Ever since
the Compact Disc was introduced to American audiences in 1983, music enthusiasts
have consistently demanded bigger and better advancements in sound quality
and technology while engineers and manufacturers have clamored to meet their
demands. At the forefront of many of the music industrys hi-tech breakthroughs,
Pioneer has now set out to revolutionize the DJ industry with the introduction
of the worlds first true digital
turntable, the CDJ-1000.
Karl Detken
and Brian Buonassissi of Pioneers marketing department recently hosted
a party at New Yorks Centro-Fly, at which they introduced the CDJ-1000
both to the press and to the general public. After a brief rundown of the
CDJs innovative features, National Skratch Champion and remix artist,
DJ Roonie G, first demonstrated the players parallels to an analog
table, and then broke into a rousing freestyle session complete with old-school
tricks like skratching behind his back, through his legs, and even with
his nose. Next up was Pioneer endorsee, Grammy nominee and producer extraordinaire,
Roger Sanchez, who adeptly demonstrated the players versatility in
a 10-minute exhibition set.
After the
doors were opened to the public, Pioneers premier national demonstrator,
DJ Hot Toddy, served up a 45-minute mainstream mix before turning the digital
tables over to DJ Roonie G who gave them another fierce workout. Roger Sanchez
then stepped up to the plate to finish off the evening (and the crowd) with
his own unique style of high energy house music.
The concept
of a digital turntable has been around for a while, and some manufacturers
(including Pioneer) currently have models on the market. According to Buonassissi,
though, they are all just cheap imitations which have actually turned
off many vinyl DJs from converting over. Boasting the worlds
largest touch sensitive jog dial (7 diameter), which allows an ultra
crisp brake and release, the CDJ-1000 is heralded by Pioneer as the first
digital turntable that truly emulates its analog cousin.
Other advancements
include Wave Display which reads each track on the CD and displays the sound
level graphically, an Internal or Removable Multimedia Memory Card (MMC)
for storing cue, loop, wave and CD information, and Loop In/Out Adjust which
allows the DJ to adjust both the in and out points of a loop stored in memory.
Upgraded sampling capability, improved pitch blend, and increased tempo
control range also contribute to the CDJ-1000s remarkable appeal.
Vinyl-loving
DJs who have thus far resisted the lure of digital technology no longer
have any excuse for excluding CDs from their repertoire. Pioneers
CDJ-1000 may be a bit pricey at $1,150, but can you really afford to live
without one?
For more information on the Pioneer CDJ-1000, please
visit www.pioneerprodj.com.
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