pioneer DVJ 1000's $4200 paper weights although you can use them for Serato / cd player
but it was fun while it lasted i still have them in storage luckily i wrote the purchase off...

American Audio ANYTHING!!! It all sucks!

worst

stanton scs.3d

korg nano pad

denon 3500 (good features but it wouldnt read a reagular cd at times)

cerwin vega intense sub

american audio dcd-1000

numark c3fx



best

i got too much shizz way too much


denon x500

denon hc-5000

denon hd-2500

denon 3700

denon mc-6000

denon dnx 1600

rane 62

vci-300

stanton t120

S4

SSX

small list

Holy crap I remember them things came and went in the blink of an eye.... And there was so much hype in the months prior to that unit coming out to.

Stanton Final Scratch?

Worst:

• Denon DJ SC3900
• Numark Mixmeister Control
• Skull Candy Headphones
• Traktor Z2 Mixer
• Behringer EUROLIVE B212D

Best

• Numark V7s
• Numark NS7
• Vestax VCI 300
• Pioneer CDJ 2000 Nexus Decks
• Numark X5 mixer
• Pioneer DJM 900 Nexus
• Beats Studio headphones
• Pioneer HDJ2000 Headphones

Best: Technics 1200mk2, 1200m3d, 1210mk5, 1210m5g
Rane TTM57, Rane 62
Mackie OG series(made in USA)

Worst: Numark Axis CD players
Behringer (anything)
Mackie new series (made in China)

this is a brief list of gear I have actually owned.

It's a tie!

worst - pioneer cmx 3000. only gear i've ever returned because it sucked.

I agree with raequan the Denon 3500 was hot garbage!!

Best for me is the 909 with Innofader and the 1210 M5G!

Hmm, I never really had a problem with the 3500's that wasn't easily fixable. I know they got hot in a case and would get flaky, but as soon as I got cases with built in fans, they were pretty good to me. I JUST got rid of them in October.

Come to think of it, I never really had any problems with stuff I've owned minus little quirks you just learn to deal with.

My last HP laptop would be the most problematic with SSL, but that was over a period of time.

Bestest: I would DEF say 1200's, SL1, Mix Emergency, MBP's

Worst: Aforementioned HP Laptop. I forgot Gemini mixers too, they bleed after a week, and I never cut with the xfader, just the phono switch. Technics and Numark belt drives. Numark TT1's were kinda shitty too I guess.

Varying degree of works good or I probably should replace sometime or another:

DNS3500
Numark DXM-06
Stanton SK1
VSL
and I forget whatever else, possibly for good reason.

This is interesting. Why would you say this is the worst?


This.

Some of the things on my list:

Best:
Numark NS7 (+ NSFX)
Technics SL-1210M5G
Stanton ST.150
RANE TTM57SL
Behringer Xenynx X2442USB (www.musiciansfriend.com)
Numark RedWave Headphones
Pioneer DJM-750

Worst:
Pioneer CDJ-***(*) (I am not a fan of CDJs)
Stanton SCS3*
Pyle ANYTHING (I've worked in clubs that use this cheap crap. It is the worst stuff on the planet. I'd rather willingly buy PEAVEY.)
Any headphones manufactured by SONY (they constantly break)
Traktor (Specifically: Traktor Pro, Traktor Scratch Duo, and Traktor Scratch Pro)

The V7s couldn't take advantage of using its effects post fader..... And you couldn't record off of them either.

Worst

Mackie thump my worst most regretted purchase

Best purchase

Qsc hpr 118 and hpr 12

Best:

Technics 1210/1200's and Stanton STR8-150 (equal to or slightly better than MKii Technics)
Vestax PMC-08 Pro
Rane SL2
Dicers
Numark V7's
Macbooks
Ortofon Concorde Scratch



Worst:

Traktor Scratch Pro 2 (problem after problem)
Technics Speedmats (patches of rubber on the slippy side meant they weren't buttery)
Vestax CDX-05
Citronic PS 626
Shure Whitelabel carts
RED Micro BPM Headphone Amp
Behringer UCA202 Audio Interface (interference in the signal)

Best:

Rane SSL (SL1) - does anyone really need an explanation?
Technics 1200/1210M5G- does anyone really need an explanation?
Apple MacBook Pro Retina- does anyone really need an explanation?
Allen & Heath Xone 92- does anyone really need an explanation?
Pioneer CDJ2000- does anyone really need an explanation?
Rane TTM 56- does anyone really need an explanation?
Sennheiser IE80- take the best full-sized headphone and squeeze it into an IEM.
Traktor X1-another life-changing piece of technology, used in conjunction w/SSL.




Worst:

Final Scratch
N.I. Traktor S2
Dell Laptops
Toshiba Laptops
Vestax Mixers

Best:

Stanton ST 150s
QSC RMX Amps
EV Speakers
EV Subs
TTM 57SL


Worst:

Hercules Controller
Crown XTI 4000 (Suprising i know) Sold and bought Macrotechs
Cheap HP Laptop (my fault i know)
Cheap lights
Virtual DJ Pro back in the Day.. i was one of the few Dumbasses that actually paid for it!
SHS audio amps (what i started with, I was broke!) Traded for some speaker cables lol
entry level Peavey subs made out of MDF..

How are you liking those s120s....i have always heard bad things about em but my boy just got em and loooves em

The worst things I've ever bought for myself were Final Scratch 2 and Traktor.

Wasted many many hours (and went through three different laptops in a few months) trying to get things working correctly.

That was in 2004-2005, but just last night I got to hear a DJ using a current version of Traktor. Lots of little audio glitches. "Oh, yea it just does that". WTF.

Seems we have a trend forming...

And when I say "get them warmed up" it just means they have just started to break in.....

Once they have gotten loose and you are getting good responses, then you are good to go in an instant from then on.

Best

Technics 1200 MKII Turntable

Worst
Technics SH-DX-1200 Mixer

best

RANE M60 (eq)
techs
powerbook g4 to current macbook pro
sennheiser h25
rane 57
EV Zx5a (4 of them)
Yorkville LS801P Powered Subwoofer (4 of them)

worst
korg nano pad

+1
Lasted 1 gig as a monitor. Upgraded to an HPR122i the week after.

The Numark CDX's in so-so category? They should be in GTFOH category. Best feeling ever for a cdj, worst quality ever. Those fuckers have caused me to hop in a cab to grab another one, during a gig.

It's a shame noone is interested in building a nice controller for us. Spinning 10" platter, a couple of cue points, quality mixer.

To get back on topic, worst pos I've owned, probably some hifi tt's connected to a phonic mixer that was making unwarranted noise as soon as I even looked at it. Actually, you couldn't expect anything else from that setup.

Worst ever, the numark mixer line around 2000-2001, they looked and felt alright. Broke two 1001's in one afternoon.

Best
Numark V7's
MBP

Worst
Behringer DDM 4000

I've seen the Korg Nano Pad on here several times in "The Worst" category. Hmmm - I actually like mine, but I don't use it for music (DJ) stuff. I use it to trigger my DMX and laser lights. It works like a charm and is easy to program. I've never had an issue with it. I can see where it would crap out easily if used like Dicers or something.

My best:
- BOSE 802 speaker system (with 502 sub). That system sounded incredible!
- American DJ Dual CD player (550 series or something). First to have more than 3 cue points and better pitch control than the Denons out in the day (late 90's)
- Good Mackie SRM 450s
- QSC HPR 181 subs (traded in the BOSE for more power and versatility)
- American DJ Inno Roll LED lights. Amazing!
- 1200's
- Rane 57 mixer
- Serato Scratch Live

Worst:
- Gem Sound Dual CD player. What a hunk of crap for $600. Bought it at Radio Shack!
- Peavey 18" subs. Rattled and vibrated all over the floor.
- Cheap lights (when LED became the rage)
- Bad Mackie SRM 450s


Honorable mentions (decent stuff, but not the greatest):
- Behringer DJX-700 mixer. Not the best sound quality, but fun and easy to use with tons of features. Price wasn't bad either. (I miss that little guy sometimes.)
- Radio Shack fog machine. This thing has outlasted at least 5-6 other fog machines from ADJ and Martin. It just won't die!
- Dell laptop. Never had issues with it, but would like MBP eventually for better video.
- Peavey 8.5C amp. Heavy as a boat anchor, but what a powerhouse. Still cranks after being dropped down the stairs and caught in the rain a couple times. No need for it though with powered system. The DDT limiter worked like a charm when other DJs red lined the mixer.

Best: Technics 1210M5G

Worst: Technics 1200 mixer only because of the fader.

I've also owned a few products that were listed as worse but I never kept them long enough to list them as worse for me.

nm

I've owned a coule of these mixers. Has any other manufacturer been able to make a similar eq? (wah-wah effect)

Worst:
Stanton Trackmaster Needles
Gemini Scratchmaster Mixer

Best: Numark ns7 ii
Numark ns7
Numark ns6
Mackie rms 450's
Macbook Pro

Worst: numark hdmix
gemini rm 10's
VDJ

Kind of confused by this one. You wanted a record out feature on a midi deck? Can't you just rec out if the mixer? You need a mixer to use use the V7s anyway.

With the NS7 and other one piece controllers, you could have simply hit record in Itch or SDJ and it would record,

for the V7, I had to use the mixer output like you said and route it to an external sound card that would record in either Audition or Audacity...... Which is doable and of course is how we used to do it back in the day, but it was just an extra step that wasn't necessary if I was using "controller" type of hardware.

If I was mixing with my Rane 57, 61, or 62 it was a simple push record button,

Even with my SL1 SL2 SL3, you could route your mixer output to the SL box and record off of it.

With the V7, you had to have another software running in order to record. And at that time I didn't have my 909 anymore so my post fader echo out effects was no longer usable. Even though the V7 had on board effects, because they were separate of the mixer, it wash't able to produce the effect post fader.

Minor things. I had them for a total of about 6 months before getting rid of them.

I know all of this already. What I'm saying is its a single deck controller. You're comparing the NS7 to it which is the full unit including the mixer and software capabilities. That's like saying a single CDJ or a 1200 doesn't doesn't have a record button. You expected that from it?

No offense or anything, it's just weird. It's a single motorized midi deck.

But anywho...

Worst:
Stanton T series. They just look ridiculous. Had a pair in 06. Might've not been t series then.
Traktor. I've owned it a few times, I wanted to like it but couldn't.
Denon X-120 x fader bleed after a month.

Best:
Technics 1200/1210 MK2
Ecler UNO 2.0
Stanton 150s
Tascam xs-8
Pioneer djm 909
Rane 57

Best
Scratchlive
Mixemergency

Worst
Serato dj
Serato video

Not with the sl1 or sl2 you cant

the SL1 you could have went thru the 1/4 inch Mic input......


And the SL2 you could have ran instant doubles and recorded through one of the inputs....

:-)

I know all of this already. What I'm saying is its a single deck controller. You're comparing the NS7 to it which is the full unit including the mixer and software capabilities. That's like saying a single CDJ or a 1200 doesn't doesn't have a record button. You expected that from it?

No offense or anything, it's just weird. It's a single motorized midi deck.

True....

If it could have been natively controlled by Scratch Live (As an option) then they would have stayed with me.

It sounds more, to me anyway, that you disliked the software more than the hardware.

Yeah I love the EQs on that thing sounded so ill in a big room...also while the fader may have not felt the best, the cuts always sounded very crispy..

best

RLA Isolator

Bozack

urei

Sweet and simple. (And expensive now, lol)

Some cool products I've owned that are obscure:

Electrix EQ/Killer. 3-band outboard isolators with kill buttons and sweepable crossover frequencies. That was around 2000/2001. To this day, my alltime favorite DJ EQ. Those in front of a Urei 1620 or Rane 2016 were house-music mixing nirvana. Unfortunately, the electronics ran really hot (lots of stuff packed into a small box) and every unit I ever used (probably a dozen or so) failed within a couple years.

Red Sound Federation BPM FX Pro. A flawed but fascinating effect processor, think I had it in 1999. It was much trickier to use than the Pioneer EFX-500 that came out around the same time, but you could do a lot more with it. The company seemed to be run by cool people...I recall sending them an e-mail with some complaints/suggestions, and soon after a new firmware EEPROM arrived from the UK.

The Sony DAT Walkman. (early 90's). Got a lot of use out of it for both recording DJ sets and playing my own edits/mixes (this was the era before CD-R prices became even remotely affordable).

Digidesign Sound Designer II (1989). Hard to believe this was now a full quarter century ago. Sitting down in front of this for the first time was like staring straight in the face of the future.

Best:

1210 M5G's
Rane 57
Macbook Pro
1210 MK5's
Ortofon needles
V-Moda Crossfades
Shure/Technics needles
OG clear Serato timecode vinyl
$15 wired Mic from Amazon
$50 Numark 2 channel analog mixer
QSC sound
NS7
(In that order)

Worst:

American Audio headphones
Pioneer headphones
Serato performance vinyl
Stanton needles
Behringer anything
Shure wireless mic
DDJ-SX
Serato DJ
Serato Video
MMP record pool
(no specific order)

--------Best---------
Rane TTM54
Rane 57SL
Technics 1210 MK2
Technics 1200GLD
Native Instruments Z2
Ortofon Nightclubs
Pioneer EFX500

-------Worst--------
Gem Sound Amp (forgot which model but, i am sure they all suck)
Gemini Mixers (everyone I ever owned maybe except the MX2200)

Shots fired.


That's twice I've seen this under worst. I own an outboard mixer from Behringer that's pretty solid. Why the dislike?

I never had any good experience with behringer. Boards, speakers, whatever. Customer service is also something that I use to judge a company by. I have 12 years manufacturing experience and 8 yrs managing our warranty dept. Behringer fails with support... Numark isn't so great either... Rane on the other hand is hands down the best I've dealt with in pro audio. They're a great company.

i can say, i own (2) behringer europower 4000 watt amps.... and those things are solid, never had a problem with them.

behringer and numark are in the same boat.... for every 50 garbage products they make, they will make 1 solid product with will have very little issues.

i can say one of the worst products ive owned was the numark ppd01 mixer. great concept, but the knobs and faders were garbage.

Respect. But what happens when that 1 product goes bad and their manufacturing plant is in another country? AND getting warranty is like jumping through hoops. F all that, trust me dj's, buy 'made in USA' if possible.

I've learned a lot in my experiences in manufacturing... When the Crane/Whaterverthef company had the patent/copycat knockoff issue, a lot of you said that Crane should sue for patent infringement. I said that Crane has a better brand with their stand(s), that they should be flattered about another company making a copycat. I said its common for manufactures to 'copy' and that a suit wouldn't be worthwhile. I also said, Crane would be better off taking that money and investing it back into it's brand and its R&D to create a even better product. Shit they can barely afford that. Crane had to ask us to support the prototype and pledge money....

Anyways, everything in my 'best' list is solid. Buy the apple care if you can, it's worth the investment. Electronics go bad and standard warranty on a Mac isn't enough for what we do.

Technics never go bad if you know how to care for them/fix small things.

Rane has the best warranty, period. Awesome company.

QSC has a great warranty and their engineering is best in class.

Every headphone I've ever had has broke in some way. V-moda's sound great and they're almost indestructible.

I'm still using a pair of clear 2nd edition clear timecodes, been using them for over two years. I spin 2-3 times a week, 52 weeks a year. I've yet to get serato performance vinyl that isn't warped.

Crane and Uber stands are also in my 'best' list.

New DJ's... save a lot of money and don't make the same mistakes a lot of us made starting out by buying cheap gear.

I still use my original vinyl from SSL v1.1. I have a couple extra sets of performance discs, but rarely use them (except the glow-in-the-dark ones). I get better feel from the originals - they don't grab the slip mat as much and still track well.

I just bought a Macbook Pro...

Might be on my "best" list soon. I'll let ya'll know! :)

it will fo sure. What laptop were you using before?

Worst:

-SLDZ's (love hate relationship)
-Technics SH-MZ1200 Mixer


Best:

-Rane Empath
-Rane 57
-Rane 62
-Technics Mk2's
-Technics M5G's
-CDJ-850's
-TMA A1A1A1's
-Mix Emergency
-Glyph Hard Drive
-Shure M44-7's
-(4) different MBP's

*worst
-NS7 (Too heavy)

*Best
-Pioneer DDJSX

best:
mbpro retina (damn fast)
1210s
rane 56 / 57 / 62
qsc k12
kv2 ex 2.2

in the middle:
vestax vci 400

worst:
final scratch / traktor (you gotta take computer science all over again with that manual)
dj player (app) (not for scratching) (note you can use it with controllers/1200)
akai apc 40 (knobs/faders can't stand the road)

That's twice I've seen this under worst. I own an outboard mixer from Behringer that's pretty solid. Why the dislike?

Cuz they like to follow what everyone else says. Pioneer, Rane, Allen & Heath, JBL, QSC have all had products that fail bit folks still buy them.

Eh, my outboard mixer has been pretty solid for me. I guess people have their bad experiences and go from there.

Yup silly to condemn and entire brand just because.

Behringer IS shit. Not because of what someone said but because their support is shit. And that makes their brand shit. Consider yourself lucky if you've never had to deal with their customer service/warranty.... And when those other products you mention do fail, the manufacture stands behind it's product... unlike shit Behringer.

Worst:

Ex-Wife


Best:

Current Wife



nm

Worst: Exgirlfriend

Best: Fleshlight

And most (if not all) of their product designs involve intellectual-property theft from other companies.

lol

I've seen Behringer products NOT WORK right off the bat. Both were mixers, different models. No. Not for me, I would never buy a Behringer product. But, I was at the guitar center when people were returning them.

nm

Well...... after spending some time at the local Guitar Center the other day.....


Worst:

Traktor Kontrol Z1

Traktor Kontrol S2

Traktor Kontrol S4

Guitar Center Pro Audio Sales Man that told me I should "Upgrade" to the NS7II from my Turntables......

" Guitar Center Pro Audio Sales Man that told me I should "Upgrade" to the NS7II from my Turntables...... "

hahahahaha

nm

I think the fact that he said "upgrade" is what threw me through the anger loop.... If he would have said "supplement" or "add" to my current collection then I probably wouldn't have felt a way.

Thats like me spending time with a great hooker and then the Pimp telling me I should upgrade my wife..... No..... Supplement..... There is a difference.

lmao!

nm

what was wrong with the Z1

No mention of Pyramid Mixers, or Peavy speakers/amps under worst? huh

Best have already been mentioned

So you bought something, it broke, and you got a hard time from their customer service. So now you are trashing the products because of your customer service issue.


I have bought a Sony TV, a Carver Pre Amp, & an ADCOM amp that were all DOA. All top shelf companies. Shit happens get over it.



Kinda just like how the Rane 68 & 64 designs were stolen from the Behringer DDM-4000 huh?

I don't know about Peavey speakers or amps as being the worst. They never failed me. As a matter of fact, I still have my first Peavey amp.

nm

" I have bought a Sony TV, a Carver Pre Amp, & an ADCOM amp that were all DOA. All top shelf companies. Shit happens get over it."

lol @ shit happens.

You're an IDIOT if you're okay with that.

nm

No you are an idiot for not seeing what the point is. So let me explain it to you. Every company, even the top one's ship a bad product. You take it back and get another one.

So you are telling me you see people bringing back a BMW for a issue are you going to bad mouth the entire company? Think before you open your mouth.

There are people that say Peavy is one of the bottom feeders of DJ equipment. I guess you are an IDIOT for liking them.

So you're saying Gemini makes good stuff its just their support that sucks?

LOL at the idea Rane stole any product ideas from Behringer.

Seriously, WTF?

u mad

hahaha

nm

lol... I must've pissed you off so good with my last comment. hahahaha

I haven't bought a Peavey anything in the last 10 years. Notice how I said "failed" as in past tense.

lol

I love the fact that


U MAD!!!!!

:)

NM

IMO Behringer is super low budget entry level pro audio gear same as Gemini, Pyle etc. As users of professional audio products we should at least be using entry level products such as EV, JBL, QSC, Crown etc. These products have a proven track record in our industry.
You definitely get what you pay for.

Best :

TT's: Tecnics1200 (pretty much any model)
Needles: M447
Mixer: Rane57
Amps: QSC RMX
Passive Speakers: EAW
Powered Speakers: JBL PRX500 (Still going strong, Sound IMO is better than QSC K series, never had any issues although I know many have reported problems with overheating)
Laptop: MBP
Software: SSL
Headphones: Sony MDR V-900 (outlasted 3 pairs of Pioneers)
CD Players: Pioneer CDJ1000MK3 (they can take a beating)

Worst:
Way too many to list, some I just erased from my mind.

"Powered Speakers: JBL PRX500 (Still going strong, Sound IMO is better than QSC K series, never had any issues although I know many have reported problems with overheating)"

I agree with you. None of my PRX500's have given me any problems. :)

nm

The Peavey CS-800 was the absolute WORKHORSE of the Amp industry back in the day.

You can not take that from them.

This right here. I also used to own a Peavey XR 600C. I sold it quite some time ago. That thing was a damn tank. I wouldn't necessarily call it good - but it was certainly durable.

Yup - Peavey amps were solid as a rock. Had two 8.5 C amps that took quite a beating and still cranked. Just sold them last summer actually. Worked as good as new.



Dell Inspiron 1500. Good for SSL, but no good for video. Got it in '07 and haven't had any issues with it. Granted, I've had to tweek the hell out of Windows, but it's never glithced or given me any trouble on the SSL end of things. Just not worth upgrading hard drive and I want to run full video. MBP is way to go... so I heard! :)

Another best gear report: (lighting)

I had an old ADJ Vertigo. Yeah, the halogen version back in the day. It fell off the speaker once and got rained on, but still lit up the dance floor. Just pounded out the dents and spray painted it black again...

Worst lighting:

Chauvet Freedom Strips. Had bad batteries, dead LEDs, and the worst customer service ever for a warranty product. Good thing I'm done with lighting for a while. I have to find a good American made company. No more cheap China crap.

yeah, peavy's trade mark is their solid amps... they take a licking and keep on ticking.

I've had Peaveys that have literally fell off the truck/stage/gotten wet, even smoked when I first turned it on, and they STILL kept the show going....

At 800 Watts using their DDT compression setting, you'd never have to worry about ANY distortion hitting the sub...

Nada.

What I found interesting was HOW they forced you to bridge...

If you were using the original CS-800's, the binding posts for L/R speaker output were on opposite sides of the amp..

So if you hit the bridge switch, you couldn't just randomly plug banana or 1/4 inch plugs in on the respective sides and get the power you needed...

Oh no, you actually had to MAKE WIRES to get the full current across both channels...

One on the (+) for the Left Channel and one for the (+) for the Right Channel.

Only later on did amps have it where both the Left and Right channel were close enough for 1 banana clip to go "Across" the (+)'s to put all that power into a standard wire.

I thought I was the smartest DJ on earth, (at least around our way), because NOBODY I knew was bridging ANYTHING, and here I was with at least 2 dedicated starting out...

^ LoL. I found the same issue - even with the newer amps with Speakon. You had to rewire the cable to get +\+ out of the connector. If you forgot, the amp would short out and go into protection mode!

Wait, why would you not use the binding posts on the amp?

Or are you talking about a different configuration?

I've seen amps with the ability to run in bridge mode through the Speakon connections, but maybe I'm missing what you're describing...

You could use the binding posts, but if you used speakon you needed to rewire the plug to match the bridge configuretion of the amp. It was different than just stereo out to each speaker. I rarely used binding posts because my Bose speakers had Speakon too.

Gotcha...

Bridging was definitely not for those who didn't know what they were doing...

I remember LMAO @ cats thinking that they could flip the switch to "Bridge", and then plug a banana plug or 1/4 jawn into one side of the amp, then daisy chain to the speakers, talkin' bout they're running 800 watts...

No dude, you're using only one channel...lmao...

$50 mixer is what I learned on, it was COMPLETE shit but it has sentimental value. Do I really need to spell everything out for you? Don't be so simple. A mic is a mic for a DJ. I'm not an MC. When I bring my MC it's shure or sens all day...

Anyways, I heard Shawn White is getting in the X-Games. You think he will use the $50 snowboard they sell at Walmart or something more professional? I'll wait...

A $50 piece of crap mixer is one of your best because of sentimental value?

And a $15 Amazon mic is your best because you're not am MC. But the Shure which is one of the worst you give to the MC.

You don't have to explain anything further to me. I've seen enuff of your unbrightness.

Why is Sure a bad mic for an mc? they are pretty standard.

Also I can see what he is sayin about p.o.s gear being sentimental as well. My first set was a Realistic mixer and a pair of sl-200's that was given to me from another dj. mixer crackled, and was intermitent, tt had NO torque and was belt driven. but was so pumped when i got it!! learned a lot, got to show it off to all my friends.

I can dig sentimental value, but if it's shit it's shit.

^^^ agreed

Shure which is one of the worst you give to the MC.


every rider ive seen always has Sure beta58's on it...

Remix...Austin G is a pro. Pro's use $15 Amazon mics bro. Don't question his authority.

Not to even get in all this...

But how the hell is a Shure Mic of any kind the "Worst"?

They set the standard.

lol



exactly what i was thinking

WORST I ever used as a VJ:

Numark's rancid pile of crap DVD player -martelelectronics.com

BEST:

So far either of my MacBook Pros (09 and 12) along with SSL and Mix Emergency. This combo freed me so much when it came to lugging EQ around and being able to find things in my library so quick.

The thread title is "Best and Worst products YOU'VE ever used or owned" stick to the script... Shure makes a good mic, 58's ARE perfect. On the other hand, I've been burned on some of their other suspect mics, especially the wireless variations. I didn't say pro's use $15 mics. I said it was one of MY personal best purchases, its solid.. When I mic my MC's we're using the wireless 58's, they're worth every penny. Sens shit on shure if you really wanna get into it... but that's another topic.... Don't be a f boy and twist someones words, that's what females do Val.

Please...you said some stupid shit, you got put on blast, now you are embarrassed trying to explain yourself. Now you have to resort to name calling.

I didn't twist any words. You said "pros know they get what they pay for".

You don't know what you are talking about so please STFU. This is not the first post where you were talking stupidity. Do I need to go pull those threads and re expose you again?

Since I have your attention, why don't you tell us why the DDJ-SX, Serato DJ, Serato Video are among the worst you have ever used? I have time...I'll wait.

Not even slightly embarrassed... We were discussing sound and Behringer speakers. So when it comes to sound, YES, pro's know they get what they pay for. Behringer sound is COMPLETE shit lol...

For me, the NS7 was much better than the SX. The SX platters are more like the NS6 (and nothing like cdj platters) which I hated. I'm looking forward to seeing how the SZ feels although I would never spend 2k for it. With Serato DJ - I had drops outs, glitches, and blips like crazy during sets. I switched back over to itch and everything was cool. The same thing happened for one of my guys. It just sucked for us. I hear they're still having stability issues... I'm really looking forward to testing it out with a 62 -haven't given up on it just yet. When you've used ME you will know why I put serato vid on my worst. I've seen the in's and out's of SV and played with it enough to NOT even install the FREE voucher I got with my SX, still sitting in my pre-production studio in a box..

future best

ddj-sz........ hmmmm


or

future worst

ddj-sz..... i dont think so.

Future Best

Reloop RP 8000

DDJ-SZ

M-Audio Trigger Finger

Stopped responding 3 months after I got it. When I called customer service they said it was an ongoing issue. When I asked could they repair it I was told to just buy another!!!! GTFOH

There is a new Trigger Finger thats coming out. They had it at NAMM 2014

Looks all colorful and has more buttons with a baby stand at the head. But I' a little skeptical.....

I remember people calling the Technics DZ1200 the future best CDJ once. I'm just sayin'.

Best

Rane TTM54
Rane 57sl
Traktor Z2
Pioneer EFX500
Technics 1210mk2
Techinics 1200ltd gold edition

Worst
GemSound Amp that caught on fire (not sure of the model number)
Every Gemini mixer I have ever owned. (maybe not the Jazzy Jeff MX2200)

Oddly enough I thought had posted in this thread. I just hit preview before.

I secretly wanted the DZ1200 to be the best..... And I was convincing myself for the longest time.....

Admittedly, I thought they were cool when I first saw them... then I got to try them in person at Guitar Center (who someone had sold them to)...

Since using DVS, they have worked better...... for me at least, but I remember getting weird noises from mine when using regular CDs.

And then the center display on mine finally gave out.

Here's the best stuff I recently purchased:

Ultimate Speaker Stand TS 100 with the compressed air lift assist. Picked up 2 for $150 by a price match at GC.

Road master R8 cart. I can load into most venues in 1 trip.....2 if I need to wheel in my sub(s)


My backs hurts less thanks to these purchases

Ok, I did it...

I bought a Macbook Pro.

Only had it a few days, but so far, it's a powerhouse machine with video for days! Not sure if it's the best purchase yet though - I can't figure the dumb thing out.

congrats!!! there's a thread somewhere on the video side that has a shit load of great mac apps to make life hella easy for the Macbook DJ.

ill see if i can find it, and ill post it.

^^ Awesome - Thanks. ^^

DJ Reflex,

here's the link.... lots & lots of great content:

serato.com

Again... awesome. Been messin' around with Handbrake. What a difference it makes. Thanks.

Just had GC price Match and 10% off ...

Got 4 Ultimate Support TS100B Speaker Stand

Around 65 bucks a pop.

Nm nh nb

Good deal! Got a few myself, but not for THAT price! lol

Look at amazon and take that to GC ..

Nm nh

Ooh... that's cold.

They are 75 buck on line. They had a shit fit giving them to me for that price...


Nm nh nb

Best

Any tech

ortofon nightclub and scratch needles

Mac pro, Macbook pro, mac mini, all iphones, imac, apple server, 3tb time capsule, airport extreme, iwatch when it comes out

Ableton

serato dj

maschine studio, mikro and maschine 2.0 software

Logic X garageband

kueit automator hazel itunes

ableton push

sylenth

Same here. The GC sales guy had to call a couple different managers over to approve the price match because they couldn't believe the two for one deal.

I'm going to need you to be specific, because if the G3 is being counted here, that thing was horrible.


Including the signal killing death grip?


DZ's too?


Not the Windows version, right?


err... fanboy much?

Worst

Stanton Final Scratch

Just stopped working after 2 weeks of getting it
(I did get it from ebay though....)

Best:
Technics 1200 mk2 - no commentary necessary
Peavey CS-800 amp - Beast of an amp. Always worked hard no matter how abused.
Rane MP24 - First mixer I used and owned, one of the all time best ever.
Urei 1620 - This and the Bozak great for blending
Denon HS-5500 & DN2000F - not without their issues but always good for me.
Macbook Pro - Best solution for Music & Video production and performance.
Mix Emergency - Gobs of innovation always pushing the video envelope.
Pioneer DVJ-1000 - First DVD deck with usable pitch control.
Denon DN-M2300R - Dual deck Minidisc play/record with pitch control.
High End Color Pro & Intellibeam - First intelligent lighting - total game changer.

Worst:
Technics SL-P1200 - first real DJ CD player sucked in actual usage
Numark DVD-01 - Supposed to be DJ ready, 1-2 second delay
PCDJ Red - good for mobile type work, not so much for mixing.
Sony Umatic 3/4" Video - Only option for good video quality in 1988, but always breaking.

Best:

Denon DN-S5000
Denon DN-X1500
Numark NS7
Numark HDX
Numark TTX
Technics 1200 M3D
Rane SL3
Rane SL1
Numark V7
Numark X5
Denon DN-X900
Mackie SRM-350
B-52 Matrix 1000
B-52 ACT-18
Mackie SRS-1500


Worst:

Behringer Powered Speaker(Can't remember model)
American DJ Pro Scratch 2
Denon HP1000

What exactly were the issues?

Biggest issue was the lack of instant start. The technology wasn't there yet for setting cue points to the frame (1/50th of a second).

The technology was there at the time (1/75th of a second, actually), but (along with instant start from a memory buffer) was only available on "broadcast" type CD players that were even more expensive than the Technics unit was.

First saw "frame-accurate" cueing on a Sony 2-transport/one-controller system around 1985, then Denon jumped into the broadcast CD player market in a big way later in the 80's...believe they were the first with the memory-buffer instant start feature, later introduced on their dual-deck CD players for DJ's in 1992.

The biggest problem I remember with the Technics SL-P 1200 was the electrical contacts on the door had a high failure rate and would completely disable the player. Also despite being massive (same footprint as the 1200 turntables and similar weight), the shock resistance wasn't great and heavy bass would easily start CD's skipping.

SL1200 of course.

Oddly enough the following products from Behringer have served me well for a number of years.
DDM4000 - I used this mixer for the better part of two years. It never failed. The feature it had rivaled that of a DJM 850 and maybe more. Being able to save user preferences is awesome. The sound quality is pretty good. And its built like a tank. I dropped mine a couple of times. Granted they were on carped, but still....
B215D - This powered speaker may not be the best sounding out there, but if you are not an audiophile, it works. I have had mine since 2009. I dropped it, used in in outdoor situations where it had been drizzling, tossed around in trunk of my car and it is still going.

Worst products: anything made by Gemini or American DJ with the exception of their lights.

Worst:

1. Serato Itch on Windows 7
2. Pioneer DDJ-1
3. ION Turntables (Don't Judge Me)

Best:

1. Stanton STR8.150 (Currently Using)
2. Technics 1200 MKII
3. Rane TTM 57SL
4. Numark NS7

BEST= SERATO SCRATCH LIVE (SSL)

WORST= SERATO DJ (SDJ)

What a scam...I thought SDJ (1.6) would be an upgrade of some sort. Turns out I wouldn't even receive money to use it. Sorry Serato, you failed on this one...

Bwahahaha ^

Exactly why I said I'm sticking with SSL. Same reason both the SX and SDJ were on my worst list. They both suck.

Glad to hear I'm not alone on SSL>SDJ.

Hey we finally agree on something lol

So what is it about SDJ that turns you guys off from it?

Very limited use here but stability was (for me) and apparently still is (for many) an issue... For me, the layout wasn't so great. The loop controls were something that I had to relearn and didn't want to f with. I lost all my cue point labels and couldn't re-label any tracks in SDJ (has this been updated yet?? Cue point labels are something I really like to use)... I just hate change and SSL is still great. Then there's the sync debate....

*lost all my cue points and labels... This alone is almost a reason NOT to use SDJ. I have so many hours in labeling/setting my cues.

It doesn't turn me off completely. I am good with it. I like it..... For me as a primary DVS user..... SSL was the king of all interfaces.... It separated me from the controller DJs when all they had was itch..... And they be like.... Awe man that looks cool.... What is that? And I be like.... Oh that's Serato Scratch Live and they are like.... Well I have Serato to..... And then I correct them..... No son, you have Itch.

And then they try and download SSL and are spending hours trying to figure out why their VCI wasn't working with SSL

For me in a nutshell..... SSL separated the big boys from the little ones.

I should say that cue point labels are in place as of SDJ 1.6, but, as cue points are written to files themselves, I am not sure why you lost them.

For me, not in any particular order...
-Album Art Viewing Options...I have spent a good amount of time tagging my mp3 to search via Album Art. SSL has 4 viewing options. SDJ has 2. And the one Album Art view that actually shows is small.
-Cue points...above mentioned by Austin G...losing cue points is just ridiculous.
-Looping...just a totally backwards ass system.
-Midi Panel...lots of people are complaining about this, or lack of.
-The color of the played/unplayed tracks in the library. Blue or Grey? First off, you can't see the grey. The depth in color is not separated enough to contrast the unplayed. Btw, I have tried all brightness settings on my Retina Macbook, doesn't make a difference. Blue just looks too vivid.
-Scrolling...not smooth.
-Deck view placement. For my home setup I have cdjs on spacetek stands above my m5gs. When viewing tracks on the screen, the deck placement is off centered. If there was a way to view tracks on the screen that correspond similar to SSL, it would make way more sense.
-Constant requests to purchase effects, SDJ, etc...makes SDJ look cheap, incomplete.

Serato should just have stuck with what works from SSL and not try to reinvent the wheel. But whatever, it's not like I am forced to use SDJ. Maybe Serato will improve upon SDJ the same way they have in the 10+ years of development of SSL...

good to know! thnx

I understand what Serato is trying to do but I just think Serato DJ has too much going on for my eyes. I prefer the SSL layout, although I will be getting the DDJ - SZ so I'll have to get used to Serato DJ.

+1... As I understand what serato is trying to do with SDJ. However, I'm just going to stay with SSL.

Best:
Macbook Pro
Shure ULXP Wireless Mic
Scratch Live
Akai MPD16 (I still use this)

Worst:
Korg Kaossilator (save your money and just buy the iPhone app)
35$ Nady Wireless mic
Stanton Disc Masters (worst purchase EVER!!)

Funny enough I think I've been edited out for putting on my Z2 on the best products list along with my 57SL and 54TTM.

webcache.googleusercontent.com

I iz bored, so:

serato.com

Maybe it's a glitch but I took screenshots because it disappeared and re-appeared. In any came I'm over it.

Hi DJ Irv



Your list of best and worst actually appears twice in this thread and has not been edited by anyone. The two posts can be found in the following two locations...

- serato.com
- serato.com

Both of these posts also appear in the cached version of the page that you have linked. Occasionally there are 'glitches' that can possibly lead to posts not appearing in a thread for a short time or until it is refreshed, but these are quite normal for any site in the world.

One thing I can assure you of is that we at Serato never censor posts or threads. We do often edit to remove users' private information that they may have accidentally posted, but we are committed to this being an open forum where everyone is able to post their unfettered opinions.

We do have some basic rules serato.com, but we are not at all concerned about people posting positive thoughts about our competitors' products :)

Cheers
Aaron

if they censored do you think we'd have to hear johnny_m and whoever he's arguing with go on for days/weeks/years?????

Not for nothing, but most of the things Johnny_M comments on are a result of him either being baited into it, or one topic spilling over into another (which causes that one to be derailed). It's usually the same people too.

its definitely for nothing. this is a dj music forum.

Could've confused me. Last I checked, it was either bash controllers, bash anyone who has DJ'd for less than 10 years (anyone after DVS went mainstream), promote Apple products, or discuss speakers. The music part barely makes up 1%; and I'm not even including the "off-topic discussions" part of this forum.

What you said.

Funny it's always the same folks always trying to make him out be the bad guy. But he is the troll & troublemaker. Go figure.

Eh, my eyes have been opened, and I am much more aware of their Trolling tactics...

For example, a thread being created by one of "The Usual Suspects" WITH MY NAME in the Subject line will often fizzle if I simply don't respond to the bait.

Then cats be begging and pleading for me to respond to THEIR particular thread...lmao.

As a veteran of the board, I should recognize Trolling tactics from the door....

Eh, no biggie, life goes on....

Gemini bd 10
Used it just to play a beat on to scratch to
It would skip being on the same table and I'm light on the fader

I've owned a cool DJ in a box
Can't recall the tables but the mixer was a numark

I feel should go back and say something about this. Oddly enough it did disappear but this could be caching problem in Chrome. It would explain the screenshots not having my post.

Gonna have to put Chrome on my worst lists I guess.

All good man, it can be disconcerting for sure when things go awry like that. Just wanted everyone to know it wasn't us :)

Cheers

that was a great product that is what started the whole DVS thing

sl1 could had to use mic input tho.

I have a bit of behringer powered speakers that kept going out I re-engineered the power circuits and never had a problem ever since. I agree they suck shouldn't have to redisign their flawed design.





Peavy speakers suck sometime never had a problem with their u.s.a. version amps. But Peavy never geared their gear as DJ equipment but more towards live band gear, I agree that people think they are the cream of the crop.




the Gemini set I have is pretty solid pmx 15 and Gemini cdj 15's I tried to burn out long time ago. cause I wanted to get the nu-mark cdn-88 double CD players which is long gone now but i still have the Gemini set just have to blow the faders like a Nintendo cartridge before i use them.

surprised nobody put b52 prodigy on the worst list every one I seen either had a stuck cd or not reading.
got rid of mine before it was widespread that they was pure hot garbage.

I've never seen one outside of a Guitar Center. It looks like it was fashioned from leftover secret cold war tech from the 70's. lol

Maybe because people haven't heard of it...I'd never seen it before googling just now.

Doesn't look like I've been missing out on much LOL. It looks like circa-2002 American DJ crap.

Worst,
Mackie SRM450 too much distortion
Mackie Swa1501 three amp repairs
Mackie Profx12 faders break easy
Pioneer HD1 break too easy
Samson Mixers, Mic pre's die.
Samson Auro Speakers, amps blow and sound quality exits after six months.
Chauvet Intimidator Spot 250's sound active is a joke (music volume has to be at peak for them to move, no sensitivity adjustment or preset programs) spin around and point at the ceiling too much, can't program them to stay focused to the dance floor or crowd area without using a dmx controller.
Pro-line stands

Best
EV ETX-35p (w/Eminence KILOMAX Pro 15A driver upgrade $215 ea 25lbs)
EV ETX-18sp (w/Peavey 18" Lo Max $350 ea 33.5 lbs)
Peavey PV10 Mixers, warm mic pre's and real studio quality effects
Behringer/Midas X32 mixer console
Denon MC6000
EV SBA760's,
SXA250's,
Eliminators,
TOUR-X 2152's
Mackie SWA1801's
B-52 ACT18 Active Subs, crazy bottom end after replacing the drivers with Peavey Lo-max's, more spl than the Mackie's
Line-6 L3T's
Peavey Impulse 12D Active 1200w, Ribbon, Zero distortion (only knock is there's no handle on the top which makes it hard to carry through doors, especially two at a time)
QSC K8 k10 k12
Yamaha HS8's
KRK 10s
EV N/D767a N/D967 Mics (I highly recommend these for resistance to feedback and handling high SPL's)
Atlas Sound Mic Stands
Ultimate TS100b Air Assist Speaker Stands
American DJ (All Lights) INNO Spot Pro (easy to program totally adjustable, sound sensitivity, dimmer, focus etc GREAT)

ON THE FENCE (In the Middle)
Electro Voice ETX-35p, ETX-18sp, which I've had three woofers blow, replaced with Eminance Kolimax's and now are terrific, pound super hard and were worth the investment including the new driver cost's! Which I consider an optional upgrade but do add 15lbs.
Samson Microphones Q7 is pretty good but entry level are aweful after a few months
Allen & Heath Zed 10FX (No Mutes on the channels, Unforgivable)
Allen & Heath Zed 12fx Effects are lame and limited for a piece this expensive
Pioneed DDJ-SX Pitch bend is way too sensitive, Jog Wheel Lag, Crossfader Lag

People say lots of negative things about Behringer but I've owned only three pieces and they have all performed as designed. I never bought their speakers or amps because when playing side by side never never sounded good. I own a EURORACK MX602A, T1952 Tube Composer and the X32. All work great.

As far as buying entry level equipment and expecting to pound it to death and survive, you should keep in mind that you get what you pay for. If you are dumb enough to buy;
ANYTHING,
Vocopro, Gem Sound, BMB, Gemini, Seismic Audio,
American Audio, Podium Pro, Technical Pro, Acoustic Audio, or pretty much anything way cheaper than the average similarly rated speaker in watts and size, or compared features? You are only screwing yourself and expecting other people to enjoy crappy sound. Do you sleep on the cheapest bed, drive the cheapest car, drink the cheapest beer? If so, go ahead, it's all you can afford anyway.

DJ Lix Va -
Good list. I have had great success with Eminence replacement drivers as well in some of my speakers and homemade subwoofers. I do think that my (6) Mackie SRM 450's sound decent though and I've never had any major issues with them. I blew a tweeter once, but a $30 replacement part off eBay fixed 'er up. BTW, I've owned several speakers including an awesome BOSE system.
As far as lights... again, thanks for the info. It's hard finding good "sound mode" lights. I now run almost everything DMX, but I still rely on the manufacturer's programing on some and you can tell (night and day) between good sound mode and crap! I hear ya on that point.
One more thing. I agree with 'some' Behringer products. The things I've owned held up well, but I've heard horror stories from friends with their Behringer gear.

My best:
Peavey impulse 1015 top cab 2 way 15
Peavey kosmos (original v1 blue face)
Peavey GPS 2600 amp
Denon dnx500 mixer
TC Eletronics M350 effects processor
JBL Mpro Mp418s sub
Ev Elx112p tops
Peavey cs800s amp

My worst:
Mackie srm450v2
Vestax mixer dcm series
Peavey 215 eq
Ev zlx15p tops
Gemini pdm02 mixer

As far as Mackie (I don't think they're junk, I just don't like them) I've just never been a fan of their mains because I feel they distort easily when pushed and I've been to the repair shop too many times. I still have one (SRM450V2 Blue) left, it's for sale, make me an offer. I last was using it as a floor monitor. When played side by side they run out of gas when you crank them up. That coupled with the fact that over the years when I had to go to the repair shop I'd see mostly Mackie speakers in for repair. If yours work for your rig and range of use then that's great, for me I have a tendency to play music at the limit of my speakers capability without distorting as much as I can control.

I've have a pair of EV Live-X ELX112P's the original wood ones, that I send out on rental, 2 years (by people I know play them as loud as they will go) and have not blown yet and still sound like they should for entry/mid level PA! Definitely have been worth buying and have paid for themselves over and over again.

I too have a pair of BOSE 802's (LOVE THEM), BOSE Panaray Digital Controller, powered by a Peavey IPR 3000 amp, DBX 215s 15 band EQ, BBE Maxcom Compressor/Sonic Maximizer that I setup in a house system three years ago with them as FOH, Two QSC K8's and One Yamaha DXR10 for zones and a EV ELX118P Live X Sub in a 1000 SQ foot venue. Add all that to my best list.. I DJ there 2-3 days a week (I am the house DJ at two other venues) Thurs-Sat the place is packed and system is pushed really hard. More people = more volume.

^^ Nice ^^

Lighting:

Best:
ADJ INNO Roll x 2 (I never liked barrel rollers, but these things are great when paired.)
Kavant Clubmax Laser (Same brand that Justin Timberlake uses in concert.)
ADJ H2O water effect
Le Maitre Haze Machine (This thing will fill an arena in no time!)
ADJ black light UV LED strips (Crazy bright and indestructible.)
ADJ Vortex (Still my original halogen scanners from 1998.)
Pangolin Quickshow Laser & DMX control software

Worst:
Chauvet Color Strip & Color Strip Mini (I have 18 of them for up-lighiting, but LEDS burn
out, half the functions quit working, and Chauvet customer service on them is atrocious. Not
to mention the DMX/linking is so bass-akwards.)
ADJ black light panel UV bulbs (Bulbs come loose and it's hot and heavy.)
Chauvet Obey 70 DMX controller (Static electricity in the winter kills it every time. I've had 3
replaced. Finally gave up and went to software DMX.)

Reflex, you're my brother from another mother! I totally agree, Chauvet lights have let me down time after time.

Add to my best AKG Tiesto headphones, I LOOOOOVE THEM! Comfortable clean sound at high SPL's etc...

Best:

Gruver Gear Muver 6 with DJ Table, just a great functional piece of equipment.
Rane 62
Denon MC6000Mk2
Yamaha DXR15 DXR10 DXS12
Technics 1200's
GatorCase for Denon with G Arm
Akai AFX
Sennheiser HD8
Chalet Gig Bar

Worst

Akai AMX (not a "worst" really but just not a "professional" piece of equipment)
American DJ RGBW4C 32-Channel LED DMX Controller works but its just odd,Maybe its a DMX thing,I'm new at it.

I would say the AMX definitely isn't a "pro" piece of equipment, but for what it is, it is tits. You should pretty much know going-in that the AMX isn't comparable to a 62, or in my case a 2015...I use it as an "on-the-go" set programming tool, as well as for some simple portable mixing. For what it is, I think it's a great piece of equipment that serves it's purpose.

I picked up the NEW Pioneer HDJ2000 MK2 Headphones....these are GREAT. I also have the HD8, and have to say, the HDJ performs better in many ways.

Best:

- Rane Empath
- Rane 57
- Rane 62
- Rane 64
- Brand new M5G's in 2006
- American DJ DOTZ Floods
- Mix Emergency
- Pioneer XDJ's (I really like them for my mobile gigs but too early to tell if they are great)

Worst:

- Technics SLDZ's (I loved those decks but they had issues)
- Cheap start up lighting

And a lot of middle of the road equipment that was needed like controllers and CDJ's.

Best
CDJ2000NXS
DJM2000NXS
Ableton Push
RMX1000
Rane Mp4 (My first Mixer
Pioneer DJ Rekordbox

Worst
Numark Turntable
Gemini "CDJS"
Virtual DJ

I wish Denon and Pioneer would work on something together. I know moving platters are in the way out. but id'e cop it

Worst:
Original Denon 2700 Grey Version (way back 1990's)
Anything from Gemini, American Audio,Sound Craftsman, Mackie Thumbs (JunK)


Best:
Pioneer CDJ's, Rane, Scratch live, Crest Audio (CA 9 and CA 18)
Denon 2600, Original Stanton PMC 46 and PMC900.

Best:

Sennheiser HD-25 (THE best audio product I have bought)
Genelec M030 monitors (great sound, great quality)
Rane 61 (Yes it lacks features but it's still reliable and professional feeling)
Ableton Push (sold it already but was very impressed with this controller)
Ableton Live 9 (impressive software)
Serato DJ (best DJ software out there)

Worst:

Vestax VCI-380 (wasn't my cup of tea)
Hercules DJ Console RMX (introduced me to DJing but had the worst jog wheels ever)
Stanton ST-150 turntables (not saying this is a bad product in any way but for me it was a bad buy mainly because of the insane weight)

Really?

It's actually not that bad...... I still don't like the way it looks but it's been pretty stable for me the past year and change.

Worst
Numark NS7 Range ( As Am Used To Nudge The Platter To Match The Beats + It Eats Your CPU)
Numark CDX ( Very Heavy With The Same Options Of Other Smaller Numark Products Expl: CDN-88 / CDN-90 / ICDX )
Pioneer CDJ's ( Not A Fan Of Big Cd Player With Limited Options And A Small Screen And Only 3 Cue Points Duuuuh )
Serato Dj ( Bad Interface And Not Easy To Use The Browser As Am Using Arabic Songs In My Library )

Best
Numark CDN Range ( Its A Beast And Heavy Duty Once They've Released )
Numark ICDX ( Can Play Every Format From Any Source And Can Use Them As MIDI Too )
Pioneer DDJ-SX ( The Best )
Pioneer DDJ-SZ ( Beyond The Best In Every Way )

Best: SL3 and Sennheiser HD25s. Both built like tanks and have lasted me through think and thin. A decade for the headphones and at least 5 years for the SL3.

Special mention: dicers, rane 62 and technics 1200s

I don't like to say that I have any bad products because I only buy quality in the first place. The worst are probably unpractical DJ bags that I never used / too heavy or the clunky odyssey stand

Every DJ should invest in a SUBPAC! Professional wearable subwoofers.

stuff ive used and liked but dont own
traktor s4
numark ndx800's not the best units but a good entry level cdj

Stuff i use and dont mind
numark mixtrack pro , lightweight mappable to 4 decks (2 faders with a mapped switch) load extra fx ect , has had sound card issues but otherwise fine

behringer inuke amps good power delivery for the price i have the 6000w 4 ch and also a ep2500 been reliable foh ,
behringer 3 way crossovers

fl studio is great fun
abelton live took some getting used to but great software

stuff ill never buy again

anything with peavy on it
cerwin vega subs
pioneer or sony headphones
regular rca leads went coaxial havent looked back
audoline all in one mixer cdjs had a few cheapies early on took a real beating but no features really couldnt even scratch haha

Nice to see a couple of old schoolers bring up Urei and Bozak. Don't see that very often anymore.

Best: (partial list)
Urei 1620. Knobs are smooth like butta. If you mix house or electro on vinyl, you owe it to yourself to add this to your bucket list.
Pioneer DJM-800. Full midi mapping with SSL and ME
SSL. SDJ isn't terrible, but SSL it is not.
Technics 1200MK3. Not baller enough for the MK5s, but these were my favorite tables.
Pioneer HDJ2000 headphones. Good pad life, good EQ, and no broken swivels.
Sony MDR7506 headphones. Great studio headphone or split cue headphone. Lasts forever.
Rane MP44. Great mixer with a clean sound.

Worst: (partial list)
Every Behringer mixer ever. They sound terrible and break easily.
Pioneer DVJ-X1, CDJ500, DJM500/600. Led to better products eventually, but were really bad.
Sony MDR700DJ. Great sound. Shite design quality. Had 4 pair replaced under warranty for a broken swivel. Finally gave up.
Dual CD players in general, but especially the Numark CDN-88, Stanton c.502 and the granddaddy of them all, the Denon DN2000F. Denon DND4500 is the exception.

worst: pioneer hdj c70 - actually love the sound of the phones, but the headphone band broke within 3 weeks and no replacement(after they said they would have replacement parts ala the sennheiser hd25

Best software... Pangolin Quickshow! Besides SSL, I use this for all DMX and laser lights. I've tried some other DMX and laser control programs (even ones with more features), but Pangolin has them beat. Not a Pangolin fanboy, but simplicity and stability go a long way.
Hmmm - kinda sounds like Scratch Live! lol

Lot of good gear experience on this thread!

Here's some of mine:

Worst:

Novation Dicers (really a bummer. They completely fell apart - connectors, plastic, etc.)

DJ Tech DJM-303 (bought impulsively based on features I read. cheap awkward little thing)

Denon DN-S3700 (poor latency for me, wouldn't read some CDs, platter issues)


Best:
Technics 1200 MKiis
Denon MC6000mkii
Denon HC1000S
Pioneer DJM-250
Novation Twitch
Rane SL3
American Audio Q-D5 (I still will avoid anything from American Audio, but this thing was actually a tank! Great first mixer.)
Numark Dashboard

kack lol

BEST:
Sennhieser HD25
Technicd RP-dj1200
Pioneer CDJ1000mk3
Pioneer CDJ2000
Pioneer CDJ2000NSX
Pioneer CDJ2000NSX2
Pioneer CDJ900NXS
Pioneer DJM850
Pioneer DJM800
Pioneer DJM2000
Pioneer DJM900NXS
Pioneer DJM900NXS2
Technics SL1200mk2
Rane SL3
Pioneer CDJ100
Numark CDN22S
Gemini 626
Gemini BPM 250 Mixer
Pioneer DDJ SZ

WORST
BEHRINGER 2 CHANNEL DJ MIXER DX-626
Pioneer CDJ200
GEMINI PT2000
DENON dn-x1600

Why the denon x-1600 on the worst list? I had it and really liked that mixer

SL3 and HD25s have lasted years and years and years

Bad

MCX8000


Good

Everything else I've owned -
Denon SC5000 Prime (rolls Royce level)
Rane 62 (classic)
Pio S9 (most intuitive)
Pio DJM700
CDJ 900 (first and last cdj)
Stanton ST150 (Rock solid),
Roland DJ 808 (quality)
Denon MC6000MKII (tank),
Pio Wego3 (super handy for those quick mix practice)
Pio SX (decent)

This mixer replaced a DJM800 at a residency I had a few years back. This mixer sounded good but the quality was shocking. It just sarted falling apart from faders to knobs, different buttons jamming simutaneoulsy...was replaced withing 2 months with a DJM900

Bad:

Numark TT500
Stanton SK5
Roland DJ-1000

Best:

Technics 1200
Sennheisser HD25s
Rane Empath
Rane 57
Pioneer DDJ SP1
Crane laptop stand
Yamaha DXR tops
Yorkville subs - own the NX720S and PS12S subs

I love my 62, but I can't objectively say it's the best due to the cheap knobs, buttons that misfire, and fader carriers that keeps breaking (hopefully V3 is the one that lasts).

Best:
Tech 12s
SL1
TTM57sl
TTM56
Vestax pmc 05 pro - still one of the best mixers ever IMO
Vestax pmc 06
Vestax vci 300
Urei 1601 - was my go-to for several years

Worst:
Torq connectiv
Vestax vci 100 (really hated this controller)

Fortunately I do a lot of research and test all equipment throroughly before purchasing, so the above 2 are my only regrets. Torq worked well until I used it on my laptop. The VCI 100 was great at first, then I tried the 300 and I couldn't use the 100 anymore.

What problems you had with the Numark?

Bad:
Gemini 500 XL turntable .. it was my first set.
Worst after I use the Technics 1200
I buy 1200 a month later.
CDJ 500 - hate the feel

Good:
1200 and vestax mixer 05 and 05
Vci 380- still use - best joggle wheel from scratch and beat juggling
traktor Z2 - best non serato mixer
Denon 3500 - best spinning CDJ

Best:

Vestax PMC 07 Pro
Rane TTM54i
Rane TTM 56
Pioneer DJM S9
Rane 72 (I know its gonna be good and I pre ordered)

Numark V7
Denon SC 3900
Technics 1200 M3d/ 1200 MK2 / 1210 Mk2

Ortofon DJ Stylus
Ortofon Q Bert Stylus
Shure M447

Martin Lighting Products
Antari Fog Machine
Odyssey Cases

Worst:

Old ass Blue Numark Belt Drive Turntables
Gemini anything
American DJ Dual CD Player
American DJ 4 Channel Mixer

I have been lucky enough to make good choices for my gear, except for the American DJ product days.

Best
Alto powered speakers
Crown amplifier's
Mackie 1202
Numark mixtrack
Cheap ass target extension cords.
Musicians gear stands and tables.

Worst
Harbinger speakers
Yamaha dxr speakers (I thought they sound like crap)
Acoustic audio speakers( I have bought a lot of junk flea markets over the years)

RadioShack mixer(adding on the crap I have gotten for real cheap)

Kustom stage monitors.

Seriously cannot be overlooked

Best:

Technics 1200 mk2 & m3d
Numark NS7 1 & 2
Numark V7
Numark ttx
Pioneer djm 450
Pioneer cdj 2000
Pioneer dvj x1 & 1000
Pioneer ddj sz
Pioneer djm s9
Pioneer djm 900 nexus 1 & 2
Serato scratch live
Rane sl3
Rane ttm 57
Rane 62
Shure m44-7
Mixemergency
Macbook pro 17 2011
Ableton live

Worst:
Anything from hercules dj
Traktor
Pioneer ddj sx2
Pioneer djm 800
Traktor kontrol s4
Virtual dj 7
Serato video

I forgot to add this, but the worst thing I ever owned was a kustom pa amp that caught on fire.

Worst POS I've ever used was this:

Numark VJ01 - www.numark.com

In the era of $3500/ea Pioneer DVJ-X1s and later DVJ-1000s I had a friend buy two of these to try and video DJ with. HORRIBLE hardware, couldn't pitch shift as claimed and wouldn't read half of the burned media we had, even though the Pioneers did without issue.

slowly but surely the worst list is adding

Serato DJ

as a top contender for me

LOL

Best :
Pioneer plx 1000
Mixars duo mk2

Worst :
Stanton 750
Pioneer plx 500

BEST:
Technics 1200 MK2s & MK5s
Rane 57 SL & Rane SL 1 box
Shure 44-7s

WORST:
Denon DJ MCx8000
Numark CDX

Best:
Stanton ST-150 Turntables
Technics SL-1200M5G Turntables
Denon DP-DJ151 Turntables (Good for studio)
Rane TTM-56
Rane TTM-57SL
Rane TTM-62
Hercules ContolDJ Starlight (For Prepping)
Numark NS7FX
Macbook 15" (2011/2012)
Audio 8 DJ
Stanton Scratch Amp 1 & 2 (Mine worked without issues)
Maschine
NI Studio Suite
Adobe Audition CS6 (also used Cool Edit before they were bought)

Serato DJ
Serato Scratch Live
Native Instruments Traktor DJ Scratch 1.x - 2.x
Traktor DJ Studio 3.x

Worst:
Stanton Final Scratch (Never worked until NI revamped the software)
Technics 1200 Mixer (crossfaders blew out in no time and bled to death)
Gemini crossfaders

Best:
Technics SL-1200MK2 (25 years and counting)
Rane SL1 & 2 boxes
Rane TTM-57SL
Scratch Live & SDJPro (SDJ sounded like garbage)
Pioneer DDJSB2 - 100% reliable
2012 MBPs
QSC K series speakers - 100% reliable
RCF speakers.
Yorkville subs - super reliable.
Sennheiser DH25

Worst:
Any Stanton DJ mixer,
Two Vestax 380s that died at massive gigs. I loved them but they betrayed me.
Two Roland DJ505s that died at gigs (DDJSB2 to the rescue twice!)
EV ZXA1 speakers - easily overheated.
Anything Behringer

I got a new one to add to the BEST list:
Bassboss SSP118 subwoofers. Holy moly - these things rock.

Worst:
Mostly just cheap Chinese lights.

I forgot to mention Yorkville speakers.

4 x E10P's (So versatile)
2 x LS720P's (Powerful for the size and easy to transport)

Missed a couple of Best's.

Shure M447's.
Mix Emergency
Sennheiser HD-25 Heaphones

Yass agreed

I had one just randomly start smoking at my NYE gig this year. I've now removed all cheap Chinese lights from my inventory because of that.

Forgot to add...

BEST Software:
Scratch Live
Mix Emergency
Presonus Studio One

WORST software:
Akai MPC software

BEST standalone music production hardware(based on reliability & workflow):
Pioneer DJS-1000 sampler
Roland MV-8800
Roland HandSonic HPD-20
Boss RC-505
Korg Kross Pad KP3+
Korg Kaossilator Pro+

Best

Akai MPC 2500
Technics 1200
Sony MDR-7506
Pioneer S9

Worst

Roland SP-808
Gemini XL-500 II
Beats
Stanton SMX- 401 and Behringer VMX-3000

Best:
Technics 1200
Vestax 05/07
Sure m447
Peavy speakers

Worst:
Gemini 500 xl
Atlo sound speakers

Worst:
-Reloop RP1000 mk1 Turntable
-Gemini PT 1000/2000 Turntables
-Gemini PDT 6000 Turntable
-Gemini PS 676/900 Mixer
-Pioneer DJM 500/600 Mixer
-Vestax Typhon Controller
-Stanton/Traktor Final Scratch Software


Best:
-Technics 1200mk2 Turntable
-Vestax PDX Turntable (but only for the ultrapitch fader and that asts tonearm)
-Reloop RP 8000 Turntable
-Vestax 05/06/07 Pro Mixer
-Rane TTM 56/57SL Mixer
-Pioneer DJM S9 Mixer
-Pioneer DJM 900 NXS2 Mixer
-Pioneer DDJ1000SRT Controller
-Serato ScratchLive Software
-Sennheiser HD25

You can tell the OG digital guys here... They all hated Final Scratch!

The original Final Scratch was garbage, it was built on Linux and didn't work with a ton of usb chipsets.

When NI ported the software to work with the hardware, if it worked on your system it was actually dope.

I used it for a lonnng, lonnng time. But I hated the fact they would not integrate the hardware into a mixer design and by the time they did it was waaaaay late.

I had no interest in the Z2, but loved the 57SL.

The Z2 was a dope mixer for what it cost. Decent sound, good build, innofader for a crossfader and a bunch of midi controls plus full traktor integration for $700 was unheard for the time when the 57 was costing $1500.

The only thing that came close was maybe the Pioneer DJM T1 - and that was only after the ridiculous price cut when it tanked pretty hard, but that thing still sold for $1900 brand new.

I was using one for a bit at one of my residencies midi mapped to serato and a box and while it wasn't my favourite, it was a solid option for the price - even if you were just using it as a midi controller for Serato.

If I had stayed using Traktor, I definitely would have got one.

I almost bought into Final Scratch when it first dropped. A buddy of mine in Chicago set up a Linux machine specifically for it and was doing raves on his new "digital platform". About 6 months later, I was in a record shop in Rockford and the owner showed me SSL.

To add to my "best gear" list...
I had the SSL 1 box hooked to my Behringer DJX700 mixer. The rip off of the Pioneer of the day. I loved that mixer! It took a beating and rocked for years. I still miss the split-cue function. :(

Pretty much all other Behringer products have been hit or miss though.

after watching that serato doc, what was the difference between FS and serato as far as the concept for using noise map(or whatever its called)? did fs use serato or their own concepts?

i wonder because its hard to think 2 people would end up doing the same thing, but of course coincidence happens all the time.

I don't know much about FS, but while timecode using a sinewave tone at a certain frequency
is something pretty much all the DVS systems use, the idea of the Noisemap is something used to create tracking data within the tone to track positional data on the record. I think the other companies have since come up with their own versions, but noisemap is one of the reasons that Serato is so tight in terms of positional data and lacking in sticker drift - also why they can offer DVS features like sticker lock and drop to absolute in relative mode (which I'm not sure if either rekordbox or traktor have yet).

just wondered what the background was, since they were the first two (that i saw)

still remember i finally dj'ed enough to use records only (no cds/cdrs - made enough money to buy them around 03-4) and then i saw FS installed at upscale lounge i was playing deep house at. NEver saw it actually work on the ilamp/sunflower imac they had but it looked cool.

Stanton FinalScratch used the timecode signal designed by N2IT. Once Native Instruments came into the picture it was still compatible with that timecode but then they split and NI started to develop their own.

Problem was the licensing since N2IT launched a court case for licensing hence they had to license the timecode scheme few years back.

Serato developed their own so they didn't have a case.

first guy I ever saw using FS was a drum n bass dj on tour from the UK. Makes sense tho since the only shows I would go to back then were dnb or hip hop.

Chino, I'm curious, what did you hate about it?

I could literally write a book but here goes...

#1 Engine 1.5 software in a word- HORRIBLE!!! Even the current "improved" version is NOT good!!

#2 My first MCx8000 had distortion issues that would creep up within 15min to an hour into use. inMusic Brand replaced it BUT the replacement was also faulty which leads me to ...

#3 Faulty display would randomly freeze up. Denon reps put the blame on end users when it turned out to be a hardware issue.

#4 The whole controller would freeze up to the point that I could not use Serato OR standalone Engine off of USBs. This defeated the whole purpose of having an emergency USB backup function in case of computer/Serato issues.

#5 The "built like a tank" marketing is all smoke & mirrors! I took mine apart & it ended up being just thin pieces of metal screwed on to a plastic chassis.

#6 When I raised my concerns on the Denon DJ forum- I was met with flat out hostility. Denon reps put the blame on end users. Censorship & deleting posts is the norm on Denon's forum.

I wrote a lengthy 'first impressions' thread for the MCx8000. I had high hopes for it but the product ended up being VERY disappointing overall!!

Ah ok I see. Damn those are a ton of issues! Did you use it with serato at all, by any chance?

Yup! I used it extensively with Serato. Unfortunately, the sound distortion, screen & unit freezes made it very UNreliable!

If you have any specific questions just ask. Im happy to help.

Word I appreciate it. I did at once consider it for a less portable setup. Like the “fun” controller, but after reading all of this, screw that!

Yeah, the MCx8000 was really disappointing! If your looking for a larger fun controller that actually works as advertised...

I was never a big Pioneer product guy BUT the DDJ-1000SRT is VERY reliable. I'm 25+ gigs in with it & thankfully it has worked flawlessly! If your into remixing/beat making & really good sound quality- The Roland DJ-808 has been great too!!

Worst and Best all in one product; The Roland DJ-505. If it's from the bad batch, it's downright terrible. Other than that, it's solid. Sounds awesome for a controller under the $1000 price range.

The thing is I’d probably never like the DDJ-1000SRT. I really really like my controllers integrated with serato. Button for button, feature for feature. Like how all the other pioneer serato controllers are. Especially when it comes to FX- now I know the hardware FX are way better than seratos, but that’s okay, and I like to layer them sometimes.

I felt the same way until a friend brought over his DDJ-1000 (Rekordbox version). It just feels right & the Rekordbox software is decent too.

If you need straight 1 to 1 Serato integration then maybe try the Pioneer SX3? Make sure it has a black dot by the serial #. Those units are supposedly fixed/repaired after the recall.