YOUR FIRST HOME DJ SETUP
The goal at this point of your DJ career is to see if you like DJing enough to save for a pro setup. Brand new, a 4-channel-mixer and two decks are going to run you well into the thousands. You might get lucky and be able to borrow a mate’s gear for a while, but this is rare.
So what should you buy as your first home DJ setup?
DJ Controller Setup
If you are starting from absolute scratch, haven’t got a single piece of equipment and have never touched a DJ set up in your life, then start small. For a few hundred dollars, you can get a brand new Pioneer DJ controller with the software to run it. A cheap Controller like this is perfect because it will get you mixing, has plenty of functionality to see you advance through the initial phases, and they have great resale value when you are ready to move on. Then all you need is a computer, a cheap set of speakers/headphones, and away you go.
Controllers rely on your computers processor and sound card to process the audio and output it. This is why they are so much cheaper than all the other DJ equipment you will come across. Think of a DJ controller as a tactile input device, like a keyboard.
A DJ controller setup will look something like this.
See how simple this setup is? Perfect for a beginner!
DJ Controller Brands
When buying any DJ equipment, stick to well-known brands. This makes troubleshooting easy and finding repair shops and spare parts a breeze. When it comes to controllers, your choices are Pioneer, Denon, Traktor, Numark and Rane.
Serato doesn’t make their own controllers. Instead, they allow other manufacturers to make equipment that works with their software.
Pioneer
There is no bigger brand in DJing than Pioneer. They are committed to making good quality gear for everyone from the noob DJ to the superstar headliner. Their equipment integrates with a lot of different DJ Software (we’ll discuss software next), is easy to set up, super reliable to use and will give you a good footing if your plan is to play in clubs.
For a beginner, I would recommend a Pioneer DDJ SB3 (pictured above). These units are available anywhere you find DJ equipment, including on the second-hand market. They should come standard with either a Rekordbox or Serato software license.
Native Instruments
Native Instruments are another big player in the electronic music scene. Their equipment has been proven in the field and is used by some very big names in the DJ scene. Traktor is a great platform to learn on because of the functionality in their software and the clean layout of their gear.
For a beginner, I would recommend a Traktor Kontrol S2 MK2. This compact machine has great functionality, has nice feeling jog wheels and can be played on almost any device.
Numark
Numark makes entry-level DJ equipment. So if your budget is light or you aren’t sure if you are going to like DJing, Numark is a good place to start. They have been around for 30 years, so their gear is well designed and fairly reliable.
For a beginner, I would recommend the Numark Mixtrack Pro II. This Controller works with Serato DJ software and is a great entry into the world of DJing.
