Wondering the Cost of a Dj Setup for a newbie?

[frontline]

Just wondering if anyone new what a decent setup would cost...I wanna spin breakz if that helps...If anyone has used equipment that they are wanting to sell that would be helpful too...im not in vancouver so its hard to find places that sell dj equipment...any help appreciated thanx


jar out

[dfltr]

short answer: a fair bit.

long answer:

you're on the right track. get ghetto decks and a mixer off a friend. if you have to buy some instead of just using the recycled equipment that floats around every scene, it probably won't cost you more than $500 absolute max. make sure you get good needles though... a lot of my old records are in rough shape from my old needles. shure m44-7's are cheap, good for breaks, and tough as shit.

as for a PA, to start off just use a decent home stereo. if you start running gigs or just want to get a bit more serious, you can pick up 70's and 80's amps and eq's as well as some decent speakers at pawnshops for around $1000 total.

also, this gets said - and ignored - pretty often: buy records first.

[C@dEnCe]

2 techs and a tech mixer ??2000-2500?? :PartEkid: oh ya needles and shit 400$

[DJDeeb]

I've seen some cheap direct-drive turntables fro abour 400$ each a mixer for about 300$
I'd say budjet around 2000$ for the set up

[dfltr]

^^ if you're gonna be spending two grand, get 2 12's and an 06.

[normal josh]

Originally posted by dfltr
^^ if you're gonna be spending two grand, get 2 12's and an 06.

or you could get the vestax pcv 275 or the stanton clone for like 300 less the rm3s

but get good needles... mabye the m44-g, a little less wear better sound, but not quite as good tracking as its turnbablist alternative the m44-7

or mabye the numark 3001x, its not that bad, and its only like 300 bucks i think

[[edit_out]]

$3000.

[dfltr]

really, we should just get to the point: initial investment doesn't matter much. $500, 3 grand, whatever... in the end once you account for all the gear collecting and record shopping sprees it's the same number:

5 hojillion dollars.

[Moon]

dont get the 06.... its wayyyyy too basic.... spend more money on your mixer but not too much. i'd say a 400-800 budget on the mixer is good.... make sure it has an adjustable fader and 3band eqs..... the 06 only has 2 eqs and theyre too cramped up close so its hard to do some nifty eq mixing.... but it has an adjustable fader that is great for scratching.... look for 2nd hand Vestax mixers in the pro series (theyre mostly gold covered).... vestax makes some very solid mixers that fit all levels of djing...... Ranes are pricey and ugly as hell but they sound awesome and last a long time as well. spend your money wisely on the mixer....

also take dfltr's advice and get a decent collection of records, or really know your shit (as in know what you're gonna go hunt for if you plan to get your records afterwards)

[dfltr]

Originally posted by k-pryde
dont get the 06.... its wayyyyy too basic....

some of us prefer the term "minimalistic" ;)

i wish the 06 had 3 band eq's... i also wish the 07 had eq knobs, or at least heftier sliders... ah well, someday my wish will come true.

[Moon]

i wouldnt mind the 06 so much if the 2 eq knobs were spread out a lil more to fit my fingers in between

i also dont like how the fader cue is on the bottom of the mixer... would be nice if it was on top of the mixer so you dont have to reach down there all the time...

[dfltr]

^ man, that's one of my favorite features. the faceplate only has stuff you use while mixing and scratching. hamster, cue volume, cue fader, and fader curve are all out of the way but still right there in front of you.

if the cue fader weren't right in the middle and super big and easy to grab i'd hate it though.

[wigglesworth]

DONT get shitty turntables. There almost impossible to scratch with, and they make mixing a bitch. Get techs.

As for mixers, its really up to you for personal choice. I have a vestax 07, which has treated me great. Just dont buy one because it has a bpm counter, or flashing lights like a lot of newb djs do.

[dfltr]

^ we've gotten into it over the shitty/sweet decks for newbs thing a bunch of times. i still maintain that paying your dues on shitty decks will keep you from getting lazy fingers on techs. plus if buddy decides he's not into it after a few months of wrecking, he won't have expensive desk decorations.

mmm, 07 ISP. piklz rewl.

[automatic]

here's what i would suggest if you want to keep it cheap:

buy one technics=$800

buy a cheap realistic or gemini mixer=$100-$150

buy a cheap turntable for the other deck from a used record store, preferably one with pitch control. you can pick a puppy like that up for $20 used. i started with a belt drive sanyo with pitch control that i got for $10 used at a pawnshop. at the beginning use this turntable to play the record you want to mix into, eventually once you learn beat mixing you'll be able to mix with it too, but it'll make you appreciate the tech so much more

buy good needles. can't go wrong with shures, about $120 a pop with headshells

total=$1200, you've got one technics, which is a step in the right direction for a proper set-up, and you haven't really spent any money on anything that's going to be useless in the future, such as an american dj or gemini turntable. if you find out djing isn't for you you can unload the tech for $500, and maybe another $100 for the cartridges if you're lucky. it's good enough to learn on, and if you end up getting hooked, you can save up for another tech, and a decent mixer. the only drawback is that you can't really use this set-up to play out.

[wigglesworth]

Originally posted by dfltr
^ we've gotten into it over the shitty/sweet decks for newbs thing a bunch of times. i still maintain that paying your dues on shitty decks will keep you from getting lazy fingers on techs. plus if buddy decides he's not into it after a few months of wrecking, he won't have expensive desk decorations.

mmm, 07 ISP. piklz rewl.

I bought my whole set up for 1600. That included 2 techs, that mixer, which IS sweet, and shure needles and sony phones. If for some strange reason i decide i dont want to do it anymore (wont happen) i can unload the whole thing for the same price or more.

good deals like that come up. just have to go after it once it does. you decide you dont like it, then you can sell it for very close to the same price.

[Moon]

Originally posted by dfltr
^ man, that's one of my favorite features. the faceplate only has stuff you use while mixing and scratching. hamster, cue volume, cue fader, and fader curve are all out of the way but still right there in front of you.

if the cue fader weren't right in the middle and super big and easy to grab i'd hate it though.

hehe oh well to each their own, my buddy who has the 06 loves it.... i borrowed it for a few weeks and i gotta say i like my pcv 175 alot more =) the eqs are the main thing i dont like.... cramped and limited.... and i like switch based cues rather than fader cues..... just more used to that i guess.

the 06 seems pretty dope for scratching djs... but for mixing theres better ones out there =) the allan heaths are mixing machines.... oh man i'd love to have one for myself.

[AWOL]

I say you can skimp on the mixer but get tech's and a good set of needles (Shure's M44-7's are the best for the price)

[Clayton.]

Great..another breaks dj. I was gonna get tables but it seem's to me that being a dj is way to trendy these days.
Are you a trend follower?

I think i may still get tables though i wanna play hip hop though and maybe a little jungle.

good luck though, don't forget you gotta spend money on records 2.

[-ak47-]

Get used techs, good headphones (NOT the sonys, mine just fucking snapped, get Seinheissers or those nifty ministry of sound ones) and I'd recommend a vestax if you want a good mixer for not too much but if you want a really good mixer got an Allen&Heath Xone, they're fucking incredible and blow away anything on the same price level(ie DJM600)

Another thing in terms of mixers I've noticed is that unless you really are going to scratch dont bother with an adjustable fader, I mean it's nice to have one and I think pretty much all highend mixers have one these days but if you're just gonna mix don't bother.

[Akeel]

i can set you up with a good starter package for a grand or less ;)
PM me

some good advice on the boards here, the A&H Xone series is the shiznit. I want to get a Xone 464, then my life will be complete.

[frontline]

what about cd decks? u can get sum pretty wicked mixers for those...saw a few stanton setups on bizrate.com for like 500 american...imma be a working man this summer so i wanna get into it..there is shit that i wanna hear but no one plays or it or i can't find it...and its stuck in my head and driving me crazy ohhhhahahhaa



jar out

[stringbeans]

if you're looking for decks checkout ebay.. personally i think the prices for tables here are a joke

john
2899131

[normal josh]

but i found out that tech lost their patent, thats why there are so many companies that actually are making some kick ass decks for pretty damn cheap... the new stanton s arm (cant remember model number) and theaudio tecnica ( i think) well there are some options out there that are pretty fuckin close to techs.

but yeah dont cheap out on carts (just invision yourself going out on a gig and all you have are some thing ugly stantons or something ugly numarks)

get the m44-7 they are great

and i highly recomend the vestax pcv 275 (or 175) its a pretty close one for a couple bills less... if thats too much then get the stanton rms-s... its a clone of the 275 and its prety good for home use

[stringbeans]

Originally posted by kid icarus
but i found out that tech lost their patent, thats why there are so many companies that actually are making some kick ass decks for pretty damn cheap...

very true. panasonic lost their patent for the direct drive turntable a few years ago, which is why technics was the leader in turntables. however, since their patent has ran out i think there are much better tt's being made. sure, you can argue that the reason why technics are found in every club is because they're the best. the truth though, is because they WERE the best for the past 20+ years. but again, since their patent has run out other companies have been making much better tt's with *gasp* new features!!

look at the line of tech 12's.. the MK2 has your basic +-8% pitch and torque. the M3D has a single new feature which is the quartz lock which just zero's the pitch. the MK5 (the latest) is pretty much the same as the M3D but about $100 more. the M5G (special edition of their latest) has pitches of either +-8% or +-16%.

i think venues will start carrying newer tt's in the near future.

john
2899131