Well I've been reading thru the posts here in the dj booth and there are plenty of noobs wanting to know about what to do to start and what to buy and stuff ( I myself asked the same typical noob post not to long ago) and everyone of them gets without exeption, put onto this path of buying top end equipment for millions of dollars or else they should not even bother, or they'll suck.

I feel that some people that ask for comparisons between bottom end equipment might only need bottom end equipment and after they have posted will not get the answer to what bottom end stuff to buy, and they will be totally discouraged, and after all it's ALL about the music

I've got a friend that has 2 cd players(no pitch control no features) and a bottom end numark mixer he has an amp and speakers and a mic a smokemachine and some lights and a pc(only winamp). We have had the most awsome parties with only that equipment and no one has to even be the dj, various people can go and change songs at random, and they guy who's stuff it is doesn't have to worry about people fucking up vinyls and he doesn't have to dj all night cause no one else knows how and he can party like everyone else. Maybe alot of these noobs only need something to keep a party going.

And telling 10 to 16 year olds to buy $100000000 dollar equipment, thats just not right. At 10 to 16 most people don't even know what music they actually do like, I think DJ packs might be just the right thing for some people.

Thoughts?

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Reader's Digest:

quote:

Buying something as uncool as a turntable takes courage and planning.

My Discogs.

True.

But if someone is really serious about dj-ing, they would be better off buying some high-end equipment, don't you think?

If someone just wants to throw a nice party every once in a while, I don't think they need all that expensive stuff. There's no need to pay for something you don't need.

Anyway, I started with low-budget equipment, but now I only own equipment that you'll find in most Dutch clubs. From Gemini/Behringer to Technics/Dateq is a big step, but was worth the extra money.

My point is:

- If you are really serious about dj-ing, you are simply better off buying decent stuff.
- If you aren't sure if you like dj-ing, some of the low-end equipment might just suit the bill as well.

Just my 2 cents.

I just cannot believe that so many people could be so serious about DJing that only high end equipment would work for them.

I would even go as far to say that prob only 1 out of 50 people that post about what equipment to buy could actually be serious enough about DJing to buy good equipment, the rest would only have wasted the money (then again this makes for a good secondhand market)

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Reader's Digest:

quote:

Buying something as uncool as a turntable takes courage and planning.

My Discogs.

quote:

Originally posted by Gunyouken I just cannot believe that so many people could be so serious about DJing that only high end equipment would work for them.

Well, I am. And I found that only high-end equipment works for me. Maybe i'm just spoiled.

quote:

Originally posted by Gunyouken I would even go as far to say that prob only 1 out of 50 people that post about what equipment to buy could actually be serious enough about DJing to buy good equipment, the rest would only have wasted the money (then again this makes for a good secondhand market)

We just give advice. We do not tell them what to buy. It is still up them to decide what equipment to buy.

It is a proven fact that crappy equipment does not increase the pleasure of dj-ing. In fact, it can even make people forget about dj-ing, when good equipment might have just made them love it.

And, like you said, there is a good second hand market that can make high end equipment affordable for a lot of people...

what is annoying, is when someone posts about something that is bottom end, and/or wanting a comparison between bottom end equipment, and someone bangs on about technics or pioneer etc etc.

thats no what they made the thread for. there are plenty of bits of kit that don't cost £97312723 that are great for starting out on and all that.

quote:

Originally posted by djxtension It is a proven fact that crappy equipment does not increase the pleasure of dj-ing. In fact, it can even make people forget about dj-ing, when good equipment might have just made them love it.

i disagree, but not entirely. i was someone who bought cheap equipment (because it was the only stuff i could afford at the time) and it was fantastic to learn on. in fact it probably made me better as a dj, because if you spend enough time/effort thinking about having to get it just perfect (which is hard on some low end equipment, particularly turntables), then when you make the step up to proffesional equipment you are free to think about other things like being creative with the mix, doing something different etc etc.

although if someone isn't enthusiastic about it, they wont bother buying new kit later on and they will get sick of it. but that's their own stupid fault for shelling out for kit that, lets face it, is going to be expensive whatever you buy, when they arn't enthused about it enough to make it worth while spending that money in the first place.

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MUGGETS

quote:

Well, I am. And I found that only high-end equipment works for me. Maybe i'm just spoiled.

I'm busy saving for high end equipment myself.

It just doesn't seem right that people always get told what to buy when that was not what they asked , like sometimes a guy asks if some behringer prod would be better to buy than a gemini or something cause he just has $10 and then people come and tell him that he's crazy and should save $10000 bucks to get a pioneer or tech or something that he would never be able to afford or find neccesary in his life. I just think that for most people saving might be a bigger dampner on DJing than cheap equipment.

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Reader's Digest:

quote:

Buying something as uncool as a turntable takes courage and planning.

My Discogs.

quote:

Originally posted by tu_face i disagree, but not entirely. i was someone who bought cheap equipment (because it was the only stuff i could afford at the time) and it was fantastic to learn on. in fact it probably made me better as a dj, because if you spend enough time/effort thinking about having to get it just perfect (which is hard on some low end equipment, particularly turntables), then when you make the step up to proffesional equipment you are free to think about other things like being creative with the mix, doing something different etc etc.

I never said cheap equipment, i said crappy equipment...

There is a lot of stuff that is cheap and crappy, and a lot of stuff that is cheap and good.

I also started with cheap equipment, and it was great to learn on for me as well.

Some people just pick the wrong equipment, because it's cheap. If you look a bit further, you will find cheap equipment that is a whole lot better.

That was my point.

quote:

Originally posted by djxtension I never said cheap equipment, i said crappy equipment... There is a lot of stuff that is cheap and crappy, and a lot of stuff that is cheap and good. I also started with cheap equipment, and it was great to learn on for me as well. Some people just pick the wrong equipment, because it's cheap. If you look a bit further, you will find cheap equipment that is a whole lot better. That was my point.

fair anough

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MUGGETS

technics are like 300 on ebay, not that much

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soulful/latin/deep house + jazz

Techs are 300 on ebay...then you still need a mixer and phones, and you still need the most important part of all THE MUSIC!

And as far as I can see most people can't afford $300 TTs or are not willing to (If you are not willing then you are not serious I must add)

I on the other hand don't want to buy anything off Ebay, No matter how cheap, and most people only ship in the US. And I just don't trust the secondhand buying system of classifieds and online auctions.

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Reader's Digest:

quote:

Buying something as uncool as a turntable takes courage and planning.

My Discogs.

Three important lessons I learned over time dj'ing:

1) The better the mixer the better the overall sound quality and the better your mixing sounds ( i.e. those long blends sound really nice ) If you plan to play trance high-end mixers have a better mid-hi end range. Thus imo those breakdowns and synths sound crystal clear. In my expereince the best mixers have a high price tag.I think if you spend around $400 and above on a mixer you can get some good stuff. Lesson #1 buy what you can afford but understand that if you can save some money you can buy a nicer sounding mixer.

2) Good decks and cdplayers make mixing alot easier. I dj'ed on some shitty decks before and holdin a mix was a f#ckin challenge. Technics are the best imo. Solid build and excellent motor.
Lesson #2 If you want to save yourself the pain of learning how to mix on sh!tty decks buy good TT and cd decks.

3) This is an expensive hobby. If one cant afford the equipment than how the can you manage to afford vinyls that cost $20 each; knowing that you probally need to buy around 10-15 vinyls per month!? And trust me you arent gonna find good songs on MP3's for free. You will have to open your wallet if you want your mixes to sound artistic. Once you make the commitment to become a DJ than I beleive you will try your hardest to find the best gear you can afford.
Giving people reccomendations on high quality gear imo gives them an idea of whats good. It is ulitemely their choice. However, by pointing out to them what sounds good or what has good build they can do their own research and find stuff they can afford which they feel is similar in quality but cheaper in price.

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http://www.musicv2.com/artist/davepiazza

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Piazza Three important lessons I learned over time dj'ing: 1) The better the mixer the better the overall sound quality and the better your mixing sounds ( i.e. those long blends sound really nice ) If you plan to play trance high-end mixers have a better mid-hi end range. Thus imo those breakdowns and synths sound crystal clear. In my expereince the best mixers have a high price tag.I think if you spend around $400 and above on a mixer you can get some good stuff. Lesson #1 buy what you can afford but understand that if you can save some money you can buy a nicer sounding mixer. 2) Good decks and cdplayers make mixing alot easier. I dj'ed on some shitty decks before and holdin a mix was a f#ckin challenge. Technics are the best imo. Solid build and excellent motor. Lesson #2 If you want to save yourself the pain of learning how to mix on sh!tty decks buy good TT and cd decks. 3) This is an expensive hobby. If one cant afford the equipment than how the can you manage to afford vinyls that cost $20 each; knowing that you probally need to buy around 10-15 vinyls per month!? And trust me you arent gonna find good songs on MP3's for free. You will have to open your wallet if you want your mixes to sound artistic. Once you make the commitment to become a DJ than I beleive you will try your hardest to find the best gear you can afford. Giving people reccomendations on high quality gear imo gives them an idea of whats good. It is ulitemely their choice. However, by pointing out to them what sounds good or what has good build they can do their own research and find stuff they can afford which they feel is similar in quality but cheaper in price.

I agree with Dave on this. I see nothing wrong with pointing a novice DJ in a the direction of quality equipment. However, flat out telling them that nothing less than techs and an expensive mixer is worth it is stupid. There is plenty of cheap equipment out there that will do the job and satisfy the DJ'ing need it's just up to them to decide how much of an up-front investment they're willing to make.

One thing I know to be true is that if you decide you love DJ'ing you'll grow out of the cheaper stuff fairly quickly. I've had my set-up for 7 months and am already replacing my DXM06 with a DN-X1500 and looking at CD decks for a future purchase.