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First software experience EVER. Do you remember?

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  • January 8, 2012 at 2:52 pm #12523
    Electricbloom
    Member

    I think i downloaded a early version of Virtual DJ. I was trying to mix indie rock with completely different BPM: of course it sounded terrible. Didn’t understand anything. Sync button gave me weird results.

    tip to the total beginner: the sync button doesn’t work all the time. 😛

    January 8, 2012 at 3:26 pm #12529
    VinnyBlanc
    Participant

    Sadly, I started so recently I remember this vividly. DJAY app on iphone and then extended my experience with the IDJ live hardware controller from Numark. I just knew I loved music and nothing about mixing.

    The best piece of advice I would give to someone starting out is “Don’t spend a lot of money” There are plenty of articles and advice out there for how to start out DJing cheap. You may get frustrated and quit or just realize that DJing isn’t for you. Hopefully, you will find out that DJing is somewhat of a passion for you and with the minimal initial investment, you will have more money to spend and knowledge on what you personally need in a controller to make your next kit upgrade a more educated/enjoable expereience.

    January 9, 2012 at 3:15 am #12551
    SmiTTTen
    Participant

    Soundtracker on the Amiga in 1988. Started messing around with WAVs ripped from CDs in 1992 on 60MB hard disks.This was several eons before packaged DJ software was even a twinkle in the eye of an overpriced, underpowered chipset. People thought we were off our trolleys using 500 quid hard disks for music.

    January 9, 2012 at 5:46 am #1002553
    JJ702561
    Member

    it was about four years ago, when I was forward deployed with the USMC about month 3 into a 7 month tour when the homesickness started kicking in. I got a copy of virtual dj from one of the local shops (I dont remember if it was home or a pirated pro copy at the time but downloading anything legitimately was impossible at the time so I didn’t ask questions) and a 2.1 computer sound system. I couldn’t do much in the way of live mixing but I figured out how to set up things like the automix and cue points so I could just about play song a friend brought to me and after I got to know the song figure out where it could go into the play list.

    It was a cool experience because my friends and I could just release the days stress by listening to out music mixed seamlessly, dance if we felt so inclined and just be care free for a while. the whole experience is what plated the seed for me wanting to be a dj.

    January 10, 2012 at 7:01 pm #12636
    Haroon
    Participant

    For me it was Virtual DJ with the Hercules DJ console thing. The software had cue mix control but the hercules was missing this, so I had no way of previewing the mix will sound and hence no opportunity to adjusting the EQ etc before mixing in the track (I basically had to learn eq’ing on the fly, all knobs turned down, bring the track in and adjust it in). Also the play button was hit and miss.

    Had midi-mapping been better in those days I could have got round the issue by remapping the console. Anyway after watching the Hawtin set-up video, it led me to Traktor and a Xone 1D and my own custom mappings – which for me is where some real advantages of digital dj’ing are.

    January 10, 2012 at 10:29 pm #12649
    Dj EarGazm
    Member

    First was OTS Audio DJ software.

    I downloaded it because it was free. Liked it and paid for the pro. Bad choice. Even with the paid choice it would play an advertisement every 10 minutes.

    I wanted to get into DJ’ing but didn’t do any research. Then I realized that the app was a joke and that controllers we’re not compatible with the software.

    January 11, 2012 at 2:10 pm #12688
    Tero Nousiainen
    Participant

    Audio ? It was a early version of fruity loops. Dj? Traktor 3 when visiting a friend.

    Tip: Never trust sync.

    January 11, 2012 at 5:42 pm #1002594
    synthet1c
    Member

    I started on vinyl in around 2004 but got numark virtual vinyl off ebay a few years later, had a cracked copy of vdj 5, played with just timecodes for a while so digital, but not utilizing the whole program. then later I got an mpd24 cracked vdj 6 and used it for hot cues, effects and video, this was where I began to learn and understand how mapping can be utilised.

    One day I was on the forum and went to check if how much it costs to upgrade to pro as I had a serial that was already registered… cost $50! then I got vdj 7 pro a couple of weeks later and went silly with mapping, now I can make that program do almost anything I can think of :). tried traktor and torq, but they just felt foreign and didn’t offer all the options I had discovered so stuck vdj, now waiting for version 8 to be released in the next week or so…

    January 12, 2012 at 12:43 pm #12715
    U31
    Member

    I D/L Virtual DJ home, still use and love it now.
    Having used turntables years ago it was fairly intuitive how to use it, despite the lack of headphones to cue up.
    In hind sight i should have just learned the keyboard shortcuts instead of trying to do it all on the mouse, and setting intro outro cue points on the tunes in my library would have made sets better and more fluid (but i wasnt used to that luxury on vinyl, id cue up a good point to mix, in my phones and use this method, and 99% of the time i still do)

    But… the shortcomings above with Home V-DJ MADE me go out and buy it, so i could have headphones and be able to split the sound outputs and use an analogue mixer for hands on mixing… Which would later lead to buying a controller.
    And some of the lessons id learned trying to struggle on with the home version, i could transfer these skills to the full version that i could now fully control, making me better then i ever was on vinyl

    January 12, 2012 at 12:51 pm #12716
    U31
    Member

    As to never trust Synch? Rubbish!

    Learn your software, its strength and limitations
    Learn your choons
    And learn what to do to get out of jail for the times when a choon just wont synch

    Do the above and 990 times out of a thousand Synch wont get you in any trouble, and you know what to do for the rare times it lets you down

    January 14, 2012 at 9:40 am #1002621
    Phil Morse
    Keymaster

    I agree with U31. Why turn your back on tools that can make your life easier? As long as you understand the tools, they’re great.

    January 15, 2012 at 2:05 am #12824
    squarecell
    Participant

    Beatport Sync, a free program from NI that was basically iTunes with a sync button and crossfader.

    My biggest misconception was that beatmatching was the ultimate DJ skill. Which is funny because I was DJing parties and dances before I’d even heard the word before.

    Tip: DJing is 99% playing the right song at the right time and 1% matching the beats and mixing your songs blend together seamlessly.

    January 16, 2012 at 5:49 am #12870
    Phil Morse
    Keymaster

    Spoken perfectly, squarecell.

    January 16, 2012 at 9:39 am #12875
    atom
    Member

    100% agree squarecell

    January 16, 2012 at 1:41 pm #12882
    U31
    Member

    squarecell, post: 12854, member: 382 wrote:
    Tip: DJing is 99% playing the right song at the right time and 1% matching the beats and mixing your songs blend together seamlessly.

    100% Agree, but try typing that sentiment on any other DJ forum and be prepared to be shot down in flames

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