Vinyl & DJ equipment - advice

[Gson]

Looking to start buying vinyl and need something to start off on. Just looking for something to play on to get started along with some decent speakers.
Any advice on what i should be looking for would be appreciated.

Cheers!

[dragstar]

i strongly recommend 1210/1200s as either way you will end up upgrading to them at some point, mixer wise i recommend a bog standard numark as all you really need are the basics (crossfader, 2 volume faders, 3 channel eq) good luck!

[ariosa]

yep technics 1200's or 1210s are the way to go, even if they are old they are usually repairable.. good luck finding a decently priced pair though, ebay can be way overpriced. i paid 400 USD for my pair, but they needed slight repair (new rca's, one needed a new popup light).

as for mixers, there are a lot of options that suit different people differently

[dragstar]

if you have gumtree in your area seriously, best site for dj equipment. got a pair of 1210s in summer for £250

[dsprainman]

Hey guys, sorry to jack this thread, but I just got my second sl-1200mk2 and I'm looking to pic up a mixer. Any suggestions? I figure it's better to start small with like a gemini 2 channel then upgrade after I learn to beatmatch and the basics. Thoughts?

[ariosa]

i started off with this POS

upgraded to a Pioneer DJM-400 a few years later..
you should be fine with a 2 channel mixer of any variety as long as it serves your needs, think about what you're going to be using it for, make sure you find something with those connections..

[apmje]

if you have gumtree in your area seriously, best site for dj equipment. got a pair of 1210s in summer for £250

This ^ I got a pair for £250 in May also, best purchase ever.

However, if you wanna test the water...get something cheap. Citronic is what I started on and I never had any problems, obviously they are cheap but it got me into DJing until I knew I wanted to pursue this further. By then I had the basic skills down and a half decent record collection. My number one tip is don't skimp on a mixer...I did, broke in 3 months and bought a more expensive one...could of saved myself £80. I'd recommend Xone:22, fairly cheap but great 2 channel mixer.

As for speakers, use a good hifi set up. It'll do. I use Alesis Mk1 monitors and they are more than enough for what I need...good bass response. Grab a pair brand new for £250. Funnily enough, my Technics cost me £250, so did my mixer and my speakers. It's the magic number for me. Once you get a nice set up, look for some good carts and styli. And have fun.

My advice is limited, I only started DJing a year ago...but hope it helps.

[Mr_Frost]

if you buy some crap decks and don't like djing in six months from now, good luck getting anything close to what you paid. if however you buy some technics and decide vinyl isn't for you, more than likely you will be able to sell them for what you paid if not more. don't skimp on a mixer either. get something reputable like rane, pioneer, a&h, ecler, vestax. stay away from numark, gemini, behringer etc.

in the long run if you're really into djing you are going to spend a lot more money on vinyl than you did on your decks/mixer.

as for speakers...you can probably find an old stereo receiver and speakers for a good price second hand.

[Gson]

safe for the replies.

id like to only buy vinyl if possible but i dont know how affordable it will be being a student and all. Anyone on here spin strictly vinyl? if so how costly is it..

[dsprainman]

I've been looking into mixers and liking the looks of the Xone 22. However it is my understanding that it doesn't work well for scratching. Although I plan on mixing mostly dubstep and house, I would like to get busy every once in a while with some hip hop. Any advise on this? Also, at Gson, I think vinyl is really a great way to go. I am also a college student and I just buy like 3 or 4 12"s a month, slowly building the collection.

[Bo Diggidy]

safe for the replies.

id like to only buy vinyl if possible but i dont know how affordable it will be being a student and all. Anyone on here spin strictly vinyl? if so how costly is it..

Let's just say that when you go to buy 1 vinyl online, you usually come away with 5..It can be addictive so be wary! It's great flicking through your collection though when it's built up, you forget about loads of tunes you bought way back when. In terms of decks, it's kind of like buying a guitar..do you start off cheap so that you can learn the ropes and 'abuse' it without costly repercussions, or simply go in at the deep end and get yourself something that will last for time whilst going easy on them. I started on some real basic numarks but upgraded about 6 months later to some 1210's (needed a bit of work but so so worth it). I would base it on your financial situation to be honest, but good luck anyway!

** oh and i use this mixer - behringer mixer djx750 - got it off ebay for £100 and personally think it does the job pretty well.

[scattybeanhead]

safe for the replies.

id like to only buy vinyl if possible but i dont know how affordable it will be being a student and all. Anyone on here spin strictly vinyl? if so how costly is it..

extremely costly. it's more addictive than crack and heroin put together. im not saying dont start buying, what im saying is you probably won't stop. i started buying vinyl about 18 months ago and ive got nearly 200 now. and i was a student and have only recently got a shit job, i'd say about 30% of my wages goes on vinyl...

[teamhobson]

safe for the replies.

id like to only buy vinyl if possible but i dont know how affordable it will be being a student and all. Anyone on here spin strictly vinyl? if so how costly is it..

extremely costly. it's more addictive than crack and heroin put together. im not saying dont start buying, what im saying is you probably won't stop. i started buying vinyl about 18 months ago and ive got nearly 200 now. and i was a student and have only recently got a shit job, i'd say about 30% of my wages goes on vinyl...

Yeah its unbelievably addictive, i didnt quite believe everyone at first.

And yeah, the cost... I hadnt bought any vinyl for about a month and a half, so had to catch up on all the releases i hadnt picked up yet, It cost me £98

I fucking love collecting it.

[hendramarshall]

safe for the replies.

id like to only buy vinyl if possible but i dont know how affordable it will be being a student and all. Anyone on here spin strictly vinyl? if so how costly is it..

extremely costly. it's more addictive than crack and heroin put together. im not saying dont start buying, what im saying is you probably won't stop. i started buying vinyl about 18 months ago and ive got nearly 200 now. and i was a student and have only recently got a shit job, i'd say about 30% of my wages goes on vinyl...

Yeah its unbelievably addictive, i didnt quite believe everyone at first.

And yeah, the cost... I hadnt bought any vinyl for about a month and a half, so had to catch up on all the releases i hadnt picked up yet, It cost me £98

I fucking love collecting it.

this, kinda creepy id say its the exact same story for me... 30-50% of each paycheck depending on what comes out in any given week. and yea, they will stack up real quibk.

[droogie]

LIke most people are saying here,get technics 1210s or 1200's.Seriously.If you buy shitty belt drive ones you will only end up upgrading soon anyway.Plus technics hold their value really well

As for vinyl,i've got about 400,been collecting for 4 years so yeah its addictive.Recently ive moved to serato but i still find myself buying vinyl lol

[dindin]

Got a pair of 1210s last january for £110, couldn't believe it. Invest in a decent mixer, i kinda got fucked over on ebay bought a vestax pcv 175 for £90 turns out the line-out & led's were knackered along with the headphone jack. All worth it though, nothing better than going into a record shop and coming back with tunes you didnt intend on getting and having a quality mix

[Gson]

managed to find some technics 1200's off gumtree with pioneer mixer & headphones for £300, picking 'em up wednesday hopefully!

anyone recommend some good mixing tutorials etc?
Cheers.

[droogie]

managed to find some technics 1200's off gumtree with pioneer mixer & headphones for £300, picking 'em up wednesday hopefully!

anyone recommend some good mixing tutorials etc?
Cheers.

Theres a tonne on youtube,ive never watched that many though.I think the only thing that you need to know is practice,practice,practice.Also listening to mixes by good Dj's (ie youngsta) you will be able to hear what proper mixing should sound like.Good luck!

[drlego]

dont be afraid to beatmatch using snares or kicks.

Always using kicks can be counter-productive.

[horsefeather]

managed to find some technics 1200's off gumtree with pioneer mixer & headphones for £300, picking 'em up wednesday hopefully!

anyone recommend some good mixing tutorials etc?
Cheers.

just practice thats the only thing i recommend.