Got my hands on some turntables on the cheap (house clearance) but they didn't come with cartridges or a mixer. They are just some Citronics but I'm only using them for messing around. If I get into it more I will replace them with something better.
Anyone got any suggestions on cartridges that are worth looking at (that won't cost the earth)?
What about mixers? 2 channel or 3 channel? Anything in particular to look for here? Any brands to avoid?
Thanks
Do DJ's still use decks?
Had some Technics 1210's back in the day, but I was rubbish and sold them on. Turned out they were nicked anyway and the next 'owner' got in some right hassle, after the victin spotted them at a party.
I had to make it quite clear that my name was to be kept out of things and I never did get my collar felt.
Stanton 505's?
I had a 2 channel mixer which was fine but then i only ever played in the bedroom or at mates house parties
If they're only Citronics, just get some basic Stanton carts. Spending money on decent carts is going to be a massive waste of time until you've got some Technics at least!
Mixer wise, no point in getting more than 2 channels unless you're already planning on plugging in a 3rd and 4th deck, or doing lots of house parties etc. I've got a 4 channel mixer myself, but then I do have 2 technics, 2 Pioneer CDJ's, and a mic all plugged into it usually. If it's just 2 decks, just get a decent 2 channel mixer. And on that front, I'd look at something like a 2nd hand Pioneer DJM300 (might possibly have one for sale now I come to mention it!), an Ecler Nuo2.0, and erm... Can't think of many others off hand, just stay away from Vestax mixers, they're crap surprisingly! Whatever you get though, make sure its got 3 band EQ's (hi/mid/lo), split/cue for the headphones, preferably a switchable crossfader (if you're going to be doing any scratching, this can help), level meters, a decent headphone out, and at least 2 outputs (one to the speakers, and almost inevitably one to record your mixes on).
Hope that helps, and any more questions, please fire away...
Is it worth investing in some decent carts now then keeping them when I move on? Or will I kill them pretty quickly?
mboy - might be interested in that mixer 
Would have loved a set of 1210's but that's something to work towards I think.
Depends on how much you use them, shure m447, ace, but ~£100 for a pair.
On the plus side, they'll last a while, which also helps keep your records in good condition, and they wont skip, ever, even if you point the monitors straight at them.
On the downside they'll be wasted on cheep decks.
Okey doke.
Got my eyes peeled for some cheapo carts now 
Just a note, 1210's are good for mixing, not so good for scratching if thats your thing as the motor isn't as powerfull as some.
I've got a cheap mixer that I used when I got into mixing. It's a Kam Scratch Pro 50. Pretty basic but does the job, faders, x-fader, few EQ bits, 2-channel. I'm looking to sell it, if you're interested drop me an email 
Can't think of many others off hand, just stay away from Vestax mixers, they're crap surprisingly!
I have a Vestax PCV-275 and it's good!
Just a note, 1210's are good for mixing, not so good for scratching if thats your thing as the motor isn't as powerfull as some.
Pah! You're just heavy handed
With Cart's go for Stanton, as they are quite good and reasonably cheap. Mixers try and go with a good name, Pioneer, Denon, but this all depends on budget!
Are they Citronic PD-1's ?
thisisnotaspoon - Member
Just a note, 1210's are good for mixing, not so good for scratching if thats your thing as the motor isn't as powerfull as some.
POSTED 38 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST
What utter nonsense. Maybe someone needs to tell all the DMC winners. 
For carts Shure are the way to go IMO.
Do DJ's still use decks?
Becoming rarer all of the time. Technics announced recently that they are no longer going to manufacture the iconic 1210!
suggestions on cartridges
what you want to use them for? scratching or just mixing? check out ortofon concordes as well as the stantons & shures mentioned.
Just a note, 1210's are good for mixing, not so good for scratching if thats your thing as the motor isn't as powerfull as some
agree, well i partly agree as i think they are pretty crap all round. they were groundbreaking when they first came out and they are probably the most reliable deck ever produced, but there are far better decks that have more torque (quicker pickup), are more solid and have loads more features. stanton, vestax & numark all make better!
stay away from Vestax mixers, they're crap surprisingly!
this is a pile of toss. vestax mixers are great, really well made & thought out (loads of space between dials & faders). probably not the greatest mixers for house & techno (Pioneer DJM 600 was when i was djing) but one of if not the best for scratching.
What about mixers? 2 channel or 3 channel? Anything in particular to look for here? Any brands to avoid?
most of the big brands will produce decent enough mixers for you to start out with. you can get away with a basic entry level 2 channel mixer for a while until you realise whether you want to carry on djing or give it up. there's a brand called behringer which produces what looks to be well made equipment, but it never is - they just rip off other brands (the DJX is almost identical to the DJM). the faders will quickly wear out, effects are crap and you never really get a good sound from them. avoid these at all costs!
i'd avoid a mixer with effects at all cost, well, not at all cost, but certainly at entry level cost.
and i'd say vestax were pretty good mixers too. i've had mine for years with no trouble, and like he says, well thought out, nothing superfluous.
Question is, when is the price of 1210s gonna soar? I'm holding onto mine hoping that they become worth a load!
i wouldn't say at all costs chutney - my brother had a relatively inexpensive numark mixer which had a beat-sync effects panel built into it. they were actually pretty good quality and fun. whilst effects often come over harsh and abrupt, a good dj be use an effects panel modestly to manipulate sound. it's often best when you can't tell that there is an effect being added.
haha, I didn't say they were rubbish, probaby infinately better than my meager skills, but we used to get guys in who'd often bring their own decks as they couldn't get allong with the 1210's, guess it's like riding a bike your own will always feel better and anyone else a little wierd.
Stanton 500AL relatively cheap and last a fair bit, may be better models around now though (eventually I switched to Ortofon Concordes)
Mixer wise I loved my Pioneer DJM500, only used it at home but played a couple of gigs on them too. Always seemed more than capable over several hours (!) and had nice little effects for when you get bored between beat matching 
If you need to use effects it just means you're playing sh*te records
Never needed to and never had an empty dancefloor 
problem is most people aren't good, and they over use effects like they're playing air guitar. which is why i specified entry level cost.
until you've played to an empty dancefloor you can't call yourselve a dj.
well you can if you like...you're first names not jay is it?
If you need to use effects it just means you're playing sh*te records
rubbish! depends entirely on what records you're playing - the likes of James Zabeila, often regarded as one of the most technically proficient electronic music djs, is renowned for using effects controllers and the likes of Ableton Live. top hip hop djs such as Yoda & q-bert will be using loops in their sets
Less is more, agreed.
I'm retired now anyway...
you're first names not jay is it?
No, you won't know me!
contentious point using Zabiela, rather the marmite of the electronic world. i think he goes way too far. but many others do use effects to devastating effect. loco dice uses the chaos pad rather well.
If you need to use effects it just means you're playing sh*te records
LOL
There is never a "need", but a good DJ will use effects and even samples to remix on the fly quite often. The effect built into the newer top end Pioneer DJM mixers are so powerful (when used correctly) that you can really add to a mix if you know what you're doing. But if you don't know what you're doing, of course you can muck it all up! I've used the inbuilt sampler in Pioneer DJM's before to essentially loop a certain part of a record over and over again, perhaps in a part where the beat dropped, or re-loop a vocal when the vocal drops out, to good effect numerous times. The beat loop fucntions on Pioneer CDJ's is an absolute winner for creating mixable loops on the Fly, especially useful for mixing into tracks with very short intros (Deadmau5's Bye Friend being one example track).
I'd say if you're just starting though, leave effects well alone for a few years, and avoid those Behringer mixers like the plague!
I have a Vestax PCV-275 and it's good!
this is a pile of toss. vestax mixers are great, really well made & thought out (loads of space between dials & faders). probably not the greatest mixers for house & techno (Pioneer DJM 600 was when i was djing) but one of if not the best for scratching.
I've used a PCV-275 a few times, it was crap compared to cheaper competition. The Ecler Nuo3.0 for example at roughly the same price, blows it into the weeds in terms of quality and sound. Vestax mixers give the impression of being well made, but I've played on a fair few Vestax mixers in my time, none of them more than a couple of years old, all the faders leak, the EQ's are dire, all the knobs are VERY close together and small so hard to get good control of, the headphone outputs are either too quiet, or too loud (and lacking in quality)... I could go on! I don't know any DJ's that actually get paid to play (I've not been paid for a year or so, I'm no Carl Cox but I used to get a couple of hundred quid a set usually) that would use a Vestax Mixer out of choice. If it's a cheap mixer you need, ironically something like Numark will be much better. Or spend a bit more money on something like an Ecler Nuo, or even more on a Pioneer DJM...
As far as the argument for other turntables goes, well of course eventually someone was going to build a deck more capable than the Technics, but it took them more than 20 years! By this time, the 1210 was an industry standard. And like most industry standards, it's pointless learning your trade on anything else, because as soon as you come to play in a club for the first time, guess what decks will be in the DJ booth!!! A clue... They won't be Vestax, or Numark, or Citronic... Same goes for Pioneer with CD decks, other makes often release something thats the new best thing, but Pioneer are industry standards. It's not necessarily about having the best kit, but being able to practice on the kit you're going to be playing out on in the clubs. This way you're prepared and know how to turn a good set out when you're in the club!
There is often a load of sh*te spouted by bedroom DJ's about how you should buy one thing over another. Often it's the same as in the Mountain Bike world, it's recycled marketing guff! But even more so than in the MTBing world, if you want to be good, look at what the Pro's are using...
Anyway, if you do take to DJing, you're more than likely to be doing it all off your laptop (perhaps still using the 1210s to control it) soon enough anyway...
until you've played to an empty dancefloor you can't call yourselve a dj.
Made me LOL
Oooooooh soooooo true sadly!
And way too many times before you ask! More than made up for by the times I was playing to many hundreds of people though.
haha, I didn't say they were rubbish, probaby infinately better than my meager skills, but we used to get guys in who'd often bring their own decks as they couldn't get allong with the 1210's, guess it's like riding a bike your own will always feel better and anyone else a little wierd.
Yup - personally after learning on Technics I find Vestax decks have too much torque.
And like most industry standards, it's pointless learning your trade on anything else, because as soon as you come to play in a club for the first time, guess what decks will be in the DJ booth!!!
No decks at all in most places these days. 
Shame, I just flogged my old Behringer 626 on ebay last week.
Haven't used a lot of others, but I found it perfectly acceptable for home use. They go quite cheap on ebay, think I got £30 for mine and it was boxed and mint.
Are they Citronic PD-1's ?
Yup. Nothing special but cheap enough.
Anyway, if you do take to DJing, you're more than likely to be doing it all off your laptop (perhaps still using the 1210s to control it) soon enough anyway...
Aye, thought about this and managed to snag a cheap timecode system from a friend of my brother.
Noted about the effects. Guess I'll steer clear of the Numark EM260. Theres a Numark DXMPro going on eBay quite cheap at the moment. I'll send an email to those on here that have mixers for sale
Cartridge wise I'm not sure at the moment, probably more mixing than scratching for the time being
Ahhh the PD-1's that's what I had as my first decks. Pretty good for what they are.
Creg, there is a mixer for sale for £20 on the for sale section Here.
What timecode system have you snagged? I used DJDecks with SSL vinyl which worked very well with a laptop and external soundcard.
Where's the photo's of the decks people!? I'll upload a video when I get home.
I've got a Stanton Final Scratch system. Probably not the best thing to start with but it was cheap. I'll upgrade to something else when I have more cash/experience
that reminds me ...... i really must save up some buttons and get Traktor, I dont think my decks have seen any action since 06 
Dusted off the decks.
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