Dj setup help needed please

Get what makes you happy.

I have your setup. rmx1k, djm900nxs and 2 cdj2knxs.  I also have a sl4 to video and currently moving into rekordbox to I wont need to use laptop.

I play a wide range of music that I personally enjoy, I also have a business.  My equipment looks "professional" when I play at formals, etc.

I am happy with the decision I've made.  I do have ableton live, maschine and had the apc 40. I tried those setups...If your doing a wedding or a serious gig with lots of money involved, using those equipments will make you look like a noob.

But if you get some real sh!t,get the cdjs.

Dont get me wrong, I've met and heard people using laptops only, ableton live and etc.  But honestly, I wont talk about "whats ifs", I will tell you how i use my system which you are 2 cdjs away from.

I use rekordbox with two 500 usb g drives from hitachi on each player with the same music library, 2 16gb flash drives with specific playlists, and 2 16 sd cards. As I mentioned, I currently dont use serato but only for video (after Serato finishes the HID for the nxs).  If my hard drives were to go out, I can go on my sd cards, vice versa but chances of that happening are slim compared to IF your laptop were going to crash and than using your cdjs as a backup.  My cdjs is my backup when I plan to use serato fyi.  I also have my phone i can plug into a channel to play music if my cdjs go out.

Lets also not mentioned that wifi they have.

Now, creativity?  You can be creative on any styles or setup god drops in front of you so do not base your decision on "creativity".

cdjs are expensive but...so are GOOD laptops.

Get what makes you happy.

@Michael > The best I can recommend is that you go to a couple of tradeshows /  stores / even production schools and demo as many different pieces of equipment that take your fancy. Then buy whatever feels good for you.

Two decks and a mixer will always be the bread and butter of DJing.

If you are trying to emulate PVD exactly, then I can tell you he is using 2 MacBook Pros, 2 keyboards, and an Allen & Heath Xone 4D mixer/midi controller.  You can view a video interview with PVD on the Allen & Heath website.  He is not DJing with individual tracks in the traditional sense, but rather taking tracks and deconstructing them in the studio, and then putting together elements in Ableton Live on-the-fly.  If this is your goal, then I can't say that the CDJ-2000 is a necessary piece of kit for you.  I believe you could accomplish this with a computer, your DJM-900 and a MIDI controller with Ableton Live.

In prior years, I used turntables & vinyl and then switched to Ableton Live to DJ.  But when the CDJ-2000 came out, I switched immediately and have not looked back.  While I still use Ableton Live when creating a planned, studio mix....  I prefer the CDJ-2000 for live events.  I just find the tactile experience of mixing more enjoyable and more engaging.  With Ableton Live, I never felt the same involvement with the mixing experience and I believe this affected my performances in front of crowds.  Whether or not this is a valid point, I believe I am more connected with a crowd when playing on decks rather than controllers.  I'm not one of these people who bash software DJs, quite the opposite.  I believe that the only thing which matters is what comes out of the speakers.  But in my case, I felt more inspired when using decks than any time using software.

My current setup includes the following:

MacBook Pro

2 x Pioneer CDJ-2000

1 x Allen & Heath Xone DB4

1 x Allen & Heath Xone K2 controller

With this gear setup, I can use almost any combination of gear or software I want.  I can use turntables, CDJ players, Ableton Live or Traktor.  As I said before, I tend to use Ableton Live in the studio, and the CDJ-2000s when playing in public.

Bottom line is to do whatever makes you happy.  The correct setup for me is not always the correct setup for everyone.  You already have some top-notch gear, so if you were just looking for a way to add some extra MIDI control then you could add an inexpensive controller like the Xone K2 or Traktor Kontrol products.

Really good feedback guys, I think from the last couple of weeks thinking about things, I think the 2000's will be a great choice again and to incorparate the laptop with traktor and possibly a controller as you said fuse, will be the perfect setup for me. The K2 looks really good, likewise the traktor x1 and f1 looks very interesting also. I went to London a couple of days ago and played with some 2000 nexus, and to be fair I think the extra bits are really really good. I just need to choose a good controller which will enable me to use traktor and ableton, and I will be well away. Can't wait now, exciting times!!! What controllers do you guys suggest for a nice, simple but detailed feel for traktor and ableton

Really appreciate ur help folks. It's been a tough couple of weeks wondering what to splash the cash on and I think pioneer has won again.

FUSE!!! where is that video on A&H dude. The pvd interview. I can't find it.