[New Product from Pioneer DJ] CDJ-3000 Review ＆ Thorough Comparison

It has been 26 years since the CDJ-50 was released in 1994. The CDJ series DJ player is now favored as a standard model in clubs, live houses, and by professional DJs around the world. The CDJ-50 proposed new functions and playing methods --such as "MASTER TEMPO", the CDJ-1000 "HOT CUE", "BIG JOG / Vinyl Mode", and the CDJ-2000NXS brought us "BEAT SYNC" -- every time a new model is announced. By doing so, they have continued to provide new possibilities for DJs.

https://www.pioneerdj.com/ja-jp/landing/25years/

The "CDJ-2000NXS2" released in 2016 not only supports a variety of media, but also supports high-resolution sound sources, meeting the needs of DJs who demand better sound quality and more presence. And this year, in order to meet the needs of today’s DJs, the latest evolution of the CDJ, based on 26 years of history and know-how, was finally announced.

Introducing the new features of the "CDJ-3000", the latest flagship model of the CDJ series!

目次

1.【High-quality sound design with high reliability and no compromise】
1-1. Converts to 96kHz / 32bit with built-in DA converter
1-2. Achieves clear, high-resolution sound that is faithful to the original sound source

2.【9-inch high-resolution touch display】
1. High-brightness display
2. New display features
1. TOUCH PREVIEW
2. TOUCH CUE
3. STACKED WAVEFORM
4. 3 BAND waveform display support

3.【KEY SYNC＆KEY SHIFT】

4.【Next-generation Jog Wheel】

5.【Addition of various buttons / improved functionality】
1. 8 HOT CUE buttons
2. BEAT JBEAT JUMP button
3. Evolved AUTO BEAT LOOP section

6. Summary

1. Pioneer DJ Official - CDJ-3000 Introductory Video

Regarding the high-quality sound design, which is a major feature of the evolved "CDJ-3000", two CPUs are built into the player as a single chip, achieving higher processing power than the previous CDJ series.

The processing speed is overwhelming compared to the CDJ-2000NXS2. The loading speed when selecting a song from a playlist and the loading speed of HOT CUE are also much faster. When comparing the reading speed of music and CUE points between the actual CDJ-2000NXS2 and CDJ-3000, the processing time was reduced to about 1/3 of the perceived speed. The highest processing power in the series also has a positive effect on sound quality. Let's take a closer look.

1-1. Converts to 96kHz / 32bit with built-in DA converter

The "CDJ-3000" unifies the internal audio processing to 96kHz / 32bit for all playable audio formats. As a result, even general CD sound sources (44.1kHz sound source), and MP3 sound sources (24kHz etc.) can be up-converted to high-resolution quality sound quality and played. It realizes original sound reproduction that does not lose delicacy, depth or atmosphere of the original song, or even the minute changes in the low-frequency tones.

Even if you change the playback speed with the MASTER TEMPO fader or use the new function "KEY SHIFT" that will be explained later, it will not cause any deterioration of the sound quality.

1-2. Achieves high-resolution sound that is clear and faithful to the original sound source

In order to maximize the capabilities of the DA converter, each component of the audio circuit has been reviewed and rebuilt. By reducing digital noise, the sound is natural and makes you want to keep listening even at high volumes.

Compared to the conventional model, the change in the touch display is noticeable at a glance. Let's focus on the display, which has evolved in both functionality and size.

2.1 9 inch high-resolution touch display

The "CDJ-2000NXS2" has a 7-inch standard (800 x 480), while the "CDJ-3000" has a 9-inch standard (1280 x 720). Since Apple's iPad mini is 7.9 inches, you will feel the size right away.

Not only the screen’s size, but also visibility is greatly improved. The maximum brightness can be adjusted up to 1.5 times that of the conventional model. In a dim DJ booth, high visibility is ensured even outdoors in natural light and highly-lit environments. You can easily adjust the brightness to your liking using the shortcut function.

2.2 New display features

With the larger and clearer touch display, you can easily check a lot of music information including expansion, CUE points and playlists. Introducing the new features added to the display.

2.2.1 TOUCH PREVIEW

A new display of waveform data for each song has been added to the screen display when searching for a song from a playlist (browsing state). Furthermore, by touching the waveform, it is possible to audition the music from the section touched. When you are looking for the next song to play, you can listen while watching the waveforms of up to 9 songs.

✴︎The music audition function can be used with the "DJM-V10" and "DJM-900NXS2" compatible with LINK CUE connected to Pro DJ Link.

2.2.2 TOUCH CUE

By touching the entire waveform of a song being played (displayed at the bottom of the display), it is now possible to audition the section touched without stopping playback. Even when switching to B2B or DJ, the outside sound continues to play. This is also useful for checking the development of the music that is currently playing in the headphones.

2.2.Supports 3-BAND waveforms

In the conventional CDJ series including the CDJ-2000NXS2, the music components (HIGH / MID / LOW) have been displayed in different shades of color. With the CDJ-3000, in addition to the same RGB and Blue display as before, a "3-BAND WAVEFORM" can now be selected. In 3-BAND WAVEFORM, by displaying the HIGH, MID, and LOW of the song in different colors, you can see the sounds such as kicks and hi-hats individually, making it easier to understand the composition of the song.

It is also possible to grasp the waveform of the entire song at the bottom of the display, the waveform and CUE point of the MASTER output at the top, and the playback location at any width at the center.

KEY SYNC function, which allows you to automatically match keys even for songs in different keys. It is a standard function that is now included in the DDJ entry-level series controllers, but the "CDJ-3000" is the first CDJ series to support the "KEY SYNC function". At the same time, it also supports the "KEY SHIFT" function, making it possible to change the KEY during play.

The design of conventional models such as the CDJ-2000NXS2 has been reviewed, and the weight of the rotating part has been reduced and the internal structure has been greatly improved. As a result, the inevitable noise when rotating the jog on conventional machines has almost disappeared, and extremely smooth rotation has become possible. In addition, the response of the jog has been improved, and the latency when touching the top surface has been reduced to the utmost limit.

A new "liquid crystal display" is installed in the center of the jog. This is a function that was already available in the higher-end models of the DDJ series and XDJ series, but this is the first time for the CDJ series. In addition to being able to check the artwork of a song, the visibility of the record-type marker that rotates while the song is playing has also been greatly improved.

5.1 HOT CUE now has 8 buttons

With the CDJ-2000NXS2, 8 HOT CUE operations were performed by switching 4 buttons, but with the CDJ-3000, 8 HOT CUE buttons are arranged in a horizontal row at the bottom of the display. The layout is such that you can check the assigned position of HOT CUE at a glance. Since the button color can be set to any color, it is also recommended for managing CUE points by changing the color for each part such as before breaks, choruses, outros, etc.

5.2 BEAT JUMP button

At the bottom left of HOT CUE, there is a BEAT JUMP button that instantly moves the playback position by any number of beats while keeping the beat. You can move the playback position by any number of beats without losing the beat. This function is useful in various situations, such as skipping unnecessary breaks, checking where to mix songs, and checking the development.

5.3 Evolved AUTO BEAT LOOP section

In addition to the 4-BEAT LOOP control installed on the CDJ-2000NXS2, the CDJ-3000 is equipped with an 8-BEAT LOOP button. In addition, various loops can be supported by using the expansion options of odd BEAT LOOP such as 3, 5, 6, 7, 9 BEAT.

As a hardware improvement, the durability of the CUE / PLAY button and HOT CUE button have also been greatly improved! While the CUE / PLAY button on the CDJ-2000NXS2 passed a strict standard of about 700,000 repeated hits, the CDJ-3000 has passed the 1 million consecutive hits test. It is very reassuring that it is hard to break because it’s a button that you’ll use frequently.

I introduced the new functions of the newly released CDJ-3000 and compared it with conventional models. What did you think? Next-generation Jog Wheel that achieves the smoothest operability in the history of the CDJ series… CUE / PLAY button with significantly improved durability… sound quality improved by D/A converter, etc., Of course it’s for DJ use, but simply as a media player I feel that the functionality has also improved. Considering it cannot read CD media like the CDJ-2000NXS2 and the price has increased by about 10,000 yen, it may be important to look into the various options when introducing equipment. From the point of view of the person in charge of DJ products, I feel that the CDJ-3000 is overwhelmingly easier to use in the field where there are many users who began their DJing journey with the DDJ controller + PC. Of course, selecting a conventional CD-compatible model according to the needs of each site and the needs of DJs is an option. Building an environment at the forefront of digital DJs, assuming that it will be used for the next few years is also an option. If you don't want to regret your choice of DJ equipment, or if you have any questions about what kind of equipment to get, please feel free to contact us!

Video ▶ The sound house DJ equipment manager actually touched the CDJ-3000!

【OTOYA LIVE 20/10/20 The sound house DJ equipment manager actually touched the CDJ-3000!】