I am totally new to DJing, I have so far only been reading How to DJ Right by Frank Broughton & Bill Brewster, however, the book is a bit dated (2002) and I’m wondering what people recommend for equipment in 2018. I want to do a completely analog, vinyl set-up. The book states Technics SL-1200s are the industry standard, but as far as I know, they are no longer being produced and are expensive to buy from individual sellers, are there any good alternatives? I’m not sure how much I should spend on a mixer either, I don’t want to buy something really cheap only to have to buy something better later, I’m really just looking for something that has good sound quality, I’m not trying to do scratching or any other crazy tricks, I just want to share some gems for people. Please let me know if this information is insufficient, again, I’m new to this.
There’s a ton of research you could have done before joining a forum just to ask this question.
Yes there are good alternatives to Technics turntables, and yes, if you buy a “cheap” mixer and end up sticking with DJ’ing, you’ll want to buy a better one.
In this game, you really do get what you pay for. So knowing what you want to do will dictate how much you NEED to spend to get what you need to be able to do what you want to do.
Sounds like you’ll want 2 turntables. Google “Super OEM Tufntables” as a starting point. Sounds like you want a 2 channel mixer. First question - FX or no FX?
I don’t want to ask what your budget is - just be aware that you could spend <£600 on a setup, or >£1000 (easily).
You need to get yourself an understanding of what you want to do. Because the scope of what you’ve asked could be tiny, or massive.
Get a pair of Audio Technica ATLP-1240’s, Ortofon Concorde Mk2 DJ (Needles), and either a Mixars Duo MK2 (if uou want to scratch) or a Reloop RMX90 DVS.
Most turntables do pretty much the same thing as each other, but there are differences that make some of them more suitable for DJing than others, e.g. you’ll be better off with a direct drive than a belt drive because their response times are shorter and, over time, belts tend to stretch and become less accurate.
The mixer will be harder to choose because of the array of options available in terms of connectivity, functions, form factor, etc. You need to decide whether you intend to have more sources of incoming audio (e.g. microphone, iPod, sampler, etc.) than just the vinyl. Some mixers (as mentioned above) have built-in effects and/or external effects connections. Some mixers have multiple inputs and/or outputs; do you intend to record your sets? Will your set up ever be connected to a large PA system? Do you intend to take your set up out on the road on a (semi) regular basis, or will it mostly stay in your place?
In my experience, if you can afford it and it’s not too inconvenient for your intended use, it’s better to get something with more/extra inputs (and, sometimes, outputs) to cover all eventualities.