Most experts say that it's a good idea to spend as much as you can on the turntables, then whatever you have left on the rest of your gear. You can use a decent mixer with good decks without too many problems, but not even the best of mixers is going to compensate for bad decks. Plus, it's a lot cheaper to upgrade a mixer when you get to that point than it is to upgrade your turntables.
Turntables
The first thing you really have to make sure of is that there is a control on the turntable which allows you to adjust the pitch (the pace at which the record will be played at) of the record. Just a 33 or 45 RPM setting is not enough. You're looking for something that will allow the pitch to be adjusted by AT LEAST + or - 8%. The larger the pitch control, the better. One that runs most of the right hand side of the turntable is preferred and is the industry standard for pitch control. The length allows more fine adjustments than just a small control on the front of the unit.
The next, and biggest choice you have to make when you are on a shoestring budget is whether to buy DIRECT DRIVE or BELT DRIVE decks ('decks' are another word for Turntable or CD unit). Direct drive decks are by far the preferred means of powering the unit. Belt Driven decks use a rubber belt and an intermediate mechanism to drive the deck, a lot of the power and accuracy is lost through the transfer of power. This means that the pitch settings that you choose might not be held long enough, meaning the tempo or speed of the song you are playing will change while in use, causing havoc when trying to beat match. It also means that the deck does not have the power (or TORQUE) to withstand the vigors of scratching, and has a slower start-up time.
Slip Mats
The purpose of the slip mat is to reduce the friction between the record and the turntable to the point where you can hold the record still, and the turntable will still turn underneath it.
At the very bottom, is the deck plate or platter. Make sure to take off the removable rubber mat that comes with the deck (NOT the rubber coating, the rubber mat). On top of that goes the slipmat, and on top of that goes your record.
Mixers
The purpose of the mixer is to change the sound you hear from one devices output to the other ones - without having a break in sound. Typically, this means that deck 1 is in Channel 1 and deck 2 is in Channel 2. To change from one channel to another, a cross fader is normally included on the mixer, which, as you move it, moves the sound from one deck to the other.
The problems that you'll encounter with a very basic mixer should only add up to sound quality issues.
Most mixers have a headphone cue feature. With a headphone cue, you can listen to (monitor) the "Cue" turntable or deck that ISN'T currently playing out of the speakers. A cue dial may allow you to listen to the unheard turntable deck and the "Master" (playing through the speakers) deck at the same time. Some will have a slider or a rotary knob which lets you adjust the volume at which you hear either of them. This allows you to be more precise when it comes to matching the beats.
Headphones
Do not underestimate the need for a really good set of headphones. When you're in the middle of a noisy booth, they're your only way of monitoring and making sure the mix goes well.
Things to Look for when buying Headphones:
Lightweight - So they don't hurt your head and ears after they've been on for a couple of hours
Closed back - So that they cut out a lot of background noise
Low impedance
Wide frequency response
High Sound Pressure Level measured in dB.
The top of the line Sony, Pioneer and Technics DJ headphones have swivelling ear pieces to make single ear monitoring more comfortable. You may desire models with a cable on only one side so they don't end up twisting around your neck.
Amplifiers
The signal that comes out of the mixer is barely strong enough to power your headphones, so you need something which will amplify this signal, enabling it to drive a pair of speakers.
There are three choices on how to do this:
1) Buy a separate amplifier and speakers. This can be a bit costly, but it is a great way of doing it.
2) Plug the output cable into either the CD or AUX port in the back of your stereo (if you have one).
3) Using POWERED speakers. These are speakers with a built in amplifier, so you plug them into a power socket.
DJ Basic - Choosing the Equipments
Friday, 24 July 2009Posted by WIN at 00:14
Labels: DJ Basic(s)
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