DJs?

[Midnight Marauders]

I learned on turntables but I prefer Ableton. I think you should start off on turntables just so you get the whole beat matching thing down and gain an appreciation for "real" djing if you want to call it that.

[bentobox]

I would recommend the Traktor S4 route for plug and play DJ solution for someone starting from scratch.

F4DUUDw3mww

[scientifick]

I learned on turntables but I prefer Ableton. I think you should start off on turntables just so you get the whole beat matching thing down and gain an appreciation for "real" djing if you want to call it that.

must spread; good advice. if you want to take the all digital approach, i'd recommend starting out with one of the newer versions of traktor. research midi controllers online, buy one, and have fun.

[eNonsense]

I use vinyl turntables with a scratch box & traktor, but I bought my equipment before digital mixing existed except for early junky CD tables. If I were starting now, I'd probably use a laptop and some sort of midi controller. Quality turntables and DJ mixers are very expensive in comparison and are pointless unless you plan on collecting vinyl. I've got a buddy with the controller in that video and it seems super solid, but for basic mixing you don't need anything near that complicated. A friend of mine used to just use one of these cheap m-audio controllers, which has enough keys and knobs to map to everything you need.

[ROYALEFATALE]

I want to teach myself how to DJ. What sort of mixer is a good one to start with for a beginner? Also, what sort of program is best to start with for beginners-- Ableton??

i would say go with Traktor over Ableton, it's geared more towards DJing than production, and you can either use the warping within OR do it the old fashion way

[brigibankai]

does anyone know if this mixer has the same infinity cross fader as the 707 and le 909?

Dxs963Id28I

and...

can you innofaderize it?

/yee.

[crucialkc]

I wanna get started but don't know where to begin or what to buy for a beginner setup. Looking to play vinyl but also wouldn't mind being able to use vinyl to control audio files through a laptop. What can I get that will accomplish these things? Thanks!

[brigibankai]

@crucialkc i would really suggest starting with technics turntables. you can get a cheap mixer at first, but ive taught a bunch of people, a number of which had substandard decks at home. and the learning curve of learning to beat match on techs vs "others" is redic crazy. djing is half listening half touching and half crowd reading (when you are doing all 3 at a gig, it's for sure a %150 effort)

(the only other decks i would approve of learning on are vestaxes, but they themselves feel different from techs, and if you practice on vestaxes at home but gig on techs, it might throw you off at first)

you can get techs off craigslist relatively cheap, they are built like tanks, and they hold their resale value so you can almost make your money back if you take care of them but wanna ditch them later on.

buying used, bring someone who can check em out with you. to make sure they are cool. if there isn't any one that can go with you, here are some pointers:

-listen to each deck with headphones. make sure you can hear both channels in the headphones. pan channels on the mixer to make sure. this is because should you choose to move on to a digital dj system, having both channels is essential. having to fix decks are a pain in the butt crack.

-turn the platter on with a record (make sure it's not a warped record) on it and move the record back and forth on the spinning platter. the platter should feel solid. not wobble. and the record should seem to pick up from letting go fairly easy.

- there is a diagram of the platter dots next to the power switch. assuming the power led works, this diagram will indicate if the pitch faders are calibrated/on point. when the pitch fader is at one of the noted rpms, the corresponding dot should appear to stay in place. now, pitch faders get out of whack. its possible you come across some that are a little off at about +6 & -6 ask dude about this. maybe you just have to calibrate yourself (isn't that difficult) maybe dude will lower the price. but the main thing is you want to make sure the pitch faders don't wander.

-when in doubt, ask, if however is selling em is on the up n up, they should be able to answer all your questions. if dude is a dick or shady, you don't have to give him your money.

mixers and all that, you can feel em out... in fact out growing mixers is kinda cool if you keep em as a timeline of progression/nostalgia. in hindsight i wish i kept all the booboo ass mixers i had. they are kinda cool to look at, and work in a pinch if you need to daisy chain ins/outs.

hope that helped!

[crucialkc]

Are there any specific models of turntables I should look out for? Thanks so much dude!

[chubby]

Just buy 1200s.

If you can't swing that, just make sure its at least mag driven and not a belt turntable. U can't DJ with a belt driven table.

[brigibankai]

@crucial the technics sl 1200s are the standard joints. sl1210s have a 0 pitch button. then there are the 1210 mk5 & mk5g, those are the fancy joints. i'd just cop any of those models that i could afford. technics sl1200/1210 = win

[domdomdomdom]

I want to teach myself how to DJ. What sort of mixer is a good one to start with for a beginner? Also, what sort of program is best to start with for beginners-- Ableton??

i would say go with Traktor over Ableton, it's geared more towards DJing than production, and you can either use the warping within OR do it the old fashion way

definitely a different learning curve in djing with ableton (no vis for waveform in session mode? =/ ), plus getting a library into ableton sucks

[brigibankai]

I want to teach myself how to DJ. What sort of mixer is a good one to start with for a beginner? Also, what sort of program is best to start with for beginners-- Ableton??

you could prolly roll with just about any mixer. as long as it has two channels and a headphone jack, you'll be able to learn most of what you need.

that said, i have a special spot in my heart for every incarnation of the vestax 05. you can usually find em for a decent price. if they got an old school alps fader that doesn't bleed, that's cuttin butter right there. despite disparity in the EQ area, it's a good mixer that's hard to grow out of.

i wish i still had mine. but darn it the voices in my head needed drugs.

program?

i'd say hold off a bit, figure out what you wanna do first. traktor is fresh as fuck, but if you thinking about gigging or seshing with your homies, serato is ubiquitous as fuck, and using what other people have is super beneficial from a homey support perspective.

[tredd626]

I wanna get started but don't know where to begin or what to buy for a beginner setup. Looking to play vinyl but also wouldn't mind being able to use vinyl to control audio files through a laptop. What can I get that will accomplish these things? Thanks!

I had this same question but was wondering if learning with CDJ's are worth it? If so are there any beginner set-ups worth looking for? I'm into the trance/progressive/electro scene too if that makes any difference.

[brigibankai]

I had this same question but was wondering if learning with CDJ's are worth it? If so are there any beginner set-ups worth looking for? I'm into the trance/progressive/electro scene too if that makes any difference.

i think it's just up to what format you feel most comfortable with. there is a distinct difference in tactile experience. but vinyl vs cdjs... they do the same thing. if you wanted to learn to scratch though, i might suggest vinyl. other than that, it's just preference as far as mixing goes. especially with the electronic stuff, you can do some things on cdjs that house djs do that you can't really do on straight wax. additionally, the music you are into may not be on vinyl format. if you are looking to incorporate a digital system on top of decks/cdjs, then the setup that feels most comfortable for you would be the best bet.

if you have a guitar center around you should play around till they get tired of you and decide which feels the most fun.

[tredd626]

i think it's just up to what format you feel most comfortable with. there is a distinct difference in tactile experience. but vinyl vs cdjs... they do the same thing. if you wanted to learn to scratch though, i might suggest vinyl. other than that, it's just preference as far as mixing goes. especially with the electronic stuff, you can do some things on cdjs that house djs do that you can't really do on straight wax. additionally, the music you are into may not be on vinyl format. if you are looking to incorporate a digital system on top of decks/cdjs, then the setup that feels most comfortable for you would be the best bet.

if you have a guitar center around you should play around till they get tired of you and decide which feels the most fun.

Would the Pioneer CDJ 200's be fine to start? Thanks for the reply btw!

[5-4=Unity]

i think it's just up to what format you feel most comfortable with. there is a distinct difference in tactile experience. but vinyl vs cdjs... they do the same thing. if you wanted to learn to scratch though, i might suggest vinyl. other than that, it's just preference as far as mixing goes. especially with the electronic stuff, you can do some things on cdjs that house djs do that you can't really do on straight wax. additionally, the music you are into may not be on vinyl format. if you are looking to incorporate a digital system on top of decks/cdjs, then the setup that feels most comfortable for you would be the best bet.

if you have a guitar center around you should play around till they get tired of you and decide which feels the most fun.

I don't know, you didn't touch at all on the fact there's a lot of really good vinyl-only releases, especially if you plan to play electronic dance music.

[AL-9000]

"Tactile control" and I guess the comfort of having a physical library of music aside, I've never really understood the appeal of cdjs over digital (traktor, ableton etc.). More costly, bulkier, not nearly as cool as vinyl, etc.

And now that newer cdj models can also have bpm counters and display waveforms it's even less "real" djing than ever before, which for some reason is still important in people's purchasing decisions.

I guess the only thing is they're ubiquitous in clubs, so if that's where you're eventually trying to get then by all means go for cdjs. But I'm gonna have to assume you want to pick up djing as a hobby and maybe play some parties or something, in which case I'm in full support of going software + controller.

[domdomdomdom]

I don't know, you didn't touch at all on the fact there's a lot of really good vinyl-only releases, especially if you plan to play electronic dance music.

he listens to trance/electro, shouldnt have a vinyl only problem

[tredd626]

no offense to anybody, but i was never a fan of the using a laptop to dj. I guess all of the artists I've watched over the years never used a laptop which makes sense since most of them used to use vinyl. Using more of my ears than my eyes to dj has always been something I'd prefer.

[brigibankai]

Would the Pioneer CDJ 200's be fine to start? Thanks for the reply btw!

ive messed with those once. they get the job done. but imo, you might end up out growing those quick. if you are leaning towards those, check craigslist to see what kind of resale market, if any, there is for those. that will let you know how much you might be able to get for them if you wanna upgrade.

good luck!

[brigibankai]

I don't know, you didn't touch at all on the fact there's a lot of really good vinyl-only releases, especially if you plan to play electronic dance music.

actually, i did mention that some of the music he listened to might not be on vinyl. it's the same thing just in reverse.

for people debating what to use to mix, both djs and decks will allow you to beat match. there is a fair amount of tactile/technical difference in mixing on them that would make me say; if you never intend to mix on turntables, because you don't like how they feel or whatever, you shouldn't have to invest in turntables (or learn how to mix on them) just because some of the music you want to play is on vinyl. if it really matters, you can buy cdjs and have a turntable for ripping wax.

the same goes for reverse, you shouldn't have to buy cdjs/learn to mix on them if you never intend to use them out. i mix primarily on wax/serato. but i had to learn cdjs just because of some gigs where the spots only had cdjs.

but the experience of mixing on cdjs was so different from mixing on wax that i say, for people just learning, find one you like and stick with it till yer tight. don't let the little nuances make you 2nd guess yourself. where there is a will there is a way.

once you learn to mix, you'll get the concepts and mac guyvering through a gig on something foreign: cdjs/decks/vci100/s4 wont be that bad.

this day in age, there isn't anything on wax that you can't get digitally. there are a lot of djs who play strictly braeks, raer groove, soul... on cdjs. and all that comes from strictly wax. from a historical context, it's a bit odd... for lack of a better term, "not keeping it as real", but that's a bunch of bull shit. rocking is rocking is rocking. rock on a numark ipod mixer if you want. as long as you are happy and the crowd is happy, your job is done.

[chubby]

just bought a djm-900

[bentobox]

just bought a djm-900

Great choice.

My latest live recording from my Diamonds event at Filter in Singapore for the F1 weekend. I ended up playing deep past closing time but here is the first hour and a half or so. Set up is 1200s, Scratch Live and DJM 900. Enjoy:

http://soundcloud.com/djbento/dj-bento-live-diamonds-formula

[Midnight Marauders]

^ bet the 16 year old girls loved it.

[bentobox]

pretty sure they were at least 20, but yes, they loved it.

[chubby]

Great choice.

My latest live recording from my Diamonds event at Filter in Singapore for the F1 weekend. I ended up playing deep past closing time but here is the first hour and a half or so. Set up is 1200s, Scratch Live and DJM 900. Enjoy:

http://soundcloud.com/djbento/dj-bento-live-diamonds-formula

^ bet the 16 year old girls loved it.

I thought M.M. was just being a troll but I really hate your track selection. Regardless, there is a place for every kind of DJ, and you're definitely skilled. Mixes and fx are on pint.

The 900 is the best thing ever haha. I am in love with it. I swore I wasn't going to get a pioneer, really wanted an ecler evo4 or an A&H. So glad I didn't.

[Servo2000]

summary for people who don't want to waste 5 minutes skipping through that mix: top 40 remixes.

[DaBestSpoona]

pretty sure they were at least 20, but yes, they loved it.

You been living in Asia long enough to know they mature slower. 20 year old asian girls are like 14 year olds elsewhere.

Also chicks who drink tons of smirnoff ice have shit taste in music. Just saying.

[tredd626]

Going to take a look at a used CDJ 200 that's priced pretty well this weekend and was wondering what exactly I should be looking for to be sure it's worth picking up. I know to make sure to plug in headphones, insert a CD, and make sure all the buttons work, but wanted to ask if there are specific things to check that would give signs of hard usage, not stored safe, etc. This is the first part of DJ equipment I've ever bought, and I'm hoping not to end up with a lemon. Thanks!