Beginner DJs Guide to DJ Equipment

SamAK · 23-12-2013 5:13pm

was.deevey wrote: »

Most of the time if thats seized up its just a case of crud buildup being left in a single position over time, or someone had it screwed up/down so far its hit the end of the threads

Yep did some searching online and found a really good series of 1210 service videos on Youtube by viperfrank, quite a straightforward job to get into the height adjust rings, clean out the threads and re-lube...old, hardened grease is normally what makes it stick.

The seized one is set to exactly 3.5, so I may get away with not fixing it for now...i'll find out when I get new carts.

Also have to replace the target bulbs, hopefully an easy-peasy job.

SamAK · 23-12-2013 5:17pm

milltown wrote: »

Check when you move the pitch up or down that it doesn't have a second zero point, where the big dots stop moving again. If you do, that's the actual zero on the pitch slider. There's an adjustment on the pitch circuit board to correct it and plenty of vids on Youtube to talk you through it.

Checked, and big dots only go static at exactly zero on both decks.

fuzzydunlop85 · 03-01-2014 10:56pm

Hi lads, hoping to get back into djin after a long absence. Just got a new power amp/speakers, hooked it up and everything seems ok , except no sound! I cant see any problem with amp or speakers,I'm assuming has gone AWOL with my ancient vestex mixer(first time used in about 6years). Looking to get something for about 200 euro max, any suggestions?

fuzzydunlop85 · 03-01-2014 10:58pm

Also my cousin has givin me a load of his Stanton c324's to use with a view to me buying them, looking 400 euro for the pair, they are 2years old. Do you reckon this is an ok deal?

was.deevey · 05-01-2014 5:46am

Also my cousin has givin me a load of his Stanton c324's to use with a view to me buying them, looking 400 euro for the pair, they are 2years old. Do you reckon this is an ok deal?

I wouldn't pay more than 300 euro for them based on being able to get a pair from the US for around 90ea + shipping + tax

Zascar · 10-01-2014 8:37pm

edit i'm wrong

SamAK · 11-01-2014 12:05am

fuzzydunlop85 wrote: »

Hi lads, hoping to get back into djin after a long absence. Looking to get something for about 200 euro max, any suggestions?

I'm also keeping an eye out for a mixer to go with my recently purchased Technics, and had this Pioneer as my start point -

http://www.thomann.de/ie/pioneer_djm_250_k.htm

I'll keep looking around, might get something interesting second hand but seeing as Pioneer has cemented itself as a brand you can rely on, I don't think i'd be disappointed, for the price..

no onboard FX(just a filter) and only two channels but that's all I need as long as there's an AUX input for laptop soundcards!

No booth out either, if you were needing that sort of thing.

milltown · 12-01-2014 1:23am

SamAK wrote: »

I'm also keeping an eye out for a mixer to go with my recently purchased Technics, and had this Pioneer as my start point -

http://www.thomann.de/ie/pioneer_djm_250_k.htm

I'll keep looking around, might get something interesting second hand but seeing as Pioneer has cemented itself as a brand you can rely on, I don't think i'd be disappointed, for the price..

no onboard FX(just a filter) and only two channels but that's all I need as long as there's an AUX input for laptop soundcards!

No booth out either, if you were needing that sort of thing.

If you want to buy new I can vouch for the 250. I have mine a year and it does everything I need from it. I have two 1200s going into it and the faders and EQs are spot on. The filters are a bit harsh tbh. Nothing like the analog filters on the A&H mixers but if you learn to drop the channel faders about 20% before using them they can be useful. There's 2 or 3 auxillary channels around the mic input alright. How much use these are for mixing I couldn't tell you. I only use them the odd time to plug in the iPod or laptop if there's a mix or podcast I want to hear over proper speakers.

Booth out? Not sure it's a deal breaker for anyone at this price but there are two master outs, although they don't have independent level controls. Surely most monitors have their own controls?

SamAK · 12-01-2014 4:02pm

milltown wrote: »

Booth out? Not sure it's a deal breaker for anyone at this price but there are two master outs, although they don't have independent level controls. Surely most monitors have their own controls?

I'd guess that active speakers defo have their own control, not sure about passive....

Yeah this is a home mixer really, i'm not exactly going to be connecting to a club system anytime soon...and seeing as you have one. how do the faders feel? Was browsing forums and saw someone commenting that the 250 is a battle/scratch mixer and as a result the faders have very little resistance...

I was also looking at the Allen&Heath Xone 22....anyone know anything about them? Are they worth the extra 75 quid?

was.deevey · 13-01-2014 7:17am

The xone is a really nice mixer, built like a tank sounds awesome and will last forever - only gripe anyone really has with them is the filters tend to pop a bit when engaged (all analogue circuitry).

milltown · 13-01-2014 2:35pm

SamAK wrote: »

I'd guess that active speakers defo have their own control, not sure about passive....

Yeah this is a home mixer really, i'm not exactly going to be connecting to a club system anytime soon...and seeing as you have one. how do the faders feel? Was browsing forums and saw someone commenting that the 250 is a battle/scratch mixer and as a result the faders have very little resistance...

I was also looking at the Allen&Heath Xone 22....anyone know anything about them? Are they worth the extra 75 quid?

The faders are pretty free alright but not quite scratch mixer switch flipping free. I leave the crossfader set to "thru" and mix with the channel faders anyway, so that takes one of them out of the reckoning for me anyway.

The 250 and the Xone 22 were both around the €300 mark when I started shopping and what I was reading said the A&H won out on sound quality but the reliability seemed to be atrocious, with a lot of them getting returned. Then Pioneer dropped the price of the 250 by €100 and the decision was simple. To my ears there's nothing wrong with the sound quality of the Pioneer.

Keggers2 · 17-01-2014 2:23am

(Just posted this in another thread but it seems a bit quiet so I'm reposting it here)

Hey, a friend of mine (who doesn't have a boards account, which is where I come) is just getting into DJing. He got this decks a while ago as a present

http://pioneerdj.com/english/product.../ddj-wego.html

And then picked up these speakers; http://www.gear4music.ie/Woodwind-Br...PA-Speaker/GUV

So now my question is what's the best and most cost effective way to fill in all the necessary gear in between? I've tried to do a bit of research but I keep getting lost in a maze of power amps and different input types.

Sooo yeah, any and all help would be much appreciated!

SamAK · 17-01-2014 5:40pm

Keggers2 wrote: »

(Just posted this in another thread but it seems a bit quiet so I'm reposting it here)

Hey, a friend of mine (who doesn't have a boards account, which is where I come) is just getting into DJing. He got this decks a while ago as a present

http://pioneerdj.com/english/product.../ddj-wego.html

And then picked up these speakers; http://www.gear4music.ie/Woodwind-Br...PA-Speaker/GUV

Sooo yeah, any and all help would be much appreciated!

Both of those links are dead!

Keggers2 · 17-01-2014 9:58pm

SamAK wrote: »

Both of those links are dead!

Wow, sorry about that! I don't have a clue what happened!

Here are those links again; http://pioneerdj.com/english/products/controller/ddj-wego.html

http://www.gear4music.ie/Woodwind-Brass-Strings/Behringer-B1220-Eurolive-Pro-Passive-PA-Speaker/GUV

Eathrin · 28-01-2014 1:13pm

Hi guys, I'm DJing at a ball where about 100-200 will attend. I have no idea what kind of speakers I should hire for this event.
http://www.soundworks.ie/dj_pa_systems_for_hire.html
Looking here, the 1000 or 2000 watt packages should be sufficient. Any thoughts?

Eathrin · 28-01-2014 1:13pm

Hi guys, I'm DJing at a ball where about 100-200 will attend. I have no idea what kind of speakers I should hire for this event.
http://www.soundworks.ie/dj_pa_systems_for_hire.html
Looking here, the 1000 or 2000 watt packages should be sufficient. Any thoughts?

The_Honeybadger · 28-01-2014 11:18pm

Eathrin wrote: »

Hi guys, I'm DJing at a ball where about 100-200 will attend. I have no idea what kind of speakers I should hire for this event.
http://www.soundworks.ie/dj_pa_systems_for_hire.html
Looking here, the 1000 or 2000 watt packages should be sufficient. Any thoughts?

2000 should do it. Best to leave as much headroom as you possibly can. Nothing sounds worse than an inadequate system getting thrashed to pieces.

SamAK · 29-01-2014 2:20pm

Question for the Technics peeps - what way round do you have your counterweights? Numbers facing you or away?

milltown · 29-01-2014 5:10pm

SamAK wrote: »

Question for the Technics peeps - what way round do you have your counterweights? Numbers facing you or away?

Facing me. Only reason to have them the other way around is for scratching I think.

MiamTea · 30-01-2014 2:49am

Sorry guys , I'm a real newbie to this stuff, it's the boyfriend who's into DJing, I'm just trying to get him a birthday present! When buying vinyls for mixing, should you get albums, singles, or does it matter?

BaZmO* · 30-01-2014 2:38pm

MiamTea wrote: »

Sorry guys , I'm a real newbie to this stuff, it's the boyfriend who's into DJing, I'm just trying to get him a birthday present! When buying vinyls for mixing, should you get albums, singles, or does it matter?

You can use both, but if it's for mixing, singles (12") are generally better due to the way they are made.

PeteEd · 30-01-2014 9:43pm

i have my 1210's almost 15 years now but i have been doing contract work up and down the UK for 3 years now and so they are gathering dust back home.

I've built up a nice hard drive full of music over the last few months and have ordered a Kontrol S2, though i'm a little lost as to what laptop, OS and spec to run Traktor on?

I currently have a well used hp probook 4330s and was intending to buy another laptop solely for running Traktor on and nothing else, anyone care to offer any advice or rcommendations

SamAK · 30-01-2014 10:07pm

MiamTea wrote: »

Sorry guys , I'm a real newbie to this stuff, it's the boyfriend who's into DJing, I'm just trying to get him a birthday present! When buying vinyls for mixing, should you get albums, singles, or does it matter?

I'd be much. much more concerned about the content of the vinyl over whether it's an album or single!

Unless you really, really know his music tastes, i'd say leave the music selection to him and perhaps buy him something else, perhaps an new pair of headphones or something?

I wouldn't mind my (hypothetical) GF buying me a nice pair of Sennheiser HD25'S

http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?1954

SamAK · 30-01-2014 10:15pm

PeteEd wrote: »

i'm a little lost as to what laptop, OS and spec to run Traktor on?

I've used Traktor on a good few Windows laptops, and never had any issues. Here's the recommended system specs from Native Instruments -

http://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/traktor/dj-software/traktor-pro-2/specifications/

Doesn't need anything super fancy or powerful really, but the more RAM you have, the faster it will analyse songs when you import them....

The only problems i've had with digital dj'ing is latency (the lag as the audio works it's way along the signal path), but the Kontro S2 should have a built in soundcard that is more than capable of processing audio fast enough without any crackles or dropouts!

I have one of these little guys, and it's wonderful. You won't need one if you're getting a Kontrol though -

http://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/traktor/dj-audio-interfaces/traktor-audio-2/

Just a thought - would you consider a digital to vinyl system, seeing as you already have 1210's? That way you can hook up your laptop to the decks through a soundcard, and mix them with control vinyls! Best of both worlds!!

http://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/traktor/digital-vinyl/traktor-scratch-a6/

PeteEd · 30-01-2014 10:30pm

Thanks SamAK

Just a thought - would you consider a digital to vinyl system, seeing as you already have 1210's? That way you can hook up your laptop to the decks through a soundcard, and mix them with control vinyls! Best of both worlds!!

played around on friends Serato alright and would be nice but i'm travelling quite a bit so i've had to leave my 1210's in Ireland and i'm looking a set up which is a bit more mobile

So as long as i spend a little more on RAM and meet the rest of the spec Windows will be fine?

SamAK · 30-01-2014 10:56pm

PeteEd wrote: »

So as long as i spend a little more on RAM and meet the rest of the spec Windows will be fine?

I've used Traktor on laptops with anywhere from 2GB to 6GB RAM,all Windows 7, and with processors varying from 2ghz to 3ghz, and the only difference i've noticed is how quickly the song analyses when you drop it on the deck.

That's my personal experience over the last two years or so.

If anyone has anything else to add, feel free!

As for the Mac vs Windows debate...well you'll get die hard fans of either platform swearing that the other is crap. But for simply running Traktor, I don't think it matters a damn. I've never had any windows machine crash on me mid-set.

You won't need to spend too much on a lappy if you're just running dj software on it. But maybe invest the difference in an S4, so you have 4 deck control? If you're open to the idea of getting very creative with looping and remix decks etc.....might be an idea! That's one of the joys of digital mixing, you can really take it one step further if you want to.

Best of luck!!

SamAK · 31-01-2014 1:26pm

Another question for the vinyl heads -

Got my Shure M44-G's today, been fiddling around connecting cartridge to headshell and got one done so far...

Seeing as this is my first time ever doing it, i'm concerned about the potential to get it drastically wrong and fvck my needles or records at an abnormal rate! Should I attach the weight that came with the cartridges? How much of a pain is it to get everything set up fairly well?

Any absolute do's/don'ts, or is it a lot of personal preference?

I'm not a scratcher, just club mixing...

seanbmc · 14-05-2014 3:05pm

Looking for a decent set of speakers that won't break the bank.

I've two ****ty speakers at the moment with an old subwoofer that I robbed from my PC setup.

Can anyone recommend a semi decent set of speakers/amp that won't break the bank? The speakers I have at the moment aren't doing my records justice at all.

Cheers.

Right Turn Clyde · 18-05-2014 12:43am

You can't go wrong with a set of KRKs. They're all active monitors, so you won't need a separate amp.

fiachr_a · 07-08-2014 6:28pm

If you find some old 78 rpm records in the attic or charity shop press both speed buttons on the turntable to play. 33 + 45 = 78!

Beginner DJs Guide to DJ Equipment

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