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

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"to be intoxicated is to feel sophisticated but not be able to say it"

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!!

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"to be intoxicated is to feel sophisticated but not be able to say it"

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

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"to be intoxicated is to feel sophisticated but not be able to say it"

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

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Keepin' It Gangsta

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

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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

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*Mirrors are more fun then noisiveleT*
My Hyves

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

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