Beginner DJ, Looking for Equipment.

The NV looks nice and is something I would definitely consider, along with the Denon 4000/6000 offerings and the Reloop Terminal Mix 8, and finally the SX2 from Pioneer. If you KNOW that you’re serious, otherwise that would be a lot to spend.
I started with a mix track pro 2, and still have/use it regularly. It is in my living room at the moment. I upgraded to a TM8 and love it, but sometimes wish I had gotten something that works as a standalone mixer. The MC6000 didn’t make the cut for me because of a few reasons but I can see where it would be about perfect for some. I wanted the big jogs and pads, and the Reloop had a similar layout to the MTP2 I had started with. I also like the long pitch faders as I’m working without sync and still without beat grids on many tracks.
The SX2 is something I have drooled over but for now the tm8 will be enough, and I was just gifted an iPad so that will be my standard “auxiliary input device” most of the time once I get it set up (not an iTunes user yet). I will still keep my analog mixer and 800mk2 setup in the car, and use it sometimes if needed.
Try to imagine all the ways you will use your kit, and consider things like a controller that is not USB powered but AC powered, an aux input is nice (TM8 allows aux as well as mic to go through Serato or straight through to output). Consider backup plans. Consider resale if you’re not sure/serious about DJing, or future proofing your purchase if you are. Consider the availability of stuff like decks avers and flight cases, I still haven’t seen a deck saver for the TM8, but hope to get a hard case or bag soon. I hope this helped, keep us posted…
Moonshadow

@Vintage Didn’t mean to badmouth the tm8… 🙂
I love mine a lot! There were a lot of reasons I chose it. I preordered mine, sx2 wasn’t out yet. I like the rgb pads above the jogs, long faders, and many other aspects. I would love to have a visual around the jogs for play head location, but am learning to do without that. I would love it to be a standalone mixer, but the aux in is great, it can route to Serato or straight to output, so makes adding to your setup very versatile and can be used for backup in the event of a reboot or laptop issue. Flip is something I would like to try as well, may pick up a neon or some add on that will open that doorway. Gain, eq, filter, etc would be nice to have on the aux. input, the way you can route the sx2 channels is cool but still not “perfect”… I don’t think there is a “perfect” … But do agree with needing to find your workflow, and as I said, I still use my mixtrack pro 2 a lot.
I would put more consideration into a redline bag, but don’t see a decksaver for the tm8, so I might get a flight case soon as they seem to be available now here in the states. Oh, and I didn’t say the tm8 will HAVE to be enough, I said that the sx2 is something I have drooled over for a while but for now the tm8 WILL be enough… :). There’s a few things on the pioneer that just aren’t to my liking and so I don’t justify the purchase.
I am hoping for a Reloop Terminal Mix 12/16 or something someday, with standalone mixer and source matrix, flip controls, playhead indicator around the AWESOME jogs, metering per channel and on master, DVS capability, 2 mic inputs, and the list goes…….. LOL.

Our “usual suspects” for starter controllers are, in no particular order;

Pioneer DDJ-SB
Reloop Beatmix 2
Numark Mixtrack Pro 3 (a used 2 will do nicely as well)
Denon MC2000
And if you were to go for Traktor software, the S2 or a combination of their modular gear

Do you intend to stay in your bedroom and “perform” just for you or do you want to eventually play out? And if you play out do you think about playing in bars/clubs as close to your favorite genres as you can or more as a mobile DJ doing everything from weddings to corporate events which requires a much broader music selection and a different approach.

As for software, the now big 4-5 are:
– Serato
– Pioneer RekordBox DJ
– Traktor
– Virtual DJ
– Mixvibes Cross

They all have their particular things. Clearly Serato leads the pack when it comes to software being packed with controllers (this was Traktor only a couple of years ago!) and Traktor is now more and more a Native Instruments only company, so if you go that route, be sure to pick Traktor gear with it for maximum performance/compatibility.
RekordBox is obviously a good choice if you already use it with CDJs and plan on using Pioneer gear in the future. It’s not finished though, some modules still to come out and, knowing Pioneer, they will most likely charge you for those extra’s. So hard to say now where they end up financially in the list.
Virtual DJ is the “other” software. Lots of features and a rather high price for the full version, but one time only, once you own it, all future upgrades are free and you have access to all features. I also understand it’s the software that supports the widest ranger of hardware.
Mixvibes Cross has good software (happens to be what I use) and feature/workflow wise it is most like Serato I would say. It has some specific Cross features that I value and some things are not as good as Serato. The good news is you can get a time-limited full feature trial version. While not as many controllers are supported as with VDJ, Cross still has lots of standard mappings and an active forum where you can find custom mappings too.

Then there is a lot of other software, from PC DJ to Deckadance and from Mixx to DJAY Pro (Mac only). And we haven’t mentioned iPad based software yet.

So, I can see how you can easily get overwhelmed. The problem is that nobody else (including the guys around you using Serato) can tell you what will work best for you in the end. Hence our advice to buy a good solid starter controller, start with the software it comes with. If you find out the software is missing things you feel you really need/like, you can always get a trial version of other software to have a play with.

Then, when you are ready to upgrade in the future you will have your software picked out definitely and you’ll know what you need/want in the hardware you need.

Hope that helps some.

I started out from scratch with a mixtrack 3 (not Pro) with VirtualDJ, and it was a good starter controller, It did what was needed to learn the basics of beatmatching and mixing. I recently upgraded to the Numark NV, Mainly because I found a screaming good buy on it, and because I wanted more audio output options (ie Balanced XLR main outputs) than were possible with the Mixtrack 3. Had I not found such a good deal, I would still be happily mixing on the mixtrack 3. It has paid for itself many times over, gigs every Friday and Saturday Night since September. I still keep it around for a backup just in case. I found I still prefer VirtualDJ over Serato, but that is probably more just personal preference than anything related to the software, my workflow has grown up around VirtualDJ, no need to rock the boat now 😉