alec

so im finally going to get into Djing.. i've been listening to hip hop/electronica/trip hop/etc. for all my life but now want to get into it.

i was wondering if anyone knew good places to get stuff and if had any recommendations equipment wise

thanks

-alec

IC3

For Turn Tables go with Technic 1200's...I like those best...But that's just me

As far as Mixers go...It all depends on what you want, I just had some shitty as mixer that got the job done.

It's a very expensive hobby..When I was spinning, I was spending about 3 or 4 bills a week on Vinyl.

Have you ever tried Spinning before?

It's not as easy as it seems...You have to learn all your tracks like the back of your hand, Knowing when the beat may stop or drop...So you can do little mixes and add things to the track from the record you are going to mix into next.

It's something you have to learn yourself, You can't be taught how to spin...You can be given tips on certain things...But you have to create your own style and shit like that.

Depending on if your gonna be doing any Scratching or not...Needles can get very pricey, When I first started spinning..I bought the Cheapest needles I could get and it cost me about 150 or 175 dollars. You can pay up to 4 bills for 1 needle...

I'm not trying to bring you down..I am just trying to give you a perspective about the whole thing.

Oh ya...Never go to the record shops if you don't plan on buying, Cause you just kick yourself in the ass for not having any money to grab that 1 record you have been looking for, For the longest time.

Jdoe

For a few years now Pioneer has been making very good top of the line equipment. They're HDJ-1000 headphones are very nice, and they're new line of players are getting even better.

Don't limit yourself to vinyl only, by the way. Even some of the top guys are starting to 'spin' in new formats. Oh, and yes those technics are kinda considered the 'classic' turntables.

Definitely check out new formats, and take a look at a lot of the dj forums out there. I won't link any, as most forums don't like that kind o' stuff!

Be prepared to spend some money as well, good DJ equipment is not cheap.

Jdoe

zfleebin

Technics should cost you about $400-$450 each and I prefer vestax for mixers( some are as cheap as $150 but those have the cheapie fader thats not too good for scratching)
Headphones just need to be loud and cover your whole ear.
As for buying things check out www.pssl.com (for hardware), www.guitarcenter.com (for hardware), www.satelliterecords.com (for vinyl but make good friends with your ups guy because vinyl melts and doesnt like being mistreated)
Also you can spin cds but scratching doesnt sound or feel the same and youd be better off starting with tables so you can get the feel of vinyl which is still the preferred format and will be for a while. Any other questions you can pm me.

Glad-I-Ate-Her

Here are some helpful sites:

http://www.djtimes.com/
http://www.djmixed.com/
http://www.hottracks.com/
http://www.planetdj.com/
http://www.panasonic.com/consumer_el...dj/default.asp
http://ultimix.com/
www.perfectbeat.com

I prefer Rahne mixers. Crown amps are work horses for mobil.

Have fun.
Glad

__________________
I'm "Glad I Ate Her" because the payback was worth it!!

Magpie0001

Before I go on I gotta point out that the following:

You dont need to spend that much if youre starting out, Learning on crappy tables (anything beltdrive) is ok. But, If youre serious, you will eventually have to pay for something more substantial.

I started on 1 turntable and a mixer setup like this:



Ok, lets get on.

Ive been Dj'ing for about 7 years.
Right now Im using all Vestax gear.

Setup at the mo looks something like this:


MIXER:

First Question is whether you want to scratch or not (I do).
If you do a "Battle" mixer (like mine) is what you need. Its got lots of space to move around & the main controls are unclutterd. A couple of other features of a battle bixer are recessed screws (so ya dont rip your hands up) & very importantly the crossfader. I wont bore you with the details, basically a good smooth crossfader is essential for scratching.

If your into straight mixing crossfader quality isnt that much of an issue because youll tend to move slowly from one track to the other (compared to turntablism). Ive mixed techno using only upfaders many times. With techno mixers a good EQ is advisable(lotsa twiddly knobs).

TABLES

Go to any Dj Forum & youll find a million threads about Technics Vs Vestax (or Numark, or Stanton or whatever) tables.
It breaks down like this:

Technics
They have been around forEVAR, They are industry standard & If you go to a club chances are youll be standing infront of Technics. They were what the first Dj's used back in the 70's. They were originally a hi-end turntable but the DJ's changed all that. In the 20+ years since they appeared they have changed very little, a couple of tweaks here & there but basically the same as the original 1200's. Alot of Dj's will slit your throat if you diss Technics.

Vestax
I prefer Vestax for the following reasons:
Higher torque than Technics (pulling power basically).
+/-60 pitch (Technics +/-12)
Reverse play (you can buy a kit for reverse play on Technics)
Adjustable start & break speeds.
ASTS tonearm. (almost unskippable short straight tonearm)
High density anti feedback casing.
IMO they fucking rule (is that a reason?)

Having said all that Its just my opinion & I would be quite happy spinnin on a pair of Tech's.

When It comes to the serious money I wouldnt advise buying anything except Vestax or Technics. I have heard alot of good things about Stanton & Rane (mixers) but I dont have first hand experience so I cant really comment.

Other stuff
Practise, It takes time to learn. Even when you get mixing down you still have alot to learn. There is a huuuuge number of crap Dj's out there.
SAY NO TO BEATCOUNTERS
ENJOY

__________________
Music is my first love & It will be my last.

alec

ok, sounds good, im trying to find used technics on ebay.... vinyl too there...

anyone have advice on where to buy a good mixer?

thanks,
alec

Magpie0001

New or used??

New: HERE?

Edit: You didnt tell us what type of tunez youre planning on spinning?

__________________
Music is my first love & It will be my last.

alec

i plan on spinning trance/psytrance/goa/house, but less so house

-alec

Jadey

I envy you. I don't have the $ to pick this up, but listening to a good Dj spin is the equivalent of listening to a great guitar or drum solo for me. There are hardly any clubs with DJ that use vinyl where I am, but it's something I dream about doing.

My friends get pissed at me if we go to a club and I rip the DJ, but just like any type of musician, you have good ones and you have bad ones. You've got to be able to flow seamlessly from disk to disk and keep the mood going, otherwise your not doing your job.


Good luck!

mepitans

www.turntablelab.com has always been reliable for me. They have everything you need.

If money is an issue I would suggest getting one nice table and a mixer, then another nice table whenever you get the money, then a nicer mixer. If you get low quality tables you will end up selling them for little to no money and having to buy nice ones once you get more skilled.

1200s are the standard(and my personal favorites).

Magpie0001

Just out of curiosity mepitas, Have you tried Vestax?

__________________
Music is my first love & It will be my last.

alec

So does anyone know where I can buy used technics 1200?

thanks,
alec

mepitans

No, I hear the PDX2000 are mighty nice though. With high end tables like the PDX2000 and 1200s I doubt you can feel much of a difference, it is more about durability which I know 1200s kick ass for(not sure either way about the Vestax). I think the Vestax have some extra bells and whistles too, but I didn't let that factor into my purchase since I could do all the stuff that it had by hand if I wanted to.

PulpMind

woah, why didn't you say so!
okay, everyone gave great advice, but considering what you're going to be spinning FORGET what everyone has told you.
I'm an avid psychedelic trance/goa fan, and a DJ of it. I started off trying to go with the standard all-American way of buying two Technics and vinyl, until I realized that I was stupid... psychedelic trance, unlike other electronic genras, has it's roots in tapes, DATs, and (now) CDs. It has no relation the the vinyl culture, and very little is available on vinyl. Besides, noone wants to lug 200lbs of vinyl to a beach in India and have all their music melt.

So, on that note.. If you NEED to buy a setup, I would suggest getting a package deal setup of CDJs. You can find some pretty sweet deals on the net, but www.animallshops.com seems to have consistently low prices. The CDJ100's are fine, and will get you off on the right foot very inexpensively. I think you can buy a package with them, a DJM300, headphones, and a flightcase for like $600..?.. and that's all fairly decent quality gear that won't loose all it's worth when you try to sell it in a year (when you either quit or upgrade=).
HOWEVER, if you can just practice on a friend's tables/CDJs, before investing, then, by all means, DO IT. It's the best way.

And don't buy music in lots off ebay. That's shitty music. Just keep buying music the same way, I hope, you've been buying it since the day you could sing. Buy what you love. Play what you love. Noone is successful or has fun doing something that doesn't follow what they love.

Good luck! If you're in the Seattle area, give me a shot... good trance shows comming up...

Magpie0001

I hate to say it but I think I agree with PulpMind on this. As much as I dislike CDJ'ing (ask me why) maybe it would be your best bet. I think vinyl is best but I would like to get my hands on one CD deck to go together with my TT's for pretty much the same reason (cant get my hands on the wax) . I will warn this though, Do not under any circumstances rely on beatcounters to mix for you.
Happy spinning

__________________
Music is my first love & It will be my last.

PulpMind

for every other genra of electronic music, vinyl is the way to go... techno, house, foofy trance, club, nrg, DnB, WHATEVER...
but for Psychedelic Trance / Goa, vinyl just isn't an option.

alec

yah, i was tracking an auction for infected mushroom LP's on Ebay (2 of them), and the final bidding came to around 90 bones... wowzers

-alec