Playback

• 1). To combine more than one track in a mix, you'll need at least two playback devices. Your options are vinyl, CD or MP3. Many believe vinyl decks offer the best tactile control if you plan to learn to scratch, but CD or MP3 decks seem to be getting better at simulating this. You'll also likely find it much easier to carry a CD wallet or external hard drive rather than crates of records. CD and MP3 decks also offer effects or looping devices built in to the unit.
  
  
• 2). Mixing is what sets a DJ apart, so your choice of mixer is an important one. Most mixers are geared toward a specific style of music, so try and pin down what you plan to play. Mixers for dance music have complex equalizers and effects loops, allowing fine blending of two or more tracks. Scratch mixers are generally more simple, as they tend to be stripped down to the most basic components with a focus on speed and durability.
  
  
• 3). It would seem that your choice of playback device would determine how you store your library, but recent advances have given the technology-savvy DJ some more leeway. Vinyl simulators use a pair of special time-coded vinyl records to control a pair of MP3s on a connected computer. This allows a DJ to carry his or her entire music collection on a laptop, yet still have the "hands-on" control of vinyl.
  
  
• 4). Effects used to be a novelty for DJs--a way to create a strange or unusual sound with which to open or close a set--but they have become more and more prevalent, particularly with the release of a number of devices geared specifically toward DJs rather than instrumental musicians. Flangers, phasers, delay and looping samplers can all be found either built into decks or mixers or purchased as stand-alone units that connect to an existing setup.
  
  
• 5). Experiment. There are no rules when it comes to finding your own style, so it's important to disregard many of the cultural conventions that tie particular styles of music to a particular type or brand of equipment. You don't need a matching pair of playback devices, so shop around to find the setup that allows you to work your way. You might end up pairing a vinyl deck with a CD player, or running a pair of each through a four-channel mixer. If it suits you, it's the right way to do it.