The Official Beginners DJing Thread

becoming a DJ?

ok, so i decided i'd like to be a dj. this is not just a random thought, it's been a long time coming. i love music, i listen to music so much that if it were any other activity i'd be sick to death of it, and i used to play in a band. so yeah i'm very passionate about it. i also have a really good ear for pitch.

now that the drum n bass scene in my area is really starting to get some traction, it seems like the perfect time for me to save up for some equipment and get started. so my main question is: what equipment should i get?

i have a friend who is a pretty good hiphop dj and he sticks with vinyl but for dnb it really seems like cd players are a wiser choice. they're more compact, don't need to lug records and such. i've looked at the main offerings from pioneer, denon and technics... what do you use? are there any specific pros/cons that your experience with them can offer?

i suppose a mixer is the other crucial requirement. something portable would be nice, but i have a turntable i might want to hook up. is it worthwhile to get a 3 channel mixer or should i stick with a solid 2 channel for starters? there aren't that many cd player options but there are a tonne of mixer choices and a huge price range so any kind of opinions on that and such would be great. thanks :)
 
cd vs. vinyl - the discussion that will never end... decide what you feel is better for you.
having a free channel on the mixer is always nice.

edit: have a look into serato/final scratch
 
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Am I the only one who feels that even CDs are kind of antiquated technology? What's so great about using a CD, aside from the fact that the devices that play them have high-quality jog wheels, faders, etc. built into them?
 
RGB said:
Am I the only one who feels that even CDs are kind of antiquated technology? What's so great about using a CD, aside from the fact that the devices that play them have high-quality jog wheels, faders, etc. built into them?
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You can use CDs for white noise during a DJ set.
 
RGB said:
Am I the only one who feels that even CDs are kind of antiquated technology? What's so great about using a CD, aside from the fact that the devices that play them have high-quality jog wheels, faders, etc. built into them?
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The advantage to having CDs is they are in .wav format, not MP3. This wont make a heck of alot of difference unless you are playing on a huge system, but then it will definitely be an issue
 
KevinKostner said:
I've heard many DJ's spin that don't look up from there decks or do shit. At least do the tiesto thing were he stretches his arms to his sides and raises them up like he's gonna clap.
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And as far as this goes, the DJ's job isnt to hype people, its to play music. 90%+ of the time they are doing something when they are looking down, such as finding a new track, fucking with effects, or correcting the beatmatch. You don't want to be a crossfader DJ that preselects their sets...although if you do, be sure to wear big funny mouse ears, you'll get record deals that way.
 
rincewindrocks said:
And as far as this goes, the DJ's job isnt to hype people, its to play music. 90%+ of the time they are doing something when they are looking down, such as finding a new track, fucking with effects, or correcting the beatmatch. You don't want to be a crossfader DJ that preselects their sets...although if you do, be sure to wear big funny mouse ears, you'll get record deals that way.
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Deadmau5 has never claimed to be a DJ. He's a music producer, don't hate on him or try and put him down in a DJ discussion.
 
TearItDown said:
Deadmau5 has never claimed to be a DJ. He's a music producer, don't hate on him or try and put him down in a DJ discussion.
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but he is a0essentially a dj and ive seen him lol.... he has some great productions but also has some really shitty ones,,, his sets are completely prepared and ive still seen him fuck ip majorly... even with prep time, and when i met him he was an asshole and others who have met him agree.... i still mix a few tracks of his and have like 7 of his songs but he is not a producer only.. why did he accept best american dj award then?
 
straycatphizzle said:
drum and bass mainly, possibly some trance/house, but if i had to choose, definitely dnb
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hey dude.
everyone has their own advice.
I am not saying by any means that my advice is correct and others are incorrect, however i can give you my subjective opinion, based on 20 years in the music industry, Currently DJing and organising/producing/promoting in far east Asia, whilst running my own record label. Not trying to boast. Just confirming that i feel qualified to be confident in my advice.
Which is Dont hold out for technic 1210s.
You know how many people i know who could have started years ago, and become fantastic DJs, grown up with the rest of us, but are now just learning the ropes and have missed the boat entirely cause they "held out" for technics.
Bollocks mate.
get any old pair of Direct Drive turntables you can, and a basic 2 channel mixer with crossfader and rock and roll. I didnt even use technics until I got my first gig, didn't even buy them until I'd set up my own label, and you know what, it'll make you a better DJ!
I learnt on belt drive gemini's i believe, and my next upgrade were battered old stanton ST direct drives, which i still have in blighty.
you get what you can afford and learn on them. you will learn a very fine touch and understanding of analogue bpm adjustment, and when you step up to DJ at a gig or perform at a club/party, it will feel like a piece of piss!
I was well nervous my first gig, 2 mixes in i thought FUCK ME! this is easy!

Having played around the world in squats, clubs, pubs, bars, raves, festivals etc im thankful i had a shit set up at home. cause you'll encounter a great many sketchy set ups on your way through the DJ scene, but you'll be able to cope with them. Half the guys i know who learnt on the best of the best, get absolutely panic stricken when they play out and say, one deck is fucked, or the needle jumps, or the weight aint right, or the torque has dissapeared from lack of service/overuse. me? its no biggie. however thankfully i dont encounter many sketchy set ups these days.
even my set up at home aint as good as the one in my shop!
i like it that way.
learn on anything that you can get your hands on man!

though 1) get good/medium range headphones 2) make sure your speakers/monitors aint toooo shoddy 3) make sure the tables are direct drive 4) make sure your needles are decent enough 5) make sure the tone arms/weights aren't in too bad condition on the tables

your safe.
go ebay, get started.
try googling stanton St70J/ and vestax PCV 2 channel mixer.
shouldnt cost you more than 2-300 bucks man

rock on

DJ
 
rincewindrocks said:
And as far as this goes, the DJ's job isnt to hype people, its to play music.
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Have to disagree here.
The Dj's job is to entertain.
a cd player or radio's job is just to play music.
The DJ should be absolutely dedicated to the crowd.
They put you there, without them your just another bedroom DJ, they are supporting you, they are paying my bills and putting food on my table! love them! it is a Dj's responsibility and duty to read the crowd, interact with them, play according to each individual crowd's differences and needs, be sensitive and grateful towards them.
I wouldn't be in the music industry with a family and record label if i wasn't dedicated to my crowd.
I'm not saying jump around like an idiot all the time, far from it, but remember your on stage to perform and (for the most part) hype the crowd with your tunes and your talent, your energy and passion, for the craft that is Djing.
otherwise fuck off back home, cause we aint paying your guarantee, and the fans aint comin back to see you. back to the bedroom.
 
straycatphizzle said:
hey guys i was just wondering if i could get some advice. I wanna start djing, but with vinyl. Do not ask why I don't just use CDs or better yet software. Im just wondering what would the best setup I could get for the best price. I saw this, but it looks like the most mediocre of the mediocre if not quite shitty. Any advice would be greatly appreciated and pelase don't give me shit for wanting to spin vinyl.
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by the way that set up is perfect to start Djing!
I wouldve dreamt of such things 20 years ago!
 
brainbug said:
cd vs. vinyl - the discussion that will never end... decide what you feel is better for you.
having a free channel on the mixer is always nice.

edit: have a look into serato/final scratch
Click to expand...

thanks, good stuff :)
 
DJ 303 said:
Have to disagree here.
The Dj's job is to entertain.
a cd player or radio's job is just to play music.
The DJ should be absolutely dedicated to the crowd.
They put you there, without them your just another bedroom DJ, they are supporting you, they are paying my bills and putting food on my table! love them! it is a Dj's responsibility and duty to read the crowd, interact with them, play according to each individual crowd's differences and needs, be sensitive and grateful towards them.
I wouldn't be in the music industry with a family and record label if i wasn't dedicated to my crowd.
I'm not saying jump around like an idiot all the time, far from it, but remember your on stage to perform and (for the most part) hype the crowd with your tunes and your talent, your energy and passion, for the craft that is Djing.
otherwise fuck off back home, cause we aint paying your guarantee, and the fans aint comin back to see you. back to the bedroom.
Click to expand...

Guess I should clarify. What I meant was it is a DJ's job to play music for a crowd, to get them dancing (if you are playing a dance set, of course...if you are playing a chill set or a psych set, select appropriately). That means watching the crowd, making sure your sets have ups to get people moving and downs to let them rest a bit, and enjoying their energy. A dj's job is not to be standing behind the decks waving their arms in the air like an idiot 90% of the time...Id much rather hear a DJ throw down two tracks side by side that I never thought would work together and having them fit perfectly than to see some dude telling everybody to put their arms in the air cause he's doing it too.
 
Hey Im looking to start Djing per say, i have ableton live 7.0.3 im building a large library, i dont have any other equipment but my pc at the time being, what would you suggest for a beginner?
Also, any tips ive been wanting to do this for ever and im finally taking the initiative to bust my ass in order to start.
 
You should get a second sound card so that you have the ability to cue your tracks, and headphones. A mixer is a good idea, but Abelton's built in one is pretty good, so thats not as necessary. An Abelton controller is also a wise purchase, because it can be hard to do it all with a mouse and keyboard.
 
alright well first off i have no clue on how to use ableton very well, so i want to learn more about that, im not sure what card to buy etc... im pretty low on cash atm so im wanting to get started with as little cash required and i would love to start by using my pc as my studio, as i have no want to use turntables.
 
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