2001 saw the arrival of the Pioneer CDJ on the club scene and despite the popularity of the legendary turntables, it quickly became an indispensable part of DJ kit. DJs could at last leave their heavy vinyl collection at home and take advantage of the developments in digital music.
With time, the Pioneer CDJ also began to lose ground in the face of increasing use of laptop computers as the must-have DJ mixing device. In order to keep a foothold in the DJ booth, Pioneer had to respond to the competition with an improved version that could offer all the latest functions and connectivity options that DJs need.
The first improvement made was to the size of the screen which is now impressive. The size and luminosity of this new screen makes navigation easy as pie, even in a dark club. If it glows a little too brightly, however, it is also possible to reduce the brightness, simply by changing the settings.
The introduction of the Rekordbox software also made the CDJ much more attractive, as it allowed improved management of a DJ's digital music library. Once installed on a laptop, the specially designed software creates an intelligent music library. Digital music files can easily be imported into the library, and the software can analyse and display track BPMs as well as other aspects of the music.
DJs can now prepare music and live performances by setting both cue and loop points. Once the track list has been put on a USB and then connected to the CDJ, the cue and loop points are automatically recalled during the live performance. Other functions include colour coding and tagging of tracks, while information can be added to help the DJ find his way through a complex music collection.
As well as recalling cue points prepared before a performance, this software can record them during a performance so they can be recalled and re-used afterwards. The Pioneer CDJ is bursting with functions that should help it hold its position as the DJ's tool of choice for the foreseeable future.
With time, the Pioneer CDJ also began to lose ground in the face of increasing use of laptop computers as the must-have DJ mixing device. In order to keep a foothold in the DJ booth, Pioneer had to respond to the competition with an improved version that could offer all the latest functions and connectivity options that DJs need.
The first improvement made was to the size of the screen which is now impressive. The size and luminosity of this new screen makes navigation easy as pie, even in a dark club. If it glows a little too brightly, however, it is also possible to reduce the brightness, simply by changing the settings.
The introduction of the Rekordbox software also made the CDJ much more attractive, as it allowed improved management of a DJ's digital music library. Once installed on a laptop, the specially designed software creates an intelligent music library. Digital music files can easily be imported into the library, and the software can analyse and display track BPMs as well as other aspects of the music.
DJs can now prepare music and live performances by setting both cue and loop points. Once the track list has been put on a USB and then connected to the CDJ, the cue and loop points are automatically recalled during the live performance. Other functions include colour coding and tagging of tracks, while information can be added to help the DJ find his way through a complex music collection.
As well as recalling cue points prepared before a performance, this software can record them during a performance so they can be recalled and re-used afterwards. The Pioneer CDJ is bursting with functions that should help it hold its position as the DJ's tool of choice for the foreseeable future.
