Choosing a beginner DJ controller help

DJ Controllers are superb ways to get into DJ'ing. They are fun, cheap, small, light (great for bedrooms) and most of all they are very cheap.

They sound perfect you are probably thinking and you are correct, but the problem is that there are a lot of DJ controllers out in the market and all the technological terms can be confusing.

(On my website I have a great best DJ Controllers for beginners guide)

There are numerous manufacturers:

Numark 
Denon
Pioneer
Native Instruments
Hercules
American Audio 
Novation
Gemini 

plus others...

So which one do you get?

Firstly you need one that is very easy to set-up and use. You want one that is reliable and has working parts. Which one then??

Well I'll let you into a little secret : and that is that most of them do the same thing really so you can get any of them (cost will be a determining factor)! Thing is, most of the new DJ controllers for starters are all really user friendly, easy to set-up and they all have the same kind of features and functions that you need to learn how to DJ - so don't get too worried about which one to get! (just check out my guide as that covers the best 5 to get.)

Generally speaking with DJ controllers, the more features you want the more it will cost. When starting though you will not use the advanced stuff - you need to get used to the basics of mixing and manipulating tracks.

JUST MAKE SURE THEY HAVE:

An internal soundcard : needed so you can cue up the next track
DJ Software 

Good news is that most if not all of the newer DJ controllers for beginners comes with these 2 very important things.

Some DJ Controllers to consider:

(remember my dj controller for beginners guide...)

Numark Mixtrack Pro

This is one of the best selling DJ controllers on the market. Why? This was the first real DJ controller that was aimed towards beginners, and was a true all in one solution which was very easy to set-up, therefore became a smash hit. It is a bit old now (but still perfectly fine for the first timers) thus Numark have released...

Numark Mixtrack Pro 2

The main complaint about the original was how ugly and bulky it looked. Well the Pro 2 looks far far better and has a few extra bells and whistles! Costs a bit more though

Pioneer DDJ WeGo

Pioneer are well respected and known for their top quality DJ gear (especially in the CD market..). Problem is that their gear is super expensive for beginners (although brilliant!). This is where the DDJ WeGo comes in.

This is super user friendly., has 4 channels (most beginner decks only come with 2 channels) and awesome lights to help you learn, funky design and so so so so much fun. You can even get it in different colors too.

 

What are DJ controllers??

In my first post (which can be seen here) I talked about some music tastes of mine.

This blog post will cover what DJ controllers are:

(If you are looking to get one: why not check out BEST DJ CONTROLLERS 2013 list)

A DJ controller is physical gear used to mix music with each other, which is often used by disc jockeys to create mixes for functions or alternatively individuals in dance clubs. DJ controllers, so that you can replicate records or CDs have platters (or jogwheels).  Now a days they're pretty decent at imitating vinyl but are not as effective as the real thing.

A few of the jogwheels are good particularly on the more costly DJ controllers. Vestax DJ Controllers are very well well known in the market to have fantastic jogwheels. The Novation Twitch is definitely unique, it does not have jogwheels and uses touchstrips as an alternative -- like swiping on an iPhone.

 Different types of Digital DJ Controllers 

There are two types - all in one and modular

 All-in-one 

It is a single item of equipment which contains 2 (occasionally Four) decks plus a mixer with an internal soundcard included. These are typically very popular with newcomers due to their ease-of-use. A popular example is the Traktor Kontrol S2 by Native Instruments.

Modular

 Basically with modular controllers you design your own . You select individual effects decks to suit your style, subsequently combine these together with mixers and audio set ups. This is typically reserved for more knowledgeable DJs who actually fully understand their own style and acquire components to match ( space ) or even for backup. A good example of a modular DJ Controller is the Traktor Kontrol F1 by Native Instruments.

Why Digital DJ Controllers Are Great! 

Music Control Of The Digital DJ Controller

Thanks to the capability of the DJ software as well as improvements in DJ Controller technologies, you can perform numerous spectacular things with your tunes. Such good examples include things like looping and including great FX in your mixes.

The Size 

Almost all DJ controllers are small and light and will fit into almost all DJ Booths and usually are the perfect size for your room. Some of the more compact ones may be used on your own lap!

The Cost 

Disc-jockey Gear in the past was indeed so pricey but you are certain to get an excellent DJ controller for $200, even the best top of the range decks cost around $1000.

 

Accessibility To Beginners 

The actual DJ Controllers possess easy to use software, are usually themselves simple to use, additionally add the simple fact they are inexpensive signifies everyone can learn how to DJ!

First Post!

 Hello, this is my first blog post on blogger!! This is going to be about my background and how I got into trance music (dance music EDM) and how I like gadgets and how that relates to my favourite past-time at the moment (DJ Controllers)

Example of a DJ controller -Hercules 4MX

I enjoy dance music, primarily such as trance beats and track (or EDM - which is electronic dance music) and I have in past times recently been a DJ (nothing serious, mainly bedroom and a few smaller gigs when I was at university). I used vinyl back then - mp3s were just coming around  ( I remember downloading stuff off Napster!)


 Not long ago I decided I wanted to get back into DJ'ing . Everything was digital now so decks were now called  DJ controllers (some will still consider these decks.

Music Tastes

 I do have a wide range in music these days but this post will concentrate on the DJ/dancey side of it. (I listen to all sorts from Hot chip to Pink Floyd. NO DAVID GUETTA!) I don't listen to as much EDM as I did back then, I guess I have mellowed some what.

The 1st dance (well more trance ok techno!) tune that I definitely adored was a a huge trance track by Cygnus X named The Orange Theme, I listened to this while I was close to 14 on BBC Radio One. (on a Friday night whilst my parents were out boozing!) I didn't know what it was or anything, it took over 4 years for me to find out!!

 This, at the time, blew my mind because I'd never ever listened to anything at all like it!

The first cd I bought  was Prodigys 2nd album called Music for a Jilted Generation. I still listen to some Prodigy even today.

 I Used to and be into dance acts similar to say the Chemical Brothers (and even some Daft Punk, stuff like Underworld , Orbital etc) when I was in my puberty years. Managed to get into house music and songs (avid listener to Kiss FM broadcast) as well - remember this was in 1997  So some time ago!! . I remember some classic tunes like Chicane  - Offshore and Sash with Encore Une Fois.

I think the first single I bought was Sash - ECUADOR. That was a mental tune for me at the time, used to try and catch these on MTV when we finally got cable installed into the house.

Next time I will talk about my progression into trance music! This happened when I was at college and trance music became a bit more main stream (Ibiza became all the rage...).


 Oh I personally just forget about another great classic record . Robert Miles with a gorgeous tune called Children. I've left a video footage for you to enjoy, and I am going to blog even more about my own, personal likes down the line!