New to DJing or production? Need help or advice? Post here

SteoL

ThirdMan wrote: »

I love optimism on a Sunday evening. :P

Ha ha......I say that because me old mates are doing well for themselves today. We used to mix in our bedrooms and do house parties (where I used to go down a treat I have to say). I ended up going down a different route to them so they're out mixing it up whereas I'm stuck in a poxy office. Me old mates are now hard house DJs so we would have taken different routes regardless it seems (I despise hard house). Still love me tunes though.

Any comments/advice on my previous post? Would appreciate any help anyone can give. Thanks again.

ED E

Its easy to do. With an analogue system like that you simply need to double up the RCA out. A set of cables like below will do the trick. On one pair connect up your normal cable to the monitors/amp. On the other connect an RCA to 3.5mm TRS(the small headphone jack) and plug that into the line in(may be integrated with "mic") of your pc. To record you can use Audacity(google it, its free and well recommended).

SteoL

Lethal_Bullet wrote: »

Its easy to do. With an analogue system like that you simply need to double up the RCA out. A set of cables like below will do the trick. On one pair connect up your normal cable to the monitors/amp. On the other connect an RCA to 3.5mm TRS(the small headphone jack) and plug that into the line in(may be integrated with "mic") of your pc. To record you can use Audacity(google it, its free and well recommended).

Thanks

markhiggins

Really basic question for you, getting one if the Hercules mixers as a present for a mate but it doesn't have a built in sound card. I presume this means he can't listen to the track he is currently playing and the one that's coming up next at the same time. Is the answer a USB sound card that can just have the mixer running through it to the laptop? I know the laptop has 2 headphone jacks but they obviously just put out the same sound! Thanks in advance!

ED E

What laptop is it? If it has two jacks it may have a dual channel soundcard.

Other than that a USB soundcard is what you want.

markhiggins

It's a hp pavilion, fairly run of the mill! Is the USB soundcard loads of hassle or is it pretty much plug and play? Would you be much better off just finding something with a built in sound card? They just get a bit pricey!

EuskalHerria

markhiggins wrote: »

It's a hp pavilion, fairly run of the mill! Is the USB soundcard loads of hassle or is it pretty much plug and play? Would you be much better off just finding something with a built in sound card? They just get a bit pricey!

I assume the controller your on about is the mp3 e2? I got that an a soundcard, handy enough to hook up but I never got the output through the headphones working properly. To be honest it was probably just a google search away but I hate midi controllers so wasn't bothered to look.

If it is the above controller then you will most likely need another soundcard, can be got relatively cheap on thomann.de

markhiggins

EuskalHerria wrote: »

I assume the controller your on about is the mp3 e2? I got that an a soundcard, handy enough to hook up but I never got the output through the headphones working properly. To be honest it was probably just a google search away but I hate midi controllers so wasn't bothered to look.

If it is the above controller then you will most likely need another soundcard, can be got relatively cheap on thomann.de

Ye that's the one I was looking at alright! It's really only for personal use, he's not doing anything serious with it! Those USB sound cards range from about £3 on amazon to over a hundred in other places, for what I'm looking for would one for 20 or 30 euro do?

ED E

A decent soundcard isnt cheap. Might be better off getting a MIDI with an internal one. Maybe one of the other Hercules models.

EuskalHerria

markhiggins wrote: »

Ye that's the one I was looking at alright! It's really only for personal use, he's not doing anything serious with it! Those USB sound cards range from about £3 on amazon to over a hundred in other places, for what I'm looking for would one for 20 or 30 euro do?

I got this http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/UCA202.aspx
Seems to go grand, others might have suggestions for what you can get that could be better/cheaper.

markhiggins

would this do the job?
http://www.pixmania.ie/ie/uk/5939018/art/creative/sound-blaster-connect-sou.html

or to be really cheap this...

http://www.pixmania.ie/ie/uk/5122305/art/power-star/cs-usb-n-external-usb-sou.html

ED E

markhiggins wrote: »

would this do the job?
http://www.pixmania.ie/ie/uk/5939018/art/creative/sound-blaster-connect-sou.html

or to be really cheap this...

http://www.pixmania.ie/ie/uk/5122305/art/power-star/cs-usb-n-external-usb-sou.html

No, single channel, you need something with two channels.

LighterGuy

Just Kinda curious

How much would it cost for a guy starting from scratch to have the equipment to be a dj in a club?

jimi_t2

If you've a laptop, and you're going 2nd hand you're looking at about 400-500 to start off digital DJing; maybe a bit less. Half that if you're just doing house parties and the like and don't mind pirating software (this isn't including a PA/Speakers mind).

If you're a Vinyl DJ and you're going 2nd hand about 600 odd for 2x Technics 1210s and an entry level mixer. Add on Vinyl accordingly

If you're a CD based Jocky and you're going 2nd hand, you're looking at anywhere between 800e and about 3k.

LighterGuy

Thanks jimi_t2
In your opinion (and I guess everyone else on the board) what is better?

Laptop? Vinyl dj? or cd dj?

what is likely to get you more gigs and be more sought after etc?

electrogrimey

LighterGuy wrote: »

Thanks jimi_t2
In your opinion (and I guess everyone else on the board) what is better?

Laptop? Vinyl dj? or cd dj?

what is likely to get you more gigs and be more sought after etc?

In this order, assuming you're the same standard at all three: vinyl, CD, laptop.

seannash

LighterGuy wrote: »

what is likely to get you more gigs and be more sought after etc?

none,its all down to how a good a dj you are,not what gear your rocking.

although some people might frown upon the laptop dj.

pick the medium you want to use not what gets you gig because(and heres the dream crushing reality)this might only ever be a hobby for you :eek:

jimi_t2

seannash wrote: »

none,its all down to how a good a dj you are,not what gear your rocking.

QFT

although some people might frown upon the laptop dj.

People are going to start getting over this very quickly in the next couple of years. About 80% of all brand-name DJs use Laptops predominately for DJing (excluding Dubstep, D'n'B and the odd Dub/Reggae DJ). Anyone who does any sort of a ''live'' set is using a laptop as well - it nicely bridges the gap between production and DJing and acts as a gateway into one or the other

pick the medium you want to use not what gets you gig because(and heres the dream crushing reality)this might only ever be a hobby for you :eek:

That's about the gist of it. I'd go for laptops personally. Smallest financial outlay, the most portable and the most scope.

jakobmckernan

Hi Guys,

I'm relatively new to the whole vinyl thing and i need a bit of help.
I've bought a technics mk2 turntable. However, it has no needle or speakers. If anyone could tell me where to get a replacment needle and a good amplifier/speaker it would be a great help. Ideally these would not be too expensive!

woozle

I'd get the needles from a shop - best not to go 2nd hand with them. There's a shop near Henry Street that does all DJ stuff, cant remember name or street, but google it. They'll reccommend the best needles to use, and if you bring your Technics in they'll replace them for you. You should also get a book - think it's called How To DJ Properly. Tells you everything from the kind of gear to buy, how to set it up, to actually becoming professional. You can get 2nd hand speakers from adverts.ie - just check they work before you buy. I have Alesis M1 Active, and I reckon they're good - you can adjust the back to suit the room they're in. Hope that helps

LighterGuy

Probably a noob question to ask.
But how does your average joe make money from Dj'in?


Its all about just getting a gig in a nightclub or maybe the odd birthday party/wedding etc right?

Sandvich

DJs get paid in Fivers and Bags of Yokes.

electrogrimey

LighterGuy wrote: »

Probably a noob question to ask.
But how does your average joe make money from Dj'in?


Its all about just getting a gig in a nightclub or maybe the odd birthday party/wedding etc right?

For the first while you won't make anything. Same as any hobby. You might start off getting a few wedding/birthday gigs if you go looking for them, and get paid €100 for playing music you hate.

It takes a lot of work to get to a position to be getting paid for clubnight gigs. Setting up your own night helps, but that's a whole other story.

hans aus dtschl

DJ make about the same money soccer players do: the majority make nothing, some make a living, and some make it rich. lol

Think electrogrimey's spot on above.

Omega28

what do u guys make of the KONTROL S4 for a newbie to start digital dj'ing?

Zascar

Massive overkill for a beginner.

Try a Hercules RMX maybe?

romarr

for anyone curious about ableton, there's a usergroup meetup this saturday in the twisted pepper ....

more info here

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056043467

jimi_t2

Anyone who had an Xponent who has upgraded, what did you move onto? Was thinking about maybe saving up for the S4 but not sure atm. Is the VCI 300 any use?

electrogrimey

jimi_t2 wrote: »

Anyone who had an Xponent who has upgraded, what did you move onto? Was thinking about maybe saving up for the S4 but not sure atm. Is the VCI 300 any use?

VCI-100 I'd say? Or else Kontrol X1s and hardware mixer to make things simpler playing in clubs.

Or, even better again, Traktor Scratch with 2 X1s, so you have 4 deck control with 2 CD decks, and have effect controls etc of the first 2 decks.

Carl Sagan

I'm new to this and I'm getting a DDM4000 soon along with some KRK RP5 studio monitors, but I'm pretty confused when it comes to audio interfaces. Any recommendations on which one I should get? Has to be USB, <200 (preferably as cheap as possible for now) and I'm guessing it's going to need two inputs and two out puts?

The input/output bit is what confuses me really.

ED E

Depends on what setup you want. The main thing is two stereo outs, maybe four. You have channels for external gear left on the DDM so there wouldnt usually be a need for soundcard inputs unless you want to digitally process vocals or something.

electrogrimey

Carl Sagan wrote: »

I'm new to this and I'm getting a DDM4000 soon along with some KRK RP5 studio monitors, but I'm pretty confused when it comes to audio interfaces. Any recommendations on which one I should get? Has to be USB, <200 (preferably as cheap as possible for now) and I'm guessing it's going to need two inputs and two out puts?

The input/output bit is what confuses me really.

Native Instruments Audio 2 DJ. That'll give you two deck control, if you want 4 deck control you'll have to shell out more for an Audio 8 DJ, or something like an M-Audio Profire 610.

EuskalHerria

Posted this elsewhere looking for help. Any help would stop me melting my head.

I have a pair of CDJ 200's and up until the other night they were both working perfectly. The other night one of the decks just stopped functioning properly. It will turn on and I am able to play the track. Nearly every button on the deck is not responding. I cant skip tracks, or albums, or loop the track. The time mode and track display button is also not working. I cannot use the eject button either, i had to manually do that with the pin provided and tried using other CD's but with the same results. I have no idea how this has happened and its wrecking my head. I was looking for some firmware to update the deck so that might override the problem but there doesn't seem to be for the 200's?

I have no idea where this came out of as I was using the deck successfully before it just stopped functioning. Would really appreciate any help with this as it is driving me insane not being able to use the decks at the minute. Cheers for any help.

DJ Equipment

can you give me some fresh information about DJ

Carl Sagan

Where in Dublin city centre sells DJ gear? Can only find places outside of the city.

woozle

Sounds Around Capel Street - near Jervis shopping centre

copeyhagen

theyre all robbin turds bar x music, who afaik will match thomann's prices.

theyre showroom is out by the red cow

ED E

People have said good things about Aquarius too IIRC.

Carl Sagan

woozle wrote: »

Sounds Around Capel Street - near Jervis shopping centre

Thanks I'll have a look.

copeyhagen wrote: »

theyre all robbin turds bar x music, who afaik will match thomann's prices.

theyre showroom is out by the red cow

I didn't see much. Only PA's and production gear really. I'll have a look next week though. Thanks.

Lethal_Bullet wrote: »

People have said good things about Aquarius too IIRC.

Thanks, I'll have a look there too.

eeloe

Aquarius, that is all!!

Their prices and service is second to none, add them on facebook, they run special offers on their page from time to time!

magicianz

I've just started to get into the hardcore/house/trance music in the last while and I'm starting to get interested in taking up DJ'ing as a hobby for a while and just see how it goes. Been looking for some free software to give me a taster before i start investing in proper mixing gear and other hardware, anyone have any recommendations or even just advice? Vital knowledge people should know before they start? I just want to see if its for me and if I have any ability whatsoever at it. Its really just for myself really and maybe a few of my friends house parties as I already provide them with sound systems :P

Ill be looking through the rest of the beginner threads tonight and into the basics on the web over the next few weeks anyway so ill hopefully pick up some nice bits in them =]

Thanks in advance!

Premier

Whats the best pc karaoke software you can get, dont know much about this myself but asking for friend, also where to get the tracks also,

no scope

alright folks

Really want to start djing im 20 years old and havnt a clue to go about starting

Im a feen for goin clubbin at the weekend love my dance music

Last night watched a few vids on youtube abou these virtual decks you can download

Downloaded Virtual DJ home edition it was free

i just cant get the grips of gettin the beats to match and to fade into each other , and finding the right time to do it

I will be getting a set of decks for crimbo i need your wisdom

thanks

Jay

ianuss

This bloke will tell you most of what you need to know to get started

http://www.djtutor.com/

YourLeader

Hi guys,

Is there anyone familiar with IK MULTIMEDIA

www.ikmultimedia.com

I have bought the Opto Compressor and am having trouble registering the product to work..

Anyone buy this and how do i register it? What's a Digital ID???

Agghh!!

I'm using a mac by the way..

rcaz

Didn't want to start a 'what interface do I want?' thread. I play in a band and we're really into electronic stuff, with lots of ideas to go ahead with. I use Ableton and Pure Data and I'm looking for an interface so I can adapt my laptop into the band's setup. I'd really like to use synthesisers and samplers on my laptop, and I'm really interested in the idea of sampling things on stage live and processing them 'on the fly' or whatever the term is.

I'm looking for something with the most outputs I suppose. I can't see myself needing that many inputs (a mic, my guitar...), then there'd be two outputs for FOH, a headphone mix for our drummer to play to, output back into my guitar setup.

I don't know any of the conventions for using these things in a stage setup. Am I looking for XLR outputs? Will TRS do?

My living conditions are probably going to change soon, which will allow me a decent bit of money to spend. My thinking is, if I don't buy a pretty decent one now, I'll only end up re-buying later. Having said that, I can't justify a super-expensive one. Seriously considering this one at the moment.

So what would ye who know more than me suggest?
Cheers

Cormacp6

I have cdj's already but im moving to traktor can someone tell me if this is a good setup?
Behringer djx700 (not the best i know)
Maya 44 soundcard
Traktor kontrol x1
Traktor pro

Also can i buy a 2nd kontrol x1 and use it with traktor or would i need an audio 8??

electrogrimey

Cormacp6 wrote: »

I have cdj's already but im moving to traktor can someone tell me if this is a good setup?
Behringer djx700 (not the best i know)
Maya 44 soundcard
Traktor kontrol x1
Traktor pro

Also can i buy a 2nd kontrol x1 and use it with traktor or would i need an audio 8??

Aside from the mixer, that's a good set-up. Yeah, you'll need a 4 channel soundcard to use the 4 decks. You can use a second X1 no problem, but you'll still only have 2 decks with that soundcard.

I'd say shell out for the Audio 8, it'll be worth it in the long run, you'll eventually want to upgrade anyway, so you may as well not waste the money getting a 2 channel soundcard.

I'd say don't get the X1 yet, and get the Audio 8 instead. By the time you get to know Traktor with just your mouse and keyboard, you'll have the money to get the X1 then.

Omega28

what controller would u guys recommend? Im just looking at getting into Dj'ing

electrogrimey

Dylanmc111 wrote: »

what controller would u guys recommend? Im just looking at getting into Dj'ing

A pair of decks.