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Need help starting


SATURN5

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I am aspiring to be a DJ, but I need some help starting off. I like trance and drum&bass primarily. I need some help finding some good, cheap equipment, preferably that is expandable, and some help learning how to use it. If anyone could make any suggestions, it would be much appreciated. I am looking at the Korg Electribes right now. Thanks.

 

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-SATURN5

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what does a korg electribe have to do with dnb/trance dj'ing?

 

if dj'ing is what you want to do you need:

2 turntables

2 carts

2 slipmats

1 mixer

something to amplify the signal, be it a home stereo with inputs or an amp and some speakers

records

 

the korg electribe is a crappy sampler/drum machine, which is used for production, if you want to produce i suggest a good sampler as this is the cornerstone of any serious studio, like an e-mu e6400.

 

sadly none of this {censored} is cheap and if you're just starting out i suggest you do NOT cheap out on equipment now as it will just prove more costly to replace later (basicly any "beginner" {censored} sucks and you'd just be throwing your money away on it). it's better to take your time and do it right, save up and buy 1 technics sl1200mkII for like $420, then buy carts and slipmats, then a mixer (you can get a cheaper mixer, you'll probably just replace it later anyway, you won't replace the tables, if you get 1200's they will stay throughout your life). then buy the 2nd turntable. oh yead and throw some headphones in there.

 

for beginner {censored} getting into production i suggest going the software route as hardware is very expensive. try reason or a soft sampler.

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I should have been more clear. I am interested in mixing, and producing. I know somewhat about it, just not a lot. I do have some loops and Acid Pro 3.0, Sound Forge 5.0, and Cool Edit, and i also have Reason (though i dont have a midi controller and cant use it). But I am really looking for some hardware, because that makes it easier to do live sets, and i personally think it is easier to do things on hardware than software. But i would really like reccomendations on what to get, because there are so many products, and i dont know anyone experienced enough to give me tips on some nice equipment to start off with.

 

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-SATURN5

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Ae5, I am going through the DJ start-up ye talked about.

The first thing I did was start buying up records so I have

something to spin. Meanwhile I have been shopping for other things.

I just purchased Technics DJ1200 headphones, and have been shopping

for Tech 12's on Ebay. I am wondering if you can recommend a fairly cheap mixer that will do the job for a year or two while I learn what I am doing and just throwing minor house parties. Also can you explain cartridges and the differences? I was shopping for those and saw them go for anywhere from 30 - 150+.

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And to reply to the original post, you need to be more specific what you are looking for. As for synths I have used and loved a Korg Triton, and Alesis also makes nice keys, but those are probably out of your price range. If you are buying hardware I seriously suggest saving up as much as you can. There is a huge gap between the cheap and good synths and samplers. If you use cheap hardware your dnb and trance are going to sound like techno from about 5 years ago and good DJs will be loathe to play your records. I suggest saving up and/or get some good software. Software is really the way things are going anyway. I would recommend ditching Acid Pro and obtaining Logic Platinum 5, as well as some native instruments and Reaktor/Reason.

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Originally posted by SATURN5:

I should have been more clear. I am interested in mixing, and producing. I know somewhat about it, just not a lot. I do have some loops and Acid Pro 3.0, Sound Forge 5.0, and Cool Edit, and i also have Reason (though i dont have a midi controller and cant use it). But I am really looking for some hardware, because that makes it easier to do live sets, and i personally think it is easier to do things on hardware than software. But i would really like reccomendations on what to get, because there are so many products, and i dont know anyone experienced enough to give me tips on some nice equipment to start off with.


 

you're not going to get hardware that can contend with reason for under $1500.

 

see you have a problem, you want the world (to produce and spin) without having to pay for it, a decent dj setup will run you $1500 by itself, and to start a studio for production you need about $5000 to do it all with hardware (decent computer [preferably a powermac] with {censored}loads of ram and a 2nd very large hard drive, a good sequencer program like digital performer, logic, or cubase, a controler keyboard (any keyboard with a midi out) a midi interface for your computer, a good sampler ($1500-$4500), a mixing desk, an amp, and monitors, and this is just to get going)

 

i did go this route and it took me about 2 years to afford everything. here's a picture of my studio:

studio.jpg

 

honestly if cost is a factor stick to reason, master it, then get max/msp and master that, then if you want hardware to perform live save up for a g4 powerbook and use max/msp live on it. trust me, i blew all my money on hardware and look around at fellow producers who are doing the exact same {censored} on software that costs 1/10th what i spent. everyone is moving in that direction.

 

you get what you pay for with cheap hardware, trust me.

 

also in my opinion a triton is a complete waste of money, a good sampler is a much better idea (it can make all the sounds of the triton, plus sounds the triton cannot make and has 8 outputs expandable to 16 and all kinds of upgradable features)

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Originally posted by GoldSeraph:

Ae5, I am going through the DJ start-up ye talked about.

The first thing I did was start buying up records so I have

something to spin. Meanwhile I have been shopping for other things.

I just purchased Technics DJ1200 headphones, and have been shopping

for Tech 12's on Ebay. I am wondering if you can recommend a fairly cheap mixer that will do the job for a year or two while I learn what I am doing and just throwing minor house parties. Also can you explain cartridges and the differences? I was shopping for those and saw them go for anywhere from 30 - 150+.

 

 

right now http://123dj.com is having a {censored}ing awesome sale on technics sl1200mkII's for $399, i would definately look into that. as far as dj carts go in my opinion (and the opinions of many other dj's) ortofons are the best. ortofons are also usually really expensive (if you get the concord ones) but there are 2 versions to most ortofon carts, the concords and the om's, the concords are the long ones that have no headshell, you just plug the cart right in where the headshell goes, and the om's are the very same needle only in headshell mountable form, i've heard bad things about the concords having problems with one side shorting out, losing connection with the connector and either your right or left channel will drop out, and the om's don't have this problem, the om's also happen to be half the price of the concords, so i seriously suggest looking into some ortofon om dj carts. as for a mixer http://123dj.com has a vestax PCV-003 Pro D for $179 which would suit you fine.

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Originally posted by engine505:

Hey, Nice setup.


Looks like a sm58 in the foreground


 

 

thanks

yea it's an sm58 in the foreground and a sennheiser md421 in the background (in front of the dj mixer). here's a list of the equipment in the picture:

 

e-mu e4xt ultra sampler

behringer headphone amp

alesis dm5

motu 2408mkII core system

powermac g4 400mhz (agp) with 1.2 gigs of ram and a 2nd 30 gig glyph hd

running digital performer

cd cyclone dvd revo cd/dvd burner

cheap ass scsi cd-rom drive for the sampler

yahama sy22 (controller)

allen&heath mix wizard 16:dx mixing desk

tannoy reveal monitors

motu fastlane midi interface

shure sm58

sennheiser md421

2 technics sl1200mkII's w/ortofon om dj carts

vestax pmc25 mixer (buying a pmc07 soon)

records

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Alright, well, thanks for the help. I think I will just go the software route, it seems a lot better. There is one thing though, and that is money. Being only 15, I cant really get a job, much less a well paying one. If i was going to start just doing house parties, and try to make money to get some remix and production equipment, what would I need to do? Also if anyone has any cheap keyboard or MIDI controller reccomendations it would be very helpful. I live in austin, TX, so if anyone knows any local places I could go for deals on equip and records, that would be great. Thanks for all of the help.

 

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-SATURN5

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hey saturn>

i live in san antonio. did you go to 420drum and bass??

if youre looking for some gear I would recomend buying a gemini or numark package, unless your somebody who refuses to be seen with less than optimal gear. You can pick one up for around $450 it includes two direct drive tables, a mixer that is practically useless, two standard cartridges, two slipmats and a thirty minute commercial on how to begin. When it comes to production, stick with software, i just got Reason yesterday and am trying to learn more about midi performance setups, but for tables buy a package deal and get something better when you can afford it.

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I have not seen good things from Gemini turntables. I know everyone says this, but I would seriously try getting a job and saving up for Technics 1200's. They will last you for years, hell I know people who have had the same tech 12's for 15 years with few to no problems. The cheap direct drive tables seem to fall apart and are not well built. Definitely do not even think about a belt drive table. The Vestax pdx 2000 is also a nice table, they seem technically superior to the technics 1200 but they do not have the 30 year track record technics does.

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Originally posted by ae5:

cheap ass scsi cd-rom drive for the sampler

 

Slightly OT, but what CD-Rom drive do you use for you Emu? I just picked up an E5Kultra that I'll be upgrading for the next few years, and I'm debating either getting an external CD-rom, or getting a SCSI card for my computer...or both. I decided against the external HD, because they're way too expensive :( The internal IDE is a nice price though (your 4K probably came with one though).

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Originally posted by SATURN5:

Alright, well, thanks for the help. I think I will just go the software route, it seems a lot better. There is one thing though, and that is money. Being only 15, I cant really get a job, much less a well paying one. If i was going to start just doing house parties, and try to make money to get some remix and production equipment, what would I need to do? Also if anyone has any cheap keyboard or MIDI controller reccomendations it would be very helpful. I live in austin, TX, so if anyone knows any local places I could go for deals on equip and records, that would be great. Thanks for all of the help.


 

 

the chance of you at age 15 getting a dj in a box kit and using it to learn to mix and making enough money from parties to buy production equipment is slimmer than your chance of winning the lottery. just get what you can afford. i recommend starting off with producing on software, or even with just 1 good turntable, enabling you to buy vinyl and get a decent collection together so that when you finally buy a 2nd table and mixer you have some records to spin.

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Originally posted by Pitchfork^666:

Slightly OT, but what CD-Rom drive do you use for you Emu? I just picked up an E5Kultra that I'll be upgrading for the next few years, and I'm debating either getting an external CD-rom, or getting a SCSI card for my computer...or both. I decided against the external HD, because they're way too expensive
:(
The internal IDE is a nice price though (your 4K probably came with one though).

 

it's some pre configured used thing i got from this guy you can e-mail at: PuckettJp@aol.com

 

be forwarned, the vast majority of cd rom drives DO NOT work with emu samplers. they pretty much only work with older cd rom drives. this guy CAN sell you one that works. you can't use the one in your computer either.

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