Beginner DJ Guide

Basic DJ Equipment

Before buying basic DJ Equipment, you should always play around on someone else's DJ gear to make sure this is truly something you are going to enjoy. Because DJ equipment is not cheap, it can be a pricey hobby. If you have a friend that DJs, spend some good quality time on their equipment.

If you don't know anyone who will let you play with their DJ gear, you can always go into a music store that carries equipment for DJs. Many stores will have a mini showroom with a full setup for people to test out. Just tell the cashier that you would like to try out their DJ gear, and someone should be able to show you the basics.

Vinyl DJ, CD DJ, or MP3?

I go over this question in more detail in our DJ Software section. But here's a quick rundown. Laptop DJs get no respect. There is really no physical action involved with laptop MP3 DJing, and it doesn't seem very hard or mysterious, hence no respect. There is amazing software out there called Serato Scratch Live that lets you use MP3's, but you still need either regular vinyl turntables or CD players to use it.

This is really going to be a personal choice. All of your favorite superstar DJs learned on vinyl turntables, but many now use both vinyl and CDs when they play. I've also noticed that this choice can also be a regional thing. For example, I've noticed that many DJs in San Francisco still use vinyl, while most DJs in Miami have moved over to CDs. Both cities have been home to many famous DJs, and both have amazing nightlife. The obvious benefits of CDs is that you can carry many more tunes with you to a gig, and it's easy to back your music up on a computer. Vinyl is more cumbersome, but has tremendous vintage appeal, is a collectors item, and lasts for many years with good care. It's going to be up to you.

Turntables

When shopping for a DJ turntable, make sure you get one with a "pitch" control. The pitch adjustment controls the spinning speed of the record platter. You want to be able to adjust pitch by +8%/-8% at the very least. If you can get a turntable with more pitch control, that's even better.

There are two main types of DJ Turntables. "Belt Drive", or "Direct Drive." In belt driven turntables, the motor that drives the platter is off to the side, and conected to the platter by an elastic belt (inside the turntable of course). The main advantage of this system is that it alows for a cheaper type of motor to be used. With Direct Drive turntables, the motor is attached directly to the platter in the center, giving more power and torque. But Direct Drive motors are more expensive.

While Belt Drive turntables are less expensive, their low-power motors make them really only good for playing records and some basic mixing. Pitch adjustments are not very accurate either. Belt Drive tables are no good for advanced mixing techniques or scratching. We recommend getting some Direct Drive turntables over the Belt Drive. Most DJs will outgrow Belt Drive turntables in a few months anyway. To see what turntables we recommend, check out our DJ Turntable Reviews.

Slipmats

Slipmats are flimsy felt disc looking things that go on top of a turntable platter, but under the vinyl record. They are usually pretty colorful, and have some kind of cool design on them. The purpose of a slipmat is to reduce the friction between the vinyl record and the turtable platter. So when you put your hand on the record while the turntable is on, the record stays still but the platter underneith continues to move at full speed. Slipmats give a DJ control over the record, without messing up the turntable's motor. Without a slipmat, the platter would slow to a stop if you put your hand on the record.

Stopping and controling the record is needed for scratching, and some beat matching and mixing styles. You can't DJ without a set of slipmats for your turntables. These are the Slipmats I use. They are extra slippy, perfect for scratching and beat juggling.

DJ Mixers

A mixer is going to let you control what is playing through your stereo's speakers. One of the main functions of a DJ is to "mix" one song into another smoothly, rather than having to abruptly stop one song and start another. You want to keep everyone on the dancefloor, and stopping the music is the quickest way to empty the floor!

DJs pride themselves in how well they can mix songs together. If you do it well, it will be very hard for the average person to tell that one song ended and a different one has started playing.

If you're just starting out, you are better off spending more money on your turntables than your mixer. If you plan on practicing in your bedroom, mixer sound quality shouldn't be as important as learning how to use good turntables.

Mixers have sliders, or "faders" that control the volume level of your turntables, and a "cross fader" to fade one song out of the speakers and fade into the new one.

Other things you should look for in a mixer are "EQ" controls, which are the little dials that control the differnt frequencies of a song. Lows, Mids, and Highs (also called Bass, Mids, & Treble). Nicer mixers will also have a good "cue" section. The cue section of a mixer alows you to control the sound of both turntables in your headphones, even when only one song is actually playing out through the stereo system. This way you can adjust or "cue up" the next song into position for playing after the current one, and only you can hear the adjustments in your headphones. To see what mixers we recommend, check out our section on DJ Mixer Reviews.