Jump to content

advice for buying first dj stuff


Riz603

Recommended Posts

  • Members

hey,

 

i'm thinking about buying some tables. i've been a long time listener to electronic music, and have done a lot of mixing on my computer, but i want to learn how to do it on tables. so my question is what would be a good setup to learn on? i have cash so thats not really an issue. i'd rather spend a little more and get something a bit better, than waste money on a system that i'm going to outgrow quick. are there any good packages i should look into? brands? or used gear that i could find easily? what should one look for in a turntable?

 

also where are good places to build up a record collection? are there any good online sites?

 

thanks in advance!

 

riz

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

If you don't mind spending the money, you can't go wrong with Technics 1200's (MKII's or M3D's) for turntables. They're by far the most commonly used tables and will take good care of you for as long as you take good care of them. Other tables of similar price & quality include the Vestax pdx2000 and Numark TTX1. The vestax is designed more with the turntablist in mind, so if you're not going to be doing any scratchin' and such, it won't suit you quite so well. The Numark has lots of bells & whistles but it's new to the market so it's unproven as far as reliability is concerned and has met with mixed reviews from what I've read. And it's god awful ugly IMHO...

 

Regarding mixers... It depends largely on whether or not you'll be doing any scratching as many of the club style mixers have more gradual cross fader curves that will make getting a fast cut next to impossible. Companies like Pioneer, Rane, Vestax, Allen & Heath, and Ecler all make quality boards. As a general rule I'd say stay away from Numark, Stanton, Gemini, etc... Although there are a few good pieces put out by these companies, by and large their stuff is cheaply built and sounds mediocre at best.

There are tons of different options on mixers that might take quite a while to sort through. If you know what type of music you'll be playing and roughly how much money you want to spend we'll probably be able to help narrow down your optionss a little bit.

 

I'd say stay away from all those "dj in a box" things. They're pretty much all second rate equipment that you'd end up getting rid of anyway. You can get all sorts of stuff used, there are always 1200's and mixers and stuff on ebay. Just be careful what you buy and you should be fine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Gotta agree with 6' on the brands, etc. I only disagree concerning Pioneers packages. They can set you up with a decent system, and matching cases too! I got mine on-line pretty discounted...:D:cool: concerning vinyl, you want to hit college towns, garage sales, and on-line of course. There are special beat lps out there if you prefer that stuff. Good luck, it IS better than working!@!:D :D :cool:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I beatmix electronic music (mostly DnB & House) and I agree, you can't go wrong with Technics 1200's, they are the industry standard in clubs. I picked up a used Pioneer DJM 500 mixer from a friend and it is great--I'd get a DJM 600 or a Rane if I could afford it! You might also want to consider needle cartridges as well--Ortofon's are nice, and Shure makes good ones too.

 

Some pages which might be of interest to you.

http://rane.com/djpage.html

http://djmart.com/

 

Rekkids:

http://groovetech.com

http://satelliterecords.com/

http://dancerecords.com/

http://breakbeatscience.com/

 

Peace out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

Originally posted by 6ftabovsealevel



Timing issues? Please elaborate...

 

 

The reset button...

Its more confusing then it is helpful. The pitch controller doesn't move when you tap the button. So no matter where the pitch controller is, the pitch will stay the same until you hit the reset button again. It can get extremely confusing, especially when your doing fancy stuff.

 

And there was supposedly a problem on the early mk3's with pitch timing. I was told that once while at a record shop. The guy said that it would be off compared to the mk2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the reset button is more confusing then it is helpful. For those of you that have no idea what I'm talking about, the reset button is located next to the pitch control switch. It can bring the pitch controler back to the middle with one click of the button. Sounds like a good thing , right? The bad part is that the controler doesn't move when you tap the button. So no matter where the pitch controler is the pitch will stay the same until you hit the reset button again. And that can get extremely confusing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

except that it's been part of every non technics turntable for years.. What's confusing about it? Press the button, it's at zero, and will be locked at zero no matter where you move the pitch fader. Press the button again, unlocked.

 

if that confuses you, you're doing way too many drugs.

 

keep in mind folks, this is the ONLY thing technics have added to their decks in the last decade. lazy bastards.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Originally posted by djsynrgy

keep in mind folks, this is the ONLY thing technics have added to their decks in the last decade.

 

Let's not forget that extra headshell holder thing...:rolleyes:

 

I don't see where the confusion comes from either. I may have touched it all of twice in the years I've had my m3d's... For most people it's just nice to have because it gets rid of the click in the middle of the pitch fader...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...