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I want to B a DJ - questions - HELP PLEASE!

hey guys, i was thinkin about getting into spinning (all types of music). i was gonna get a cdj setup, but recently changed my mind and i think im gonna get vinyl tuntables. it is sooo much cheeper and it seems like its just better than cdj'ing... anyway, im really new to this ~ i dont even know how a turntable works or anything... i have never spun... i love music of all types. i followed phish for about 4 yrs and when they broke up i started following the disco biscuits. i have seen a lot of DJ's open for the biscuits and i am really interested in how i could get started. i have soo many questions (simple,stupid,basic questions) and dont even want to try to squeeze them all into a post. i was wondering if some of u guys could send me your screennames for instant messaging so i can just chat one on one and get some questions answered.

here are the type of questions i have:

-what equipment should i get
-where should i get it
-where to get vinyl (i was lookin at vinly4cheep.com)
-how vinyl gets damaged and basic tips about vinyl
-cartridge questions (should i have a few diff kinds/what kind)
-what equip should i get for effects
-whats w/ the headphone on 1 ear (LOL)
-techniques for spinning

like i said i have a lot of questions and would appreciate some help

please email your aol, aim, or whatever screenname to [email protected], or IM me (AIM screenname is phishology101)

thanks,
bisco

grrrrrrrrrr

search and you shall find.


however, and I like this advice, read as much as you can bear about equipment BEFORE you buy ANYTHING. read read read read. Even if its just specs, or half arsed reviews or anything. Take an interest in equipment before oyu buy anything. It'll make buying stuff a hell of a lot easier, and its better for you to konw how stuff works, what you should look for, different types of turntables, what all the little buttons do etc. Read read read, and look at pictures. If you like equipment and take an interest in it, djing will be a whole lot more enjoyable (in my opinion at least), cos you'll actually know what people are talking about, you'll know what YOU are talking about, and its always interesting to find new equipment and newly released stuff.

We could just tell you what to buy, but that won't teach you shit. YOU need to do the reading and work out for yourself what all the options are, find out how to talk about your equipment, and then once you know what you are talking about go into stores and talk to the guys there and you'll get a lot more for your money.


And for the love of god, think things through. There is NO WAY that djing with vinyls is cheaper than CDs. This comes back to konwing what you are talking about. You have to buy vinyls, so here thats $17 per vinyl, versus about $1 for a track off beatport or somwhere.......


(trust me, I'm a poor vinyl dj)

sigh

utilize the sear....


my only word of advice is... if i were you i'd just get cd decks. they're easier to mix with and it's becoming a more popular (and cheaper) media than vinyl. vinyl will cost you an arm and a leg, not including the turntables, slipmats, nice carts, etc etc etc

otherwise, check the sticky threads up top.

and use the damn search.

VIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINYL = WIN!

Ur gonna make a huge mistake if u get vinyl decks unless u hav connections to ppl who r willing to give u their stacks. Even then...depending on the type of music u like....some tracks r very very hard to find that u can only find on mp3s.
Lemme give u a piece of advice....u hav 2 options if like what im saying then go for it..if not it all comes down to ur choice but im trying to save u money and not get ripped off in any other way.
Ok first option: Get 2 decent CDJs (not one that's an overkill)...try the CDJ - 200 since ur starting out...u dont need all the fancy effects and crap....just learn how to beatmatch first. Reason im sayin get cdjs is cuz ull get bored of spinnin the same records if u practice at home on vinyl decks. WIth cdjs...u can download tracks and learn to spin them and still like what ur hearin....this way ull b addicted to it.

Second option: Get two numark TTX1s or 2 techs and get FINAL SCRATCH 2.0
This being said...u can spin mp3s and still get the feel of using vinyls....cuz its the same concept the only difference is that u dont hav to carry round boxes or records. Personally....i say this is the best option if u got the money....then again it all comes down to how much ur willin to spend.

With both.....u dont need to buy vinyls and with the second option u can buy vinyls if u like and spin em as well as mp3s...so keep that in mind
And like the other ppl said ...... SEARCH SEARCH AND SEARCH

quote:

Originally posted by pvdalltheway Ok first option:...CDJ - 200 Second option: Get two numark TTX1s or 2 techs and get FINAL SCRATCH 2.0

2 CDJ 200s are WAY cheaper than a set of Techs AND Final Scratch...

Over here the Techs on their own are pretty much the same price as a set of CDJs.

hey guys thanks for the input. i know there are pro's and cons to both, but i think im leaning towards vinyl. it may cost more to buy records, but i think its worth it. im not rich, but i have no prob spending 10 bucks on a record. shit, if i buy 4 a week for a year, i'll have a shitload. i will frontload with probably 200 bucks worth of vinyl. i just dont see the fun in mixing cd's and mp3's. i think the vinyl would be more challenging and more rewarding. i'm not tryin to do gigs or sound studio crisp/perfect, i'm just looking for the groove. i have started using the thread search and its helping a little; however, i still would love to chat 1on1 w/ one of you.. i'm gonna go check my mail and see if anyone sent me there screen name... i really do appreciate all the input ~ this is one of the most active boards (of any sort) i have ever been a part of. hats off to tranceaddict

bisco

To save trouble, buy 1 CDJ and 1 Turntable... which ever you like more after 6 months, get a second one.

if you learn properly on vinyl. everything is so smooth.


respect the roots, and the skills.


I guarantee you starting with vinyl will make you a better dj in the long run.



Actually, i cant guarantee you that, but ive never met a dj who ive really respected that hasnt started on vinyl, i dont think.

why bother getting a turntable and final scratch? when you can get 2 denon 3500 or 5000 and final scracth!!!!!

then you have the option of playing cds and mp3's of a laptop. now after you use cdj's and still want turntables instead then at least you're informed and used to both. therefore you can play in any environment regardless of what equipment they provide for you....your choice....but i say 2 denon 3500 or 5000 plus final scracth and all your worries are gone .

Great thread/information! Thanks for everyon'e input, alot to think about for people considering spinning

its all about the cds

i used to do all vinyl, but iv come to the point where i want to edit (little or a lot) every track i get...either the intro, outro, cut a big line out, extend this, shorten that....whatever it is...I found out then that there is no need for me to get vinyl, which is awesoem cus tracks at beatport and the like are so cheap!

not only that, but theres no shipping, no carring around tons of vinyl (pain in the ass) no damged tracks from the mail...Plus, the i dont get any records with tons of poping, poor quality, or something that wasnt pressed right and plays wrong, throwing the beats off at the end. Buying mp3's gets rid of all these problems, they store in a nice easy to carry binder, and sound just the same if not better (though i dont want to get into this whole sound discussion and provoke the hard core sound qaulity dudes out there to bring up the whole thing about how a digital recording sucks...)

But anyways, yeah, vinyl is where it all started, but thik long and hard about both areas. I can say the switch to cds was amazing...no problems at all...but u make the call

this is the setup i have come up with so far:

2 numark tt500 turntables for $500
1 denon dn-x100 mixer for $200
2 shure m44-g cartridges for $125
1 pair of sony mdr-v6 headphones for $80

~i'm getting all of this stuff from djdeals.com

does this sound good for my first setup (trance/techno/house)?

critique if you want..

thanks
bisco

You can't beat those headphones.

Dunno much about the mixer, but by quick searching around it seems to be pretty much the best for the price, but remember you really get what you pay for, however Denon are a decent brand. Personally I have a Vestax PCV-275, its a great, sturdy, good sounding mixer and seems to be a favourite here on TA, lots of people seem to have one.

The TTs are...................... depends who you ask really. They should do you just fine, and given the budget are probably a good choice, however if you can save up for some Technics 1200s or some OEM tables such as the Stanton ST-150

That's sick how I feel that non-technics TTs are probably underrated. How can they suck if they are not technics?

good choice of needles and headphones, check out the numark dxm06 for a starter mixer, it has built in effects that sound decent so you won't outgrow it right away... i'm thinking about picking one up myself actually for my home setup (use djm-600 at the club)

http://www.djmart.com/numarkdxm06.html

after checking out numarks website, the tt500 is basically the ttx without the fancy digital display, go for it

check www.djmart.com

email daniel and tell him you're a fellow TA, he'll help you out

yeah i was looking at that same exact mixer, but i thought that it might be cheep and ruin the sound more than it would help it. i might actually go with it now. i'm not making my purchase for like a month, so hopefully by then i will have all the input i need and can make the best decision.

thanks
bisco

actually Tony, i saw a deal with 2 numark tt500's and a numark dmx06 mixer for 700$ at hollywooddj.com. it also comes with crappy headphones, cartridges, and a wireless mic sysetm (but i would still buy the shure m44-g's cartridges and sony mdr-v6 headphones.

the only thing holding me back is that i heard that hollywood dj was shady or something (actually i read it on these boards)

what do u think?

2 numark tt500's and the numark dmx06 mixer from DJDEALS.COM for 700
or
2 numark tt500's, numark dmx06, cartridges, headphones, and wireless mic system from HOLLYWOODDJ.COM

thanks,
bisco

email daniel from djmart, i believe he's dj tranz on the forums
he'll get you fixed up for a decent price

im tellin u man....get cdjs...when i first got TTs i thought the same way u did...."the feel of vinyl is so cool" but that feelin will b really active to u for couple of days in the start...but as soon as u get bored of practicing with the same songs again and again...ull b bored...trust me on this!
get cdjs so u hav the option of playin whaterver song u want..u can even make ur own stuff on reason or fruity loops or whatever and play it on a set.....gives u more options....in the end ur only gonna care bout what u play not the feel of vinyl under ur finger....and plus to b honest...when u mix.....u hardly touch the vinyl that often...like only when ur trying to beatmatch...but other than that u dont scratch during the mixing for trance beats! keep that in mind and i hope u make the rite decision...but in the end..whatever works for u...some ppl like vinyl some like cds...so whatever ur comfortable with....i hav 2 techs and couple of vinyls but i think i made a mistake cuz now i know how hard it is to get hands on rare songs...especially the ones that dont even get released but u can only find on mp3s.

you dont need cdjs.. you have a pc obviously so use that..

I use my laptop and my turntables. Using the laptop is no different to using a cdj imo just without a jogwheel

If you have money and youre willing to spend loads of more money on a single record than go ahead.

vinyl isnt cheap and neither is getting the ones you want. you can often get the tunes you want on vinyl on digital easier most of the time without so much hastle and shipping troubles.

digital mp3's and 320kb are 1.99$, wav's are a bit more which is the quality of vinyl...i think you should get CDJ. yea its more expensive but in the long run its cheaper. plus you can fit more songs on a single record cd.

plus youre starting out..so youll have to get some nice tunes for you to play and such and i dont think you want to pay loads of extra cash on say 20 vinls which would come out to twice or three times as much as digital+shipping.

unless you have a laptop and a controlling software like serato that you can control the given blank rane vinyl with MP3's from your laptop


i still go with CDJ.

I was pretty much in your position a little while ago. I havent used cdj's yet but I can say this... Turntables + Final Scratch/Scratch Live = ownage!! Its excellent for starting out and you can use all the songs from your computer!

I suggest you, if you don't have much money, to buy anything that can start you mixing. You will be able to practice without having to wait for big money for hardcore equipment.

Then, just wait to get the money for whatever you need. I really suggest you to go digital. There are two ways, one the normal one with cd players, the other is turntables with FS/SSL. I own two cdj800. They work great but the feeling is much better on real TTs so for the price of a CDJ, you can have a great TT and later buy FF/SSL. As for the TT, I went shoping for my first today. I wanted to know why people always gets Technics and I couldn't believe others TTs were shit. The seller made an analogy that I should have known before.

Say we both have new cars, they have the same specs. We race and we both finish in the same time as the car specs are the same and we are both used to our car which are different brands but same specs. Now, you go race with me, but this time, you have the same car as me and you lose because you aren't used to the model even if it has the same specs. So basically, the reason people should consider technics is if you plan on mixing in clubs on Technics. And the only diffirence is the pitch button. You will be used to that of your TT, not that of the club's.

I don't know if I was clear enough. That's the only difference.

FS/SSL? is that the thing that lets you play turntables on the pc and save mixes and stuff? yeah i was looking at that... after getting turntables and the initial setup, that would probably the next best thing to get ~ they are expensive, but im sure they're worth it. that is probably gonna be my next purchase after the turntables. for some reason, i just dont want the cdj's.. maybe after i get good w/ the vinyl and am looking for new sounds and challenges, but i definitely wanna go vinyl. speaking of vinyl, i saw some websites with 45 new records for like 100 bucks. they have different packs with trance, techno, hard techno, latin and all of that.. do u think they are legit. vinyl4less.com was the site...

thanks
bisco

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