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Should I invest in my first controller or the master class first?

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  • April 1, 2014 at 5:00 am #2020343
    Grant
    Participant

    Yeah, I was unable to get the masterclass today…i’ll get it in the future…The Reloop Beatmix 4 Will be on the horizon though.

    April 1, 2014 at 5:05 am #2020344
    Lamid45G
    Participant

    Almost the same dilemma which I have at the moment, should i get the hardware (Ableton Push) first or purchase the online Ableton Class first?

    Being both almost at the same price point its added to the confusion, which right at this moment I can only afford one…
    Its nice to get the hardware first, so I can explore and actually touch the thing and play around with it but then again I dont know zippo about the software itself the Ableton Live, so the hardware its going to be collecting dust, cus I have no clue whatsoever what do with it

    Get the online-class first should be no brainer, it dont really necessary needs the hardware to follow the class, I can always use the keyboard and such, but then again during half the course I prolly more craving than ever to get the hardware, lol

    SO yeah tough decisions, good luck !

    April 3, 2014 at 7:47 am #2021122
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    Quite frankly, I’d go for the gear. A course where you can not go and practice what you learned (over and over til you feel confident enough to move to the next bit) isn’t worth a lot.

    This game is about practice, practice, practice. The course is a great tool to shortcut figuring out stuff yourself over the course of a 25-year career and certainly the most helpful once you start. But I would not take a class like this without having some kind of tool to practice with. Obviously the most basic of controllers would do.

    Perhaps you can borrow one from someone, get a used controller that might not have all the bells and whistles, but does have all the basics. Unfortunately very few controllers in the rental market, so semi long term rent isn’t an option (I have once rented a DJ setup (analogue) for 6 weeks in preparation for a big gig (was in the vinyl to CD transition at the time and owning your own gear was impossible unless you wanted to sell your car for it). It cost me a bit, but way less than buying new.

    I am sure you can find used controllers in the 100-150 range. 300 buys you a full Serato BeatMix 4, which already has all you need for years to come. The treshold into DJ-ing has gone done to a level that is almost ridiculous. Which is good. On the other hand, if you can’t spend 100-150 on a used controller and 3 monthly payments of 97 on a course, you may have to save up a little longer or rethink your strategy.

    My point is, it’s cheaper than getting into most other serious hobbies/sports. And there is a possibility of even making some money doing it down the line. But it isn’t for free.

    Like Rizki said, tough decisions, but my money would be on a (not necessarily new and/or state of the art) controller.

    My two cents and greetinx.

    April 3, 2014 at 9:15 am #2021147
    Marco Solo
    Participant

    +1 on going for the gear. You need gear to practice on first of all. There’s no way you’ll be learning how to dj just by reading books and watching videos. You can also get a full years worth of lessons from the free videos by digital dj tips, dj techtools and ellaskins. It’ll be a while before you get through all of those.

    April 3, 2014 at 1:56 pm #2021203
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    Good points Marco

    April 3, 2014 at 6:34 pm #2021274
    Alex Moschopoulos
    Participant

    Remember what Mike Monday told us a while back. Here’s the article if you need to refresh your memory:

    http://www.digitaldjtips.com/2013/03/the-3-assumptions-that-nearly-destroyed-my-dj-career/

    Too many aspiring producers (and I’m sure DJs) will spend way more time reading books, blogs, and watching training videos as opposed to actually DOING. I speak from experience how I installed Ableton Live, some VSTs, gathered sounds, then spent way too much time watching Airwave videos on how to make music.

    Then Mike Monday came along, and I stopped “learning” and just did. Granted I haven’t done as much as I wanted to do since then, but I’m still just diving in and doing.

    If you have no gear, then definitely invest in gear first. However, if you have gear (and seemingly want to “graduate” to more expensive), hold off and get the class. You have to crawl before you can walk, and I’ll stand that the classes offered here are worth the modest amount of money Phil asks for.

    Until the class opens up…just do. Ask questions, and we’ll help. When things open up again, then sign up.

    April 3, 2014 at 11:40 pm #2021370
    Grant
    Participant

    That’s great information here! I’m just holding off on the Master Class so I can save up enough money for the Reloop Beatmix 4 (maybe even the 2 if I decide that I want to use VDJ 8 (which is coming soon) or Cross). I’m more confident in buying gear before classes because I don’t have a controller yet and I’d love to have one to practice on and get a ‘Real’ feeling for it.

    April 4, 2014 at 12:09 am #2021381
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    My two cents … you won’t get a full license with the Beatmix 2 … and you will only have a 2 channel controller for not that much money less I think. Personally I think I would go for the 4, try if I like Serato and if not, still be left with a great controller for a very sharp price. And you’d have to buy full version software anyway with the 2.

    Greetinx.

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