Excalibur
27-02-2011, 09:04 AM
Right folks, get yourselves a cup of coffee and a comfy chair. This could be a long one. ;) This is basically a response to Chris Peacock asking which is better, Cortex or Numark. :confused: Now I can't answer that question, because it's all a matter of opinion. Added to which, there are two Cortex models which vary wildly in operation. :daft: For the purposes of inclusiveness, I'm adding my very very limited knowledge of the Denon here also. Those who know about the Cortex 3000 and Denon 2500 are invited to fill in the gaps in my knowledge. Ta.
Creature and I are steadfast 1000 users, and delighted with them. DJ Jules has an exceedingly good grasp of everything 3000 related, and I know we have at least one Southern member proficient in the use of 3000 and Denon 2500, so pretty much all bases covered somewhere.
First up, I'm sure Creature and any happy 1000 users will agree with me that once you become accustomed to using a Cortex unit, all the others appear to have been designed as an exercise in frustration, where you have to go a hundred yards sideways to take one pace forwards. From demo one in a scabby shop in Knottingley, two things were evident.
1) The Cortex was blindingly obvious, intuitive to use, simple, logical and user friendly.
2) I should have got the Numark. It was obviously packed with features which might have been useful, but I had no idea how. :confused: :confused:
Once you have achieved the status of Cortex user, Black belt, you're absolutely :Censored:ed for using anything else. There is a member on here who had experience of the Denon first, and found the subsequent use of the Cortex a doddle, and no better or worse than the Denon, because the Cortex system wasn't hardwired in, as in my case.
Due to having the dreaded sticky button problem on a 1000, I purchased a Numark D2 from Vectis, and after using it for two nights at home, I was all ready to parcel it up and send it back. :mad: I have now, with the splendid after sales service from abroad, come to terms with it, and use it as main playout only because the other Cortex has sticky buttons also. Each has advantages in searching, the big advantage of the Numark is that if you search for say David Guetta, all his collaborations are listed. The Cortex lists them separately, and you may have to search three or four times to find the track you want. The crate is of course the big big plus point for the Numark, and it's excellent, I'm only just scratching the surface of its possibilities.
The Cortex is permanently in search mode, info on the tracks is only ever one button press away, and getting back to the play screen is the same distance. String search is always enabled, and available at any time. Downside is that the Cortex is also fitted with the Sword of Damocles feature. Search on the active deck, and press enter one time too many, and you an stop playing a gentle waltz, and head off into thrash metal!!
As I end this, I see I've said naff all about the Denon. That's probably cos I know naff all about it, and that's about all I need to know. :D
To sum up, in my humble opinion, the Denon is built to outlast any of them ( as long as you keep the internal drive well seated ) has enough bells and whistles to keep anyone happy, and an awful screen. One avid Denon user, who acquired a Cortex, enthused to me about how clear and bright the Cortex screen was compared to the dull grey Denon one.
Logically, the colour screen on the DDS ought to be the easiest to read, but I've not had a play with one. Basically, the DDS is only a D2 with colour and a bigger processor ( but it's still pedestrian compared to the Cortex, and the software takes forever to run on a hard drive) and I use mine happily, but still curse its stupid stupid stupid navigation system.
Cortex is a doddle to use, and were it not for the button problem, I wouldn't now possess a Numark. The 1000 is relatively bulletproof, the 3000 is fussy, since it uses totally different software apparently.
What to buy? Well, find people round you who have the ones you want to look at, and beg borrow or steal a go on them. Personal preference is something which varies, and a feature which one person raves about may leave another cold.
Put good quality MP3's on your drive, get a nice fast drive as well while you're about it, structure your drive properly ( that really really makes a diffeence in performance) run updates and maintenance regularly, and all the HD Controllers should work just fine.
OK, so Denon 2500 users, Cortex 3000, and similar, over to you, thoughts please. And anyone with a MEP7000 is banned fom coming in here and extolling its virtues, because it's undoubtedly the canine's dangly bits. :D :D :D :D :D :D
Creature and I are steadfast 1000 users, and delighted with them. DJ Jules has an exceedingly good grasp of everything 3000 related, and I know we have at least one Southern member proficient in the use of 3000 and Denon 2500, so pretty much all bases covered somewhere.
First up, I'm sure Creature and any happy 1000 users will agree with me that once you become accustomed to using a Cortex unit, all the others appear to have been designed as an exercise in frustration, where you have to go a hundred yards sideways to take one pace forwards. From demo one in a scabby shop in Knottingley, two things were evident.
1) The Cortex was blindingly obvious, intuitive to use, simple, logical and user friendly.
2) I should have got the Numark. It was obviously packed with features which might have been useful, but I had no idea how. :confused: :confused:
Once you have achieved the status of Cortex user, Black belt, you're absolutely :Censored:ed for using anything else. There is a member on here who had experience of the Denon first, and found the subsequent use of the Cortex a doddle, and no better or worse than the Denon, because the Cortex system wasn't hardwired in, as in my case.
Due to having the dreaded sticky button problem on a 1000, I purchased a Numark D2 from Vectis, and after using it for two nights at home, I was all ready to parcel it up and send it back. :mad: I have now, with the splendid after sales service from abroad, come to terms with it, and use it as main playout only because the other Cortex has sticky buttons also. Each has advantages in searching, the big advantage of the Numark is that if you search for say David Guetta, all his collaborations are listed. The Cortex lists them separately, and you may have to search three or four times to find the track you want. The crate is of course the big big plus point for the Numark, and it's excellent, I'm only just scratching the surface of its possibilities.
The Cortex is permanently in search mode, info on the tracks is only ever one button press away, and getting back to the play screen is the same distance. String search is always enabled, and available at any time. Downside is that the Cortex is also fitted with the Sword of Damocles feature. Search on the active deck, and press enter one time too many, and you an stop playing a gentle waltz, and head off into thrash metal!!
As I end this, I see I've said naff all about the Denon. That's probably cos I know naff all about it, and that's about all I need to know. :D
To sum up, in my humble opinion, the Denon is built to outlast any of them ( as long as you keep the internal drive well seated ) has enough bells and whistles to keep anyone happy, and an awful screen. One avid Denon user, who acquired a Cortex, enthused to me about how clear and bright the Cortex screen was compared to the dull grey Denon one.
Logically, the colour screen on the DDS ought to be the easiest to read, but I've not had a play with one. Basically, the DDS is only a D2 with colour and a bigger processor ( but it's still pedestrian compared to the Cortex, and the software takes forever to run on a hard drive) and I use mine happily, but still curse its stupid stupid stupid navigation system.
Cortex is a doddle to use, and were it not for the button problem, I wouldn't now possess a Numark. The 1000 is relatively bulletproof, the 3000 is fussy, since it uses totally different software apparently.
What to buy? Well, find people round you who have the ones you want to look at, and beg borrow or steal a go on them. Personal preference is something which varies, and a feature which one person raves about may leave another cold.
Put good quality MP3's on your drive, get a nice fast drive as well while you're about it, structure your drive properly ( that really really makes a diffeence in performance) run updates and maintenance regularly, and all the HD Controllers should work just fine.
OK, so Denon 2500 users, Cortex 3000, and similar, over to you, thoughts please. And anyone with a MEP7000 is banned fom coming in here and extolling its virtues, because it's undoubtedly the canine's dangly bits. :D :D :D :D :D :D