Getting Into Vinyl DJing

#1

Been DJing on and off for a year or two now. Mid last year I started taking it a bit seriously. Managed to get few gigs here and there. One of the gigs was at a record store/coffee shop type of join, probably the only one where i’m from (Saudi Arabia). I brought my controller and everything.

Seeing that they had turntables, I asked if I can hook up one of their turntables and play whatever records. They liked the idea. I do have vinyl and a turntable at home but they’re collecting dust.

I started my set with some records the owner suggested and I really enjoyed it. Something about the whole process of putting the record in and seeing the label felt very different to me. That whole experience planted the seed of a desire to DJ vinyl I guess.

I did my research regarding the gear and looked for few records on discogs that I really liked. Two days ago I bought the setup and now i’m patiantly waiting for it to arrive.

So is there anyone here whose into vinyl DJing? Any tips? Where do you get your records from?

#2

greets!

https://www.redeyerecords.co.uk/home/

You could start by picking a genre you like, buy 15 / 20 records of the same genre/bpm and get a feel for blending a set together. That way you could see how different combinations of tunes work if you are actually beat matching.

#3

just watch out for pre-orders on that site (I press “hide pre-orders”) because those sometimes take forever and can slow down or parcel out your record shipment.

Obviously you should look at Discogs.com too

Good Luck!

#4

+1 on Redeye. I’ve been using them since 2014 and they’re really great, most efficient imo with bulk record shipping across anywhere and the reserve system is really really useful.

I’m also an aspiriing vinyl DJ, I just have one 1200 and I’m still saving up for a 2nd turntable and a mixer.

#5

I already got some records from discogs and waiting for them to arrive. Got around 25 or so in total. Figured it should be good to start. Thanks for the recommendations though :slight_smile:

Maybe I will check out Redeye later. Do you guys buy from Yoyaku or Phonica?

#6

I’ve grabbed a few records at phonica physically and they’re alright. Idk about international shipping but Norman Records is pretty good as is Honest Jons

#7

Juno.co.uk is excellent, particularly for new releases - the range of stuff they stock is enormous, they get pretty much every new release of every genre you can think of.
Also good for keeping track of represses / restocks of older stuff - again, they get everything.

#8

I will definitely try them next time I order.

I bought few records from different sellers on discogs, few on the way. My only issue with discogs so it takes for ever for some shipments to arrive. Thats mainly due to the fact that some of the sellers are in different countries.

I just received my second turntable and mixer so I will finally start practicing mixing vinyl with vinyl. Been mixing vinyl with my controller, for practice for a bit.

I got the xone 23 mixer which while basic feels reeeally sturdy. It also sounded really warm to my ears.

#9

So… I’ve been practicing DJing since I got my 2nd turntable + XOne 23 mixer last month. It’s incredibly fun. I’m most handy mixing dubstep / grime since they’re all mostly clocked in at 140 BPM. I’m just having a blast every single time I mix. I just feel like a badman when I perfectly nail a blend :triumph:



Highly recommend these two tutorials, after this I was pretty much set with the basics.

Unfortunately, the 2nd turntable I got last month has some malfunction with the tonearm. The screws must be busted or something, and it always skips when it gets closer to the center of the vinyl. With all things considered, it would be cheaper to return it for a full refund rather than fixing it, which I’ll (unfortunately) do. After I found out the 2nd turntable was basically busted, I found out my first turntable also has an issue, the tonearm is loose and wobbly, but there aren’t any tracking issues or skipping with it. Fortunately, there’s a DJ repair shop a good drive away, so I’ll head there to get it fixed.

Without a doubt, getting a full vinyl DJ setup makes you a lot more grateful for your collection. I have a couple of impulse buy 12"s and other records that I don’t really feel all the time, but when used in the context of a mix, it feels a lot more impactful, and makes a lot more sense. I’ll be returning my 2nd turntable soon, and then I’ll fix the first one and get another one.

#10

hehehe wait til you have to move a few times and carry all that shit with you!

For that pitch riding stuff, good and obvious tool, but on a big system with dubstep and grime, it will not be the preferred skill to train . . .
I have done my fair share of trainwrecking due to habits from mixing hiphop and funk.
The precision needed to feel dubstep and jungel in the mix is a very different thing on a big soundsystem compared to your home speakers.
I thought “pitch riding” was about matching funk and other live drum tracks . . .
but names of dj stuff is changing every time someone makes a tutorial hehe

I suggest leaving the beat matching training for “the background processing”
Its all muscle memory and you will have to do it anyway. Concentrate on finding tunes that really work together. Finding small bits that really fit and have fun with the sound!

#11

srry for late response but i mainly used pitch shifting (whatever it could be called) for minor adjustments with 140. Like if a track I’m cuing in is just slightly out of beat, I just put it on plus or minus 1 for less than a second and adjust again accordingly after that.

Getting my 2nd turntable fixed instead of returning it. I hope to get my setup back at least before a couple of months. Then I need to get some recording gear.