The 6 Best DJ Booths

Editor's Notes

July 17, 2019:

Although the term disc jockey appears to have first emerged during the mid-thirties, when it was used to refer to on-air personalities who would spin vinyl records for broadcast radio, Deejaying never really took off as a celebrated performance art until the seventies – during the eruption of New York’s hip hop culture onto the public consciousness.

As turntablism slowly began being recognized as a respected musical practice, demand for skilled deejays increased simultaneously. Today, following the international explosion of electronic dance music and digital media over the last two decades, there’s more opportunity out there than ever for the aspiring disc jock. But, the competition out there is fierce. Making sure there’s meaningful differentiators that separate you from the other guy, might be the difference between the success or failure of your new creative career.

While we can’t help set you apart by teaching you how to select tracks, beat match and mix better than every other deejay in your hometown, we do have some advice for you when it comes to selecting the perfect booth to support your gear.

Granted, the first thing you’re going to need to get started is a pair of turntables (or a controller), a mixer and some headphones. But don’t underestimate the ability of a slick-looking booth to help create opportunities for you to play out. While nightclubs, bars, bowling alleys and even your best friend’s basement might be able to offer you a decent spot to set up your decks, some of the best paying gigs you’ll land are the ones that depend on you to show up with your own sound, lighting and booth. Hauling all your own stuff out to a wedding, fundraiser or company picnic might be a major pain, but it could also easily earn you five times what you’ll get paid for playing a nightclub set.

Got your attention? Good. Now, here’s a few things to keep top of mind while you’re picking up the perfect presentation piece to house your music-mixing apparatus:

Is the booth you’re considering going to be big enough to accommodate your gear? Measure and make sure! Nothing’s worse than ordering up the perfect booth, only to discover that its workspace isn’t wide enough to fit your stuff. Measure your current setup from end to end and check it against the booth dimensions you’re considering. Ideally, you’ll want a booth that can fit your gear inside its road cases, else you’re going to be stuck completely unpacking every piece of equipment every time you play – which I promise feels a lot more inconvenient than it sounds. If you haven’t purchased cases for your gear yet, pick out your future purchases online and see what their dimensions are.

How often are you going to need to move this booth? Is this purchase going to be a permanent fixture in a venue that you run, or are you a mobile-deejay who plays out at different locations four times a week? If your answer lands closer to the former, then plan on picking out the sturdiest booth you can find, regardless of weight or assembly time. If your answer leans nearer to the latter, then plan on picking out a lightweight booth that offers superior set-up/tear-down speed.

What other components are you planning on incorporating to your stage show? There’s sometimes a stigma amongst deejays that suggests they shouldn’t be providing anything to a party but music, and that’s respectable. However, from an entrepreneurial standpoint, offering additional services, such as sound and stage lighting, allows promoters to deal with one less person – thereby making you exponentially more valuable to them. Bearing that in mind, if you’re planning on bringing anything else to the table – be it fog machines, bubble machines, disco balls or lasers – consider how it will interact with your booth. Is there opportunity to set things up on top of or hanging from it?

Beyond that, just make sure you’re selecting an offering that’s sturdy enough to safely hold up your precious wheels of steel, and have fun picking a booth that’s the perfect visual expression of your unique sound! Now, all that’s left to do is rock the party.