I’m in the midst of a spring clean. It happens every couple of years so that I can run a tight and tidy ship, and put the spoils of DJWORX war on eBay. And in doing so this year, I’ve finally reunited my personal favourite setup after a couple of years apart. My 15 year old Numark TTX1s (still my favourite turntable) are snuggling up to my Rodec Scratchbox all over again in the home Worxlab, and I couldn’t be happier.
Upon reuniting this gear, I posted a picture on social media, which annoyingly garnered a stronger response than pretty much anything we would normally put out. But it also sparked a short thread on Facebook which went thus:
As far as two channel setups go, this is pretty hardcore. The TTX1s have a feature set that is unmatched even today, and the Scratchbox is a built-like-a-tank-brick-shit-house of a mixer. Granted it might lack the frippery of DVS and effects, but for me this the absolute don of two channel mixers. For my needs, this is more or less perfect, and if I need anything else, I can easily add it externally. Obviously I could have the most ridiculously overspecced setup, but I prefer a leaner and more optimised experience. I always do better with less.
Then my mind turned to our community’s buying habits. Cast your minds back to the four channel revolution, where an unending slew of similar units hit the shelves, and gear acquisition syndrome became an industry induced epidemic. Were you caught up in it? Did you feel compelled to have a sprawling lump of hardware? Were you one of those people who subsequently begged Serato to make a two deck view for your new four deck controller? Yeah, though so.
Have you subsequently added all manner of additional shiny boxes? Had to build a new workstation to house your gear buying illness? I feel it’s time to take a step back, shake off the GAS and ask yourself…
DO YOU ACTUALLY NEED IT ALL?
It all comes down to this — is every part of your setup used to the fullest? Or is your DJ life overflowing with GAS-fuelled bloat? Equally have you been sucked in by glossy PR about next level features that in reality you’ll never use?
It’s all too easy to disappear down the rabbit hole of new gear. And that’s fine if you actually use it all. Let’s take our own Ray aka Arkaei as an example. He came over to the UK to visit the old Worxlab, and seemingly brought an entire DJ and production warehouse on the plane with him — two laptops plus all manner of button-filled boxes all linked together, and each box playing a coherent part in his performance. Yet somehow, he still managed to squeeze in an Akai Pro AFX that I’d just got delivered, and importantly integrated it to play a role.
In Ray’s case, his needs are fulfilled by pushing himself and his gear to the absolute max and beyond. That’s how he rolls and constantly challenges himself and available technology to look into the possibilities of what could be done.
But not everyone is Ray. In fact it’s my suspicion that a good number of you buy way more gear than you actually need, and never really challenge it at all. All those “game-changing” new features sounded so awesome at the time, but have you even scraped the surface of what can be done?
I asked myself the question a long time ago, and despite being able to have it all, I only need the basics. The good basics mind you, but still just enough for me to be fully satisfied with my lot. I’d rather have just enough and test my limits than be faced with way too much and it be wasted or more likely be daunted by the plethora of choices.
SO DO YOU USE YOUR GEAR TO THE MAX?
Or could you in reality get away with a lot less? Do you need the big buffer zone of more features than you can possibly imagine, or do you thrive in the adrenaline fuelled environment of pushing your stuff too hard?
I am a firm believer in simplicity….I had a set of TTX and an American Audio DV2 mixer….they served me well. I personally like a simple straight forward set up. With a lot of buttons and internal electronics comes a higher chance of failure in the equipment. The S9 is nice, but if the electronics fail you’re screwed. A vestax PMC 07, ecler hak, rodec, tascam xs8, all great options and easy to repair should something fail. Same with the TTX….I wish Numark wouldn’t have discontinued those!! Dn you Numark now we have to take our chances on that NTX
My setup is simple (and old), 2 x TTX’s, Denon DN-X1600 mixer (just returned my allen and heath, just loved my Denon more), an Akai MPD 16 for cues, and M-Audio X Session for efx in traktor. It’s the bare minimum for complete traktor control, but I know my setup inside and out and it does everything I need it to.
I’ve been considering buying a Ecler Nuo 2 or a Vestax PMC 06 Pro for vinyl only battle sets, just to make beat juggling easier. I really love how simple and singularly focused the old guard of companies (ecler, rodec, hak, vestax, epath era rane, og numark, craze era stanton) made their gear. No excess features, just exactly what you need to mix, scratch vinyl
Also, this is an amazingly astute article, especially coming from the Holy Grail of dj gear sources.
Kind words — thank you. :)
Usually 2 decks (DVS or cdjs) with my djm900nxs and 1 launchpad covers all bases for me. Having a controller with tons of buttons that I can midi map make the possibilities endless. Really don;t see a need for anything else. I use physical decks for 2 and virtual decks on the launchpad for the other 2. Have yet to find a need for anything more (besides just wanting toys).
Have you tried working with Stems? I think they’re pretty fun, and they help fill in the down-tempo areas of songs.
Things to add from my end (thanks for using me as an example, Mark): I’m not a DJ who plays out every week-end, and haven’t been for a long time. However, when I do, I definitely keep things simple, as most clubs can’t accommodate a full-on show with 3.5m of gear and visuals anyway – that’s for the big stages I only get to play on a couple of times a year.
So for regular DJing, I stick to a pair of D2s with a Sixty-Four, one turntable, and an Electrix Tweaker for FX control – and yeah, I could do with a lot less. Like an S8, or even an S5, which have more firepower than a regular club set up anyway. DJing is selection and timing first, and everything else second.
That being said, I would get awfully bored if I didn’t try to break my laptops on a regular basis by throwing incredibly demanding stuff at them. And I have to, because unlike the top-booked acts out there, I don’t have the budget to fund a production team working their asses off behind my back. You will notice these guys rarely ever get credit for making the poster boy’s awesome shows work either… so yeah.
My dear friend, this topic is pretty interesting. It’s something we’ve discussed a lotta time. Unfortunately, to stand out, a unique set-up or way of playin’ is the route to get attention from promoters, audiences and so on, with original music production to complement the pack. Less gear works, true, but how many DJ’s now get booked in clubs or for private/corporate events now as many others come with the same pièces of gear ?
Over the years, i’ve adapted myself to the evolution of technology and market. I don’t use all my gear to the max yet but i experiment for any type of situation. The A to B mixing days are long gone…
I have to admit that I feel very identified with this post. After many years enjoying a whole world of possibilities with a more than decent collection of gear. I decided to stay as you see in the photo to maximize the use of each feature, and one thing it’s for shure I’m having more fun than ever. Who was going to tell me that after so many years I would even learn to scratch.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8da5013a926fdaed4885d4ddaee23d084aa12651eef297f254a17496f7ced2b4.jpg
For making music, you can never have enough gear. But for DJing, yeah, two SC3900’s, an ecler nuo 2.0 and a decent delay pedal is all I need.
I just bought a Boss DD-7. :)
deedeeseven deedeeseven deedeeseven deedeeseven deedeesev deedeesev deedeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
We have to stop this madness. Gear is for the studio. A Dj only need a pair of decks and a good sounding mixer with good EQ. A live remixer is NOT a Dj, is a completely different performer.
Well yeah, but a Performing DJ is hard to differentiate from a regular DJ for most normal people, most of the time. For those DJs who want to bring in more gear to do specific things, what should we do about that, say no? I don’t think so. It’s like telling some DJs not to scratch.
It will depend on the event and the crowd type, but overall, the DJ work mainly consists of playing music (complete tracks that are memorable for the crowd). Gear should reinforce this, not override it. Otherwise, it is a live act, a completely different thing.
Yes, our job is to satisfy the needs of our audience. Chances are if a DJ has a dead floor, they aren’t paying attention to the needs of the dancers. My comment hinged on this core understanding, and livening up the “true blue” songs to keep them fresh.
I’ve gone so minimal that at the moment I just have my Scratchbox set up, no turntables.
A minimal setup seems to be cool right now 😀
I love buying stuff and exploring its possibilities.
When it gets dull I sell it and buy something new.
Except for the Technics, of course.
The only real change I’ve made to my setup was about 6 years ago when I bought an Empath (to replace a Mackie D2)
Other than that it’s just always been the same two turntables (stanton T120c – had them about 11 years now)
Beyond that, I play with all the new features Serato add to SDJ and have all the expansion packs. They’re so cheap anyway it’s worth getting just to experiment with.
https://youtu.be/3mz2DEnE_y4
I got 2 Stantons STR8 – 80 turntables, and Stanton SA.12 mixer (Craze’s two-channel mixer). And that’s all. Even I got Serato Scratch Live the very first edition, and a lap top.
No dicers, no akai, no nothing.
Simple is best, although sometimes I need hot cues on my mixer and lil bit of and effects, but it’s not that big deal.
I’m a big fan of anything new and shiny but I rarely pull the trigger, partly I suppose as i’m not as active as a dj. But my set ups have always been two channel based. My last big purchase was a vci380 and that was when they came out. But when it comes to buying old vestax mixers a have a bit of a weak spot. Anyway my go to setup is this often without the ipad tbh. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/afb8dd3b605d45fd10e70f070aab88597c85652d3f9d23661ca8d8cc56e6c82c.jpg
I have a Kontrol S4 MK1 and thought that the F1 Remix Deck controller would be a nice addition to trigger samples or work with loops. But I had to realize that this is way too many buttons and settings to think of while I’m already busy with thinking what to play next, making smooth tranistions and keeping an eye on the audience. So now it’s back in the box…
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/217e2dfe6492d10a16d18695a71ac560db50dbba0cc7ee8412d2cfa52ea54528.jpg
Above is a picture showing how I swapped out a set up after a few years and learning what I could on two second hand vestax and a Stanton SA1 (I think)
I eventually moved to the below set up and added Final Scratch to that and loved it all.
Im now working on a whole new set of gear using the same old 1200s pictured. I love the gear but once I have what I want it takes me a long time to change.
The new set up will include PT01, NI Z2, New laptop, New cartridges and ill see where I go from there. Its overkill but ive a new house new space for my records and noddling around so Im going all in.
While I have added a few things over the years (Maschine mk II being one, Maschine Jam on day 1 of retail availability being another), my actual djing gear hasn’t really seen much of a change since I purchased my two Stanton STR8-150’s and a Native Instruments Z2 about a few weeks after they became available to Canadian retailers….. And I barely use any of the features the Z2 has, not even it’s browsing capabilities, which back when I purchased the mixer, I thought would be a lifesaver but instead I remembered how I preferred to use my ears.
I keep wanting to get two Kontrol D2’s, but every time I sit down and analyze things I just can’t justify paying $700+ CAD each for them. Back when NI put them on sale they were a lot more tempting (as it was something like $440 CAD each locally) but even then I couldn’t find a way I would actually use them for something other than a navigation screen to pull up tracks, so they remained on the shelves… Even worse is that for one of the goals I want to pursue (live PA, even if it’s just the occasional one-shot streaming online for fun) it’s easier, cheaper, and more effective to just go with pre-existing hardware solutions like the Novation Circuit, or slightly more expensive than a pair of D2’s if one were to go with the “real powerhouses” in that department (Elektron Octatrack).
Do I need it all? Nope, but only one cable going from the Z2 to my computer is rather nice, even if I do eventually cave and get the D2’s.
Does the Maschine Jam really add a lot or just augment a little to your Maschine in your mix?
That’s….. a tough one to answer. Short version is….. Nope, not at all, but the past while I haven’t even touched my Maschine either.
Longer version is….. I’ve changed how my desk is several times since I acquired it (even going from an Obutto R3volution, back to a desk, back to the R3volution, and just recently back to the desk), and I seem to give my Maschine and Maschine Jam more attention in the form of dusting it than I do actually using it. I had some rather grand ideas when I first got it, but then realized it wouldn’t work with the Obutto R3volution’s acrylic table tops, and the initial out of the box “disco mode” or “Christmas tree mode” as many called it drove me nuts (which I later on found out was a simple thing to fix, just load up Controller Editor and set it to use the default blank/empty template when not in use)…. So it wound up being set off to the side.
I keep meaning to sit down and make use of the two, and have purchased a few expansions for them when they were on sale (or free), but in all honesty I’ve probably given my Maschine mk II all of a dozen hours of use, and Maschine Jam maybe half an hour. Some would argue that procrastination or gaming keeps causing them to be neglected, but a large part of it has been that work for the past two months was outright nuts – layoffs to our staff followed by six weeks of having one or two delivery drivers off every day and then having to take care of upwards of two full routes took it’s toll (I barely even gamed during that stretch, and I game a….. reasonable amount.)
Part of the problem is I wind up having waaaaay too many different projects and/or hobbies on the go at once, and I wind up trying to split my time in between them and then wind up not giving any of them the attention I want to. Over the past while I’ve been working on reducing some of the hobbies I’m into, so I can focus on my various goals once again. I really do miss spending time with music through either djing, or through what I was always hoping to do with hardware (sold pretty much all of my hardware synths, drum machines, and even the modular synth), and worked on consolidating it all into a fairly tightly knit setup….
Another thing is I kept setting the audio stuff aside and trying to get it it’s own rig, but a few weeks ago I finally said “okay, enough of this, let’s get it all on one rig and just go for it”. They now sit right in front of my main keyboard, within nice and easy reach.
Or, in summary, while it will sound like procrastination in the end, I’m really hoping to give both of them a good whirl and finally FINALLY sit down and spend some quality time with my Maschine, as well as Maschine Jam…… Next week, once I get the last tidbits of my area all set up…. Obutto R3volution taken apart, the area cleaned up, records taken out of storage, and finally FINALLY going ahead with that upgrade to triple monitors. But my entire area has had this insane amount of clutter for like a year while I took care of other things in life that had higher priorities, and I’d rather listen and give into the siren call of my decks (as well as Maschine / Maschine Jam) than do the other thing a number of people tend to do with gear they’ve neglected for a while (aka sell it off, something I’d rather not do)
…Only issue is that what might as well be three days away from now HWBot’s Team Competition starts >.<
tl;dr: Nope, it hasn't done a thing for me because I've been procrastinating on a number of things and haven't really played with it since I got it. Hopefully I'll be able to give an actual reply in a few weeks, because I've spent the past while working on getting a nice and clear workspace going where it should be a lot better for productivity. ^_^;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
I sold my DJM 800 because my SX2 will allow me to use DVS on the 1210s and provides everything i need. so I’m basically with one 1210 boxed up under the spare bed and the other is plugged into the SX2 with a laptop stand and some speakers. Ive got the Denon Serato controller (DN-HC1000) which ill always keep and an SL3 in case i need to wire Serato up elsewhere.
Admittedly i plan on upgrading the home setup to an SZ2 and keep the SX2 for gigs.
My gear list the the envy of any DJ: MP2015, DB4, DJM900 NXS2, CDJ2000NXS2, DJM S9, DJM900Nexus, DJM2000Nexus, CDJ2000Nexus, Xone:92, Kontrol Z1, S8, D2, Z1, F1, X1, RMX1000, SL4, DS1, Traktor Scratch A10, MK5G and the list goes on and on…. but, and it’s a big but; that’s just to service the hire market :)
Do I use any of that? Very rarely (maybe the MP2015 when it warrants it) but my day to day setup is a Rane 56s and pair of Technics 1210mk2 or my Denon MC6000Mk2: all you need to DJ if you are not a Producer DJ or a Scratch DJ.
Not even most of the time, but when I do find myself wanting to double a track (just to EQ or apply an effect to a specific range of the envelope), nothing else will do. I’ll be the first to admit that my controller is huge, but for the features I like to use, the built-in displays on my controller, and the general understang I have of what is where, I’ve got to say a simple A-to-B simply isn’t enough for me anymore. Granted it’s hard to coordinate effects, vocals (me reading things in a deep narrator voice), my drum machine, and STEMs, with digging for new songs AND work gets tough, but if it’s not difficult, it’s not pushing you to become better.
So while I don’t use everything all the time, I do use everything at least part of the time, and that justifies my gear to me.
I’ve gone from cdjs and a mixer to a feature-heavy dj controller and then back again. Why? Because even though controllers have way more flexibility and features than more conventional two-decks-and-a-mixer set ups I still have to use a laptop to make it work. As I’m staring at one most of the time in my day job, it feels too much like work to go home and fire up the computer for djing. When screens (a la smart phones) are onboard as a matter of course for decks or mixers, I may invest in something again but for now, I’m happier working within the limitations of more ‘traditional’ media because it just doesn’t feel like a job.
Need? not really.. But I am sort of wishing that I had budgeted certain things better and found a way to afford one solid turntable instead of an x1mk2 I barely use.. Or the F1 I’m not sure I’ve found a place in my sets for yet.. I mean.. why have an F1 when you have a MF twister? Nope.. I think I’m pretty good for a long while.. The only thing I want or feel like I need anymore is a turntable and a good needle/cart so I can freshen my minimal scratching skills.
great article man!! totally true!! as soon as the DJs became the flagships of entertainment again, the gear has evolved to the measures where the devices have become super star trek thingy things! I use Z2 and thats all I need since I dont have a record collection to use regular vinyl, and thats a pretty dope device – not saying its a barebone mixer but it definetely lags on the newer ones with all the specs… I havent reached my max potential with it and I still love it the same for the 5th year straight… technology is great, but the same thing happened that you are mentioning to smartphones, you can easily find a 150$ android device that will fill the needs of 95% users and works very fluidly and smoothly – but still majority will buy an expensive iphone or an samsung galaxy or sony device!! not shitting on nobody, I use iPhone for the DVS and portable purposes that Android cant be doing but I REALLY use it…altough, if I didn’t need an iOS device I would definetely buy an cheaper Android phone… Same thing is I beleive happening with the DJ equipment i the last 2 years cca…
Move those decks so they don’t touch the mixer, unscrew the TT feet a little so they don’t touch the underside of the deck, and then stick some tennis ball halves in those feet. Way better isolation than the Technics stock feet.
with all this new Tech,it seems that the Music has gotten less Creative.The Works done in the late 90’s and early 2000’s seems simply way better compared to ‘All these Options’.I miss the ROTDJ type sets and Set Ups.Learn and Work with what you already Have.Great Article
I buy a lot of gear.
No, I don’t use it all, nor do i test the limits of it. I currently have a Z2, Z1, X1 MK2, S5, a set of D2’s, and a set of old Stanton tables. I should also specify that I’m a mobile DJ who does mostly weddings.
I started out with the Z1 and an Ipad with second hand speakers/subs, bought the Z2 to use with my Stantons, then the S5 so i wouldn’t need turntables for weddings and have less to carry/set up. That was followed up by the X1 because of the lack of microphone control on the S5, but then I found that having both decks on the one side was really screwing me up, and the last thing i needed was to stop the wrong track. In stepped the D2’s that i could use with my trusty Z2 mixer.
Voila! decks on both sides as they should be, screens, pads, and pitch adjustment. It’s finally perfect. My journey was one more of trying to find the right workflow than buying the newest, baddest thing out there.
My speaker set up on the other hand… don’t tell me you’ve never wanted to feel 2 LS801p’s at full push ;)