DJ Equipment

DJ Equipment

Purchasing your first DJ setup can be overwhelming with so many options available in the market, but whether you’re just dipping your feet into it or if you’ve already got a couple of shows under your belt, there’s always a set of gear that you should never leave home without.

The kind of DJ equipment you need largely depends on the setup you choose. You can go with a combination of a DJ mixer that's flanked by two DJ turntables, which is a popular beginner setup. Kick it up with the same setup, but augment it with a DJ interface package, plus DJ software running on a Macbook or laptop PC.

DJs should never get caught without their DJ monitoring headphones. Not only do they make you look the part, but a pair of professional-grade headphones will also let you hear your mixes and audio in the right clarity and depth, so you really know what your audience is hearing. Live monitoring is key in the DJ business and content creation in general, so throw on the AKG K171 MKII or a pair of Sennheiser HD8 DJs when you run the show.

DJ Turntables should be your bread and butter. They allow you to literally touch the music and alter it in ways that gets the crowd jumping. Popular options like Audio-Technica turntables or Numark scratch tables give you futureproof options, and some tables connect to a computer via USB for easy interfacing.

If you want to stay retro, vinyl records are the way to go. Mixing by ear is the way the old-school DJs used to do it, and despite the growing number of new DJ tech, scratching vinyl is still the authentic and most artistic way to play. If you’ve been there and done that, upgrading to newer gear like CDJs and MIDI controllers can give you more features to play with.