How to Connect DJ Equipment
DJ equipment has changed over the past few decades; from turntables, record albums and jumbo speakers to full-blown state of the art digital equipment. One glance at all of the ports and connections can leave you bleary-eyed, to say the least. Being a DJ does take a bit of technical savvy but it can be completed if you have the right training and tools.
Things You'll Need:
- Turntable
- Mixer (two, three or four channel)
- CD player, MP3 player or iPod
Turntable Connection
- Locate the PHONO input in the back
of the mixer. Above the PHONO input is the GROUND connection, only
turntable use this type of connection. - Connect the wire from the
turntable to the GROUND connection to prevent the loud humming noise
and static. - Study the mixer controls and find the switch labeled Line/Phono. Move the switch to the other side and it will
automatically choose the PHONO input specific to the correct channel
that the turntable is plugged into. Make sure the Line/Phono switch
and the PHONO input are on the same channel.
CD, MP3 and iPod Connections
- Locate the LINE input (found on
the mixer). Connect your CD player, MP3 or iPod to the LINE input.
Note: Two channel mixers allow you to connect a turntable and a
CD player at the same time by using one channel for each device.
Just remember that the turntables use PHONO and all other devices
use LINE input. Simply connect the devices to separate channels. - Select the device you will use and hit the channel switch.
Amplifier or Recording Device Connections
- Look on the back of your mixer and
locate two outputs labeled MASTER and REC. - Connect the amplifier by utilizing
the MASTER output. - Link one pair of RCA plugs to the
record outputs located on the mixer (they are red and white in
color). - Connect recording devices such as tape recorders or computers to
the REC output. Adjust the MASTER output so you can control the
noise levels. This helps keep the sounds separate.