Hey mr DJ

Anyone know where I could pick up a set of cheapo decks, a mixer and anything else I would need to rock a party on the wheels of steel. I had thought of buying one of those Numark setups from Argos as I don't need anything too flash to start with.
Am i right in thinking its just a case of plugging the TT's into the mixer and the mixer into any old amp? Then comes the problem of getting some speeks loud enough I suppose.
Of course if anyone has a set getting dusty in the loft I'll take them off your hands!
HM

 

Whats the upper limit of your budget?

 

There is a huge amount of second hand stuff around in the DJ/disco market, look at Loot etc. As far as a mixer is concerned, if you're only using two sources then a dedicated DJ mixer such as the ones made by Behringer, Numark or Gemini are great, especially if you're on a budget.

For amps, any power amp will do, and depending on how big the venues you're playing are, just scale up the power. For speakers, any PA speakers will do to start with, look at www.thomann.de for dirt-cheap amps and speakers. I've got one of their own-brand amps in my home studio, they're built like brick outhouses and they have a whole range.

Hope this is helpful,

Tom

 

Greg....not much really...probably a couple of hundred quid to start with....unless you got a good deal in mind!
Tom...cheers for that I'll keep an eye on loot, no doubt there are plenty of aspiring bedroom dj's who have got bored of it. Does it have to be a power amp btw?
The venue is likely just to be various flats TBH so no albert hall window rattler required.
Any names to look out for/avoid for decks? Any general tips appreciated.
Cheers,
HM

 

i know my local crack converters has loads of this type of stuff in. give yours a try.
cheers


julian

 

Well in terms of house/flat parties you can get away with hifi gear no probs and an integrated amp would be fine, though you would need some power and an amp that isnt likely to overheat/clip after the first three or four hours of heavy use. Also be prepared for spilled drinks! A PA/pro amp would be a better bet.

Speakers - mmm good question, not sure what to recommend in terms of hifi speakers. PA speakers would be better suited but then you would need to ensure your amp will drive them - PA speakers from what I understand are very sensitive but can present awkward loads for some domestic (hifi) amps (AFAIK).

Decks - my preference are the classic Technics SL1200/SL1210 MkII/MkIII, etc. but they are hard to get hold of cheap because they a) sound good b) very reliable and c) lots of people are after them. As for cheaper alternatives, not really sure what to recommend as apart from Citronics and Numark I havent personally tried any of the lower budget decks. I dont like either the Citronic or Numark.

Not a great deal of help really.

 

http://www.netzmarkt.de/thomann/thoiw2_artikel-141140.html

This is the amp I use in my home studio - 150w into 4 ohms, or 90w into 8 ohms. Yours for £67, a bargain!

Have a look at Thomann for a pair of cheap fullrange PA speaker cabs, and you've got yourself a setup that will get you started.

 

Cheers Tom, that amp looks pretty good for the price.
I'll keep a look out for decks, although like you say everyones on the look out for technics. May have to wait a few months until I'm an accomplished grandmaster though given my budget.
HM

 

Just had a browse on ebay...thats to be avoided, so many people looking at this stuff theres no chance of a bargain.

 

Other thing about Technics decks is that they are very often completely f*cked - missing/cracked lid, missing tonearm weight/extra tonearm weight, tracking light bust, on/off switch bust, beer stains and sticky goo and they still want you to pay £250 a piece.

For a couple of years 91/92 ish you could get em from Richer Sounds for 350, then Technics put a ban on it and their price crept up to £499! at times. Now, since the newer, modified, Mk5 is available you can get the 1200/1210 MkII for around 350 or less, eg...

TechnicsSL1200/1210 deal

I wouldnt want to pay more than £200 used and they would need to be complete and in good nick.

 

Technics 1200/1210s are "the daddy" according to most people; you can even do handstands on them and they'll still turn round...

BUT...

Newmark Pro TT2s seem to sound better (to me anyway) and will also do 78 AND play backwards at 33/45/78 as well, should you need that...

Direct drive is the only way to go with DJ decks - belt drive just don't have enough torgue.

PA speakers are the best bet as you don't need amazing sound for these kinds of gigs, just loud sound! ONe of those pro PA amps with dual volume controls'll do the job nicely as well.

I must admit - I've been tempted to get into turntablism as well; I actually have 2 decks, but they're a Rega P2 and Planar 3 - not very condusive to scratch mixing - he he!

If you do go the DJ route, don't become a "Pill popping jukebox" as Jet say

 

That surprises me, but I havent listened to one yet. Numark as a brand is a bit of a twist and turn. Many years ago the Numark mixer was the absolute standard - but that was when Numark was a US company. The brand was then purchased by a Taiwanese corporation and they subsequently brought out a broad range of very average products (IMO anyway) but with the apparent kudos of the Numark brand. I'd be interested to re-evaulate their pro range based on your experience though.

Personally, with the right cartridge (I use an Ortofon Nightclub S), I've found the SL1210/1200 to produce a surprisingly lively, detailed sound, with a sound stage and everything, compared to the hifi TT's I've heard up to the £500 mark (new price). It really isnt just boom and tizz I promise. I can't really comprehend how they can produce such a rugged direct drive design which actually produces a decent result.

 

Admittedly, I've not heard the Numark/Technics side by side in the same system; they just seem to track better, but like I say, it wasn't a fair test.

Personally, I'd like either Technics OR Numark, but it would HAVE to be Ortofon Nightclubs for me all the way too

 

Hey Greg where are you in Wiltshire BTW? My folks are in Bradford-on-Avon where I grew up.

 

Hi,

I'm another fan of the Technics decks & Ortofon (concorde style) nightclub Cartridges. Well built & does the job. They are plentiful as they have been big sellers. You just have to be aware of what you are buying. As Greg as mentioned, you can see battered deck around. Also watchout for stolen decks as well.

As for amps, I do agree to go for a PA amp as these are more rugged in their construction. You can pick up good 2nd hand PA amps for under £200. You could try nightclubs, Student unions as they may up grade their equipment & may move on old stuff.

I have only briefly used a few Numark decks. They have a lot of features but I'm not sure if they sound better.

The Technics can sound alright in a hifi system but is beaten by decks like Rega Plannar 2. One thing I notice is that you don't get the same resolution & detail as a better deck. Also the pitch is not as rock solid in comparison. You don't get the clarity of a better deck.

You can get good sounds from a direct drive deck but you need to go to town on the plinth, have a high torgue motor system with low noise & good isolation. For a better Technics, look out for for SP10 turntable which, in a good plinth, can produce a very good performance. These were mainly used in radio stations.


SCIDB

 

For your budget something like this

http://www.htfr.com/more-info/?catno=MR74152

a Rotel RB850 power amp or two and some sort of PA cabs would do the job nicely.

A while back our preferred set up was 2 X SL1210s a GLi mixer 2 RB850s and a set of NS1000Ms Ideal for parties but that little lot would set you back at least 1200 quid!!!

 

1200 still great value though and I bet the results were good. Personally I'm quite keen to retain as much fidelity in the output as possible but particularly in the case of speakers - people leave drinks on top of them, lean on them etc. so wood veneer isnt helpful. The downside is probably always going to be a loss of quality with PA gear - I may be making assumptions here and if I am I interested to know which gear really is the exception.

On the subject of mixers, I'm looking around for the right replacement to my old Vestax PMC 15 - my current # 1 choice is the Allen & Heath Xone 62 - if anyone has other recommendations do let me know.