I’ve DJing just as a hobby at home with a pioneer controller but now I want to buy a new setup and it will be one or two CDJs + Mixer + one turntable.
I’m reading a lot of tutorials about these equipments, but I still have doubt about which one is more important. Which one should I pay attention and also spend more money in order to get the best result at the end? Mixer or CDJ?
I’m on a budget, but I live outside US and everything here is more expensive due the currency so I’m not sure how I can say my budget due many different equipment options.
Mixer first, turntable second, players third. Id recommend the Pioneer xdj 700 for players, Audio Technica ATLP1240 for turntable, and Pioneer DJM 750 MK2 for Mixer.
I would advise highly against the cdj 350s and the djm 250/350. the cdj 350s do not have wave forms and a lot of other features you will be missing from your controller. i own a pair of xdj700s and i love them. talk to the nice people on the DJTT chat they will hook you up. and for the mixer, you are going to need a 4 channel. its not going to be fun using 3 decks on a 2 channel mixer
About CDJs 350 in your opinion what others features I’ll loose from my controller besides the waveform? To be honest I don’t care much about it because I want to learn how to play without it, like vinyl also.
About the mixer 250 mk2, I won’t necessarily mix with 2+ channels. My idea with it (2 CDJs + turntable) is: as vinyl here where I live is too expensive, I’ll have a chance to mix with mp3 from the djs + the turntable (more track$).
What do you think about turntable? Plx-1000? Audio Technica ATLP1240? Other…?
you will have 1 cue point as opposed to 11 memory cue points and 3 hot cue points. im also reading that there is no way to view the key of a track thats playing. and stuff as simple as screen quality. i haven’t used these before but they look like a nightmare to navigate through large playlists. these players appear to be more for DJs who use CDs. id say the only cool thing about these players is that you can connect them to rekordbox dj and use them as a controller but now you are kinda defeating the purpose. the choice is yours but i STRONGLY recommend not getting cdj350s
If you’re fine without stuff like waveforms and keys (a lot of people rely on that too much these days), cdj 350s are fine. It’s true that browsing through USB will not be as comfortable as with the big-ass screen of the xdj700s.
I would personally not get the xdjs for lack of the CD drive and i honestly think they’re overpriced (like all pioneer gear) for what they are.
Alternatively, look for something like CDJ850 second hand
For the mixer, while the 250 seems alright, if you’re going to have 3 decks, you might as well get a 3 or 4 channel mixer.Not sure what i’d recommend, i have a Ecler Nuo 4.0 i’m happy with, but it’s an acquired taste.
Not sure what your options are but around here i’ve seen a lot of 2nd hand DJM600s being sold for cheap, that might be a solid option on a tight budget, you just need to make sure they are in good shape, as a lot of them have been (badly abused) club mixers.
Anyway if you REALLY want a new 2channel the 250 doesn’t look half bad, xone23 should be decent too.
For the turntable, if you can’t get a 2nd hand technics on your budget i’d go with the audio technica, the super OEM it’s based on is a solid turntable and my experience with the pioneer didn’t convince me much to justify the price difference.
btw, as long as your mixer has a phono input (99% percent of DJ mixers do) then you don’t need a preamp.
I think the players make the biggest difference in the sound and there is a massive variation in not only sound quality but stability in the various designs, not to mention features, quirks in the design, etc. A $50 beater mixer off fleabay would hold you over for quite a while. Mixer sound does make a difference, but you can find quite stunning sound from surprisingly cheap stuff and there’s much more available to choose from out there. No need to go the mixer route first. Your controller might also have line/phono inputs and may be able to be used as a mixer with the laptop closed underneath it until you get a standalone mixer.
That said, if you don’t need top/perfect sound quality now (and with a cheap beater mixer, who does?) you can do quite nicely for by-ear DJing with some USB-linkable Hanpin media players for under $200 each used in good condition. That’s Reloop, Stanton, DJ Tech, American Audio, Omnitronic, Akiyama, Synq, Citronic, etc. I have over a dozen of them and have been hooking up local DJs with pairs who want to get away from laptops, BPM counters, and moving waveforms. There’s something magical about the seat-of-your pants classic DJing, like walking a tightrope without a net. Since you’ve been tied to a laptop previously, you may want to try it both from a skills development standpoint, as well as your aforementioned budget concerns.
I would avoid the PLX-1000 if you’re on a budget. It has literally the same (or similar) tonearm and motor as other Hanpin TTs costing a fraction of the price. All it adds is slightly more durable RCA jacks (I don’t see anything wrong with the default ones), a foam liner in the tonearm (may improve roaring/howling characteristics on the best isolated “audiophile” setups), different cosmetics, and the Pioneer name.
If you can get one of these Hanpin all-in-ones for a great price (Synq and Akiyama I think have the newest firmwares), then you’d have an integrated digital mixer, two players, interfaces, and line/phono inputs to add some cheap Super OEM TTs to later.
tbh I think the players are the most important part of your setup. You can get by with any old $50 mixer for a bit. The CDJs or Turntables you invest into will make all the difference in the world.
I did, but I have not bought all gear yet.
My setup will be (all pioneer) - mixer 250 mk2, one plx-1000 and two CDJ 350.
What do you think @mustapha?
The reason why I’m going to buy a 2 channel mixer but have 3 decks its records/vinyl here are too expensive and with CDJs I can buy cheaper tracks but still play vinyl.
That’s a lot of money if you’re on a budget. The most expensive Hanpin Super OEM TT, only a two channel mixer when you’re planning on three decks, and players that can’t even be linked? Seems like a premium for very little stuff and capability.
The reason is I want to play vinyl, but where I live records are very expensive so have only (two) turntables isn’t a good option. I want to have a option to buy digital (cheaper) music.
And the two channel mixer is because any four channel mix is also very expensive (I was looking for pioneer and allen heath).
I’m beginner. What do you mean by ‘players can’t even be linked’? The idea of two channel mixer is to switch one channel between TT and CDJ.
And there are others brands of turntables but I read some reviews about them and I I would not feel safe buying.
Please, give me any suggestions about any setup you think can be better than the one I said. Thanks!
Where I live I just can buy records importing them, which is VERY expensive.
I read many people saying plx1000 don’t worth the money, but I also read many people saying bad things about others brands of turntables (audio technica, reloop etc.). So, to be honest, I don’t know. Just choosed this one.