Gemini fees too high11/30/2023 ![]() ![]() Don’t expect to do turntablist tricks on these. I certainly wouldn’t use any of them. The jogs have an adjuster between heavy and light, but in reality it’s between heavy and very heavy. They can be controlled with the jogwheel, and I guess the filter will be the most useful, although it sounded more like EQ to me, with very little pleasing resonance in the sound. The on-board effects are absolutely nothing to write home about they’re matched to BPM but pretty fixed. Unfortunately we didn’t have editorial time to jump through the loops to get this working so it would be remiss of me to comment further on how good it is or isn’t overall Virtual DJ control is native which is why we can let you know that it works, and works well. The Traktor mapping is available on the Gemini site: make sure you load it twice (once for each deck), and don’t expect particularly pleasing jogwheel control, if past experiences with CDJ mappings to Traktor are any guideline (please, if someone’s done this, let us know how you got on). We only had time to check out the Virtual DJ integration, but that was impressive indeed, with track display on the touchscreen, and tight jogwheel mapping via HID. It’s good to be able to DJ off USB or SD card, but the biggest attraction for digital DJs is the fact that it works with Virtual DJ and Traktor. I liked being able to navigate folders using it. The lit rings work exactly as Pioneer’s do, pitch adjustment is possible down to 1/50th of a BPM, and the touchscreen – while limited in practice due to its size (and the fact that all of its controls are available elsewhere) – does nonetheless have waveform display and is clear, even though it has an opaque plastic covering. The CDs load fast, and control is tight and dependable. Round the back are RCA outs, a digital out, a USB for your computer, and the power switch plus socket for the detachable power lead.ĭespite the plastic construction and slightly unrefined feel, this is a solid performer. This is one of the reasons we think they will appeal to hybrid digital/CD DJs. Yup, they have full Midi control, and everything is mapped apart from the mechanical jogwheel tension adjust button. You also see the four big source select buttons, for switching between CD, USB, SD (one up on the CDJ-2000s there) and Midi control. One of the first things you notice on unboxing is that there’s an effects section. ![]() The back of the unit: Just a couple of RCAs, a digital out, a USB, and the power features. They have a nice metal/rubber jogwheel, Pioneer-esque high quality cue and play/pause buttons, a long-throw pitch fader, and pretty much all the usual controls you associate with CDJs – hot cues, manual looping, skip and search, a direction button, old-school pitch bend, BPM adjust range, master tempo, start and stop speed adjusters. I guess it’s a saving that Gemini thought was worth making to get them in at the exceedingly low price point where they reside. ![]() While built on a metal chassis, these are otherwise completely plastic in casing construction. Again, a tick for the marketing department. They’re also undeniably more plasticky than the CDJ-2000s (which to be fair cost four times the amount). Nonetheless, it does mean Gemini can claim to have the only CDJ on the market with a full colour touchscreen. The touchscreen is colour, but small (smaller than an iPhone) and nowhere near the same quality, being much lower resolution and opaque in appearance. Clever, if me-too, marketing these are plainly aimed at people who feel Pioneer is trading on its name with what it charges for its pro-grade CDJs. ![]() The jogwheel design especially, with its Pioneer-style centre dual colour ring, is pretty much lifted straight from the CDJ range. The Gemini CDJ-700s are strikingly like the Pioneer CDJs. First Impressions / Setting up A passable Pioneer copy but certified for use with Virtual DJ too… would a pair of these offer the aspirational DJ the “best of both worlds”? ![]()
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