Welcome to our hints & tips page. If you are new to the scene or a seasoned DJ you will hopefully find the information below useful. If you have your own contribution or even would like to heckle with our suggestions why not contact us and let us know.
General Considerations
The first decision you need to make, is how much money do you have to spend on your equipment. As hobbies go mixing is not cheap for the initial setup. There will also be an ongoing spend as your vinyl addiction grows stronger. If you are already scared and feeling poor then I suggest flower arranging or basket weaving as an alternative pastime. Otherwise read on.
When you have decided on your budget you need to consider the individual items required for your setup.
Record Decks
Probably the most important and expensive part of your setup (your dads old record player in the attic will NOT do). The first two options are belt drive or direct drive.
Belt drives are by far the cheaper alternative and will be acceptable to learn on. You will not get the torque and accuracy that direct drives provide but the basic operation is the same. Many people start with belt drives then sell (to another beginner) and buy direct drives.
Direct Drives are the professional option and you will find these in all clubs and studios. The direct drive motor provides accurate and powerful operation. The industry standard deck has always been the Technics 1200/1210. However many new record decks have now appeared on the market which rival Technics for both price and quality. Vestax and Numark have recently released decks that offer all the specifications and features of the Technics at an acceptable price.
Stylus/Cartridges
Whatever deck you choose you will need to decide what type of stylus to fit. Again there is a wide choice available offering different quality and strengths for all purposes. As a beginner you will need something robust which will stand up to the odd accident. Quality is important although it will depend on the rest of your setup. You will get through several needles so try to choose cheaper options. You can always buy better cartridges later on when you are more practiced and wish to make tapes or play out. Stanton offer quality cartridges at good prices. You can get replacements in most good audio shops.
Mixer
The control center of your setup is the mixer. There are many mixers available all offering different features and levels of quality. As a beginner it is easy to be confused with all the different gadgets they offer. As a rule it is best to keep it simple. The skill in mixing is not in adding hundreds of effects or continuously messing with controls but in the timing and choice of records. Choose a mixer which offers two channel controls, a crossfader and a good loud headphone amplifier. When you purchase a mixer your money is better spent on the quality and robustness of the controls and circuitry. Avoid built-in samplers, bpm counters, effects units and any other nonessential controls. Vestax and Numark mixers are the industry standard for Mixing. There are many other makes available which must be thoroughly checked out before purchasing.
Headphones
Your choice in headphones will depend on the intended use. For home use, normal open back headphones will be fine. It is important that they are lightweight, flexible and strong. Also worth considering is headphones with changeable leads. You will stand on the lead or stretch it at some stage and it is a shame to have to buy an entire new set. Headphones need to be loud and also reproduce the entire audio spectrum (especially bass). For more professional use consider closed back headphones. These have very good acoustic insulation which will help cut out external sounds. This is essential if you are playing in a club or at a party. These headphones are more expensive and are usually designed especially for mixing. The most popular headphones for mixing include Sony and Sennheiser.
Speakers
You can use normal Hi-fi speakers for learning to mix at home. As long as they are good quality and provide good bass they will do fine. If you need to purchase speakers then choose a higher power option as you will need to crank it up. Don't forget that quality is also important, you will need to hear the records you are playing and quality speakers will help your mixing. Don't just buy the biggest and the loudest. You will need to move the speakers to ear level in front of the decks. If you are using an existing Hi-fi setup then some compromise may be required.
Amplifier
Again you may already have this as part of your Hi-fi setup. If this is the case then you will simply need to connect the mixer to a spare aux input. Be careful using small Hi-fi speakers as excessive volumes may blow your speakers. Beware that a mixer will allow a much higher output than a CD player or tuner. If you need to buy an amplifier then the advice is simple. Don't buy anything more than you need. A simple amplifier that can power your speakers and has a line input will be adequate. Tone controls can be useful if you have complaining neighbours. As a rule your speakers need to handle twice the power that the amplifier delivers. A 50 watt a channel amplifier will require speakers that can handle 100 watts or more. Know your system's limits. All too often DJs try to push their systems beyond their normal operating limits. For example, a DJ may purchase a pair of speakers with an continuous RMS rating of 150 watts and drive them with an amplifier that delivers 300 watts continuous RMS per channel. Under normal circumstances this would not pose a serious problem. However, if the amplifier's output is not monitored properly, it could seriously damage your speakers. One way to avoid overdriving your system is to set gain limits for your mixer before each gig. Place masking tape across the master output or channel faders path to mark off maximum gain settings. These settings should be made with the amplifier's gain controls set at maximum.
Cables
Your decks will probably come with all the required leads and your mixer will probably come with a power supply. You will need some leads to connect your mixer to your amplifier, these will need to be longer than normal as your amplifier may be part of your existing stereo system. You will also need a four way extension lead.
A Flat Surface
You will need somewhere to put it all. A mixing setup is not a small one and it is not particularly moveable. A large solid table or unit will usually suffice although you may need to secure it to the wall to stop the records jumping. Ideally you need a custom built unit made with concrete blocks or a large shelf attached to a solid wall.
Record Storage
A record box will protect your records and also to allow you to take them to parties. Ideally it should hold 80 - 100 records and offer some protection whilst on the move. Most modern boxes are custom made and offer an aluminum or vinyl finish. A handle and secure catches (with locks) are essential. You will be able to organise your tunes in the box by style or in order for your set.
Record bags are ideal for record shopping and for holding your headphones and other stuff. A record bag must be strong with a good shoulder strap.
Slipmats
Slipmats are available with many different designs and logos on. They should be thin yet flexible and made out of felt or a similar material. Avoid massive printed logos and designs as they will grip the record.
Spares
It is a good idea to have a spare stylus in case you damage one. Also headphones have a tendency to break when you most need them so keep a spare set in your record bag. Slipmats are often pinched from clubs and parties so a spare pair is also a good idea. A spare fuse for your mixer, and some normal fuses will useful if someone turns the amplifier up to loud!
Setup Guide
General Notes
Most mixing setups include two record decks, a mixer, an amplifier and speakers. This guide has been based on this average setup. For different setups please contact your equipment manuals or the shop that the equipment was purchased from.
Location of equipment
If your setup is in a bedroom or spare room in your house you may be limited by other furniture or room uses. The following advice will help you to get the best out of your setup.
Try to place your decks and mixer in the centre of the longest wall. You will now have plenty of room for your records and you can hopefully fit any other furniture around this setup. The height of the decks should allow you to comfortably reach all the controls without your back being bent. If you are using a low table try placing something under the legs to bring it up to the required height.
The speakers need to be ideally at head height mounted on stands or on wall brackets. They should be directly in front of you facing towards the center of the room. A separation of approx. 1 - 2 metres is normal. This will allow you to hear the music without any delays. The next problem will be reflected sound. When you are mixing it is important that you hear the sound from the speakers without any reflected sound (this will cause confusion when synchronizing and will mess up your mix), to achieve this the simplest method is to hang a curtain or other piece of material on the rear wall. This will absorb the sound and deaden any reflections.
Short and sweet. For optimum system performance, it is recommended that you keep all signal and speaker cabling as short as possible. If all your system components, such as your mixer, amplifier, equalizer and etc., are rack mounted, buy the shortest hookup cables you can that will fit the task. Purchase quality cables with good shielding and gold contacts. This will provide optimum signal quality and added protection from radio frequency interference (RFI). Likewise, try to keep your speaker cabling as short as possible. Long cable runs add additional load resistance and can make your amplifier work harder than necessary. For the best results, use multiple length speaker cables so you can select the length you need as opposed to using one long set of cables for every job. Noise and feedback. Unwanted feedback, in addition to clearing the dance floor, can result in damage to speaker components. Mic feedback, one of the most common, occurs when a mic picks up audio signals from speaker which are then amplified and redistributed causing a loud "howling" sound. Turntable feedback occurs when a turntable is placed too closed to a speaker also resulting in a loud "howling" sound when a record is played. To help eliminate mic feedback, try positioning the speakers so that they are not firing directly into the mic. In addition, use some type of feedback cancellation device such as a equalizer or notch filtering. Many DJ mixers today offer graphic equalization enabling you to filter out unwanted feedback. In the case of turntable feedback, try locating your turntables as far away from your speakers as possible. You can also help reduce feedback potential by placing your turntables on top of two-inch thick foam rubber. There are also a number of turntable isolation devices available on the market designed to help eliminate turntable feedback. Before making any purchase, see if you can try out the system in the store using your turntables.
Setting up your decks
When you cue up a record you will place extra strain on the stylus. This may cause the record to jump and making your mix near impossible. To help solve this problem you need to make sure your decks are set up correctly. First follow the instructions supplied with your cartridges. This will make sure that they track correctly. Make all the adjustments required until it sits on the record as shown in the supplied diagram (some cartridges come with a plastic alignment device). You may need to adjust the height of the tonearm along with the actual position of the cartridge in the headshell. Check your deck manual for the setting of the anti-skating control. The weight control on the deck may not provide enough weight to stop the needle skipping. To rectify this attach a coin to the headshell with some bluetack. Pay careful attention to the distance between the cartridge body (the plastic bit) and the record. If it is too close then either adjust the normal weight control or use a smaller coin.
Setting up your mixer
Connect the record deck outputs to the phono 1 and phono 2 inputs on the rear of your mixer. Now connect the earth wires from both decks to the earth terminal (this will either be a screw or terminal post on the back of the mixer). If your amplifier has a similar earth connection then connect this as well using a thin piece of insulated single core wire. This will help to keep all hum and background noise to a minimum. Connect the line output on the mixer to a spare line input on your amplifier. If you do not have an aux input you can use tuner, CD, DAT, tape, video but NOT phono.
Adjusting your mixer
When using the mixer it is important to keep the levels correct. If you exceed normal levels you may damage your amplifier and/or speakers. Don't forget that most mixers will allow much higher outputs than CD players and tape decks. As a rule try to keep the average output to +3dB. This will be shown on your level meters and will normally be indicated by red lights. When you exceed +3dB you will be distorting the audio signal. This may sound unpleasant and will ruin any recordings you may be doing. It is normal that there will be a volume fader for each deck and a master volume control. Set your deck faders to 75%, then adjust your master volume to show the correct reading on the level indicator (+3dB max) you can now adjust the amplifier to whatever volume you require. The reason for this is that you may have quieter records that will need a little volume boost to make the mix sound correct. You now have an extra 25% volume boost for when it is needed. If you want to record your mixing then the 'record out' output can be used and will be set correctly.
General Tips and Tricks
- Always keep your stylus clean, use the little brush to remove any dust from the contact area.- Don't leave the stylus on the record when you have finished mixing. Even if the deck is off you will reduce the life of your stylus. - Keep all records clean
Tone arm and Cartridge Settings
The major cause of problems in sound and skipping on the vinyl is the lack of proper set up of the needle and turntable adjustments. The needle is designed to operate at a specific angle to the vinyl. The commonly used Technics SL-1200 turntable has several adjustments to correctly position the needle to the vinyl.
1. The first adjustment is the correct installation of the cartridge. Your Stanton cartridge is to be mounted into the headshell as per the mounting instructions included with every cartridge. The 500, 680 and 890 series of cartridges require the use of the two screw mounting into the headshell. For your convenience, these products can be purchased already mounted and per-adjusted from your local Stanton dealer. If you are using these 1/2 mounted products with a headshell in a mobile application or you are doing heavy scratching, you might benefit by using the extra shell weight provided. Once you have installed your cartridge into the headshell, make certain that you adjust the needle tip position to the notch in the overhang gauge provided with the turntable.
2. The second adjustment is at the installation of the cartridge-headshell assembly into the tonearm tube lock. Holding the tone arm tube in one hand, insert the cartridge-headshell into the tube lock with the other hand. Turn the lock ring clockwise (when viewed from the rear) until the headshell is locked tightly into the tonearm. Remove the needle protector from the cartridge and place the needle on a record. View the needle from the front and insure that the needle is perpendicular to the record surface. If some adjustment is needed, simply loosen the lock ring and rotate the cartridge-headshell until the needle is perpendicular to the record surface. Then re-tighten the lock ring.
3. The third adjustment is the needle (or stylus) pressure. Start with the cartridge-headshell assemble mounted into the tone arm. Remove any needle protectors provided. With the tone arm free, adjust the tone arm counterweight by rotating the rear section until the tone arm floats in a balanced condition above the record or mat. Do not allow the needle to drop onto the mat or the turntable platter during this adjustment. You might damage the needle tip. Now, carefully hold the tonearm in one hand while rotating the numbered ring on the front of the counterweight with the other hand to the "o" setting. Next, without touching the numbered ring, rotate the rear counterweight until the desired needle pressure reading is next to the line on top of the tonearm tube.
4. The forth adjustment is the anti-skate adjustment. If you are using the turntable for playback or recording only, then set the anti-skate adjustment to the same number as the needle pressure setting. If you are using the turntable for back cueing, scratching or other record manipulation, then set the anti-skate setting to 0.
5. The fifth and last adjustment is that of the tonearm height. This will set the tonearm pivot and needle relation with the vinyl. Unlock the tonearm base located in the base of the pivot assembly. Rotate the height adjust ring in the pivot base to read the correct setting for the height of the cartridge that you are using. Check the cartridge/arm height table for the correct setting. Be certain to re-lock the pivot base when adjustment is completed. The above are correct tone arm settings when using a Stanton cartridge on a Technics 1200 turntable. Please make certain that the tone arm is balanced to float horizontal above the platter at "0" setting before dialing in the desired correct stylus pressure.
