What type of DJ equipment should I get as a beginner?
thundercat asked:
I am beginning to get more and more interested in DJ-ing and want to invest in some equipment to help me begin. I was wondering whether I should stick with the classics and get a vinyl turntables, or gettin a cd turntable, or even go with a computer dj set. what equipment should i get just to start out, and to save money in case i decide its not for me?
Terry Crews as Squeegee Lo – The World’s Biggest Dancer
I am beginning to get more and more interested in DJ-ing and want to invest in some equipment to help me begin. I was wondering whether I should stick with the classics and get a vinyl turntables, or gettin a cd turntable, or even go with a computer dj set. what equipment should i get just to start out, and to save money in case i decide its not for me?
Terry Crews as Squeegee Lo – The World’s Biggest Dancer
March 10th, 2010 at 11:00 pm
to be a disc jokey one must first master the elements of
kung fu when you have done this you will be ready to be a DJ as u will be at one with nature and at 1 with yourself
March 13th, 2010 at 4:09 pm
If you can scrape the cash together, I would go with a pair of CDJ400s and a DJM400 mixer, this is the ultimate bedroom DJ set up and it’s all you need to practice on and have a load of fun. As far a I am concerned the CDJ800s are outdated and not worth the money and CDJ1000s mk3’s are only needed if you are in a club.
I have just got myself the set up I mention before and I haven’t been DJing that long. Before my current set up I was practicing on a numark CDMIX1, which is a good cheap way to start if you aren’t 100% sure you’re going to keep it up but you will quickly outgrow it if you practice regularly. One of the good things about it is that the BPM counters are useless so it forces you into learning how to match by ear, which is great for learning.
There are also free computer programs available for both mac and windows. I used the DJ1800 demo on my macbook while I was learning, just for fun and It is quite useful, however it cuts out after 30 minute of use. There are tons of similar products available, most of which have limitations if you get the free demo.
I wouldn’t spend any money on DJ software just yet, it is much easier and fun to learn with CD decks, so just have a look through the available demos but don’t buy any. If you decide to get some software later on then go for one of the top programs like Traktor or Pioneers DJS, which can be used in conjunction with your CD decks.
I am probably going to get a torrent of thumbs down from vinyl lovers for saying this, but don’t DJ with vinyl. It is on the way out, 80% of clubs you go to now will have only CD decks, so a vinyl DJ isn’t much use. Even clubs that do have turntables will have CDJs too, so you’re never really going to have to use vinyl. Records are also much harder to find than CDs – you can just download whatever you want from the internet and burn it straight to a CD, which saves you vast amounts of time and money. I went to two different mediterranean party islands over the summer, and didn’t see one turntable the whole time I was there, only CDJ1000s and DVJ1000s, which says alot – If the pro’s aren’t doing it then why should amateurs?
In conclusion, get a Numark CDMIX1 or something similar, maybe even a second hand one, and use that for a while. If you like it and definitely want to continue, save up and get something better (I would recommend the Pioneer CDJ400/DJM400 combo that I mentioned earlier).
This is not to say you should never use vinyl, just that you should learn on CDJs first, then move on to vinyl if you have an interest in it.
PS. Don’t forget headphones and a cheap set of speakers. You can upgrade these when you outgrow them too.
March 14th, 2010 at 7:57 pm
Maybe check with an expert in this field so you’ll find out what’s popular today and worth the money, like :
(they have more articles out there and may be helpful)
Happy New Year!