How the Pioneer CDJ challenged the turntable
Pioneer launched its first Pioneer CDJ towards the end of 1994. This compact CD player would revolutionise the way that DJs played music in clubs and discos around the globe, and was the first real threat to the dominance of turntables. The CDJ has also proved it is capable of evolving, with each new version providing new functions in an attractive and user-friendly package.
The first model to be launched was the Pioneer CDJ 500, which was designed to appeal to DJs used to using vinyl turntables. An over-sized sensitive jog dial could be used to search music frame by frame and to select cue points. Details like this, and the top-mounted controls, made switching to these machines easier for vinyl DJs.
At the same time, certain features were included for the innovations they brought to mixing. The new master tempo control allowed DJs to slow music down or speed it up without any changes to the vocal or instrumental tone. Several loop functions meant that samples could be looped for as long as necessary, while seamlessly picking up at the right spot once the loop was released.
CDs have an advantage over vinyl: DJs can prepare and burn playlists on CDs before a set. Vinyl can be heavy and bulky, making records difficult to transport and protect from damage, while turntables need needles and other parts to be replaced. The compact CD player presented an attractive alternative.
The Pioneer CDJ currently available is the CDJ 2000. This version includes Pioneer's own music management software, 'Rekordbox', which allows DJs to analyse BPMs, tag and add notes to tracks, set cues and loops, and take their set lists to gigs on a USB key... The CDJ 2000 reads audio files from multiple sources, from CDs to SDs and DVDs.
Developments in technology allow CDJs to provide ever-more complex functions, allowing a DJ complete control over the mix he or she is creating. Larger screens and LEDs mean the CDJ is visible even in the darkest DJ booth, and demonstrate that while the machine provides more features than ever before, the emphasis is also on user-friendliness.
The first model to be launched was the Pioneer CDJ 500, which was designed to appeal to DJs used to using vinyl turntables. An over-sized sensitive jog dial could be used to search music frame by frame and to select cue points. Details like this, and the top-mounted controls, made switching to these machines easier for vinyl DJs.
At the same time, certain features were included for the innovations they brought to mixing. The new master tempo control allowed DJs to slow music down or speed it up without any changes to the vocal or instrumental tone. Several loop functions meant that samples could be looped for as long as necessary, while seamlessly picking up at the right spot once the loop was released.
CDs have an advantage over vinyl: DJs can prepare and burn playlists on CDs before a set. Vinyl can be heavy and bulky, making records difficult to transport and protect from damage, while turntables need needles and other parts to be replaced. The compact CD player presented an attractive alternative.
The Pioneer CDJ currently available is the CDJ 2000. This version includes Pioneer's own music management software, 'Rekordbox', which allows DJs to analyse BPMs, tag and add notes to tracks, set cues and loops, and take their set lists to gigs on a USB key... The CDJ 2000 reads audio files from multiple sources, from CDs to SDs and DVDs.
Developments in technology allow CDJs to provide ever-more complex functions, allowing a DJ complete control over the mix he or she is creating. Larger screens and LEDs mean the CDJ is visible even in the darkest DJ booth, and demonstrate that while the machine provides more features than ever before, the emphasis is also on user-friendliness.
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