Gifts for DJs

I hear the same story all the time in one version or another: someone who came across a seemingly good deal on second hand DJ equipment, jumped on it and ended up regretting that decision.

Before you part ways with your money on second hand DJ equipment, here one very important consideration that you should keep in mind:

There is ALWAYS a good reason someone is selling second hand DJ equipment, especially for cheap!

Figuring out the real reason is what will you save headaches in the future. And that’s the most important consideration to make before you engage in any sort of negotiations.

If the used DJ gear comes from a nightclub that just went out of business only three months after opening, that’s good.

Why? Because it means that the used DJ gear is probably three months old only and that the club owners just want to make some money from it or the bankruptcy agent will sell them for cheap because he or she does not know the real price of DJ stuff or wants some quick cash quickly.

If the gear comes from a DJ who’s been a pro for 15 years and wants to upgrade his setup, think twice.

Why?

For starters, his second hand DJ equipment set-up is probably obsolete. The only single piece of gear that may still have sort of relevance would be the Technics SL-1200 turntables because they do not age. But you do not want to inherit his Pioneer CDJ-500 DJ CD decks (if you’ve ever played on them or if you actually know what they are, daaaamn, you’re an old school DJ!).

The best source of second hand DJ equipment is from people or institutions that want to get rid of their relatively new or used DJ gear for cheap. That’s why I am always on the lookout for DJs who are about to have children and need space in their homes or money or clubs and other venues that did not last long.

Case in point: in the Spring of one year I DJed at the opening party of a million-dollar bar/lounge. By the end of Summer, the place had gone bankrupt (newbie club owners spend millions on their posh venues but forget about the marketing budgets) and I called the owner asking him a good deal on the second hand DJ equipment.

Someone had beat me to it and instead of the $8000 the whole kit would have cost brand new, this lucky buyer got everything for $2000 on used DJ gear of less than 5 months! Wait for it… that included two shinny Pioneer CDJ-2000 DJ CD decks!

Last case in point (a sad but equally funny tale): a very dear friend of mine thought he had a good deal of a lifetime on second hand DJ equipment when he replied to an ad on Craigslist. He sent the money and to this day, he is still waiting for his supposedly three-day old Pioneer CDJ-1000 MK3 CD decks! (In case you did not get it, my friend got royally conned because he did not ask himself why someone was selling such a good pair of used Pioneer CD decks for so cheap without any valid explanation!)

Why is someone selling second hand DJ equipment? Ask yourself this question first before parting ways with your money on used DJ gear!

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This is a guide to beginner DJ equipment for those who are blessed to have the ability to afford anything their heart desires.

Obvious the first step in shopping for beginner DJ equipment is getting the decks. This is a no-brainer. You need a pair of Technics SL-1200 turntables. You can make your pick from the MKII up to the most recent models.

If you plan on spinning CDs, your beginner DJ equipment arsenal will have to include CD turntables too. Here, the choice is also straightforward as you’re better off with the best-of-the-best aka the Pioneer CDJ-2000 DJ CD decks.

Now, things are getting complicated as with DJ mixers, the choices abound and it will come down to your preferences but since you’re probably new at DJing you cannot know what the best DJ mixer is if you have not spun on one.

So again, your beginner DJ equipment rig should include premium DJ mixers found in many clubs around the world such as the Pioneer DJM-800, the most popular DJ effects mixer or the Allen & Heath Xone:92. If you want to go rotary, the Rane MP 2016S, UREI 1620LE and even the ultra light and portable DJR-400 should be your DJ mixers of choice.

With DJing going digital on us at a fast pace, your beginner DJ equipment set-up should also include a laptop. Here again, the best stand in a class of their own and are not hard to spot. Pick an Apple MacBook Pro 15” and make sure that you configure it to have the fastest processor, the most RAM, a widescreen display and the biggest and fastest hard drive. Why a 15”? I find 13” too small and while 17” would be the best, it’s no fun lugging them around from gig to gig.

With that Apple MacBook Pro DJ laptop, you’re going to need DJ software. You have two options for your digital beginner DJ equipment set-up: 1) Serato 2)Traktor. Both have their pros and cons and in an article titled Serato or Traktor?, I revealed a simple and fast way to figure out which computer DJ system to pick and why.

Depending on whether you settle with Serato or Traktor, you are going to need a DJ controller as part of your beginner DJ equipment set-up. DJ controllers basically allow you to operate the laptop without you touching the keyboard (except when using the songs search tool). They’re practical because trying to make live loops for example using a keyboard is not the easiest of things to do.

If you thought the options in DJ mixers were dizzying, you obviously have not looked into DJ controllers because even DJ gear retailers get lost in the confusion! That’s why the beginner DJ controller, [Related read: The Number One Annoyance with USB DJ controllers] I will recommend for Serato or Traktor DJ software is the Traktor KONTROL X1 which is make for Traktor but can also be used on Serato (give me a couple of weeks to research into the best that really works for both platforms).

Your journey into beginner DJ equipment is not over! You need a pair of DJ headphones. Your options? Pioneer HDJ-2000, Sony MDR-700DJ, Sennheiser HD 25 and even the good old Technics RP-DJ1200. Buying DJ headphones is a matter of personal choice and comfort.

I personally use the Sony MDR V700 DJ headphones because they have served me well for over ten years and am happy with them. I see that everyone is moving onto Pioneer HDJ-2000 and they swear by them so maybe one day I will try them out and let you know!

What else do you need in your beginner DJ equipment setup? Studio monitors, a booth, cables, bags, cases and various accessories such as slipmats, dust removers and so forth.

But the above should get you started. Good luck and if you ever use this premium beginner DJ equipment guide, please feel free to share the photos of your set-up!

PS: The total bill for a set-up above is over US $ 10 000. Like I said: if money is no object…

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