#slipmates

If you are a newbie to the DJ world, then congratulations! You are here at the right track with us because we are going to introduce you some of the best basic and premium equipment when starting a DJ set-up.

This process is often overlooked by new DJs. But it can be considered the most important key point to bring your set up to stand out of the crowd. A great set up could help you in the long term.

Set Up Options for Beginners

Recommended

a pair of turntables

DJ Mixer

Cartridges and Needles

Slip Mats

Speakers

Headphones

Control Vinyl or Records

1. Turntables

Though turntables are at the premium end of the product market. Starting with turntables will allow you to develop key DJ instincts and skills that are best developed on turntables. We strongly recommend that you begin with this setup for our courses.

Recommended: Technic 1200s

2. DJ Mixer

Mixers are essential to any DJ setup. A DJ mixer allows you to control and manipulate multiple audio channels. Our favorite is the Rane 70 but we also love the Pioneer S9.

Recommended: Rane 70 or Pioneer S9.

3. Cartridges and Needles

We recommend starting with real DJ needles and cartridges. The tracking force of cartridges tells you how much pressure is recommended to be put on the record. … While it has a standard Spherical stylus (to avoid damaging records when rigorously scratching), the Scratch tracks heavier in the groove so the DJ doesn’t have to contend with the needle jumping out all the time! There is one range of cartridges that have become synonymous with Vinyl DJing — Ortofons ‘Concorde’ model.

Recommended: Ortofons Concorde Model

4. Slipmats

A slipmat is a circular piece of slippery cloth, typically made of polyester or synthetic materials that DJs use to enhance scratching techniques and cue records. Slipmats differ from rubber turntable mats and cork turntable mats.

Recommended: Serato 12″ Slipmats

5. Speakers

Monitors are an essential piece of the puzzle when it comes to DJ equipment as they help you mix and produce tracks. Whether you’re looking to produce tracks at home or just practice your mixing purchasing one or more monitor speakers is a must.

Recommended: JBL 305P MKII Super White 5″ Powered Studio Monitor

6. Headphones

By using headphones, you can hear the quality of the sound and then know when to change the music or mix it up. It also helps the DJs in hearing their cue points.

Our Favourite: AIAIAI TMA-2 Modular Headphones — DJ Preset

7. Control Records

Control records act like Vinyl but engage with a software such as Serato, to load digital MP3s into the blank control vinyl. These allow you to use all the functions of the mixer while accessing your digital library of music.

Recommended: Serato 12″ Control records

SOFTWARE

Last but not least, you will have to install DJ Software if you want to use digital MP3s with your setup. Different mixers are compatible with different softwares. We recommend Serato DJ Pro but be sure to check which softwares your products are compatible with.

Alternative Set Up: Controllers- Rane One

We understand that not everybody has access to the equipment above. Turntables and all the gear has a large set up cost. An alternative setup which we also recommend highly is the Rane One. While we do not endorse the use of controllers due to their limited range of functions. We highly recommend and endorse the new Rane One controller which is the world’s first controller with motorized platters. The Rane One is a revolutionary compact DJ Controller which is a close substitute for the classed turntable setup.

See more about the Rane One here: https://www.rane.com/one