Okay, when i first thought of buying the CDJ-400, i first thought: How would it compare to the CDJ-800MK2?
I just recently bought a pair of CDJ-400s together with the DJM-400 mixer, i am writing this so that the people who cant seem to decide between the 800s or the 400s can make up their mind before buying. My previous deck was a pair of CDJ-800MK2 and the DJM-600 so i can say i know the 800's inside out, and i have used the cdj-400 for about a month now, and this is what i think:
THE CDJ-400 Features that i like:
-USB and PC Connectivity
sure, hooking up your usb thumb drive or ipod might take AGES to load (you've been warned here!) but the PC connectivity of the CDJ-400 is just AWESOME. The fact that the deck has a built-in soundcard meaning you can hook up TWO CDJ-400s thru the usb port into your pc, and run software like the Pioneer DJS (TESTED), Virtual DJ6(TESTED) and Serato (Not Tested Yet) with native support. Although you'll lose the effects feature of the cdj-400, the load times and the playability in this mode is just EXCELLENT. This is good especially for those of you who are lazy to burn your CDs, you can just jam with your hard drive and then only burn the Choones that you really really really like just before the gig or something.
-The pioneer feel (okay, slightly plasticky pioneer feel, but hey its a pioneer!)
Ok, this unit might be a lot smaller than its older cousins, but it has the unmistakable pioneer feel. As with other pioneer things, everything is kept identical from previous models, making transition into the cdj-800 or 1000 really really easy. The bottom line is if you can mix with the CDJ-400, theres no reason why you cant mix on the 800s or 1000s. PERIOD. You can probably mix better on the 800s or 1000s coz they are bigger !
-THE PITCH RESOLUTION
0.02 Pitch RESOLUTION on the 6% Pitch! And 0.05 on 10, 16 and so on. This is fucking fantastic!
-The Onboard Effects
ROLL is pretty cool, so is the loop cutter, auto loop etc. its just awesome to play with. The only bad thing is these things are only available on the 400, making it useless to get used to when your playing live coz most likely the decks you will find in the club is either the cdj-1000mk3 or cdj-800mk2. And yes they do have a reason for that, read on...
What i dont like about the CDJ-400
-THE SIZE
Ok, this thing is tiny. REAAAAL TINY. I actually find it really hard to get used to the size (having used the 800s for a loong time) and i feel like everything is squashed in together. The build is also a lot more plasticky than the 800s and especially the 1000s (built like a tank!) so i dont think it should be used for clubs or bars except the really small places or as extra decks or something. I still think the 1000s should be the standard for clubs and events! I also find it is a lot HARDER TO SCRATCH on these babies because the 400s are sooo damn small!
so yeah thats it
Overall, the cdj-400 is an awesome awesome unit, if its not for the size, it would have knocked down the CDJ-800Mk2 easily. it would be good to have HOT CUE tho, a thing thats lacking in both the 800s and 400s. other than the size, i really cant find anything wrong with these decks, and they are reasonably priced too.
GET THE CDJ-400 IF: You dont scratch, dont intend to learn to scratch in the future, and like having digital connectivity (USB/PC) with ur PC. Overall if you dont mind the size of its jogwheel, its a DAMN FANTASTIC UNIT with features comparable to the 1000 minues the hot cues and the big size and build.
GET THE CDJ-800MK2 IF: You Scratch (THE JOGWHEELS ARE FUCKING FANTASTIC on the 800s!) Or if you like bigger decks and size similiar to the 1000, get the 800. Keep in mind that the 800 is pretty plain (no effects, no connectivity, no fancy lights yada yada yada but then again some of us dont really need them)
Personally, i'd recommend getting the cdj-800 as a third scratching deck to compliment your pair of cdj-400s. One CDJ800MK2 plus TWO CDJ400s connected to a DJM-800 ---> AWESOME 3 Deck setup!
