List of standard DJ equipment over the years.

[Pri yon Joni]

Ok so whether it's club or mobile; mixer, turntable, media deck, interface, cartridge, controller, and headphones I am wondering if there is a publication that shows a list of standard DJ equipment? We know the current standards, SL1200, DJM-900, CDJ-2000NXS. And some of us know the standards of the past 15 years, from the DJM-600 to 800; CDJ-1000.

What I am curious about, because I wasn't DJing back in those days, is the late 90's and before. Other than the Technics turntable, was there a standard club mixer, a standard mobile mixer, and a standard battle mixer? Were there obsolete items like tape decks or reel to reel players that supplemented the club and mobile DJ's? What were the favorite headphones used back then? What were the favorite cartridges used back then? What were the standard CD players? (dual vs tabletop and who used them)

This might be a lot of questions, but I thought it'd be an interesting discussion so DJ's, 1970's to mid/late 1990's, what were the standards in the disco/club, hip hop/battle, and mobile in the following?

-turntable (what was before the SL-1200)
-headphones
-cartridge
-tabletop CD player
-dual CD player
-mixer (before the DJM-500, what was installed commonly at clubs; preferred by turntablists, and preferred by mobile DJ's)
-supplementary players (tape decks and/or reel to reel)
-accessories (how often did someone use or install a BPM counter)

[Hightopfade]

In the 80s, everyone I was exposed to purchased the best Numark mixer they can afford. The DM-1150 model was very common. Stanton 680EL and the 500AL was the common cartridge. There was quite a few of us who used half of the Realistic Nova 40 headphone. Went to the fabric store and used felt for slip mats. Berkeley Farms milk crates.

[Dj broray]

standard club mixer in the 70's was the bozak w/ RLA isolator..... gauss,jbl and altec lansing were the main drivers in the clubs

turntable was either a thoreans or 1200's

late 80's the urei 1620 w/ RLA isolator or e&s isolator, 1200's

i think in the late 90's 2000 was the rane mojo rane mp 24z

i think stanton 680 el were the cartridge in the late 80's

the ortofon concordes in the 90's

denon dn-2600f was the standard dual cd player in many clubs in the late 80's 90's

headphones koss, or the Dj lolipop sony mdr driver

effects started in the late 90's numark ppd 1975 with sampler and effects


standard home or mobile dj mixer were or the radio shack realistic mixer and numark ppd stuff 90's

i think vestax appeared at this same time

mobile speakers were cerwin vega scoops and cerwin 2way tops amps were crown's micro techs 600's or peavey cs800's ashly crossover or furman 80's

90's i saw alot of bose 901's and some ramsa stuff and if i remember around 93 94 i heard a yorkville elite system

i used peavey 4 fh1, 2 mb2 and the fatliped horn.... i was using 4 soundcraftsmen pcr800's with the bridging module, numark mmx-1000 bozak copy (still have)

bpm counter was your watch and you head counting for 15 sec and multiply by 4 to get a round about bmp

thats all i can remember from the scene here in jersey and a few clubs i went to in NYC..... there was one club in nyc has a full AST system

[Windows 95]

turntable (what was before the SL-1200)That was before my time.

I stated with the Technics SL-1200 in the late 1970s & moved up to the MK2 in the early 1980s. Before the SL-1200 (Which has been around since 1972.), portable turntable consoles were probably more common than individual turntables & a separate mixer. Although which one was the most popular, I have no idea.

This is the KD20A remote broadcast DJ set-up which was manufactured from about 1965 to 1968.


http://thumbnails111.imagebam.com/30707/b48455307063597.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/b48455307063597)

[DJ Highline]

In the mid to late 90s, Technics were well entrenched as the standard turntable. As far as mixers go, the Rane MP44 was pretty standard. The Denon DN-2000FII was the standard rack mounted CD player followed by the DN-2500. Tabletop CD players were really made viable by Pioneer with the CDJ-500 followed up by the CDJ-700. Before then they really didn't exist in any real professional environment. In the late 90s and early 2000s, Kaos pads were all the rage.

[disparate]

DJM-500 is pretty old school now, I'm guessing it was big in the mid/late 90s?

[Panotaker]

Since I started in 1975, I can give you my experience. Before the 1200mk2, if you beat mixed, the turntable to have was the SL-1100A or its little brother, the original SL-1200. But clubs back then had every kind of turntables known to man, from broadcast radio station turntables, to Pioneer or other home decks. As Broray said earlier, Thorens where popular too, but they sucked for DJing. The SL-1000A's where excellent. The mixer to have was the Bozak, since there really wasn't anything else that was decent. In Houston, the mixer to have was the Erath rotary mixer. They where beautiful mixers, but they where hand made in Houston, and as far as I know, that is the only place that had them. I have been looking for one for years, but they are probably all gone. The Erath mixer was built in to a custom DJ console, and as clubs closed down, they probably all got trashed. The headphone to have during the 70's was either a lollipop headphone, or a Sennheiser HD-414. Most decent clubs had Crown DC-300 amps, but I did work at a club that had Mcintosh amps with big blue meters, and Klipsch La Scalla speakers, which started my fascination with Mcintosh amps. I was lucky enough to buy a pair of SL-1100A's and a Bozak back in the 70's, so when ever I worked at a club, I yanked out their stuff and put in my stuff. There was only one DJ per club back then too.

Around the same time the 1200mk2 came out, the Urei 1620 came out too, so that combo was the setup to have for a while. The Urei's got replaced by the Rane MP24 mixers, and that became the club standard for a while. When CD's came out, the Denon DN-2000 was the one to have, followed by the DN-2600. After that, Pioneer introduced the CDJ-500's with the DJM-500 mixer, and Pioneer CD players and mixers have been the club standard ever since.

[Deep N Sexy]

It all started with this when it comes to CD, ;D

http://www.djresource.eu/images/gear/small_denon-dn-4000f.jpg

Denon DN 2000F was the first ever real clubstandard when it comes to cd, they were everywhere, and with good reason, they were rock solid if you placed the correctly, 2500 was quite good, but i really fall in love with my DN 2600, and much later DN 9000, but i started out on SL-P 1200s. from technics, the ones for radiostations ;D

http://www.virtualdj.com/image/76541/73952/technics_slp-1200_01.jpg

Regarding mixers i would say as a brand, Rane, Numark, and Urei and Vestax for the bigger clubs, not to mention Rodec!

Check it out

Much history collected thnx to "lead" @ DJ resources

Denon
http://www.djresource.eu/Gearbase/brand/3/Denon/

Pioneer
http://www.djresource.eu/Gearbase/brand/1/Pioneer/

Everything much else
http://www.djresource.eu/Gearbase/

And i used a similar system Pioneer RMX9 in my livingroom just for fun ;D

http://i.nenuna.net/2013/03/23/52809/52809_1364006126_1.jpg

Cheers

/D&S

[Daniel S]

The only thing that really was "standard" as far as equipment back in the days was the SL1200/10. Then when Denon came out with the DN2000F it became the CD player to have. After that Pioneer and their marketing department took over.

[DJArmani]

This is a really great thread, I've seen a few Denon 2600's around and wonder wtf are those things, lol. Doesn't Carl Cox & Danny Tenaglia use the Urei 1620 still? Or something similar?

[Dj broray]

lil louis vega ,joe caussell, tony humphres still use rotaries and a few more other dj's in nyc and jersey

[disparate]

lil louis vega ,joe caussell, tony humphres still use rotaries and a few more other dj's in nyc and jersey

Indeed. Floating Points, Mister Saturday Night, Theo Parrish (correct me if I'm wrong) are some more 'current' DJs also using them.

[Daniel S]

I stated before that there was no standards except the 1200/10, but there were of course more or less popular models of equipment. Below are some examples.

80:s

As far as cartridges go there were three models that dominated the DJ market.
For scratch heads this was the rugged alternative, the Stanton 500 AL:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v116/don_alano/blog/stanton_500AL_600.jpg

For mix DJs, the more delicate Stanton 680 series that came in a few different versions. The difference was the needle tip shape; EL(ELiptical), AL (sphericAL), SL (Stereohedron) and the 681SE (Elliptical).
http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr16/DJSTEVEZ/Stanton680EL.jpg

Then there was the Ortfon OM Pro/Concorde that was an allrounder, sort of inbetween the Stanton offerings:
https://www.storedj.com.au/images/rp_310x240/Product/962/ORT-OCOMPRO.jpg%3Fts%3D1286837849

As far as mixers went there were quite a few manufacturers out there and in Europe you could often find any these in the DJ booths:

Formula Sound PM80, here with the optional VCA(crossfader) module:
http://i36.tinypic.com/n1qt15.jpg

Citronic SM650, pictured here with optional crossfader module:
http://i688.photobucket.com/albums/vv248/mhamps_photos/IMG_6082.jpg

Rodec MX180:
http://medias.audiofanzine.com/images/normal/rodec-mx180-original-524841.jpg

LEM DM1508:
http://s.sbito.it/images/77/7721323411.jpg

Numark DM1750/60:
http://img1.mlstatic.com/mixer-numark-ppd-dm1760-made-in-japan-sin-uso_MLA-O-2661919421_052012.jpg

Ecler MAC4-2:
http://img01.mercador.ro/images_mercadorro/7625476_1_1000x700_mixer-ecler-model-mac-4-2e-roman.jpg

Many DJs probably cut their teeth mixing at home on a Phonic MX-5501:
http://dbastatic.dk/pictures/pictures/1d/d3/20b2-4993-4eee-b968-793e15319c00.jpg%3Fpreset%3Dlarge

[Daniel S]

For headphones, there was much diversity. Most DJs used something from the established manufacturers of quality headphones, like Sennheiser, AKG, Koss or Beyerdynamic.
Popular models were:

Beyerdynamic DT-100:
http://www.headphone-amplifier.com/pro_light_sound_2008/images/pro_light_and%20_sound_2008_beyerdynamic_dt100_600 .jpg

Koss Pro 4/AAA:
http://cdn.head-fi.org/1/11/300x300px-LS-11e8a070_2007106131_01232011_002.jpg

AKG K141 Monitor:
http://audiofilek.pl/images/com_sobi2/gallery/686/686_image_1.jpg

[Daniel S]

90:s

CD players didn't really become popular until the Denon DN2000F which came out in 1992. The reason for it took off was that it had a new feature called pitch bend.
However, this was not Denon's first dual CD player. In 1990 they made the DN4000F, which was more geared towards radio stations. It had a Single control surface with a jogwheel that you could switch between the two drives in the drive unit.

Denon DN-4000F:
http://www.virtualdj.com/image/60072/40057/denon%204000f.jpg

Denon DN-2000F:
http://www.djresource.eu/images/topics/denon/denon-dn-2000.jpg

Before 1990 the Technics SLP1200/1300 models where used by some DJs/clubs. There was also a Sony Broadcast model I can't remember the name of that was often used.

The first dual CD player especially for DJs to hit the market was the ill fated Numark CD6020. Up until this point Numark had been an expensive high end brand.
The CD6020 was buggy and cost a lot of capital for Numark. When it didn't sell too well Numark went into liquidation and that's when the brand name was sold off and quality of their products dipped.

Numark CD6020:
http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/8663/numarkcd6020.jpg

It even had a SYNC button :D
http://bimg1.mlstatic.com/vendo-numark-cd-6020_MLB-F-4981781786_092013.jpg

[Daniel S]

Some mixers that were popular with the club in the 90:s:

Citronic SM550:
http://i54.tinypic.com/105z7e8.jpg

Numark PPD mixers, with the flagship DM1975:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yAVxmHvEAgk/T0E0EGdlWUI/AAAAAAAAE3Q/3qsbT2lmB9U/s640/IMG_2926.JPG

Ecler SCLAT 8:
http://gitarshop.hu/aas_hirdetes_temp/pic/187819_dj_kevero_mixer.jpg

Vestax PMC 40:
http://www.soundcrew.co.jp/equipment/dj/vestax/images/01b.jpg

Then in the mid 90:s came the Pioneer DJM500:
http://www.djmusicevents.com/images/stories/virtuemart/product/Dj_mixer_Pioneer_4d38a2a207fc3.jpg

For bedroom DJs the Numark DM1100X was a popular choice:
http://s.sbito.it/images/95/9593537716.jpg

As well as the Gemini PS-626:
http://www.virtualdj.com/image/26622/18713/GEMINIPS-626PRO.jpg

[Daniel S]

The 90:s also saw the first standard for the DMC championship mixers:

The Melos PMX-2:
http://farm9.static.flickr.com/8142/7460393752_e77b1ce704.jpg

Then the Technics SH-DJ1200:
http://mixdynamix.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/technics-sh-dj1200-376954.jpg

Other popular scratch mixers were

Vestax PMC 05A:
http://www.djresource.eu/images/gear/small_vestax-pmc-05a.jpg

Vestax PMC 05 Trix edition:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7074/7259967138_d6c58777b6_b.jpg

Vestax PMC 05 Pro:
http://www.oldskoolanthemz.com/forum/attachments/music-chat/26060d1196362008-what-mixer-do-you-have-pmc_golden.jpg

[Mark_Spit]

Here's a few old Streetsound magazine scans from the late 80's early 90's you guys might find interesting:

CD player buyer's guide:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/514/oldsetup009.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/eaoldsetup009j)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/34/oldsetup010.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/0yoldsetup010j)

Review of the Denon DN-4000F:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/24/oldsetup005.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/0ooldsetup005j)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/195/oldsetup006.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/5foldsetup006j)

DJ Mixer buyer's guide:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/147/artybd3.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/43artybd3j)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/70/92ge8.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/1y92ge8j)

[disparate]

Great posts Daniel, very informative :)

Some familiar things there too - I started off with a Gemini PS-626, definitely a budget classic. It wasn't amazing but it certainly got the job done. Mine was from one of the first batches of the PS-626i which had a cleaner, silver look rather than the "pro" pictured above.

Seeing these mixers is bringing back a lot of memories of when I was first shopping for DJ equipment around 2000, in the last days of that "loud" sort of look that mixers used to have with letters/logos and stuff across the faceplate. Although some makes were always quite clean looking - I remember lusting after the high-end Vestax's. I think it was the PMC-270 was a pretty popular intermediate mixer around that time, and their high end ones were the dream. Not sure what's happening with Vestax now, my mate has a PMC-06 I think it is, the really skinny scratch mixer, and I've played on their budget 4-channel mixers which aren't that nice. All bringing me back to these innocent exciting days of shopping around for DJ equipment as a young teenager :)

I also used to have these silver Ortofon Pro-S headshell-mount needles - again, nothing special but cheap and did the job.

As for the DT-100s - hard to imagine using them for DJing, still very popular in broadcasting though!

I used an old Formula Sound mixer at a gig a few years ago, it had obviously seen better days and it was a bit different to using modern Pioneers/A&Hs but it was solid and sounded nice.

[TCMuc]

Another mixer that could be found in quite a number of booths:

http://www.galaxy-music.net/mischpult.JPG

[Mark_Spit]

/\/\/\/\

How old is that mixer? It still has "Tape in's" yet has a fully assignable crossfader.

[Daniel S]

/\/\/\/\

How old is that mixer? It still has "Tape in's" yet has a fully assignable crossfader.

Around the mid 90s. Fully assignable crossfaders have been around since mid 80s. Those big old install mixers were super nice to work with. Most of them had a build quality that today's mixers can't match. Most of them had tall body faders, like P&G or Alps K series, with a totally different feel than the flat body faders most modern mixers use. The Dynacord, LEM, Ecler Sclat and a few other mixers also had 100mm faders that were great for long smooth mixes and were the European equivalent to the rotary mixers used in the US.

Alps K fader:
http://www.d-r.nl/WEBSHOP/contents/media/l_10300098%20fader%20k-alps%2010ka%20stereo%20.jpg

Generic crap fader:
http://www.recordcase.de/shop/default/pix/a/n/pioneer-djm-3005003000---dcv-1005-replacement-line-fader_1084885322-20245.jpg