I usually play all my pop music off cassettes.

well cdj and vinyl are kind of my only options right now...which one would you recommend between those two?

I prefer technics 1210 myself, even though I also have a set of CDJ1000.
Technics turntables wheighs more when carrying around, but that's a price worth paying for. You also might want to look into the Numark NS6, fast setup and a real nice all in one controller.

You really need to try the equipment out for yourself, to get a feeling for what you want/need...

But i'm kind of want to buy it online and i've never djed before...
if I'm mainly going to play pop music and some other strong beats EDM (something at parties that you can dance and bounce to), is vinyl still a good choice?

Id say go with an Itch controller then. It's setup is easier all the way around. Nothing will ever replace the feel of vinyl but if I were you, I'd get a controller, learn the basics, create your own style of mixing and after you've done that, if you still wanna get tables then go for it.

well i think vinyls are way cooler looking when scratching, but can I really scratch when playing pop musics at a high school party?

Really you can't scratch anywhere unless the crowd is coming to see you do that. People will generally let you get away with it for a min but really they just wanna hear their songs with no interruptions, no remixes, just a plain old radio edit. Atleast that's what I've experienced in some of the spots I've worked in. And you don't do things just cause "they look cooler"......... you have to respect the turntable. So if your gonna get serious then yeah grab up some tables and practice otherwise I'm sticking to my original statement, buy a controller........ good luck with whatever you choose though.

thank you so much!

What SOUNDINSURGENT said, you basically need to learn mixing before scratching if you wanna play "high school dance parties and possibly college parties".

I would get the NS6 as it has good faders, good jogs & 4 channels. The NS6 can work as a standalone mixer even if not connected to the computer, and allows 4 different external sources, 2 of which can be phono. So you can get a used turntable (or 2) and hook up to the NS6 to practice scratches on regular vinyl. PS, learning to scratch does take some time... :-)

www.numark.com

Best of luck!

And if the NS6 is to much cash here's the Numark N4, www.numark.com
Which you can use with Serato Dj Intro and later on hookup a turntable if you want.

Numark MIxtrack Pro with Serato DJ Intro software. You do not need 4 channels. You have yet to manage 2. Start small and then build.

thanks!!

some good advice here :-)

I think starting small is what's best, and as DJ Intro is meant for music lovers, it sounds like what you might need. The controllers are an inexpensive option, and the storage means you can take an extremely large amount of music with you wherever you go. Things have changed alot in the dj gear world over the years, it's good to see young people still interested in dj'ing and some more experienced people embracing technology!

I get this question many times from young folks who "want to be become a" dj and I always tell them to look at the market (and their wallet...)
If really you are serious about getting into the club DJ market I would suggest to you to get the pioneer DJJ-S controller. Most clubs I know that use pro-mixers have a pioneer set-up and the transition from the pioneer controller to the current line of pioneer players and mixer will be easy. (they basically have the same feel and layout). Their quality is also very remarkable good. The only thing they will not do is beatmatch and scratch in a way that makes sense... so YES!!... Mr Skratchworx is totally right..learn to manage 2 channels and the rest will come. That means...try to mix with the "auto sync" off so you really learn to beatmatch and line up bars the right way.
by the way....watching experienced dj's working the club will teach you a lot and I am not talking about watching the current line of overhyped dj's (actually good producers/remixers) who will stay at 128 to 132bpm their whole pre-programmed set, mostly with their hands in the air... Actually you should also be able to think away the sexy dancers, light and firework efx and huge movie screens....

Agreed. You can usually find very lax/well rounded DJ's at your local teen night club. Or I know in some roller skating rinks even, they still have live DJ's. I also suggest you hit up all the music equipment stores in your area and get as familiar as possible with all the numerous dj gear and pick the one that feels more comfortable to you.

For example. i been hitting up Guitar Center for months now just mixing/cutting on the NS7 and it's by far the most amazing controller i've ever touched. Though, affording one for me is simply not possible. Remarkably, showcasing my skills has got me a rediculous amount of connections such as promoters, artists, club runners, other DJs that come in there to buy their gear. We exchange business cards and networking is made.

I started out cutting only, but now that i've gotten into mixing.. it's seriously became an ADDICTION. It's like every song i hear now i can name off 4 other songs that can be possibly mixed with that one song.. you're in for a joy ride if you don't lose internet and give up The main thing to remember is that you won't be even close to tolerable at first and it can be frusterating at times, but sticking with it and you will become a great DJ