Mark Sparrow

Senior Contributor

Technology journalist specializing in audio, computing and photography.

Technics has joined forces with Lamborghini, the Italian automobile marque, to produce the … [+]TECHNICS

Have you ever fancied taking a Lamborghini for a spin? Well, you’re probably not on your own and now you can if you buy the latest product from Technics. The classic Japanese audio brand has joined forces with Lamborghini, the Italian automobile marque, to produce the SL-1200M7B, a special-edition turntable based on the Technics SL-1200MK7/SL-1210MK7 DJ models.

Since the launch of the original SL-1200 turntable, Technics has sold more than 3.5 million units of these robust turntables which have become a design classic. And despite coming from completely different markets, looking back on their approximately 60-year history, both Automobili Lamborghini and Technics believe they have more in common than you might think in terms of their approach to technology and innovation.

Although the SL-1200M7B is based on the SL-1200MK7/SL-1210MK7 models, its design is influenced by Lamborghini’s iconic Y-shape. The three colors used on the turntable are inspired by three iconic Lamborghini colors: Arancio Apodis, Verde Shock and Giallo Athon.

Anyone buying the SL-1200M7B will also receive an exclusive gift of a vinyl record featuring the powerful engine and driving sounds of five flagship V12 Lamborghinis, recorded specially for the project. The vinyl is also a picture disc with an image of a tire from Lamborghini’s latest model, the Revuelto.

The SL-1200M7B features a coreless direct drive motor with stable rotation that’s free of cogging and with a powerful torque. The turntable’s highly sensitive tonearm accurately tracks the signal engraved into the record’s groove. Meanwhile, the platter is a two-layer structure with improved vibration and damping performance.

The rigid cabinet of the SL-1200M7B also has a damping insulator to isolate vibrations, even when it’s used under harsh operating conditions. There is also an adjustment for the turntable’s starting torque and braking speed. Pitch control enables accurate and stable pitch adjustment, while the reverse play function makes the turntable ideal for DJ use. Finally, the stylus is illuminated with a long-life LED that has high-brightness levels.

DJ Equipment
Building your first professional DJ setup can be a daunting task, especially if you are simply starting out as a DJ. To start on your journey to great beat mixes, it is important to consider numerous components before making any gear purchases.

With so many options for DJ equipment and software platforms nowadays, making informed decisions on which equipment to spend your hard-earned money on is a key step to building a professional DJ setup fit for your budget and skills. In this guide we walk you through what equipment you’ll need for your dj setup so you can feel confident in your purchases.

What are Different Types of DJ Setups?
There are several types of DJ setups you can choose from when first starting out. Some are streamlined and require less equipment than others. For the smallest possible setup, you can get started with just a laptop and the right software. Other simple options include using only two turntables (vinyl or CD) and a mixer.

You can upgrade either of those setups by adding a laptop with a DJ interface package for additional effects and options. For even greater flexibility, consider adding a DJ controller to your kit for built-in turntables, sliders, pads, and other controls. If you plan to work from MP3s rather than CDs or vinyl, you can get away with a small kit that features a laptop, a controller, an audio interface, and software.

What Types of Equipment Do You Need for Your DJ Setup
While the choice of equipment combinations differ among DJs, an essential setup for every DJ usually includes

Monitor speakers
Mixer
Turntables
Headphones
Vinyl records or a laptop computer
DJ software
One setup may not fit a certain style, so it is important to mix and match gear to find what works best for your musical selection and DJing style.

The amount of DJ equipment options can be somewhat overwhelming for a beginner, especially since choosing the equipment is crucial to creating quality sounds. There are however a number of essential gear that a DJ needs to make killer playlists and provide your audience with enjoyment.

Pioneer Electronics PL-30-K Audiophile Stereo Turntable with Dual-Layered Chassis and Built-In Phono Equalizer

Buy Now

1. Input devices
Putting tunes together requires at least two input devices, which can either be turntables or CD decks. You can choose from a wide range of input devices that will allow you to mix tunes and mashup tracks without a pause in music.

Pros and Cons of Turntables
Vinyl turntables are the classic choice for a DJ setup, letting you incorporate plenty of classic tracks and achieve that authentic scratch sound. But vinyl is bulky and more expensive than the other options.

Pros and Cons of CD Decks
Most DJs already have plenty of CDs in their collection. Using CD decks can be a less expensive option, though you’ll lose the authentic scratch effect.

Best Input Devices for Beginner DJs
Stanton T.92 M2 USB Direct-Drive S-Arm USB Turntable ($299.00) is a professional-quality turntable that features a direct-drive motor and built-in USB connectivity. The turntable’s USB port allows for easy transferring of vinyl recordings to your Mac or PC. With features such as Pitch Control Fader with DSP Key Lock, you can control tempo without affecting pitch.

Another advanced feature of this turntable is its S-Shaped tone arm, which lowers distortion and reduces record wear.

Other recommended products:

Audio-Technica AT-LP60 Fully Automatic Stereo Turntable System ($99.00)
Numark TT250USB Professional DJ Direct Drive Turntable ($299.00)
Reloop RP-8000 Advanced Hybrid Torque Turntable with MIDI Control ($699.00)
Pioneer Electronics DJM-S9 2 Channel Battle Mixer for Serato DJ, Black

Buy Now

2. Mixer
The mixer is the core part of any professional DJ setup. It is a type of audio mixing console that allows DJs to perform different effects and tricks. DJs use the mixer to make smooth transitions between different recordings while they are spinning a set. It can also be used to play record players.

The Pioneer Electronics DJM-2000 ($2,499.00) is a four-channel DJ mixer that features built-in instrument effects including Noise, Jet, Zip, Crush, HPF and LPF. It has a 5.8″ LCD touchscreen display that allows you to create new track slices through the mixer’s Beat Slice function.

Best Mixers for Beginner DJs
The mixer has four channels located on the sides of the center LCD which you can use to connect your turntables to other analog players. Each channel features a fader that allows you to adjust the channel volume, a trim control to adjust input level, and a CUE button dedicated to the pre-listen function in your headphones. The unit also features Delay, Multi-Tap Delay, Roll, Reverse Roll, and Filter and Phaser effects.

Other recommended products:

Pioneer Electronics DJM-S9 2 Channel Battle Mixer for Serato ($1,699.00)
Behringer DDM4000 Ultimate 5-Channel Digital DJ Mixer ($349.99)
Allen & Heath High Performance 2+2 Channel DJ Mixer ($299.00)
Sennheiser HD 25 Plus Closed-Back Monitor Headphones with Set of Ear Cushions

Buy Now

3. Headphones
High-quality headphones allow DJs to listen, cue, and mix tunes with precision. It is one of the most important tools for determining the right timing to play songs rhythmically. The equipment you use is based on your preference, but it is important to consider comfort as one of the main factors in choosing your headphones. You’re going to be wearing headphones for hours on end, so you want to use a pair that not only reproduces sounds accurately, but is also comfortable to wear.

Another important factor to consider is flexibility. A good pair of DJ headphones does not easily break even when bended in different positions.

Best Headphones for DJs
Sennheiser HD 25 Plus Closed-Back Monitor Headphones ($199.95) is a lightweight headphone that provides high-quality audio. Its closed back design provides effective noise cancellation, making it ideal for use even in loud environments. It also features a rotatable ear cup for single-ear listening. The HD 25 Plus is capable of handling high sound pressure levels of up to 120 decibels, which allows it to perform well in loud environments.

Other recommended products:

Sony MDR-Z7 High-Resolution Stereo Closed Dynamic Headphones ($699.99)
Sennheiser HD 600 Audiophile Dynamic Hi-Fi Professional Stereo Headphone ($288.00)
Samson SR850 Professional Studio Reference Headphones ($49.99)
JBL 2x 305P MkII Powered 5 Dual 41W Two-Way Studio Monitor W:2x 8mm XLR Cable

Buy Now

4. Sound system
Using studio monitor speakers is a great way for beginner DJs to hear their mixes with clarity. While Hi-Fi speakers produce high-quality sounds compared with inexpensive audio equipment, they also amplify certain frequencies that can make it difficult for beginner DJs to hear what the mix actually sounds like.

Keep in mind, however, that this is an optional element of the ideal basic DJ setup. When you start playing gigs, you’ll find that most venues will have their own sound system that you can use. However, if you’re still learning and you want a good sound system for your home DJ setup, go ahead and invest in your own.

Best Sound System for your DJ Setup
Mackie CR4 4″ Woofer Creative Reference Multimedia Monitor ($149.99) delivers studio-quality audio performance ideal for multimedia creation and entertainment. It features 50 watts of articulate stereo sound, as well as premium and high-performing components such as sound-enhancing waveguide system.

The Mackie CR4 features a front panel volume knob, and auxiliary input for easier access.

Other recommended products:

KRK Rokit 5 G3 5″ Two-Way Active Studio Monitor Speaker ($149.50)
JBL 5″ Two-Way Powered Studio Monitor ($149.00)
Behringer MS16 2-Way Active Nearfield Multimedia Monitor System ($79.99)
Roland DJ-202 2-Channel 4-Deck Serato DJ Controller W:Behringer Headphones:Cable

Buy Now

5. Controller
Most modern DJs opt for a simpler (and easier) digital setup composed of a controller and a laptop. If you no longer use vinyl records or CDs, then purchasing a controller is really the only step you need to take to create a viable DJ setup.

Controllers essentially mimic the function of turntables and mixers. They allow for easier manipulation of their chosen DJ software. It allows you to mix music through the software with the use of knobs, encoders, jog wheels, faders, assignable backlit buttons, touch strips, and other control components.

The Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol S4 MK2 DJ Controller ($599.00) is a portable, all-in-one option for digital DJs who want high functionality and usability along with ease of use. Its components include silicone-damped jog wheels with premium aluminum plates, a built-in 24 bit/96 kHz soundcard, two customizable FX units with over 30 DJ effects, brightly colored RGB triggers, and a 4-channel mixer with faders, Flux Mode, and Loop Recorder controls. It also comes with the Traktor Pro 2 software.

Other recommended products:

Pioneer Electronics DDJ-SX2 4-Channel Performance Serato DJ Controller ($997.00)
Numark Mixtrack Pro 3 DJ Controller ($199.99)
Novation Dicer Cue Point & Looping Digital DJ Controller ($99.99)
How Much Does a Beginner DJ Setup Cost?
The cost of beginner DJ setups can range from just a few hundred dollars to a couple thousand dollars. The price of your kit depends on the type of equipment you choose. If you already own a laptop and plan to use a simplified computer-based setup, you can get away with purchasing only a basic controller and some headphones for less than $500. If you start from scratch, prepare to spend a bit more to build out your kit.

Check out some of the preferred equipment below for a specific idea of how much you can expect to spend.

Sample DJ Setups For Beginners Based on Cost
Setups vary widely among DJs. The equipment comprising a complete setup depends on each DJ’s personal preference and musical style.

Here is a sample setup for beginners who want the classic turntable setup:

Two turntables (with built-in slipmats)
DJ mixer
Headphones
USB/audio interface (optional)
Monitor speakers (optional)
1. Numark PT01USB Turntable ($99.00)
The Numark PT01USB is a portable, AC or battery-powered turntable that converts vinyl to WAV or MP3. It makes recording and importing audio simple through the EZ Vinyl Converter 2 for PC and Audio Converter for Mac software that is included in the turntable.

Features:

USB connection and USB cable
Belt-drive motor
Protective dust cover with carrying handle
AC adapter
Built-in speaker
RCA connector and headphone jacks
45 RPM adapter
DJ cartridges
2. Behringer DJX750 Professional 5-Channel DJ Mixer ($199.99)
With its fairly affordable price point, the Behringer DJX-750 is an attractive option for beginners who are building their first DJ setups. But don’t let the price fool you—this 5-channel mixer has the features and functions required to serve the needs of professionals as well.

Features:

24-Bit effects processor
Tactile effects control
Two automatic BPM counters with time and beat sync display
45mm VCA-controlled crossfader
3-way frequency kill switches
Adjustable XPQ stereo surround effect
3. Sennheiser HD 600 ($288.00)
The Sennheiser HD 600 is an audiophile-grade headphone that features a dynamic design. It is one of the best headphones for DJs (and even professional sound engineers) as it features advanced technology that allows it to reproduce accurate, high-quality sound, allowing you to hear notes in perfect clarity.

Features:

Open metal mesh grilles
Magnet systems that reduce harmonic and intermodulation distortion
Lightweight aluminum voice coils
Neodymium magnet material for excellent dynamic response
Oxygen-free copper cable
Detachable headphone cord
Rent or Buy?
Renting a wide range of DJ equipment is the best option for DJs who do not have the budget to purchase all the gear they need. This is particularly advantageous for those who are just starting out in developing their skills as a DJ and may not want to invest a large amount on professional equipment until they feel more confident in their skills and are ready to start booking gigs.

Aside from saving on the cost of purchasing new gear, you won’t have to worry about performing regular maintenance on the equipment. Another advantage of renting is that you will be able to try out different brands (for a fraction of the cost) and see which ones you like best before taking the plunge and buying the gear you want.

On the other hand, buying brand new decks and mixers has its advantages. Aside from allowing you to create a fully customized DJ setup that suits your needs, most equipment usually come with manufacturer’s warranties. The obvious downside is the price, but if you are serious about your craft, it is definitely a worthwhile investment.

You are about to learn the five critical elements that have fueled the success of all great musicians’ careers. Until you possess these key elements for yourself, it will be nearly impossible for you to reach your musical dreams and build a successful career in the music business.

Read below to discover these five key elements and take action on the information you learn:

Music Career Success Key #1 – Don’t Set Realistic Goals

All of the most well-known and successful musicians did not achieve their goals by thinking realistically about what seemed possible. On the contrary, they focused their mind like a laser ONLY on what they truly wanted. When you make your goals in line with the things you want most, you will be much more motivated to actually achieve them. More on this in a moment…

Think about this – out of the following choices, which choice would inspire you to put all your time and energy into growing a music career?:

Making a recording of a demo with a band and possibly playing a few shows around town.

Writing chart topping songs for a killer band, then promoting your music by going on a massive world tour – playing to stadiums full of fans, earning tons of money from music sales alone and never working a regular job ever again.
Even if your goals in the music business are entirely unrelated to releasing music, the point still applies: don’t let yourself accept anything less than what you truly want in your music career, just for the sake of being realistic. Life is too precious to live it by not doing the things you really desire. When you set goals for yourself that do not inspire you, it is nearly guaranteed that you will NEVER achieve the things you truly desire in music.

All the biggest rock stars are people just like you. They began small – whether it was broke without any idea how they’d make it in music, lacking in musical talent or not having a band to play with… Just imagine where they would be now, if they would have told themselves that their music career dreams were unrealistic or didn’t seem possible. Well, of course they didn’t… they followed their dreams and went on to achieve them!

You must do what they did. Start building your music career by focusing on what you WANT, not what seems possible.

Music Career Success Key #2 – Manifest Your Musical Dreams Into Reality Before They Actually Are Reality

Musicians who never achieve anything significant in this industry, build paths to their goals by starting from where they are in the present moment.

On the other hand, musicians who achieve great success do something completely different. They plan their music career by beginning from the end point of achieving their goals, and work backwards to the present day. They imagine themselves having already accomplished their major goals, then build their lives around this vision. This is a much more effective way of accurately determining the actions required for putting together your music career.

Music Career Success Key #3 – Start Living Or Start Dying

The two keys I mentioned above are critical for building a successful music career. With this in mind, you need more than just goals and a plan of action to realize your musical dreams. You have to take action each and every day to bring yourself closer to your goals. You might think this is common knowledge, but you would be shocked at how many musicians give up on their musical dreams simply due to lack of effort (in terms of taking physical action).

Visualize this scenario (I use this as inspiration for the professional musicians whom I mentor): You’ve just found out about a disease you contracted that requires major surgery. If you don’t get this surgery, you are guaranteed to die in no more than half a year. To make matters worse, the surgery is extremely expensive and cannot be covered by your insurance company (also you can’t borrow money to pay for it). So you have a decision to make: You can allow yourself to die, OR you can take whatever action is necessary to get the money needed for the surgery.

Certainly this example is extreme, but it is a perfect illustration of the kind of mindset you need to have in order to build a successful music career. Making big moves (by taking action) in your music career is completely different than sitting around waiting for things to happen for you (allowing yourself to ‘die’).

With this in mind, hard work/consistent action does not necessarily equal music career success, when you don’t know exactly what you should be doing to reach your goals.

Music Career Success Key #4 – Have MASSIVE Reasons For Achieving Your Musical Goals

No matter what you do, something will always go wrong in your music career plans. Whenever you are faced with unexpected events in your music career, this is the time when your commitment will be put to the test. For instance, here are some challenging situations you could face:

Working at a day job you hate while regretting the fact that you never developed a music career backup plan to help you make a living doing what you love.
Playing at crappy bars all the time with your band because you don’t know how to move to bigger venues.
Trying to record an album, but doing so at an extremely slow and frustrating pace because you never practiced developing your recording skills.
Working with unmotivated band members who are bringing you (and the entire band) down.
Not understanding how to attract more music fans to listen to the music you worked so hard to create.
Here is what you need to do in order to maintain your commitment and dedication to achieving your music career goals:

Take out the piece of paper you have that contains the list of your written goals (that you put together in key #1 above). Then beside each one write down the big REASONS you have for pursuing them. For every musical goal you have, answer this question: “Why do I want to achieve this?” Spend a lot of time thinking about this for each goal before you write down your response, and look over your goals/reasons two times every day.

When you do this, you’ll develop the ability to maintain motivation and stay focused on the major reasons you have for reaching your goals. This will help you move forward in the difficult times when your dedication is put to the test.

Music Career Success Key #5 – Don’t Try To Build Your Music Career Blindfolded

Once you are in possession of all 4 keys mentioned above, it’s still possible that your music career will go nowhere. This occurs when you lack certainty about what to do to achieve success, are (unknowingly) sabotaging yourself or lack effective strategies to help you reach your musical goals. The last key required for building your successful career in the music industry is to train with a mentor who has experience helping musicians take their careers to the highest level.

A truly effective mentor will not simply tell you what you need to be doing in order to succeed in the music business. He will help you utilize all of the strengths you built while developing the first four keys and will keep you heading down the right path toward success, while preventing you from making the same mistakes that unsuccessful musicians make. Without this kind of training, you are essentially trying to build your music career with a blindfold on – completely oblivious to the best ways to succeed using your current skills and knowledge.

Now that you’ve learned the five keys that build the foundation of a successful music career, these are the steps you should take right now:

1. Focus on getting all the missing keys you do not currently possess.

2. Being working with an experienced music career mentor to quickly achieve your greatest musical goals.
Tom Hess is a music career mentor, touring musician and guitarist. He teaches online guitar lessons to musicians all over the world and mentors musicians on how to build a successful music career. Visit his website for music instruction to get many free musician resources to help you start a career in music and learn about the music industry.

As the technology grew, music got more technical, complex and in demand. Others take credit for using music they don’t own. Nowadays, independent musicians are well aware of protecting their work for legal purposes. Through music licensing, you can be ensured of your asset/work being protected legally.

What is music licensing? Music licensing is the licensed used for copyrighted music. This allows the owner of the music to maintain the copyright of their original work. It also ensures the owner of the musical work to be compensated if their music is being used by others. The music licensing companies has limited rights to use the work without separate agreements. In music licensing, you could get your work licensed in the form of music, composition and songwriting.

During the music licensing process, there are terms that would be discussed by the groups involved. If you are an independent musician, you would be the licensor. You are the one responsible of the music created, thus you are the copyright owner of the licensed work. A licensee would be the music licensing company as they would be the one who will distribute your work to other industries. They will also collect the royalty fees as distribute them back to you if your music is included in live performances, TV shows, ads, campaigns, video games, etc.

There are also two kinds of contracts in music licensing, namely exclusive contract and non-exclusive contract. Exclusive contract means having your work licensed exclusively to a single music licensing company. Only a single company has the authority to distribute and market your work. If you signed an exclusive contract to your song or album, you cannot use the same music contents and get it signed by other music licensing companies. The agreement is exclusive and confidential to the licensor and the licensee.

Non-exclusive contract allows a second party to distribute your work and it doesn’t prohibit the licensor to sell their music to other music licensing companies or licensees. An independent musician can sign a non-exclusive contract to multiple companies using the same music content. Non-exclusive contracts are generally used to prevent an individual from being locked into a restrictive contract before their work gains popularity. This type of contract is designed to protect music artists from being taken advantage of in the early stages of their respective careers while on the process of getting their music out to larger audiences.

There are also cases which involves direct payment for used music content. This is called Sync Fees. Sync fee is a license granted by a holder of a copyrighted music to allow a licensee to synchronize music with visual media such as ads, films, TV shows, movie trailers, video games, etc. For example, a video producer is in dire need of music content for a certain project and is in a limited time of finding one.

In these cases, the artist and the music licensing company will be contacted directly for the possible use of the original work and negotiate the upfront payment involved. Sync fees can range from a few dollars to a couple of hundred dollars or up to thousands. The payment usually depends on how big and established a company is. If it is a well known company, there is a probability that the sync fee will spike up in value.

We need to understand that businesses nowadays are paying premium for music at an all time high. The influx and revenue generated on different industries are worth billions of dollars and the music artists who got their music licensed will get a big share of that money. The content of music is very important. Every single company need visual and audio content. You can’t do ads, shows and movies without having any music content.

Music licensing brings compensation for assets used. This is called royalty fees. A royalty fee is the payment collected by one party from another for the ongoing use of a copyrighted asset. You can get compensated if your work is featured on live public performances. For every live use of your music, you get compensated as you own the copyright of your work.

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) has collected over $941 million dollars in licensing fees and distributed $827.7 million dollars in royalties to its members back in 2014. BMI on the other hand, collected more than $1.013 billion dollars in license fees and distributed over $877 million dollars in royalties to its members during the year 2015.

Music licensing is the modern way of earning through music. In the past few years, the physical sales had gone down. Streaming music has taken over because it’s more convenient and practical with the help of the World Wide Web. With the rise of streaming sales, the figures that could be collected as royalty fees could spike up in the years coming. In fact, as stated in an Australian financial review website, streaming generated $2.5 billion dollars in US music sales last year, overtaking digital downloads as the industry’s biggest source of music revenue. As stated in the picture below, the global streaming of music is projected to reach greater heights in terms of revenue in the upcoming years.

The internet contributed greatly for the rise of music licensing and streaming. 20 years ago, the distribution of music hasn’t been exactly this big. Television shows and filmmakers are the top two industries that need music content. Today, there are more and more TV shows, films, commercials, movies, ads and tons of video games that need music content. It is safe to say that the internet opened the public eye about the opportunities involved behind it.

One of the most visited sites on earth is YouTube. People use, duplicate, rework, copy, revise and perform music from different artists around the world. It also has an influx of ads which contains music content. To track all these data, YouTube has a Content ID System. If your music is licensed, you can contact this site and they will take a look at their data and see if your work is being used by other parties. As the licensor, you have the authority to take actions such as mute the audio which matches your music, block a whole video from being viewed, track the video’s viewership statistics or monetize the video by running ads against it. Every country has different rules about it. But YouTube runs a lot of ads and monetizing work from this site is very probable.

If you are an independent musician, you must improve and instill professionalism in your craft to get your chances up of being signed by a music licensing company. With billions of dollars of revenue involved today, you want at least a slice of the pie. Monetizing your passion is never easy but taking the necessary steps to make it work is a must to reach success.