I’ve spent the past decade producing events and DJ’ing in a variety of environments. From boat parties to the high desert, I’ve learned some valuable lessons along the way. It doesn’t matter what type of equipment you use, or how experienced you are. If you are heading out to play a gig, make sure you have everything you need. There’s nothing worse than showing up to an event only to find that the promoter didn’t follow through on the technical rider, or the sound engineer has only one RCA cable that’s being held together by electrical tape. You can’t rely on anyone, so take out an insurance policy and bring everything you need to get the job done. In this article, let’s take a look at what every DJ should have in their gig bags.
Vinyl DJ
For the vinyl DJ, the bare essentials include needles/cartridges, slipmats, and headphones. Can you really trust someone else’s needles? How many times have they been used or dropped? Don’t take the chance—bring your own. Well-respected cartridges to check out include models from Shure and Ortofon. The Shure White Label cartridges are reasonably priced and offer high-output voltage and tracking force designed for optimal results in nightclubs. Additionally, it’s a good idea to purchase a couple of White Label Replacement Styli as a backup.
A multi-cartridge carrying case, like the Shure MCC, is a good bet because it holds four cartridges and offers excellent protection. The Ortofon Pro S from the Concorde Series is sold in pairs and includes pre-installed styli in a storage case. Having at least one Ortofon Pro S Replacement Stylus is a smart move. Slipmats are usually provided, but some venues do not offer them, or the ones that are provided are less than ideal, as someone may have used them as a drink coaster the night before. Definitely bring your own headphones. Do you really want someone’s sweat-soaked ear pads sticking to the side of your head? Check out the V-Moda Crossfade M-100, because they sound great and offer a number of unique upgrade options, and all the parts are user replaceable. They also ship in their own robust, hard-shell case that features a carabiner that clips to your DJ bag. Another favorite series for touring DJ’s is the Sennheiser HD25 Series, which offers a few variations and features an on-ear, closed-back design, which is great for noise isolation and great on/off performance.
Digital vinyl DJ
The Digital vinyl DJ utilizes a computer program like Rane SL Series or Traktor, which offers timecode control over digital files. For many professional DJs, this is the ultimate, because they can play high-resolution files from their computers without bringing a giant record bag for their vast vinyl collection. The digital vinyl DJ will need the same basic essentials: cartridges, slipmats, and headphones. The promoter may have a Rane Serato SL interface on hand, or perhaps the DJ mixer has built-in Serato capabilities, but I definitely recommend bringing your own box. I’ve witnessed, on more than one occasion, a computer failing to recognize the interface or mixer. The Rane SL Series offers several interface options and each ships with vinyl and CD control disks, RCA cables, and a USB cable. It’s also worth mentioning that Denon offers the DS1 Serato Digital Audio Interface, which is an affordable option for a backup Serato system that ships with everything you need and is smaller than your standard Serato interface. You might want to grab an extra set of Serato Control CDs and Serato Control Vinyl, as well. The Traktor Scratch Series has a couple of interfaces options, which include the control vinyl and control CDs, but does not include RCA cables. B&H sells a variety of RCA cables, ranging from super affordable to audiophile quality. It’s always a good bet to keep a couple of extra sets on hand, since cables will break over time. Traktor uses a different type of timecode for vinyl control, so Serato and Traktor are not compatible. Grab an extra set of Traktor Control Vinyl for peace of mind.
Controller DJs and Flash drive media players
Dedicated MIDI DJ controllers have exploded in recent years, and there’s no shortage of options. One thing they all have in common are their USB connections. Most will ship with a USB cable, but it’ s always smart to have a backup on hand. Some controllers have built-in audio interfaces and require audio cables to connect to the sound system and monitors. XLR, ¼", and RCA are the standard connections, so make sure you have them on hand. Perhaps you are utilizing digital media players, such as CDJs or digital turntables, that require a USB flash drive. Bring multiple backups of everything. If you play with three decks, bring at least 4 flash drives. There will be times where the link function doesn’t operate or you may lose one of your drives. Flash drives are small and cheap, so have backups for your backups!
Miscellaneous adapters
Ever find yourself in a situation where you need an adapter to plug into a mixer? Things you might not expect, such as XLR to RCA, or RCA to ¼". There are any number of variations for audio connectors, so it’s a great idea to invest in audio adapters. You can find just about anything you need, which will allow you to “build” the type of cable you need. It may not be pretty, but it gets the job done. You can piece together what you think you might need, or purchase a ready-made Audio Adapter Kit, which includes a convenient carry case that keeps everything organized.
Be prepared
I get it. You don’t want to bring a large bag of gear with you to your next gig. You’d prefer to just use what equipment is available. However, I caution this minimalistic approach, as you are leaving too much to chance, and all equipment will eventually fail. Don’t put yourself in this situation. Remember, if you fail to plan, then you should plan to fail. All we can do is hope for the best, but plan for the worst.
Most of us have a DJ'ing horror story. What's yours? Let us know in the Comments section, below.
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