Having got through the BPM coverage, it's now time to get back to the business of news and reviews again. Teasing me badly are the new Pioneer CDJs and the putting together of the preview feature. I was going to do it all in one lump, but I figure it's easier to trickle the material out as you're probably somewhat hungry to hear my thoughts on this new shiny stuff. First up is Slip Mode, something that had me scratching my head as to what exactly it was. Watch the video and then you'll know.
Essentially, it allows the current track to keep playing underneath while you pause, scratch or spinback on the platter. When you release, the track picks up exactly where it should as if it had kept on playing. It's quite simple, but instantly understood when you try it for yourself.
It's certainly a new feature to me, and one that will allow users to come up with some new creative ways to rock a crowd. Imagine the fun that could be had spinning doubles of the same track - perhaps offbeat as well to create new ideas for old sets. Of course, it's also open to abuse in that a DJ could sequence a string of tracks on a USB key - all slam mixed together and only needing a spinback at the right point to appear like they've been mixed. I doubt however that a DJ who is in the market for such aspirational products like these is that type of DJ anyway.
This is the puzzling thing about the feature - why isn't it on the 2000? This is one reason why I made the previous statement about which unit to get isn't as straight forward as you might think. I've just filmed some scratching, juggling and drumming and will edit that into a 2 minute clip later this week. All you need to know for now is that the difference in feel between the 900 and 2000 is minimal, and that just like the older CDJs, both are extremely capable scratchers.
I've currently got the decks LAN'd up via an older wireless router and talking to each other happily. The next thing to get my head round is cueing and looping and how the units differ, which I feel will be another key feature that will make a decision one way or another for potential buyers.
28 comments to this story
On October 14, 2009, CHL commented...
I've been a vinyl turntable user for over ten years. Dare I say, a jog wheel that responsive may (will) make some turntable DJs do the switch. I can't fully believe I'm in that group, but a set in the studio would be pretty niiiiiiice.
On October 14, 2009, Special*Dark commented...
Great video. It's a neat trick. Since it's so easy to do (a nice way to say "cheating" without actually saying it), I feel like I'll hear spinbacks and baby scratches at every house party now
@bishyb - with timecode, I can't see it working. But in HID it might. Seeing as no DVS supports CDJs in HID, I won't be able to test it.
On October 14, 2009, John commented...
This is cool but I can already see it being way overused by amateur DJs. Yikes.
On October 14, 2009, JuBe commented...
@ Giz & Bis:
With timecode it WILL work, just think about it. How it works with midi depends on software, but I can't see any reasons why it wouldn't work.
On October 14, 2009, Nelson29 commented...
It doesnt make no sense to me why the cdj-2000 doesnt have this feature . A flagship model should have all the feature of the cheaper model. the 7 series comes standard with all the features of the 3 and 5 series owners. A potential buyer looking at 7 series shouldnt worry about features that the 3 and 5 series have that he cant get.it all should come down to price and value.
On October 15, 2009, Pulse commented...
Product differentiation. You need to make a reason for users to buy the lower-end product!
It will work with timecode (but certainly not in relative mode) because the player transmits the movement information from the timecode of where you put your hand down to scratch, upon release, it transmits the timecode of where the playback is NOW. It's no different than picking up a needle and dropping it somewhere else on a timecode vinyl and expecting it to play; it will. I would expect the player to be a bit more seamless than using timecode, but it all depends on how quickly the software is capable of picking up / identifying the new location.
On October 15, 2009, Nelson29 commented...
Pulse,
I knew you will come and say that , but dont you think money/budget/value should be the reason people should be looking at a cdj-900, not because of features or add ons.Its a $800 difference if you looking at getting two decks. im pretty sure based on that alone a lot of people are gonna go for 900.The way Pioneer is promoting/marketing the 2000's, i wouldnt think they will want to sell more of the 900's. i already pre-order a pair of the cdj-2000 but it wasnt an easy decison as it should have been. I really wish the 2000 had the slip mode and autobeat loop. i can live without the autobeat loop but the slip mode is just awesome.
On October 15, 2009, Dizzy commented...
For the record, the Numark CDN 90 dual CD player had this feature like 6 years ago. It was the the third of the four scratch modes contained in the unit.
On October 15, 2009, Pulse commented...
@Nelson29: Yeah, the same issue was faced when the CDJ800MK1 came out; it had the auto-beat looping which everyone wanted on the 1000's yet the 800 users still wanted hotcues!
@Dizzy: And Pioneer isn't saying they're the first to have it. I believe Denon calls it "dump" mode. Pioneer expanded it beyond just scratching though, as previously noted, with the ability to slip your loops and reverse-play as well.
On October 15, 2009, Markku Uttula commented...
@pulse: I don't see why it wouldn't work in relative mode? A relative jump from "current scratch position" to "current actual position" is exactly the same amount of "jumping within a track" as absolute jump from "current scratch position" to "current actual position"...
On October 15, 2009, Solo commented...
I can achieve slip-mode through use of Numark's BLEEP (on the CDX) and Denon's echo-loop as far as loop-slipping goes.
If you have a good EFX box I wouldn't worry about whether or not the 2000 can do this- it's an easily achieved effect.
@solo - you can get something like it but not exactly the same. I guess time will tell if people actually find it to be enough of a pull. Letting someone like James Zabiela on a pair specifically to work out something with slip mode would show it off better.
On October 15, 2009, Skool yard Mafia commented...
That slip mode is all I ever wanted in a deck!
On October 15, 2009, SpazzMatic commented...
That's sic. Nice feature from Pio.
On October 15, 2009, Pulse commented...
@Markku Uttula: When you're in relative mode, the software doesn't care what the current playback address is, just the direction and speed.
If my timecode goes 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8...
Under normal use in RELATIVE mode, if I play 1-2-3-4, then pick up the needle and put it down at 1 again, the software continues to play without a hiccup.
If I were in ABSOLUTE mode, the software would recognize that the playback address is at 1 again and jump the song back to 1.
Why this wouldn't work with a timcode CD using the SLIP function for software in RELATIVE mode... if you play 1-2-scrach the 3-release-5-6-7-8 the software would actually playback 1-2-scratch the 3-release-4-5-6-7-8 because it doesn't know or care that the player has slipped the playback past the 4, it simply reads that the playback scratched back and forth then resumed. If it were in ABSOLUTE mode, the position address it receives after the release of the scratch is 5, so it jumps there.
Capice?
On October 15, 2009, djmutley commented...
hey gizmo do you have a regular cdj handy to compare the outer size let us know if we will need to purchase new cases for these thanxx
On October 16, 2009, Karl Detken @ Pioneer commented...
@djmutley
I will have exact dimensions posted soon on the Pio forum. Stand by.
Karl Detken/Pioneer
On October 16, 2009, Karl Detken @ Pioneer commented...
Here are the schematic dimensions of the CDJ-2000 Hope this helps. I'll do the CDJ-900 later tonight
http://tinyurl.com/yj3cn68
PS: I also have ongoing FAQs posted on my Twitter CDJ-2000/900 FAQ @ http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23CDJ2000faq
On October 16, 2009, Karl Detken @ Pioneer commented...
(fixed links)
Here are the schematic dimensions of the CDJ-2000 Hope this helps. I'll do the CDJ-900 later tonight
PS: I also have ongoing FAQs posted on my Twitter CDJ-2000/900 FAQ @ FAQs CLICK HERE80
On October 16, 2009, Markku Uttula commented...
@pulse: ah... now I realise why Native Instruments calls their "relative mode" the "advanced relative mode" ... it is a hybrid - it works like I expected it to (since I didn't have CDJ-900s to try this with, I used CDJ-1000's hotcue to jump forward in the track to simulate what happens when using the slip-mode).
On October 16, 2009, Karl Detken @ Pioneer commented...
On October 16, 2009, Martin @ Pioneer UK commented...
To Nelson 29.
The CDJ 2000 also has an auto beat loop function. If you press the 4 beat loop button on the 2000 it does just that; creates a 4 beat loop (if the track has bee formatted in Rekordbox it will be a quantized 4 beat loop), if you press the same button again it cuts the loop in half and will continue to do so each time you touch the button until you are just left with a 'buzz'. It may not be as versatile as the auto beat loop on the 900 but it is there.
The reason we have slip mode and auto beat loop on the 900 is to make it an attractive purchase even though you are missing out on the colour screen, hot cue/loop and SD card playback (amongst other features and functionality) features on the 2000.
On October 16, 2009, Nelson29 commented...
@Martin,
I hear what you saying, it just does not make since to me. The CDJ-2000 is your FLAGSHIP model, as far as im concerned it should have all the bells and whistles of your lower price offerings. I cant think of any other manufacturer that has exclusives features on a lower priced thats not included in their flagship model. Everything that the 900 has should have been cramped into the 2000
The S-Class is MB flagship model and as far as i know they sell tons of C and E class models. The S-Class has every option that the lesser priced models have. Everybody cant afford an S-class, just like everybody cant afford the 2000's. Im paying $800 premium over the cdj-900, i just feel like i should have every feature that the 900's has, since im getting the flagship model. Mark posted a couple of days ago that picking between both models wasnt going to be as easy as one might think and it shouldnt be like that.Basically implying the were features on the 900's that potential buyers looking at the 2000 might want.
The only way it wouldve made since to me is if the 900 would have premiered 6 months down the road and you guys can come and say, we develop a new feature called the slip mode on our new model.
Regardless they both great models and i really cant wait until i receive my cdj-2000.i cant remember the last time ive been so anxious on waiting on a new product, i hardly got any sleep the first couple of days after the press release . 29 days left and counting baby....
On October 18, 2009, rs commented...
I'm sure you guys thoroughly researched and discussed it, but it seems just plain bizarre to release a model with no Hot Cues.
rs
On October 19, 2009, AENSLAED commented...
HAH! Nothing new! I have slip mode in my Numark Axis 9's
On November 8, 2009, lethal_p commented...
You can achieve 'Slip mode' on Traktor Pro with a bit of nifty mapping too - although you have to sacrifice one of your 4 decks per deck whilst it is engaged.
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On October 14, 2009, CHL commented...
. A flagship model should have all the feature of the cheaper model. the 7 series comes standard with all the features of the 3 and 5 series owners. A potential buyer looking at 7 series shouldnt worry about features that the 3 and 5 series have that he cant get.it all should come down to price and value.
28 comments to this story