Dream CD player tabletop.....

quote:

Originally posted by DJ Stevie Ray:
[qb] OK what would you like in the next generation tabletop CD player....

for me...

keep the static platter, IMHO it works better than the other rotating platters.
[/qb]

Come on guy enough with the jokes. We know what new toy you have been playing with at the Expo.
If static was better you wouldn't be preordering 4 of those new players. hahaha

I really don't know what to think. Is making a dream list really worth it. I thought that maybe we would have seen something new by now. I remember doing this before. I remember mentioning the player should have better ventilation for heat build up. We all want a bigger platter. I too thought about the new decks as mentioned from the expo. I would like three for my next setup. My thing is I want to wait and see how it performs. If AA is seriously looking at putting something out then maybe I will wait and see what they have to offer. You have to admit the cdi series did not make as big a splash as the Pro Scratch series...I don't know what to say. I personally just want something that does what it says and has minimal problems when it comes to repairs. Yes I know stuff happens....but it is like the car dealer scenario....fix it to last for a while and then you are right back. It seems all these toys we buy last as long as the warrenty and then something happens...I don't know maybe I'm just having a bad day today....no redbull, I'm hungry for some reason...maybe I should eat.....What ever happens I wish the new player would hurry and hit the street. Also lets do videos like those other guys you visited at the expo always do. At least when you go to the site the downloads work...What happen to ours?? I'm done now...sorry for the negative feedback. I still am down for American Audio no matter what. But like Stevie and a lot of you ..I too am a gear junkie....

What happened to the other post that were here before my first post above??

thats what I was wondering

quote:

Originally posted by DJ Stevie Ray:
[qb] OK what would you like in the next generation tabletop CD player....

for me....
Finer pitch resolution at least .05%
MP3/AAC/WMA compatability
Lose the effects, they cause too much volume/distortion problems.
Keep the loop/sample 4 banks
larger jog wheel 7-9 inches.
keep the static platter, IMHO it works better than the other rotating platters.
A/B adjust on the loops
User upgradability
2 loops per song
a dump feature, too drop curse words like another manufacturers
Go back to slot in drives

PS I was j/k too Adam [/qb]

So what do you like better about the static plater v/s the rotating?


On another note I think the best improvement AA could make on the next player would be better pitch resolution, cleaner sound, and larger jog(7" or bigger).

I'm also wondering why the 304 looks like the cdi/cdj combo. Personally the new 304 should have been AA's (heard something interesting about this...makes sense when you compair display among other things). This is what I like to see in a new player from American Audio:
-Better pitch control
-Pro Scratch style dispay...Larger than the cdi
-larger jog wheel
-SD card/ Compact Flash for memory
-NO tray load
-better ventilation
-on board effects (unless a seperate efx machine was available with the new line of cd players)
-bpm counter (I still use the Pro Scratch)
-mp3 compatible
Those are the maint hings for me. Efx on board aren't a big deal if you have a seperate console to achieve these efx's. Also it must have the break efx if no on boards are available.
Now with that said lets see how far this goes.

Ok one more thing and yes I have to say I pulled a Puff Daddy and took a sample on this one.... . This idea makes perfect sense for us gear junkies who buy everything any way....
--put a usb port in either a new 12" mixer and or the cd player so you can use thumb drives to save cue points.
This way you can mix players from home use and then go to the club and use the other guys usb capable products. Not my idea but very good idea no doubt......

all of the above and have it cost the same as the CDI's

and it'll be great if the unit can detect and refuse to play r.kellys - trapped in the closet

Adam, Tiger.
I was trying to make a constructive thread, and I thought Adam and I have made our points, so I cleaned up our little argument.

Adam,
As far as the static platter. Here are my personal feelings.
One - Owning both CDI's and S5000's the touch sensative platter is more responsive, and holds a cue point allot better during fast movements.
Two - Yes their was a big improvement in the s3500, but I am not basing the purchase on the platter. I am getting it because of the finer pitch resolution, the dump, better tempo control, and MP3 support. This is why these features are on my list for the next AA CDTT.
Three - American Audio has made a touch sensative platter for a few years, and they can pull the technology off now very inexpensively, and with out complications, new technologies, introduce new problems, and of course allot more cost to cover R&D.
Four - Less moving parts = less chance of something breaking leaving you stuck at a gig.

Those are just my personal preferences. So now you know why I currently prefer the s3500, and also why I am hoping to get our ideas out to American Audio so they can improve their decks and give us (the users) what we really want.

Good points.

To me the best thing you guys can do for the next player is better pitch resolution.

Pssst...(This will cause a still, I can guarantee it.)

...why what for American Audio to make this "dream machine" when it already exists ...features and all? (not AA brand)
Do you honestly think AA can do it better and cheaper?

ROQ out.

Didn't we do this a while back for a MP3/hard-drive hybrid unit?

OK, here's what I would like:
- Pitch control.... .01% in the 4-10 range. 100% too, and Master Tempo/Pitch Lock.
- All we (ok, I) need is scratch, brake, drag start, reverse, and dump. Dump can come in very handy. Let the mixer handle other effects.
- Slot in CDs.
- Sampler, with the choice of scratching sample OR CD.
- At least two cue points, with trim.
- I like the static platter too (touch sensative). AA seems to be the only one who got it right. Bigger is always better.

quote:

Originally posted by DJ ROQ:
[qb]...why what for American Audio to make this "dream machine" when it already exists ...features and all? (not AA brand)[/qb]

Roq I know you love your CDJ's, but....
1) not even the 1000 is all things to all people, or else no other manufacturer would ever sell a CD player.
2) Not everyone can afford $1100 for a single CD player.

What I am looking for here is suggestions for improvements for the next generation CD player. Not for American Audio to make the next "club standard". IMHO AA can leave out a few features, and add some others that I feel are more important to most DJ's, that can make their next player the "$400 standard". Right now the budget CDTT market is up for grabs, with 4 contenders in the market. Each with their own strengths and weeknesses. I feel AA only needs to improve a few key features to make it tops once again, like the PS2 was, when it's competition was the CDJ100 and Axis 9.

Stevie I hear what you are saying and appreciate the goals of this thread. I'd like to provide the folks reading this post with something to ponder and pass on some of my experience before they make their suggestions.

On the very first post of this thread, apart from the MP3/WMA compatability, you've pretty much described the CDJ1000. Yes we all know they are the most expensive CD decks on the market but they cost that much for a very good reason....they are 100% rock solid performers and a world wide club standard CD deck as you so rightly put.

As you know I've owned American Audio decks before, I've been through a pair of PS1s and PS2s. I was especially disappointed with the PS2s and after moving onto the CDJ1000s, I've come to realise IMHO that PIO equipment is on a completely different level - simply put, they feel and work better and I trust them to provide me with many many years of service, well beyond the warranty expenditure.

The point I want to make is that if AA want to make a new CD deck that will retain or earn some credibility in the market they must move away from the cheap'n'nasty - under$400US mark strategy and look towards making solid professional equipment standard that is built to last. Now that I have moved onto PIO CD players I will not move back, I've been burnt by the American Audio experiment and a rather costly one at that. I regret not considering the higher end scale of CD player and fell for the fresh look(ego) and "price taggery" AA was offering at the time - biiig mistake!!!!

DJ's, listen to me, you can't expect professional DJ and PA equipment to go the distance and perform beyond expectations unless you invest that extra money. To build quality gear costs money and you must pay for that quality. Think of it as the difference between a Mercedes and a Kia, which vehicle costs more and which one do you think will continue to perform and drive the best? I think the answer is obvious.

I'll get off my box now....

ROQ out.

Here is what I would like changed from my ps2s:

-Faster filling "bucket": I know this has been improved upon from the ps2->cdi, but I need faster memory buffering especially after searching within a track for a cue point.

-Slot loading improvements: Many have had problems with the cd getting caught while ejecting. Also, if the "magic fingers" would grab the cd after most of the disc is pushed into the slot (dare I say it...similar to the cdj)

-Finer pitch resolution of at least .05%: While this would help for beatmatching, I would lose my excuse for a poor mix

Platter:
Size: Larger only so scratching movements do not have to be so small
Top surface: Less slippery with ridges running from center to edge for better gripping
Side surface: Notches to allow platter to be easily used for pitch bending (yes the cdj could be used as an example here also, but cosmetic changes should not greatly alter price to the cdj range)

Effects: Get rid of them to free up funds to add new features while maintaining the AA price tag. This space could be used to have a large platter/cue display.

Other Items: dump feature, better heat sinks, in/out loop adjusts

Please AmDJ make this work!

Your humble servant,
DJ Omega

It sounds like everyone has the same things in mind. One thing I would like to mention to American Audio gathering this info......if the new design for the cd player has it with no efx's..(which is fine to me)....please come out with a super high quality efx machine to add in addition to the player....ei...something improved from AA's own 19" effect mixer. I never bought the thing because it was so ugly and the colors of the lights... well they ...nasty. Any way point here is make an efx machine seperate from the cd player to compliment both the cd player and new 12" mixer. Thanks AA..

Ye good idea, ditch the effects and add one more loop.

Oh and how about this time you Patent the design so that other manufacturers can't copy it thus totally de-valuing the product? (Im thinking CDI 300/500 cloning/re-badging by St@nton and others thats been going on.)

Here's a new concept, I hear Americans can make good quality equipment so then why not have it totally made in America?

ROQ out.

quote:

Originally posted by DJ ROQ:
[qb] Here's a new concept, I hear Americans can make good quality equipment so then why not have it totally made in America?

ROQ out. [/qb]

YEAH!!!.... i agree.... and i dont mind paying the extra thousand bucks for it either

Really I wouldn't mind paying $800-$1000 if they make the player right. How many of us have more than one set of cd players???? If you add the cost of multiple players we do pay more,..... 1k per player. I have 2 sets and am looking to replace the PS2's. i would like to go with AA again so I can keep using my QD-5 but if its another cdi system...forget it....no trays....bigger display and bigger jog wheel. I'll pay more for a better product.

Did we lose steam on this or what???? Just wondering if American Audio is coming out with something around the time the new Playstation 3 comes out. Then we can do the whole PS3 thing like the PS2 thing. I'm not trying to start rumors ....it just is getting close for something to drop...(I hope)...time of the year....anyway just wondering........

If not in America then at least have them made in Japan if you wanna save a few dollars. The Japs seem to have better quality control on manufacturing over the other Asian 'sweat shop' countries.

Come on AA, are you just sitting on your hands or are you developing something...anything in this area? We haven't seen any significant product releases in a long time now.

Can you at least dangle a carrot to spark some interest?

ROQ out.

We need a reason to crack another REDBULL.....

I'm still waiting as well.

I really hope someone shows these suggestions to the developers, but I do have a feeling something new is just around the corner.

I hope your feeling is right Stevie...

well I am new here but recently bought some cdi500s and the qd5 setup. I have been reading around about a lot of other cdtts so I have a few ideas. some may sound stupid and others may work. give feed back.

alpha track - done by D***N, is a real cool idea to play more than one song off the same cd as a separate track and be able to manipulate it all the same. I don't know if its worth the price increase it would cause though.

N****K axis 9 allows manipulation of the on board effects with the platter which I found pretty nifty. although I prefer the 1/4,1/2/1/1,etc. effect alignment, I think the platter manipulation would also be cool.

as far as D***N's spinning platter, I don't see a practical purpose for it other than to appeal to vinyl guys. it doesn't spin at the same speed as the cd (obviously) which leaves no ability for marking or anything like it. its just to look and feel cool and I agree that more moving parts is bad.

I found on the CDI500s that the sound distorts pretty bad when master tempo is on. ya gotta fix that.

change sample lengths from 6.5 to 15 seconds and increase the internal memory for more storage.

MP3 is ok but I have heard that the quality isn't the same. I'm not sure but if the quality isn't the same maybe AA could come out with a high quality compressed format and send software with it because if you are dealing with that kind of stuff you are using a computer and it would be a God send industry standard format.

The ability to apply effects to only the sample would be VERY nice. especially the scratching.

D***N lets you switch (when in scratch mode) between forward and backward sound playback or just forward playback which eliminates the need for rapid fader cuts. kind of a cool concept.

Separate the 4 sample buttons and hot cues because I like to remix and use the hot cues a lot but its a pain to switch the bank buttons on and off sample mode. plus I don't like how the samples auto loop as a default I like the auto loop but the default should be single play.

Slip Mat mode- this is kind of my own idea to overcome my sloppy turntable skills. I find on the cdi500 that when I come off a scratch or a pull back that if I don't stop the platter completely it will continue to move backwards and the music follows suit. this is nice if that's what I'm going for but you could make a slipmat mode that makes the scratch effect more touch sensitive. ie: the motion of the platter manipulates playback as long as you are touching the platter.

I think instead of having a tiny little spinning circle to mark the music there should be lights around the entire circumference of the platter so as to simulate an actual mark on a real vinyl plus it would be far more accurate.

in the parameter controls there should be a control for platter speed (ie: the speed of the simulated platter shown with lights) so that DJs who prefer a more dramatic large distance pull while covering less sound could do that but DJs who want to cover a large distance of sound without have to pull back 3 to 5 platter rotations can do so. I don't know if that made sense. all I know is that it would drastically shorten pullback distance and the dead time in scratch sessions.

my last idea which I think may be highly ridiculed is a light that blinks with the beat of each track in auto BPM read mode so that beat matching can be reinforced visually for minor discrepancies. maybe stupid and maybe wouldn't even work but I'm just throwing it out there.

I know I wrote a lot so please respond.

Wow bro' that is a lot of writing. You did however make some good suggestions. I would like to see something in every suggestion you've made in a new player. The one problem with the last suggestion you made about a blinking light that blinks in sync with the beat of the music is it may not be accurate. Some songs just don't read properly on even more expensive players. That is why some new mixers have a tap button to find your bpm. So that could be a good suggestion for a new mixer. I'm glad you took the time to give your thoughts. Hopefully AA is in work and has made changes to cover some things you spoke about.

yea that's a good point tiger. plus some songs have multiple BPMs depending in the beat. so I guess it wouldn't work. I guess I should quit looking for easy ways out and stick to good old practice.

I've been mixing since 95' and practice is always the number one thing to prepare for the club. You got to practice for your skill level to increase, to know exactly where your music is, to know what sounds good together. Then you just mix and don't even think about it. Remember be calm, don't rush, and stay in control of your dancefloor. Even if your dancefloor is in your bedroom.

on the CDI - 500 my only problem is, dont have it nowhere near the speaker, (even a monitor speaker) it (bass drum, ect.) will throw the cache all off, OH AND I just bought my cdi-500 not too long ago, but with no mp3 compatibility, and now they are offering the new mp3 one for same price, ?? is there a sofware update i missed or something??