What gear should I get so I can start DJing with Serato?

October 11, 2009 11:11 PM

I want to start DJing with Serato. What kind of gear should I get?

I've been dabbling a bit with Virtual DJ and the like and been having some fun but I would like to learn to actually beatmatch and mix well. Messing around on my friend Serato+control vinyl kit was really satisfying. I would like to get a similar setup, but maybe something a little simpler. There few DJ controllers that work with Serato ITCH look just about right but they're pricey. Anyone have any experience with ITCH? Is it worth the money?

If I don't end up throwing down the cash for ITCH then I'll probably get ScratchLive and cheap a set up for it. Will a small controller meet my needs or should I opt for control vinyl? How much money (minimum) should I be prepared to shell out to get started?

posted by cirrostratus to media & arts (4 comments total)

Have to say, years ago I was thinking about picking up a Hercules midi controller (basically something similar to the itch controller you're thinking about), and I thank my lucky stars that the people at Guitar Center talked me out of it. If you need something now, I understand getting a couple of cheap turntables for Serato, but I would think about upgrading to Technics sometime in the future. In short, go with the control vinyl.

In terms of pricing it, if you really want/need to go cheap, there's the Numark DJ in a box, but if you can afford more I would spend it.
posted by hue at 12:12 AM on October 12

Just out of curiosity, are you an experienced vinyl DJ? If not, you may not be quite so hampered by forgoing the control vinyl as others. I would still definitely recommend it as the definitive Serato experience (wow, how lame did that sound?), but I have heard good things about the Numark controller. That said, you could easily get a pair of Technics for the price of that, so there's probably no better option.

There are other control vinyl options, such as Miss Pinky, which you can hook up to Max for some fun.
posted by Magnakai at 2:45 AM on October 12

The advantage of using a turntable based set up is that, well, they are also turntables!
posted by CharlesV42 at 7:49 AM on October 12

I'm certainly not an experienced vinyl DJ. Totally new to this actually. You guys are definitely making me rethink the controller option. Thanks for the input.
posted by cirrostratus at 8:38 AM on October 12