It can be very hard to get started in DJing nowadays because there’s so much choice when it comes to DJ gear. Here at Digital DJ Tips, we’re happy DJing on pretty much anything, as long as it’s got:
- Two music sources
- A way of mixing them
- Speakers so everyone can hear what you’re doing
- Headphones so you can hear what you need to
But as a beginner DJ, you still need to know what gear to choose – and that’s tough when you’re just starting out. Right now you know less than anyone else, yet somehow you’re expected to make the right decision on this!
Getting past the first step…
No wonder we get asked this question all the time here at the school. So to help you get past stage one of our five steps of DJing – the other steps (music, mixing, performing and success) are outlined in our book, which I’ll tell you how to get for free at the end – we’re going to shortcut it for you.
We’re giving you five complete DJ set-ups: two which cost a few hundred, two which cost a couple of thousand, and one which is money no object. They’re not the only gear in town, but we find ourselves recommending this kit to our DJ students over and over again, so we’re happy to also recommend it to you.
✅ Why you can trust Digital DJ Tips
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Choosing your approach – standalone vs laptop
There are lots of ways of DJing – turntables, CDJs, DVS, modular set-ups, laptops, tablets, phones – but mainly there are two ways most people DJ:
- Laptop – you buy a controller that plugs into your laptop, which then does all the hard work. It’s a cheaper way of doing it because the laptop isn’t duplicated inside the DJ gear. Just make sure your laptop is reasonably specified, and reasonably modern – 16GB of RAM, for instance, is advisable nowadays, plus a fast processor
- Standalone – the traditional way, which got overtaken by laptop DJing but is now making a comeback. It costs more upfront, but many find it more convenient, and these systems are catching up in performance with laptop software too
In our audience, for every three laptop DJs, there’ll be one standalone DJ. The benefit here is you don’t need to have your laptop with you, and as I say, some of these systems are now getting really, really good.
In the examples that follow, two of them are the laptop DJ approach, and three of them are standalone. Bear in mind that standalone DJ gear can also be plugged into a laptop for DJing with, too, but if that’s the only way you’re going to use them, you’re paying a lot of extra money for stuff you don’t need.
5 Beginner DJ Set-Ups We Recommend
An entry-level laptop set-up: Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX4
The Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX4 is the perfect entry-level controller for beginner DJs. It’s got many of the controls that the more expensive stuff has, it’s compatible with nearly all DJ software, and it comes with good DJ software already included.
We’ve paired this with the Pioneer DJ DM-40 speakers, which have built-in amplification and deliver decent sound without breaking the bank. For headphones, the Pioneer DJ HDJ-CUE1s complete the package – they’re a lovely headphone for a decent price.
Having one brand for everything is neat, you can use streaming services with the software or your own music, and you’ve got a laptop there to prep everything and DJ from, too. The controller is easy to carry around and the whole set-up is ideal for those on a budget.
Total: £470 / $593 / €544
Pair with: The Complete DJ Course
An entry-level standalone set-up: Numark Mixstream Pro+ / Pro Go
At the time of writing, the Numark Mixstream Pro+ (or the Mixstream Pro Go, which is exactly the same unit with a battery built in) is the best standalone entry-level unit by quite a long way. It’s got a built-in screen, built-in WiFi, and built-in speakers, so you literally turn this thing on and you’re off. You can get Apple Music, Spotify and all the streaming services over the air, as long as you’ve got a WiFi network or you can hotspot it to your phone.
Our 10-year-old daughter learned to DJ on this, it’s so easy! If you want something super casual, super simple to get going with, something no hassle, and you’ve got kids who might want to use it too, this is the one to go for. You don’t even need to buy speakers – it’s all there. Just pair it with some headphones – we’d go for the Pioneer DJ HDJ-CUE1s again, as long as you don’t mind mixing your brands.
You don’t really need a laptop to prepare either, as you can just use WiFi to log onto your streaming service. If you do add a laptop, they’ve got software that lets you get all your own music onto it. It’s a great value unit and we recommend this day in, day out to people for ease of use, value, immediacy and simplicity.
Total: £720 / $924 / €947
Pair with: Mixing For Mobile & Wedding DJs
A mid-range laptop set-up: Rane One MkII
The Rane One MkII is a motorised jogwheel laptop DJ controller that’s a bit of a hybrid. It’s got lots of features you can use away from the laptop – hardware effects (reverbs, delays and so on), useful because it also has the ability to plug in gear that’s nothing to do with your laptop or DJ software, like samplers and turntables to play records. The effects will work on all of that, for instance.
Read this next: Hardware vs Software Effects in DJing – What’s The Difference?
It also works extremely well with the supplied Serato DJ software, which is how you’ll use it most of the time. You get the full version of that software, so you can do all your open-format tricks, scratching, performance DJing and so on – basically all the advanced stuff you’d expect from a proper DJ controller.
We’ve paired this with the Adam Audio A4Vs – a step up from very cheap DJ monitors, and they’re white, which matches the white unit nicely. For headphones, we’d go for something quite cool here because it’s quite a cool set-up: the V-Moda M100 Pros sound great, look great, and they’re durable. This is pro-level gear that would be fine to use in public, and after a year or two, a lot of DJs go from basic entry-level units straight to something like this.
Total: £2385 / $2997 / €2718
Pair with: Scratching For Controller DJs
A mid-range standalone set-up: Pioneer DJ XDJ-RX3
The Pioneer DJ XDJ-RX3 is a no-frills unit that’s designed to deliver the basics for everyone and everything (in every circumstance). It’s missing some of the stuff you get on more expensive, more highly featured gear, but it’s hugely reliable. Everywhere we go we see DJs playing on the XDJ-RX3 . Away from nightclubs, it’s the most common system spotted in the wild – think bars, lounges, pubs, and so on.
It’s an excellent choice for serious DJing with no frills, away from the laptop, that you can use anywhere. We’ve paired this with some entry-level monitors: the KRK Rokit 5s are pretty cheap, a good move seeing you’re likely going to be using this unit out and about a bit more than some of the other set-ups, so they’ll do fine.
For headphones, we’re quite a fan of the AIAIAI TMA-2s – they’re modular and quite understated with no big branding going on. The whole lot looks quite smart and cool together, perfect for workaday DJing.
Total: £2245 / $2726 / €2537
Pair with: The Complete DJ Course
Here’s one to aspire to…
Let’s be clear: this is a dream set-up. Plus, it’s fabulous to DJ on. I love it. The thing is, the “pro” AlphaTheta CDJ-3000X players (two, three or even four) with the DJM-A9 mixer is “business to business” gear – AlphaTheta selling to businesses that put it in clubs so you and I can use it when they book us.
While some DJs understandably want to start with exactly what they see DJs using in clubs, on YouTube, at Boiler Rooms and festivals, it really isn’t necessary – especially bearing in mind our final selection below. Even most pro DJs don’t buy this stuff to have at home!
That said, if you “just want the best” and aren’t put off by the cost, you’d be getting an amazing set-up by going for this. Just don’t expect it to do an awful lot more than something that costs far less.
A high-end standalone set-up: AlphaTheta XDJ-AZ
So if pro DJs don’t tend to buy the CDJ-3000Xs, what do they buy? Many go for the AlphaTheta XDJ-AZ instead. It’s full sized, really well made, highly professional, with amazing sound quality and hardware effects. You can plug in as much stuff as you want. It’s got roughly the same controls, features, size and layout as the pro club gear, but it’s all in one box and costs a quarter of the price. No surprise many pros have got the XDJ-AZ for practising on and preparing at home, and it works well as a high-end mobile DJ unit, too.
We’ve paired this with some really big beefy monitor speakers: the HEDD Type 07 A-Core are analogue through and through – big, beefy and loud. For headphones, you’ve got to go for the AlphaTheta DJ HDJ-F10s, because this unit has a unique feature: there’s a button on the front by the headphones socket. You press that button, press the button on the headphones, and they link instantly.
It’s not Bluetooth – it’s far better because it’s instant with literally no delay in the audio, so you can cue your music and DJ fine with them. It’s just like having a cable connected – but you don’t! Might sound weird but once you’ve tried it, you’ll love it. They come with a cable anyway so if you want to use them the old-fashioned way you just can plug them in. There’s no other gear that uses this technology, so you’ll want it!
Total: £4420 / $5438 / €5036
Pair with: Access All Areas
Finally…
We’ve covered five DJ set-ups here that we find ourselves recommending to beginners again and again. If you just want to go and buy something tomorrow, we hope we’ve helped you shortcut the decision.
But don’t worry if you don’t see what you have (or are considering) here – there’s no such thing as a bad DJ set-up nowadays from any manufacturer. They make them very, very good these days, and we had to choose just five, after all! We’d love to help you get started, so do ask below if you have any questions.
Even better, Rock the Dancefloor! is our best-selling book on modern DJing. It contains all the information we’ve just given you and a lot more on all five areas of DJing: gear, music, mixing, performing, and success. You can have this for free by clicking here. We’ll send you this book as a thank you for becoming the latest free member of our community.
Phil Morse
