and the controller dj requires a laptop and working software to contain a media library and handle a controller.
See the gear in action watch videos of people using cdjs and tutorials on them.
It s cheaper to purchase tracks in digital format than it is to purchase vinyl records separately too.
They have a big impact on the way that the jogwheel and needle search bar function.
Dj controller vs turntables vs cdj where to start your dj career.
Cdj mode allows you to use the whole jogwheel to pitch bend temporarily show down or speed up the track.
Vinyl mode works more like an old school turntable letting you pitch bend using the sides of the jogwheel while continued.
Most djs will want to use vinyl mode unless they re used to older models of cdj.
Cheaper getting a cdj fixed can cost a lot less than fixing up a turntable or an entire controller this is because the parts are more readily available and the materials cost less to make.
The history of djing is a story of technology and technique intertwined to optimize the art of music mixing.
This is the original the grandfather of all setups.
Vinyl vs cdj vs dj controllers.
Unless you have a couple external hard drives which can hold over 30 000 songs each you will need to spend special time for each gig to prepare your files.