o General Care
o Rack mount the unit -- this will result in much less physical abuse on the unit In the case of the Pioneer unit, keep it in a coffin.
o Keep it clean -- Dust and the sensitive electronics inside the unit don't get along.
o Usage Tips
o Use sticky on one side clean lamination sheets to protect the display from scratches.
o Support the back of your rack mounted unit with a sturdy brace made of metal or wood. This will help reduce skipping caused by vibration.
o Use three units of rack space instead of two and fill the gaps with foam pillow. This reduces vibration even more.
o Make sure your CDs are clean if you find cue times getting excessive.
o Operational Tips and Difficulties
o Try turning the unit off and then back on. Most problems fix themselves this way.
o Don't bend your controller cables (if you have any) tightly. This causes errors when the units communicate with each other. --DENON Denon's good reputation in the pro-audio market reaches well into the DJ market as well. All of their products are solid performers and are often the standard by which other units are compared. On the lowest end if the DN-1000F. This is a single unit CD player with instant start, +/- 8% pitch, pitch bend (+/- 12%), and frame cueing. It's a solid performer and is extremely easy to carry around. There are two special plugs in the back to connect it with another DN-1000F and to connect it with an RC-35 adapter (see below). The open/close button on the tray is protected which means the unit will not eject a playing CD. This kindly keeps clueless people around you from stopping a playing song. The CD must be either cued or paused to be ejected. Last but not least is the self locking transport. The laser pickup automatically locks in place when the power is shut off. Right next to the DN-1000F is the DN-2000F. This unit is no longer manufactured but there are still quite a few out there. The DN-2000F is essentially two DN-1000F's packaged in one convenient box. Both CD players are in one box which only has a power switch and eject buttons on it. The controls for it are all on the RC-35 which comes as part of the package. The RC-35 is a remote control for the DN-1000F and DN-2000F players. This allows you to mount the actual units in your coffin (often seen a little above the knees) and keep the actual controls (pitch, start, stop, track change, cueing) and backlit display right next to your mixer. This unit comes as part of the DN-2000F package and is required to use the DN-2000F. The DN-1000F has all of these controls on the face of the unit already and therefore does not need the remote control for operation. However, it is handy if you want to mount the DN-1000F somewhere else and control it from the area around your mixer. Since the DN-2000F has been discontinued, the DN-2000F Mk II has been released. It is very similar in structure to the DN-2000F but offers many new controls to making mixing a touch easier. The display on the RC-35 is now active matrix instead of backlit making it easier to view from different angles, the power switch has a protector around it to keep idiots from turning everything off, instant start has been made a touch faster at 0.01 seconds from the old 0.03 seconds. As a replacement for the DN-2700F, Denon has released the DN-2500 as its top of the line unit. The DN-2500 offers all the features of the DN-2000F Mk II as well as three pitch ranges, 4%, 8%, and 16%, a preset mode, a jog wheel for cueing, sleep function, index search, skip search, sampler with seamless looping, master tempo, brake effect (similar to turning a turntable off and letting the record glide to a stop), and a voice reducer. It should be noted that these units use plastic CD trays. BE CAREFUL! They are $100 to repair and are NOT covered under warranty if broken. Clubs should mount the transport high to avoid drawers getting squashed by belt buckles when open. Mobiles should be careful! Should your unit need repair, it will be taken to United Radio in Syracuse, NY. At United Radio, a team of Denon specialists will examine and repair the unit. Remember: These techs are people too! You'll have much better luck remaining civil with them and explaining your problem in a well thought out systematic manner than you will screaming at them.
Some unofficial notes from these techs are:
o Some units with serial numbers below one thousand had consistent trouble
with their circuitry not being well connected. Difficulty cueing and skipping
on beats only during breakdowns are telltale signs. Accuracy: <50%
o Units which consistently skip most likely have a misaligned laser.
Handle it with extra care. Accuracy: >75% --PIONEER Unlike the Denon series,
the Pioneer CDJ-500 was meant to resemble a turntable more than a CD player.
The unit fits nicely in a coffin space originally for the Technics SL-1200
and all the operations (including disc load) is done from the top instead
of the side. The pitch slider goes +/- 10% and includes pitch lock. Instead
of using buttons for cueing and pitch bend, the unit uses a large jog wheel
to control the CD which is supposed to resemble the feel of manipulating
vinyl. (Whether or not it resembles vinyl is up for debate, however, many
say that it is easier to manipulate than the Denons.) It can also display
CD-G discs and karioke discs. The only noticeable downfall for the unit
is it's larger price tag. If you have the kind of money it takes to get
one of these, go for it.
--GEMINI Gemini's recent addition to the Pro-DJ market is the CD-9500 and CD-4700, units which are in direct competition to the Denon DN-2000F/Mk II and DN-1000F respectively. The CD-9500 features frame level cueing (1/75th of a second), a jog wheel allowing for six different search speeds, instant start, two disc bays, a remote control so you can mount the unit away from the controls, and the standard +/- 8% pitch control. Because it has only recently been introduced, we don't know its long term stability, however, initial reactions to the unit have been very favorable. Cute features include a protector on the power switch so you don't accidentally turn the unit off, and eject buttons which will not eject the disc while it is playing. The CD-4700 is just like the CD-9500 except it sports only one disc bay and no remote control. An ideal backup unit or a good way to start buying equipment if you can't afford a 9500 on the first shot. The nicest feature of the Gemini units is their price tag. Much friendlier than the Denon units with comparable features. One feature that Denon has up on Gemini is the pitch bend buttons -- the Gemini units only go +/-8% whereas the Denon units go +/-12%. The extra speed on the Denon units are useful when you've pitched up +8% on a track and need to push it just a little faster to get the beats in sync. On the other hand, the Gemini's multi-speed search is terribly useful when seeking through long tracks. These are units worth checking out.
Protecting
your CDs ------------------- Theft is a serious
problems DJs have, especially with CDs. Because of their smaller size,
its much easier to slip them out of parties, clubs, etc. and is much harder
to prove ownership of afterward. There are, thankfully, a few things that
you can do to help protect your discs from theft. A simple solution is
to notch the cases. Unfortunately, this is a common practice and may not
do you much good if the CD inside gets swiped. Another option is to use
an exacto knife and carve your name or other ID information into the clear
center of the disc. Many used CD stores will require that the seller produce
identification if the disc they bring it has an ID number (ie: drivers
license) on it. A more noticable solution is a special unremovable front
clear adhesive with your name on it. A company out in Arizona makes these
and can be contacted at 602-435-7299.
My
life-support in CyberspaceTM