Hey guys, new DJ reporting in as well Running a Denon MC3000 controller with Traktor Pro 2 for my rig, and it works great.

TL; DR
Any beginner-priced controller will be good for beginners. So anything RM1000 and below is good to start with (like a Mixtrack Pro)
For something more advanced with more cost:
Traktor S2 is good to start with but has limited output controls.
The Novation Twitch is a unique product with no jogwheels and is great for dubstep.
The Pioneer WeGo is attractively priced at RM1290 and has some freaking cool lights
I went with my MC3000 because it's got durability and functionality all in one

If you have a lot of money OR you are 110% sure you will be DJing 5 years into the future, go for something better like the Pioneer SSX. It costs a bomb but you'll never have to buy anything again!
Don't invest in the extras like a control pad (X1, Z2 etc) until you're good at the basics! If not you'll be disappointed and will have to sell off the gear from frustration.

Now, on with the main read!

I see alot of posts here asking about what kind of gear to get. From what I've learned surfing the web (and I do this extensively), you must never, ever be hung up on the gear. It's about the music and the people who hear you, not how fancy you play.

I'm going to write a long-ish guide to answer many of the questions I've skimmed through after discovering this thread. Please feel free to approach your moderator to sticky this or make this into a solid, informative guide.

Beginner Questions
If you're trying to test the waters of DJing, you might be better off attending a DJ course in one of the few DJ schools around the country. A DJ course will give you a hands-on experience with equipment that a typical beginner can't afford. The course will also give you valuable experience in the form of your (hopefully) professional DJ instructors. Nothing works better than a 1-on-1 explanation and example right in front of you as your instructor spins the deck to blow your mind.

Personally, I've attended the Basic Course for the Goldsounds DJ School in SS15. It's a great starter course and really gets you into the groove of learning HOW to groove. With just RM500, you will get hands on experience with club-ready equipment (CDJ2000s) and you will get a real taste of how mixing works on the decks. By the end of the 8-class course, you should definitely have a grasp on the basics of mixing and should be able to play to any small-time event. You won't be a master by far, but that's because DJing takes a lot of practice to be good.

"Should I buy turntable/CDJ/controller?"
Honestly, you could DJ with just a laptop and some headphones. With the right knowledge and a passion for the music you play, even playing with djay on an iPod works well enough as a mixer. Of course, having the proper hardware makes DJing much more fun and provides a real reason for charging people to play your music

First ask this to yourself: "What do I want from DJing?"
If you answer: "To get rich", I'm sorry, you won't get far at all.
If you answer: "Because I love music", read on.

Rule #1 about DJing is that you are playing music FOR other people. No one gives two nuts about a DJ who is playing hardcore tunes to an indie crowd, but everyone loves the man who puts on the right tune at the right time[U].

Turntables : For scratchmasters, audiophiles, and oldskoolers
Turntables are a dying breed. In a progressively digital age, people are moving on from the warm-but-inconvenient style of using vinyl records to play out to the world. There's so much that technology can do for you now that mixing with a turntable just doesn't feel right.

On the other hand, if you love scratching and getting the BEST audio quality, these babies are for you. Turntablism is a serious art and can turn heads faster than anything if done right.

CDJs : For people who want to make money, or who want to play in big clubs
These babies are the staple of every big club in the world. Every club will have a pair of these beauties with a mixer in between. You've seen them everywhere in the past few years as various DJs rock it out on stage and in the DJ booth.

If you have the money and you like the feel of jogwheels, buy them. Using a CDJ means you are better prepared to turn up at a club with just a USB stick or a few CDs in hand to play. However, these babies can cost a lot and they aren't as portable as controllers.

Controllers : Affordable, portable, the first step into the truly digital age
Controllers can be just as good (and can be much better) than CDJs. There are a lot of people (CDJ and Turntablists) who disagree, who think that the Sync button has ruined DJing for the world. I know this is incorrect. That's what Turntablists used to say about CDJs, and look where they are now!

Controllers are great for beginner DJs because they cost very little compared to the other two options. Get a cheap(est) Numark Mixtrack Pro and you'll be set to learn DJing all in the comfort of your own room, with your own (pirated) tracks, with minimum fuss! Sure, the cheaper controllers look like toys but who cares when that banging tune comes on perfectly?

I love the concept of controllers. It makes DJing accessible and hassle-free. Once you don't have to beatmatch manually, you have so much time to screw around with other things like FX and proper cue control. Digital DJing opens up a whole world of fun things you can do.

When picking the right controller to buy, two questions come up:

"What's a good controller to buy?"

To answer this question, you must first decide which program you prefer:

"Which is better, Traktor/Serato/Ableton/etc?"

What gear you get will depend on the type of program you prefer.
Traktor is ridiculously complex because it has so much packed into it, and it's great for people who can work with lots of information at once.
Serato is fairly simple in comparison, and has some features (parallel waveforms!) that really appeal to DJs
Ableton leans towards producers and people who like to prepare their tracks thoroughly before performing
Other programs like VirtualDJ and all the other programs are great to start with. My best advice is to give them all a try (if you can!) and see which interface you prefer.

Now, how does this link to the original question? Simple: Any hardware you buy (controller) will need to interface with your program!.

So the logical thing to do is PICK YOUR PROGRAM FIRST! Once you pick your program, you can narrow down the types of hardware you want. Traktor S2 and S4 work almost 100% with Traktor (of course). Other brands may have a bit of lag in terms of jogwheel response or may have different mappings (buttons) for individual programs. For example, a Novation Twitch works best with Serato, so if you like Serato you could go with a Twitch, but you could still use a Twitch with Traktor.

Here are some tips:
1. Beginners don't need 4 channel / 4 deck mixers. 100% of your learning period will be with just 2 decks. If you are set on getting 4 decks even at this early stage, consider controllers that have 2/4 Deck selectors (like my MC3000).
2. Think about the inputs/outputs you think you will need. Cheaper controllers have fewer of these, but sometimes those few are all you really need. You will most likely not be able to play out in a big club sound system for at least a year, so why buy a huge, expensive controller that has balanced booth outs and XLR connections?
3. For pricing, AMAZON is the cheapest hands down. No bullshit prices, no negotiation, just the product and shipping fees. DJ controllers are NOT taxed in Malaysia. Look up the HS code for controllers and you'll see Malaysia is listed at 0%. Don't take sh*t from customs officers. If you know your HS code, you know it shouldn't be taxed and you can complain.
4. IMPORTANT: IF you buy your product from anywhere OUTSIDE MALAYSIA, make double/triple/quadruple sure your VOLTAGES ARE CORRECT. A previous poster burnt out his gear and had to pay a lot (plus hassle!) to repair it. There are very few DJ repair shops around here, so take EVERY precaution!! This means read the manual for your gear.


There's a lot of good equipment out there, but there's only one source of music: YOU!

Remember Rule #1? You need to make people happy. I've had too many events where a DJ walks in high and mighty, playing hardcore hits to an empty dancefloor. There's a lot to learn about filling up the floor and filling their souls with epic, but you'll get there eventually. There's a lot of intuition you pick up as you DJ, watching crowds and thinking 'They're gonna LOVE this song!'

To get there, you need to respect Rule #2: Know your music!. All the technical skill (seamless mixing, effects) will be for nothing if you don't know your songs. There are places in the world where DJs don't mix; they just pick the best songs for the perfect moment, and everyone goes bonkers even if the transition sounds like camels humping in the water. Have you ever been in an event where the perfect song comes on and everyone just flips out? That's what you WANT as a DJ!

Rule #3 is practice practice practice, take a break, then practice some more. Nothing is sadder to see than a clueless DJ trying to fix his hardware to play out. Learn your stuff, practice those mixes, and make sure you respect the first two rules! There are DJs out there who are so fresh with their gear that they hit the cue button on the playing track and absolutely emptied the energy. Others don't practice and just jam out terrible FX and mix during vocals, killing other peoples' ears and shooting arrows through their hearts.

I'll write some more if you guys like this Cheers!

This post has been edited by hanleon: Jun 6 2013, 04:11 PM

@Absentee

This article hits the question perfectly Using CDJs: 5 tips for Digital Djs

It depends on what you mean by small scale event. If it's a house party you'll be more than fine. If it's a festival and you're opening, I would highly recommend getting some actual hands-on time with a CDJ. Nothing beats hands-on, and you only need an hour or two to familiarize yourself with the various buttons and functions of the CDJ.

Depending on your controller, why not just plug in your controller into the mixer? If the event planner is already hiring a CDJ, you can actually plug your own controller into the mixer (the EQ portion of the CDJ setup). The CDJs (deck A/B) are connected to the mixer, which is then connected to the amplifiers. What you need to do is just be familiar with how Line IN and Line OUT works. If it's a 4 channel mixer, you should definitely have space to plug in your controller, no fuss. If it's a 2 channel mixer, you can unplug the CDJ that isn't playing and plug in your own controller. HOWEVER a good tip is to TAKE A PICTURE of the setup first! When you are getting off, plug the CDJ back to where it was, or get the sound engineer to help (if there is one).

If the event planner won't let you mess with his wires (and he probably won't, but if you appear knowledgeable and there's time, you can convince him)
The difference between a CDJ and a controller can be small. With controllers you will be used to smaller jogwheels and the sync button (which aren't bad! Never think that!). Controllers also behave differently in terms of how FX is applied (the software helps alot) and how much information you see (again the software). You will also most likely require some knowledge about how to connect your laptop to a CDJ because you rely alot on your software when controllering.

If you can beatmatch manually without touching the sync button, you should be fine. With a year's worth of practice you are actually pretty set on being able to play with CDJs. You should have some good knowledge about mixing in general, and all you'll need to worry about is working the pitch sliders to beatmatch (which is a chore, but you can train for it easily). Don't be intimidated by how big the CDJ is! The functions are the same. You load a song, cue it up, beatmatch with your headphones, then hit it at the right time as always. FX work differently on CDJs, so you'll have to test it out yourself to be good at them, but since you are a beginner the FILTER knob is always the best. Normally you don't want to overuse FX anyway, and filter playing is more than enough for a small event.

A very good tip for CDJing is being good at pressing PLAY on the 1 (count). If you can consistently hit the beat on 1 (meaning you press play on Deck B when Deck A counts 1), and you have the basics of beatmatching in your head (cue track to first beat, pitch beforehand) it minimizes the amount of beatmatching you have to do when the track goes live.

The jogwheel response of controllers is typically not as good as CDJs but the difference is only about 1-5% depending on the controller you have and its integration with the software. This means that certain controllers will have more or less lag depending on how well it integrates. Most of the time you won't even notice though.

If you are able, take a course in basic CDJ usage! I'm not an employee of Goldsounds DJ, just a student. I started learning about DJing from the course, and I think the things they teach are very useful even in controller usage. The hands-on time you get with just their basic RM500 course is invaluable. You get 8 classes (2 hours each) and you learn about CDJ basics like beatmatching and pitching. As I've said before, it's not about the hardware. Good DJs don't care if they're playing on an iPod, CDJ, or controller. As a good DJ, you want to know the basics of any format so you don't piss off the important people - your listeners! Just think, for 500 bucks you get enough experience to be OK with a system that is used world wide. Nothing beats hands on

Pioneer controllers are built very similarly to CDJs so if you have a Pioneer controller the migration will be much easier.

Always always be at your event early! Sound check and test out your setup before the event begins is the best! This way you can seamlessly change between DJs and you also look professional for caring.

And remember, beatmatching is nowhere near as important as 'feeling' what songs your crowd wants to hear. Learn your music well and get to know your event BEFORE going. If you do these two steps, no one will care that you sound bad mixing; they will remember the brilliant mood you set with your songs!

This post has been edited by hanleon: Jun 7 2013, 10:39 AM

You don't have to get a controller first, the Goldsounds course is designed to give you a lot of hands on time with CDJs. While it would be nice to go back and test your skills, you may find that trying to beatmatch is hard work! I was bored out of my mind the first 4 classes, so I spent some time in the class just screwing around with the CDJ.

I am only recommending this because what if you don't like DJing, and you'll be stuck with a controller. At least the class will give you a taste without the deep investment some controllers are.

I wouldn't know how to use that kind of controller way too many buttons for me to handle.

The #1 Protip to becoming an international success: Produce music. If you notice all the names you mentioned have produced many iconic tunes that we use till today. We as Malaysians are getting there. We're ramping up our music scene by including music created by local artists. Producing music is the easiest and some say most important way of getting heard. There are some good songs coming out now, and it's very encouraging to see. Being a DJ doesn't mean you can be a producer, and vice versa. Sometimes you just gotta whack it out and see if people pick it up.

Yes, there's a chance for a Malaysian to go that far and that high. The problem is our music industry is mired by far too much mainstream music and outdated ideas on what musicians can aspire to be. There's a moderate EDM following here in Malaysia but it's nowhere near as big or fun as it could be. There's still a lot of misinformation out there about what EDM is, and what is involved in the music.

The problem with old-world thinking
Lots of people think 'oh the sync button makes DJing so easy, EDM is skill-less'. These people don't understand what it's like to sift through thousands of tracks almost all the time, looking for the best music then incorporating that into a set. They don't understand the real art of connecting to people and connecting music to them.

Others think 'EDM? Raves you mean? Full of drugs, not interested'. Decades of government propaganda and misinformation online have turned the traditional Malaysian mindset against the flow of time. People who don't understand raves have never been to one usually. They are only exposed to the hectic, cramped, far-too-loud Malaysian club life, and they don't feel that connection.

The country is still very traditional in its job scopes. If you say you want to become a DJ here, plenty of parents will raise a fit. 'DJ?? You mean those people involved in drugs and all that?! No!' 'DJ where can earn money... just become a doctor lah'. This kind of an attitude really cuts into a young person's mind. Think of all the musically inclined people who have turned away from that path because their parents didn't understand.

Even the availability of equipment holds us back. You notice that DJ shops here aren't all that big, and their selections are usually very limited. In the US you could order a CDJ and have it delivered to your door, at a solid price with good service. If you need repairs it's easy to find a store. Here? Not so much.

The steps to take to move forward
In the Swedish countries out there, EDM is part and parcel of life. You'll hear crazy stories about mini-EDM raves opening up everywhere all the time. EDM there is such a norm for them that it's not surprising that so many awesome artists come from that area. Expose your friends to EDM! As DJs, your duty to the country's industry is to spread the beat!

That means you must be good at what you do. People must feel that passion from you. Learn how to be a good DJ by playing good music at good times, at a good volume. How you do that is up to you, but there are lots of basic rules that you can (and should) follow to be GREAT.

Always keep in mind though, the EDM trend you see across the world right now won't last. It's a bubble that will burst some time, maybe not soon, but it will come. There's a lot of momentum pushing the rave scene out into the forefront, but because EDM (and their superstar artists) are so big now, there's a lot of corporate pressure pushing out the real essence of DJing - that is to play music for others! When raves become ridiculously expensive or the crowds start getting younger, less-informed, less mature, there's bound to be some backlash.

I realize I type a lot in my replies, but it's a fun read I'm sure most of you will agree.

This post has been edited by hanleon: Jun 7 2013, 04:33 PM

@flygirltree
There are lots of men out there who make 12-inchers look like *****es, just depends on the music you play and your crowd response!

@tiranz
Yeah I have not used Ableton. Traktor seemed complicated enough for me, and I liked the techy interface it had.

How long Malaysia spends "getting there" depends on how well its DJ community spreads the word! Don't just play progressive and electro because it's popular. You can always drop a trap or dubstep track if you think it's appropriate, or to determine crowd response. You never know, there might be a bunch of EDM-heads in the crowd

One possibility I thought of was mixing similar genres together. If you play Hip Hop nights you can try mixing Trap in, there's lots of similarities. Or find remixes to popular pop songs and mix that in to spread the EDM-ness across the nation!

@WhyMeLol

You could ask tiranz about that. His Akai and Ableton setup seems to be similar

For all you Traktor Kontrol fans, the Traktor S4 has had its priced reduced to USD599 (down from 899). GET IT WHILE IT LASTS!

You might like http://www.edmsauce.com/2013/05/22/watch-f...-his-live-sets/
He has a similar setup to yours I believe, and explains his setup quite well.

What are you guys' opinions on the state of music today, specifically for EDM?

The DJs I've seen play basically 1:00-1:30 of a song and just switch songs like that for hours. Is it the industry standard to fast mix so blindly? Is this practice everywhere these days? I haven't frequented a club in a long time.

Music is supposed to have a progression, a flow that brings you on a journey. Whatever happened to letting a song play out and then skillfully mixing in the next one?

As a DJ, how did you guys look for gigs when you first started out? I'd like to get some gigs to gain experience, and was wondering where I could apply.

You should make sure the voltages are multivolt for use in US AND outside of US. DJ controllers aren't taxed by our government, so you should be good. Get it from a reputable vendor and MAKE SURE you calculate your SHIPPING before ordering! A couple of kgs will add hundreds to an order.

Tough to find any kind of controller equipment repair locally. I have no experience in that, which is why I bought the Denon MC3000 instead. Thing is built like a tank.

As long as your transformer is legit and good, it'll be okay. Just always remember to have it around! Would suck to arrive at a gig without one, or if someone accidentally plugged it in without the transformer. Gotta take good care of your investments!

The Goldsounds DJ school has a Groupon up now for an introductory course. You could try for that if you are interested.

DJing isn't hard, especially as a hobby. The passion for music and pleasing your audience is what matters. Always keep that in mind! Good music played at the right volume, at the right time.

And if you really want to use it purely for hobby purposes, perhaps a smaller 2-channel mixer would be better. The Pioneer digital gear is pretty funky, with light up platters and stuff. (and you probably won't ever need 4 channels)

As a hobbyist, you shouldn't worry about battle skills. Battle skills look cool, but nobody dances to battle music. And of course Goldsounds doesn't teach battle skills; it's introductory! I would recommend going for the intro Groupon course *before* buying a mixer. RM80 to learn that you don't want to do it vs RM2000 (in case you actually don't like it)

Learning online is sufficient for basic mixing. It's about counting and knowing your music well. Technology will help you fast track to being able to play, but by no means does it mean you are good or can play in public.

2 channels is more than enough. 4 channels are tough even for people who have years of experience DJing. With a digital controller setup a 2 channel mixer can be used in so many ways. I would suggest mastering 2 channels first before considering 4, because even 2 channels could take more than a year to learn.

In all honesty, if you want to buy a controller for hobby use (vs using in public), I would recommend something much simpler than the S1. The Pioneer WeGo has a great style factor and leaves you alot of room to grow. If you master the WeGo and want to play in bigger venues/parties, then you can consider buying something fancier like a Traktor S4 or equivalent. Then you can use the WeGo as a fun, portable party mixer.

A money-saving piece of advice is to start small. Think about what you want to use your mixer for. In general:
$250-1500 : Hobbyist / small parties
$1500-2500 : More technically inclined people
$2500++ : You DJ for a living or you have a lot of money

Seriously, for small parties a basic 2 channel controller with EQ, pitch, cue/fx buttons is more than enough. If you have an iPad, you can download plenty of DJ programs to try your luck with (though physical controllers are much more fun).

https://www.groupon.my/deals/klang-valley-s...ision/717547155

1 day left, and only RM50!

Again, try before you buy

You can try the online course from DigitalDJTips.com

http://www.digitaldjtips.com/how-to-digital-dj-fast-2013/

It's pricey (for us) @$100, but it's got the basics down from what controller to buy to basic mixing skills. I bought it, and I think it added to my experience pretty quickly. Nothing beats practice and deck time of course though, which is what goldsounds can offer.

I see you meant scratching skills when you said battling skills. Yes, scratching is fun when you know how to! [perfectly doable on controllers, though you may want to find ones that have bigger jogwheels for that.

Oh come on. Just because a person can't scratch does not mean he's not a DJ. How could you say that? DJing is about setting the mood for others through great tune selection and proper placement. Jukeboxes just play music selected by people mechanically.

For all aspiring DJs, scratching is just one of many skills that you can learn to enhance your sets, but the basis of DJing is always playing the right music, at the right time. Everything else can be secondary because everyone parties when the music is awesome.

Lol dubstep mixing is pretty advanced. You should start with 4/4 music like House. Learn a bit about manual beatmatching, then use sync to learn phrase matching. After that you can use Traktor's key analysis to do harmonic mixing.

You should also be counting constantly. Being able to figure out where the count is at without counting would be the goal, but otherwise just keep counting on one.

This post has been edited by hanleon: Nov 21 2013, 02:07 PM

Oh if you're just using software then you should definitely be using Sync. I don't think beatmatching using a keyboard or mouse would be useful.

If the music is 4/4 then just learn to mix intros and outros for now, or you could mix breakdowns together and fade out Song 1 when Song 2 has the drop.

Actually, what are you trying to learn?