Basic DJ Equipment Setup 1. DJ Controller (or turntables) 2. Laptop 3. DJ Software (Serato DJ), some use software called Ableton Live 4. Speakers 5. Amplifier 6. External Hard Drive 7. Microphone ( for talking to your audience) 8. Cables (USB, Speaker Cables, Power Cables, Mic Cables, etc.) 9. Headphones 10.Mixer (not necessary unless you have many different devices to play through the speakers at once
DJ Controller The DJ Controller is used, along with your laptop, to mix tracks, create loops, fade, scratch, equalize, create effects, change pitch, change tempo, sync beats, cue tracks, etc. Without a DJ controller it would be very difficult to try to control everything from the computer. Some DJ s still use the classic turntables and run them through a mixer instead of using a DJ Controller. Laptop The DJ Controller is then connected to a laptop using a USB cable. Without the USB cable, the two devices cannot communicate. Many DJ s use Mac laptops, however PC s can be used as well.
DJ Software DJ software is installed on the laptop and is what is used, along with the DJ controller (or turntables) to cue up songs, find music, create playlists, etc. The main program used by many DJ s is Serato DJ. This is the program we will be using in Music Production. Many DJ s also use Ableton Live, a much more expensive program, but it isn t necessary unless you have many devices you would like to mix or until you really know what you are doing.
Speakers Speakers are what the music actually comes out of. There are two types of speakers, Powered Speakers and Unpowered Speakers. There are pros and cons to each. Unpowered Speakers - require a separate device called an amplifier to power them. Without the amplifier these speakers will not work. The advantage of powered speakers is that they are much lighter than powered speakers and if something breaks inside the speaker, it is easy to replace that one individual part. The disadvantage is that you need that extra piece of equipment (the amplifier) in order for them to work. Powered Speakers - Powered speakers do not require a separate amplifier to play, they are powered on their own because the amplifier is built inside the speaker. The advantage is that you do not need to buy or haul around that extra amplifier. The disadvantages are that they are much heavier than unpowered speakers, more expensive than unpowered speakers and if something breaks, you have to replace the whole speaker! In Music Production, we are using unpowered speakers. Amplifier The amplifier is used to power the speakers. When purchasing an amplifier, you have to make sure that you don t buy one that has more power than your speakers can handle. The image to the left shows the front (top picture) of the amplifier and the back (bottom picture) of the amplifier. If you have powered speakers, you do not need an amplifier.
External Hard Drive External hard drives are storage devices that you store all of your music (MP3 s) on. They connect to your computer using a USB cable. These hard drives are portable so they can be carried easily and used with any computer. It is important to get an external hard drive with enough storage space for all your music and with enough room for adding future music as well. Without an external hard drive, you might not have enough room on your computer to store all of your songs. An average MP3 takes up anywhere from 3 to 5 MB (megabytes). 1GB (Gigabyte) = 1000 MB or approximately 250 MP3 s 1TB (Terabyte) = 1000 GB In Music Production, we have a 1TB hard drive. Approximately how many songs can our hard drive hold?
Microphone Microphones are what you speak into so you can communicate with your audience if you need to. There are many different types and brands of microphones. You need to make sure you get a mic that is intended for vocals and that has the right type of connector for your DJ setup. Cables Cables are what make it possible to connect all of your devices together. Without the right cables, your devices would not be able to communicate with one another. There are several types of different cables needed in a basic DJ setup. USB Cables
USB cables are what allow the computer devices to communicate. In our DJ setup, we use a USB cable to connect the DJ Controller to the laptop. We also use a USB cable to connect the external hard drive to the laptop. Speaker Cables Speaker cables are what connects your speakers to your DJ setup. Without speaker cables, your speakers would not work. There are many different types of connectors on speaker cables. It is important that you make sure you get the right kind of connectors that work with your speakers and with your amplifier. The type of speaker cables you see above are called speakon. Other types of speaker cables are ¼ and banana plugs. Microphone Cables
If you plan on using a microphone with your DJ equipment, you need to buy a microphone cable, usually referred to as an XLR Cable. Once again, you need to make sure that the type of cable you get is compatible with your microphone and DJ equipment. Headphones Headphones are a must for any DJ. You use headphones in order to be able to listen to the next track coming up and cue it at exactly the right spot, not to mention sync beats without anyone else hearing what you are doing. There are headphones designed specifically for DJ s where the earphones fold down or up. Headphones have either an ⅛ connector or a ¼ connector. Depending on what your DJ system has, you may need to buy an adapter for it to fit. Mixer
A mixer is used to run multiple devices (DJ Controller, Microphone, other controller, keyboard, etc.) all through one set of speakers. If you don t plan on using much more than a DJ controller, you may want to consider not even using a mixer as it is just one more piece of equipment and more money to spend.