How did you build up your high end (club/event level) setup?

General Area DJ Lounge
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Would love to hear stories from anyone who’s managed to build up such a setup for themselves.

How did you go about it? Did you start with just a mixer to integrate with your existing gear then add players later? DId you buy it all at once? Did you trade in existing gear or turn to crime to raise the cash?? Did you ever earn back your investment through performing/renting the gear out? If so how long did it take you?

A lot of questions, but just really interested in anyone’s experiences as I try to figure out how to get there myself.

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Rule no.1: At the end of the day you simply need more money to buy stuff. :relieved: Selling old stuff helps only a bit.

I already had a mixer, so I started with one SC player added to the setup; which was two Traktor D2’s and a Dateq XTC2. I bought that set to do some mixing again after years of doing nearly nothing.

It was not my plan to make money with my set anymore, so I don’t get a return on investment. Can’t advice on that part.

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Rule no.1: At the end of the day you simply need more money to buy stuff. :relieved:

Had a proper lol reading this! Facts! :joy:

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Saved up from my job, took interest free loans (nowadays most credit cards come with 18 months interest free on purchases), used my companies share save scheme to save money.

Then later on when I started getting regular gigs, used that money to buy new gear, or at least only purchased gear I was sure to get the money back from earnings, in this case the Prime 2, which I had made the money back on after around 8 gigs.

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I bought 2 SC6000s, a X1850 and KRK10.3 speakers with money because I wanted them. I have not made a cent back.

I was a gigging DJ years ago and had 1200s

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I’ve built my rig from cheap converted vinyl players and cheap junk mixer tables.

It probably took 10 years before I thought I had a sensible rig. But have never stayed there like many colleagues of the same age did.

Over the years I’ve bought new stuff and sold old stuff that doesn’t add anything to the business anymore. Or sometimes exchange gadgets with other DJ colleagues as we sometimes have different needs.

After each gig, I analyze what was good and what was bad. If there is a piece of equipment that I can change or replace to help me get better or save time, I order it.

I have different things depending on the event. Here’s an example of a rig I had at a student party recently.

  • 2 x QSC K12.2 as tops
  • 2 x QSC KS118 subs
  • 1 x QSC K12.2 as monitor
  • Denon Prime 4+
  • SoundSwitch Control One
  • Ape Labs Connect
  • 4 x Ape Labs Sticks XL
  • 4 x Ape Labs Maxi
  • 4 Moving heds Spot
  • 2 x Moving heads wash/FX
  • 1 x UV Led bar
  • 1 x Led Strobe
  • 1 x Laser
  • 1 x Backdrop
  • 1 x Hazer
  • Lots of kables, truss etc

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I started buying equipment when I was 14 from the money I made off of my paper route. I then started buying the cheapest gear I could get my hands on.

First a cheap mixer that I connected two regular CD players to (meaning I couldn’t beat match etc but simply play from track to another), then bought a cheap double CD player, one cheap turntable and then another cheap turntable.

Then I did small upgrades one piece at a time, and eventually I had a pretty decent home setup, that was at least enough for me to practice, so I could play properly in the clubs equipment.

My first decent setup was the Denon 2000F, 2x 1210’s and a Rodec mixer, which was considered “the club standard setup” in Denmark during those days :blush:

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Aside from a pair of Technics I bought from a club in the 80s, I’ve never had a “high end” separates setup that would I suppose be called “industry standard” now.

Never stopped me from DJing in clubs for years, on whatever they had - and back then no two clubs had the same kit. IMO you should be able to DJ on anything. You don’t need to go out and buy the same stuff as [insert famous name here] uses.

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I started mixing at a friend’s house around 1998 but I only got my first equipment in 2002 with a Behringer DX1000 mixer and a Numark DMC-1 controller for PCDJ at the time, then later VDJ. Then around 2005 I bought my first vinyl turntables, Synq Xtrm.1 which I had got new at a good price at the time and which I still have and which still work perfectly. I dragged around my DX1000 for a long time, which I only replaced in 2012 with a DJM 2000 which I still have and which is almost like new despite the many parties it has had. The same year I bought CDJ 2000 nexus which I kept until 2021 and sold them to obtain two SC6000M.

Last year I obtained a used Kontrol Z2 for around €275 in perfect condition as well as 2 LC6000s for €650 for 2 + decksavers. Which makes it a practical little set for small events with VDJ or for producing streams. And I can also use the LC with the “big setup” Sc6000M + DJM 2000 depending on the case.

I’ve never really been an all-in-one guy, although I admit that it’s very handy for mobile events.

I also have a lot of fun with my vinyl turntables at home, my Z2 and VDJ when I want to get a real vinyl feel again.

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I actually collected a few cheap mixers started from 2019 year. The main one Benhringer XDJ 900 master channel is connected to each other mixers channels to boost the signal frequency (Mid and Low and sometimes high) and to bring more quality of multiple DSPs. So The other mixers work as pre-amps but it’s not too loud because my speakers/headphones are connected to sound blaster card so I can control volume output here as well. Also subwoofer is loud of low

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Thanks for the replies… really inspires to hear your stories and makes the journey less lonely hearing from people who’ve faced the same challenges: money, timing, long term planning, uncertainty etc. Fellow gearheads know how consuming this can be!

Currently I’m eyeing an x1850 that’s on special. That’d open up the extra channels I want most of all (adding to my Prime Go). Thinking of also buying:

  1. An Audio Technica AT-LP140XP (to add some long overdue vinyl TLC)
  2. A second hand, budget player (something like the Numark NDX500) to mess around with for now.

Kept getting sidetracked thinking of just getting a SC Live 4 for the channels. But in the long run I think the mixer’s a better investment. Plus adding vinyl will be a lot of fun.

Any thoughts on that?

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If you absolutely want separate equipment here are my thoughts

I do not recommend turntables that are too entry-level such as the at-LP140XP, you will quickly see their limits for DJ use, you will be disappointed with your experience (lack of motor torque/chassis too sensitive to rumble) and you will want to resell them. You will end up losing a lot of money on this type of equipment. For vinyl turntables, it is better to save a little longer, and choose a model that will give you complete satisfaction over time and that you will keep for years.

If I were in your situation today I would certainly consider some Reloop RP 7000 MK2 which is probably the best quality/price ratio on the market. Of course this will require a higher initial investment, but there is little chance that you will want to resell them and therefore lose money in the long term.

Concerning the mixer, even if I find the x1850 very cool, it is too fragile for me. It’s the lottery, either you will come across a unit with which you will never have problems, or you risk problems on the faders as well as on the OLED screens which will fail for no reason overnight. I know several people who have had quality issues with their x1850 so I couldn’t recommend a mixer as great as it is on paper which seems to have so many quality control issues.

If you absolutely want a 4-channel mixer with a reasonable price, I think the Reloop RMX90 DVS or a Pioneer DJM 750 MK2 are reliable alternatives to consider. Be careful, however, the DJM 750 Mk2 is not serato compatible unlike the RMX 90 DVS.

You could save quite a bit of money if you started with a small 2-way battle mixer such as a Numark Scratch for example which unlocks the original Serato. Which with RP 7000 MK2 gives you a serato compatible DVS pack for around €1500, a little more expensive than an SC Live 4.

But this will obviously be a much less mobile configuration, so you must also take this point into account in your needs

If your goal is mobility, turntables are probably not the best choice. If the vinyl feel is not an absolute necessity, a controller or a standalone product such as the SC Live 4 is certainly more suitable. And if you’re looking for mobility, vinyl feeling, 4 channels and phono inputs to connect vinyl turntables, then probably the Rane Performer is the way to go.

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Thanks for your feedback. Appreciate you pointing this out. Had a quick dig around and see you’re 100% right here: definitely a lot of quality control threads out there and worse… support that hasn’t been too great. On this fairly recent thread on Reddit the OP mentions some details with fader design. Might be a bit of a negative bias on the internet (tons of people surely don’t have problems and don’t post about it), but it sure doesn’t inspire confidence to put all that money down now *sigh*

gonna let it simmer for a bit…

Thanks also for the pointers on the turntables. Will look around for a Reloop reseller in my country. I only want 1 for my own personal use (with my Prime Go + new mixer to mess around with more channels with for now). The mixer, and future players will be for pro use.

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I would really love to be able to recommend the x1850 which could really be excellent value for money if there weren’t so many quality control issues.

In comparison it is difficult to find so many people complaining about quality problems regarding an RMX90 DVS or a DJM 750 MK2. I’m not saying that these models are 100% reliable, there can be problems and dissatisfied users with all brands obviously. But the problem rate encountered on the x1850 seems to be really high comparatively. And yet I really like this mixer.

The RMX 90 DVS is no longer produced because it was replaced by the RMX 95, but the RMX 95 does not include a serato license. You will therefore have to buy an additional license or if you want to save a little money, turn to a cheaper Traktor license.

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My approach to the topic is a never ending evolution. I buy and sell gear depending what works for me. I usually keep gear for 5 years, then if something comes out I would like to try to add to my setup, I do so and if it clicks - it stays. If not, sell and buy something different.

Prime decks definitely are here to stay :slight_smile:

For mixer, I tried several ones, for now I stay with Xone 96.

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I don’t know how it happened but I have a number which I don’t cross - €2000 - for a single piece of equipment :sweat_smile: well except the MacBook Pro

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A lot of questions indeed :wink:

Well, when I was 16 years old I built my own mixer, a few faders and opamps thrown in a wooden box, and used my discman as one deck, my CDROM player as the other one… From there on I managed to get my hands on a JB Systems Classic 6 and SL1200’s. Later a twin Denon 2100F and a Rodec MX180mkIII (which I still have, love to get nostalgic!)

So no, I did not trade my gear for cash. OK, later iterations (2 CDJ 900’s, an Ecler mixer, a Denon HC4500, my whole Traktor setup, etc etc) where sold because it’s pointless to hang on to gear.

Was this ever earnt back? Hell no. And for sure no if I start to take into account the speakers and lighting I have. Only the happy few artists (be it DJs, musicians or even painters) earn enough money to earn back their gear. For the most of us this is just an expensive hobby. Even the rental circuit is very hard to come by: there will always be a hobbyist who goes below your price…

If you want to earn money, be a carpenter or something :wink:

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ok… I’m old & have been in this game for years, so won’t bore you with the decades of gear & upgrades.

What I will say though, is you don’t need a pile of expensive gear to do large corporate events. My most regular gig (2 or 3 nights a month) is a large 1000 capacity venue, & I just walk in with a flightcased controller & laptop & hook straight into the main front of house desk.

I own some Engine gear, but it stays at home & I’ve never gigged with it. My preferred gig rig is still Traktor based, as that’s what I feel most comfortable with. Just an S4 Mk3 in a neat little flightcase, that’s prewired with power supplies & a USB-C hub under the controller. …so just power in, XLR’s out, one USB-C to my mac, plus mic, headphones & powered Bose monitor.

It’s neat, & venues love it because it’s tidy & compact.

I keep on considering alternatives (Engine / Serato / DJay), but always come back to my current rig, because it just works. Stems would be fun, but not a deal breaker.

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Just a follow up to my last post…

Here in the UK, clubs are closing all over the place. So if you can get in with a venue that does lots of corporates, it’s a great way of continuing to DJ.

You’ll find that although the venue management want you to be able to rock a dancefloor, they’re more likely to be impressed by your mic skills, how you do calls for dinner etc. Also your ability to tech-op an awards show & play in stings/walk ups at the correct time.

Also, make sure your levels are consistent & correct. The sound guy will love you if you stay out of the red, & they’re always worth having on your side.

Basically… just be a pleasure to work with, & more work will follow.

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Usually I don’t exceed €2000, but maybe I will have to, as single device on my scope is just shy 200 above that limit.