Most people getting into DJing now are either using Pioneer DDJ[1] which is a controller you plug into a computer, or the all-in-one system like XDJ-RX2[2]. Serato/Traktor Scratch DVS setups are usually favoured by people who like records but want to play digital too.
1210s (older MK2/3/5 or the newer MK7) are very expensive so its a huge call for someone to start with a pair of these (plus the additional expense of a mixer, needles and records).
I’ve been out of the game a long time. I have a pair of SL 1200 MK2s in the original boxes (boxes beat to hell, they were my only cases) in my moms attic.
They were expensive new, I picked up a djm-500 at the same time. Looking at eBay, they don’t seem to have appreciated much in value, if anything gone down given inflation.
It was all thanks to a summer job at Intel between my first and second years at college. Blew a ton on this setup!
Just had a look on ebay and I'm surprised at how much used SL1210 mk2s still go for.
I'm surprised, but not that surprised.
I still have my pair of 1210s I bought in 1996 I think. I dragged those to regular small bar gigs 2 or 3 nights a week for about 4 years when I first left uni.
They're still rock solid and work just like new. Whenever I think of good design the Technics SL1200 comes to mind.
The flight cases, however, are up in the loft and stink of cigarette smoke. Seems now crazy to think people used to smoke in pubs.
This sounds like good living. I’d take mine to house parties in college, mostly. Spinning house music. Stuff like Subliminal Records, whatever DJ Dan was into.
> Seems now crazy to think people used to smoke in pubs.
It was crazy and reckless but also interesting to have experienced if only for a relatively short period of time. (presuming no obvious personal long term impacts)
I presume we’ll feel the same about alcohol in a few decades. It’s a rather blunt instrument with which to alter consciousness. And it has a lot of unfortunate outcomes.
It was for a time, and then the ability to plug a USB drive into one CDJ and use it across multiple CDJs came into play. Suddenly, instead of bringing a laptop to a club that you have to fumble around with (no more unplugging and rewiring decks in the middle of someone's set), all you needed to do was bring a thumb drive.
Nowadays you still see folk using Serato/Traitor for sure, but - at least within the dance music community - regular vinyl or USB/CDJ (or often a combo of both) are the most common formats you'll see.
I suspect it varies a lot by genre and possibly also geographic location?
For house, techno, drum and bass, etc I typically see a lot of Pioneer gear, used with digital storage, not CDs. I still see Technics turntables too, but with real vinyl, depending on the DJ. The vast majority of the stuff I listen to doesn't involve scratching / DMC-style turntablism though.
1210s (older MK2/3/5 or the newer MK7) are very expensive so its a huge call for someone to start with a pair of these (plus the additional expense of a mixer, needles and records).
[1] https://www.pioneerdj.com/en-au/product/all-in-one-system/xd...
[2] https://www.pioneerdj.com/en-au/product/controller/ddj-400/b...