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-- Question for anyone who has their own turntables

Question for anyone who has their own turntables

Ive got a big hunk of christmas cash hanging around. ive been saving it for some of my very own decks, but recently a few things have come up that would be a good use for that money. If I did save for some good equipment, it would be 4-6 months before I would see it all.

Is it really worth the wait? Is this something that will be really worthwhile in the long run? Ive been itching (rather badly) to mix for a long time now. Ive always enjoyed music (played trumpet for many years) and mp3 mixers have held me over, but the craving to do it for real is still there... I just dont want to buy some equipment and end up selling it on ebay a few months later

Any advice?

can't tell you yes or no.
the bottom line is getting the equipment is gonna mean allot of time chillin in your room trying to master the tables. its not always fun, it can get frustrating... but if you love it there should be no question.

to be honest, every now and then i question the ammount of money i spent on my decks and the ammount of money i shell out on records... but then when im listening to a great song or in the middle of a mix i remember why i've spent all the money..

you gotta decide for yourself.


dazzed

I think every dj has asked him/herself this question once. In the beginning, learning to dj (beatmatch, other mixing skills) will sometimes really want you to throw your equipment through the windows. Some days you'll think that nothing succeeds. It's on those days that many beginners quit. They see dj'ing wasn't intended for them, or they don't want to persevere. But take my word for it, once you passed that period, the real fun will start. Once you got the techniques down, you can let your creativity loose. But are you willing to pay the price for that, THAT's the question you should ask yourself. Practice, practice and practice are the keys to good dj'ing. You'll sacrifice a lot of time on that. If you know by now you won't have the patience, pass you way.

But if on the other hand, you love music like nothing else, are fascinated by other dj's and mixes, and are willing to progress every day, you'll make it. You shouldn't do it for the money, cuz you'll spend heaps of money on equipment. And that's only the smallest part of it. You need the records too. Don't do it for the money, but do it because you love the music, and you love to entertain the people. I can't describe what feeling it gives to see the crowd jumping in front of you because of the tunes you're blasting through the speakers, but it's a unique experience! Definately worth all the sacrifices to get there. But yeah, I guess it's a personal choice.

Don't you have any friends that have equipment? If you do, maybe you can ask if you can have a go. You'll have an idea how it will be.

yeah definatly don't do it for the money... because you may never and definatly won't see any decient ammount of money coming back to you for a few years.... unless you have too much money then you can do it for the money, in which case you can buy me some records =)

once you get into it it's a serious addiction, get used to being broke!!

hey i almost forgot to answer one of your questions.. as for advice for equipment.. heres the deal

get the basics, when I first started for some reason i let someone convince me to buy a 400$ EFX-500 effector. allot of good it did me when I didn't know how to beat match.

as for tables i'd say save up and get technics. you could get an old pair of vestax for cheap if your REALLY questionable.. but if you buy a used pair of technics, theyll work fine cuz techs last and if you change your mind you can resell it for close to the same price. I use the my story where my friends drunk dad got pissed and threw one of his tables into the wall, threw it soo hard the spindle pierced the wall, the slip mat stuck on the wall, and the platter came off... so he put the platter back on, bought a new slipmat, and it works fine.

as for mixers, you can get a pretty decient one for cheap.. get 2 inputs, and make sure it has headphone monitoring.. i don't know many that don't but just make sure if your buying a really cheap one. stay away from BPM counters as they'll cost you $$ and you don't want to become dependant on a BPM counter.

as for needles, you can go cheap. but if you get into it i'd upgrade asap.

basicly, if you give it a shot i'd say get some good used equip, cuz even if you change your mind you can resell it for not that much of a loss. don't buy brand new cheap equipment, as it will resell for a big loss..

hope that helps

I just got my setup complete except for a pair of headphones. Here it is dont laugh:

2 Nu-Mark TT 1520 Direct Drive Turntables
American DJ XDM-2221 2 Channel Mixer

Paid about $325 for it all brand new (eBay)

I was gonna buy technics but im gonna need to buy myself a car in a few weeks so i just settled for the nu-marks

It is definetly frustrating as hell when you only have 4 records to mix with sometimes i get so mad i feel like punching my decks does anyone have any sites with little tips about beat matching and stuff

Ya id agree with the rest in saying that it'll take some time before your any decent.

Yea there's days when i cant match a beat.......or at least feels like it....a recent set i spun was complete SH#@ (or at least i thought so when i was doing it) my friend gotta hold of it and he nearly wet his pants >>yea it was good<< practice practice practice....im not gonna lie....im always learning......ive been spinning for about 5 years now and ive still have a lot to perfect, i try to keep that mentality because u can never be too good. Besides you dont want to let it go to your head because then u'll start throwin out crap mixes

But thinking back on it......i luv being a dj..i cant imagine not being one...i dont think about how much money i spent on equipment/or records for that matter.....i think of what comes out of it >> mixes that not only make you feel all tingly when listenin to....but having other people feel the same way when their listenin to you

yea its an expensive hobby but if you luv it you wont even think about it.

>>Keep the Beat Alive<<

PEEZ

well said liquid

Yeah, for the love of the music. I have spent over $4000 in the last year on equipment and records. With absolutly NO regrets. I love it.

Don't question yourself...just go for it.. and once on it don't give up. i've had them for half a year now ... I don't know what i'd do with out them actually..

I think the guys are all right here...
Why dont you practice and find out if yer realy want this on some tt's from friends or something?
If yer gonna buy tt's,then buy techs cuz you can sell them allmost for the price you payed if you dont like it after all.
Mixing is something that has to be inside of you,you must become 1 with the vinyl yer spinning,thats how you regonize a good dj.
Too many dj's mix on save,so the mixes are kinda boring,the great part in it is when a dj is creative with his mixin,make a styl of yer own.
But in the beginning you may wanna through yer tt's out of the window from frustration
Its not that easy,like i told b4,you must feel the beat,else it aint gonna work.
And we're talking bout a lot of money cuz when it does work you become a vinyl-addict

I agree with Donna,

make sure u really like dj-ing, because else it's not worth the investment.

If u wanna buy tt's and u have the money, buy Technics, they last a lifetime...


I bought JB because i didn't wanna spend too much money! But now after 3 years i have a lot of problems with them. And now i have to save up for some technics! And u know the saving up isn't the hardest part, the cutting down on buying vinyl is...

Once u start buying records, u will become a vinyl addict!!!! So prepare to spend a lot of money!

GREETZzz... DJ CaBaL

well, i am not sure if it too late to post another reply to this thread, but i thought i would do it anyways. as you can see by my title, i'm only a ta in training, and i basically just got my decks a few months ago. i had probably spent almost a year debating wether or not i wanted to dish out the money to get the equipment. so i asked around, and everybody told me to try it out on some friend's gear, unfortunately nobody around me has any. so at first i decided to hold off on it. but, as i got more and more into the music, the mp3 mixing software couldn't cut it, so i decided to work my ass off all summer break (still in high school ) and get my gear.

first thing i would suggest, is definitely go for the technics, i love them. they are reliable, they work great, and i havent had any problems at all with them. plus like everybody else has said, you can resell them at a good cost. as for the mixer, if you are low on money start out with a pretty cheap one, they cost less than tts, so once you find out what you need it, its easier to upgrade. if you can save money in one area, it will help you when want to buy some vinyl. which brings me to my second point, when people talk about being a vinyl addict, they are right every single cent i make goes off to some record shop so i can pick up some new grooves.

lastly, being a beginner myself, i just have to agree with everyone talking about mixing at the beginning. having to learn on my own, basically on a process of trial and error, i have often become very frustrated trying to get the whole process down. while i have yet to pick up my tables and throw them at the window, i have felt that frustration many times. i have more than once questioned myself on the amount of money i spent on the gear and my records, but like they say, its all about the music. like everybody else, people have their good days and their bad. and when the going gets tough, there is nothing like just sitting down and listening to a nice tune on the decks. that warm sound of vinyl just makes me tingle all over

anyways, just thought i would drop my opinion down for ya. good luck.

jesse

i just got my technics 3 months ago and i have to say it's really worth it. my friends' turntables that aren't technics don't compare to mine. i guess there are some out there that might be as good or better than technics, but stantons that are definetly cost more, then again some of them have digital ouput and key correction while changing pitch. if you need that look into stantons, but if you've never span before and you're not sure if you're really ready, go with some used tech's and sell them if you don't think it's for you. but be ready to spend so much money on vinyl the first few months, i definetly made some horrible selections just because i wanted more to practice with, you'll start learning which labels you're interested in and what style you're starting to create for yourself. but talk about vinyl addict, anywhere i go i always look for a record store to get some new vinyl even when i'm already receiving some in the mail the next day .. so broke

Rowzbay: I'm also in Maryland (Baltimore). I looked at College Park's radio schedule, do you guys spin trance at all?

xxClayxx: So, my friend, you got 'em too? I got the Numark TT-1520 also. For a very reasonable price, brand-new. I paid more money than you, though.

I'm currently in the learning phases of beatmaching, playing with EQ's. Yes, it can get really frustrating. What's especially annoying is that when you start out, you typically don't have a big vinyl collection, so you're forced to use the same 5-6 records over and over again, both for practicing and enjoyment, and they get old FAST. That's when you start hunting for new vinyl and become addicted On the plus side, the fact that you're limited in how quickly you get new vinyl is good because it lets you become more acquainted with what you already have.

People who are talking about vinyl addiction are DEFINITELY right!

quote:

its not always fun, it can get frustrating

Hehehe thats true, and decks cost you a bunch of money i agree, but i can't live with out them, i have much fun and i like it alot ... and i am only a beginner, my mixs skills still sucks but i it's the music thats keeps me on and on and on :P

quote:

Originally posted by Eugene Rowzbay: I'm also in Maryland (Baltimore). I looked at College Park's radio schedule, do you guys spin trance at all?

Yeah man, we spin trance and house a few times a week. There are at least 3 trance/house shows. Check them out on our program schedule here. My show is on Friday nights (saturday mornings) 12-3am EST. 88.1 FM to listen (washington dc - baltimore area) or www.wmuc.umd.edu/real. Tune inn or check out DJ Clutch's show on thursday nights (friday nights) 12-3am EST (mostly house music).

NOT TONIGHT THOUGH, i'm out of the area, so i have a fill-in with probably another show of horrible non-trance music.

but check it out starting 1st of january. anybody interested in djing at my show message me or email me.

you should really try it out before you decide to buy.. my experience was starting off completely not knowing a thinga bout mixing.. my girlfriend had bought me a dj in a box kit (at the time all i knew was that direct drive was more expensive but didn't know there was a big difference) so i spent about a year w/ the belt drive tables which was so frustrating i wanted to rip the arms off.. but i just kept at it.. then a year later i bought some used techs for 600 bux and they work soo much better then the belt drive.. but i think going from belt drive to direct drive is a really easy transition.. i don't htink i'd suggest belt drive to anyone though, its not worth the time and frustration when you are gonna end up on direct drive anyways.. so i say go for it and get ur numarks cos at least they aren't belt driven.. anyways, i've had these techs for about 6 months and they work great.. when i bought them they had about a year's worth of wear and tear (well thats what the guy i bought them from said)..

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