Vinyls or CDJ's. The final dispute.

[NoxZyck]

Well this poll is concerning on vinyls or CDJ's. What do YOU prefer and why? Money wise? Skill wise? Anything. Just give us your opinion.

[Drigh]

I choose CDs because they are more portable, cheaper, easier to replace.

CDJs are easier to use, you don't have to babysit the pitch as much. Comes with extra features like loop and FX

jog control > nipple pinching/twisting

/end of thread

[HudsonHawk]

This depends...

A... if you're a beginner and you have no vinyl collection or alot of money to spend on it from the start --- CDJs should be your first choice for all the reasons drigh mentioned

B... If you already have a vinyl collection and turntables. Get Serato or Traktor Scratch over CDJs.

C... If you saved up a good amount of money (that would be enough for a turntable setup + small collection of vinyl) go that route. Nothing feels better than a record in your hands.

D... If you're short on cash, software + midi controller is an option.

My 2cents.

[Deadly Groove]

I use all 3 so it doesn't matter but I mainly use records because it's more challenging than CDJs by far. It takes nothing to beat match CDs. Records are a challenge because you have to stay on top of the tracks. Software is insanely easy as far as beat matching however, it leaves room for other forms of creativity. You can do multiple mashups and remixes with many tracks at once. You can also add your own music to your set. There's no right or wrong, a wise DJ would use all three mediums since certain tracks are only released on certain mediums. It's good to have it all.

[DJ Stev]

cdj's is the way of the future. sorry vinyl but i voted against you in convience and cost. but u feel amazing

[pudman_x]

Its all about the music, the format doesn't mean a thing imo, its down to personal preference and knowing industry standards if you want to play clubs. I don't get why people think any less of someone who would CDJ or Software compared to vinyl. These people are forgetting that if the crowd is loving it and having a great time it doesn't matter how you do it. Hell, you could prob pop a USB key into a sound system and the crowd wouldn't know any better. It's about the music and how you convey it.

[Xyz_39808]

Originally Posted by pudman_x

...Hell, you could prob pop a USB key into a sound system and the crowd wouldn't know any better. It's about the music and how you convey it.

Sounds like something I would do

Both are good. For starting: CD; then, when you can afford it, both!

[NoxZyck]

Originally Posted by Xyz_39808

Sounds like something I would do

Both are good. For starting: CD; then, when you can afford it, both!

This is a bit irrelevant, but man when i see someone spinning some vinyls, it just seems to much better than someone using CDJ/technology to help him. While the vinyl user has some serious skill beat matching. For me it just seems more natural. But either way, i know i'm arguing about looks and not performance. But there are some skills involved in playing Vinyls.

[DJ Ashley M]

You can do that with the CDJ 400s any way & I do. Drop a USB key in, instead of using your CDs. But you still mix in the same way so it doesn't make any difference.

I still say the DJ has to be responsible for actually doing 'something' while he's up there. Its the difference between doing something worthwhile & just playing some music. People like the top DJ's because they are technically skilled not 'just' because of the music they play.

With vinyl I can beat match quicker or zero in with the pitch quicker because I just grab it & whip it to where I want it back & forth while matching. But with a CD player have to watch the screen as I do it which slows the process a bit. But at least I know exactly where its at. & with vinyl you can be slightly out meaning you need to ride the pitch a bit more. A trade off even though I'm going to try a time code set on the TTs soon It will be CDJs for me. Just the future for me.

Although it won't be like the Technics reign since the 70's expect a lot of CD players to come & go in a short space of time as electronics get better & better.

I will also add that tracks are easier to mix today because they are made on DAW software that keeps a more regular tempo (most likely to be played on you CDJs). Older tracks made with hardware & hardware samplers are more erratic in keeping regular tempo (hence harder to mix & what a lot of them tracks your old vinyl collection has been made from)

[Deadly Groove]

Originally Posted by DJ Stev

cdj's is the way of the future. sorry vinyl but i voted against you in convience and cost. but u feel amazing

I wouldn't say that it is the way of the future. If anything is the way of the future, it is software. MP3's are already booting CDs out of the music industry and the market on a whole. CDs will disappear before records do but not in the next 5 years. Software is just more practical and you don't have to carry anything except your laptop and your midi controller. No carrying CDs or records!!!

[Dustwave]

Should have an option for both. I use both. Vinyl feels nicer in every way, though CDs are more practical.

[ominae]

I use all three, and agree with DG. Also with Pudman, gotta go with where you can find your music. Good thing to have all three.

[gh0zt]

I don't distinguish between cd and vinyl djs as I find them comparable in difficulty. I imagine that if you find cds to be easier to beat match than vinyl thats probably because youve been a vinyl dj for a while!

But I use CDJs because of one simple fact: Goa is on CD.

[pudman_x]

Originally Posted by DJ Ashley M

I still say the DJ has to be responsible for actually doing 'something' while he's up there. Its the difference between doing something worthwhile & just playing some music. People like the top DJ's because they are technically skilled not 'just' because of the music they play.

I would argue that the large majority of fans don't like them because of their technicality but because of their ability to keep them dancing and keep a good vibe going throughout the night.

As DJ's of course we are critical of technical aspects ,but to me, the only big differences between a software/CDJ dj and a vinyl dj other than personal preference is that the software/cdj is not limited to what is on vinyl and can play anything that's out there including their own productions.

Vinyl still has its place and i'd love to mix on vinyl one day, but coming from a city where EDM is not the norm and there are no record shops. Its just so much more practical to find other mediums to DJ on where i can not only learn but enjoy DJing without shelling out thousands of dollars on kit and records.

[Dustwave]

Originally Posted by DJ Ashley M

People like the top DJ's because they are technically skilled not 'just' because of the music they play.

Technically skilled my ass. Is that how Tiesto got to the top?
That's a nice fantasy but not very realistic. As far as technical skill goes half the Dj Mag top 100 shouldn't even be in the top thousand.

[Wildcatfball74]

i spin vinyl right now, but im thinking about getting a CDJ, only because a lot of the songs im after are currently being made on CD's or MP3's. Thats only reason why i'd go to them.

For the price, I don't know why people say CD's are cheaper? Every site i go to, the CD's are either the same or like 1$ or 50 cents cheaper. MP3's though are dirt cheap, like 1.85$ max.

but i agree with DG and a few others, that having all 3 is good, plus not everythign you want is made on 1 format, they normally vary on all 3 formats.

I have a question though on CDJ's. Say i buy a CDJ, can i still download MP3's and then make a CD out of them. I know id have to make an audio CD and not a data/mp3 cd. But can you do this with CDJ's? It would save me a lot of money to do this instead of buying a CDJ made compatiable for MP3's as well.

[HudsonHawk]

it's cheaper because you dont buy cds, you burn them. average beatport release with 3 remixes is $5 or $6, same record would go for at least $10 and do you really need 3 remixes of the same track?

[Bloodwing]

Originally Posted by gh0zt

I don't distinguish between cd and vinyl djs as I find them comparable in difficulty. I imagine that if you find cds to be easier to beat match than vinyl thats probably because youve been a vinyl dj for a while!

But I use CDJs because of one simple fact: Goa is on CD.

i agree 100%

on both comments

goa rules

[NoxZyck]

Bleh, me i don't really mind, since i am into hard house, hard trance, hard dance. and the ocasionnal anything.

[DJ Ashley M]

Originally Posted by Dustwave

Technically skilled my ass. Is that how Tiesto got to the top?
That's a nice fantasy but not very realistic. As far as technical skill goes half the Dj Mag top 100 shouldn't even be in the top thousand.

No they get in the top 100 DJs because of their productions not there DJ ability, which I think is very wrong. Although they deserve praise for good productions. Its two different areas. & there should be a separate top 100 Producer / remixer poll.
Lots of times I have gone to a club to see a talented producer I like 'DJ' & been very dissapointed by their ability. Its just studio remixers / producers after a quick buck so they decide after having a club hit to start mixing, some of them never touching a deck before now. Money for old rope.

To be quite honest if you want to get on in the DJ world produce a crap track that gets nowhere. Some Djs on myspace seem to get DJ work all over the world from producing one terrible track 5 years ago & I mean terrible. Not even I would grace my my DAW with.

For all the good tracks you hear on there you hear some right rubbish too