D-Jam
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D-Jam
ParticipantIn my experiences, I only know that when the guy giving something for free is taking money away from the owners, then they’ll sue.
So if I made a remix of a new Rihanna track, post it for free download, and suddenly DJs and Rihanna fans all over are downloading my remix over buying the original tracks, then the label will make trouble…even if my remix sounds very different from the original.
This is why I never worry about all the mixes I have posted on my site. To this day I don’t think I’m taking any money away from anyone…hence why I never got more than a “THANK YOU” from labels for using their tracks.
ParticipantDidn’t we discuss this? Is this a repeated topic?
ParticipantI agree with most of everyone here. I never used any key analyzing software, but just relied on my ears and how things heard to me when bringing them together.
I never liked this new harmonic movement because I see too many of its followers trying to reduce DJing to mathematics. They analyze all their music and then stick to a very narrow ideology of what they’ll play and what they won’t play. In my book that’s not what good programming is. It’s about taking he crowds on a journey and trusting your ears and sense of taste when selecting tunes.
Key IMHO is more important when you’re PRODUCING.
ParticipantUsually I bring in a new tune with the bass turned all the way down, and then slowly raise the bass up to normal while bringing the bass of the current tune down. I do this so you don’t have a blend with too much bass and it helps transition tunes more cleanly. When you’re at the point of the bass of the new tune all the way to normal and the old tune all the way down, it sounds like the new tune is the foundation for all the synths and sounds left over from the old tune.
I’ll also play with the trebles and mids when I see one tune is badly EQed or overpowering. So if the hi-hats and such sound too shrill compared to the other tunes, then I turn down the treble. If all I seem to hear is bass and shrill highs, then I turn up the mid and play with the treble and bass to make things sound better.
One trick I used to do is to play with the EQs, slowly turning up and down each of them while lowering the others to make a filtered kind of sound. I’ll also use kill switches if I think it’ll sound good.
ParticipantI will watch this later. 🙂
ParticipantFirst off…be the guy women want. That means you’re physically good looking in style and such. The big fat nerd isn’t going to pull as much tail as the athletically fit pretty boy.
Second, be the guy playing everywhere. Girls get wet for the resident or popular DJ who plays all over…not the bedroom guy who has plenty of demos and online mixes, but isn’t playing anywhere.
Third, be the DJ who plays mainly for the women. The music nerd who thinks brostep is crap compared to “true dubstep”, or who thinks Rihanna and David Guetta are crap won’t win many women compared to the guy who plays all the hits that make women dance, shimmy, and shake all night.
Fourth, hit up the women in the afterhours. They’re drunk and more open to things. They see you’re the guy who was playing in the big club, but now you’re not stuck in the booth. Make a move, get a number, or get her to come home with you. Most guys I’ve seen who got laid with randoms usually picked them up in the afterhours or the naive low-self-esteem hot girl who hung out in the booth all night wondering if this DJ is into commitment and love over just sex.
ParticipantSorry to be cynical, but this means nothing if a crowd of “pretty” people will pack a venue for this. He could stand there with an iPod on shuffle, but if the club is full of people dancing and going nuts, then this won’t change. You’ll still see talented unknown DJs be ignored while “superstars” who put out big popular hits on Beatport and iTunes get major bookings.
NOW…I’m not saying you as a DJ shouldn’t try to be better, but understand that things now are about marketing and promotion. If you’re the one who can draw loads of people out to see you, then you win in this business. Plain and simple.
I just think DJs posting these videos are meaningless as long as these “fake DJs” can pack a room. I’ve seen Guetta play live on videos even and his DJing wasn’t anything really worth talking about…often times just slamming in tunes. However, he produces major hits, which is why people come out for him.
These are the facts of life…
http://www.digitaldjtips.com/2011/03/how-to-succeed-at-djing-part-2-play-the-popularity-game/
http://www.digitaldjtips.com/2011/04/how-to-succeed-at-djing-music-industry/
March 6, 2012 at 2:04 pm in reply to: Survey: Where do you buy your tunes? Love it? Hate it? #1003204ParticipantDone.
ParticipantFor CDs I usually just rip them using dbPowerAMP Converter. Been using it for years.
For vinyl I’ll hook up a 1200 with a Shure Whitelabel and record the track into my computer onto Sound Forge or Audacity. I’ll then normalize and “Wave Hammer” (Compress) to get things fuller in sound.
I sometimes will run them through Platinum Notes, but often I find the sound is where I want it without it. From there I’ll leave a copy in Wav form for my archives (you never know one day when a new file format will take over) and make 320Kbps MP3s for me to use.
Participantdurtyjerzy609, post: 15927, member: 1487 wrote: D….. there comes a point when you have to stop being a “crowd whore” and do it as its supposed to be done and pay homage to thos ethat made the art what it is… sometimes its the dj’s responsibilty to teach the crowd as well as entertain them
Yes and no. You have to first get them in the palm of your hands…then you can educate them on stuff they haven’t heard and trickery they might not have known.
Even in the Dennis Ferrer example, they made the mistake of booking the wrong DJ, but I also think Dennis, James Holden, Richie Hawtin, etc…should be mindful if the crowd isn’t feeling it. Being an “artist” is only good if you can walk away from the gig and have 10 more spots in the same town booking you. Most of us don’t have that privilege and thus would gain a bad rep for a poor performance.
My whole point is experience has shown me that you have to win the crowd over before you can give them things they don’t know or understand. I know some hate this with a passion and will bash on any DJ who doesn’t put the “art” before anything, but I notice many of those guys are the ones struggling to get a gig and/or constantly lamenting on how there isn’t a strong club culture that “supports the music”.
One person said it to me here, and I say it as well…build something then.
For me…if I show up and the “unknown” isn’t working, then I dive into the floorfillers to please the crowd. A night of unimaginative DJing with a happy crowd is better than a night of innovative DJing with everyone heading out the door.
I’ve watched many one-off events fail because of DJs who were basically playing for themselves, and promoters who blacklist local DJs, claiming they don’t play to the crowd. Those guys bitch and moan about the politics…but that’s life.
Participant2SHAE…you just gotta raise the bar and school them then. Good luck! 😉
Participantdurtyjerzy609, post: 15925, member: 1487 wrote: i built my rep on hard work playin dives and makin my own nights…
You won the crowd. I’m not saying one “must” become a local tabloid celebrity, get on a reality show, or spend thousands on a funky suit and helmet…but regardless, you won the crowd over based on what you wanted to sell them as a DJ.
When I say that the idea of “DJ talent” is a myth, I mainly mean there are too many ways to judge a DJ that clash with one another. Look at the fights all over about guys on laptops only VS guys on turntables. What is the “measure” of talent then? The only commonality is crowd reaction and the size of a fan base. A guy you think totally sucks could be deemed as “talented” by hundreds more.
Moreso…we would also have to dive in to the “why” you got a crowd? Was it just your DJing? Or perhaps your promotional savvy? Or the overall vibe of the event? What if you found out that you brought 1000 people into a venue, rocked it, but found out they really didn’t care one bit about your DJing? That they wanted a space to take drugs and zone out?
What if you found masses of people claiming you have no talent as a DJ? Is it true then? I think not in all honesty…but it shows why “DJ talent” is very hard to measure and standardize.
Roll this back to the beginning. If the Winamp/iTunes guy gets labeled “untalented hack” by us, but the crowd raves about him and calls him a “talented DJ”…who’s right then?
It’s all perspective.
ParticipantThis is why a lot of you guys sometimes need to understand that in the end, the crowd is your priority. Too many have fallen into the mode of thinking you “MUST” beatmatch everything, and slamming in a tune is sacrilegious. Some think if you’re not hitting the crowd with stuff they haven’t heard, then you’re failing as a DJ.
This is why programming is such a huge deal with me. Way more than blending, beatmatching, etc. What you play is what makes it or breaks it with a crowd. So the older guy might have played a lot of weddings and thus knows how to appeal to this group. Some might think he’s just slamming in the easy floorfillers and not taking any real chances or not working to blend it all. However, he’s doing a good job in my book…because the crowd is going nuts. He’s dropping in tunes to capture and keep them, and only thinking about what would please that crowd…not what would mix nicely and harmonically in next.
The younger DJ in my book might be more of a club DJ, and thus is thinking like one, but not as a mobile DJ. Even in the clubs you might notice the crowd really doesn’t care about your tight blends, the FX trickery you play, and those few new tunes no one’s heard. Maybe in the smaller underground event they will, but in the usual mainstream…no. You could remix Mylo’s “Drop The Pressure” at home and bring it out. You added new beats, a different bassline, and yet kept the lyrics and main synth. Unfortunately, the lyrics and main synth are what the crowd will know. The rest is just noise in their minds.
Stop worrying so much about matched beats, long tight blends, harmonic mixing, and even at times if you’re playing “new and innovative” stuff. Just play. Please the crowd and give them a hell of a party. Play what you see works and makes them happy. If you mess up a blend, or feel like you’re not being innovative or creative enough…stop. Just do your job and go home knowing they loved you.
Impress the crowd…first and foremost. Don’t worry about promoters because they’re only impressed when the crowd is hot for you. Don’t worry about other DJs and music nerds because they do not make up the majority.
ParticipantDerek, post: 15827, member: 1465 wrote: Ive been buying everything i need since im getting serious at this…
I think you should stop thinking “stuff” is what’s going to make you a “serious DJ”.
You should buy things because you NEED THEM…not because you think not having them won’t make you a “serious DJ”. Get a flight case (that one posted looks nice) because you want to make your life easier when you go to gigs. So you can toss it in your trunk and go to town. However, think about WHERE you’ll end up. You don’t want a big, bulky case when you have to squeeze into a tiny booth in a bar.
I agree headphones are essential. Look around the site and Phil has posted reviews of many pairs. Those new Pioneers look sweet.
Definitely think less on “gear” now and think more on “marketing”. Business cards and a website would be good moves. That and start making a place for yourself in social media. Post mixes online.
As for the worry about people…that’s life unfortunately.
ParticipantTo me, this is the usual “blame the owner/manager who booked him” rationale in my mind.
Unfortunately, if the crowd loves him and has no issue with what we see as “bad mixing”, then the market has spoken and we can’t do anything about that. This is like Gladiator, where the crowd holds the true vote.
I remember a hair stylist in Chicago who could not play well at all. He borrowed someone’s CDJs, mixer, and just went at it in his own sloppy fashion. Promoters would book him over and over though…because he had loads of friends in the scene who came out for him. Face it…if you’re the village idiot who can bring 500 people out somewhere, you’re more valuable to a promoter than the genius savant who perfected his DJ skills into an artform (but he has no fans).
I remember a guy who worked at an ad agency who just decided to start DJing one day. He would spend chunks of his work day on Beatport, exploring and buying tech house and prog. He learned basic beatmatching and would go out several nights a week. On weekends he’d be out all night into afterhours, where he’d hang out and get high with promoters. Not to mention when he did get booked he would get 20-30 people from his work and social circle to come out. Suddenly he’s opening for big names because he played the game, while guys pushing demos for years still couldn’t get a shot. He ended up quitting DJing a few years ago when his wife wanted him to stop so they could start a family.
Do you see what I’m getting at here? “DJ talent” (in my opinion) is a MYTH. We all want to believe that the guy who spends a load of passionate time picking the newest and most innovative music (and then spends more time perfecting his programming and blending) will be the one who becomes a superstar. Yet we see it’s the local socially popular guys getting bookings, and the guy with a funky sense of style who burns a turntable on stage becomes a superstar.
This is why I stopped pushing to play gigs, why I sound negative and cynical in my responses on the industry and scene, and why I push you guys on marketing and branding. I see guys now doing wild stage antics, making funky costumes, and having plenty of photoshoots with some unique image. These guys seemingly are blowing up while the basic DJs who work hard to craft their skills are left behind.
The crowd is king…that’s how you play this game. Win the crowd, and you win the game. If you’re the one the crowds come out for and will leave a venue if you leave…then you win. Promoters will book you. You all need to realize most promoters see DJs as a commodity and investment. They want to put their money behind the guy who either brings then a crowd or who won’t try to be innovative, but will keep their crowd happy no matter how lame and cheesey the music might get.
This is also why I never fell into the “vinyl purist” mode, and why I don’t see sync as a bad thing. The only people who really care about this are DJs. The people who really count in all this (the crowd and promoters) don’t care about it at all.
Sorry for the hard truth. Now take this truth and find your way to game the system into winning the big prize.
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