Becoming a DJ using a Laptop....

[RJ831]

Music has always been a hobby of mine and I decided to take it a step further. I just bought Virtual DJ software (150.00) so that I can run most of my stuff off my laptop. I have a couple of questions though. What type of devices do I need to get this started...I know I will need an amp and maybe a new external sound card but what kind of stuff should I get...I'm fairly new to the "DJ" world but I'm pretty computer saavy...I'm thinkingAny ideas? thanks guys, all input is appreciated.

Also, my laptop is a Dell Inspiron 5100...

 

[peepnklown]

It really depends on what you are looking to do.
If you are looking into plugging your notebook into a hardware setup you’ll probably need an external sound card (a second sound card will also give you 2 channels for each virtual table).
If you want to get serious you’ll want an external mixer (the second sound card comes into play). The external sound card is going to be expensive but will give you what you need when plugging in hardware.
I would practice mixing before you spend the extra money (you might want to pick up the cheapest external sound card for the 2nd channel for each virtual table but you’ll need a high end one later if you want to add hardware).
If you get serious you might want to look into Final Scratch or Serato Scratch Live.

 

[RJ831]

Thanks for the input...I'm really just trying to get my feet wet right now...I want to start off by at least being able to play music at a high level off my laptop. The mixing will come a lil later....

 

[RJ831]

Do you know where I can find good external sound cards for my setup? I've searched but I can't find any.....thanks.