The Evolution of DJ Gear

In the early days of DJs, the gear was not as technologically advanced as it is today. In the beginning, DJs would use turntables with vinyl records. To play and mix tracks this way took a lot more skill and precision due to the limitations of the equipment. Since then, there have been many evolutions in the gear. Technology has made it easier for people to mix tracks together and having to carry around a crate of vinyl records is a thing of the past, but many still prefer to use turntables rather than the new industry standard, the CDJ.

The most popular turntable is the Technics SL-1200MK2 Turntable. This piece of gear completely changed the DJ scene when it was first released in 1979. This piece of gear made it to where the DJ could adjust the pitch of the record he was playing. It would actually adjust the pitch by adjusting the tempo, which would speed up or slow down the track. This made it possible to match the beat of two records. This made the transitions from one song to another sound seamless and smooth. There would not be any more major advancements in DJ gear until Pioneer released the CDJ in 1994.

When Pioneer released the CDJ, it began new era in the way DJs would spin tracks. It gave them the ability to play music off of CDs rather than having to use vinyl records. The first few iterations of the CDJ had many problems though. Due to this, many did not switch over and use them. They would continue to use the Technics turntable well after the first versions of the CDJ were released. It wasn't until Pioneer released the CDJ-1000 in 2003 that they began to take over as the new industry standard.

The last piece of important gear that has evolved over time is the DJ Mixer. This market has almost always been dominated by Pioneer. Through its evolutions, the mixer has become more digital rather than analog over time. This piece of gear allows the DJ to take several different audio sources and gives them the ability to mix the audio together and project it through a sound system. They also have a ability to hear one audio source through headphones to make sure their mix is perfect before bringing in another track. As these mixers have evolved, new effects have been added to the gear to make mixes sound better.