First of all you need to know what type of DJ you want to be. For simplicity's sake i've limted it to two categories:
- Club DJ
- Party DJ
There are some subtle differences between the two. Essentially, if you want to be a party DJ, you're going to need to invest in all of the kit I mention later. Club DJ's can get away with the basics..
What You're Gonna Need
- Turntables
- Mixer
- Speakers
- Lights, smoke machine (only for party DJ's really)
Right turntables (or decks) come in two forms; belt drives and direct drives.
DO NOT BUY BELT DRIVE DECKS!!!
I cannot stress this point enough - you're better off getting a needle, putting it on your vinyl and running around it in a circle screaming "Wah-wah-wah" at the top of your voice. It'll sound better and damage your vinyl's less. Belt drives essentially use a big elastic band to turn the turntable.
Ahem. Sorry. Touchy subject and all that. Now, direct drives....
There are a number of different makes but the two I prefer (although everyone has their own preferences) are
Technics
Numark
Price
- Now if you're ridiculously loaded go straight for the Technics 1210 Mk II's or above - they'll set you back about £700-£800 (per pair) first hand and approx. £350 on Ebay.
(Mk III and 5 are the same thing by the way....they just have different names..helpful huh?The Mk5G have double the pitch range, i.e. +/-16% as opposed to the +/-8% on other Technics.It does make a noticeable improvement but the difference in price is vast.)
- Numark's are a little more acceptable - £450 (per pair) first hand or £250-£300 on Ebay.
If you're going for the Numark's may I recommend looking at the TTX-1's or the TT500's? They are virtually the same, except the TTX has digital readouts. Both allow you too switch between straight and S-shaped tonearms (don't panic,i'm going to make a glossary thingy!).
Right coming next....mixers!!
