Pioneer CDJ-1000 Mk3
The CDJ-1000
Mk3 is one of the high end DJ CD / mp3 decks and it’s used in clubs all around the world.( Bhardwaj, 2006)
What I would like to know, how Pioneer has accomplished this with the CDJ – 1000Mk3 for 3 years while there is a strong competition from rival companies.
First let’s look at the CDJ – 1000Mk3 as you can see, it looks like it has a very high information content, with all the buttons, switches and the big wheel thing in the middle but to a DJ or someone like me who likes to play with these toys it looks quite minimal. Take the equivalent deck from Denon which has just been released to challenge the CDJ – 1000Mk3, as an example.
(CDJ – 1000Mk3, n.d.)
There is a lot more going on with more buttons and flashing lights. This to me if I would want to use it will take longer to grasp and it doesn’t help with the added ‘special effects’ unit inbuilt which to me makes things more complex.
This seriously affects the quality of the product. But by keeping the CDJ 1000mk3 simple, Pioneer have made it more fit for purpose, E.g. a DJ can just come in to the club and will be able to use that CD player with no or little practice and still be able to put on a good show.
(Denon DN-S3700, n.d)
As you can see the CDJ – 1000Mk3 is just a CD player with added features, such as vinyl mode, loops, hot points and pitch controls which are all vital to a DJ but they choose to leave out things like effects processor, volume controls, samplers and graphical equalisers which can be added at a later stage as separate units if the DJ requires them.
So as a typical set up you would have two CDJ – 1000Mk3s, a mixer and an effects unit (if you require one). Or you could have something like the Gemini CDM3600 (taking into account that the CD players within this unit are no
(GEMINI CDM 3600, n.d.)
where near the standard to the CDJ – 1000Mk3) which is all in one.
Having this independence improves reliability of the CDJ -1000Mk3 (less things to go wrong within one unit), also helps the maintenance of the whole system e.g. If one CDJ – 1000Mk3 brakes down mid set you can replace it with another but if the whole unit is one like the Gemini CDM3600 and one of the CD players stopped working, you will have to buy a whole new unit or send the whole unit away to be fixed and your gig is ruined.
Also having this independence and keeping it simple helps to reduce the final cost of the overall product by not making you buy features you don’t need and not over complicating things which could cost more to manufacture.
Pioneer though, had under estimated the CDJ-1000Mk3 on the price. According to Blueprint (2009) on the DJ forums, the price for a pair of CDJ 1000Mk 3 had increased in July 1, 2008 by 20-25% this is a lot when they were $2050.
Even though the price has gone up, clubs still can’t beat the quality of a Pioneer CDJ-1000Mk3.
Works Cited
Bhardwaj, S (2006, March 06). CDJ-1000
Mk3 Single CD Player,
DJ Mag p153
Blueprint (2009).
CDJ 1000mk3 Price increase...? Retrieved May 1st 2009, from
http://www.djforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=177979&page=2
CDJ – 1000Mk3 (n.d). Retrieved March 20, 2009, from
http://www.futuremusic.com
Denon DN-S3700 (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2009 from
http://www.madmanaudio.com
GEMINI CDM 3600 (n.d.). Retrived March 20, 2009 from
http://www.musicplace.ch
