For any DJ it is important to have the right equipment for what they want to do. With so many different types of DJ equipment available, such as turntables, mixers and styluses, it is often difficult to know what equipment is best for you. A Trance DJ will have very different needs to those of a turntablist. Different style, different requirements, different DJ equipment.
Before going ahead and buying your Trance DJ equipment it is worth looking into what products are available to you and make informed decisions based on the quality, relevance to your needs and, of course, price vs. your budget.
It's always good for any DJ to buy turntables with high torque. Along with a good set up slipmats this will help keep the platter spinning when the DJ needs to hold the vinyl back, either for cueing up a record, such as one playing Trance music, or manipulating the vinyl when scratching.
Although this is important for a Trance DJ, high torque DJ equipment is also essential for a scratch DJ that needs to run the record smoothly back and forth under the stylus at varying speeds and velocities.
Also very important is the DJ mixer. Not so much the brand exactly, but the quality and characteristics of the faders, both up- and cross- faders. Having said the brand isn't too much of an important factor, some brands do use faders of a particular quality and character so some manufacturers may be better suited to your requirements.
For a DJ mixing Trance music, where a smooth transition and flow is often essential, a mixer using faders with a smooth response curve or slope is preferred. This means that the faders allow the user to blend the two input signals from their DJ equipment smoothly with an even volume control through the path of the fader, creating an even transition between the two sources.
Some DJ mixers designed for harsher mixing techniques, such as turntablism, will have a sharper response curve - or steeper slope - meaning a small movement of the fader will result in a major volume change. Within a small movement often values of up to 80% can be gained and the volume then fades up the final 20% more smoothly through the rest of the fader movement. Vestax are known for these sharper curves and are great for scratching or energetic mixing technique.
Other DJ mixers will feature an adjustable curve to allow the user the best of both words, giving them freedom and flexibility to aid their creativity.
As a beginner, Trance DJ equipment is one element that needs to be right from the very starts. Buying the wrong equipment can delay the development of good DJ skills and can affect the quality of your mixes.
As a guide, a belt driven turntable will not have nearly enough torque or stability for a DJ to pull off a good mix, just as a poorly chosen mixer will not allow the user to create smooth, flowing mixes so finding the right Trance DJ equipment is vital if you're to take to DJing seriously.
You may wish to find other DJs and see what equipment they are using and how it affects their sound in different ways take a look at UK Trance DJ (uktrancedj.com) and find a DJ in your area.
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