This resource page details the DJ equipment that can be used for scratching.

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase. Please understand that I ONLY recommend products that I have either used personally or know enough about to ensure that I can recommend to you with full confidence, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your scratching goals.

Scratch DJ Equipment Guide

A Comprehensive Guide to Buying Your First Scratch DJ Equipment Setup. This eBook covers everything you need to know about buying a scratch DJ setup and is completely free:

Download Scratch DJ Equipment Guide

DJ Tools and Equipment:

Turntables

TECHNICS SL-1200 MK7 – The updated classic.

Note no ultrapitch. +/-8% or +/-16% only.

TECHNICS SL-1200 MK2 (Silver) – My current turntable of choice. Very old and hard to get hold of but solid, solid, solid! Industry standard for years.

Stanton STR8150 High Torque Direct Drive DJ Turntable

Rane Twelve

Not a turntable as such and like a turntable! A 12″ Motorized Serato Controller.

Mixers

Rane TTM 57SL Serato Mixer – Awesome mixer with Serato Scratch built in. My current mixer of choice for the fact that it has serato built in that connects via USB straight to my laptop. Good effects but still simple enough to use.

Rane Sixty-Two DJ Mixer with Serato Scratch Live Software – Super high end all singing all dancing mixer.

DJ Tech DIF-1S – A great entry level scratch mixer at a low price. My initial tests with it have been very good. Probably the best mixer for its price (around £139 / $199). If they had invented this mixer when I first started scratching I would have bought it instead of the Vestax 06 Pro A (now no longer available).

Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol Z2 DJ Mixer – used by many people in the Studio Scratches Facebook group and consistently gets good reports. Like the Rane TTM 57SL but for Traktor users. Mini innofader inside makes for super smooth fader action.

Needles

Shure M44-7 – Discontinued and much beloved. Sturdy and loud. The standard in scratch needles. If you can get a cartridge second hand, you can get replacement stylus made by third parties like JICO.

Ortofon

Trusted and well known brand used by top Scratch DJs worldwide.

Concorde MkII SCRATCH

OM Q.BERT

OM Q.Bert pre-mounted on SH-4 Black headshell

OM Scratch White pre-mounted on SH-4 Blue headshell

Stanton

Stanton – I haven’t seen much of Stanton for scratch DJs recently and you can check out their range.

Taruya

Taruya – I saw Qbert using this Japanese brand.

Shure MCC DJ Cartridge Case – I transport my headshells and cartridges in this handy box. It’s been all around the world with me!

Slipmats

Butter Rugs – A great slipmat that is super thin and super slippy. Been using these for years and years now.

Dr. Suzuki: D-Styles’ Table Cloth Slipmats – If I had to use anything other than Butter Rugs, it would be these! I’ve just ordered myself a set so expect a mini review soon.

Digital Vinyl Systems

Rane SL 2 for Serato Scratch Live – I use Serato software for mixing and scratching and really love it. This hardware connects to a standard mixer so that you can use mp3s to mix and scratch with.

Native Instruments Traktor Scratch A6 – An alternative used by many famous DJs such as Qbert and Craze.

Crossfaders

InnoFader – a really great crossfader that you can fit into a large number of mixers to save you buying a complete new mixer. Adjustable for the minimum cut in time. A very smooth fader indeed.

Speakers

Genelec 6010A Bi-Amplified Monitor – Finnish designed awesome quality speaker that pack a punch into a small package. Seriously good! And they look super cool.

Headphones

Sennheiser HD25-1 II Headphones – I still remember my first proper gig in a proper loud club, I couldn’t hear what I was doing in my headphones over the monitor speaker. Another DJ lent me these for the night and went out and bought a set the very next day. I haven’t looked back, and again they have travelled all over the world with me. Comfortable, loud and blocks out external noise to a large level.

Beats and Sounds to Scratch With:

Beats for Scratch Practice

Ultimate Beats For Scratch Practice – Super high value package of beats in all styles, tempos and varieties.

Studio Scratches Beat Packs – Affordable individual beat packs in a variety of flavours.

Digital Scratch Records

Digital Skipless Scratch Record #27
Digital Skipless Scratch Record #28
Digital Skipless Scratch Record #31
Digital Skipless Scratch Record #33

The most popular scratch sounds to cut it up fresh with. Skipless too! For use with Serato and Traktor.

Vinyl Scratch Records

Super Seal – The standard every scratch record is measured by. Skipless for easy scratching.

Beat Making:

Native Instruments Maschine – Many of the Beatpacks and Beats For Scratch Practice in the Studio Scratches Beat Store were made with Maschine.