The BeginnerDJ Equipment Guide BeginnerDJ.com - 2012
The BeginnerDJ
Equipment Guide
BeginnerDJ.com - 2012
Chapter 1: The New DJ Manifesto
DJing has come a long way since its early days of 12 inch records
and dad’s old turntables.
Today we have hundreds of equipment pieces, millions of tracks,
and an ever increasing exposure to the Electronic Music
community. In short, you have easier access in starting and
getting found but now you’re up against millions.
You would have found yourself sending out massive amounts of
mix tapes, promo CD’s, running the local circuit, trying to get
your name out there but that’s all gone now (for the most part).
The big thing now is getting found through the web. You can
easily amass a large following through the use of videos on
Youtube, a Facebook page, and running your own website.
However, this also means that we have to wade through a landfill
of mediocrity. Like the radio, TV, and other forms of media – the
huge push to the web means that any and every would-be
producer is pushing out music – some good, lots bad. On top of
that, we have the ever-growing catalog of existing DJ’s and
producers that can be found on sites like Beatport, Mixcloud, and
streaming on uStream.
In a lot of ways, beginner DJ’s are becoming lazy.
For $200 and a connection to the Internet, you can buy a starter
set of DJ equipment, snag a few terabytes of music, and start
pushing out sets to the many thousands of websites. The issue,
here, is that the barrier has been so far removed that many
potentially great DJ’s are getting in too fast – so fast that they
miss out on the essential DJ skills and conduct for not just mixing
up music – but putting on a great show to boot.
Over the last decade, we have seen the rise of celebrity DJ’s.
We’re hearing Dubstep in car commercials. We’re getting
bombarded with music on our Facebook feeds. We’re going out,
hearing the same crud, from the same local DJ’s, over and over
again – we’re getting indoctrinated into enjoying the lower quality
music and DJing.
This, however, isn’t the case for everyone and by no means
should my opinion sway you from jumping right into DJing but
take a look around and form your opinion about what the ‘scene’
is like today. Dig back through some classic footage of 90’s raves,
watch documentaries about the rise of Chicago house, go out to a
local music festival vs. strictly hanging around the clubs. You’ll
find a massive amount of party-goers that don’t want some
rehashed remix of some popular song – they’re looking for good
times, good vibes, and most importantly: good music.
From this point onward, I’ll be sharing the basic equipment and
programs you’ll need, this day and age, to get started in your
own DJing but keep in mind that these items are merely tools –
what you’ll be using for the end result: playing awesome music,
putting on a show, and making people happy.
Make it your mantra to always expand your knowledge not just of
what’s ‘big’ today but also the techniques, music, and
showmanship of the past – if you can nail this down than you
have a very bright future as a DJ.
Chapter 2: DJ Equipment Essentials
Welcome to the ‘meat’ of the BeginnerDJ Equipment Guide, here
you will find a run-down of each piece of DJ equipment that’s
available on the market today. What I’ve done, with this section,
is break things down for the different types of DJing you may end
up doing such as playing strictly with vinyl or maybe using micro
controllers – we’ll be taking a cross section look at what we can
call “industry” standard for each piece of gear within the main
types of DJ equipment.
Before we begin, however, I want to stress that it’s important
that you develop some kind of budget.
A budget is important, at this stage, because quality matters
more than ever. You could easily drop $500 - $3000 for your first
DJ setup but you may not necessarily be getting the best bang for
your buck.
There are times when it’s good to balance quality and price which
I aim to cover as we look at the various pieces of equipment.
I know it may seem hard but waiting the extra month or two can
be all the difference when it comes to buying gear. If you were
able to save up enough to pick up the next level ‘tier’ within each
piece, you’ll be doing yourself a favor in the long run because
your gear will be far less likely to break down and you get the
benefit of using ‘industry’ gear that you’ll run into if/when you
make the transition to clubs or music festivals.
But, it’s your money and I’m not the one to tell you what to do
with it so let’s take a look at what’s available for starting out (or
making the upgrade down the line).
Vinyl DJ Turntables
Vinyl is where it really took off – there’s a certain feel and sound
to vinyl that captures music junkies like you and I. The sound
seems a tad richer.
The art work and feel of the vinyl grooves bring back this sense
that you’re more involved with the music. There’s a certain thrill
of digging through dusty crates to find old and new tracks.
Despite the huge shift toward digital music, there are still a lot of
producers and labels pressing vinyl.
Vinyl seems to attract the type of DJ that wants to keep things at
its roots – where DJ came from. With vinyl turntables and the
rest of your setup, it’s just you and the music – no extra controls
and features that may take away from the raw experience of
spinning a mix.
Technics 1200’s
The 1200’s are the industry standard for vinyl DJ’s; they’ve been
around for decades and have only just seen the end of their
production. These turntables are pure workhorses that can take
any amount of beating which is why they’ve been so widely
adopted within the industry.
The 1200’s have a simple but effective design, hardware to
handle anything you throw at it, and will be found in just about
any type of venue. They’re a bit expensive but they hold their
value. If you want top-of-the-line vinyl turntables than consider
snagging a pair of 1200’s (there’s a few models ‘MK’s’ over the
years but they’re all good).
$450 - $1000 on Amazon
Stanton ST-150
The ST-150’s are built to be nearly identical to the industry
standard form you’d find in the Technics and they’re priced
reasonably. What the ST-150 offers that you wouldn’t normally
find on other turntables is a wide variety of additional controls
including: reverse, key lock, and pitch select.
At this time, these turntables run around $500 a pop but the way
they’re built means that you’ll probably never need to replace
these unites in your setup.
$450 - $600 on Amazon
Stanton T.120
The Stanton T.120’s are a great entry level turntable, especially
for those that want to do some scratching in their sets. Much of
the features mentioned about the ST-150’s can be found the
T.120’s such as an instant reverse. The design is solid, motor
powerful, and priced at a cool $350ish.
The only issue is that this line of turntable is now discontinued so
you won’t have much modern support but you can definitely get a
steal of a deal online or on Craigslist.
$275 - $375 on Amazon
CD DJ Decks
The successor to the age of vinyl DJing came about through the
use of CD’s. DJ’s no longer needed to lug around huge crates of
vinyl which also meant that their time was freed up from crate
digging; the rise of the net allowed people to easily snag their
music and burn tracks to a CD and, as you know, there’s an
unlimited amount of music to choose from, online.
The CD decks got smaller but didn’t remove features. In fact, CD
decks have an incredible amount of flexibility with newer, built-in
features. These new features opened up a different amount of
control when mixing but some, such as automix, get abused. CD
decks are probably your best entry point into DJing because it’s
so widely adopted in clubs and you get the best of both worlds
when it comes to music selection and going digital.
Pioneer CDJ-2000
The CDJ-2000’s maybe burn a hole in your wallet but if you want
the biggest and best when it comes to CD decks than look no
further. The 2000’s have been built like a rock and comes packed
with features such as, most notably, the built-in LCD screen
which displays a ton of information about your tracks (BPM,
naming, time, etc), the ability to use almost any source (USB,
SD, CD, Digital, etc), being able to link up to 4 units together,
and that you’ll have much greater control on your mixing from
the larger jog wheel size.
These decks are far more expensive than others, running about
$2,000 each, but in terms of getting the best in CD DJing, the
2000’s is where to go.
$1,700 - $1,800 on Amazon
Pioneer CDJ-800MKII
Two Pioneer models up for recommendation? Definitely. The CDJ-
800’s is really where CD decks became a solid player in clubs and
DJing because they’re built to take a beating, have every major
feature you could want, and set the standard for the look and feel
of CD decks.
These come at a recommendation because they’re tried and
tested, you’ll be able to find a massive community for support,
they’ll handle anything you throw at ‘em, and they hover in at a
great price, about $800 each which is far easier to obtain than
the 2000’s without giving up quality.
$600 - $800 on Amazon
Numark V7
The V7 is a CD deck that shouldn’t escape your attention when
you’re picking up gear. Numark put a lot of work in the V7 which
shows from its sturdy design, down to the laundry list of features
and controls built into the unit.
The V7 comes packed with Serato ITCH which is a big bonus for
doing the crossover of analog and digital play. One especially
attractive feature is the vinyl feel of the touch platter which
definitely gives an old school vibe while mixing.
At about $500 each, the V7 is a very excellent choice if you’re
making a move for CD DJing and production.
$350 - $500 on Amazon
Virtual/Midi DJ Controllers
The new wave of DJing is upon us and with it comes a variety of
inexpensive, highly flexible DJ gear. Controllers give you the full
control of DJing at your fingertips yet in a smaller form factor
with many new, exciting options.
The rise of the “laptop DJ” could be contributed to the
inexpensive prices of midi controllers, digital downloads, and
virtual programs. Whereas before you’d drop nearly $2 - $5k into
a complete, robust DJ setup, you now can spend just $300 (often
less) and have everything you need to get mixing. Additionally,
you’re no longer limited to just DJing as you’ll find that the same
controllers you use in mixing can also become part of a full music
production setup!
Numark NS7
The Numark NS7 is a shining example of the perfect DJ
controller. It may look a bit bulky but what you’re getting is
everything needed to start mixing (including a copy of Serato
Itch). The controller has all the features you’d find on a
standalone CD turntable yet it’s an all-in-one.
At just over $1,200, you’re saving thousands compared to piecing
together your own system. The software, Serato Itch, is a nice
touch especially when combined with the decks’ functions and
features; in essence, this is the midi controller you should get if
you want to get everything out of digital DJing.
$900 - $1,300 on Amazon
Vestax VCI-300MKII
The Vestax VCI-300MKII is set at a perfect entry point for digital
DJ’s when compared to features and pricing of the other two
mentioned on this list. The VCI-300MKII gets the nudge higher
than the Hercules because of the immense community built
around the controller which is always developing new layouts and
functionality for the unit.
Under $500, this unit gives you everything you’d look for in a
midi controller and the size is perfect for those DJ’s going mobile.
The entire setup comes with a copy of Serato Itch and works
flawlessly with the program and hardware support so none of
your knobs and buttons go unused.
$400 - $440 on Amazon
Hercules DJ Console 4-MX
Rounding out the list is the Hercules DJ Console 4-MX which is
quite impressive considering the small size and price tag. I’ve
played with earlier versions from the Hercules line of DJ consoles
and I can attest that they’re quite solid and contend to be one of
the best entry points for new DJ’s.
The 4-MX takes everything Hercules learned over the years and
ups their offering; you’re buying is basically everything you need
all in one place while nabbing a free copy of Virtual DJ to boot.
$320 - $340 on Amazon
Mixers
Let’s talk mixers for a moment. The mixer is just as crucial as
your decision for turntables, decks, and other fundamental gear
because it’s what ties everything together.
The reality is that the vast majority of your “work” as a DJ is
actually spent around the mixer. How do you think a “mix” is
formed in the first place? By mixing, of course.
Anyone can throw on two tracks and blend them together but it
takes a skillful DJ to bring it all together, tweak the sounds,
match the tracks, add effects, and send out floor stompin’ sets –
and all of this is possible thanks to the mixer.
There are two sides of buying a mixer, however.
On one end, you could go for the bare minimum and keep your
DJing to the core basics; in a lot of ways, the restriction on a
mixer’s features forces you to be creative in your mixing.
The other side is that you may be the type that wants unlimited
control on your music; additional features on the mixer allows
you to finely tweak the sound down to the smallest detail but
could be distracting, at times, because of so many possibilities.
Whatever choice, don’t skimp on the mixer’s budget as with any
part of your DJ equipment because you want this piece to last.
Pioneer DJM-350
Sure, I could have easily mentioned the DJM-2000 but let’s be
honest: we don’t have $2k to drop on a mixer at this point. The
breakout, entry level mixer on this list is easily the DJM-350; it’s
slightly dated but that doesn’t mean it lacks any of the important
features you’re looking for in a mixer.
The 350 keeps things to the essentials but comes with bonuses
for those seeking to be digital DJ’s. Under $500, the DJM-350
should be one of the first mixers you consider when putting
together your gear.
$435 - $480 on Amazon
Denon DNX-1700
On the high end, you’ve got the Denon DNX-1700 which is one of
the most feature rich mixers on the market today (besides the
higher level DJM’s).
This mixer is kind of like going from a car to a spaceship.
Multiple line input/output, robust controls, sturdy design, and
built-in effects? Yup, the DNX-1700 is the mixer you’re looking for
(if you have the budget of about $1,500 for the unit).
$1,460 - $1,480 on Amazon
Behringer DX626
Price doesn’t always necessarily mean quality. The Behringer
DX626, at about $200, is actually one tough piece of equipment
with the bare essentials.
There’s nothing really fancy about this mixer other than the fact
that you’re getting what you need to piece your equipment
together. There are some flaws to the unit (not enough
input/output) but, for the price, you can’t really beat it especially
if you have plans to upgrade at a later time.
This unit will teach you the basics, that’s about all.
$75 - $130 on Amazon
DJ Headphones
You’re not going to find DJ headphones at your local mall and you
definitely don’t want to substitute a solid pair of DJ headphones
with some cheap-o brand you can pick up at an airport.
DJ headphones are built to withstand the constant abuse coming
from the DJ and the sound. They need to be able to handle the
stress of being constantly tugged and twirled, dropped and
packed, blasted with high and low frequencies.
A heavy investment of $200 for a pair of headphones may seem a
little crazy when you’re used to snagging some earbuds for $10
but your headphones will play a vital role in your DJing so it’s
best not to go cheap on this essential piece of DJ gear.
Pioneer HDJ-1000
The first set of DJ headphone you should consider would
definitely be the HDJ-1000’s. They’ve pretty much became the
industry standard due to their great sound quality, sturdy design,
and flexibility.
The overall form is what you’re looking for; being able to twist it
in any direction all-the-while retaining the right sound quality to
monitor your mixing.
$84 - $130 on Amazon
Sony MDR-V700DJ
If a design works – keep doing it. Sony’s MDR-V700DJ
headphones are right up there in the charts but at a cheaper
price compared to the HDJ-1000’s (about ½ the price, actually).
They’ve got the design, sound quality, and durability you need
when you’re heavily into mixing.
$80 - $100 on Amazon
Technics RP-DH1200
Rounding out around $100 for a pair, the RP-DH1200’s follow
what Pioneer and Sony has set as the design standard.
There’s not much I can say about these pair of headphones that I
haven’t about the others; it’s a different brand name but still
comes with the quality you need.
$85 - $130 on Amazon
A Note about All-in-One DJ Systems
You’ll be tempted to purchased one of the all-in-one vinyl/cd DJ
systems when you’re first starting but I can’t recommend these
whole-heartedly (midi controllers are another story though). It’s
like buying a pair of shoes: you could purchase a decent pair for
$20 and have them worn out in a year or sport $100 and have
shoes that last for many more.
These all-in-one systems have low quality gear that generally
ends up breaking far more often than if you went with the trusted
brands. However, if you’re extremely tight on budget than you
can wave this thought because it’s better to get started than not
doing so, at all.
DJ Hardware (Optional)
Outside of your normal DJ setup is a wide range of hardware that
goes along with everything whether it’s for traveling, setting up
your equipment, organizing your music, and more. These pieces
are completely optional but may be a good investment, at some
point, when you start landing gigs and need to ensure your gear
is well taken care of.
Flight Cases
The role of the flight case, as you could guess, is to protect your
gear as you’re moving around. The flight cases are built for the
different types of equipment to ensure that everything fits snug.
You can’t really do wrong as to which flight case you’re buying as
long as it’s sturdy enough to take the banging about when
driving, in case you drop it, or if people are smashing up against
your DJ booth.
Tables
You can score a table anywhere (hell, you can build one for about
$30 with some cinder blocks and an old door) but there are a lot
of really cool designs and features in some of the new DJ tables
on the market. The main thing to look for, if you pick one up, is
that it can handle the weight and you mixing. You don’t want
your table legs to give out and crash all your gear – pick
something sturdy.
Laptop Stands
No one said that DJing didn’t have its occasional follies. The last
thing you want is your laptop to flip off your table, yanking out all
the cords, breaking, and ruining your set. Likewise, simply setting
the laptop on top of your table may make it difficult to navigate
and select tracks if it’s part of your digital setup. Laptop stands
are a good choice because it keeps your laptop anchored down
and a bit out of the way so you don’t have any of those “oops,
dropped a drink on my computer” accidents.
Slip Mats
Vinyl DJ’s use slip mats to allow their records to freely move
around while on the platter all-the-while protecting them from the
rubber/metal from below. The slip mat is highly used in
turntabalism and scratching but play an important role in mixing,
as well. Slip mats run about $5 - $10 a pop but you really don’t
need to replace them for quite a long time since they hold up for
many years on end.
A Note about DJ Speakers and Systems
I don’t intend to go deep into DJ speakers and systems because
they’re a monster of a topic in their own. These systems will often
cost more than your entire DJ setup which is out of the league
(and scope) for just getting started, wouldn’t you agree? A decent
pair of studio monitors is really all you’d be concerned with at this
time but if you’re itching to setup your own parties or run a
mobile DJ business than I would recommend taking a look
through this guide.
Chapter 3: DJ Programs and Software
The list of DJ programs and pieces of software grows each year
but, to be honest, nearly everyone comes back to the big guns in
the industry. DJ programs have given the bedroom DJ incredible
control over their mixing and, when combined with the web, has
made the leap of learning DJing to be actually quite tame vs.
being on your own just a decade or so ago.
DJ software should always be seen as a tool – the real skill should
come from your mixing. With that being said, most of the big
programs will give you so much flexibility in your mixing that it
may seem somewhat intimidating to play with all the features but
here’s the thing: at least they’re there.
There are many different trials of nearly all DJ programs so it’s
good to give each a test to see how they fit your DJ style and
understanding. Likewise, it’s common to find DJ programs
packaged with controllers and some turntables these days which
is a bonus since you can get going the moment you unbox.
In all, we’re seeing a major shift toward digital DJing these days
because of the ease of snagging tracks online, plus the price
drops of equipment that use to cost an arm and a leg.
In a lot of ways, you’ll probably end up doing a bit of both if you
decide to use DJ programs: some analog play along with digital
production. There are no more barriers for the music you play
and how you do it.
About DJ Programs
The original plan was to do short overviews of each of the DJ
programs like I did for the turntables, mixers, and other pieces of
equipment but, to be honest, the big names in software pretty
much all do the same thing but with different interfaces.
There are some nuances of each that make them their own but,
for you, it’s really about what you want out of the program and
how much work you’ll put into learning the system.
Personally, I’m a big fan of Traktor because of their interface and
overall control on mixing. However, that’s not to say that the
others are any less valuable. In fact, free versions of Virtual DJ is
more than enough to get you started; you may not see Virtual DJ
in clubs but it’ll teach you the basic idea of using programs with
your gear.
Also, as mentioned, many of these programs come packaged with
controllers and other pieces of equipment; they’re usually the
“lite” version of the program but they still do the fundamentals
which is allowing you to cue up tracks and letting you mix.
Worthwhile DJ Programs
So, I’d recommend any of the following:
Serato Scratch & ITCH
Traktor Pro & Scratch
Serato and Traktor are pretty much industry standard; you’ll see
them far more often in clubs. Ableton Live is mostly made for
those doing live mixing and music production but combined with
your gear and skill; it can be an incredible combo. Virtual DJ is a
very basic DJ program but it gets the job done.
Tying all of this together, you’ll be routing your sound, from the
mixer and decks, into your program where you’ll then have full
control over your mixing.
Some mixers include additional support for programs so what you
do on the physical mixer, happens within the program. With midi
controllers, your interface is pretty explicitly the program UI.
Pretty simple (but awesome), right?
Moving Forward
I wanted to create this small book as a complete guide to getting
started with DJ gear. However, there are always new pieces
coming onto the market and others being discontinued. The point
of this work was to give you a great overhead view of each of the
main elements that goes into building your first setup along with
how much you can expect to invest.
Every day there are new ‘used’ pieces placed up on Amazon and
Ebay; it seems like you can constantly find someone selling their
DJ equipment on Craigslist.
What does this mean? People get in and get out. For some, DJing
didn’t turn out to be what they expected. For others, it was
harder to reach a “good point” in their skills. I don’t write this to
discourage you. In fact, see the world of DJing with unlimited
potential as if the road has been cleared and you’re given a
straight shot from so many giving up too soon.
DJing is ever-changing but there is one fundamental rule: people
want to hear great music. Remember that at the end of the day,
people want the experience; they want to go out, have a crazy
night, listen to great tunes, and add to the vibe. Spend less time
focusing on the things that don’t matter such as getting into
debates about proper knob tweaking and spend that time
practicing, digging up awesome tracks, and getting your name
out there. Do big things!
BeginnerDJ is full of great articles on DJing plus there are
additional tips and tricks coming through the email newsletter. On
Facebook you can find people in the community within the BDJ
fan page and there’s always new goodies coming from the rest of
the web so keep your eyes and ears peeled.