Pioneer has improved the famous Pioneer CDJ-800 and launched the MK2 version that will see daylight soon. In various ways improvements have been made to make the CDJ-800MK2 a worthy successor. Finally MP3 has been added so you can play all your favorite tracks right from data-CD as mp3 files.

The Jog Dial has been re-designed and now feels like the CDJ-1000mk2 when it comes to the jog-feeling and smoothness. The top layer has been given an aluminum feel like the DVJ=X1 to give you a more 'sticky' touch.

The patented Jog Display has been moves a few centimeters upwards which gives you a wider viewing angle. The size of the Jog Displays has also been increased and now is the same as the CDJ-1000mk3.

The top display is now much brighter and the digital reading has made place for a bright Dot-Matrix display. This will display your playing time, CD-Text or MP3 tags.

---

Full MP3 Support (CBR/VBR)

The Pioneer CDJ-800MK2 makes it possible to play MP3 music from a data-CD in 2 formats: Constant Bit Rate (CBR) and Variable Bit Rat (VBR). The advantage of VBR is that you save a little space. On an average CD you might be able to put 120 tracks, instead of 100 when using CBR.


Although the CDJ-800MK2 is fully compatible with VBR, the Cue and Search functions will operate a little slower with VBR when compared to an Audio CD or CBR. So if you want keep operating fast, use CBR (Constant Bit Rate) to encode your MP3's.

File Compatibility

You can playback music files on the CDJ-800MK2 in MP3 Format. A CD that contains MP3 files is restricted to these parameters:

Folder tree is max. 8 levels deep

Max. number of folders on disc (CD/DVD) : 2.000
Max. files on disc (CD/DVD) : 3.000
Max. files per format (CD/DVD) : 999

Max. number of folders on media (SD/USB) : 10.000
Max. files on media per folder (SD/USB) : 10.000

CD-R Recording : ISO9660 CD-ROM file system, Disc At Once or Track At Once
Multi Session : Not supported, only the first session can be played.



Some tips I would like to give when you are preparing your files :

Use CBR to compress your tracks and DO NOT USE VBR
Give clear filenames in formats like : Artist - Title.mp3
Add ID3 tags right after conversion so you don't forget
Burn CD's at a low speed (4x or 8x), this makes your discs easier to read
Use folder as less as possible, I only use folders in the root

Jog Display

To improve the readability of the CDJ 800MK2's display, the Jog Display has been mounted some centimeters higher inside of the CDJ800MK2's Jog wheel.

This will make the reading angle a lot bigger so you can always keep a close eye on the marker and read the display easy.

Also the layout of the display has been made more accurate and better looking. The Cue Marker is now more accurate. On the MK1 there is 1 frame difference between the orange Cue Marker and the gap in the white segmented ring.

The MK2 places the Cue Marker at the center point of the gap.

Also there are 4 dark stripes that mark the white inner ring for accurate cueing while scratching. The Cue Marker itself has been made bigger and brighter. The space between the Cue Marker and the segmented ring is now smaller so the position can be judged more accurate.

Besides the fact that the display is much brighter and more easier to read, it's also larger. It is exactly the same Jog Display as it's big brother : the CDJ-1000mk3.

I've indicated the size differences in the picture with light stripes. Click on the image to enlarge it !

Main Display

The numbers have ben replaced by a row of large bright Dots. In Time Mode this gives you an easy reading of the playing- or remaining time. When you press the Text Mode button you can switch to CD-text or ID3-tags (Title, Album or Artist).The length of the orange Playing Address bar is longer than that of the CDJ-800. Besides the fact that it takes more space on the display, the resolution has been improved from 29 dots to 33 dots.

Outside Looks

The outside looks of the CDJ800MK2 has been modernized. The CDJ-800MK2 is more silver looking, while the CDJ-800 has a more titanium look.

The Play, Cue and Search buttons have an aluminum feel and look, like all CDJ-1000 series players.

Just like on the CDJ-1000mk3, the recognizable feature that reveals the MK2 from a distance is the silver Pitch Fader knob.

Jog Wheel and Feeling

The first thing you might notice is the very shine and metal looking Jog Dial on top of the player. The new top of the Jog Dial has been given a metallic feeling which gives the CDJ800MK2 an improved grip on the Jog.


The feeling of the Jog Dial (the resistance and smoothness) has been made the same as the CDJ-1000mk2. So this will be a big difference when you're used to the 800, handle the Jog more gently

Eject Canceling & Auto Resume Play

When you press the EJECT button, playback will stop and the player prepares for the Eject.

You can cancel the Eject by pressing the Play Button before it shows you 'EJECT' (about 1 second). This will not stop the sound from stopping, but it continuous playing a lot faster than when it would perform a full Eject.

When the disc does get ejected and is inserted it again, playback will continue from the point where it was ejected (track number and time is remembered). This point is being stored in the memory of the CDJ for as long as no other CD is inserted, or the power has been turned down.

Cue Stutter Continue

Just like on any CDJ you can use the Cue Button to sample play from your Cue Point. As long as you hold the Cue Button the CDJ plays the track from the Cue Point onwards. When the cue Button is released the CDJ instantly returns to the Cue point and is ready for a restart. Continue playing after you used the Cue Stutter was until recently impossible.

As introduced on the CDJ-200 the CDJ-800MK2 also provides a way to solve this. When you are holding the Cue Button and the CDJ is playing, you can continue by simultaneously pressing the Play Button once. When you now release the Cue Button playing will continue. Nice to help you out when you just stuttered to much. (See the CDJ-200 Demo Video to see this in action).

Folder Navigation

Easy navigation through your MP3 folders can be done by using the designated buttons to search through your folders. By pressing them you skip back and forwards a folder in the folder structure on the disc.

Faster Searching using the Jog

When you are holding the Track Search button / and rotate the Jog you will scroll very fast through the discs index. 1 Rotation skips about 30 tracks.

When you hold down the regular Search button / and rotate the Jog dial, you will search at a faster speed. Fast Search is performed in the direction of which the jog is rotated so it can also be done backwards.

In both cases (track or regular search), it doesn't matter which direction of the Search Buttons you press (/or/), the direction of the rotation of the Jog determines the direction how to skip.

Quick Return

When in Vinyl Mode AND Quick Return is activated and the surface of the Jog Dial is pressed, the CDJ returns instantly to the Cue Point.

When the Jog dial is released playback will resume. This will make it pretty easy to scratch it, scratch while you can and when you release the jog, it directly returns to you Cue Point.

Real time Seamless Loop

You can instantly and on-the-fly mark the Loop In and Loop Out points. First press Loop in while the player plays or pauses at a Cue Point or during Scratch performance. When pressed the Loop In button will flash 3 times.

You can now press at any desired time on the Loop Out button.
After pressing it, the Loop Out button and the Loop In button will both keep flashing, indicating that a Loop Playback is performed. Also the Auto Beat Loop button 8 is lit.

Press Reloop/Exit to quit the Loop Playback and continue playing the CD.
You can press Reloop/Exit again while a loop is in memory to instantly playback that loop.

Auto Beat Loop

Once a loop has been set, the Auto Beat Loop button will shorten the length of the current loop that is being played. The Auto beat Loop 1 (1/8) button will play 1/8th of the loop, Auto Beat Loop 2 (1/4) button will play a quarter of the loop and so on.

If no loop is set, the Auto Beat Loop buttons will record a loop with an automatically calculated length. The length depends on the button you've pressed: 1 for a 1-beat-loop, 2 for a 2-beat-loop, 4 for a four-beat-loop and 8 for an eight-beat-loop. When an automatically created loop is played back, use the buttons to select the length of the loop measured in beats.

There is still 1 trick left :

Hold the Loop In button while pressing any of the Auto Beat Loops to directly play back a shortened loop. Confused ? Here is an overview :

• Auto Beat Loop 1 (1/8) : Plays Loop 1/8th of a beat starting when pressed
• Auto Beat Loop 2 (1/4) : Plays Loop 1/4th of a beat starting when pressed
• Auto Beat Loop 4 (1/2) : Plays Loop of half a beat starting when pressed
• Auto Beat Loop 8 (1/1) : Plays a 1 Beat Loop starting when pressed
  

Internal Memory

The CDJ-800MK2 does not have an MMC like the CDJ-1000(mk2/mk3) but it does have a memory to store up to 10 cue or Loop Points per disk, up to a total of 800 discs (=8.000 points). If the 801th disk is inserted the data of the least used disc will be overwritten, regardless of the time it's in the memory.

---

And off course there are the already familiar features that you will find on about any CDJ, DVJ or CMX product:

---

Also check DJResource's Demo Video:

---