CDJ Loops for DnB: A 10-Minute Guide

The loop function on a Pioneer CDJ is the most underused tool in drum & bass DJing. Here is how to use it for transitions that nobody else can pull off.

Every CDJ has a loop function. Most beginner DJs never touch it. Used properly, it is the single most powerful transition tool in DnB DJing. Here is the 10-minute version.

The basic loop

Find a 4-bar section of the track that is mostly drums (the breakdown or the section after the first drop usually works). Hit the IN button at the start of the 4 bars. Hit OUT at the end. The CDJ now plays that section on infinite loop.

The transition use

Loop the breakdown of track A. Start track B in the cue point. Bring track B up under the loop. Disable the loop on A, and now you have a clean transition where the loop covered the change. The crowd hears continuous drums while the bassline switches underneath.

The beat-jump combo

Modern CDJs also have a beat-jump function (skip 1, 4, 8, 16, 32 beats). Combine with loops: jump to a 4-bar section, loop it, build, jump again. You can create entirely new arrangements on the fly that did not exist on the original record.

The half-step trick

Find a half-step section of track A. Loop it for an extra 16 bars beyond what the original track does. The crowd locks in deeper than they would on a normal half-step section because you are extending the moment.

Practice setup

Plug your CDJs in at home. Pick one track. Spend 30 minutes finding the right 4-bar loop section, then practising in, out, and re-trigger. Do this with five different tracks. After two weeks of practice you will be using loops in real sets without thinking about it.