Help needed: choosing equipment

It's all about the equipment

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kitkat
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Help needed: choosing equipment

#1 Post by kitkat » Tue May 27, 2003 10:54 am

*steps quietly into forum, looking around, a bit intimidated*

I've always posted my music questions on Yehoodi, but this one is just a little too technical, so I hope you all won't mind a DJing question here from someone who hasn't actually gotten to try her hand at DJing yet.

My school's swing club does dances every week, and membership is really dropping--among other ideas to pick it back up, I was thinking maybe I should start sitting dances out and making things truly DJed instead of throwing in a mix CD, starting it somewhere in the middle, and hoping the newbie/intermediates don't recognize it for a few songs. I think the old system almost counts on rotating instead of holding onto members...I'd like to liven things up a bit.

We can't afford much new stuff--I'd like to make the cost of anything new something I could pay for out of pocket...perfect sound isn't important, but compatibility with the school's stereo system is.

I don't know exactly how it works, but I know there's this huge thing with an equalizer on top and a CD player near the bottom. I don't know how many, but it can have multiple inputs, because I've had to flip the switch to change the speakers from projecting a live band to our CDs after a jazz concert. I'm thinking I could probably find some holes somewhere on the machine for one or two more inputs--the problem is acquiring those inputs cheap.

The only idea I've had so far is to forget that CD player which is built in, because I don't think there's any way to route it to headphones. I was considering buying two cheap discmans, using a male-male audio wire I already have (used to use it for stereo->computer recording MP3s off a tape), and leaving that wire plugged at one end into the system. Then I could use manual "unplug the headphones, plug in the cord going to the main system, and hit play, all really fast" as a sort of cross-fader.

What do you think of this? Anyone got a cheaper idea, or a better-and-just-as-cheap idea, short of buying a real DJ system? Can't go with the real thing because even if we had the money for it, I sort of need to keep this homemade for a while as I try to convince the people who actually run the club that this is a good idea--they're not going to approve funds for a DJ system that is simply an experiment I want to do.

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Mike
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#2 Post by Mike » Wed May 28, 2003 7:07 am

You might want to go Ebay. This one ends in two hours as of this posting: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... gory=14986 ... It's made for turntables but does have line ins, which you would use for CD players. Has Headphone out, cueing, and is compact. You could get two cheap portable CD players (perhaps also from Ebay) and hook them up to this. Total cost, somewhere between $50 and $80.

KevinSchaper
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#3 Post by KevinSchaper » Wed May 28, 2003 1:49 pm

..and, you could probably make a little box, use some velcro creatively, and get it set up so you can carry it around as a single unit that just needs to be plugged into the wall and the inputs on whatever you're plugging it into..

anybody have recommendations on cheap portables with a line-out?

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Lawrence
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#4 Post by Lawrence » Wed May 28, 2003 2:27 pm

The thing with the equalizer-looking thingy on top is a dual CD player with an integrated mixer. The channels (the dials/bars) control the volume of several different inputs and streamline them into one output that plugs into your amp like any normal CD player. They run from $150 to $5000.

Numark has a cheap portable dual CD player setup with an integrated mixer that sells for $299 at this link: http://www.samash.com/catalog/showitem.asp?ItemID=11699 I think it sells at Frys for $230. It comes in a steel-reinforced luggage box. A dual-CD player that attaches into a seperate DJ case is available at this link for $299: http://www.avdeals.com/djequipment/CDN25.htm I don't have the model number handy. Do a google search for "DJ equipment" and you will get lots of websites with equipment.

The key advantage to a dual CD player with a mixer is that you can listen to the next song on a muted channel through headphones while the current one is playing through the speakers; if you like the song, you just keep it in that CD player and fade over to it when the current song ends.

If you are on a budget, you can get a cheap DJ mixer with cueing and fading abilities at Radio Shack for about $100. (I got one for $80 years ago on sale.) It will have two channels. Connect a discman or ordinary CD player to either channel. You can use a set of $80 powered computer speakers as a cheap alternative to buying an amp and audio speakers, or use your existing amp. (You'd be surprised how many sub-$100 computer speakers provide better, more powerful sound than most mainstream home stereo systems.)

The mixing board is the key element to allow you to cue (listen to the next song).
Lawrence Page
Austin Lindy Hop
http://www.AustinLindy.com

KevinSchaper
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#5 Post by KevinSchaper » Thu May 29, 2003 11:04 am

Lawrence wrote: If you are on a budget, you can get a cheap DJ mixer with cueing and fading abilities at Radio Shack for about $100. (I got one for $80 years ago on sale.)
You can get cheaper ones elsewhere now - Gemini's dirt cheap model is 40 bucks.

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ad-roc
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#6 Post by ad-roc » Mon Jun 23, 2003 7:11 am


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mark0tz
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#7 Post by mark0tz » Mon Jun 23, 2003 8:25 am

thanks, I'm getting the $69.99 one.
Mike Marcotte

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ad-roc
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#8 Post by ad-roc » Mon Jun 23, 2003 12:41 pm

lowes home improvement stores have some pretty cool cases. ( you can find them with all the tool boxes normally) they have a metal exterior they are basically brief cases that can fit cds and smaller mixers and clamshell cd players. Home Depot has them as well, they don't have the attachments to make it something you carry on your shoulder or the foam padding for protecting any equipment. They should be around $19-$30.

http://www.lowes.com/lkn?action=product ... 3-VGC-5200

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SirScratchAlot
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#9 Post by SirScratchAlot » Tue Jun 24, 2003 4:28 am

I recommend 2 technic's....
\\\"Jazz Musicians have dance in them, and Jazz dancers have music in them, or Jazz doesn''''t happen.\\\" Sidney Bechet

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KevinSchaper
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#10 Post by KevinSchaper » Tue Jun 24, 2003 10:40 am

SirScratchAlot wrote:I recommend 2 technic's....
yeah, you can get lotsa good soul jazz on LP for cheap.

;)

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Bob the Builder
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#11 Post by Bob the Builder » Tue Nov 04, 2003 8:37 pm

Has anyone got a recomendation for persional cd CD players to DJ with.
I can't afford a proper DJ CD player.
I'd really like a line out plug and a count down timer on the display.
Any one have anything?

Bob
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BryanC
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#12 Post by BryanC » Wed Nov 05, 2003 9:30 am

SirScratchAlot wrote:I recommend 2 technic's....
I thought we were discussing "inexpensive"...

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dana
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#13 Post by dana » Wed Nov 05, 2003 10:43 am

Bob the Builder wrote:Has anyone got a recomendation for persional cd CD players to DJ with.
I can't afford a proper DJ CD player.
I'd really like a line out plug and a count down timer on the display.
Any one have anything?
It's been a long time since I've seen a discman with those features. My first one ever did, and I miss it..

some options i found on froogle.google.com:

RCA RP2485 Personal CD/MP3 Player with Car Kit

Sony D-EJ985 - this one has optical line-out!

No idea if either of those two have countdown timer.

d.

Toon Town Dave
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#14 Post by Toon Town Dave » Tue Dec 30, 2003 6:22 pm

Does anyone have much experience with the Numark CD MIX-1 or CD MIX-2 dual CD player/mixer unit? I have access to a PA setup that provides adequate amplification and speakers but need a CD player and something with the ability to preview/cue. This unit looks like it like it will do the trick but the price for all that capability in one package seems a little too good to be true.

Thoughts, opinions, experiences?

KevinSchaper
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#15 Post by KevinSchaper » Tue Dec 30, 2003 7:08 pm

Idaho Dave's got a cd-mix 2, it works well and seems like it's pretty well made.

If you go for seperates, get an SKB DJ Shuttle or Capsule, they're really cheap and work great.

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