Sorry for the millionth beginner DJ thread on the internet. I’ve gone through a lot of old forum posts but the information is either outdated or not relevant to my situation…
I’m looking for some advice in relation buying some 2nd hand turntables, I’m a complete beginner so I just want to learn the basics of dj’ing (beatmatching ect. not interested in scratching). I listen to house and techno so this is the stuff I’ll be playing.
Obviously I understand picking up technics is ideal but this is way out of my range currently. What would everyone suggest would be a good place to start for a complete beginner? I’ve seen the Stanton t62 or numark ttx can be picked up relatively cheap 2nd hand, would anyone advise against either?
As I say, I’m only a beginner and if I took to I’d look to invest in better setup in the future.
Firstly, welcome to the forum. There is a wealth of knowledge to be gained in these forums.
I think you shouldn’t waste your time on turntables if you are just a beginner. If you are not willing to drop +$600 you probably cannot get worthwhile turntables. You can learn all the skills you need from a controller (aside from scratching seriously) for a fraction of the cost. I recommend going the controller → Turntable route to start. If you don’t like DJing you can move on without major capital investment. Take your time to really read and learn everything you can from the internet. Again, welcome to the forum and the DJ community.
Pick up some cheap belt drives - if you can beat match on them you can beat match on anything, the controller route can work out cheaper but you can train your ears better by learning to beat match manually
Prefer the idea of getting turntables because I like the idea of collecting records, feels like it would be more of a hobby rather than playing off a controller. And if its the ‘harder’ way to learn I think I would rather attempt to do it this way.
depending on where you live, you can probably find a pair of t62’s for 100-150 dollars on the second hand market.
you’re going to need a mixer, but you can probably find one for like 50-100 dollars as well.
and then youre going to need a pair needle/cartridge and shells, so probably 150-200 for those new, but those depreciate over time so you will have to buy needles to maintain that, can be had around 50 dollars to replace the pair (every few months, depending on wear)
on the conservative side, you’ll be spending 450 dollars (US) and on the aggressive side you be spending 300 dollars (US). that leads a deficit of about 150-300 dollars (US) if your total budget is 600 dollars (US)
i think you could do it, but the question is if you’re willing to have the patience to wait for those products to come onto the market and if you will get to those products when they do.
I picked up two Stanton STR-8 80’s and a coffin case for $100 on CL locally here. Deals can be had, especially on older decks that aren’t Technics. Be patient. Keep in mind the costs as listed above. There’s more than just halfway decent decks. Mixer, monitors/speakers, vinyl in itself is a lot more expensive than digital files, and if you’re going digital, you’ll need a software DJ system like Traktor Scratch or Searto’s DVS software along with a computer or iPad. And of course, there’s cartridges.
Well it’s not because there is a AutoSync function on your Controller, that you have to use it
I still beatmatch manually even using the Controller, it is a whole other way of mixing and the mixes Sound more, well let’s say “traditional”. More than one time Guests come over and tell me how nice it is to hear a DJ mixing what they call “Oldschool” and not making a Megamix out of his MP3-collection.
I couldn’t agree more, I still manually beatmatch on the D2’s. I find it connects me to the music more and puts me in the driving seat, its just the temptation and easy route is there and unfortunately kids these days want the fast track but I don’t think OP would have that problem, kudos to him for wanting to learn to beatmatch manually, for newcomers to the world of DJing you are a rare breed
The idea of as a beginner of buying turntables is great - but I have to say unless you already have a good record collection, it is a lot more expensive than digital.
You could also get decent deals on older CDJs which could be an idea for going a bit old school and want a no sync option.
I started out with a Traktor S2. I personally don’t have too much of an aversion to ‘sync’ - reality is I use it to simply get the BPMs the same. It still isn’t gonna help you getting the phrasing lined up to actually have a decent mix! You still need to listen to the music!
Well you can keep pressing the button blindingly to get you in sync with no idea about music timing! Also though traktor is good sometimes you do need a little tweak to get it right for your ears
Sorry mate I’m only messing, I agree with you in principle but my point is Sync just syncs the BPMs though. Hitting play at the right time is what you mean right?
Sync doesn’t cue the track, hit play etc - otherwise there would be no point in a human being there haha.
I’m only making clear as the OP is a beginner and I didn’t want it to be confusing.
As someone who started with controllers and sync and moved to turntables, having something that tells you BPMs when starting is helpful - especially if you’re learning on your own and don’t have a jedi master in person to teach you the ropes. Because, let’s be honest, there’s an awful lot of trainwrecks in the beginning when learning to beatmatch manually and no one wants to hear trainwrecks. Eventually, it just clicks and you don’t have to look at those numbers anymore. Keeping everything matched on a long mix…well, that’s another story.
In the end, use whatever works for you. It is after all about the music, and the buildup of the set.
But OP, going the turntable route, as mentioned by myself and others, is an expensive path. More expensive than the cost of the turntables themselves. So, be prepared for that if that’s what you choose.
I agree with you in principle but my point is Sync just syncs the BPMs though. Hitting play at the right time is what you mean right?