13 Best Stage & Sound Equipment

Bestselling Stage & Sound Equipment in 2023

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Beginner's Guide to Buying DJ Equipment

A helpful guide to buying DJ equipment for the first time.

Buying DJ equipment can be very costly if you don't know what to buy. When you walk into the store it's easy to be tempted by the pieces of equipment that have lots of lights and knobs, but just because a piece of gear looks good doesn't mean it performs well. You're going to need a:

Mixer/Controller

Mixing Software

Speakers

Speaker Stands

Amplifier

Cables

Mixers/Controllers

When you choose a mixer it's important to keep in mind what mixing software you're going to be using. If you choose a normal mixer this isn't really a huge deal as a typical mixer such as the Denon DN-X1100 will work with any DJ program, however there are other mixers that are built to work with specific software. For example the Rane Sixty-Eight is built to work with Serato Scratch Live and many of the features it has would be difficult to use with Traktor or Virtual DJ. Controllers are generally built for either Serato Itch, a version of Serato Scratch Live, or Traktor. There are probably a few more controllers available for Serato than there are for Traktor, but some controllers like the Numark NS6 work with multiple programs. If you're fairly tech savvy you can MIDI map your controller to work with any software, but it's easier to pick a controller built to work with the program you want to mix with. The benefits of using a controller instead of a regular mixer is that everything is built into the controller. You don't need turntables or CD players, everything you need is a part of the controller. On the other hand using a regular mixer allows you to have some more flexibility in your setup and you can choose what kind of CD players or turntables you want.

Recommendations:

Pioneer DJM-250

$349.00

Pioneer mixers are known to have excellent sound and outstanding build quality. This entry level mixer has plenty of features and is built rock solid.

Numark NS6

$999.99

The NS6 might seem expensive at first, but remember a controller has everything you need to mix built in. The NS6 works with Serato, Traktor, and Virtual DJ so you really can't go wrong with such a flexible unit.

Mixing Software

Choose your software wisely because once you start to build your library moving it to another program is not a simple task. The three most popular DJ programs are Serato, Virtual DJ, and Traktor. All of these programs store your cue points, comments about tracks, loops, and much more so if you decide to switch there is no guarantee all this information will be transferable. I started off with Virtual DJ and I have nothing but good things to say about it. It's an excellent program and is very versatile. In my opinion it also has some of the best video mixing features available. My favorite software though is Serato which I've been using for a while now. I have a Numark NS7 which comes bundled with Itch which is quite powerful and you can make some amazing mixes with it. I don't have much experience with Traktor, but most people say that it's the best program to use if you're a hardcore scratch DJ.

Recommendation:

Serato Itch

Free

I highly recommend Serato Itch because it offers all the functionality of Serato Scratch Live without having to use time codes and an external sound card. A major plus to using Itch is if you decide to go from Itch to Scratch Live you won't have to reorganize your music since both softwares use the same library organization system.

Speakers

Speakers are a huge part of your rig. When choosing speakers you're going to have to choose between active and passive speakers. Active or powered speakers have an amplifier built-in as well as all the necessary processing, passive speakers require a separate external amplifier and may need some additional processing to sound their best. The benefits of purchasing active speakers is that you can often get a better speaker for less money plus the amplifier inside is perfectly matched to the drivers so the the chances of damaging the speakers are very slim. Passive speakers are generally a little cheaper, however external amps can be very heavy and the best amps are often fairly expensive. Many DJs are choosing to go with active speakers these days and having owned both kinds of speakers I would definitely recommend buying powered speakers because they make life much simpler. Focus a good amount of your budget on purchasing speakers because you really don't want them crapping out on you in the middle of a gig.

Recommendations:

EV ELX112P

$599.00

Look around a bit and you can find these speakers for much less, but even at this price you can't go wrong. EV is a well respected brand that makes quality speakers and with 1,000 watts of power these cabs can rock any venue.

JBL JRX115

$299.99

The JRX line from JBL is pretty popular and you can often find really good deals on these speakers. They're tough, reliable, and for the price they sound pretty darn good.

B-52 Matrix 2000

$1,499.99

This speaker package is perfect for the beginner DJ. It includes two 12" tops and one 18" sub. I've heard the Matrix 2000 a few times in different settings and sounds great plus the sub is an absolute beast. The best part? This system is completely powered, no need for an external amp.

Speaker Stands

Most speaker stands will do a perfectly fine job, but remember you get what you pay for. Buy cheap stands and most likely it's going to contain plastic parts that will break easily and you'll probably have to get new stands. If you pay a little extra for your stands you can get ones that have hydraulics inside to help you raise heavy speakers and some stands even have legs that can be adjusted to compensate for uneven surfaces.

Recommendation:

Ultimate Support TS-90B

$99.99

This stand is not only durable, but it also includes an ingenious locking mechanism that allows you to effortlessly raise and lower your speakers.

Amplifiers:

If you choose to go with powered speakers then you won't need an amplifier, but if you choose to go with passive speakers you're going to have to purchase one. Some amplifiers incorporate a lot of DSP (Digital Sound Processing) functionality, but you don't have to get an amp that has all those features. If an amp doesn't have DSP that shouldn't be a deal breaker although it can save you some money. A general rule of thumb is to get an amp that has about twice the RMS or continuos power of your speaker. You don't want to get an amp that is too powerful for your speaker, but you also don't want an amplifier that is too weak either. You can blow a speaker just as easily by under powering it as you can by over powering it. Look at amps from QSC and Crown, they have great reputations and are known for their excellent sound quality.

Recommendation:

QSC GX7

$599.00

The GX7 doesn't have any fancy features found on high end amps, but it weighs less than 16 pounds and it can crank out 725 watts per channel at 8 ohms, more than enough to comfortably drive most passive speakers.

Crown XLS2500

$549.99

The Crown amp is slightly cheaper than the QSC amp, but it does come with some DSP functionality. It has an integrated crossover and built-in limiters which are handy tools for making your speakers sound their best. While not as powerful as some other amps the XLS2500 can still crank out 775 watts per channel at 4 ohms.

Buying DJ equipment is expensive, but it's important to buy quality equipment that will last and that won't fail on you. Buying from lesser known brands can save you some money, but when you're looking to upgrade you probably won't get much money for your old equipment. Stick with equipment that is tried and true and check the forums online for reviews from people who actually have experience using the equipment. Hopefully this guide helps you put together a system that will keep customers flowing in!