DJfanatic

What is a great DJ setup?

I am a producer who uses Ableton Live 8 on my MacBook Pro with an Akai MPK25 midi controller, headset and some monitors. I am interested in music preformed, but I'm not exactly sure how the process works. I've seen DJ / producers like James Zabiela preformed with a mixer, CDJs and an effects unit and then I saw Deadmau5 simply using an Allen & Heath Xone 4D Mixer with an effects unit and a Lemur or iPad. Deadmau5 claims not to be a DJ so is its only useful method to harness your own music? I like to mix other music producers, along with mine. Is the mixer the only essential part of a DJ setup? or if you want to mix a variety of music I need CDJs? If I was not used CDJs how could generate music (laptop with Ableton? or a Lemur / IPAD?) What are the pros and cons of any of these settings?

You only can use a laptop or use a laptop DJ controller (controls the software and is a bit easier than controlling everything with the mouse). There are many options now and can be confusing. Some mp3 files play CDJ some just CD playback. If you already have a lot of music on a laptop, could only get the DJ software and start with that. If you want to produce, while the DJ, you will be better with some type of treatment and / or mixer. http://www.zzounds.com/cat–DJ–2447

Steve Duda (BSOD) explains his live DJ Setup at Glow (using Ableton, Nerve, Monome 256, Lemur)