Picking DJ Equipment -

What is best for me?

Decoding DJ Equipment - Navigating gear and finding your perfect tier

As a DJ, it’s always tough to see constant announcement posts of new equipment being released. Even in the midst of supply shortages across North America, Pioneer continues to develop and release new products that seemingly change the game, offering new and improved features. As appealing as these new products are, is it really worth upgrading?

We’re going to dive into a brief overview of what to be on the lookout for, and what is right for you.

To simplify the process, we’ll split DJ equipment into 4 tiers, starting with beginner equipment (tier 4) and finishing with professional standard equipment (tier 1).

Tier 4

Beginner Gear

Don’t let the title fool you, tier 4 gear is quite capable and can be a great resource to learn DJing on a simplified board, which usually comes at a fraction of the cost of larger boards. The simplicity of the boards allows the user to learn the basic functions of DJing without the overstimulation of extra effects and tools.

Boards like the Pioneer DDJ-200 or the Numark Mixtrack Pro are great sub-$300 options that give the users a feel for the craft without breaking the bank. VirtualDJ and Serato DJ Lite would be great software options to choose from, as they are both free software that can connect to beginner equipment. Users can explore the software free of charge, with a handful of limitations.

Pioneer DDJ-200

Numark Mixtrack Pro

Tier 3 - Intermediate Gear

With all of the benefits Tier 4 gear brings for new DJs, there are limitations that can prevent it from being a long-term investment. The intermediate range is where users can feel comfortable spending more money, while expecting a fair boost of quality in exchange. The biggest difference seen will be that these controllers now boast 4 channels, which allows DJs to swap their primary decks to the additional two channels, or plug in third-party equipment to have the ability to spread their channels over an additional two decks.

Pioneer’s DDJ-800 or the DDJ-FLX6 sit slightly above $1000 and supply DJs with a plethora of new usage. New effects have been added to let users adapt their play style, as well as 4 additional pads that have a total of 8 functions that can be chosen from. These controllers will now provide DJs access to Serato DJ Pro, which provides full access to the core functions, and the ability to record sets. Serato’s built-in recording system can be a crucial feature to DJs looking to make a new for themselves, as it can record 3hrs worth of audio that can be uploaded online, saved in files, or sent to promoters as a demo.

Pioneer DDJ-800

Pioneer DDJ-FLX6

Tier 2

Advanced Gear

The advanced range of gear is typically the highest category of equipment most mobile DJs will use. These controllers are the true all-in-one experience, allowing users to access the newest and most impressive features DJ gear has to offer. These controllers see a significant size increase due to all the accessibility features that are offered, and the majority also include visual displays on the decks, showing important information like the song’s BPM, length remaining, key, and tempo change.

This is also a stage where DJs will choose to specialize in one of two routes – Vinyl or CDJ. These controllers are built for DJs who want to feel a similar experience to using either turntables with vinyl records, or CDJs.

The Rane FOUR and Pioneer DDJ-REV7 are all-in-one systems that mimic the feel of the classic turntable and vinyl combination, while the Pioneer DDJ-FLX10 brings the CDJ/Nexus feel to a controller. Although these are built to feel like Tier 1 setups, they’re priced in the $2000-3000 range, making them a cheaper alternative, as well as a more portable option for mobile DJs.

Rane FOUR

Pioneer REV-7

Pioneer DDJ-FLX10

Tier 1 - Professional Standard

When an international touring DJ like Martin Garrix or Marshmello is performing in two different continents within a day, there’s not much room for error. Anyone who has taken an airplane understands the risks of losing luggage, and in this case, if a DJ were to not have access to their equipment it would be detrimental to the shows they’re performing at.

This is why touring DJs don’t use their own equipment, instead opting to provide riders to promoters which lets them know exactly what equipment they want. With this equipment, DJs simply plug in a USB drive and can play within seconds.

In most cases, this setup will include 2-4 CDJ-3000 decks, with either a DJM-A9 or DJM-900NXS2 mixer. In the event the DJ prefers vinyl, SL-1200 turntables with a DJM-S11 mixer would likely be the preferred setup.

The total cost for the CDJ setup could range from $12,000 - $20,000 pre-tax, and the vinyl would cost roughly $6,000. This reflects the retail price, however, with the shortage of DJ equipment, it may cost even more due to the high demand and low supply.

CDJ-3000 decks & DJM-A9 mixer

SL-1200 turntables & DJM-S11 Mixer

Use Your Resources

All these options can be overwhelming, but once you have decided your price range and determined your skill level, it can make your shopping experience much easier.

For a more in-depth guide to all aspects of DJing, even beyond equipment, Phil Morris at Digital DJ Tips has an amazing book called Rock The Dancefloor that you can check out below.

Rock The Dancefloor