Greets from Belgium

Hi and welcome to the forums, neighbor!

I can see you are lost, but you came to the right place.

Producing and DJ-ing are two totally different horses. Both require their own hardware and software. All hardware and especially software have a learning curve. For producing I’d say it’s a steeper curve, especially if you have DJ-ed before.

I’d strongly advice against trying to get into both at the same time. Assuming you don’t have full-time to invest in these two fields, it’s better to pick one.

Which makes the primary question to answer: “Am I a producer who would like to DJ too or am I a DJ who likes to produce too?”. Some thoughts when answering this question are if you prefer to sit in a room by yourself with your music and just fiddle with a track to get it just right, don’t mind or expect “writer’s block” and don’t mind getting your music out there through other channels than your own DJ sets. Or do you like to stand in front of a group (small or large) of people and want to use your knowledge of music to provide them with a great night out? If you are a bedroom DJ, then clearly you won’t have the audience.

Once you settle that dispute, it’s time to have a look at the course offerings by Digital DJ Tips. There is an avenue for producers to follow and DJ’s can start the How To Digital DJ Fast course which, in a matter of weeks, teaches you all the basics and leaves you with enough knowledge to setup a good practicing schedule without having to figure it all out yourself through trial and error.

Depending on your weekly time available (and 7 days/week for 30 mins/day is better than once a week for 3 1/2 hours!), regular and dedicated practice should get you reasonably fluent in the technical aspects of digital DJ-ing in about 6-12 months. Also you’d have a good grasp of how to build up and properly prepare your DJ collection (just hooking up your iTunes collection is not a good plan!). You’d be ready to start playing small events, from house/pool parties to small bars and even small venues. After all, the essential DJ skill of track selection (“Knowing what must come next”) can only be learned in front of an audience.

While producing is not my personal forte, I am pretty much up to speed with DJ-ing. And if you go down that route, the general pathway to take is something like this:
1) Determine your (desired) workflow. This is tough if you are just starting, but you can ask for help here (and read lots of similar questions by using the search option to find relevant earlier postings). It involves asking yourself questions like what genres do I want to play, do I want to be club/venue DJ or mobile, do I want to be really technically good and use all kinds of FX or focus on my entertainment skills, etx.
2) Once your workflow is determined, start looking at what DJ software most closely (none of them will fit 100%) fits your workflow. A lot of them offer an option to try the software on your laptop/PC without a controller attached.
3) Important!: Set a budget. It is extremely easy to get lost in all the shiny knobs and flashing lights and end up with the “wrong” gear for the wrong reason. Also take into account that buying a controller is only 1 step in a bigger project. You’d also need headphones, speakers, maybe a microphone, speakerstands, cables and of course a laptop or tablet (or desktop PC). And music of course!
4) Make a shortlist of controllers (2 or 3 max) that fit your workflow and are properly supported by the software of your choice. Try to get some hands-on time on these controllers at DJ stores. Pick the one that you feel will work best for you.

If you follow those steps and read up on all the information on this topic here at the forums, you will definitely have made a balanced decision and not have rushed in head first without thinking things through.

Long text, hope it helps ease your mind a bit.