How to Use DJ Equipment

This will be a guideline to most sound systems that will help you in setting up, starting up and running your DJ sound system.

Steps

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    You should have at least one set of turntables, a mixer (nothing more than 8 - 12 channels), an amplifier (to amplify the sound to your loud speakers), two loud speakers and stands, a microphone for yourself and all the cables needed.
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    Set the turntables on a table or surface.
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    Place the mixer adjacent and plug them both in (always remember three-prong extension cords!)
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    Do the same with the amplifier.
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    Take your loud speakers and set them up about five to ten feet to the right and left of your DJ booth, the should be angled towards the audience and be at the height of their ears. This is imperative.
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    To plug in your turntable set into your mixer, use RCA (those red and white tipped cords) cables or XLR (microphone) cables (depending on the turntables, they will vary). MAKE SURE YOU ARE ALWAYS PLUGGING FROM OUTPUT TO INPUT (and vice versa)! Plug this into your mixing board, into either the tape inputs (those RCA cords) or the XLR into a microphone channel.
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    Adjust the Gain (the sensitivity of the input) of that channel so it is loud enough but not clipping (being too loud) on the mixer.
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    To plug your mixer into your amp, use 1/4" (shielded, they look like guitar cords) cable(s). Usually there is a "Line Out" or "Main Out" on the mixer, find one and plug one end into the mixer and the other in the back of the amp (it usually says "Mono In" or "Main In", use common sense) Again: MAKE SURE YOU ARE ALWAYS PLUGGING FROM OUTPUT TO INPUT!
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    Use two more 1/4" shielded cables to run from your amp to your speakers. Be sure to place them out of heavy traffic of people. If necessary, duct tape them down (black duct tape is the best).
    • Plus your microphone in and adjust the corresponding gain.
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    Turn on your equipment in this order: mixer, turntables then amp.
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    Make sure all the channels that aren't being used are muted and that everything is secure.
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    Test out your turntables, make sure everything is sounding correct.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    Where can you get this equipment?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Any electrical gadget shop or music shop will carry it. You can also buy everything you need online.
  • Question
    How do I start mixing?
    Rudy Toth
    Rudy Toth
    Community Answer
    What do you know about mixer boards? I use to have two CD players and a mixer also and it taken time for me as then as a novice to learn how to blend in two individual songs to a tape cassette. To keep the music running without no space of silence in between songs. It was a small mixer that had many inputs in the rear of the audio equipment connect two turntables, two CD players, one tape deck, microphone, on board EQ also. It was like juggling with 5 balls instead of 3. Look around for a good decent mixer and learn on your own.
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Warnings

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About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 11 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 63,200 times.
31 votes - 90%
Co-authors: 11
Updated: October 8, 2021
Views: 63,200
Categories: DJing
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