Skoolys tips on buying dj equipment (LONG POST)

Skool.Yard.Mafia

Beep Ahh Fresh
I'd like to start off by saying, I WROTE THIS. I DID NOT TAKE INFO FROM SITES. I wrote this on djforums.com originally.

Ok, On to buisness...

Alot of people on FP Probably Get annoyed by the "What setup should I Buy" threads coming up occasionally (Happens ALOT at djforums.com). Your not alone there. This is a little message to all of those n00b "What Setup" guys needing help. TO ALL N00BS: These are the main things IMO you should write in your setup buying threads!. I am sick and tired of people not giving enough info in forums and people giving up their own time for the same question constantly being asked. All they write is "What is a good setup" or "What companies should I buy" so i am going to do a list of things you should add in your "What Setup should I get" threads for all you Setup n00bs. Im helping you avoid wandering the search bar for answers.

On to the Message

1. This is the #1 thing that annoys me in these threads......WRITE WHAT KIND OF MUSIC YOU PLAY!!!!: Your setup can veriety in equipment depending on what kind of music you play. For example If you are a die-hard-to-be- scratch dj you most likely wouldnt want to spend your money on a Xone mixer unless its a 02. The 92, 62, 42 etc.. were not made for scratching. Alot of people will give these kinds of suggestions with out knowing that thats not the kind mixer your looking for or the price (I will get to later). Why? Because you DIDNT INCLUDE YOUR INFO!
This could be a simple thing to avoid if you simply put what Music style/genre you do/want to spin.

2.Your Price Limit: Now there are some people on here that DO include htis and i am proud of them. the people that DON'T. It annoys me. Mixers of the dj world could go from a price of $5 to $5,000. Please include your maximum amount of $$$ you have to spend.
Tip of the day: It is always best to buy a great setup than buy crap and have to upgrade later when you might not have the money!!!
This will help people save time waiting for your little reply and get YOU your answer alot more quickly.

3."Which is better, Mixer A Or Mixer B": To all of these people.....YOU GET WHAT YOU PAID FOR!: Do not buy any cheaply made mixers for large gigs or residents unless you absolutely, ABSOLUTELY need it. Say its a life or death situation. Your current mixer died on you and the gigs tomorrow. You check in your pocket and you only have $39.50 Go use that money for a cheap, low end mixer. Than you know you will unfortunatly need it. Its basic knowledge. but, like i said, You get what you paid for. Most mixers that use cheap materials have horrible sound quality and they are not a good substitute. If you NEED it than there really isnt much else you can do unless a friend that Dj's could hook you up. So spend as much as possible for a ceap replacement.

4.Do the Reaserch before you ask questions: On DJF there ar many people you can ask for help with setups, wires, slipmats etc... but there is a better way of oing things. Search for your self there are Far more resources on Theinternet outside of DJF than there is on Djforums. Try to find the cheapest site. If you want help finding out a particular stores rep just head on down to Djforums.com and check out the "Vendor Review Thread". There are many places to shop and research. Just look around, Google is your friend.

5.Pricematching?: Believe it or not folks, some stores do pricematching such as Guitar Center, AGI Pro Dj etc... For all of you who dont know thsi means if you find a really low price on the internet that is an authorized dealer, head down to your local price-Matching store with DJ equipment and show them the website. They will match the same price (Mabey even beat it) and you wont have to pay for that Pesky Shipping&Handling

6. WHAT ARE YOU MAINLY FOCUSING ON GETTING?: Some people looking for setups already have a mixer or decks. In this case, most of those people are focusing on upgrading. Please write what you want to upgrade if thats what you are aiming at. There is no point in getting help for stuff that you wont need. S please include what you want to upgrade if you are wanting an upgrade

7. BUYERS BEWARE:: Used Equipment: Used or new. Checking a turntable, seeing if the motor runs well, the pitch works correctly, pop up lights, rca/ ground isn't messed up. This also goes for cd players, mixers, etc. This is helpful because most people starting out may want a good deal and used could be the best and closest thing they can grab so they will have to watch out for some problems

8. Choices, Choices, Choices..:

When you are a little low on cash and pioneer or A&H just Doesnt fit the bill, you should add some popular budget choices that are still quality. For example:

Turntables:
Numark TT 200
Stanton T 80

Mixers:
American Audio QD5
Numark DXM06/09

Cd Players:
Pioneer CDJ 200
Denon DNS1000
Stanton C.314

Carts:
Stanton 500 V.3
Shure SC35C
Ortofon Pro S
Stanton 520 V.3

#9 - Just Spinnin or do you want more?: Say your on the forums and your Saying something like "i want to dj, but also want to make beats, so should i buy a bass guitar and a drum machine and a technics because i heard its best but also need protools so i can record vocals - what microphone do i need" DOES NOT HELP. focus and decide what you really want to do. do you want to dj? if so, you need different gear than if you are going to make music.

Ask Yourself, Do you want to Dj, Produce or both? It can get expensive but "You get what you paid for" so dont be afraid to drop some $$$.


Now i hope this answered Most of your questions about setups and what to do if your stuck. Do These steps In order just to make shure you did all you could before turning to DJF. Okay to Recap

1.Name your style of music
2.How much $$$ can you spend?
3.Which cheap mixer should I buy?
4.RESEARCH!
5.Call up your local store
6.Upgrading?
7.Buying used equipment
8.The Many Choices Of Equipment
9.What do you plan on doing as your career?

For your convienince i'll add some stores I recommend!
www.pssl.com
www.audiolines.com
www.agiprodj.com
www.planetdj.com
www.zzounds.com/a--2676837
www.turntablelab.com
www.dancerecords.com (For Music)
www.skatesonhaight.com (This is 100% my Favorite battle record store)
www.juno.co.uk (For Music)

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Thanks alot for reading, I hope this helped.
Skool Yard Mafia-Platter Kontrollaz Crew-Djforums.com-BananaMats
 
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Thank you thank you my fine sir.

EDIT: Thanks for the sticky too w00t!!!!

Ballin...

Really appreciate that man
 
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This was a nice start to a bigger subject... much respect. Now, I do have a few additions that is also up to anyone's response or feedback.

I've purchased a few turntables, mixers,etc. in my life to really come to a few understandings about "trial n error". Sure you get what you pay for, but when you have to make due... don't under estimate what you can learn. Here are a few examples: belt drive tt's vs direct drive... I found out which one is cool for 'at home' music playing(belt drive) and which one can handle the some-what extensive treatment of being a mobile DJ(direct drive). Anyone who owns a belt drive tt or has had experience with one... will tell you... buy extra belts(over time, these belts will wear out or dry rot). I've also found the logic behind having the ability to manually adjust the various increments on the tone arm... some of these features are "fixed" on some turntables... you need to be able to make these adjustments and not be restricted to a factory/design setup.
Here's example regarding mixers: Find a mixer that meets the standards of your own physical skill limitations, your imagination, and the demands of your presentation. Here's what I mean... physically I have big hands, so I need a little space... so a cluttered mixer is out of the question... regardless of the reviews or who makes it.
Imagination and presentation-wise, I needed 3 tt/line inputs and a seperate mic channel(because I may use a 3rd tt, a mpc, or even a cd player and I keep 2 channel open for mixing). On the presentation, the mixer needed to have eq kill switches(not only for unique live mixing tricks, but also for cleaning sounds for my sampling).
These are just a few... 'spot the problem, find the solution' issues... that I have to take into consideration when I have to buy or replace components. Let me be straight up honest with you... eventually you will have to replace something, and the odds of finding the exact part or component can be a little 'iffy'... so be more focused on your individual demands or needs... rather than a brand... because brands can be "not available"... but, your demands and needs will still remain.

Finally... there are a lot of things that may seem universal... but, every DJ set is custom(I BS you not... as one of my personal rules..."I do not spin on anyone's setup but my own"... because even a slope adjustment or tone arm weight adjustment... can have you look very foolish to a crowd.) There is no "one size fits all". From the equiptment... to how heavy handed you are on the wax... it's all based on individual demand/needs, technique, setup, and how much you are willing to match that finacially. It's not based on what Madmixa is using, or Q-Bert, GMF, Revolution, etc...

Also, don't let space be your enemy... if you're more secure with a larger mixer... so be it... get a larger table or build a larger case and handle your business. :cheers:
 
I am trying to purchase some DJ gear and I need your input. After reading Skooly’s post I hope this is enough info.
I am trying to do 2 things:
1. Incorporate scratching into my production
2. Learn to DJ as in beat matching, maybe some beat juggling and transitions and scratching obviously.
I scouted out a Numark “Battle Pack” with 2 TT1625’s, a DM950 mixer. It comes with cartridges but does not specify what kind. Maybe I can buy them separately per your suggestions.
I should note that about a year ago I was trying to learn to scratch on a TT1625 but couldn’t quite get it, so I sold it. But later I found out that the cartridge makes a difference too. Now I am thinking that I had a poor cartridge.
Will this system work for what I am trying to do? I know people say “Buy cheap, buy twice” but this is kind of what I can afford. Should I wait until I can afford better or can this work for starters?
 
no no no no no...

If you're even halfway serious about scratching (which you shouldn't be because its not 1999 anymore) you'd get 1200s or a pdx2000 and up. Nothing else. Some sort of vestax pmc mixer to start with and you could possily get away with stanton cartridges. Nothing else will cut it.
 
You're really gonna try to tell me to stop scratching because "it's not 1999 anymore"?

The skratch world is still expanding and I don't see it completely dying out any time soon. It's an art form just like producing.

Keep that BS out of my thread!
 
I'm just bitter - I was in there in the glory days, when d (stlyes) and q (bert) were still collabing, when nicks was taking over the world one 2,000 post at a time, when crabs were still controversial, a-trak was still a tweenager, the forums were popping off constantly, new scratches were being invented weekly, serato didn't exist, toadstyle hadn't dropped flatulent boy yet...

Anyway, scratching is as close to my heart as any art form ever will be. Seriously, you should go for it. It's just a crying shame that the scene is so dead. Make sure you check out vids of the following on youtube:
The Bastard Language Tour (Ricci Rucker, D-Styles, Mike Boo, Toadstyle)
D-Styles
Toad and Excess

Also, get a copy of Scetchbook by Ricci Rucker and Phantasmagorea by D-Styles to see how far scratching can go in pure production. Finally, some excellent beats to cut to can be found on the Sqratchers Delight series. Check out TTLab.

And oh yeah, if you can, find a Delorean and skip back to 99. The Doc will tell you what to do from there.
 
whats up to all my DJ's! I'm an upcoming artist looking to get my music heard anyway that I can. please take a moment of your time and show support and download a FREE copy of my album. I have some good tracks on it. Maybe you could put it in your mix when you're DJ'n. Thanks God Bless! zshare.net/download/79257803b193a67b/
 
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