So I am thinking about this purchase.But of course I can find no feed back.Anyone ever use this or its smaller brother the 800?HELP
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Don't buy anything American DJ or American Audio. You'll be sorry like I was. After months of skipping cd's on mp3 format I finally gave up on this company. I switched to Denon and never looked back.
Thanks for the advice. But I am looking for a all in one cd / mixer combo.For travel reasons. Any idea?
jberenyi,
I am sorry to see that you had issues with your MCD-810, and I am also sorry to see you felt the need to purchase another brand to resolve your problems. But I politely ask that you refrain from trashing the company that pays for these forums, or speak of other manufacturers, as you agreed to when you registered with these forums.
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I am sorry to see that you had issues with your MCD-810, and I am also sorry to see you felt the need to purchase another brand to resolve your problems. But I politely ask that you refrain from trashing the company that pays for these forums, or speak of other manufacturers, as you agreed to when you registered with these forums.
Please be sure to read the....
Forum Policies
Forum Rules
We look forward to your future involvement on the forums in a constructive manner. Thank you.
Look I really don't care who thinks what about what ever brand.I just want a review on the ck 1000.I have never had any products from amdj or amaudio.So I don't know about the product.Just know that I can't find any reviews and that the store closest to me only does special orders so I can't try it out first.
quote:jberenyi
one take care of your cds...2...stop hitting the machine everytime your mixed get f<Edit>For Content</Edit>ed...
...probably it willl stop skiping......
for timmy:i got the ck-1000..we can talk about it if you want..
this is an old post, that being said, it may help out in the future for someone else.
to be honest, i work with other brands at the club i play in and the ck1000 stays at home. i choose the ck over anything i used in the past. it is sooo much easier to mix with it than anything else. there is only one problem... for some reason it resets on me from time to time and its made me look way bad! this is why it stays at home, i use other equipment that makes mixing a bit more challenging. i want to upgrade to another model (not sure the model)because i want the effects and such. but for now this is a great piece of equiptment.
p.s.
why was the am.aud. turntable dicontinued? i have two and love them. i want to get two more but cannot find them anymore. i owned two 1200's and i like these way more. BRING THEM BACK!!!!!!!!!!!
to be honest, i work with other brands at the club i play in and the ck1000 stays at home. i choose the ck over anything i used in the past. it is sooo much easier to mix with it than anything else. there is only one problem... for some reason it resets on me from time to time and its made me look way bad! this is why it stays at home, i use other equipment that makes mixing a bit more challenging. i want to upgrade to another model (not sure the model)because i want the effects and such. but for now this is a great piece of equiptment.
p.s.
why was the am.aud. turntable dicontinued? i have two and love them. i want to get two more but cannot find them anymore. i owned two 1200's and i like these way more. BRING THEM BACK!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm not a big fan of the American Audio products, but I have been conversing with another user over here about the CK1000, I think anyways.
What sort of issues are you having with the CK1000 exactly? You are saying it resets, but does this mean ONE deck is resetting, or both(or the whole unit?)?
There are so many places for optica-media to fail. Are you using burned discs? If so, for audio, are they red book? I have't investigated what is necessary for MP3 CD's because, well, frankly, I think the MP3 format sucks and is not worth investigating. Cheaper discs and even certain chemical colors can affect certaind decks in certain ways. There are silver, gold, green and blue chemical layer CD-R's(that I am aware of), and I've seen some decks that don't care and some that are very, very particular. I've seen some decks that even love CD-RW's with no problem.
Many people don't burn their CD-R's right either. That right there is the cause of most problems.
I would say if in your home applications for the CK1000, are you using commercially produced(pressed) CD's? If anything, for at least testing purposes, that's a good starting reference. Most of the DJ's I know, honestly, I'm surprised anything they use works because their CD's(all of them) look like they doubled at as grindng discs they were so scratched up I just don't understand that mindset of not taking care of your stuff.
I would say if the CK1000 is causing you headaches on well protected pressed CD's, then it's definately something with the CK1000. Using burned discs of whatever flavor, well, who knows without doing further examination and testing.
I'm sure you remember "back in the day" where CD's were new and those old players, as well made as many are(and many are still working just fine) choke on anything that is NOT a pressed CD. Back then, CD-R was super expensive and cost prohibitive, where as now you can get a pack of cheap-o CD-Rs for as low as 100 for $5 sometimes and a IDE-interface burning drive for $15 these days, depending on how lucky your timing is. The older decks were well made but didn't need to be super flexible. These days, it's practically a given that any CD playing unit should read just about any type of disc, provided it is in format it can handle(such as red book audio).
I was thinking of investing in a CK1000 as it would have been a cost-effective DJ-upgrade/plug-in to my live sound rig. Now, I'n not so sure. I mean, not to be nasty, but if this device choked on me at an event, it quite literally would be yanked out and destroyed on the spot and the carcass left in a non-salvagable state. I don't have time for gear that doesn't work, and if it doesn't work, then it doesn't deserve to remain intact or even repairable.
Any product can have a problem. Narrow it down and figure out where it is. If under warranty, get it swapped out. As audio professionals(albeit at different levels), we don't have time for faulty gear.
What sort of issues are you having with the CK1000 exactly? You are saying it resets, but does this mean ONE deck is resetting, or both(or the whole unit?)?
There are so many places for optica-media to fail. Are you using burned discs? If so, for audio, are they red book? I have't investigated what is necessary for MP3 CD's because, well, frankly, I think the MP3 format sucks and is not worth investigating. Cheaper discs and even certain chemical colors can affect certaind decks in certain ways. There are silver, gold, green and blue chemical layer CD-R's(that I am aware of), and I've seen some decks that don't care and some that are very, very particular. I've seen some decks that even love CD-RW's with no problem.
Many people don't burn their CD-R's right either. That right there is the cause of most problems.
I would say if in your home applications for the CK1000, are you using commercially produced(pressed) CD's? If anything, for at least testing purposes, that's a good starting reference. Most of the DJ's I know, honestly, I'm surprised anything they use works because their CD's(all of them) look like they doubled at as grindng discs they were so scratched up I just don't understand that mindset of not taking care of your stuff.
I would say if the CK1000 is causing you headaches on well protected pressed CD's, then it's definately something with the CK1000. Using burned discs of whatever flavor, well, who knows without doing further examination and testing.
I'm sure you remember "back in the day" where CD's were new and those old players, as well made as many are(and many are still working just fine) choke on anything that is NOT a pressed CD. Back then, CD-R was super expensive and cost prohibitive, where as now you can get a pack of cheap-o CD-Rs for as low as 100 for $5 sometimes and a IDE-interface burning drive for $15 these days, depending on how lucky your timing is. The older decks were well made but didn't need to be super flexible. These days, it's practically a given that any CD playing unit should read just about any type of disc, provided it is in format it can handle(such as red book audio).
I was thinking of investing in a CK1000 as it would have been a cost-effective DJ-upgrade/plug-in to my live sound rig. Now, I'n not so sure. I mean, not to be nasty, but if this device choked on me at an event, it quite literally would be yanked out and destroyed on the spot and the carcass left in a non-salvagable state. I don't have time for gear that doesn't work, and if it doesn't work, then it doesn't deserve to remain intact or even repairable.
Any product can have a problem. Narrow it down and figure out where it is. If under warranty, get it swapped out. As audio professionals(albeit at different levels), we don't have time for faulty gear.
it has happened to me when i turned it on (screen flickers, so does everything else that lights up). it is not about cds. most the time, when i turn it on... one side starts and the other doesnt. i leave it on for about 5 secs and turn off/on again. then it works. i advised my neighbor to buy this product before this was happening to my set, and now it is happening to his also. i noticed that if i carry it in its case (on its front side facing up), it happens. but if i were to carry it the way it is supposed to sit on a table, then it doesnt happen as often. since it sits on my setup and i dont really move it, it doesnt happen at all. thats why i really dont trip on it. i mainly play records at home anyways. i have a n@m$rk cd player that i take to my private gigs, and the club i play at has d*nn&n cd players. i hate both, but i have no other choice but to use them. i would much rather use the ck though.
im not someone who stays loyal to any particular brand. it so happens that my tables, mixer, cd players, and amp happen to be am aud. since i enjoy my set, i am paying more attention to the products am aud produces. so i believe it to be fair if i am honnest about my thoughts and ideas about the products i have used in the past. VELOCITY:the velocity must be the best cd players in its category. that being said, i had to return them for the n#m@rks because the cds would get jammed. i feel it should i should not carry some sort of jimmy to pull the cds out when im at a gig. usually, i get the next song ready as fast as possible and then relax till its time to bring the track in. but this makes things tough. everything else about it is fab, but this is a problem for me.
the tables... what can i say, if these tables were women, i would do nasty things to them (xxx). i do not understand why am aud would discontinue such a great product. now they have a belt drive table that records. terrible. im sure its great to save your vinyl onto a stick, but why would you when you could just get the genie. bring back the tt now! have a pair of techs, and a few pairs or others. they all sit in a corner colleting dust. am aud tbles for life!!!!!!!!!
the tables... what can i say, if these tables were women, i would do nasty things to them (xxx). i do not understand why am aud would discontinue such a great product. now they have a belt drive table that records. terrible. im sure its great to save your vinyl onto a stick, but why would you when you could just get the genie. bring back the tt now! have a pair of techs, and a few pairs or others. they all sit in a corner colleting dust. am aud tbles for life!!!!!!!!!
Well, from what I've seen, the CK1000 MP3 is definately a "portable" type unit. It shouldn't matter HOW you move it as long as it's not being abused in transit.
I'm just guessing based on seeing similar things in OTHER products, not audio gear.
Sounds to me like this may be a design flaw. I come to this conclusion based on you describing TWO units that most likely were not made on the same production run. Something somewhere came loose, probably via heat. Not knowing the exact nature of the issue by cracking it open and taking a look inside and looking for some yucky soldering points. Since all this sort of stuff is done via fairly simple automated processes, if something isn't perfect in the component insertion, this could cause this sort of problem . This issue may have been addressed. Maybe it's a bad IC issue. Maybe it's a cap drying out.
At least it's not a CD/media issue. I guess that's good.
CD's jamming? That's why I really prefer trays over a slot loading, plus less opportunity for scratching and jamming. However, a tray can jam too, so that's not the "end all" solution. And yes, trays are slower, mechanical, add weight and components and can fail just as easily as a slot loading unit, and in fact "live" can be a bigger pain in the butt IF they should fail, which I've never had a problem wit. The absolute best method is like with the portable "Discman" type CD players where the lid pops open and the disc is right there, which means virtually no issues with insertions/removal. Of course, with an open design like that, dirt gets in easier.
There isn't a "BEST" solution. All my stuff is tray loaded. My Pioneer karaoke DVD/LasrDisc unit failed on my at an event recently. Turned out if I took a clean cotton swab(I use special ones), I could have yanked the deck out of the 4-space clamp-down shelf after removing that from the rack. Take the lid off, blow it out and then cleaned the lens. Well, it's working just fine now! Go figure.
We find the gear that works the best for us. My turntable is a Numark TTX because it has S/PDIF and switchable RIAA/Line level outputs. I only use it for transfers, it is NOT mobile equipment for me. Direct drive is so much better than belts.
Despite the age of your CK1000, I'd call tech support. There may be a solution for you. Even if out of warranty, who knows. I know right now I am speaking out of turn, but I'm in the market for a car right now, so that's why this hit me. Sometimes makers will offer warranty-type repairs on a item to resolve an issue especially if it is their fault(like over-torquing bolts or a bad run of electronics). I'm not saying American Audio is at fault, I can't assume anything, but for a unit that they MSRP for that price, it's got to be cheaper to send it in for a repair. If it was me, I think I'd document my experiences quite thoroughly and send it back to the maker with an RMA. This sort of thing I wouldn't want to send to the local repair shop even if they are authorized to work on American Audio stuff.
In my scenario, which is totally different, it bothers me to have gear not functioning at 100%. I repair what I can when I can, the rest goes out for repair or repair comes to me. I also control my situation as much as possible. I've been screwed by "borrowing", or being loaned gear. I only use my own gear. I don't give a flaming bag of dog doo what the club owner is using, because it's usualy a bigger bag of crud, I bypass the club system entirely(100% bypass) and use my own. I got the mains, mixer, snakes, wireless, whatever, I got it and its better than what they got.
Now, taking a step back, this is where a unit like the CK1000 really could shine. Where is your wiring? A simple lead out, not other wiring reqired. It's almost as simple as "plug it in, plug in headphones and you're ready to do your show". Integrated mixer and 2 CD units. Maybe not a ton of features, but for basic music playback, seems pretty darn compact, cost effective and easy to use. I don't see the need for me to invest in something more costly to add DJ-type capability for a guest DJ into my rig. All I do is take the stereo main out into a stereo channel onto my A&H ML5000 48B(it's not a DJ mixer in case you're loking for it), buss that to a set of subgroups and insert a limiter and I can go take a dinner break.
I hope these are a known issue that is quickly and easily resolved and doesn't cost a lot to repair. I mean, I'm considering one of these because it serves a niche I'd like to address but isn't big business issue for me. When you have a rack full of playback decks(4), it's not totally necessary.
I want to hear more about this, especially the resolve. As I said, I may go for this unit.
I'm just guessing based on seeing similar things in OTHER products, not audio gear.
Sounds to me like this may be a design flaw. I come to this conclusion based on you describing TWO units that most likely were not made on the same production run. Something somewhere came loose, probably via heat. Not knowing the exact nature of the issue by cracking it open and taking a look inside and looking for some yucky soldering points. Since all this sort of stuff is done via fairly simple automated processes, if something isn't perfect in the component insertion, this could cause this sort of problem . This issue may have been addressed. Maybe it's a bad IC issue. Maybe it's a cap drying out.
At least it's not a CD/media issue. I guess that's good.
CD's jamming? That's why I really prefer trays over a slot loading, plus less opportunity for scratching and jamming. However, a tray can jam too, so that's not the "end all" solution. And yes, trays are slower, mechanical, add weight and components and can fail just as easily as a slot loading unit, and in fact "live" can be a bigger pain in the butt IF they should fail, which I've never had a problem wit. The absolute best method is like with the portable "Discman" type CD players where the lid pops open and the disc is right there, which means virtually no issues with insertions/removal. Of course, with an open design like that, dirt gets in easier.
There isn't a "BEST" solution. All my stuff is tray loaded. My Pioneer karaoke DVD/LasrDisc unit failed on my at an event recently. Turned out if I took a clean cotton swab(I use special ones), I could have yanked the deck out of the 4-space clamp-down shelf after removing that from the rack. Take the lid off, blow it out and then cleaned the lens. Well, it's working just fine now! Go figure.
We find the gear that works the best for us. My turntable is a Numark TTX because it has S/PDIF and switchable RIAA/Line level outputs. I only use it for transfers, it is NOT mobile equipment for me. Direct drive is so much better than belts.
Despite the age of your CK1000, I'd call tech support. There may be a solution for you. Even if out of warranty, who knows. I know right now I am speaking out of turn, but I'm in the market for a car right now, so that's why this hit me. Sometimes makers will offer warranty-type repairs on a item to resolve an issue especially if it is their fault(like over-torquing bolts or a bad run of electronics). I'm not saying American Audio is at fault, I can't assume anything, but for a unit that they MSRP for that price, it's got to be cheaper to send it in for a repair. If it was me, I think I'd document my experiences quite thoroughly and send it back to the maker with an RMA. This sort of thing I wouldn't want to send to the local repair shop even if they are authorized to work on American Audio stuff.
In my scenario, which is totally different, it bothers me to have gear not functioning at 100%. I repair what I can when I can, the rest goes out for repair or repair comes to me. I also control my situation as much as possible. I've been screwed by "borrowing", or being loaned gear. I only use my own gear. I don't give a flaming bag of dog doo what the club owner is using, because it's usualy a bigger bag of crud, I bypass the club system entirely(100% bypass) and use my own. I got the mains, mixer, snakes, wireless, whatever, I got it and its better than what they got.
Now, taking a step back, this is where a unit like the CK1000 really could shine. Where is your wiring? A simple lead out, not other wiring reqired. It's almost as simple as "plug it in, plug in headphones and you're ready to do your show". Integrated mixer and 2 CD units. Maybe not a ton of features, but for basic music playback, seems pretty darn compact, cost effective and easy to use. I don't see the need for me to invest in something more costly to add DJ-type capability for a guest DJ into my rig. All I do is take the stereo main out into a stereo channel onto my A&H ML5000 48B(it's not a DJ mixer in case you're loking for it), buss that to a set of subgroups and insert a limiter and I can go take a dinner break.
I hope these are a known issue that is quickly and easily resolved and doesn't cost a lot to repair. I mean, I'm considering one of these because it serves a niche I'd like to address but isn't big business issue for me. When you have a rack full of playback decks(4), it's not totally necessary.
I want to hear more about this, especially the resolve. As I said, I may go for this unit.
i just ordered the ck-1000 as my mess around unit i have good and bad things about it. Thats why im going to make it my home unit. If its good then i will make it maybe my main unit. If anyone doesn't want the scratch effect then go for the ck-800 if u want the scratch effect then get the ck-1000. These units would be good for beginners
i have heard good and bad things about it********
sorry i made a mistake
sorry i made a mistake
the scratch feature on this is not good. you do not buy this product for its scratch feature. the ck is fun to dable with, but if you are someone who constantly tries to improve their skill, you want to go with atleast a step up. i dont mind it because i have other toys that i use with it. if i want to scratch, i will use my tables. i have a mixer that has many effects integrated into it and im good with that. i've been eye balling the cdi 500 for some time now and i think i will go with that... unless someone can tell me if the cds get jammed in the slot. ive had that problem before with the velocity.
Well, the scratching feature is not something that I'm ideally after or needing. I'm not doing battle DJ or "stage DJ" stuff, it would just be for a DJ to show up and have a basic and easy to use system, which the CK1000 would be. I would of course be familiar with how it works, but it would not be something I'd ideally be using a lot because I'm an audio engineer and not a DJ.
But, this brings up a question I do have in regards to scratching in general, especially in regards to doing this via CD-based systems. How is the scratch effect? I would suspect that the more you pay, the better it gets. But first off, the CK1000, I take it someone isn't happy with the scratching effect. Why is that? I'm just curious.
But overall, how does CD scratching compare to LP/Vinyl scratching? This isn't CK1000 specific though. Is it comparable or does it get all digital artifact-prone?
I'm in a position where I don't need to buy something like this, it's not a necessary purchase. I can accomodate an existing DJ's rig via a pair of direct boxes if I have to. But I find if I make things more accomodating(as in: I spend the money, get the gear and then someone else takes the credit), it helps get business. But I'm not in the DJ business anyways. I had a wedding where the bride couldn't make any sort of commitment, but I assured her "whatever you throw at me, I can handle". They went elsewhere, I was told it was a train wreck. Oh well. Not my problem!
Overall, I wouldn't expect the CK1000 to be a total end solution for DJ looking for more advanced things. Looking at the cost and feature set, it seems oriented towards club DJ's and party DJ's, which is fine, there's a vast market for that. Cue up, set cue points, cross-fade with auto-start and is CD based, seems straight-forward and easy to use. Ideal for music playback.
I'm interested in how people feel about scratching digital vs vinyl.
But, this brings up a question I do have in regards to scratching in general, especially in regards to doing this via CD-based systems. How is the scratch effect? I would suspect that the more you pay, the better it gets. But first off, the CK1000, I take it someone isn't happy with the scratching effect. Why is that? I'm just curious.
But overall, how does CD scratching compare to LP/Vinyl scratching? This isn't CK1000 specific though. Is it comparable or does it get all digital artifact-prone?
I'm in a position where I don't need to buy something like this, it's not a necessary purchase. I can accomodate an existing DJ's rig via a pair of direct boxes if I have to. But I find if I make things more accomodating(as in: I spend the money, get the gear and then someone else takes the credit), it helps get business. But I'm not in the DJ business anyways. I had a wedding where the bride couldn't make any sort of commitment, but I assured her "whatever you throw at me, I can handle". They went elsewhere, I was told it was a train wreck. Oh well. Not my problem!
Overall, I wouldn't expect the CK1000 to be a total end solution for DJ looking for more advanced things. Looking at the cost and feature set, it seems oriented towards club DJ's and party DJ's, which is fine, there's a vast market for that. Cue up, set cue points, cross-fade with auto-start and is CD based, seems straight-forward and easy to use. Ideal for music playback.
I'm interested in how people feel about scratching digital vs vinyl.
i really dont have a problem with scratching cds. digital or not, i dont care. as long as it responds right away. there is some delay with the ck, wich makes it sort of useless. the velocity is exellent in scratching though. responds instantly.
the sound quality is close to sounding like an authentic record with the ck, bujt the sound is not an issue.
the sound quality is close to sounding like an authentic record with the ck, bujt the sound is not an issue.
That's the kind of answer I am looking for in regards to scratching sound.
I'm sure there's always the purists who insist on vinyl. For my application, it's just to help make life easier for a visiting DJ, making the CK suitable for what I was looking at it to do.
I was concerned about the digital scratching being overly harsh and artifact-ridden.
Thanks for the observation.
I'm sure there's always the purists who insist on vinyl. For my application, it's just to help make life easier for a visiting DJ, making the CK suitable for what I was looking at it to do.
I was concerned about the digital scratching being overly harsh and artifact-ridden.
Thanks for the observation.