Members The Pro Posted December 31, 2007 Members Share Posted December 31, 2007 I've been using my laptop and some freebie software to DJ but it's time for me to get more serious, so I'm thinking about a new rig and especially a new DJ mixer and a media player of some sort. Ideally I'd like to leave the laptop at home I think - keep it as a backup option. I am a Numark fan so several of my options listed are Numark but I'm open to anything worthwhile. Here's some thoughts: 1. I'm a wedding DJ so a "battle rig" isn't necessary. In fact, I'd rather have no turntables or CD players if I can help it. Scratching is not necessary but I would like to do cueing and beat matching. Small portable easy one-man rig is the goal, rack-mountable preferred. 2. I already have an SKB DJ Shuttle case with a small Mackie mixer in it (prolly going away). The top slant area is 8u so I'd like to fit a media player and mixer in that space. Tight fit I know, and I'm open to changing my approach altogether. I have 4u available in the bottom front but would like to mount a wireless mic and a light controller there which leaves 2u available. I can change the rack completely if necessary. 3. So far the leading media and mixer contenders are the Numark D2 Director and Numark DM1295 mixer. They happen to fit the 8u rack space and I like the idea of MP3 files on a hard drive or flash drive instead of CD's (or using my laptop). BTW: I have a 160GB iPod for backup that can be used as well. The mixer has talkover features, stereo EQ and a small sampler... good basic features. I was looking at the Numark iDJ2 since I had a maxed out iPod but it seems very limited as a mixer - only one 1/4" mic input, no FX. And I like the Numark iCDX but I think I'd rather have the D2 Director for not much more money since it's rack-mountable. Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Khazul Posted January 4, 2008 Members Share Posted January 4, 2008 If you doing wedding sets, then TBH an IDJ2 would be fine (I have one now). Actually every mobile Dj set Ive seen in the last 6 months in pubs/hotels/private parties etc could have been done on one. none of those guys ever do anything more than beat match (if your lucky) and fade, barely any even bother with EQ fades. Anyway the iDJ2 is something I got more to mess with at home and as I often get asked to DJ local parties and the like. As you say - no fx, and worse it doesnt even have an insert for sticking your own fx inline, so if you wanted to use a KP3 for eg, then you would need another box to level the PA feed. It actually works best when you plug a large USB2 hard drive into it - Im using it with a 160GB USB powered HD. Did a set at an after-party with it in NY eve - mix of trance, prog house and electro house went down fine. I do have a whole bunch of issue with it - not stuff that really wrong, just really stuff that I would have designed differently had I been its designer. Some of it is I guess Im more used to pioneer's view of the DJing world than numarks...??? Else - soz - usual suggestion - couple of CDJ400s and a DJM 600 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members The Pro Posted January 4, 2008 Author Members Share Posted January 4, 2008 Thanks for the input. I really think there should be a Numark "iDJ2 Pro", and maybe there will be. But for me the shortcomings of the iDJ2 just help to highlight the advantages of a real DJ mixer + media player, especially since they can be rack-mounted together along with a rack-mount USB hard drive for a rugged all-in-one pro gig setup. I still think the iDJ2 is a neat idea and is still a tempting buy, but it's not what I need. Glad it works for you... I can certainly see it used as a party player. Unless something pops up soon my rig will likely wind up being the Numark DM1295 mixer and the D2 Director. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Harold Hood Posted January 4, 2008 Members Share Posted January 4, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Marshall Jeffer Posted January 4, 2008 Members Share Posted January 4, 2008 instead of gear why not just get pro DJ software like Ableton, Serrato, or Traktor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members The Pro Posted January 5, 2008 Author Members Share Posted January 5, 2008 Several reasons for not using a laptop: * Laptops are expensive, even more so when you add software, controller and audio interface. And I would still need a mixer with it. A media player like the Numark D2 Director costs $500. * Laptops are less secure than rack-mount gear. I have gigs coming up where I will need to setup the gear in advance and leave it. Today I went ahead and got my Numark D2 Director and a Denon X500 mixer. I'm in business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members The Pro Posted January 7, 2008 Author Members Share Posted January 7, 2008 Couldn't resist posting a picture of my newly completed DJ rig: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Khazul Posted January 8, 2008 Members Share Posted January 8, 2008 Nice - very neat Good choice of disco ball too On top of the projector - left side. Now you need some lasers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members The Pro Posted January 8, 2008 Author Members Share Posted January 8, 2008 Ha! Spencer Gifts comes through again! That little disco ball with LED's works great... I may have to pickup another one for my studio... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Celebration! Posted February 20, 2008 Members Share Posted February 20, 2008 Pro, what do you have on the horizontal section of your console..I see a furman (is it a power conditioner?) what else? is this still your SKB console? which one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members The Pro Posted February 21, 2008 Author Members Share Posted February 21, 2008 The case is an SKB "DJ Shuttle" - 8U on top and 4U on the front. The very top unit in the rack is an Elation DMX light controller, and beneath that are my Denon X500 DJ mixer and the Numark D2 Director. On the front: beneath the Furman power conditioner are: 1. An old ADA analog delay unit - used for vocal FX but will likely be replaced later my a half-rack wireless mic and a half-rack multi-effects unit. 2. Behringer Ultrafex Pro EX3200. It's a stereo spatial effect and bass processor. It "expands" the stereo image and fattens the bass. 3. Rane stereo 31-band EQ. To compensate for room acoustics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.