The CDJ2000 debate: To sync or not to sync?

A breakdown of DJing worth paying attention to from inthemix.

I’m rather amused at the outrage expressed at Pioneer’s inclusion of a “Master Sync” function on the new CDJ2000 Nexus. Upon its release my Facebook newsfeed lit up like the CDJ2000’s mega-bright platter (until you find the dimmer function in the settings menu). Some people were outraged that the machine was doing the work of the DJ, while others attacked poor old Laidback Luke for his starring role in the demo video. That’s a good thing for the brand, I suppose, and I guess this discussion is good for DJing too, because it allows us all a chance to express what inspires and excites us about the craft.

For me, good DJing never had much to do with keeping beats in sync. Sure, nobody wants to hear a trainwreck mix, but there’s so much more to a good DJ set than matters of mathematics. Just because I own a metronome doesn’t mean I can play the piano. After all, “Master Sync” in practice is just a matter of fixing the timing of one track to the timing of another… it’s one of the things DJs naturally do when mixing, and some do it better than others, but it’s not all they do.

Find out what they do over at inthemix.