DJ Start-up Advice Please!

[alanmcconnell]

After years of talking about it I'm finally making my first venture into the world of turntable DJing. So I'm looking for some advice from people in the know.

The system will be used for home DJing, at least until I know what I'm doing! I will be using vinyl and a laptop so am looking for a mixer with USB included.

Given my inexperience I'm looking at mostly cheaper, entry level equipment. I think the more high-end equipment would be wasted on me!

I've done a bit of research online and am planning to purchase the following:

Turntables -2x Audio Technica LP-120

Speakers -Q Acoustics 2020i

Headphones - Sony MDRV55

Mixer - Numark M6 or Behringer DDM4000

Amp - Is this completely necessary? Sorry for my ignorance but I'm not sure exactly why I need one! :shifty:

If anyone can give any tips, advice or alternatives to the equipment I've listed above that would be great,

Cheers!

 

[The_Lhc]

After years of talking about it I'm finally making my first venture into the world of turntable DJing. So I'm looking for some advice from people in the know.

You might be better off asking on a DJ forum then, DJ equipment and hi-fi gear are not the same thing at all.

Turntables -2x Audio Technica LP-120

Speakers -Q Acoustics 2020i

Headphones - Sony MDRV55

Mixer - Numark M6 or Behringer DDM4000

Amp - Is this completely necessary? Sorry for my ignorance but I'm not sure exactly why I need one! :shifty:

Without an amp the speakers won't make any noise.

 

[alanmcconnell]

Cheers.

I see What Hi-Fi reviews a lot of turntables, mixers etc so was hoping someone might be able to give some advice but apparently not! Unless you're in the minority and someone else could kindly offer me some advice...

 

[John Duncan]

The_Lhc has a point - I just asked my DJ friend and she suggested here and here and here - and that a genre-specific forum would be best able to help. Course, I didn't realise this sort of stuff even had genres; all sounds the same to me... ;-)

Once comment I would make is that rather than hifi speakers + amp I would be looking at powered/active monitors from a pro shop - they will 1) usually have filtering to have more control over getting the sound you wish to achieve in different environments, 2) almost certainly give you more SPL; and 3) be cheaper.

 

[Chokobolt]

I don't know why, but a feeling in my gut says that you would be better off with getting a set of active speakers for a job like this.

 

[The_Lhc]

I see What Hi-Fi reviews a lot of turntables,

Yes but DJ turntables aren't quite the same as hi-fi ones, you try cuing up on a hi-fi turntable and it could work out very expensive.

mixers etc

Pretty sure I've never seen WHF review a mixer, they don't have any use in hi-fi setups.

so was hoping someone might be able to give some advice but apparently not! Unless you're in the minority and someone else could kindly offer me some advice...

I am giving you advice, I'm not trying to be awkward, I'm trying to stop you from wasting your money.

 

[EvPa]

Outside of the amp and speakers, your current selection of equipment is pretty good for starting something.

As others have said, it might be a good idea to look at active speakers (i.e. including crossover and amps); In order to give you a few suggestions, could you please tell the type of music that you plan to mix (this is mostly with regards to bass reproduction) and your budget?

Something like the recent ADAM Audio F series or Genelec's M range should be OK, but there are nice cheaper alternatives if required.

 

[davedotco]

I see What Hi-Fi reviews a lot of turntables,

Yes but DJ turntables aren't quite the same as hi-fi ones, you try cuing up on a hi-fi turntable and it could work out very expensive.

mixers etc

Pretty sure I've never seen WHF review a mixer, they don't have any use in hi-fi setups.

so was hoping someone might be able to give some advice but apparently not! Unless you're in the minority and someone else could kindly offer me some advice...

I am giving you advice, I'm not trying to be awkward, I'm trying to stop you from wasting your money.

Back in my dealer days a client became very excited after a visit to a 'dance club' and "just had to try scratching" on his own setup.

He had, I think, a Xerxes/Series V and a £1600 Kiseki Purple Heart Sapphire cartridge.

The results were, sadly, entirely predictable....... :doh:

Edit for spelling.

 

[alanmcconnell]

Thanks very much for the replies.

I will be playing "a bit of everything", cliche I know! Mostly house, soul, funk, and guitar music. Nothing really bass-heavy, no dub-step, techno, drum n bass etc

I won't be scratching records either, just sampling, beat matching etc

So, if I go for active speakers, will I still need an amp? Apologies again if this is a daft question!!!

Looking to spend up to £300 between speakers and an amp (if needed); so if you can suggest cheaper alternatives that would be great.

Cheers

 

[alanmcconnell]

I see What Hi-Fi reviews a lot of turntables,

Yes but DJ turntables aren't quite the same as hi-fi ones, you try cuing up on a hi-fi turntable and it could work out very expensive.

mixers etc

Pretty sure I've never seen WHF review a mixer, they don't have any use in hi-fi setups.

so was hoping someone might be able to give some advice but apparently not! Unless you're in the minority and someone else could kindly offer me some advice...

I am giving you advice, I'm not trying to be awkward, I'm trying to stop you from wasting your money.

No worries, your advice is appreciated :beer:

 

[The_Lhc]

So, if I go for active speakers, will I still need an amp? Apologies again if this is a daft question!!!

No you won't, active speakers have the amps built in (typically, they can be offboard but it's unlikely in this case). That means they need mains power of course.

 

[EvPa]

So, if I go for active speakers, will I still need an amp? Apologies again if this is a daft question!!!

Looking to spend up to £300 between speakers and an amp (if needed); so if you can suggest cheaper alternatives that would be great.

Well, you always need an amp but in the case of active (or powered) speakers they are (barring some special cases) already built inside of the speaker cabinet!

"Real" active speakers will have a crossover working at line-level and feeding the various frequencies to separate amps, themselves directly connected to the drivers.

The signal entering the "speakers" (effectively the active crossover) being at line-level is why you can use relatively "cheap" microphone cable to connect them to your sources, you don't need cables designed to handle amplified current.

With your budget I can recommend these:

http://www.thomann.de/gb/adam_f5_b_stock.htm (free shipping to the UK if you buy a pair)

Here are a few reviews for you to peruse:

http://www.adam-audio.com/en/pro-audio/products/f5/downloads

You might also want to add a pair of pads such as http://www.thomann.de/gb/the_takustik_isopad_6.htm if you are going to place the speakers on a desk.

 

[steve_1979]

You could try a pair of Behringer or Yamaha active monitor speakers which have the amplifiers built into them and will connect straight into your mixer. Both the Behringer and Yamaha's are very good quality for the price.

It might also be worth posting your question on the Sound On Sound Forum because they deal with pro audio and studio gear where this forum is for home hifi gear.

 

[the record spot]

I'd be more inclined to look at the Stanton STR8-150 decks, a Native Instruments Traktor digital base and some active speakers. You will probably blow the Q speakers if doing even half serious DJ work or at best distort the hell out of the sound.