dj's turning to cd decks

[Robo]

Nearly every single dj i saw this year used cd decks nearly all of the time. Some would play the odd 1 or 2 songs on the old fashioned decks, but they are fastly becoming a thing of the past.

not sure if i think its cool or not, and does it actually make any difference at all? seeing that the latest cd decks are as versatile as turntables.

be interesting to se what you think?

 

[Robo]

a very honest Dave Clarke says:

Can technology tweaked CD decks sound as good as those sacred analogue wheels of steel? Never one to mince his words, an honest Dave Clarke thinks so and has a few words to say on the matter...
"After some time, (I wanted to move to CD in 1997), I have finally got a machine that I believe is sonically and technically up to the job of replacing the hallowed and much loved 1210's. I was originally asked to demo the Technics CD deck in New York at the beginning of the year but I didn't have the space in my calendar, however after finally getting my hands on one I have concluded that I will now switch over to CDs in the short term, this will take some time and allow me to road test the machine in clubs. Initially I will bring my own, but would appreciate any promoters that read this and have budget to either hire or buy, to supply 2-3 of them, eventually my technical rider will change. Please note that Pioneer/Denon or other makes of CD decks will not be used, furthermore technical 1210's will still be needed.

"I know some of you 'flat earthers' will be upset, but whilst I love vinyl it's time has been written on the wall for ages and I felt that Final Scratch and Albeton live wasn't for me in terms of interface and sound quality (although some DJs have their own valid and different opinion). In my mind at the moment the pros outweigh the cons, it will speed up both mine and other producers music getting into clubs (being cheaper for smaller labels/artists)."

As more DJ's expand on their art form, the Technics legend lives on. Xpander have already reported that Technics are to throw a party to celebrate this digital advancement at the International DJ Expo (30th August to 2nd September) at the Atlantic City Convention Center in New Jersey.

Other DJ's such as Jeff Mills, meanwhile, are currently utilising new VJ technology like Pioneer's DVJ-X1 machine, which blends audio and visual art; while Sasha is more sceptical of the VJ tools around at present, preferring to concentrate on the sound coming out the speakers rather then what's displayed on screens. The Technics SL-DZ1200 is the world's first direct-drive digital turntable. It looks, and more importantly feels, like spinning wax on a classic 1200.

www.xpander.nl

 

[fergie19]

Dont care what they use, as long as the mixing's good, and the tune selection is right. You can do more with a cd deck, so it can only be a good thing

 

[vdubjb]

Cd's take up less space and weigh less. I do love seeing a vinyl record being played though. The site of a 1200 bouncing on the rubberband platform is one of the clubbing images I will never forget. I used the new technics deck in miami and I loved it. They are way more complicated than turntables though.

 

[crofty]

i do not understand why people are so sentimentally attached to an outdated format. sure it deserves it's place in history and will not be forgotten but christ alive come on.......new technology is what drives dance music forward. without new technology we would not have had dance music in the first place.

the digital DJ now has a vast array of tools and tricks to hand that have taken it well beyond the realms of simply playing other peoples records. with a bit of imagination and creativity a set is now very much a live performance, calling into play many production skills.

people argue that the cd players are easy to mix on and have taken the skill out of it......utter nonsense. any monkey can mix 2 records together be it on CDs, mp3 OR vinyl.

those who stand out from the crowd and continue to push things forward are the ones making and getting the most out of the equipment....pushing the boundries etc.

people also complain that you can't "touch" or "feel" the cd. well whatever floats your boat i suppose but you often find these people have not actually had a go on a decent cd deck. have a go on either the pinoeer or the denon and you will very quickly realise that you have an even greater degree of control over the "movement" of the cd, in just the same way as you would hold a record.

like it or not CDs and digital DJing are here to stay. be forward thinking and embrace it.....or get left behind with the beard stroking vinyl enthusiast........the choice is yours!

 

[DJ NEXUS]

I love the feel of vinyl myself. There also is more showmanship to spinning on vinyl that you can not achieve on disk yet, however technology is going to win this battle with the turntable. The new players coming out are bridging the gap between vinyl and disk. It is cheaper to buy your music via download and also alot easier to carry your entire collection with you on a gig. There have been many times that I would love to have dropped a certain track into a set that I left at the house because I could only carry 80 records on me instead of all 1,000.

It is a great tool for those dj`s that are also producing their own tracks. You can record your song in the studio,burn it to disc,and then take it to play that very same night that it is finished. You can then post it for the world to download. Instant distrbution without the use of a record company or the costs incurred.

I don`t think that it will succeed until they can make the c.d.,mp3, or mega-gig harddrives able to mimic the feel of vinyl. I think that final scratch is heading in the right direction though. I imagine a player that instead of the big jog wheel on top will have an actual piece of vinyl attached. You will be able to see the wave file on a display screen in the center that will allow you to see the transitions in the track just like vinyl allows. This,or something like it will bridge that gap and turntables will become a thing of the past.

Just my 2 cents............ Peace....Nexus

 

[scottiedog]

This is only my view and not based on anything i have read or heard in the press or on the net. Some of you may agree, some may bay for my blood. I see it as being a step forward. DJing is about playing tunes and manipulating the tunes as to move the crowd..... teasing, tempting and finally bringing the crowd up to a climax. The decks allow for more creativity from the DJ's in the form of the sampling units and effects on the CD Decks. Although this can be done with effects units and sampling units the CD deck comes as a complete package. DJ's such as Erick Morillo are prime examples of a good dj using the deck facilities to there true potential. Look at the Pioneer 600 mixer and the addition of the sampler and effects has really given DJ the chance to become more creative. Things of course develop as a direct result of the development in technology and music is no exception. New genres are born as a result. I think it's exciting knowing that around the corner something fresh and new will hit the clubbing masses.

 

[crofty]

There also is more showmanship to spinning on vinyl that you can not achieve on disk yet.

rubbish, check out any of the top jocks spinning CD's and regardless of what you think of their style there is in fact more showmanship than ever before....(Morillo, Zabeila, Sanchez etc)

I don`t think that it will succeed until they can make the c.d.,mp3, or mega-gig harddrives able to mimic the feel of vinyl. I think that final scratch is heading in the right direction though. I imagine a player that instead of the big jog wheel on top will have an actual piece of vinyl attached.

already been done - have you not seen the Denon DN-S500??? it has a piece of VINYL attached to the top which you manipulate in just the same way as you would a real record. it even has GROOVES on it to feel like a real record, it is sitting on a real slipmat and it TURNS on a motorised platter as the track is playing. just like a real record.

for the really fussy vinyl enthusiast you can even take this off and attach any real 7 inch disc.

so there it is - we have arrived - the vinly emulation is complete and it works damn well!!

 

[Steve D]

Vinyl & CDs have sat alongside each other for me, for a few years now, which is a good thing in my books.
Initially when i started using the CDs a few years back, i was a bit sceptical, but nowadays i feel it really doesn't matter to me (or the crowd), what source the music comes from as long as it is 'good' music.
Inevitably i think that with a lot more DJs playing long sets/abroad etc weight restrictions have meant that CDs are more than ideal. Especially with the introduction of (legal) download sites etc, meaning the newest music can also be played.
I'm also seeing a lot more promos being sent out on CDs and i suppose the CDR is the new test pressing.
With more people getting into producing, CDRs are a quick/easy format to get your work from the studio/bedroom to the nightclub. As many jocks i know burn a CDR of their work, as one of the last things they do before leaving for a gig. An hour or so later, people could (hopefully) be dancing to a hot exclusive of theirs.

Surely it is all about the music after all.

Peace.

 

[MarkSimpson]

and sampling units the CD deck comes as a complete package. DJ's such as Erick Morillo are prime examples of a good dj using the deck facilities to there true potential

Based on the one time I've seen him I would have to disagree, flawless tune selection but Harry Romero used the CDJs to better effect.

But getting to the main point...
Obviously there are things you can do with a CDJ (or MP3) in terms of loops, samples and FX which aren't possible with vinyl, but vinyl will always be cooler to me (even if I'm buying an album just to listen to and know I will never use it in a set I prefer to get the LP) AND discourages piracy.

On top of this, most of these additional features are dependent on cue points stored in your memory card, so if the club you're playing in uses a different model from your own, you're pretty much sunk. Besides, where's the spontaneity if you have all these elaborate mixes planned out at home?

Vinyl also offers a warmer sound, which might be a disadvantage to some techno DJs but is certainly better for house. MP3s, on the other hand, simply aren't designed for clubs because while you might not miss the inaudible frequencies at low volume on your stereo, you will on the dance floor!

For me, the ideal set-up would be to have most of your music on vinyl, with samples, acappellas, loops etc plus any really new stuff that hasn't been pressed yet on CD.

 

[Steve D]

And CDs/CDJs give the DJ a well deserved toilet break of a decent length!

 

[Mark Sun]

On top of this, most of these additional features are dependent on cue points stored in your memory card, so if the club you're playing in uses a different model from your own, you're pretty much sunk. Besides, where's the spontaneity if you have all these elaborate mixes planned out at home?

Very few of the deck tricks I've seen rely on this function - it's more about the loop function that anything else. Get Zabiela's new CD 'alive' - it's got a little 6 min tutorial on the CDJ, uses the loop function and an EFX-500 unit, no hot cues. I watched Harry Romero at Pacha very closely again, and he just used loops to stretch out build ups, distort accapella etc.

Vinyl also offers a warmer sound, which might be a disadvantage to some techno DJs but is certainly better for house. MP3s, on the other hand, simply aren't designed for clubs because while you might not miss the inaudible frequencies at low volume on your stereo, you will on the dance floor!

The whole 'warmer sound' argument is starting to lose momentum since clubs like God Kitchen have installed EQ settings for both CD and vinyl. In the smaller clubs, the systems aren't really clear enough to notice the difference anyway.

 

[crofty]

The whole 'warmer sound' argument is starting to lose momentum since clubs like God Kitchen have installed EQ settings for both CD and vinyl. In the smaller clubs, the systems aren't really clear enough to notice the difference anyway.

i'm so glad you said that as i just couldn't be bothered

 

[dam0]

Instead of trying to argue i just say; let dj's use whatever they want to use. There's no 'best' in this competition, its all down to preference.

 

[jrd]

Instead of trying to argue i just say; let dj's use whatever they want to use. There's no 'best' in this competition, its all down to preference.

spot on!

 

[DJ NEXUS]

already been done - have you not seen the Denon DN-S500??? it has a piece of VINYL attached to the top which you manipulate in just the same way as you would a real record. it even has GROOVES on it to feel like a real record, it is sitting on a real slipmat and it TURNS on a motorised platter as the track is playing. just like a real record.

for the really fussy vinyl enthusiast you can even take this off and attach any real 7 inch disc.

so there it is - we have arrived - the vinly emulation is complete and it works damn well!! [/quote]


Actually no I have not seen this unit. In my part of the country you almost never see a c.d. player being used and when you do it is a Pioneer. I have been spinning vinyl for the past 10+ years and have never had an intrest in c.d. decks. I however am not against technology and beleive that everyone will spin on what piece of equipment that they prefer.

Thank you for the heads up! I will look into this Denon model. It would be great to see one in action since I see the future leaning more towards this technology.

Peace...Nexus

 

[DJ NEXUS]

I don`t think that it will succeed until they can make the c.d.,mp3, or mega-gig harddrives able to mimic the feel of vinyl. I think that final scratch is heading in the right direction though. I imagine a player that instead of the big jog wheel on top will have an actual piece of vinyl attached.

already been done - have you not seen the Denon DN-S500??? it has a piece of VINYL attached to the top which you manipulate in just the same way as you would a real record. it even has GROOVES on it to feel like a real record, it is sitting on a real slipmat and it TURNS on a motorised platter as the track is playing. just like a real record.

for the really fussy vinyl enthusiast you can even take this off and attach any real 7 inch disc.

so there it is - we have arrived - the vinly emulation is complete and it works damn well!! [/quote]





Sorry, but after reading up on this machine I still think they have aways to go. This paragraph right here tell me that the Dennon still has some improvements to make :

"Vinyl will never die out, any more than the development of automatic transmission spelt the end of manual- drive cars. It’s all down to control – records are hands-on and CDs are trapped inside a box.The DN-S5000’s active platter tries to bridge this gap, but because it’s belt- driven, it does take a bit of getting used to and will never truly attain the feel of the direct-drive turntable it so badly wants to emulate. If Denon fits a more expensive magnet-driven drive, we might change our minds.The DN-S5000 will win plenty of friends with its impressive and easy-touse features, but its weighty £800 price tag means there’s life in the old dinner- plate technology yet. "

Anything beltdriven will not be able to replace the 1200`s so this machine is not as up to par as you would lead me to believe. I`ll stick with the 1200`s for now. When a machine comes out that can give me the hands on control of vinyl then I will buy one.


Check the review out for yourself.

http://www.t3.co.uk/reviews/default...id=15993&subsectionid=756&subsubsectionid=661





Peace...Nexus

 

[crofty]

ok but have you TRIED IT OUT FOR YOURSELF YET???????

you've managed to find a review written by someone who is obviously very biased toward vinyl.

Vinyl will never die out

it really is a case of try it and make your own mind up though.

 

[Mark Sun]

Sorry, but after reading up on this machine I still think they have aways to go. This paragraph right here tell me that the Dennon still has some improvements to make :
Peace...Nexus

The new Technics CD drives have a platter powered by the same motor as the 1200/1210, so they feel pretty much identical. The platter's not made of vinyl, it's metal engraved with record-like grooves - but having tried one of these is scarily like using vinyl.

 

[djchewie]

Sorry, but after reading up on this machine I still think they have aways to go. This paragraph right here tell me that the Dennon still has some improvements to make :
Peace...Nexus

The new Technics CD drives have a platter powered by the same motor as the 1200/1210, so they feel pretty much identical. The platter's not made of vinyl, it's metal engraved with record-like grooves - but having tried one of these is scarily like using vinyl.

man i need some new cd decks... now ive got off my arse n started fiddling with vinyl, it just showed up how crap mine are!