PIONEER CDJ-1000MK3

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Ask professional DJs what their first choice of CD player is for any application, and you'll almost always receive the same answer: the Pioneer CDJ-1000. You will rarely see any other brand or model installed in a venue or listed on a DJ's equipment rider. Given my extensive experience playing on the original 1000 (as well its successor, the CDJ-1000MK2), I was excited to see what improvements Pioneer was offering in its latest edition, the CDJ-1000MK3.

FACE TIME

For those who are familiar with the previous versions of the 1000, the MK3 looks very similar to its predecessors. In fact, from a distance you might not even be able to tell the difference, but when you take a closer look, the new additions come shining through. The most obvious visual difference is the brighter, more colorful display, which makes reading your track, time, pitch and bpm information easier than ever. There is a dot matrix section that will alternately display a graphic image of the song's waveform or the track text information, provided you have burned the CD with CD-Text enabled. There is also a display in the center of the jog wheel that has multiple segments that show a rotating representation of the relative playback position, as well as the position of cue points and indicators for Vinyl mode and a touch detection that lights up when the jog dial surface has been touched.

The other major physical addition to the MK3 is the Jog Adjust knob, which allows you change to the resistance of the jog wheel to suit your individual style. I found that a setting around 11 o'clock was pretty close to the familiar feel of the MK2, but you can tighten or loosen the feel significantly if you desire. If you are playing in Vinyl mode, which simulates the experience of playing a record on a turntable, the adjustable jog wheel really makes a difference in how the MK3 scratches, so turntablists may want to play with this setting a bit to find what works best.

MP3'S COMPANY

One of the most significant upgrades on the MK3 is its ability to play MP3 files. Because MP3 compressed files, even at a 320 Kbps bit rate, are so much smaller than WAV or AIFF files, you can carry around a lot more music on the same number of CD-Rs. You can also group your music in folders; for instance, I burned a CD with Roxio Toast software that contained 12 tracks from four artists, and placed each artist's songs in separate folders. When I inserted the disc into the player, the MP3 Folder search buttons allowed me to scroll through the folders I created, and then I could find the specific track I was looking for using the Track Search buttons as you would on any normal CD. This simple organizational process could save a lot of seek time if you decide to maximize the number of tunes you burn on each CD. Be aware that the waveform display does not function when you are playing MP3 files; however, Text mode is still fully operational and shows the ID3 tag track name, album name and artist name. There is also a section on the left-hand side of the display called the Calendar Display, which shows how many tracks are on the CD and underlines those tracks for which cue points or loops have been set. The track-number display has also been enhanced to show the total number of tracks on an audio CD, so if you're playing the first track out of four, it will read 01/04. If you are playing an MP3 disc, the track display will momentarily change to display the MP3 folder number when you press the MP3 Folder Search buttons, then revert back to the track number once you have selected the folder you desire.

PERFORMANCE ENHANCERS

Some of the most popular features of the CDJ-1000 series have always been Hot Cues and seamless looping. Those allow you to remix your tunes on the fly, extend sections of the songs and totally change a song's arrangement to suit your mixing needs. Now you have the additional flexibility of being able to create a seamless loop with the Realtime Cue In and Out buttons, and then save the loop to one of the three available Hot Cues. The process is easy, and once you get the hang of it, you'll be re-editing and looping tracks like a pro. First, set your loop start time by pressing the orange In button, which will begin flashing until you press the orange Out button when you want your loop to end, after which the buttons will flash in unison. If your loop is slightly too long or short, it's simple to fix any mistakes. For instance, if your In point is just a little bit late, press the In button again, and you will be able to adjust the start point of your loop in frames using the jog wheel. The same applies for the Out point, so you can create perfect seamless loops. Then, if you want to be able to access that loop at any point during playback, you can save it to a Hot Cue point by hitting the Hot Cue Rec Mode button just below the Hot Cue keys. That button will light up red until you select which Cue you want to use, and then the button will turn yellow, indicating that a loop is stored on that Cue. The other function of the Hot Cues is to simply store a cue point from which playback will continue on normally, rather than looped. Again, press the Hot Cue Rec Mode button, and the Cue keys will light up red until you hit one of them when you want to place a Cue point. Then press Hot Cue Rec Mode again to save the point. In this instance, the Hot Cue will light up green to indicate that it is a Cue point rather than a yellow stored loop, helping you remember which Cue is which.

Another great feature of the MK3 is the Cue/Loop Memory, which allows you to store your Hot Cues and loops to the SD memory card included with the unit. If you want to store a loop you have selected, just press the Cue/Loop Memory button and “Card Memory” will appear on the display, indicating that your loop points have been saved. Conveniently, the Hot Cue points are automatically saved with each song, so you have all of your important data ready to rock the next time you play that particular track. To recall your stored data, insert a CD, press the Cue/Loop Call button (which will call up your cue and loop points), press play and then you'll be able to select any of your stored points just as you were able to when you initially recorded them. Imagine the endless creative possibilities of having an entire set's worth of tunes on one CD, with all your cue points saved and ready to be recalled at any time, allowing you to jump around to your favorite moments in your tracks whenever and however often you like. You can use MMC or SD memory cards for recording all of your disc-identification, cue-point, loop-point and Hot Cue data, and the MK3 has a slick memory- card duplication feature. Another nifty enhancement is the addition of a protective door that covers the card slot and prevents accidental ejection of the memory card.

GOLD STANDARDS

Many of the standard CDJ series features are present on the MK3. The tempo adjustment varies from ±6, 10, 16 and 100 percent (Wide), with increments of 0.02 percent on the lowest setting, 0.05 percent on the middle two settings and 0.5 percent on the Wide setting, allowing you to beat-match with precision and perform wild pitching tricks. If you prefer to keep your tracks in their original key regardless of where you set the tempo adjustment, engage the Master Tempo button located directly above the pitch fader. Be aware that there will be some degradation of the audio signal, which gets progressively more apparent the further you deviate from the original tempo. While it may not always be desirable, that can have a cool effect if used correctly. Try setting the tempo adjustment to Wide, and slowly move the pitch fader away from you, which will slow the tempo down dramatically and give you an effect that sounds like the song is stretching in real time. With some practice, that could be a wicked addition to your repertoire.

Some other controls you will recognize from the MK2 are the Direction switch, which allows for playback in reverse, and the Vinyl Speed Touch/Brake and Release/Start knobs. The Touch/Brake dial adjusts the time required for playback to decelerate to a full stop when the jog wheel surface is touched and also when pause is pressed during playback. Conversely, the Release/Start dial sets the time required for playback to accelerate back to normal once your hand is removed from the jog wheel surface. Turntablists can use these controls to fine-tune the response of the jog wheel, allowing them to customize the scratching experience to their hearts' content.

If you have a Pioneer or other brand of mixer that has fader start capabilities, you can connect it to the Control jack on the MK3 and use the mixer's fader or crossfader to instantly start playback of the CD as soon as it is moved. Conveniently, the CD will return to the cue point when the fader is returned to its original position, allowing you to throw a song into the mix repeatedly if you desire. You can also use the Control jack to connect two MK3s to each other, which will then place the two players in Relay play mode. First, turn on Auto Cue on both units, then begin playback on one of the players. When the current track finishes, the second player will automatically begin playing, and the process will repeat for as long you wish or until you reach the end of your CDs.

The CDJ-1000MK3 represents the very finest in modern DJ technology. Even with the tremendous success that Pioneer has had with its previous versions of the 1000, the company has gone the extra step of finding out the needs and desires of the DJs who use its equipment and has delivered an even more complete and fully featured model in the MK3. The inclusion of MP3 compatibility is sure to draw even more users who, like Pioneer itself, are looking toward the future of DJ technology and implementing it today.

PIONEER CDJ-1000MK3 > See your local stockist for prices

Pros: Excellent features and construction. Easy to use. Bright, easy-to-read display.

Cons: Pricey. No onboard bpm-synced effects.

Contact: www.pioneerprodj.com

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