r/vinyldjs

So I'm new to vinyl djing. Just bough my first MK5 with a second on the way. I love the sounds from classic house, anything that jacks, and groovy duby tracks. Would love to hear peoples favourite labels old and new. Looking to explore.

I go to all sorts of flea markets and used vinyl stores and buy it for almost pennies in order to make such mixes, they don’t turn out perfect, but they don’t have to be perfect, everything is real.

What are my options for adding loop and echo effects to my vinyl setup? Is a peddle the answer? Any recommendations? I would like to store the loop in memory, and have multiple loops, if possible. Thank you for any advice.

Hey everyone - looking for some advice from people recording all-vinyl mixes and uploading them to SoundCloud, Mixcloud, radio shows, etc.

I’m trying to figure out the right workflow for getting my vinyl mixes sounding bigger, louder, and more polished without overdoing it.

When I record a vinyl mix, the waveform naturally has a lot more “mountains and canyons", quiet sections, louder sections, more dynamics, and more variation between records. Compared to digital mixes, which often look pretty rammed in Audacity but somehow aren’t clipping, my recordings feel softer in volume and not quite as punchy once uploaded online.

I know digital tracks are usually already mixed/mastered louder and are probably being pushed harder with compression/limiting before they ever get played. With vinyl, I’m dealing with different pressings, different eras, different master levels, surface noise, and the natural dynamics of the format.

Right now, my rough Audacity process is something I pieced together from YouTube tutorials and ChatGPT, so I’m not totally sure I’m doing it correctly:

1. Record the mix into Audacity
2. Normalize
3. Apply a bass correction / filter curve EQ
4. Use a limiter for loudness
5. Export for upload

I’m mostly wondering:

How are you preparing your mixes before uploading?

Are you normalizing, compressing, limiting, EQing, or just leaving the recording mostly untouched?

Is “mastering” even the right word here, or is this more just light post-processing?

Any Audacity-specific tips would be especially helpful. I’m not trying to make the mix sound crushed or overly digital. Just trying to get it sounding fuller, punchier, and closer in perceived loudness to other mixes online while still keeping the natural feel of vinyl.

Would love to hear what your workflow looks like.

Hey I've been raving for years but never bothered to muck about on the decks because there was always someone better on them and anyway, I was too busy dancing. But after all these years (decades 🙈) of being too impatient for this sht, I started putting a few tunes together and it's SUCH A LAUGH!

So can someone please tell me what the next steps are when beatmatching and phrasing come pretty naturally? What do I do with EQs please? Gimme your best tips! And I like cutting in stuff and then out, dunno what it's called or how to explain.. Ummmm, you know, when you have a sneak beat of the next song. I kinda can do that but it'd be good to see exactly which knobs to turn / slide... And what can you do with the old tune once the new tune is in? That'd be really fun to keep playing with but I usually have to give up on it pronto.

Hey everybody! Quite Recently this year I have gotten into messing around with DJing specifically on turntables. My Current set up is an audio technica lp120 and a reloop rp7000mk2 with a A&H Xone 24c mixer. Hoping to sell the AT sometime this year and upgrade to a second reloop. Anyways before I started playing around with DJing I was just a casual hifi listener and simply enjoyed the vibes. 1.5 years ago my dad passed away and I inherited all of his records which kind of got me into this rabbit hole of vinyl Djing. The ATLP120 was inherited and I was curious what the pitch slider was all about ( I had only owned a belt driven vintage technics) and then went down a whole rabbit hole which lead me to buying the reloop. Anyways I have my own personal record collection but now with my dad’s collection here I own a ton of records that I haven’t even had the chance to hear most of it, so while I’m trying to check em out and go through them all I was hoping that anybody could give me some recommendations of songs on which albums would be good to mix in or records that I just have to check out In general.

List of Vinyl Records
Aretha- lady soul
Aretha- arrives
Astrogasm- from the inner space
ABC -how to be a zillionaire
ABC -be near me
ABC -beauty stare
The association- greatest hits
Arctic monkeys- unreleased tracks, demos, & live
Beastie boys- license to Ill
Arctic monkeys- AM
ALIEN -original soundtrack from the twentieth century fox film
Apocalypse now- original motion picture soundtrack
Airshow- the ultimate power surge
Audio technica stereophonic test record
Andreas vollenweider- caverna magica
Andy taylor -thunder
Bob Welch- three hearts
Bob Seger -and the silver bullet band live bullet
Goat -requiem
Billy cobham- warning
Bongos/ flutes/ guitars stereophonic disc
The black keys -let’s rock
The byrds- fifth dimension
Billy ocean- suddenly
Best of 73’
Billy squier- don’t say no
Barbra Streisand- the second Barbra Streisand album
Billy Joel -the stranger
Blue oyster cult- agents of fortune
The Rolling Stones- love you live
The Rolling Stones - emotional rescue
Rage against the machine- self titled
Rainbow- difficult to cure
Buzzcocks- singles going steady
Black uhurh- chill out
Boston- don’t look back
Boston - self titled
The band- the best of the band
Blues brothers- made In America
Beach boys- beach boys live in London ‘69
Blood, sweat, & tears- greatest hits
Bread- on the waters
Bob Dylan- Nashville skyline
Black uhuru- anthem
Belinda Carlisle- heaven on earth
Bob James- lucky seven
Chicago- at Carnegie hall volumes 1,2,3,&4
The cure- standing on a beach the singles
The cure- the head on the door
The cure- kiss me kiss me kiss me
The cars- self titled
Big brother and the holding company- cheap thrills
China crisis- flaunt the imperfections
The time- Ice cream castle
Crosby stills and Nash- daylight again
Carmine Appice- rockers
Carole king- thoroughbred
Carole king- tapestry
Curtis mayfield- get to find a way
Carole king- rhymes and reasons
Credence Clearwater revival- live in Europe
Crowded house- self titled
Credeence Clearwater revival- self titled
The church- starfish
Culture club- from luxury to heartache
Chic- believer
Cream- Best of cream
Coin- how will you know if you never try
Take charge ‘73
Cal Tjader- Cal Tjaders greatest hits volume 2
Luis Arteaga- collage
Crusaders- street life
Cage- kill the architect
Duran Duran- notorious
Doctor Zhivago original sound track album
Don ho- east coast west coast
Dave crusin - discover again
The moody blues- days of future passed
Doobie brothers- best of the doobies
David hasselhoff- night rocker
Debbie Gibson- out of the blue
Donald fagen- the nightfly
Dire straits- brothers in arms
The dudek, finnigan, Kruger band- self titled
Chaka Kahn- destiny
Dire straits- communiqué
Duran Duran- union of the snake
Del the funky homosapien- phoney phranchsie
Earth Wind and Fire- the best of Earth Wind and Fire volume 1
Earth Wind and Fire- powereight
Electric light orchestra- out of the blue
Emerson lake and Palmer- trilogy
Echo and the bunnyman- heaven up here
Earth Wind and Fire- I am
Earth Wind and Fire- all n all
Electric light orchestra- face the music
Emerson, lake, and Palmer- pictures at an exhibition
Eddie money- playing for keeps
Elektra- shirley Murdock
Eddie money- life for the taking
Eddie money- no control
Elektra- simply red
Eric Clapton another ticket
Emerson, lake, and Palmer- tarkus
Foxygen- … and star power
The fifth dimension- the age of Aquarius
The fixx- reach the beach
Frankie goes to Hollywood- welcome to the pleasuredome
Gene Tracy- first thing in the morning
Gary myrick- stand for love
General public- all the rage
The guess who- live at the paramount
Genesis- …and then there were three…
Genesis- three sides live
Genesis- abacab
Grace Jones- island life
The knack- get the knack
Getz/ Gilberto- Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto
George shearing- black satin
George Howard- dancing in the sun
Grover Washington jr- inner city blues
Glass animals- how to be a human being
Herbie Hancock- future shock
Hypnotic records- file under: dance
Herb Alpert’s Tijuana brass- whipped cream and other delights
Howard jones- things can only get better
Humble pie- eat it
Humble pie- as safe as yesterdays
Humble pie- rock on
Heart- self titled
Humble pie- street rats
Humble pie- smokin
Humble pie- performance rockin the Fillmore
Humble pie- thunderbox
Heaven and earth- fantasy
Inxs- what you need
Inxs- shabooh shadow
Johnny Mathis- merry Christmas
James taylor- flag
Joe Walsh- there goes the neighborhood
John waite - rovers return
Jethro tull- war child
Jeff Lorber- facts of love
Jean luc ponty- fables
Jean luc ponty- civilized evil
Jon Anderson- Olias of sunhillow
Jonny cash- Johnny cash at San Quentin
Julian Lennon- vallote
The jam- the gift
Jethro tull- stormwatch
Joan armatrading- seight of hand
Johnny winter- saints and sinners
Jennifer warnes- shot through the heart
Johnny winter- second winter
The j. Geils band- bloodshot
Jefferson startship- modern times
James brown- soul syndrome
Jeff beck- there and back
Jeff beck- wired
Jon butcher- wishes
Jefferson airplane- flight log
Kate bush- running up that hill
Kool and the gang- ladies night
The kinks- the kink kronikles
Khruangbin- con todo el mundo
King- bitter sweat
King- steps in time
Kajagoogoo- white feathers
King pleasure- golden days
Kenny g and g force- gravity
Living jazz- a lovers concerto
Leonard Bernstein- Leonard Bernstein conducts his 3 symphonies
Lee ritenour- captain fingers
Lynard skinard- street survivors
Loose ends- a little spice
Led Zeppelin- through the outdoor
Linda ronstadt- mad love
Les dudek- self titled
Les dudek- say no more
Les dudek- gypsy ride
Lynard skinard- give me back my bullets
Lynard skinard- self titled
Michael franks- tiger in the rain
Weather report- Mr. Gone
Maynard Ferguson- boy with lots of brass
Manheim steamroller- fresh air
Miles Davis- porgy and Bess
The motels- shock
Montrose- self titled
The Marshall Tucker band- dedicated
Mike Rutherford- acting very strange
Mary Jane girls- in my house
The marshal Tucker band- running like the wind
Madonna- dress you up
New order- substance
Nick Lowe- labor of lust
Nick Heyward- laura
Nirvana- nevermind
The newz- heard the newz
Neil diamond- sweet Caroline, brother loves traveling salvation show, glory road, and the grass won’t pay no mind
Nancy Wilson- lush life
Nancy Sinatra and Lee hazelwood- Nancy and Lee
Nancy Wilson- easy
Nancy Wilson- today, tomorrow, forever
Neil young- comes a time
Neil young and crazy horse- rust never sleeps
Neil young- journey through the past
Ol dirty bastard- Brooklyn zoo
Olivia- physical
Ozzy Osborne- blizzard of oz
Outlaws- ghost riders
The police- synchronicity concert
Pet Clark- these are my songs
In performance at the playboy jazz festival
Pink Floyd- the wall
Pet shop boys- one more chance and west end girls
The power station- 33 and 1/3
Pretenders- 2
Procol harum - grand hotel
The police- zenyatta mondatta
Psychedelic furs- midnight to midnight
Pretenders- talk of the town
The power station - get it on
The psychedelic furs- talk talk talk
Patti smith group- wave
Peter frampton- where I should be
Paul McCartney- McCartney 2
Peter Gabriel- big time
The fixx- phantoms
Philip Bailey- Chinese wall
Pat benatar- precious time
Phil Collins- sussudio and the man with the horn
Phil Collins- face value
Pablo cruise- part of the game
Pat metheny- new Chautauqua
Phil Collin’s- hello I must get going
Pink Floyd- the wall
Pink Floyd- dark side of the moon
The police- ghost in the machine
Pointer sisters- black and white
Procol harum- Procols ninth
Procol harum- something magic
Original motion picture soundtrack from the film quadrpphenia
Robin trower- in city dreams
Robin trower- long misty days
Rod Stewart- blondes have more fun
Rod Stewart- the best of rod Stewart
Rod Stewart- tonight I’m yours
The Maxell- rock 2 sampler
The maxell- rock 2 sampler
The maxell- rock sampler
British rock classics
Rodney dangerfield- no respect
Ronnie laws- classic masters
Music magic- return to forever
Robert Shaw- Stravinsky firebird
Ramsey Lewis trio- stretching out
Robert cray- strong persuader
Rush- moving pictures
Rachel sweet- fool around
Rickie Lee jones- pirates
Rickie Lee jones- self titled
Robert Johnson- close personal friend
Ramones- ramones mania
Rick Nelson- garden party
Randy Newman- born again
Rick derringer- guitars and women
Robert Palmer- riptide
Robert Palmer - secrets
Rolling Stones- let it bleed
The moody blues- seventh sojourn
Steve miller band- brave new world
Blue oyster cult- specters
The band- stage fright
Steve forbert- jackrabbit slim
Steve forbert- alive on arrival
Supertramp- breakfast in America
Sandy Nelson- drums a go go
Sugarhill gang- rappers delight
Siouxsie and the banshees- cities in dust
Simple minds- all the things she said
Steely Dan- the royal scam
Steely Dan- greatest hits
The sandpipers- guantanamera
The San Sebastián strings- the sea
Steely Dan- pretzel logic
Steely Dan- can’t buy a thrill
Steely Dan- Katy lied
Steely Dan- gaucho
Steely Dan- countdown to ecstasy
Sade- promise
Split enz- waiata
Split enz- time and tide
Sting- dream of the blue turtles
Seals and crofts- unborn child
Sade- never as good as the first time
Squeeze- sweets from a stranger
Santana- Zebobi
Steppenwolf- gold
The Shawn Owen’s project trio- hands
Sergio Mendez and Brasil ‘66- crystal illusions
Sun ra- space is the place
Star Trek the motion picture
Sergio Mendes and brasil 66’- look around
Sergio mendes and brasil 66’- equinox
Sea level- cats on the coast
Skywalk- silent witness
Stanley Clarke- journey to love
Steve Martin - let’s get small
Shadowfax- the dreams of children
Spyro gyra- alternating currents
The style council- internationalists
Simply red- men and women
Simply red- picture book
Silent planet- everything was sound
Spandau ballet- the singles collection
Stevie ray vaughn and double trouble- couldn’t stand the weather
Stevie wonder- in square circle
Stevie wonder- looking back
Stiing- if you love somebody then set them free
Styx- cornerstone
Simon and Garfunkel- bookends
Simon and Garfunkel- bookends
Simon and Garfunkel- Simon and Garfunkel’s greatest hits
Soft cell- tainted love, where did our love go
Steve winwood- arc of a diver
Dwight twilley- twilley
Traffic- the low spark of high heeled boys
Two door cinema club- tourist history
Tony Bennett- Tony Bennett at Carnegie hall June 9 1962
Toto- turn back
The tubes- remote control
ZZ Top- tres hombres
Thompson twins- In the name of love
Tears for fears- songs from the big chair
Traffic- shoot out at the fancy factory
Trini Lopez- trini lopez at PJs recorded live
Teena Marie- starchild
Thomas Dolby - aliens ate my Buick
Tim curry- fearless
Tom petty and the heartbreakers- here comes my girl
Tony mottola- Roman guitar volume two
The untouchables- wild child
Uriah heep- return to fantasy
Vikki Carr- Nashville by Carr
Vikki Carr- it must be him
Vikki Carr- the first time ever
Vikki Carr- intimate excitement
Vikki Carr- superstar
Vitamin z- rites of passage
Van Halen- self titled
Wings- back to the egg
Wes Montgomery- the best of wes Montgomery
M ward- transistor radio
Whitney Houston - self titled
Warren kime and his brass impact orchestra- explosive brass impact
Wes Montgomery- California dreaming
Wang Chung- points on the curve
The who- it’s hard
Warren zevon- stand in the fire
Yes- Yessongs
ZZ Top- fandango
ZZ Top- deguello
ZZ Top - Tejas
The 1975- self titled
The b52s- rock lobster
Frank Zappa- teenage prostitute and valley girl
Sade- diamond life video
David Bowie- changes

Been using the Shure Whitelabel needles reliably for DJing and home listening since 2004 and have been struggling to find a replacement since the discontinuation. I had a couple sets of replacement styluses that got me through for a while, but those eventually got gummed up.

I bought the Jico N-WHLB Nude styluses in 2025, and they are useless. Fine for playback, but tracking sucks and they do not work for cueing / djing. They skip all over the place when cueing.

Do the new Jico WHLB-SD (synthetic diamond) improve tracking / cueing?

I have tried two different sets / brands of needles to replace my whitelabels entirely:

1. Ortofon Club: Track decent (not as good as the shure's), work fine with djing, they probably sound as good as the whitelabels. However, the physical cartridge is audible. I can hear it over the stereo at low volume (65-70db) home listening.
2. Taruya 05m-2: track well, super high gain. Great for DJing / club use. The tone is decent, maybe a little too much gain above 2khz IMO.... HOWEVER, the physical cartridge is comically loud. Like I can hear the full song coming from the headshells from 10 feet away - over my stereo. Super distracting for home listening even with the stereo at a moderate 75db volume.

I can use either the Ortofons or the Taruyas for DJing, but I can't listen to them at home lol. Well, I can listen to the Ortofons at daytime volumes, but not late at night. I can not listen to the Taruya's at home. Is this some sort of side effect of the Banana style headshells?

Does anyone have a Whitelabel solution??? Some dead stock styluses from shure? Are there reliable M44 alternatives? I'd even be open to those at this point.

Hi
I’m a DJ playing old records in pubs on weekends.
In some pubs where I play, some records (usually Beatles) have say John and Ringo coming out if one speaker at one end of the pub, and George and Paul out of another
It’s quite annoying as ideally I’d like the whole sound out of each speaker.
Is there anything in my setup to fix this?
Bear in mind I can’t really measure with the house sound system where I plug the RCA master out from my mixer into.
Thx!

Hey all, I'm looking into my first vinyl setup on a budget after catching the bug on my mates Technics. I've got a decent amount of experience and plenty of Vinyl, for a first setup would you reccomend these turntables? Torque seems pretty decent, just not sure on buld quality and durability etc. I'm never going to scratch on these, not using for DVS either. It'd be nice if they sounded decent but not a top priority. So yeah, looking at a pair for 250, would there be a point in trying for 200 or are these junk? Thanks!