DJ Gear: UnholyKnight’s Preferences

If you know me or follow me on Twitter than you have already figured out that I have an unhealthy obsession for music and DJing, but where did it all start? It started with buying Jamiroquai’s album Dynamite when it was released in winter 2005. Above the large display of CDs at Tower Records in Dallas (which has sadly closed since) were copies of the album on record. The plan was to pick up an LP frame and frame the album for my wall; It never made it onto the wall. Instead of buying an LP frame I thought it would be interesting to pick up a cheap turntable from Guitar Center to play the album. Everything about playing the record got me excited and I figured I was only a few steps away from a full, very cheap, DJ setup. The following week I picked up my second turntable and a cheap mixer.

This initial setup consisted of the Altec Lansing headphone from my computer, a Stanton direct-drive, a Numark belt-drive turntable, and a Numark DM1050 mixer. The Dynamite album was quickly joined by plenty of Daft Punk, Chemical Brothers, Basement Jaxx, and some other random records I liked at the time. It was about that time when I started buying records that I began to listen to and understand the differences between the genres and sub-genres. In the summer of 2006 I bought a pair of Technics turntables and since then there have been a steady stream of equipment purchases and upgrades. Fast forwards to early 2009 and I don’t even want to know how much I’ve spent on this hobby in three and a half years, but I will say I’m currently playing hip-hop, house, electro, and funk (the funkiest of funk that was ever funky – including old favorites like Parliament). Below I’ve outlined what I use and a little on why I love it.

Turntables: Technics SL-1200MK5
Technics delivers a turntable that is built well enough to withstand the bumps and knocks that accompany hauling gear around from party to party. On top of that these things are as reliable as you get when it comes to turntables. Sure there are cheaper alternatives, but once you pick up a pair of Technics its not very likely that you will need to buy another pair for a while.

Mixer: Pioneer DJM-909
The DJM-909 from Pioneer is the two channel mixer that could. It’s good for scratching and mixing. Complete with your standard cross fade controls and channel adjustments. The DJM-909 comes with a bank of built-in effects which are implemented very well and are more than enough for me. Some people enjoy using effects and layering them to create new effects on the fly. Layering is something that cannot be done on the 909, so if you are looking to play with effects a lot I would suggest picking up a different mixer and investing in an external effects unit.

Headphones: Technics RP-DH1200
When it comes to headphones sound quality is a must, but at the same time they must be comfortable to wear. The Technics RP line of headphones are definitely not the best sounding headphones on the market, but out of all the headphones I have used the RP-DH1200′s are the most comfortable to me. Wearing these for hours at a time does not bother my ears like some other headphones have.

Digital Vinyl System: Serato Scratch Live
Rane Serato Scratch Live is a tough one to explain. I went with Serato over Torq and other digital vinyl systems due to the fact that Serato is the current standard. Not only is it the standard among many DJs, but it also has the most usable interface in my opinion. Plus there are built in easter eggs such as the ability to play pong using records to control the paddles.

Speakers: JBL JRX125
The JRX125 speakers from JBL are great for indoor use. I’ve never had a problem with these speakers in an indoor environment. The bass provided by the unit is good, but as soon as you turn these on outside its apparent that a dedicated sub is needed in addition to these. Either way these are a great place to start. They drive all of my parties and many people take note and tell me how good they sound.

Wash Light: American DJ Revo III
American DJ comes on strong with the Revo III. This is honestly one of the only American DJ products I feel is worth anything. The unit comes ready to go out of the box with a built in speaker to detect the music. It does a surprisingly good job at keeping with the music and delivers a great wash-light show with plenty of variety. The unit also comes ready to be plugged into a control setup for full control over the light show. The unit is a part of the new generation of LED lighting equipment which enjoy longer lifetimes as well as the ability to run without a cool down cycle. For examples of the unit in action look up the Revo III on youtube, there are tons of videos.

Light Stand: Ultimate Support
The Ultimate Support stand stands out for the lock, raise, and lower features. At the base of the stand is an adjustment for lock, raise, or lower. In the lock position you are unable to move the stand higher or lower. In the raise position the stand will only move up, allowing you to easily raise the stand with your lights or speakers attached. The lower setting slowly lowers the stand back down for after even tear down. The system allows you to setup the stand without help from a second person. Definitely a must for those working a party or small event on their own!

Synthesizer: KORG Kaossilator
When the Kaossilator hit the streets it turned a lot of heads. In Tokyo you were hard pressed to find one of these units for months as stores sold out as soon as more arrived. Using only a touch pad and a bank of effects you, the KORG Kaossilator lets you churn out beats anywhere you may be. This can be thought of as the iPod of music creation, but there is a downside. When you turn the unit off your work leaves with it. The Kaossilator isn’t as much a tool for production as much as it is a great tool for improvisation. I wire it into my DJM-909 via the session in inputs and drop my own custom beats into the sets that I’m playing. Always a nice touch that no one else can replicate.

Vinyl Cleaning/Storage: Gruv Glide
When dealing with vinyl media you’re going to need a solution for wiping off everyday dust and also for protecting your music collection from the thing they’re normally subjected to. Gruv Glide itself, when applied, kills static electricity and also cleans minor dust and grime from your records. This means that not only is your record now clean, but its also static-free! That means less dust build-up on your precious vinyl and to prove how well it works they include a very technically advanced static detection unit (aka a packing peanut). The boxed version comes with two microfiber pads which allows for a quick wipe down of your records before giving them a spin on the decks. A single bottle of Gruv Glide works for around 150-200 records, so when you think of it like that it doesn’t cost much for how many records it protects and how much it helps.