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Is scratching on midi controllers "acceptable" for DJing?

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  • November 21, 2011 at 6:10 am #10155
    Pär Hessler
    Participant

    DR PANCAKES, post: 10145 wrote: I have the stanton scs.3 system and sometimes for a transition and endings I scratch (still learning not good) on a gig because I think its cool but, im starting to think that other DJs or people do not like a scratch while they’re dancing or just talking, so my question: is it ok to scratch on controllers even though it isn’t vinyl and on a place where im supposed to mix the usual commercial house (which I hate btw) or I should avoid it at all costs?

    thanks in advance, i like this forum a lot.

    I do think it is OK to scratch at any place in any time!
    If you do it good and it does not take over too much.
    I do a little scratch as effect or instead of mixing I sometimes scratch in
    the next tune. I did it this saturday on a wedding for example……

    November 21, 2011 at 9:32 am #10159
    DJ GRE
    Member

    Glad to see you’re liking the Scs 3! yeah I think scratching is an ok effect once in a while and in fact, truthfully, people still expect to hear it from a DJ and it can work but you just have to be tasteful with it – obviously if you’re the next incarnation of qbert then go nuts but it really depends I think that scratching is one of those things that vinyl still has the advantage on – it’s the one place I can tell wether i’m listening to a CDJ/midi or actual vinyl.

    November 21, 2011 at 3:28 pm #10184
    Bigicedog
    Participant

    it is acceptable but there is a time and place for it. and as always practice practice practice.

    [media=youtube]8yZAS8XGepk[/media]

    November 21, 2011 at 4:28 pm #10187
    D-Jam
    Participant

    I agree on time and place. I see some scratchers lament on how a lot of the new house and such isn’t “scratch friendly”, but I tell them times change. They should get into broken beats, dubstep, etc…but unfortunately those guys want to live in the past.

    November 22, 2011 at 1:31 pm #10222
    Arbite
    Member

    D-Jam, post: 10183 wrote: I agree on time and place. I see some scratchers lament on how a lot of the new house and such isn’t “scratch friendly”, but I tell them times change. They should get into broken beats, dubstep, etc…but unfortunately those guys want to live in the past.

    Any music is “scratch worthy” to a good DJ. You just have to think outside the box a bit with the way you choose to manipulate it.

    November 22, 2011 at 8:46 pm #10253
    D-Jam
    Participant

    I don’t agree Arbite. Trance IMHO is one that scratching doesn’t fit in with.

    November 22, 2011 at 10:34 pm #10269
    Arbite
    Member

    Sure, it’s not something that you would use in a set in a club, unless you were specifically there to perform rather than just play. But just because certain genre’s don’t lend themselves to scratching, it doesn’t mean that its not possible to do well.

    I’ve even seen someone scratch happy hardcore reasonably well.

    November 24, 2011 at 4:05 am #10321
    FileSpnr
    Member

    If people know you as a scratch dj, and they are coming to hear that, you can use it for intros and outros. (this can vary somewhat depending if this is meant as a “hip hop” night. easy eqaution ‘more backwards ball caps=more scratchin’)
    If people are expecting a “dance” club, I would only do it as sort of an intermission, and ONLY if I had an MC to get on the mic and let people know what I was about to do (if no MC, the promoter can do this) It would still need to happen at the proper time for how the club/night is progressing, and only once per night. I would probably never do this before midnight. But done properly and at the right moment, it can be a great thing.

    November 24, 2011 at 12:27 pm #10345
    Lew
    Member

    Arbite, post: 10265 wrote: I’ve even seen someone scratch happy hardcore reasonably well.

    DJ Sy?

    November 24, 2011 at 11:37 pm #10361
    Arbite
    Member

    Lew, post: 10341 wrote: DJ Sy?

    Ravine actually.

    November 25, 2011 at 3:10 am #10365
    SmiTTTen
    Participant

    There’s a good reason you don’t hear much scratching in clubs; it’s hard to do well and doing if it’s not done well it sounds horrible. I have been mixing various forms of electronic music for 15+ years but only started scratching a month or so ago. Right now I am at least off the starting mark in so much as people don’t look to immediately kill themselves when I scratch but I certainly wouldn’t take it into a live environment yet (these suicide dodging types have seen a video or two).

    As for whether you can scratch on X, Y or Z it all comes down to the ultimate sound you can deliver. I use decks and timecode and some will tell you that it doesn’t sound “real enough” (i mostly disagree). Different systems reproduce tones differently so whether your current setup is up to it can only be determined by ear. If possible, try a side-by-side comparison and see how digital your unit’s sound is versus pure-play vinyl.

    If you want to scratch, scratch! Also, check Dj Angelo’s tutorials on YT. I subscribe to the Qbert Skratch U but frankly, many of Dj Angelo’s videos are more helpful.

    November 27, 2011 at 6:22 am #10486
    Angelo Medina
    Participant

    SmiTTTen, post: 10361 wrote: There’s a good reason you don’t hear much scratching in clubs; it’s hard to do well and doing if it’s not done well it sounds horrible. I have been mixing various forms of electronic music for 15+ years but only started scratching a month or so ago. Right now I am at least off the starting mark in so much as people don’t look to immediately kill themselves when I scratch but I certainly wouldn’t take it into a live environment yet (these suicide dodging types have seen a video or two).

    As for whether you can scratch on X, Y or Z it all comes down to the ultimate sound you can deliver. I use decks and timecode and some will tell you that it doesn’t sound “real enough” (i mostly disagree). Different systems reproduce tones differently so whether your current setup is up to it can only be determined by ear. If possible, try a side-by-side comparison and see how digital your unit’s sound is versus pure-play vinyl.

    If you want to scratch, scratch! Also, check Dj Angelo’s tutorials on YT. I subscribe to the Qbert Skratch U but frankly, many of Dj Angelo’s videos are more helpful.

    just suscribed to Dj Angelo’s channel, the tutorials are veery cool , actually my real name is Angelo too, haha

    December 1, 2011 at 2:37 pm #10731
    Benny Mackney
    Member

    My two cents: never disrupt the beat (never scratch on the main deck) and turn that goddamn keylock off (if you have it).

    December 2, 2011 at 12:49 pm #1002281
    Arbite
    Member

    Benny Mackney, post: 10727 wrote: turn that goddamn keylock off (if you have it).

    Really? Why?

    December 2, 2011 at 2:36 pm #1002282
    SmiTTTen
    Participant

    Ben’s just sharing his years old club experience with the group 😀

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