USB & SD Cards not working with CDJ-2000NXS2?

When a USB drive or SD card works perfectly on a CDJ-3000, but not on a CDJ-2000NXS2, it usually comes down to a few key differences in compatibility, formatting, and file system support.

🧠 1. File System Format

The CDJ-2000NXS2 is picky compared to the newer CDJ-3000. Here's what it supports:

Format	Supported on CDJ-2000NXS2	Notes
FAT32	✅ Yes	Most compatible
exFAT	❌ No	Not supported
NTFS	❌ No	Not supported
HFS+ (Mac)	✅ Yes	Works; avoid ‘journaling’

✅ Solution: Make sure your USB/SD card is formatted to FAT32 or HFS+ (non-journaled). CDJ-3000 supports exFAT, which is likely why it works there.

💾 2. Drive Size & Partition Issues

CDJ-2000NXS2 can be fussy with:

• Drives over 32GB (especially if FAT32 isn’t used properly)
• Multiple partitions (it wants a single primary partition)
• Partition type must be MBR, not GUID/EFI (especially for older CDJs)

✅ Solution: Use MBR partitioning with a single primary FAT32 partition. Tools like Rufus (on Windows) or Disk Utility (Mac, with “Master Boot Record” option) help with this.

🎧 3. Rekordbox Export Settings

CDJ-2000NXS2 may struggle if:

• Tracks are not properly analysed in Rekordbox
• You’ve exported with options suited to CDJ-3000 (like waveform preview data)

✅ Solution: In Rekordbox:

• Re-analyse your tracks
• Reformat the drive
• Re-export using Device > CDJ-2000NXS2 compatibility settings

⚡ 4. Power & Read Speed

Some high-speed USBs or SD cards need more power than the CDJ-2000NXS2’s ports provide, especially older or cheaper sticks that don't regulate power well.

✅ Solution: Try a different brand or a lower-capacity stick. Older CDJs prefer USB 2.0 drives over USB 3.0 or newer.

📁 5. Corrupt Files or Structures

Sometimes the file system gets a bit wobbly!

✅ Solution:

• Do a full reformat (not quick format)
• Re-export fresh playlists from Rekordbox
• Avoid dragging folders manually onto the drive outside of Rekordbox

⚠️ Bonus Tip: Watch for Hidden Files

If you're switching between Mac and Windows, your drive may pick up weird hidden files (.Spotlight-V100, .Trashes, etc.) - these can confuse older CDJs.

✅ Clean up with tools like CleanMyDrive (Mac) or by showing hidden files and removing the extras manually.

🎤 TL;DR

If it works on a CDJ-3000 but not a CDJ-2000NXS2:

• Reformat to FAT32
• Use MBR partition
• Stick to USB 2.0 or standard SD cards
• Re-export via Rekordbox with CDJ-2000NXS2 compatibility

This post was in response to a question asked by one of my YouTube subscribers - watch this video for a full rundown on the causes and fixes (including ones not listed in this post) - https://youtu.be/1s9SWq9EpZ4?si=531UgWlHx42ovL4i 

Keith 🎧

DJ Hurley (MKFM)