I DJ'd last time around 1992 after spending 5 years behind the decks across the country. This has been a really set of vids to get me back into it. Such a great feeling to get he mixes right even after all these years. Thanks for the inspiration!
I bought a new digital DJ kit earlier in the year (2x Pioneer XDJ700's and a Reloop RMX-80 soon to be replaced with a DJM750Mk2) and moved my vinyl kit to the studio.
I have never DJ before and I took a chance and bought very old, used classic CDJ 1000 mk1 (a pair) with a DJM 400 by Pioneer. Then I spent few hours to get to know all the features, checked all the buttons: what they do, how to use them. Slowly I started to learn how to mix, count beats, mix phrases, swap drops and so on. I have been DJing for 7 months now and looking for an upgrade as i feel it is kinda backward and constricts the possibilities. I mean it is easier to mix when you have your tracks in digital form (not recorded on CDs) or just browse the track libraries and see the spectrum of frequncies (it does help a lot). I don't think I mastered it yet tho, but I'm glad i started with the basic kit. From my experience which might be relevant to some begginiers I would recommend similar kit but with displayer and USB slot.
Hi Jonathan Iv been watching your videos now for a few days and I must say they are very informative and inspiring as iv never DJ’d before. I am very interested in learning and was wondering would this model (XDJRX) be suitable for a beginner that would obviously learn from the bedroom but the main use would be as a hobby plus doing the odd private gig for friends etc. the price of the controller is in my range, I was wondering would you recommend this to me for the purpose mentioned? Your feedback is appropriated Thank you
I bought a Pioneer DDJ SR a few months ago, first gear i owned, really great in my opinion. Serato sucks at analysing BPM so that made me go half unsync from the start, great way to learn! And I was able to mix original old tunes, something I was struggling to do on Traktors. Plus as you said in the video, it's easy to sell!
I djed in high school and fell out of it A. Lack of opportunity and family. I had raise my kids . Anyhow I recently started into music production and getting full blown system running. However I still want to get back into Djing . I looked at the pioneer 808,505and 202.anyhow I djed on vinyl and loved it but this new stuff is confusing. Help please
I went directly for LP players and a Traktor Z2 mixer. I have been collecting vinyl for many years so it just felt right. No regrets and having an awesome time learning to mix.
I just bought my first setup for bedroom djing. Bought two Synq XTRM-1 and a DJM450, as well as yamaha hs5s mainly to have a) mono cue splitting (i live in a flat and don’t want to mess up the neighbours as I mainly mix at night / late evening after work and studying) Oh yeah I bought the Synqs because of their motor. They pull an avg of 4,5kg/cm meaning records start and stop really quickly. B) be able to use DVS because I don’t have cash to buy everything on vinyl and it’ll take time to build a vinyl collection C) i wanted to learn to mix vinyl but also have the option to play digital
If you can help me out I just want to buy some dj equipment just something to play with at home only I have been looking at some Pioneer control boards for around $250 and a small pa system but the lap top and the soft ware is what I am not sure about. Do not want to spend the money on a mack but would like to buy an HP for about 4 or 5 hundred and not sure what soft ware again this is just for something for home only. Your Thoughts, Thanks
Great video! I would love to see a video about transporting your gear to a venue and setting up to play. What happens when the stage is really far away from where you park? How do you transport your gear to that area with as little effort as possible?
i bought a 200 for lockdown laughs, went for a 400 that i use on tiktok lives and now i want something with even more features without having to rely on the laptop as much haha
Went from numark mixtrack pro 3 to a full denon dj prime series. Its still somewhat being developed which is rather annoying. Should of went Pioneer Nexus setup
general232 I would love an RX2 but I don't know if I want to DJ. I did buy two Traktor Kontrol S2 MK3 and both didn't connect to my computer the day I tried them. They where brand new and I have to the other one I bough from Sweetwater.
Nice offer on the FB stuff i most likely will checking that out in a month. And in the meantime ? As i continue to progress ? And get to that great place in the cloud line of being a great dj ? I'm going to get a T- shirt that reads ? Jonathan Ellaskins was my teacher. Who's yours 👊😎
keep in mind that if you buy a controller without a standalone mixer, your pc/laptop has to be able to run the mixing program you are about to use. a friend bought a pioneer ddj-sx but his laptop is crappy AF. now he has to save money for a new laptop.
Would you say that 3500 euros is fair price for 2 x CDJ 2000 Nexus (one, not two) practically brand new (used for about ten times) and DJM 2000 Nexus with some scuffs here and there ??
@Bäcka Noel thanks for the reply -when I went to test the equipment - it turned out that guy that was selling them was a liar. I mean "they are brand new and everything works except link ports, one play button, one pitch fader and few "smaller issues" it can all be fixed easily blah blah blah" :) Pair of NXS2 is still above 4000 euros in my country (noone is still selling them used), so I'm waiting for NXS3 or whatever the new model will be named... I didn't find any info about when Pioneer is going to release a new model, but don't feel like paying almost full price for devices that are three years "old"
Too bad you didn't touch on vinyl as an option past the controller introduction. I am on the fence still.. i love the idea going back to vinyl-dj but maybe today isn't the time for that anymore. Technics are also overpriced even if used. The remakes range from 300-700 and all have the same torque regardless.. I wonder what's up with that.. Back to me.. don't know if it's worth it all when most stuff is digital these days. Also getting vinyl is hard around here. Of course, there's DVS then, but spending so much on a turntable just to put a timecode on feels like a stupid idea. One last thing: Denon, Native or Gemini? What about exchangable Crossfader or the lack thereof. Even expensive controller often lack this. Hmmm
Go shop try before YOU buy.. try lots go 2 3 times.. i bought a dual stanton cd unit first 200 quid behriger mixer 100 quid, amp 100 quid speakers 100 quid.. not suitable! Bought 2 technics 1210s 300 quid (had to rebuild), not suitable. The cdj 1000s djm 600 1000 quid.. ok for a bit.. then cdj 900 nxs, Djm 750 .. 3800 quid! 6 months later ddj rz 1600 quid.. the ddj rz is where i needed to be i was trying to mashup and remix from day one, had i gone to a shop amd tried before buying i prob would of saved 1000s...
Can you please recommend some speakers for practicing djing in a small 10-15 sqrm dorm room? And maybe occasionaly record a mix and upload it to soundcloud. So I am not looking for PA speakers for a party with 100 people. Also the the preferred genres are techno, minimal, deep house and oldschool boom bap hip-hop. Obviously bass is needed. I havve encountered so many opinions so far and I am really confused. Do the speakers have to be studio monitors or not (they cause hearing fatigue i longer mixes, I've heard)? What about the non studio options? How many inches? 5? 6? 7? 8? With or sub or without? Do I have to treat the room acoustically?
For practicing in a small room, buy a 2.1 pc speaker set (like logitech or similar), very cheap but gives ok sound for small room. Will most likely suck for a party or loud volume.
I'm looking at upgrading my bedroom DJ get with some krk rokit rp6 g3, do you think will deliver a decent low end. I generally play 90's Breakbeat and Happy Hardcore. Thanks in advance dj LongshoreGravy.
I've got the rp6 g3s and the bass is alright but you should really do yourself a favor and add the 10s active sub with a crossover to really make this kit shine!
A controller with no moving parts? That sounds more like an iPad ;) Anyway, great video man. I get along with my DDJ-RB which you recommended in an old video. Thank you!
I started with SB and serato and after some time i noticed i fcking hate serato so i darkwebed myself some work around on traktor and i loved it but then i thought to myself "i kinda hate plugin pc all the time" (no laptop sad face) but i dont have money for stand alone system so i picked up 2 used turntables with a mixer (dirty cheap) a guy even trow in serato scratch with that. "Great" i think to myself i have a "controller" with no sync and no effects. After all this time sync and effects in traktor mixes felt and sounded bad (for me personally) (also serato. hate serato). anyways as time passed i noticed i dont need sync anymore but i do want those spicy effects :P sooooo i got myself a better fancy mixer and instantly felt better. After some time genre of the music that i played changed and i got rlly anoyed by the slow wind up speed of those cheap turntables. I got myself CDJ 850 and i play with em ever since. I had a choice between xdj rr and cdj 850. But the guy sold 2 cdj850 for 800 bucks i mean cmon i had to go for em :D
A word of warning for everyone who plans to use controllers to later upgrade to vinyl: The DDJ-RX in particular makes every turntable I've hooked it up to so far sound horrible. Highs are completely gone, mids are muddy and you can't correct it with the EQ. Pioneer must have built in some bottom-of-the-barrel preamps out of a literal Chinese junkyard, put in a lowpass filter at 16kHz and call it a day (while still charging a Pioneer brand premium for that piece of shit). It's excellent for what it is, but it is NOT a good idea for hooking up any vinyl turntable, unless you run both decks through a high quality preamp first, which is silly. I can't speak for other controllers, you should probably ask in your local shoppe if they can hook up a turntable for you if you want to go that route. Otherwise, for high audio quality on vinyl (and CDJs) get a reputable used analogue mixer (think Allen & Heath Xone 22 and up, Rane 57 or Empath which I have, maybe Ecler Nuos. Or hell, get a Urei or Bozak if you've got the money lol). You'd have to run effects externally if that's your jam, but think of it this way: 2 decks, faders and a 3 band EQ are themselves a good teacher. Let the records speak. If you can rock on nothing more than these, not only will it sound great and more transparent, but you're set to do whatever you want from there. By the way, I mean real vinyl with music on it, so I'm not talking about DVS.
My opinion if ur doing that making good money then u can get those pioneers but if your just playing it in your room u don’t need to buy expensive mixers because ur just wasting your money,Trust me u will regret later.Remember guys those luxrury pioneers it’s for professional like TIESTO Period!!! ( Djing is not a career is a hobby unless ur a producer)
Yes, this. I started on a used WeGo, found out I enjoyed mixing and upgraded to an XDJ-R1. However I already outgrew it and upgraded to the RX after a year.
A very informative piece. I have been wanting to get into the mobile DJ game for a long time, but just didn't know how. Then one day while at a cookout, my mother advised me that I had so much deep knowledge of music that I can't keep it to myself. I just had to pass it on. So with her encouragement, I plan to put together a new DJ set within a $5,000 USD budget. Among my main components are a Denon MCX8000, a JBL EON610 PA system, a Shure BLX24/PG58 wireless kit, and a Chauvet Gigbar 2 lighting system.
HAHAHAHAH actually pissing myself... "OH darling you've got rather a nice box"
Awesome video Mr Skins! Really informative and your energy is fantastic. Thank you!
I DJ'd last time around 1992 after spending 5 years behind the decks across the country. This has been a really set of vids to get me back into it. Such a great feeling to get he mixes right even after all these years. Thanks for the inspiration!
I bought a new digital DJ kit earlier in the year (2x Pioneer XDJ700's and a Reloop RMX-80 soon to be replaced with a DJM750Mk2) and moved my vinyl kit to the studio.
I bought the ddj rx and I have loved every minute of it. I would like to possibly change to an rx2 at some point. I like idea of being laptop free.
I have never DJ before and I took a chance and bought very old, used classic CDJ 1000 mk1 (a pair) with a DJM 400 by Pioneer. Then I spent few hours to get to know all the features, checked all the buttons: what they do, how to use them. Slowly I started to learn how to mix, count beats, mix phrases, swap drops and so on.
I have been DJing for 7 months now and looking for an upgrade as i feel it is kinda backward and constricts the possibilities.
I mean it is easier to mix when you have your tracks in digital form (not recorded on CDs) or just browse the track libraries and see the spectrum of frequncies (it does help a lot).
I don't think I mastered it yet tho, but I'm glad i started with the basic kit. From my experience which might be relevant to some begginiers I would recommend similar kit but with displayer and USB slot.
i think you could do than on recordbox
Love your videos man!! .what do you think about the pioneer cdj100s?
Hi Jonathan
Iv been watching your videos now for a few days and I must say they are very informative and inspiring as iv never DJ’d before. I am very interested in learning and was wondering would this model (XDJRX) be suitable for a beginner that would obviously learn from the bedroom but the main use would be as a hobby plus doing the odd private gig for friends etc. the price of the controller is in my range, I was wondering would you recommend this to me for the purpose mentioned?
Your feedback is appropriated
Thank you
thanks man, funny & informative as usual.
Thinking of taking up DJing because its less of a strain on my Piles than office work...any advice?
I bought a Pioneer DDJ SR a few months ago, first gear i owned, really great in my opinion. Serato sucks at analysing BPM so that made me go half unsync from the start, great way to learn! And I was able to mix original old tunes, something I was struggling to do on Traktors. Plus as you said in the video, it's easy to sell!
Yes the RX is good because it has full featured beat effects and sound colour effects in the mixer
Started with a Numark Mixtrack Pro 2, I'm now on a Denon MC6000 Mk2 moving to the Pioneer XDJ-1000 MK2 with the Pioneer DJM850 Mixer
I djed in high school and fell out of it A. Lack of opportunity and family. I had raise my kids . Anyhow I recently started into music production and getting full blown system running. However I still want to get back into Djing . I looked at the pioneer 808,505and 202.anyhow I djed on vinyl and loved it but this new stuff is confusing. Help please
What is the app called? I have looked & can't seem to find it?
Very informative. Thank you :)
I went directly for LP players and a Traktor Z2 mixer. I have been collecting vinyl for many years so it just felt right. No regrets and having an awesome time learning to mix.
i changed LP to cdj :)
You mention that the RX can use vinyl - but it is not a DVS supported system! What do you mean?
Do you own any Allen and Heath gear?
Great vid bruv
I just bought my first setup for bedroom djing. Bought two Synq XTRM-1 and a DJM450,
as well as yamaha hs5s mainly to have
a) mono cue splitting (i live in a flat and don’t want to mess up the neighbours as I mainly mix at night / late evening after work and studying) Oh yeah I bought the Synqs because of their motor. They pull an avg of 4,5kg/cm meaning records start and stop really quickly.
B) be able to use DVS because I don’t have cash to buy everything on vinyl and it’ll take time to build a vinyl collection
C) i wanted to learn to mix vinyl but also have the option to play digital
If you can help me out I just want to buy some dj equipment just something to play with at home only I have been looking at some Pioneer control boards for around $250 and a small pa system but the lap top and the soft ware is what I am not sure about. Do not want to spend the money on a mack but would like to buy an HP for about 4 or 5 hundred and not sure what soft ware again this is just for something for home only. Your Thoughts, Thanks
Great video! I would love to see a video about transporting your gear to a venue and setting up to play. What happens when the stage is really far away from where you park? How do you transport your gear to that area with as little effort as possible?
You buy a collapsible trolly cart or hand truck that fits in your vehicle. Then you offload and roll.
thank you for support
For people looking at beginner controllers i would strongly recommend the pioneer ddj sb2!
or DDJ-1000!!
i bought a 200 for lockdown laughs, went for a 400 that i use on tiktok lives and now i want something with even more features without having to rely on the laptop as much haha
Pls do a vid on how to connect to a android tablet pls...
How to connect a controller to a android device pls,, i meant to say.
You're annoyingly goofy, but I appreciate your passion and effort. You're a good man!
Went from numark mixtrack pro 3 to a full denon dj prime series. Its still somewhat being developed which is rather annoying. Should of went Pioneer Nexus setup
Every time he explain I watch his arm cuz they move insanely fast 💨 . He is moving the same way when he spin dat shit how DJs love ❤️ to say
Just got the pioneer XDJ RX. Credit card job. I don't regret it at all.
Now that the RX2 came out you got any regret at all? lol
general232 nah man not enough new features on the new one for me to worry about. The RX is incredible.
Got agree with you, thinking to get the RX1 instead of the new RX2... hope that the prices reach the 1.000 USD level....
general232 I would love an RX2 but I don't know if I want to DJ. I did buy two Traktor Kontrol S2 MK3 and both didn't connect to my computer the day I tried them. They where brand new and I have to the other one I bough from Sweetwater.
I’ll second that. I’ve had mine for over a year and its still going strong.
@@19NinetyUK
Thanks ;)
Stanton carts also (if they still make them!,might be showing my age now)
Thumbs up for the BOX :!!!!! :D
Nice offer on the FB stuff i most likely will checking that out in a month. And in the meantime ? As i continue to progress ? And get to that great place in the cloud line of being a great dj ? I'm going to get a T- shirt that reads ? Jonathan Ellaskins was my teacher. Who's yours 👊😎
keep in mind that if you buy a controller without a standalone mixer, your pc/laptop has to be able to run the mixing program you are about to use. a friend bought a pioneer ddj-sx but his laptop is crappy AF. now he has to save money for a new laptop.
Would you say that 3500 euros is fair price for 2 x CDJ 2000 Nexus (one, not two) practically brand new (used for about ten times) and DJM 2000 Nexus with some scuffs here and there ??
@Bäcka Noel thanks for the reply -when I went to test the equipment - it turned out that guy that was selling them was a liar. I mean "they are brand new and everything works except link ports, one play button, one pitch fader and few "smaller issues" it can all be fixed easily blah blah blah" :) Pair of NXS2 is still above 4000 euros in my country (noone is still selling them used), so I'm waiting for NXS3 or whatever the new model will be named... I didn't find any info about when Pioneer is going to release a new model, but don't feel like paying almost full price for devices that are three years "old"
'you press the wrong button and start the great reset'
Was Claus Schwab a dj back in the day?
Too bad you didn't touch on vinyl as an option past the controller introduction. I am on the fence still.. i love the idea going back to vinyl-dj but maybe today isn't the time for that anymore. Technics are also overpriced even if used. The remakes range from 300-700 and all have the same torque regardless.. I wonder what's up with that.. Back to me.. don't know if it's worth it all when most stuff is digital these days. Also getting vinyl is hard around here. Of course, there's DVS then, but spending so much on a turntable just to put a timecode on feels like a stupid idea. One last thing: Denon, Native or Gemini? What about exchangable Crossfader or the lack thereof. Even expensive controller often lack this. Hmmm
anyone got an opinion on Numark TTX-1?
Brilliant turntable
How come the colour filter mixer is expensive
I pay cash only and debit
You should definitely get the best you can even if you are a novice. I know this from experience.
Go shop try before YOU buy.. try lots go 2 3 times.. i bought a dual stanton cd unit first 200 quid behriger mixer 100 quid, amp 100 quid speakers 100 quid.. not suitable! Bought 2 technics 1210s 300 quid (had to rebuild), not suitable. The cdj 1000s djm 600 1000 quid.. ok for a bit.. then cdj 900 nxs, Djm 750 .. 3800 quid! 6 months later ddj rz 1600 quid.. the ddj rz is where i needed to be i was trying to mashup and remix from day one, had i gone to a shop amd tried before buying i prob would of saved 1000s...
Can you please recommend some speakers for practicing djing in a small 10-15 sqrm dorm room?
And maybe occasionaly record a mix and upload it to soundcloud.
So I am not looking for PA speakers for a party with 100 people.
Also the the preferred genres are techno, minimal, deep house and oldschool boom bap hip-hop.
Obviously bass is needed.
I havve encountered so many opinions so far and I am really confused. Do the speakers have to be studio monitors or not (they cause hearing fatigue i longer mixes, I've heard)? What about the non studio options?
How many inches? 5? 6? 7? 8? With or sub or without? Do I have to treat the room acoustically?
For practicing in a small room, buy a 2.1 pc speaker set (like logitech or similar), very cheap but gives ok sound for small room. Will most likely suck for a party or loud volume.
Bose :)
I'm looking at upgrading my bedroom DJ get with some krk rokit rp6 g3, do you think will deliver a decent low end. I generally play 90's Breakbeat and Happy Hardcore. Thanks in advance dj LongshoreGravy.
I've got rokit 5 g3's and the bass is surprisingly really good
Lewis Macnamara thankyou for that, my mind is set.
I've got the rp6 g3s and the bass is alright but you should really do yourself a favor and add the 10s active sub with a crossover to really make this kit shine!
A controller with no moving parts? That sounds more like an iPad ;) Anyway, great video man. I get along with my DDJ-RB which you recommended in an old video. Thank you!
I started with SB and serato and after some time i noticed i fcking hate serato so i darkwebed myself some work around on traktor and i loved it but then i thought to myself "i kinda hate plugin pc all the time" (no laptop sad face) but i dont have money for stand alone system so i picked up 2 used turntables with a mixer (dirty cheap) a guy even trow in serato scratch with that. "Great" i think to myself i have a "controller" with no sync and no effects. After all this time sync and effects in traktor mixes felt and sounded bad (for me personally) (also serato. hate serato). anyways as time passed i noticed i dont need sync anymore but i do want those spicy effects :P sooooo i got myself a better fancy mixer and instantly felt better. After some time genre of the music that i played changed and i got rlly anoyed by the slow wind up speed of those cheap turntables. I got myself CDJ 850 and i play with em ever since. I had a choice between xdj rr and cdj 850. But the guy sold 2 cdj850 for 800 bucks i mean cmon i had to go for em :D
You got a contact mate??
Try why buy re or getinthemix both in the uk
what is better 4x cdj 2000 or 2x cdj 2000 nexus
tough question... i would go with 2 x nexus
And why? because the 2000 is alot cheaper then the nexus. (Come from traktor). Can't really find what the nexus makes it so expensive
A word of warning for everyone who plans to use controllers to later upgrade to vinyl: The DDJ-RX in particular makes every turntable I've hooked it up to so far sound horrible. Highs are completely gone, mids are muddy and you can't correct it with the EQ. Pioneer must have built in some bottom-of-the-barrel preamps out of a literal Chinese junkyard, put in a lowpass filter at 16kHz and call it a day (while still charging a Pioneer brand premium for that piece of shit). It's excellent for what it is, but it is NOT a good idea for hooking up any vinyl turntable, unless you run both decks through a high quality preamp first, which is silly. I can't speak for other controllers, you should probably ask in your local shoppe if they can hook up a turntable for you if you want to go that route.
Otherwise, for high audio quality on vinyl (and CDJs) get a reputable used analogue mixer (think Allen & Heath Xone 22 and up, Rane 57 or Empath which I have, maybe Ecler Nuos. Or hell, get a Urei or Bozak if you've got the money lol). You'd have to run effects externally if that's your jam, but think of it this way: 2 decks, faders and a 3 band EQ are themselves a good teacher. Let the records speak. If you can rock on nothing more than these, not only will it sound great and more transparent, but you're set to do whatever you want from there.
By the way, I mean real vinyl with music on it, so I'm not talking about DVS.
My opinion if ur doing that making good money then u can get those pioneers but if your just playing it in your room u don’t need to buy expensive mixers because ur just wasting your money,Trust me u will regret later.Remember guys those luxrury pioneers it’s for professional like TIESTO Period!!! ( Djing is not a career is a hobby unless ur a producer)
A WeGO with an iPad to get your feet weet.
Yes, this. I started on a used WeGo, found out I enjoyed mixing and upgraded to an XDJ-R1. However I already outgrew it and upgraded to the RX after a year.
Literal childs toy, gonna be limited by that in a matter of hours - awful investment. A proper standalone 2 channel controller is the minimum
A very informative piece.
I have been wanting to get into the mobile DJ game for a long time, but just didn't know how. Then one day while at a cookout, my mother advised me that I had so much deep knowledge of music that I can't keep it to myself. I just had to pass it on. So with her encouragement, I plan to put together a new DJ set within a $5,000 USD budget.
Among my main components are a Denon MCX8000, a JBL EON610 PA system, a Shure BLX24/PG58 wireless kit, and a Chauvet Gigbar 2 lighting system.
bed room D.J. mobile.D.J. club D.J. radio D.J. producer... back yard boogie specialist... or wait! A PARIS HILTON D.J.!!!!! there u go.
21:25 😂