Minimum tier (~US$400)
- PC
- An existing laptop works, ideally 2019 or later. Apple Silicon Mac from M1 onward; Windows with at least an entry dedicated GPU.
- Software
- Resolume Avenue unlimited trial (watermarked) or Hydra (browser, free). The "get a feel for it" stage.
- Monitor
- Existing venue monitor or a home TV over HDMI. A new 55" 4K TV is US$350–500 in 2024–2026.
- Microphone
- Laptop mic for bring-up, then a USB condenser at US$15–40 early on.
Stable venue tier (~US$1,000)
- PC
- Apple Silicon M1 Pro / M2 / M3 MacBook, or a mini PC (Intel NUC, Beelink, MINISFORUM) with GeForce RTX 3060 or better — new mini PCs in this class start at US$300–500. Always on AC power, not battery saver.
- Software
- Resolume Avenue (€299) or MadMapper rental (€39/month). Plenty for setups without pixel mapping.
- MIDI controller
- Novation Launchpad Mini (€99) or Akai APC Mini (€89). Clip launch, faders, XY — fully usable over WebMIDI for browser-based VJ too.
- HDMI splitter
- For mirrored multi-screen setups: a 4K 1x2 HDMI splitter at US$35–70. Avoid daisy-chaining; one splitter per feed is cleaner.
- Microphone
- A USB condenser like the AT2020USB+ (~US$130) placed close to a speaker. Song-recognition accuracy is decided here.
Pro tier (~US$2,000)
- PC
- A dedicated desktop or performance laptop. RTX 4070+ on Windows, or Apple M3 Max. Thermal headroom matters more than peak specs for long sets.
- Software
- Resolume Arena €799 perpetual. Required for pixel mapping, DMX, and lighting-desk integration. Adding TouchDesigner Commercial alongside significantly widens the range of work you can take.
- HDMI matrix
- A 4K 60Hz 4x4 matrix at US$350–700. Lets you route multiple sources (VJ PC, DJ VTR, emergency backup) to multiple displays on demand. Extron, Kramer, and Lightware are the industry staples.
- DMX / Art-Net interface
- Enttec USB DMX Pro (€150) or an Art-Net-capable network node to bridge to a lighting console. Resolume Arena can drive DMX directly.
- NDI / Syphon integration
- Network-transported video lets you separate DJ booth, VJ booth, and FOH across machines. NDI is Windows-native; Syphon (Mac) and Spout (Windows) work between processes on the same OS.
FAQ in practice
"Is a MacBook Air enough?" — From M1 Pro onward, yes. Base M1 and Intel Macs are consistently reported to wobble on framerate once you hit fullscreen 4K output.
"Do I need a MIDI controller from day one?" — For browser-based automated VJing (autovj.club and similar), no — a phone is enough. For live mixing in Resolume or TouchDesigner, a Launchpad-class controller is strongly recommended; two-finger operation is a different quality of performance than mouse alone.
"Projector or LED — better value?" — At the same budget (US$700–2,500), LED tends to win for smaller surfaces (up to about 2 m × 1 m) and short-throw projection wins for wider spans (around 3 m+). The "LED walls and big TVs" article covers the economics in more detail.