How to Buy Your First DJ Equipment: 13 Steps (with Pictures)

2024 Author: Jason Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 10:50

If you want to be able to control the dance floor, you have to be behind the turntables. Being a DJ is an exciting challenge, but the sheer amount of equipment and options can be overwhelming for a beginner. Luckily, you can learn about solid digital or analog setups, which will help ensure you have all the gear you need to have a great playlist and get people dancing. See Step 1 to learn more information.

Step

Method 1 of 2: Buying a Traditional Vinyl Setting

Step 1. Purchase a turntable with two direct-drives

Any basic DJ setup should have two record players so you can play one song while simultaneously adjusting the beat of another, perform cross-fading, scratching, and do all the little tricks that make DJing an art. Without simultaneous turntables, playing vinyl records and getting to the beat is difficult. Turntables are the most important thing to buy.

• A good turntable for beginners is the Audio Technica 1240. It costs less than the high-end AT outputs, but the quality is still good. This turntable also uses a USB input as a digital-analog interface. This record player is perfect for DJs who are just learning.

  

• You shouldn't buy a belt-drive turntable to be a DJ. While turntables like these are really useful for listening to vinyl records at home, belt-drive turntables involve a separate motor that drives the soap gum, which is used to play the disc and the record. This means you cannot scratch or pause the record player while the disc is playing. The direct-drive motor is attached directly to the dish, making it ideal for DJs.

  

Step 2. Purchase the right pre-amp for your turntable if needed

Depending on the record player, you may need a pre-amp to improve the sound. Some record players have their own pre-amp which makes the other external variations look outdated, but check it out for yourself. When buying a turntable, make sure you find out if you also need a pre-amp.

• Pre-amp prices can range from IDR 650,000, 00-Rp 6,500,000, 00. While this isn't the most important item in your DJ set, a quality pre-amp has a lot to do with the sound quality you'll get. Without good quality sound, there would be no dancing. Consider these factors when purchasing your equipment.

  

Step 3. Purchase the necessary hard vinyl fixtures

Since a record player is actually a needle scraping through a piece of vinyl to produce sound, there are many little things that can help maximize the sound quality and lifespan of your instrument. You have to balance many things at once. Here are the things you will need:

• record cleaning fluid and vinyl brush

  

• stylus and extra cartridge

  

• non-slip rug for turntables

  

• RCA cables

  

• power strip out

  

• good quality pair of headphones

  

Step 4. Buy a mixer

An entry-level mixer, such as the Vestax, is a great example of connecting two turntables and using them interchangeably. The mixer is an essential component of any DJ equipment. When someone plays a record and does a cool flip-switch trick while scratching, know that the effect can come from a mixer. You can adjust the fade between the two channels, adjust the volume, and make other adjustments as needed. Most of the tricks you can read here.

Step 5. Consider buying your own PA loudspeakers

If you want to be truly independent-a wild party hitter-you need to invest in buying your own speakers. Mackies or Behringers brands can cost anywhere from around Rp. 1,300,000,00 to much more. Think about the size of the room you are performing in and the type of sound you have to deal with. Invest in some quality speakers.

If you're trying to DJ at an event or other venue with its own PA speakers, you can resist buying them (they're expensive). However, if you are going to play at parties, provide your own speakers. Don't take the risk of using a home entertainment sound system. Buy some high-quality speakers that will make the most of your playlist

Step 6. Consider investing in a starter pack for DJs

Audio Technica and other brands usually sell this starter pack, which is a set of turntables, mixers, and other equipment needed to start a DJ career, for a relatively low price than buying them separately. In general, the quality of this package is low, but that is precisely what makes it suitable for beginners: you still don't know the difference.

Packages like this usually sell for around $15,000,000.00, and are a good option if you're not an expert audiophile with varying opinions on the type of equipment you'd like to try

Step 7. Start collecting some vinyl records

A collection of good and unique vinyl records will make visitors dance. Start visiting cheap and trusted places where vinyl sells, and learn about the kinds of music no one has heard before, apart from the latest dance and electronic songs.

• Visit secondhand record stores regularly, but don't overlook flea stores, thrift markets, and house sales for the best deals. The library also sells their old stock and has a vinyl-filled basement for sale on the cheap.

  

• Thai psychedelic funk ? Mexican psych rock ? Those cool vinyls are waiting for you to discover. Start learning to identify the record labels you like and who make good vinyl records, even if you've never heard of them. When you see something from that label at a low price, buy it right away.

  

• Treat your record collection like an investment. If you buy something that doesn't impress, sell it for more than it did when you bought it, then use the money to find another work. Grow your collection slowly and keep only the best works. Vinyl collectors are very diverse, so start participating!

  

Method 2 of 2: Starting Digital Vinyl Setup

Step 1. Purchase a CD turntable

If you want to jump right into modern technology and start being one of the DJs who shine using a Macbook on stage, buy a quality CD turntable.

• What's the good news? These tools are incredibly versatile, useful, and can store an amazing variety of music. You'll have thousands of songs ready to play, beats ready to mix, and verses in unusual combinations, instead of just being stuck with a box full of heavy vinyl records that you have to lug to the club if using a traditional setup.
• What's the bad news? This equipment is expensive. The cheapest ones can run up to around Rp. 9,000,000.00, so investing in a traditional setup sounds really cheap. For this reason, many digital DJs choose to plug in their laptops and play the sound files live, or use Ableton Live..

Step 2. Purchase some software for DJs

Serato Scratch Live or Traktor Scratch are digital DJ packages that allow you to do everything a vinyl DJ can do on mixers and turntables, using just a computer. The tactile touches available won't be the same, but you can still expect many different types of sounds and effects, especially if you have a digital turntable or other means of mixing sounds manually.

Step 3. Consider purchasing a digital turntable controller

There are some devices called DJ controllers, which are similar to video game controllers (you can plug them into your computer). This controller doesn't play music on its own, but you can use it to simulate mixing tricks on a real turntable, but only while playing MP3 files or other songs from your computer setup.

Step 4. Just connect your computer with some speakers

At the most basic level, being a digital DJ means connecting your computer to quality speakers and hitting the play button on a playlist you've prepared. This isn't the most fun way to play a DJ set, as it doesn't allow you to read the mood of the audience or get the skills and touch that analog DJs have. However, it is an option that is becoming increasingly popular in modern times.

Step 5. Purchase a digital interface

Regardless of the type of turntable you use, if you want to take advantage of the software while performing on stage, you'll need to purchase a digital interface that can be connected to the RCA port on your hardware using the USB port on your computer. Most of these digital interfaces will also contain software for DJs, such as the Traktor branded ones.

Step 6. Purchase an external drive

Always copy your songs on an external drive that you can take on the go and hassle-free with your software or computer. Seagate's one TB hard drives are so handy and handy and easy to use that they're a good investment for storing digital audio files.

Tips

• Always buy direct drive turntables with start/stop buttons and pitch control. Also make sure your CD player has this capability as well as the cue function.
• Becoming a digital DJ (using a laptop) may be a cheaper option, as you can download the songs separately for a low cost. Digital DJ is the best way if your laptop has a large storage capacity or you can buy a high capacity external HDD. Also make sure you have a good enough program and an extra audio jack, depending on the needs and capabilities of your equipment.
• Learn to use the equipment before operating it. This means you have to read the user manual, ask the seller questions, and learn the playing volume of each song.
• A good starter mixer is the Behringer BCD2000/BCD3000 because it has a USB connection to a computer – you don't need an additional audio connection – and it has pretty good software.
• If you're lucky enough to know an experienced DJ, ask questions about the equipment (and brands) he or she recommends. If he doesn't mind demonstrating the techniques to use it, that's even better. You may even be able to buy their used equipment cheaply or borrow it to accumulate experience.
• You can attach the mixer to your home stereo or boom box if you don't have speakers for a professional DJ.
• Don't buy the all-in-one DJ package. You may be able to find the separate components, of better quality and lower prices elsewhere. Try buying from a seller who allows you to use it and return the item if you're not satisfied. Most electronic products are non-returnable once opened.
• Purchase an amplifier that can deliver 1.5 times the recommended RMS wattage for your speakers.
• Check local record stores and CD exchange communities to help you get started with lots of popular music. Consider renting equipment before buying and using a permanent one.
• When buying a turntable, never choose a belt-drive type. Turntables like this don't have enough swivel power for a DJ and can't be stopped. Don't buy a home stereo speaker system or for a computer if you want to DJ outside. Most of these loudspeakers cannot handle the demands of professional speakers.
• If buying used equipment, make sure the seller always takes the time to install it and show that it is still functioning smoothly.
• We are in the modern DJ world, so controllers are a good alternative. Do your research and try to DJ with what you already have instead of buying an expensive professional setup.