Learnings, Insights and Tips on Speakers, Subs and DJing
DJ gear guides covering controllers, CDJs, XDJs, rekordbox, USB drives, headphones, setup problems, and practical equipment choices for beginners and working DJs.
Disclosure: Some product links in this guide may be affiliate links. If you buy through them, Starting to DJ may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend gear that makes sense for the topic, not just whatever pays the most. People are always asking me which USB drives to … Read more
The DDJ-1000 is an incredible piece of equipment, but it’s annoying when you have to mess with your laptop settings to get the sound working. I had a few audio issues with my DDJ-1000, suddenly making crackling noises. Irritating when mixing but even more so when recording. If you also have any problems, you must … Read more
When I just bought the DDJ-1000 and got it set up with Rekordbox, everything seemed great, but I could not seem to get audio out of the headphones at all. First, they didn’t work at all, and then I couldn’t listen to individual channels through my headphones when mixing. Today, you could say I mastered … Read more
One of the faders on Pioneer DDJ-400 is stuck, broken, or sends funny signals to Rekordbox. And you’re not sure what to do. No matter what fixes you try, nothing happens. In this article, I’ll explain what to do when your channel fader, volume fader, crossfader, or tempo fader is not working and explain how you … Read more
While I agree that Pioneer DJ is one of the biggest names on this market, I don’t necessarily agree they have the absolute best at beginner DJ controllers. And I don’t say they are bad, far from it. This is a quite crowded market, and companies need to distinguish themselves from the competitors somehow. Two … Read more
Quick 2026 setup note: For the DDJ-FLX4, AlphaTheta’s beginner setup guidance still points to a PC/Mac or mobile device, powered speakers or a power amp, headphones, and the correct USB cable. If audio is silent, first confirm whether sound is routed to the controller, the computer speakers, or a mobile device. AlphaTheta notes that with … Read more
If you’ve been getting into making beats and sampling stuff in Ableton but don’t have a dedicated Ableton midi controller, why not use a DJ controller instead? You might be wondering, is that even possible? What MIDI signals does it send? Could you use it to fire up samples with the various buttons? Could you … Read more
One year ago, I was tossing up between Pioneer DDJ-1000 and XDJ-RX2. On the one hand, I really wanted to move away from the laptop, and the CDJ style layout was ideal for getting club-ready. But on the other, the DDJ-1000 appealed to me in many ways, from the larger jog wheels, four channels, and … Read more
Many people have told me that they have problems with sound output on Pioneer DDJ-FLX4 and DDJ-400 connected to Rekordbox. Most of them were fairly new to DJing, eager to learn to mix, and afraid their controller might arrive broken. Some were having problems immediately after unpacking, and some successfully used their headphones since purchasing … Read more
Quick answer (2026 update): Yes, you can use multiple MIDI controllers at once. The cleanest setup is to give each controller its own MIDI input or track in your DAW, then map knobs and pads only where you need them. If you are combining DJ controllers with production controllers, start with one main clock source, … Read more