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Equipment

Rather than me telling you what equipment to buy, I will just state a few things about each type of equipment you may need. The reason I wont tell you what equipment to buy is because it will depend on a few factors like: -

How much money you have
What style of music you will DJ
What sort of DJ you want to be, Bedroom, Club, Mobile, etc...

When buying equipment try to stay within your budget because it you do then the shop that you buy all your equipment from might and most probably will give you a discount, especially when you pay in cash. A good thing to do is to phone around a few equipment dealers and see what sort of prices they offer and compare them with other dealers. If you say that you have found it cheaper else where, nearly all dealers will lower there price, so then you will get it cheaper. Right then on to equipment.

Decks

Obviously you are going to want the best decks around, which is going to be hard unless you have the money to buy them with. The first set of decks I got where Technics 1210s, which was good because firstly they are direct drive and secondly they are one of the best decks around. I say one because there are just as good decks around and some better ones. The Vestax range is worth looking at if you have the money to buy them, if not, then don't bother. When buying decks try if you can, to buy direct drive turntables because it will help you significantly if you do have them. Firstly they start up nice and quick; also they stop dead when you press Start/Stop. Also they are better for scratching because the deck does'nt move with the record, and when you scratch a belt drive deck it tends to stop the deck, so it has to start up again, and also it wears out the belt. Now though you can pick up a good pair of direct drive decks for cheap, brand-new and second hand.

CD Decks

These are more expensive than normal decks. If you want a good pair you are going to be paying a hell of a lot. Most cd decks don't have the same scratch ability of vinyl decks, but it is being improved. Pioneer has made the best cd decks so far with it being just like a regular deck. It's really up to you what decks you buy. Both have advantages and disadvantages; try them both out see, which you like. But whatever you buy the battle will still remain. Vinyl Vs CD's.

Mixers

Some mixers look very nice, don't they?, with all those nice buttons and knobs, and lights and flashy things. Don't even think about getting the most expensive mixer out there if you are just starting out because you simply wont know what to do. By a nice and easy mixer with not too much on it, you will obviously need, a cross fader, channel faders, channel gains and headphone gains. Also maybe you could get a headphone selector, so you can chose which channel to listen to in the headphones.
Other things about mixers and other things to consider when buying a mixer and explained in the DJing section.


Slipmats

Not really that much to say about slipmats except to buy a decent pair. Get a nice smooth thin pair because it will make a lot of difference when DJing, especially if you are a scratch DJ. Slipmats aren't expensive, so just go out and buy a decent pair.

Speakers & Amps

Well I can't really say too much about this except get a decent pair. For the first pair of speakers you buy, I would imagine you wont get the best pair around, in fact I expect you will blow them like I did. 3 Pairs in a year I wasted until I got my first awesome pair of speakers. Also when buying speakers, buy an amp to. This may sound stupid but people do buy just speakers thinking that the sound comes from the speakers, it doesn't! You have to have an amp to hear anything. Also when buying an amp and speakers make sure the amp is of a lower wattage to the speakers other wise you will overload the speakers and you will blow them. Say you were going to buy 150-watt speakers. An amp of about 100 watt will be enough to not under power the speakers but not enough to overpower the speakers either. Just take care and time when buying speakers.

Styluses and Cartridges

Pretty obvious this one, you wont be DJing with out these on both decks. You can get some fairly decent cheap pairs and some awesome expensive pairs. The pair that seems to get the best rating in magazines is the Ortofon Concord DJ. You can scratch hard with these and it wont skip. Also they have a very good sound.


Headphones

How To Use Them

The two ways to use your headphones:

1: You can mix with both headphones on
2: You can mix with only one headphone on.

1: Mixing with both headphones:
Mixing with both headphones means that you have both headphones on and you can hear both songs playing at the same time through the headphones. This is a good way to mix, because sometimes it can be hard to hear the beat coming out of the speakers if you use only one headphone.

2: Mixing with only one headphone:
Mixing using only one headphone, so only having one headphone on, if also a good way to start because you can hear the beat clearly from some songs, but not every song. When you cant hear the beat from the song coming out of the speakers a good thing to do is either to turn down the song in the headphones or to turn off the bass on the song in the headphones, that way you will be able to hear both.

There's no right way or wrong way to use headphones it just depends on how it feels comfortable on you. I personally DJ with both headphones on because I find it easier to mix with hearing both songs at the same time through the headphones. It just a personal thing, you might prefer to only have one headphone on so that you can hear one song through the headphone and the other out of the speakers.

Be careful on which method you chose because when you become a really good DJ and either upgrade you mixer or DJ in a club, the mixer sometime will not let you listen to both songs through the headphones, that's why it's a good idea to learn both methods of mixing, just in case that is.

Headphones to consider using:

Sennheisser HD 433
A good solid set headphones for when you first start DJing. They are full size headphones, are quite comfortable and can be turned up nice and loud. These were my first set of headphones and are really good value, considering how loud they can go, they are only 20 quid and are worth buying for starter headphones, they aren't really that good for a more experienced DJ, who requires more from the headphones.

Sony MDR-V500 DJ

These are really fantastic headphones, they really are Worthing buying, especially for beginners or maybe even experienced DJ's. These headphones can go louder than the Sennheisser HD 433's and are even more comfortable. They fit nicely over your ears, and you can hear the beats nice and clearly through them. Definitely worth paying 60 quid for them.

Sony MDR-V700DJ

I have also bought a pair of these as well as all the other headphones on this page. I would say that these headphones may look the part but they don't really play it. These headphones are not very good for DJing simply because they are too bassy. Because they have so much bass its hard to hear the beats properly and distinguish between the two songs, so it sounds like you have it right, when really they are just out. I used these headphones for about 7 months and finally changed to another pair, because I found my mixing was going down hill. These are fantastic headphones if you just want to listen to music with them but they aren't so good for DJing. I still occasionally use them, but I prefer to use Sennheisser's HD25SP's, because you can hear the beats nice and clearly.

Sennheisser HD25SP

These are probably the best headphones on the market for the price; I don't think you could get much better ones. They may look small and think but that's one thing that makes them better. The headphones cups are small and block out A LOT of sound from the speakers, which is good because them you can hear what you are doing. They are also light perfect for carrying around. The only problem I have with these it that they seem a bit thin, it seems like they are going to break when you touch them, but they never do! I would have to say that if anyone wants to know what headphones to get I would have to simply say these ones. I don't think you will find a better pair for the price.


Records

This goes without really having to say much except, get lots and lots of records. Never stop updating your records, because you will find that you will go off DJing because you are just mixing the same old records, so always try to buy records, spend every last penny on them.

Extra Equipment To Aid A DJ Or To Improve A Set:

BPM (Beats Per Minute) Counters

This little device has been around for a long time. There are two ways you can use a BPM counter:

1) You can use it to find the BPM of you records so you then know how far to move the pitch when in the mix.

2) You can use it in you mix to help to mix. If you get that. All you have to do is match the BPM's of the two records and there you go. You just have to mix it.

This little DJing aid can make your mixes amazing but then ask yourself, are you really mixing?

FX Units

These pieces of equipment can improve a set loads and loads, they can make you sound different to other DJ's making you a better DJ. But if you don't work the FX's in a good way they can fuck up your set so be careful.
Quite a few FX Units now have a BPM matching system where it matches the FX with the beat so they are in time.
Most FX units have the same sort of FX like Reverb, Flange etc... Others like the Alesis Air FX are completely different in the way that you just have to wave you hand over air to make a sound.
FX units are good for improving sets if you get the right one so just try some out and see which u like.