DJ Equipment for Beginners: Getting Started

Welcome to DJ Equipment for Beginners.

Here you will find the best deals, guides and tips for purchasing and setting up your first set of DJ gear. You’ve come this far; now comes the biggest step: getting started with DJing. At the core of it all is your DJ equipment; below you will find a crash course on what’s needed to get started and begin to DJ from the ground up, you ready?

Phase 1: Choose the right DJ equipment

DJ Equipment for Beginners is THE place to find great information on what type of equipment you’ll need when learning how to DJ. You may take your approach to DJing completely opposite of others but at the core of it all, there are a few common items you’ll need when getting started:

Midi/Digital DJ Equipment

Midi and Digital DJ equipment is the latest flavor of gear used for DJing. There are many great pieces out there that give you unbelievalbe control over your mixes, allow you to use your digital music, transition into clubs, festivals and parties – and it’s extremely cheap. 

For those that are learning to DJ, this is the gear to start with.

Midi and Digital equipment generally hook up to your computer or utilize your existing gear giving you the best option for your dollar.

Required gear (my recommendations)

The gear listed above comes with everything you need to get started DJing: turntables, mixers and DJ software. If you need a pair of DJ headphones, consider the others listed in the vinyl or CD sections.

Vinyl DJ Equipment

The vinyl DJ is where it all began; you get the full effects of using your hands to make your mix. A vinyl DJ setup is a bit more expensive overall but if you’re the type that wants to get to the roots of it all, build a vinyl record collection and have full control over your mix than this is where you should start.

Prices will range from a few hundred bucks to a couple thousands depending on your level of learning but without a doubt, the following are industry standard.

Required gear (my recommendations)

The gear listed above is considered industry standard. Choosing this gear will allow you to transition into any club, festival or party without any resistance in using gear – it’s top of the line and perfect for those that want to get into vinyl DJing.

CD DJ Equipment

CD DJing was the next step in DJing; using CDs, DJs were able to bridge the gap between digital music releases and traditional “hands-on” mixing. CD DJing uses smaller turntables but their flexibility are unmatched; they fit perfectly between the analog and digital era.

CD DJing is very standard for most clubs, festivals and events – it’s a great choice for those starting out that want to take full advantaged of modern technology.

Required gear (my recommendations)

The gear listed above is considered industry standard for CD DJ’s. This gear is very capable of any type of DJing and will give you full control over your music and mixes; it’s another great start for those that want to have the “hands on” feel while using optional DJ software.

Here are a few, helpful guides:

Whichever your choice (vinyl, cd or midi), you’ll want to ensure you have each of these items so you can jump right into mixing – from there, it’s just practice, practice, practice!

Phase 2: Learning how to DJ

After you’ve found the DJ equipment you’ll want when beginning, it’s time to begin to learn how to DJ. Although this website deals primarily with the gear aspect of DJing, there are many great resources on the web which you can use to learn the basics of DJing.

In short, there are a few items you’ll need to learn once you have your DJ gear:

  • Learn how to beatmatch two songs
  • Learn how to mix multiple songs into a set
  • Learn how to add in flares and additional tricks
  • Finding great music to play
  • Promoting yourself as a DJ and landing a gig

In time, you’ll learn how to do these things after many hours of practice but, again, the main thing you’ll need to ever get to these points is your DJ equipment.

2012 Update: The How to DJ Fast Video Course by DigitalDJTips.com has launched and it’s incredible. The video course covers everything from equipment to learning to mix – if you’re just starting than I highly recommend you take a look.

There’s a lot to digest here when you’re first starting to learn how to DJ but stick with me and dig around this site because you’ll learn everything you need to know to make the best decision when buying your first set of gear.

We, at DJ Equipment for Beginners, wish you the best of luck with getting started with your DJ gear; you’ve made a great decision to learn how to DJ – now take the plunge into getting started!

You can do it!

The DJ Equipment Guru