What to get

scop

I know these threads come up quite a bit, but I've something of a dilemma.

I've been pondering whether to try my hand at djing for a while, but I've finally got some money together and xmas is of course coming up.

I've never tried it before, but I have two options. Either buy decks and a mixer in that old school kind of way or else get a laptop for xmas and then have a set up around that (dj software etc.).

I've looked through threads, but usually people have their minds made up about which direction to in. I'm leaning toward laptop, but the set up seems complicated! On the other hand decks are just cool no? But increasingly becoming somewhat obsolete to all the technology...

jimi_t

scop wrote: »

I know these threads come up quite a bit, but I've something of a dilemma.

I've been pondering whether to try my hand at djing for a while, but I've finally got some money together and xmas is of course coming up.

I've never tried it before, but I have two options. Either buy decks and a mixer in that old school kind of way or else get a laptop for xmas and then have a set up around that (dj software etc.).

I've looked through threads, but usually people have their minds made up about which direction to in. I'm leaning toward laptop, but the set up seems complicated! On the other hand decks are just cool no? But increasingly becoming somewhat obsolete to all the technology...

I'd go with decks personally - it's purely subjective of course, and the more hardcore laptop devotees will argue that stability and tactile control has progressed to the point where its not an issue.

In terms of what to get - 1210s for Vinyl or CDJ-800/1000s for CD if you have the cash. They're the industry standard for a reason. Industry standard mixers are generally either the Pioneer DJM series or some of the offerings from Allen and Heath, particularly the Xone series.

Of course this depends on what you're DJ'ing. Obviously if its hip-hop or such, a battlemixer with a suitable crossfader is needed - something I'm not particularly au fait.

(btw Vinyl Decks will never be obsolete. Analog gear always has something going for it in terms of sound versus digital 'sterility' - Hip Hop in particular is vinyl dominated for virtue of the tactile nature of the media. Some pedant will probably point out some hip hop producer who uses a CDJ or laptop based setup, but it would be the exception rather than the rule.)

jonny68

I recommend the set up we have, Technics 1210's (although Vestax are technically probably better) Gemini CS-02 Pro 5 channel club mixer (might be a bit complicated for someone starting out though)and a good laptop & Serato Scratch which is amazing, you just drag and drop your MP3's, and play the decks like normal, it takes a bit of getting used to but once you do i can definitely recommend it.:cool:

Helix

if you intend on spending €15 per track, then get vinyl decks
if you intend on spending max €2 per track, get cd/go digital

copeyhagen

hav to agree with helix, no matter wot the vinyl junkies say, vinyl is dying a slow death. fook paying 10 sterling for each track u wanna get sent over from the uk (cuz irish record stores r gash), try spending 99 cent and downloading your track str8 away!!

i used to say i would never switch from vinyl, and i done my best to avoid the cd decks, but honestly, get the laptop set up.

got my laptop yesterday, ordering my torq xponent next week..

kmick

Decks = Wow factor, learning your trade, real records and something physical that will make you smile. The downside is cost, going into town and spending 8 hours listening to records on a saturday.

Laptop = Sitting on your couch, downloading tracks, making a mix, uploading to your favourite website, feedback, criticism etc.

Think of it this way for a laptop setup. To make a 90 minute set you need 15-20 tracks that you like. It can take a couple of weeks to find 30 tracks that you like online and then cut them down to 20 that go well together mucial style, pitch etc. Cost of 30 tracks - 60 dollars via beatport.

To get the same number of tracks for vinyl (say 10 euros a record) is 300 euros. Its up to you but vinyl is a lifestyle. You gotta be commited. You will spend all your time and money on it. Digital via laptop you can experiment cheaply. Download a trial version of PCDJ, VDJ or Ableton on your crappy old laptop and get a few tracks from Beatport. Get some headphones and mess around and get a feel (you might need an external sound card as well) and eventually a Serato Scratch or something liek that.

Good luck its a lot of fun.

scop

Hey thanks for the advice.Having read this, and looked around laptop just seems a more sensible option for the beginner, and one can always go vinyl if they find the lifestyle really suits them. Thanks

run_Forrest_run

yes, some very good arguments here for digital and vinyl.
I was also in the same position a few months ago and seeing as I already own a laptop and lots of MP3s I went down the digital route.

I bought a Behringer BCD3000 midi controller which hooked up to the laptop which is running Traktor (LE) (came bundled with the BCD3000).

Now before everyone starts slating Behringer, yes Behringer gear is cheap and may not be very reliable but for 220 euro the lot I was willing to take the risk.

I find the BCD3000 to be perfect for what I want, to learn a bit about Djing. I will never be using the device for live mixes in front of an audience (only a few mates pehaps).
If I realise I am any good I might progress up towards something like the CDJs but that's all in the future.

jimmychin

i've been around long enough to have made mixes with cassettes on a twin deck, hitting pause, rewind, play, record.

my vinyl collection has long since dissappeared after numerous house moves.

my old cd collection is waiting to be taken to the buy and sell store in george's market...

all my music is now in mp3 format.

i'm not a serious dj, i mix for friends when they come round, every now and again i'll play a party (a friend's birthday etc)

my tools? tracktor and a bcd2000, does all i need, cross-fade two tracks, loop, nothing fancy... but i love it / and its a cheap setup !

in summary, use whatever tools you have at your disposal to make the best sound you can !

also... if you get a laptop you might suddenly realise you want to be a producer and not a dj and you can just get some software (actually then you'll have the hardware / software debate all over)

enjoy

sideshow187

I'm all for laptop djing. When you have someone like sasha or nathan fake playing it really does add that extra element.

However I still have more respect fot the guys that learn their trade through vinyl. I think that if you bring yourself up counting bpm's and nudging vinyl you will understand the ins and outs better when you do finally upgrade to ableton/serato etc.

But if your finances are limited the digital route will always appeal more but it will never look as cool as whipping out records from your flight case!

copeyhagen

have to agree with you, vinyl is retro, vinyl looks cool and you are probably better learning how to mix the oldskool way before switching to cdj's or vinyl.

watching the likes of sahsa on a laptop, sometimes you feel they are kinds cheating..or i did years ago when he first switched in 2005 to ableton.

but everything in this worl progresses, and djing is no different. its more feasible and cheaper in the longrun to switch to digital. still have hundreds of vinyl(despite selling 1210's and djm600) that i just dont think i could ever part with!!

the day dave clarke put up on his website that even he was switching away from vinyl was the day i realised that even the most dedicated vinyl heads will eventually move on...

ChapOfDRyans

i was thinking about starting aswel, i have a laptop with djing software(virtual dj). i was wondering what equipment would i need and is cheap enough

Zascar

Even as recently as two years ago - "Digital DJs" were laughed at and mocked by Vinyl purists. Since then it has very quickly taken a serious turnaround and many previously up their own arse dj's are now eating their words.

I started using software to DJ using "Atomix Mp3" about 7 years ago and it is not until quite recently that people actually take you seriously. Vinyl will never properly die, cause there will always be purists, scratchers etc - but really it has had it's day for conventional mixing, completely overtaken by CDJ's and now the oncoming wave of software like Ableton, Traktor, Virtual DJ, Torq, SSL, Mixvibes, Deckadance etc. When I bought my first controller the Hercules DJ Console, it was one of a small handful available, now there are dozens available with every manufacturer having at least one to offer. And lots of mid-high end mixers now have midi control.

The odd time, I do kind of wish I had of bought a set of vinyl decks back in the day, but really now, does it make a difference? No... I’m perfectly comfortable on a set of Pioneer CDJ’s or using software like Torq, Virtual DJ & Tracktor etc with an external mixer. There’s very little I cannot do that a guy with a box of records can’t. Yes, scratching is (apparently) better on vinyl – but you just have to go see James Zabiela to answer that question. However a digital solution offers so many more possibilities. Personally I do not see the point buying a set of Technics etc now. However if you absolutely must have the feel of Vinyl, get one of the Digital Vinyl Solutions like the Torq Connectiv, Traktor Scratch or Serato Scratch Live – so you have the best of both worlds – the feel of Vinyl but you get to use Mp3’s and have the usability of software.

Give us a better idea of what your priorities are and we’ll try to help you pick the most appropriate solution. My site www.digital.dj should give you some decent info...

ChapOfDRyans

well i wouldnt be what you call a dj but just doin gigs playing songs on a set but not mixing r scratching mayb flipping between songs nd stuff very basic i would presume

deevey

Well, from personal experience ..

when i was playing in clubs I never had decks of my own !, the club supplied them, why splash out a grand, eventually I did buy decks and sold the dust gatherers after a year. I just went into the club a little earlier every night, maybe I'm unique in this and in been given the freedom to do it ?

However, from re-starting buying tunes, mixing again, etc.. i find laptop + controller oh-so appealing, I wish i had the foresight to go the CD route years ago, it would certainly make the transition easier now, unfortunatly the equipment and territory would not allow it at the time - if we had spare cartridges we were lucky, and CDJ's errr .. hand'nt yet been "tried and tested"

I think the days of playing vinyl "white labels" ..is well gone, and the choice of music ONLY released on MP3 is unreal, controllers and software have in my opinion caught up to the "problem free" point, although i still wouldnt gig without my ipod shuffle as backup.. same way I wouldnt play vinyl without spare stantons with me.

If you really want to get a set of decks for nostalgia's sake .. second hand tech's / vestax and a cheapy mixer..

CD wise again I'm tempted to say any cheapy top loader... really i dont see the sence in splashing out huge money for equipment that should already be in place where you are playing.

Tenner + for a single, thanks but no thanks, I cant believe music is so cheap now! I spend less in a month than I would in a few days with vinyl .. and its 24 hour shopping online

Helix

ChapOfDRyans wrote: »

well i wouldnt be what you call a dj but just doin gigs playing songs on a set but not mixing r scratching mayb flipping between songs nd stuff very basic i would presume

why would you presume he wouldnt be mixing?

you DO realise you can mix exactly the same way as with vinyl/cds on computer yes?

ChapOfDRyans

well i might be doing a small bit of mixing,but most just playing at club and partys and i do need my own gear or i could hire it for 70 euro every gig.

wat setup would i need for this i have laptop and how would i get the laptop comnnected to a mixing desk,amp them speakers

i saw another dj last night he had a laptop wit a small white box connected to de laptop via usb then to a mixing desk and to speakers and i didnt see any amp either.Anybody no what dat box was and why he hadnt a amp

Zascar

It was probably Serato Scratch Live, Traktor Scratch, or Final SCratch. Did it look like this?
http://djculturewebshop.com/images/equip_acc/serato.jpg
or
http://www.ivantodorov.com/blog/wp-content/050805/finalScratch.jpg
or
http://cachepe.zzounds.com/media/quality,85/brand,zzounds/fit,400by400/TRAKTORscratch-dec5d966385a8c6d507626cfc5cd04fc.jpg

The USB Cable goes to the laptop and the line goes out of the box and into the mixer, then into an amp, to the speakers.

Some diagrams:
http://www.musik-schmidt.de/osc-schmidt/catalog/images/RANE_Serato_Scratch_Live_2.jpg
http://www.salection.de/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/sb_dia1.jpg

ChapOfDRyans

its was a tiny little box and was white with the wors "ads" on the top

and his set up wasnt as complicated as those diagrams
just a laptop,that box,external hard drive,mixerand speakers with no amp as far as i could see

penexpers

jimi_t wrote: »

(btw Vinyl Decks will never be obsolete. Analog gear always has something going for it in terms of sound versus digital 'sterility' - Hip Hop in particular is vinyl dominated for virtue of the tactile nature of the media. Some pedant will probably point out some hip hop producer who uses a CDJ or laptop based setup, but it would be the exception rather than the rule.)

Alot of hip-hop DJs are turning to digital solutions like Serato because it now gives the feel of vinyl without needing to drag a bag of records around with you.

DJ_Spider

If you want the dogs nuts get one of these http://www.pcdj.co.uk/shop/item.php?id=128 connect it to one of these http://www.pcdj.co.uk/shop/item.php?id=35 and use this http://www.pcdj.co.uk/shop/item.php?id=101 LOL only kidding that's only if you win the lotto this weekend!

Seriously check out the DAC-3 here http://www.pcdj.co.uk/shop/item.php?id=37 it will work with Virtual DJ as well as others. Just don't go for one of those awfull hercules things! HTH

DJ Spider
Digital DJ

Riesen_Meal

Sorry if im coming across old school in this department, try decks first, see if you like the feel of them, try cdjs aswell, infact, try everything before you decide what to do!!!

Only you are gonna know what your comfy with, so if you have friends who have decks/cdjs/laptop pop up to them and spend a few hours having a go, I personally love decks, even though I dont play vinyl anymore, they still look the bizness beside my cdj1000s!

Id invite you over but my gaf is a building site at the moment!!!

m.j.w

Hi im selling a set of vestax pdx 2000 turntables (better than technics imo) and final scratch 1.5 (saves you having to buy records) on adverts.ie in the music section. Give us a pm if your intrested:D