What DJ Equipment To Go For As A Beginner DJ

Looking for new equipment as a Beginner DJ can be very overwhelming. There is a lot of choice on the market and it can hard to filter through the bad and the good. I have found that it is really important to have a good piece of kit as a beginner DJ that can actually help you progress your skill level and is also a lot of fun to use whilst keeping mind your budget. My first piece of equipment I outgrew in about a week as it was way too limited in terms of what was on offer and it hindered my learning! 

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‍DJ CONTROLLERS

DJ controllers are probably one of the easiest ways in which you can learn the aspect of Dj’ing. Along with the DJ controller you purchase you will also need a set of speakers, headphones and a laptop with the suitable software downloaded. Depending on the Controller you buy the software will most likely come with the controller together. 

DDJ 400 = The DDJ 400 is a great piece of kit to get started on with DJ’ing. It is a 2 channel controller and is compatible with the industry standard Rekordbox software. The DDJ 400 inherits a lot of features from the Industry Standard NXS2 range and makes it an easy to use piece of kit, this also means that once you jump from this controller to the NXS2 equipment you wont be too far from home! 

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Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol S2 MK3 = This Controller is also a 2 channel mixer but it is compatible with the Traktor software instead. This software is a little more advanced than the rekordbox software but you will be up and running in no time. The S2 provides you with a huge list of manipulation options which can be super fun to learn. This is a very portable piece of kit which makes it great for holidays away from home when you are itching to press play! 

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STAND ALONE CONTROLLERS

Stand alone controllers are a little bit more advanced than the normal DJ controllers that require laptops with software. With these pieces of kit it can eliminate the need of using a laptop and DJ’ing on software, although this is a possibility they also give you the option to play your music straight off a USB just like the industry standard NXS2 equipment allows you to do. 

Pioneer XDJ-RX = The XDJ-RX is a 2 channel mixer with the capability of dual USB mixing. It inherits a lot of functions from the usual Pioneer club set up which will allow you to test these features out at home! The controller has a built in 7inch display of the waveforms of your tracks which makes it much more visually pleasing!

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Pioneer XDJ-XZ = This is a step-up from the RX, it features a 4 channel mixer in the form of the DJM900NXS2 and 2 jog wheels in the form of the CDJ2000NXS2. It comes with a huge array of pro features and just like the RX you are able to mix with USB’s and the Rekordbox & Serato softwares. 

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INDUSTRY STANDARD 

Industry Standard equipment is what can be found in clubs nowadays. This is what most professionals will be using in their sets. These pieces of kit usually come separately but you will be able to find deals online for a package. 

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Pioneer XDJ-700 = This is a great piece of affordable gear for the bedroom DJ that wants to step up his game at an affordable price. It has identical features from the XDJ-1000 but is a lot more compact.

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Pioneer XDJ-1000MK2 = The XDJ-1000MK2 is very similar to the CDJ2000NXS2, it lacks some updated features that is on offer with the NXS2 but it is a very good step in the right direction for a bedroom DJ. 

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Pioneer CDJ-2000NXS2 = This is the top of the line in terms of DJ equipment, this can be found in every club around the world. The CDJ2000NXS2 is a great piece of kit in terms of its functionality and its visual aspect. 

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DJM900NXS2 = The DJM900NXS2 is one of the industry’s standard stand alone DJ Mixer. It comes from its predecessor the DJM900 with improved FX, higher quality and top notch control. This is for pro use but once you have a play it is easy to see the correlation between this and the mixer on some of the controllers!

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If you're looking for more advice on how to set yourself up as a professional artist in the music industry sign up for our DJ or Music Production courses.

If you would like to contact us you can email us at [email protected] or you can call us at 0203 590 4429.

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