Basic Gear

The basics — what you need

Nearly half the book is dedicated to what equipment suits which kind of DJ, how to connect it, and what to avoid. This page covers the same ground, just without the depth the book goes into.

The core basics

Everyone will have an opinion on what to buy, what to avoid, and what to do once you've got it. Here's mine — not the only way, but I think the safer one.

Before you spend anything, try to get a go on someone else's setup first. Not always possible, but worth asking around before you commit money to your own kit.

What to put on your shopping list

• 2× input devices — turntables, CD decks, MP3 players, or DJ software (only one type needed)
• 2× slipmats (turntables only)
• 2× cartridges and needles for the turntables (normally included)
• 1× mixer
• 1× pair of headphones
• Something to amplify the signal (stereo, amplifier and speakers, etc.)

Add some tunes, somewhere to put it all, and understanding neighbours, and that'll hold you for a while. For advice on connecting it all together, see Connecting it up.

Buy cheap, buy twice

I read that line as a reply to someone on a DJ forum years ago, and it's stuck with me. Go really cheap and you'll tire of the limitations fast, then upgrade a few months later — spending more in total than if you'd bought properly the first time. It's not always realistic to spend big up front, but if you do take to DJing, be ready to buy twice if you buy cheap.

Basic doesn't mean terrible

Before getting into specifics: spend as much as you can on the turntables or CD decks, then whatever's left on the mixer. A bad mixer with good decks is workable; even a great mixer can't make up for bad decks. It's also a lot cheaper to upgrade a mixer later than to upgrade turntables.

Turntables

Make sure there's a pitch control — a 33/45rpm switch alone isn't enough. Look for at least ±8% pitch range, and the longer the pitch slider, the better; a full-length slider down the right-hand side allows much finer adjustment than a small dial.

The next big choice is direct drive versus belt driven decks. Direct drive is by far the better option. Belt driven decks lose power and accuracy through the rubber band that drives them, meaning pitch settings drift, tempo shifts mid-track, and the deck lacks the torque to handle scratching or a quick start-up.

Cheap direct-drive decks have milder versions of the same problems — less torque, occasional pitch drift — but nowhere near as badly as belt driven models.

If budget forces belt driven decks on you, know the limitations going in: they really struggle with beatmatching, and scratching is basically off the table below around £250 a deck, direct drive or not, because the deck plate just isn't built to withstand it.

Slipmats

A slipmat reduces friction between the record and the turntable so you can hold the record still while the platter keeps spinning underneath it. The stack, bottom to top: deck plate, slipmat, record. Take off the deck's stock rubber mat first (not the rubber coating — the removable mat).

If a deck struggles to keep spinning while you hold the record still, you can reduce friction further with a cardboard or wax-paper disc between the slipmat and deck plate. Wax paper is the better choice — cardboard reduces friction but also stability, so the needle can jump.

CD decks

CD decks come as twin units or single decks. Twin units combine two CD trays with one shared control panel; convenient and often cheaper, though scratch DJs tend to prefer singles for the extra control real estate.

Twin decks are usually cheaper than buying two singles. Whichever you choose, look for a pitch control, a clear time display, and a pitch-bend function so you can nudge the tempo mid-track if the beat drifts.

Mixers

The mixer is the hub of any DJ setup, connecting your input sources (CD, vinyl, laptop, MP3 player) and letting you switch between them or blend them, sending the result on to an amplifier and speakers.

Typically deck 1 sits on channel 1 and deck 2 on channel 2, with a crossfader to move the sound you hear between them.

A basic mixer is a reasonable starting point — you'll likely want to upgrade it once your beatmatching is solid, but if a cheaper mixer means better turntables now, that's a fair trade.

Features worth having, even on a budget mixer

• At least 2 input channels, switchable between line and phono, so you can connect two CD decks (or two MP3 players/laptops), or two turntables
• 3-band EQ, to cut bass, mid or high frequencies while mixing
• Crossfader — slide fully to one side for 100% of one channel, the other side for the other, and the middle for a 50/50 blend. Think of it like a shower's temperature dial: full left is freezing, full right is scalding, the middle is where you want to be
• Headphone output with PFL (pre-fade listen), so you can cue up the next tune while the current one plays through the speakers, and blend the two in your headphones to line them up precisely
• Crossfader curve control — not essential, but useful if you're leaning toward scratching, since scratch DJs tend to want a short, sharp cut rather than a smooth fade
• Gain controls, to match the incoming signal strength of each source
• Multiple outputs, so you can send the mix to an amplifier and a recording device at the same time

Digital DJ mixers/controllers

Slightly different from a traditional mixer, as these relate more to computer DJing than CD or vinyl decks (though you can usually still connect those too). If you want more on this, see the Digital DJing page, which covers controllers and connection options in more depth.

Headphones

Headphones deserve more credit than they usually get in a starter setup. They're your link to the beat while beatmatching — if you can't hear it clearly, you're going to struggle. Look for solid bass, crisp highs, a mid-range that doesn't grate, comfort for long wear, and closed-back cups to shut out external noise.

Cartridges and needles

The needle (stylus) sits in the record's groove and vibrates as the record turns; the cartridge holds it and passes the vibration on as an electrical signal, which becomes the music you hear. You don't need to know the physics — just don't be rough with them. Check what's included with your decks so you're not caught out missing a part.

Amplifiers

The signal coming out of a mixer is barely strong enough for headphones, let alone speakers, so you need something to amplify it. Three options:

1. A separate amplifier and speakers. More costly, but flexible — useful if you'll ever want to run something live, in a hall or similar. Just be considerate of the neighbours.
2. Plug into the CD or AUX input on an existing stereo. This cuts down on extra kit and often gives you a built-in recorder for your mixes. Don't use the phono input — that's built for the much weaker signal from a turntable, not the line-level signal coming from a mixer.
3. Powered speakers. Speakers with a built-in amp — just plug into the wall. Fine for home use, and there are professional-grade options too if you need something louder.

You're good to go

Add records or CDs to play, somewhere to store them, somewhere to put the decks and mixer, and the cabling to connect it all, and that's the basics covered. Once you've got the kit, the next step is connecting it together — see Connecting it up.