Since the object here is to create new music principally by putting existing recorded sounds together in a different way, we need the best means possible of accessing those sounds. Although there is a wide variety of material available on CD, it still doesn't seem to be taking over from vinyl records yet, and shows no sign of ever doing so. That's probably because the whole art of DJing is 'hands on’, and hands on is the one thing CDs will never be. The centerpiece of the DJ studio will always be the twin decks and mixer. Note the terminology - 'decks’ are what other sound engineering types call turntables (old hands at the BBC still call them 'grams’!). And I have never heard a DJ talk about a 'mixing console’, it's always just a mixer. I tend to use the term 'mixing console’ because in a recording studio sometimes 'mixer’ can be taken to mean the person that is doing the mixing, not the equipment.

If you are a DJ, then you already know about the Technics SL1200 and SL1210 decks. These are the classic models and I suspect they never will be superseded - they have become part of the art form. But exactly why are they so great? The main reason is that the Technics SL1200 and SL1210 both have an extremely powerful direct drive motor. 'Direct drive’ means that the turntable itself is part of the motor, and doesn't need to be driven by a belt or idler wheel. Having such a powerful motor means that the turntable can bring the record from a standing start up to the correct speed almost instantaneously. So when the DJ holds back the record on the slip mat, the turntable is still turning at the correct speed despite the friction, and the record is ready to go at the flick of a finger. The SLs come with pickup arm already fitted but you have a choice of cartridge. The prime requirement here is that the cartridge must be tough enough to stand plenty of abuse. Back cueing (turning the record backwards by hand) is a killer for any normal cartridge but those that are specially designed for the purpose can stand it. Stanton is a very well respected make, and Shure too have suitable cartridges in their range. As with any musical activity, it isn't a bad idea to see what the professionals are currently using because if it works for them, it can work for you too, and you might save yourself a lot of effort barking up the wrong tree.

A DJ mixer is distinctly different to any other type of mixing console. It is split into two sets of inputs with a cross fader in between. Obviously the idea is to fade between two records, but the cross fader will fade between any pair of inputs on opposite sides of the mixer. There are all sorts of mixers at all levels of quality. The thing you want to avoid most is a noisy crossfader so ask the supplier whether the cross fader can easily be replaced when necessary. On a high quality mixer, the crossfader may do its job perfectly well for years.

Some DJ mixers have rudimentary samplers built in. But for studio rather than live use it's better to have a proper sampler. Consider ease of use. Some samplers are designed specifically to sample notes from instruments and allocate them to keys on a MIDI keyboard. They don't make it as easy as a DJ would like it to be simply to snatch a piece of vocal or sample a couple of seconds from a record. Products will evolve, but look for ease of use from the DJ's point of view rather than keyboard player's. The ability to 'scratch’ a sample is never found on samplers sold to keyboard players. Speaking of keyboards, you will almost certainly need a MIDI keyboard to get the most from your samples. Look for a 'master’ or 'mother’ keyboard that doesn't produce any sounds of its own. They can be much cheaper than complete synthesizers.