djeddie1216
Before I begin, I will say that I am no professional by any means, and I'm sure what I say will be bashed on by professionals who know equipment standards like the back of their hand. That being said, I will try to provide information I know based on what I looked for as a beginner DJ. I also have not started my business (or rather, above-hobby level activity) yet.
Another piece of information, as I currently understand the rules, it appears as if "Advertising or posting details of items for sale is not permitted" refers to sale of own items or promoted items. I do not receive any profit and have not been asked to post any of the items below. This is my 100% unbiased setup. If I have misunderstood the rules, I will remove all links.
Alright lets get started. My idea was to create the absolute least expensive setup I could without sacrificing much functionality. My setup was intended to be a mobile DJ setup, so portability was important to me. I will not be listing simple items such as extension cords or audio cables because those are typically not expensive to begin with. These are more or less, "big ticket items".
Audio
I wanted a controller that would suite my needs without breaking the budget. I wanted something that could be used standalone without software, have balanced XLR outputs, and take a USB input instead of CDs. I chose the Gemini GMX. It is not too big, not too heavy, and wont empty the bank.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R1RQIO2/
To pair with that, I needed a mixer that I could use for a better microphone and a 3.5mm input if someone wanted to patch their device in for a suggested song. This was fairly easy to choose. Behringer is known for budget pro-audio equipment, and their 5 channel mixer is inexpensive and would provide what I needed.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000J5UEGQ/
For recording mixes, I use a 2008 MacBook. C2D 2.4ghz, 2gb ram. Works fine for what I use it for.
Visuals
Considering this is a mega-budget setup, almost no name-brand items will be on this list. For lighting control I use an off brand DMX controller that appears to be based off the Chauvet Obey 40. These are a dime a dozen on eBay compared to the Chauvet controller, and the one I got worked just fine. They are easily locatable by searching "DMX controller" on eBay. They are the typical Chinese off-brand item, with plenty of contradicting texts on the design, and a well-written Chinglish manual.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/351812579285
For lighting I purchased 86 LED DMX lights sold by TMS. These, well.. They just work. Nothing really special about them. The dip switches on the back are a bit quirky but that's not the end of the world. These are 4 channel: function, R, G, B.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NEZZ5LC/
Now to the only name brand item on the list, the stand. I purchased the Chauvet CH06 as my stand. It works quite well. It's a lighting stand, there isn't much to say about it, other than it "just works".
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0096JYRY6/
I wanted a simple laser I could just turn on and leave to work its magic. There are a plethora of these on amazon, and the seller I purchased mine from no longer exists. Something along these lines is the idea.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DD3J7ZY/
Other items to consider
One of the things that overwhelmed me was trying to make sure I wasn't missing anything in my setup, because I wouldn't want to arrive at a gig and not have some cable. Some more items to consider are:
Quarter inch cables
XLR cables
Gender changers
Converters (eg: xlr->quarter inch)
Power strips
True DMX cables
And also cosmetics:
Fitted black tablecloth
Cable ties... lots of em
This could all be considered opinions, but I think this setup is very good. Considering I'm a beginner still, don't take this as written in stone, and I would prefer not to be quoted on my selection. This is just to influence new DJs and possibly un-earth some quality equipment that is less known. Thank you for reading, and I hope this was helpful to someone!
Another piece of information, as I currently understand the rules, it appears as if "Advertising or posting details of items for sale is not permitted" refers to sale of own items or promoted items. I do not receive any profit and have not been asked to post any of the items below. This is my 100% unbiased setup. If I have misunderstood the rules, I will remove all links.
Alright lets get started. My idea was to create the absolute least expensive setup I could without sacrificing much functionality. My setup was intended to be a mobile DJ setup, so portability was important to me. I will not be listing simple items such as extension cords or audio cables because those are typically not expensive to begin with. These are more or less, "big ticket items".
Audio
I wanted a controller that would suite my needs without breaking the budget. I wanted something that could be used standalone without software, have balanced XLR outputs, and take a USB input instead of CDs. I chose the Gemini GMX. It is not too big, not too heavy, and wont empty the bank.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R1RQIO2/
To pair with that, I needed a mixer that I could use for a better microphone and a 3.5mm input if someone wanted to patch their device in for a suggested song. This was fairly easy to choose. Behringer is known for budget pro-audio equipment, and their 5 channel mixer is inexpensive and would provide what I needed.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000J5UEGQ/
For recording mixes, I use a 2008 MacBook. C2D 2.4ghz, 2gb ram. Works fine for what I use it for.
Visuals
Considering this is a mega-budget setup, almost no name-brand items will be on this list. For lighting control I use an off brand DMX controller that appears to be based off the Chauvet Obey 40. These are a dime a dozen on eBay compared to the Chauvet controller, and the one I got worked just fine. They are easily locatable by searching "DMX controller" on eBay. They are the typical Chinese off-brand item, with plenty of contradicting texts on the design, and a well-written Chinglish manual.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/351812579285
For lighting I purchased 86 LED DMX lights sold by TMS. These, well.. They just work. Nothing really special about them. The dip switches on the back are a bit quirky but that's not the end of the world. These are 4 channel: function, R, G, B.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NEZZ5LC/
Now to the only name brand item on the list, the stand. I purchased the Chauvet CH06 as my stand. It works quite well. It's a lighting stand, there isn't much to say about it, other than it "just works".
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0096JYRY6/
I wanted a simple laser I could just turn on and leave to work its magic. There are a plethora of these on amazon, and the seller I purchased mine from no longer exists. Something along these lines is the idea.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DD3J7ZY/
Other items to consider
One of the things that overwhelmed me was trying to make sure I wasn't missing anything in my setup, because I wouldn't want to arrive at a gig and not have some cable. Some more items to consider are:
Quarter inch cables
XLR cables
Gender changers
Converters (eg: xlr->quarter inch)
Power strips
True DMX cables
And also cosmetics:
Fitted black tablecloth
Cable ties... lots of em
This could all be considered opinions, but I think this setup is very good. Considering I'm a beginner still, don't take this as written in stone, and I would prefer not to be quoted on my selection. This is just to influence new DJs and possibly un-earth some quality equipment that is less known. Thank you for reading, and I hope this was helpful to someone!
Posted Sun 22 Jan 17 @ 5:28 pm
Stretchincanada
Do you have pawn shops near you? I buy nonstop gear all the time at 5 different pawn shops. I have purchased 200.00 lights ( led scanners ) for 50.00 and cordless mics for 40.00 (sm450). I have a reputation for buying and fixing stuff. The other choice is find the place that does gear rental and get them to call you when they need to clear out old stock!
Posted Fri 27 Jan 17 @ 5:21 pm