Forum: Mix lessons - Topic: Help for a beginner

I always dj parties for my friends but I have never mixed or anything like that and i want to step my game up and start. I need some advice for wat would be the best setup for me would be. I'm not looking to buy tables and external mixers etc. at this time jus want something to dj some house parties with and that is easy to use ....ne advice would be greatly appreciated!!!!

go here: http://www.virtualdj.com/wiki/index.html

One of the controllers listed under "Hardware Controllers" should meet your needs.
This wiki is a great resource for all kinds of things.

I use the Hercules MKII. It meets all my needs; 2 channel mixer, controls VDJ and has a built in soundcard, mic input, headphone out. Some of these controllers come with a limited edition of Virtual DJ.

get a midi controller

i would suggest gettting something decent to start with instead of upgrading later,itll be more expensive and once u really get into it you are going to want something that performs better/has more functionalities,u will need a soundcard if u want to monitor 2 tracks so i would also suggest getting a controller that can function with headphones

whats the difference between a Hercules MkII and a midi controller?

Which is better for beatmixing

hercules mk2 is a midi controller,its just a specific model,like FORD(MIDI controller)MUSTANG(mk2),you can look around on the net and find tons of different controllers thats would work fine, i started with a hercules dj control mp3,which is like the mk2 but without the soundcard(which u will need in order to monitor tracks) and it worked fine,no problems whatsoever,but if u are looking to scratch,id look around because the small jog wheels arent really simple to scratch with

any midi controller thats has basic mixer functions(crossfader,eg,etc.) will be fine for beatmatching

I totally agree. You should consider buying tabletop CD players that have touch sensitive jog wheels. Touch sensitive jog wheels allow you the same control as vinyl. The reason that I recommend this over controllers like the Numark Stealth is that if you have problems with your laptop or software, you can still DJ using back up CDs with your mp3s stored on them. Consequently, get a tabletop CD player that also plays mp3s. You will also need a mixer. The best mixer for beat matching is one that has split headphone monitoring (also called headphone split cueing). This allows you to hear one song in one ear and the other song in the other ear. This is very important because it allows you to more accurately match the beats. A good mixer will also allow you to adjust the volume in either side of the headphones.

Here’s one by Pioneer that has this feature:

http://www.pssl.com/Pioneer-DJM3000-19-Mixer-WEffects-And-BPM

Here’s a less expensive mixer by Denon with this feature:

http://www.pssl.com/Denon-DN-X120-10-Inch-2-Channel-DJ-Mixer

If you are in to scratching, then get a mixer recommended for that.

It all depends on your budget.


OO

Are there mixers with the double earphone thing, and the touch sensitive jog wheels built in? That includes playing MP3's. This way I can buy just 1 piece of equipment. I'm not to rich right now, I would like to buy 1 nice piece of equipment that will suit me best.

So MP3 compatible, touch sensitive jog wheels, sound card for split ear phones, and mixer right? Anyone know of a set up that has all this. I don't really care about scratching TOO much. Just beat mixing. =)

Also Double OO. I watched the youtube video on that link for the Pioneer DJM3000. I saw the guy do a drum roll fade that instantly started the next song. Does that Denon DN-X120 have the capability to do things like that? Or is it more manual..

Since I don’t use an all-in-one controller, I can’t make any recommendations to you.



This would not apply to a controller.



If beat mixing is your preference, you can do it without a touch sensitive controller. In fact, you don’t need a controller at all. However, you can beat mix better with a controller, especially if it has touch sensitive jog wheels. Touch sensitive jog wheels allow you to control your mp3s like vinyl.



The Denon DN-X120 does have the fade start feature like the Pioneer DJM3000. However, it does not have the effects and "Effect Mix Mode" that the Pioneer mixer has. You need Denon CD players to use the fade start feature on the DN-X120.

OO

So the fade start & effects wont work with music from a laptop? I need the Denon CD player if I want to do that?

You need Denon CD players and time-coded cds to control music from your lap with the Denon DN-X120. Also, the DN-X120 does not have effects like the Pioneer DJM3000.

You should consider purchasing VDJ Pro before spending money on additional hardware. If you had VDJ Pro, you would have accesses to this plug-in:

http://www.virtualdj.com/addons/813/Fader_Start.html

OO