I’ve been using DJ gear for the last 25 years and I’d like to share a bit of my gear history on this page.
Over the years I’ve been able to take advantage of the latest technological developments, but I feel lucky that I got into the DJ game in the turntable era. It helped me build a solid foundation and it makes me appreciate new tech even more.
I remember my first DJ set: 2 Technics SL 230 belt drive turntables and a two channel Alecto mixer with no eq and no crossfader. Now I didn’t just learn how to beat match on that set, but I also learned the basic turntables techniques like scratching and (even) backspinning.
The upgrade
When I eventually upgraded to a set of Technics SL 1200 mk2‘s and a better mixer (with eq and a crossfader) it felt amazing! Since that time I went through a bunch of different turntables (like the Vestax PDX2000, PDX3000, QFO and the Numark TTX) and mixers (like the Numark PRO-SM1, DXM PRO, the Vestax PMC-05PRO, PMC-05PRO2, PMC-07PRO and the Pioneer DJM909).
I also took my first steps in the digital realm with the introduction of Final Scratch 2.0 dvs. This was a collaboration between Stanton (hardware) and Native Instruments (software). A couple of years later I switched to Serato Scratch Live dvs and Serato Itch (with the Numark NS7).
Currently my favorite setup is a digital vinyl system setup with two turntables and my Pioneer DJM-S9 mixer with Serato DJ running on a Apple Macbook Pro.
- My DJ gear (Amazon affiliates links):
Pioneer DJM-S9 (mixer)
Pioneer HDJ-2000MK2 (headphones)
Technics SL1200 mk2 (turntables)
Shure M44-7 cartidge
Shure N44-7Z replacement (needle) for M44-7 cartridge
Ortofon S 120 Single Serato Cartridge plus Stylus/needle
UDG Creator Tone Control Record Shield
Crane Stand Pro (DJ stand for laptops)
Apple Macbook Pro (2013) 2,4GHz i7, 16GB DDR3, 512GB SSD
Now when it comes to making beats I started with a Commodore Amiga with some tracker software. I also experimented with Cubase (on the Atari ST) and the Akai S950 sampler.
Even though I liked making music, I did not really like working on the computer. I wanted more of a hands on experience so I spent quite some time working with the General Music (GEM) S2 workstation.
So making beats on keys is ok, but when I switched to the Akai MPC 2000XL I found what I was looking for: pads! After a couple of years I did switch back to computers, but in combination with pads: Cubase with the Akai MPD16.
I currently use Native Instruments Maschine with a Apple Macbook Pro.
- My production gear (Amazon affiliates links):
Native Instruments Maschine (mk1)
Steinberg Cubase
Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 (audio interface)
Yamaha NS10 (studio reference monitor speakers)
AKG Q 701 Quincy Jones Signature Reference Class headphones
When I started my first YouTube channel I used whatever camera I could get my hands on. I quickly realised that most old handycam style cameras (with tapes) were not the easiest for exporting the footage to a computer. A point and shoot camera seemed to be a better solution.
I used a Sony Cybershot and a Logitech webcam for a couple of years until I eventually upgraded to my first DSLR camera: the Canon EOS 600D.
So I spent a lot of time researching lenses and figured out what would fit my needs. This led me to a Sigma 30mm prime lense and a Tokina 11-16mm ultra wide angle lense. Now, as you can imagine, the production quality went way up!
Another important factor was lighting. I started out using any lamp in the house and (of course) daylight, but the addition of a soft box lighting set contributed to the major improvement of the image quality.
Last but not least I have to mention the audio. Without good audio your video just isn’t good. The onboard mice on most DSLR cameras are not good so I invested in a good external mic: the Rode Videomic Pro.
The 600D is a great camera, but I had a growing list of things that were missing on the device. After doing a lot of research I upgraded to my current camera: the Panasonic Lumix GH4 with a Lumix 12-35mm f2.8 lense.
I still use the Rode VideoMic Pro, but I started to record my voice with the Rode Lavalier microphone and the Zoom H5 audio recorder.
- My film gear (Amazon affiliates links):
Panasonic LUMIX GH4 (camera)
Panasonic LUMIX 12-35mm f/2.8 (lense)
Canon EOS 600D (Rebel T3i) DSLR body (camera)
Tokina 11-16mm f2/8 AT-X116 Pro DX for Canon APS-C (lense)
Sigma 30mm f1/4 DC HSM for Canon APS-C (lense)
Rode VideoMic Pro (mic) – Rode Lavalier (mic)
Zoom H5 (audio recorder)
Rode smartLav (mic)
GoPro Hero Session (camera)
Aputure Replacement Battery Grip BP-E8 for Canon EOS DSLR
GoPro 3-Way Grip, Arm & Tripod
GoPro Jaws Clamp Mount