Thursday, April 14, 2016

Which Pioneer CDJ models are HID compatible?

A major plus for Serato users is support for more CDJ models compared to Traktor. Serato DJ supports advanced HID control for these Pioneer CDJs:

CDJ 350
CDJ 850
CDJ 900/Nexus
CDJ 2000/Nexus
XDJ 1000

The list varies slightly for Serato users that are running Scratch Live:

CDJ 350
CDJ 400
CDJ 850
CDJ 900
CDJ 2000/Nexus

The good news for Serato users is that Pioneer and Serato appear to have a solid relationship. Most CDJ models had HID support in Serato before Traktor. Most recently the XDJ 1000 had HID support for Serato immediately upon release. That means people waiting for the inevitable XDJ 2000 can probably count on Serato HID support.

Pioneer CDJ 2000 HID Setup

There are a few things that need to be done to ensure smooth operation with your CDJs and Serato. First, DJs will want to make sure the CDJs are running the latest firmware. Although this tutorial focuses on the CDJ 2000, DJs can find the latest firmware for all Serato supported CDJs at Pioneer Support. Highlight the CDJ of choice and select “Software Download” to find the latest firmware.

If the CDJ 2000s aren’t running the latest firmware, follow this guide to update the firmware on your CDJ 2000s. The next step is to download and install the latest version of Serato DJ orScratch Live software. Once the CDJ firmware and Serato software have been updated, we can move on to the hardware setup.

The STP Vestax Phoenix

This is the first time we’ve seen the entire top of the mixer in full – and while this image is just a mockup, there’s more photos that show it to be accurate to the final design.

The first thing to note is the analog VU meters for every channel, and then two for the master channel. There’s also a traditional VU meter for the master out, likely so that unaccustomed users can quickly tell when they’re peaking. Check out the below photo of a prototype unit how much those VU meters sit up above the mixing section – it’s a cool touch, if a bit retro in style: