Need Help Getting started
Ok so I am getting into the DJ business, and I am just wanting to see what all I need. I will be doing remixes and dubstep so if that helps you out any, but anyway I have like a $4000 budget!
check out dubspot.com
Well first decide on the basics
Are you trying to dj and produce? if so i garutee there going to tell you to go with abelton.
If djing chose your software : Traktor, Serato, Vitraul Dj, Etc…
After thease are awnserd we can give you more information on equitment.
I use traktor but i just went to guitar center and played around with serato that they have hooked up.
Hands down it is AMAZING also. I wish i had the extra money for that exact setup. Just play around with different programs and find the one you love.
Forget that! You have a $4000 budget? Get all the gear lol.
Are you wanting to use a laptop with controllers? Cdjs or turntables? DVS? Are you looking for a full PA system and lights? You tell us what you are thinking, point us in the right direction, and you will get some help. If you tell us you have a $4000 budget, you are going to get a whole list of gear, and would be in the same position as if you searched “dj gear” in google (which you should do as well)
I am wanting to do both, but I am leaning more towards the producer side. But I am not going to be doing any lights or anything. I am ordering Macbook Pro tomorrow so all I need is what you guys say I need.
If you’re leaning to the producer side, get that Macbook Pro, either Logic Pro or Ableton Live Suite, a 49 key midi keyboard, Native Instruments Massive, and some studio monitors. That should fit well within your budget.
Get one thing at a time; and learn it before getting the next. You’ll be less likely to blow your stack of cash on stuff you don’t need/can’t use. If you’re producing, all you need is some kind of DAW (Ableton perhaps, as this is also pretty good for live sets) and perhaps a cheapo MIDI keyboard. You don’t need studio monitors at this point if you’ve got a hi-fi, save them for when you’ve actually written something half-decent and you need to mix it down properly.
Similarly, don’t spend $3000 on Tech12s or CDJ2000s and the latest Pioneer DJ mixer. You might decide a month down the line that you prefer digital photography. Get a cheap hands-on mixer controller, something like the S2 (comes bundled with Traktor Pro). You can get the basics down on that, and once you decide to get something a bit better, you might find you actually have some idea about what to spend cash on…
Look at it this way… you don’t seem to have any idea about what to get at the moment, so now is probably the worst time to spend all your money. Get involved, and get learning first.
I bought this cheap for $200. Can anyone tell me what it does and if it was worth the money I spent.
It is a Yamaha AW4416
Look into getting an Akai APC40 if you want to produce. Best advice was already mentioned - get one thing at a time, and learn it well before moving on. In the DJ world $4000 can go far, but it can also go fast so you have to look at the value. I see a ton of DJ’s with 4 controllers and they dont use half of them.
With the new laptop, an APC on ableton, sound card, speakers and headphones will go a long way
If you want to DJ parties and clubs, that 4k could go much faster. controllers, lights and speakers add up quick
The 4416 is a multi-track recorder and it was worth about $4000 when it was released… 12 years ago. Unless you’re going to be recording an entire band live and you hate computers I’d say its value to yourself is approximately zero.
If your going to produce and are leaning more with that. A great DAW that you can use. Notice what I said there that YOU can use. Alot of people recommend things they cannot use or are biased to for some strange reason. Download demos of the DAWS you want to use and see which one feels comfortable for you. Your getting a Mac Book so you already know what platform you will be using look into the DAWS then decide which one you want.
When it comes to midi controllers again get one the YOU feel comfortable with test them out read reviews and get opinions. Learn to use your gear to its max capability. Again don’t go buying something because person A says its great just to find out you don’t like the work flow.
Now when you move into the DJ field things to consider are you going to be Digital or Analog. Once you decide that test out gear first and then make your decision based on what you need. Alot of people buy gear because its new and flashy and they will also recommend the gear that they have not used and have no clue of using. Make smart purchases that suit you and your work flows this make the process much more enjoyable than just buying gear and then having to sell it because you don’t want it any more.
Abelton live is great for djing along with producing. If your just djing i recommend Ni traktor s2 or s4. If your just producing i’d say logic pro 9 would be your best bet along with NI Massive, NI Razor, and pretty much any other NI plug-ins X)