Gathering Equipment

 

Start with the basics. Being a DJ requires you to do a lot more than just play songs. Learning to structure a set, mix on the fly, and get a crowd moving all starts with your deck. Later on, you can invest in bigger speakers, a monitor, a MIDI controller, an audio interface, mics, and various plug-ins, depending on your ambitions for playing out, but a bare-bones basic DJ setup needs to include the following:

• Two turntables or two CD players (or more, optionally)
• 2-channel mixer
• Headphones
• Speakers
• Mixing software (optional)

 
 

Decide to go analog or digital. Traditional DJ set-ups revolve around direct-drive turntables for playing vinyl records, but it's increasingly common to use CD-style and straight-digital set-ups for playing DJ sets as well. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but are perfectly effective for playing gigs and becoming a DJ.

• Analog set-ups will allow you to DJ in the most traditional way, learning the skills the way they were pioneered: scratching a stylus against vinyl. This will require you to collect a sizable collection of vinyl records to play, which can be somewhat expensive.
• Digital set-ups allow you to be extremely mobile, and the learning curve will be much smaller when you're working with a digital set-up. Learning to beat-match and transition, for example, will be much easier with a BPM counter and a software system.

 

Consider a mixing software package. Serato Scratch or Traktor are great programs that can read any format of music and select songs through a computer program interface. Pioneer and Numark also offer various products you may want to eventually look into.

• These programs will enable you to access a library of MP3s on your hard drive to compliment your vinyl and CD selections. More often than not, these programs provide live looping and scratching capability, delays and reverberations, real-time control and video and karaoke options.
• Ableton is a program that allows you to connect mixing controllers via USB cable and operates more like the classic DJ in your head does. It's good for beginners and the budget-conscious.

 
 

Be economical. Don't invest in top-dollar equipment right away. Most of your money should be spent on turntables and a mixer. Forget the other stuff for now. And spend wisely -- buy your decks used and your mixer new.

• If you're serious about being a DJ, odds are you're aware of a few in your area. Hit them up for advice or for a tutorial on their system! If they're half as passionate as you are, they'll love to give you a minute of their time, explaining their ways.

 
 

Don't forget your home studio. Most DJs record demos, playlists and original music at home. Make sure the equipment you bring to the club compliments the equipment you use at home. For example, if you're a hip-hop DJ, you'll probably want to invest in a scratch/battle mixer at home to simulate a competition environment.

• This will be especially useful if you ever plan on producing. We'll get to the value of that in a bit, but know that it should be an avenue of your career later on down the line.

 
 

Know what you need for gigs. If you plan to play for a venue that already has a DJ setup, you might only need a laptop with music mixing software. If you plan to play in private venues, you'll probably need to provide your own equipment. Scope out what you need and what you don't for your particular job.

• Some music mixing software may be hard to learn. You can find great tutorials online for most types. Otherwise, DJ schools can teach you about the cutting-edge stuff out there -- but know that you can do it yourself.

 

Build a big collection of music. You know what else you need? Music. And you don't want crappy, third-rate mp3 download versions of those songs either. To be a legit DJ, you'll at least eventually have to pay for the music you get. For now, work with what you have, but know that it will be an expense later on in the game. You need to be a music expert. Hit up your friends and consult the charts, YouTube channels of record companies and websites catering especially to DJs such as Beatport. Here's a list of genres to explore:

• House
• Trance
• Techno
• Electro
• Glitch
• Dark Alternative
• Progressive
• Breakbeat
• Hardstyle
• Hardcore
• Downtempo
• Jungle
• Drum and Bass
• Dubstep
• Hip-Hop