First time turning on the Pioneer! This is painful 🤦🏽‍♂️

Just switched over from using Denon to Pioneer. This is my first time using them and while I can see the potential, I need to get some practice in. #pioneerdj #djing #musicindustry

[@dj-peterofficial2753]

What hit me first time using CDJ's was the intuitivity of the Pioneers. This was way back in the 90's and I came from using vinyl and the Technics 1210's. I had been in Greece playing for a whole season and then I spend the following year doing UN service in the Swedish army for almost the whole next year, and in Sweden during this time, just about every club switched from Vinyl to CD's, and it wasn't the Pioneer CDJ's. It was the Denon dual CD players, and I was seriously thinking of quitting DJ'ing. Every piece of music I had on vinyl was not going to play in the Denon. Burning CD's was not really an option yet. This was back in 1994 and late that year I got an advert from Pioneer showing their new CDJ-500s and their soon to come DJM-500. So I ordered the CDJ's thinking I'll give it a try, and boom... an hour playing and I was home. Except for all my music... It took about 2 years of recollecting and getting used to the new environment, but then every new player has followed the same layout up until today, 30 years later. I can go on every CDJ and XDJ and play feeling good doing it, except for the new Alpha Theta shit players which are more like the Denons, where you'll need a manual and a couple of weeks learning how to use them following the manual. I guess with the possibility to practice on them thoroughly they are quite good I have most of the modular Pioneer gear and as I am just a working DJ, I can expect just about anything when I enter a booth, and I'm expected to be able to perform on it. If that is the first gen CDJ-900's and a DJM-600, that's what I'll use. Next day there may be a set of CDJ-3000's an the A9 mixer. What do you learn from this? 1. Make sure that your mixing work on every setup. 2. As long as you're not famous, don't expect to be able to use a raider. 3. Learn how to mix good using only the least shared common features, which I think is the loop in/out buttons. My only requirement is that it has to be link compatible gear and that is because the 350's and 850's have limitations on how many songs they can handle (10 000) and my SSD's have about twice as many songs. This means that to be able to perform I need to keep it simple. Fast thinking, being able to decide with a glance at the waveform how and where to do the transition, is the way I play most of the time. Depending on the style of music requested, the style of mixing will follow of course. Big breakdowns and huge buildups doesn't do well on a dinner lounge playing some laid back Afro house :) . The best help I can give myself is a very well organized and thought thru music collection. I chose to have KEY and BPM info at the start of the file name, where I also keep Artist, Title & Version. I import the file name into the artist field in the tag, so no matter where I use my files, I see the same info and it looks the same. This also means fixed lists, where a song always stay in the same place. My personal preference and it works like a charm when I have a week with a bunch of different gigs. To the contrary what many younger DJ's think, most clubs do not upgrade their DJ gear only because there's new models available. If the club has more than one area with DJ, the older gear often transfer to the next, not so important area, and finally it's kept in storage to be used just in case something bad happens. The first gen USB & RB enabled players from Pioneer came out in 2009 and that is 15 years ago now. If maintained and used properly that first gen can go for another 10 years. I have a pair and except for 2 switches that are bad on one of them, they look and work like new. The quality of Pioneer club gear is pretty fantastic. Most parts that get worn out are easy available and most of the time easy replaceable. I had the NXS2 setup for 8 years and when I first used the CDJ-3000's and the A9 mixer, I really didn't think much of it, except that my old eyes loved the new big screen. No more squinting :) . Now that you have the best Pioneer, or Alpha Theta, has to offer, don't get lost in everything that can be done, but rather focus on what really sounds good. My take is that the people eventually get bored of what they can hear, but that never happens with what they don't even knew was you doing. Makes me stay grounded how ever fun new features are. Rant is over, for this time. Cheers!

[@petero1068]

Geesh, brother you wrote a novel. You might as well have written it and published it. Lol it’s funny you mention that the denon take longer to learn When, in fact, the new denon DJ stuff is so easy, a caveman could do it. they take the BS out of DJing and give you control as a musician and artist. None of this hokey “look at me “crap that CDJs push on you.

[@dj-peterofficial2753]

@@petero1068 I've been doing this for almost 40 years, so I have my own perspective on everything I say. I don't guess or think stuff about gear I have no experience from. I've had the Denon Prime 4 and I now have the Numark Mixstream Pro, so don't tell me you don't need instructions, manual and even then need to consult KZbin to do certain tasks. Like the first time I wanted horizontal wave forms, there were no info about that anywhere. Logically it should have been where all the screen settings are, but no, it was a key combo that was the solution, which you can not know unless showed or told. Showing up to a Denon/Numark/Engine DJ solution, just as with the new Alpha Theta Opus quad/Omni Duo for the first time, you do not deliver a good job on any of them unless you've had time to learn how to use them. For any other Pioneer setup there's practically one button one function for everything, so there's no guessing how things work or what will happen when you push a button. I've encountered almost every new Pioneer DJ gear in a booth somewhere and have been able you use all of them as a first time user to my satisfaction, with no questions hoovering about the gear. Notice that I do not include any kind of controller. I've never used one, nor will I, and they are not in any booths I visit.

[@petero1068]

@@dj-peterofficial2753 I’m sure that denon has its flaws. I’ve owned the SC 5000 and had some concerns with overall UI. However, stepping into that ecosystem was much easier for me than the CDJs. Personally, I’d be more than happy to bring my denon gear to do my sets over any pioneer. Of course, pioneer definitely has a leg up over denon when it comes to mixers. I feel that the record box gouging that happens where everyone has to pay monthly for a subscription is also disgusting.🤮

[@christopherneedham5872]

Loving this video bro🤣…Always wondered what making the switch would be like….exactly how I thought!!!!Look forward too seeing you get the hang of it and smashing the mixes out again 👊

[@ebow707]

Haha - not going to lie, I was slightly nervous posting this. I’m sure others have taken to it quicker than me - I don’t adapt to change the quickest 😂

[@bboymac84]

Pioneer CDJs need stems period. Technology is moving forward without them

[@Traumadj]

True they probably never will unless they can have a firmware update that will and I don’t think the processing power on the equipment already out is strong enough. I hope so though.

[@Traumadj]

Actually glad I seen your video. Made me think about me using this pioneer ddj 1000 and playing at beach sets in Chicago and going abroad this summer playing at a few open deck spots in london and Africa and all of them having pioneer cdj or xdj setups. It’s just easier to bring my usb stick and headphones. Plug and play. So I bought a rx3 and it’s way different then using the laptop and ddj. Now I’ve got the hang of it and have all my rekordbox settings on my usb stick so when I play it won’t be so foreign because I’ve never been on cdjs

[@ebow707]

Mate you’re getting about! Love that and hope it goes really well for you. There’s all types of people and DJs out there and you got to do what makes you feel comfortable.

[@christownsend5335]

Hi, I am new to your channel and enjoy your content. I have been a bedroom DJ for many years, mainly vinyl, however in 2020 (when we all had some time on our hands 😂) I also picked up a couple of CDJ’s - I jump in to RecordBox to set cue points and auto loops. Digital and Vinyl is a good combo, and affords quite a bit of flexibility- I still have lots to learn, i’ll be sure to keep watching

[@ebow707]

Hi Chris - first thanks buddy for following me. I’m not a great KZbinr because I don’t post consistently but happy you’re enjoying it so far :) That’s an awesome combo chief! I’ve still got my 1210s under a bed somewhere but not thought about getting them going alongside those. I’ve definitely got lots to learn too :)

[@JasonTheCosta]

Thanks for sharing, interesting to see the transition. I’m currently a bedroom open format DJ but getting used to uploading mixes even when I know it’s not the best. Focusing on the journey rather than just the moment!

[@ebow707]

Hi again :) Absolutely get them uploaded - doesn’t matter about each being the best - you will notice that over time they will get better and people give you advice along the way. If you check out my first video I ever posted on here that was the start of my journey - wobbly camera, technique was less polished etc… I have subscribed to you so if you start posting @ me and I’ll follow your journey.

[@JasonTheCosta]

Yeah agreed I will begin to post on here. Will it get taken down though due to copyright 🤷🏾‍♂️ I appreciate thanks. Will defo be uploading!

[@ebow707]

@@JasonTheCosta for the most part no they don’t get taken down. You can’t monetise but you need 1000 subscribers to be able to do that it’s not about the money anyway. You will get a notification saying copyright in KZbin Studio but they still let you post it.

[@JasonTheCosta]

@@ebow707 Perfect, thanks for letting me know. Same, it’s not about that for me. It’s more about exposure, getting used to feedback and improving overall.

[@_Stilo]

@@JasonTheCosta- keep going!

[@aksoofficial]

Very cool video. A couple of things you can research/try out on the pioneers could be the auto loop setup in Rekordbox, practicing your timing on the hot cues (imagine it working more like your akai) and live looping (you can use the memory arrow buttons to shorten or lengthen a loop). Keep at it and you’ll get the hang of it before you know it. The cool thing about the pioneer workflow is that once you get used to it, it’s very live-friendly, in my opinion.

[@ebow707]

Thanks chief. Yeah you’ve got a great point there - I could active loop that 16 beat section and not have to worry about it. Going to admit I have tried not to use active loop to date because I like the idea of being hands on, but for the interim it’s a good shout. But yeah my timing needs to be improved for sure and that would help straight away 😂 Thanks for the advice mate!

[@aksoofficial]

@@ebow707 you’re finger drumming on your akai, so you’ll get the cdjs in no time 😉👍🏼 Also, keep in mind that if you miss your cue to bring something in, you can always just trigger the hot cue a few times to create a stutter effect and bring it in 1 or 2 bars later. It will sounds pretty good and it will save you in a live environment where restarting the mix is simply not an option. In terms of timing, this comes with practice, of course, but the quantise settings are your friend here. Maybe experiment with this. 1/2 or 1/4 is usually a good sweet spot to start with 😉 Good luck

[@ebow707]

@aksoofficial Thanks chief. I’ve set my quantise to 1/8. I could swear I saw that you could set it to 1/16 in Rekordbox though but not on the payers. Either way I’m happy and learning new stuff is always cool!

[@thisisdjprana]

good choice! You'll love it and rekordbox too

[@ebow707]

Thanks chief - it’s definitely been fun so far

[@ismael_biber]

Hey, you uploaded the video! As I can see, you found a solution for the mic 😂 The video is pretty much like I thought it was going to be: struggle 😅, but hey, you did get it done in only 5 tries, which I personally find pretty impressive... I have a question tho: Do you always prepare all your transitions like that, or do you sometimes use a more "freestyle" way for choosing the order in which you play the songs? And another video related tip from my side: Try uploading your videos in 4k (h.265), even if you are filming in 1080p, since this results in better image quality on the viewers side after the YT-compression. Keep up the work, looking forward to seeing a full mashup soon haha

[@ebow707]

Hey mate - hahah, yeah I hung the mic a little further away which semi resolved it but sound quality still could do with some work. Trying to work out if I take the jump and get a better mic or not. On the transitions question - I create mashups and treat them like one song, so this is a block and I could add it to another mashup block if I want to go in a different direction. I set my library up in these blocks too. Good idea with the 4K - I’ll try that again. I did a couple of videos about 5 videos back where I filmed in 4K but they were taking so much storage and ages to upload I reverted. I’m new at editing, DJ’ed for years but editing is trial by process at the moment. Thanks for the advice - going to try it again.

[@DJ.V.]

Like a gazzel in the headlights bro...😂 I know the feeling though bro. You'll figure it out in a couple of weeks.

[@DJ.V.]

Tbh the quality of pioneer is at a higher level

[@ebow707]

😂 couldn’t have said it better 😂😂😂

[@DJ.V.]

@@ebow707 😂😂

[@damiang1089]

If you set quantize to on and 1 beat value the loop will play on beat when you press the hotcue also in the rekordbox software you can set loops to automatically play when the track gets to that part. ❤

[@ebow707]

Thanks Damian. I like the idea of active loops to loop when you get to that part! I hadn’t considered setting quantize to 1 beat - interesting idea tbf. I usually set it to 1/8th of a beat so I can release either on the beat of elsewhere depending on song on what I’m doing but a good idea no less. Thanks chief :)

[@markwheldrick]

I think you can prep your tracks and loop's in the record box app, whereas you are trying to do it in reel time good tunes

[@ebow707]

Hey Mark - yeah good spot. I do a bit of both - mainly add hot cues either to jump to or as a reminder (I set those to specific colours) that I need to create a loop on the fly or tap something out on the MPC or bring in another track - I try to make as much live as possible to put the pressure on me for some reason 😂

[@DJRichPallo]

What do you recon on the cdj 3000 all same to me what pioneer does is hold one bit of something back so you have to get the next model up. More of a fashion statement and greed from pioneer.

[@ebow707]

Hi mate - I don’t think you are far off. I haven’t used their all-in-ones so guessing a little here, but I expect there isn’t much of a difference except for possible the odd material here and there and maybe fewer features on the integrated mixers. I’ll let someone else here in the comments respond as they will know far more than me I expect.

[@ToddBryantsr]

Bro. You know that it's better on Denon gear!!!! 😀

[@djcolinturnbull]

I told you! 😂😂😂 don’t sell the denons! It’s muscle memory and slow response of the pioneers!! Keep the denons and keep one pioneer to test on 👌🏼😃

[@ebow707]

Hahahahah. Hey Colin :) I’ve still got them all boxed up…. I can make it work though - I just need practice. Worst thing that can come out of this is I become proficient on both technologies, then I can conquer the world 😂

[@DJ.V.]

How's it going mate?? Just curious as I'm considering CD3000 but so expensive. Currently on Prime4+ but could afford sc6000... honest opinion??

[@ebow707]

@DJ.V. Hey chief - I’m loving it - but I don’t think that means you should switch necessarily- you need to judge it on your use case. I am not getting any more functionality, but everything does what I need it to now I’m used to it. Genuinely, and I know there are die hard fans of either side, both systems are amazing so it’s more of a personal preference. Want to maximise what you can do on one piece of tech - Denon is great at this. Want to be versatile and use Denon at home but with Rekordbox so you are ready for gigs on other kit - Denon is also good at this. Want to know your kit inside out so when you gig you know that kit inside out too.. this is where 9 times out of 10 in my opinion Pioneer is going to give you that. But reading through these comments there are a lot of people who disagree and feel more than ready by using Denon at home and other kit at gigs, and I can’t argue with that approach either.

[@DJ.V.]

@ebow707 bro that's my little fear, if I do get a gig that I agree to I want to be able navigate it. Just so pricey. Had an Rx2 before the denon which was mad also. Thanks for the feedback

[@ebow707]

@DJ.V. Hahaha - you sound very much like me in that case!

[@PAVEL-JAKL]

Pioneer is the best..

[@spacecy]

😂😂😂😂😂😂