Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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If you've ever switched from a DJ controller to CDJs and found yourself accidentally triggering songs instead of previewing a cue point, you've discovered the gated vs "normal" hot cues issue.

Most DJ controllers default to gated mode, while CDJs have always used normal mode (until recently with the CDJ-3000X, of course). The two behave differently when a track is paused, and it can completely change your workflow.

In this video, I explain the difference between gated and normal hot cues, why both modes exist, which DJ equipment and software has which mode, and what you can do to switch between them so you're never caught out in the booth again.

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⚡ TIMESTAMPS ⚡
00:00 The issue: "Normal" vs gated hot cues
00:46 Gate cue mode (demo)
01:50 "Normal" mode (demo)
02:25 Why hot cue differences trip DJs up
03:03 Why the two modes exist
03:53 CDJ-3000X + other gear and software
04:55 Moving between controllers and CDJs
06:08 Why they're called "gated" cues
06:56 A note about Quantize
07:11 Next steps and where to learn more

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