Welcome to the Musical Equipment DJ buyers guide page.

A DJ has an interesting job indeed - there's more to know that you'd think. Whether you're a full time DJ, a mobile DJ, or simply trying to determine what you need for your first setup, there really is a ton of stuff to know. Today's article focuses primarily on the beginner DJ.

If you're just starting out and don't have a clue, it's easy to be skeptical about spending such a crazy amount of cash on something that is essentially a hobby.

If you've done some shopping around, you have likely seen those convenient (and cheap) 'DJ in a box' type set ups. They have bundled together all the gear you need to get started.

While these may seem like a great idea an the onset, remember that often times these packages skimp out in major areas to keep the cost down. Unless you're really desperate, shy away from these deals. Trust me, you'll regret it after a couple of weeks.

The good news is that if you know where to shop, you can acquire some really Pro-grade gear at the same price you would pay for one of those package deals.

Perhaps the first thing you need to ask yourself is 'how serious am I about this?' How much do I want to spend? For our purposes, lets say you'd like to be an standard all purpose DJ.

First, you need to make a 'minimal' list of the gear you want/need and work this against your budget.

If you're looking at turntables, be sure to look for a 'Direct drive' unit. They offer the best torque for cueing up records. Additionally, you'll need some slip mats. These are easy to make on your own with felt.

Next you'll need a mixer.  These range in price considerably,  and offer a huge range of features. Make sure your mixer has the essentials like gain control, eq, kill switches, curve controls, and maybe even effects sends/returns and optical cross faders. The Numark DM1002X MK2 Scratch Mixer comes to mind.

Next you'll need a pair of headphones.  Make sure you consider a light weight set to reduce ear fatigue, and choose a closed ear design to avoid outside distractions with your mix

Of course, above and beyond these basics is the actual audio system itself, lights, special effects, blah blah. That will be the topic for another day. If you've got the above basics - Turntables, mixer, and headphones, you're off and running!