NOSTALGIA: “I had one of those” and other stories

Many of you will have done a nostalgia-filled dig into your old DJ gear. But what have you got? Have you missed it? And do you wish it would be remade?

Old DJ Gear Nostalgia (1)

While posting my #djgearfromyesteryear series, a few things have become abundantly clear:

  • People have bought a huge amount of gear over the years
  • To some degree, they wish they’d never parted with some of it
  • Nostalgia is heartwarmingly essential in tough times

I’m absolutely certain that a good number of you have dug under your bed, in the back of cupboards, or in dark and dusty attics/garages to dig out long-forgotten DJ gear from yesteryear. This could be to reminisce, have a long overdue clear out of your old shit, or just to make a few quid on eBay while income slows down. 

Old DJ Gear Nostalgia (2)
Back in 1957, the world wasn’t ready for the first NS7 prototype*

*Probably made up fact

I HAVE QUESTIONS

What I want to know is:

  • What have you found? Pictures are good.
  • Are there things you’ve forgotten about?
  • Why did you keep them in the first place?
  • Are you transported back to a different time?
  • Or have you simply been reminded of why that battered piece of crap ended up hidden from view all over again?

And another question — is there a piece of gear that you feel should be made again? Would you make it exactly the same or update it to bring it up to modern standards? Try to keep it within the realms of a tweak than a full redesign though.

Off you go then.

Mark Settle
Mark Settle

The old Editor of DJWORX - you can now find Mark at WORXLAB

Articles: 1228

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36 Comments

  2. I sold my kit every time I wanted an upgrade, I went from CDJ800 -> CDJ850 -> CDJ2000 and never lost any money. Could sell it for pretty much what I got it for. The 2000’s for more even. I never had any regrets because the stuff went to people who loved what they did. The 850 set is still owned by this guy who was like 13 when he picked it up. he contacted me recently because after 6(!) years he wanted to get into Rekordbox and since I had all the experience (I felt old) he looked me up on FB. He still loved the gear.

    The ONE thing I REALLY REALLY REALY regret it selling my timecode (Audio6, although I probably would use the sound card that much anymore). I had the limited neon orange traktor vinyl and that’s something I probably won’t get to buy back anytime soon. I should have just bought two black records to go with the sale and keep the orange ones for the future :'(

    Life, marriage and kids is more important than the ocasional dj session in the attic so there was no need anymore for the 3K worth of equipment, plus it took loads of space, so now I’m happy with DJM450 and CDJ400’s (my opinion the best cheaper Traktor enabled Pioneer device with a CD drive since I kept all my old CD folders)

    As for wishes, I would love a Kontrol S5 but with turntable inputs. Or a Kontrol D2 but with a smaller jogwheen instead of the STEMS faders.

    Other wholesome story: Build my first foldable dj desk with my grandpa, sold it when I went I moved out of the house and couldn’t store it. Now 15 years later I saw it in an ad on FB and bought it back for fraction of the price I sold it for…. It’s in the same condition as when I sold it! Have enough room in the garage to store it for keepsake. Now if that could only be done with my timecode set….

    EDIT: Disqus wont let me upload pictures, but here are the links to the booths

    my-first-foldable: https://www.djresource.eu/Djsets/display/5469/yp/10777/DJ-Booth-at-parents/
    my favorite set: https://www.djresource.eu/Djsets/display/10677/yp/10777/Ywe-s-DJ-Booth-Jan-12
    highlight of my “career”: https://www.djresource.eu/Djsets/display/11382/yp/10777/Ywe-DJ-Booth-Sep-15
    the neon in action: https://www.djresource.eu/Djsets/display/11388/yp/10777/Ywe-DJ-Booth-Aug-16

  3. Had a massive clearout of DJ gear end of last year and was ruthless except for one item I just could get rid of ‘just in case’: the Denon SC2000 (as someone else has mentioned). If they remade this with a built in sound card they would sell bucketloads of them!!! I still use my MC6000mk2 regularly and realised it’s all I really need so although I totally loved my Denon Prime 4 (it is without doubt one of the best bits of kit on the market) I sold it and went back to the MC6000. I Even prefer it over my NXS2 setup tbh.

  6. Here’s few of mine:

    • I sold a QFO for £400, before I had the space to keep it. It would be on a shelf now, or making a lot more money on eBay.
    • I gave away an original TB-303 and Korg KPR77 to a friend in need in the early 90s. Now I crave a Roland boutique model.
    • My first mixer when I came back to the scene was a Rane 56. I’d like that again, but with a built in interface and USB-C.
    • A very limited run Gemini PMX2200 in a wooden box would be cool, especially if I was commissioned to write the book that went with it.
    • An updated Numark TTX with a screen, multi function pads, MIDI (including the platter), and USB C would be my desert island deck.

  7. Somewhere around here I still have the faceplate of my Hercules MP3-E2 that i need to frame or something. That damn thing got me through my first year of weekly college house parties, although barely, but I loved it.
    Looking at my shelves of controllers, I’ve also got a djtechtools-edition VCI100, KP Mini, OG midifighter, gen2 Electribe, few other older ones, but that little Hercules started it all. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/aa1253a395ad673de900ef4a953539e7384c02c6d1f60b281849f145c92826ac.png

  9. I had the Tascam X-9 mixer. It was so much better than the DJM-600, which came out around the same time. It had parametric EQs (but they were a little bit hard to use). It had an expansion port, which never really got utilized. The crossfader was silky soft and fast. It had 2 independent effects loops with 2 independent samplers.

    I think about what If it had been made today with a USB soundcard and Serato/Traktor and also a software computer control panel would have made the paramentric EQs a little more user friendly.

  10. VCI-100 – 2020 with :
    – sturdy black metal low profile chassis just like the original, same dimensions !
    – akai style pads (even if small) and improved jogs
    – some features of their VCI-100 mk2 (dual stereo inputs, improved browsing)
    – Serato HID support (at least)/Traktor HID support and Serato DVS ready
    – USB Audio/MIDI class compliant with controller MIDI message editor
    – And last but not least : the DJTT guys ready to make crazy mods and mappings for it :)

    The only one I regretted selling.

  11. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7c6933d9f1f92435130c80533a205a2a882a3e4ee447ff723114396bb8400246.png

    Bought the VCM-100 for cheap (they were discounted from 499 to 199 in late 2009) for my semester abroad.
    Built like a tank, small form factor, integrated audio interface, easy to re-map in Traktor. Paired it with a Kontrol X1.
    There’s not much more I’d need even today.

    Back home I sold it and instantly regretted it.
    Bought another used one a little later for almost nothing and still have it now.

    With today’s popularity of rotary mixers, that little controller might have a solid chance, especially with beginners not ready spending 2-5 grand on a boutique mixer.

    • Definitely, and they wouldn’t even need to change the layout actually. Just make it look current, use MPC style perf pads, innofader for x-fader and add Serato DVS readiness. Would be a good versatile mobile friendly solution.

      Or they could change the paradigm and make it a standalone “Denon Prime Go” type of unit with Built-in Rekordbox/Serato crates ingestion, in a more affordable fashion.

  13. Back in the day I always wanted to own one of the old Citronic “coffin” consoles they made with the wooden ends. Way out of my price range at the time unfortunately.

    There was another one that always caught my eye in the Roger Squire’s catalogues by Soundout – it had bright red ends, heatsinks I think. Apparently they weren’t very reliable.

  14. Denon should make a modernized SC2000 :

    – add perf pads (even if small) & improved Fx control but keep it simple, no screens/extras
    – keep A/B C/D switching
    – same size : can be one inch bigger diagonal to accommodate the pads & increase the jog size. But keep about the same low profile design and build quality
    – keep USB Class compliant MIDI but add Serato+Traktor HID
    – a motorized vynil style jog version ?
    – make a great case that also serves as stand to bring them at club mixer level
    – $199~$299 per Deck (depending on the feature-set)

    I still have a pair of these in excellent condition. I tend to always carry at least one of them on gigs in case of a deck problem. Or use them as main setup for good mobility. Never found any other deck controller of this build quality and portable form factor.

    A small standalone unit (SC4000 ?) would be nice too but that’s another product.

  17. The Audio 10 should be made again. There’s a big gap in the market for that.

    Same for the Audio 2 DJ…

    Sorry to sound cliche, but the Technics 12×0 Mk5 should be made again. Maybe a Mk6 with minor fixes like RCA connectors rather than cables.

    Beyond that, anything from the digital era would just seem dated if re-released.

    • I was looking two weeks ago for the best way to replace my old Audio 8. Only reasonable option seems to be to buy one or two Audio 6 DJ units (due to the phono preamps), but it was released in 2011 so I do not dare to buy it right now because I do not know how long it will be supported.

      • you’re correct, Audio6 and Audio4DJ f.e. are really providing a very interesting mix of features: 2 (or more) stereo inouts and outputs, phono preamps for inputs, metal case, LED’s to indicate incoming/outgoing audio which is superhandy to debug faulty wiring in dark clubs. There is no real alternative it seems, except for moving to mixers with built-in soundcards and DVS support. Which sucks if you’re not a mobile DJ but working with the available club-mixer.

        Pioneer has the Interface2, but it seems to be not much loved or supported by Pioneer, so an EOL for this interface wouldn’t surprise me.

        I guess it’s up to Behringer and their new DJ-gear division to jump on this. They have a trackrecord with f.e. the BCR2000 so they should be able to pull something off. :)

    • I can kindof see why multi-out dj interfaces aren’t as prevalent today, considering the inclusion of pretty decent soundcards in almost every mixer and a solid handful of controllers.

  18. I still have (and use) the NI Audio4DJ and X1 mk2. This is a solid setup for me with Traktor Pro, i use the venue’s mixer, and sometimes like to use timecode control from vinyl too. The Audio4DJ is solid stuff, metal box, audio-indication LED’s on top, 2 stereo ins/out and phono preamps, cinch connections. It just works.

    X1 mk2 the same story: solid stuff, the jogstrip works perfectly to pitchbend these disco and funk records into a tight mix, i have full control over cuepoints and fx, and can control 2 decks with a single compact controller.

    It seems DJ’s are a very conservative bunch, LOL, but the X1 is loved by all, because of it’s compact footprint and usefullness.

    For mobile gigs where no DJ mixer is available I additionally bring my Reloop Mixtour, so i’ve got a midi-controlled DJ-mixer with built-in soundcard with cue-option. Super compact (Mixtour, X1 mk2, 13″ laptop) and connect it to the house-PA to get going in 5 minutes.

    I wish one of the DJ gear manufacturers would make a 2020/2021 version of the X1 and the BCR2000 (look at Breakbot’s live dj performances, he still uses it LOL). I guess Behringer or Reloop are the obvious suspects? All the other manufacturer are all going into different segments of jogwheel based DJ controllers and mixers anyway.

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