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what equipment should a beginner DJ looking to make trance music get?

Well, there's a difference between mixing music and making music. If you want to make your own tunes from scratch, you should ask in the production forum.

As for mixing (I assume you just had a flaky second there, we all do), I very strongly suggest that if you're serious about mixing, and if you can, save your money and buy Techs. You will have the best decks you can get, plus if you decide to quit you can sell them very close to the price you bought em for. Any lesser turntable, you'll never sell it for anything close to what you paid for it.

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How much are you looking at spending?

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quote:

If you want to make your own tunes from scratch, you should ask in the production forum.

I'd possibly like to do a bit of both mixing and producing but I figure that'll be costly, what do the people here recommend I do? I'll probably make a post in the production forum just for feedback in that area.

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How much are you looking at spending?

Well not very much, I suppose I could go up to $1000 or so (I consider spending more than 1k to be a big investment for something I'm doing for fun), which is why I thought I should avoid techs (damn they're expensive) even though I figure they're the best option. (thats about how much I *could* spend, I'd like to avoid spending as much money as possible, but at the same time not buy crap equipment because of it ... those two don't exactly go hand in hand, but I'm sure you guys understand my feelings on this :/).

Last edited by trance85 on Nov-15-2004 at 11:40

have a look at numark tt500's, they are great starter decks. also, have a look at some of the vestax decks, the pdx2000 goes for £300 each here, and in my opinion they are better than technics, particularly better than the technics 1210mk2, which is the cheapest tech you will find..

as far as cd decks go, have a look at the numark axis9, pioneer cdj100 (overpriced, but very solid), & vestax cdx05. those three are probably the best budget cd decks around.

mixers, if you are looking at cheap mixers there isn't many for you to choose from that are actually any good. look at the vestax vmc02, & gemini ps626i. now the problem with most low price mixers, is that they always die after 6 months of hard use. the price difference is worth paying for a middle of the range mixer in most cases. for a middle of the range mixer, you really need look no further than the vestax pcv275, best mixer for the money by a mile!

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MUGGETS

Well, since you said that you don't want to spend too much and you're just starting out, then I would go for the cd players, because you're going to be saving a lot of money on not having to buy vinyl.

check out www.djtronics.com ... they've always got good stuff.

Also, if you check out ebay.com, make sure you know what you're getting; email the seller and ask why they're selling, if anything's wrong with them, blah blah blah... just know what you're getting before you get too excited.

I've got a pair of Pioneer CDJ 800's and I love them... they're a great value.

As for the mixer, the best budget mixer has got to be the Gemini 626, but if you're willing to spend a wee bit more, you could always go for the Numark DXM06 (it has all the effects, so you'll grow into it as you start spinning more often... so definitely go for that one).

BUT... Pioneer is doing a $200 mail-in rebate on all of their mixers. And, if you're looking for a good mixer, go for the DJM 300, which runs for $265... but at the end will only cost you $65, which is pretty darn good for a Pioneer.

Get a good pair of headphones too. Everyone here says that the Sony MDR V700's break on you... and that may be so, but I've had mine for 1.5 years now and they're still perfect (well, that's because I treat them like the expensive piece of equipment that they are... I mean, a lot of people twist them around and pinch them between their shoulder and ear (which, I think, is just for show... because that's really not necessary), and then they complain about them when they break).

Either way, PM me if you get cd players and I can give you a quick crash course on how to use them, cue them up, blah blah blah... because I know how hard it is if you're just getting started on this stuff without any advice.

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Originally posted by crchingtiger BUT... Pioneer is doing a $200 mail-in rebate on all of their mixers. And, if you're looking for a good mixer, go for the DJM 300, which runs for $265... but at the end will only cost you $65, which is pretty darn good for a Pioneer.

yeah i forgot about rebates. if you can get one, go for the pioneer djm300

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Either way, PM me if you get cd players and I can give you a quick crash course on how to use them, cue them up, blah blah blah... because I know how hard it is if you're just getting started on this stuff without any advice.

you should have read the manual

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MUGGETS

+1 on the Cd decks

if it's just for fun then id also recomend not worrying about vinyl as it gets expensive pretty quick what with decks, catridges/styli, record bags/cases...not to mention if you ever take your setup to a friends house or house party etc... the shit gets Heavy

vinyl is more for the turntablist/enthusiast and DJs who are looking to make somekind of career out of it as well as us who have little orgasms when mixing 12inches rather than a little CD - Vinyl is special for some, its really hard to explain

i dont own any cd decks(yet) but if you're going for the fun factor, Cd turntables seem to be more promising than a slot/tray loading rackmount player

-Headphones
you're just doing this for fun so go with what appeals to YOU, theres alot of headphone nazis in these forums who swear by whatever brand they own but IMO the best thing you can do for headphones is get what you think will be best.

-Note: if you want to mix you need GOOD headphones, check the headphones thread for more info

comment on the PC Djing - sucks unless you have a good comp/laptop dedicated to djing only, lots of problems with spyware/viruses...

Last edited by Exodus17 on Nov-15-2004 at 18:38

I see, so no real DJs use CD decks? It seems like CDs are kind of the "wave of the future" so to speak though?

And if I were to buy CD decks, is there a type/brand of decks thats more specifically suited for trance?

And yea I am looking into this for personal enjoyment/fun, but I suppose it would be nice if somewhere down the line there was the possibility of getting money out of it too (after all, we all like to be payed to do what we like :P) - so CDs wouldn't be good for then, but for now I should go with whats cheapest to see if I like it and to learn with them too? (is CD djing really different than vinyl? It doesn't seem like it other than the medium used?)

I didn't want to spend too much eiter, so I got two used Numark TTX1's off craigslist.org for $225 each, and they're arguably just as good, if not better, than Tech 12's (although most likely less durable).

I started with a shitty Stanton RM-THREE mixer I was going to buy from my friend for $100, but realized it was crap so I splurged and went for the Vestax PCV-275, and love it so far (I've had it less than a week). PSSL.com has it for $299.99 and the slightly lower end PCV-175 for $229.99. I highly recommend them.

(2) Numark TTX1 - $225 x 2 = $450
(1) Vestax PCV-275 - $300
(1) Sony MDR-V700 - $90
(2) Ortofon Concord - free from friend, but probably ~$200

Total = around $1000 for, in my opinion, a pretty damn good setup

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-tom

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Originally posted by trance85 I see, so no real DJs use CD decks? And if I were to buy CD decks, is there a type/brand of decks thats more specifically suited for trance?

not neccecarily(sp?)

alot of real DJs use both, ever see Tiesto in Concert? hes got 2 Cd decks and 3 turntables. if youve been to a club you might notice that the dj booth(s) are equiped with usually at least 1 Cd deck along with the normal 2 turntables and mixer

i dont think they make cd decks suited for a certain genre of music, most are engineered to have all the capabilities of a vinyl turntable + a few digital features

as far as brands go, i dont know for sure but i do know that you wouldnt be dissapointed with denon or pioneer

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alot of real DJs use both, ever see Tiesto in Concert?

Unfortunately no, he's my favorite DJ

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(2) Numark TTX1 - $225 x 2 = $450 (1) Vestax PCV-275 - $300 (1) Sony MDR-V700 - $90 (2) Ortofon Concord - free from friend, but probably ~$200 Total = around $1000 for, in my opinion, a pretty damn good setup

A pair of TTX1 turntables cost as much as one technic turntable? And btw since I've never looked into vinyl shopping, how much would an average vinyl cost in comparison to the same average CD?


And what about PC (computer) DJing programs? I heard alot of people are starting to use them and you could do essentially the same thing as with turntables? (just you have to use a mouse rather than your hands which might be slightly annoying -- also ignoring all the aesthetic feeling that goes with working a turntable).