D-Jam
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D-Jam
ParticipantI think that if you’re going to go vinyl and stay that way, then stick to the tables you’ll likely find in a booth. I have 1200s, but I bought them in 1993…when no other similar tables existed. When Technics’ patent ran out though, I’ll admit even a pair of Gemini Direct-Drive tables worked nicely.
I personally think most of the direct-drive tables out there work well, and when one claims they aren’t as good as 1200s, they are partially right. In many cases though you have to understand each brand/model has a different feel, so going from one to another will end up with you doing a small learning curve to get used to how those tables act. When I played on my friend’s Gemini tables years ago, it took me 10 min to get used to how they act, but after that I felt like I could play on them as well as on my 1200s.
The Stantons I think are solid. I’ve heard from many they are probably the leader now that 1200s are off the market.
ParticipantYes and no. This is the problem not only with being a DJ, but even a musician.
Look at bars. They always book local rock bands, but I’ve seen many musicians lament on how they can’t go in and play “unknown stuff” or even their own stuff…because most of the bars and audiences want cover bands who will play Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, Def Leppard, etc.
It’s the same with DJs. I would love to be able to go out all the time and play sets like the ones I record and put on my website, but unfortunately most venues and the audiences want mainstream pop music that they know. That’s life.
Yes, there are areas where a musician or a DJ can be an artist, but those are very few spots compared to the masses of spots where they just want a “jukebox” of sorts. This is the life of a DJ, and if you can’t accept that…then go “starving artist” or “bedroom” like I do. I fully know that my own viewpoint on music and what I’m willing to play means I won’t hardly ever play out at all anymore…but I accept it and embrace it…because then I’ll love DJing in the end.
The worst thing is when one wants to complain that they can’t be an artist when the masses do not want it. Either starve and push to grow, or find a happy medium of sorts where you can love what you do.
ParticipantThere have been many scientific tests to prove most audiophiles are all talk.
They played songs they never heard at different sound qualities, and they couldn’t tell the difference.
Bad quality is bad quality…but the arguments I’ve seen about how “even 320 kbps is a step down…I can tell” are a complete lie.
September 1, 2011 at 8:35 pm in reply to: LOOK! Graphic designer sought by major industry player #6781ParticipantIf I knew more about the position, I could find potential candidates. I know one DJ who is great at Flash.
ParticipantBe prepared to lose a lot of money and/or not make much money at all for a while. In fact, use the music as promotional material and work to get your acts bigger gigs to play live.
Know marketing…and think marketing. Don’t just sit there thinking like a DJ or music nut. Don’t get mad if you see “crap” selling like hotcakes while your “better” stuff isn’t.
Be in it for the right reasons, and treat it like a business. If you guys just want to make the music you love, but think not many will be into it, then you might want to go smaller and just be a group and push yourselves with freebies all over the social media networks.
Again, I notice the bigger money is in the live gigs…way more than selling tracks.
ParticipantI dunno. I’d DJ til the end, unless the party collapses early and people all cut out.
I think while it’s cool the wife wants to make the most of the night in the hotel, you both are taking this time away from the kids so you can DJ this event. Seems bad to ditch it for this reason and selfish on her part to expect you to ditch it.
Still, unless they are hardcore party animals, an 8 PM start will probably mean everyone’s trashed and “done” by 12.
ParticipantRemember what I said in the “How To Succeed” series. Be on dotster.com and find a domain name (http://www.yourname.com) as you figure out your name.
August 30, 2011 at 3:06 pm in reply to: Its going to rain Beats, because the Sound Cloud is coming!! #6648ParticipantI’ve posted a bunch of mixes on MixCloud, and no one’s said anything.
MixCrate I usually recommend because they let people download the mixes.
August 30, 2011 at 3:19 am in reply to: Its going to rain Beats, because the Sound Cloud is coming!! #6611ParticipantAshtheRookieDJ, post: 6495 wrote: I recently found some good tracks and mixes on Sound Cloud, am I allowed to play those tracks on my upcoming gig?
If the producer puts the tunes up for download, then he’s pretty much giving you permission. Many will put a snippet of a new tune to build hype, but try to lead you to Beatport to buy the tune.
I think SoundCloud is only good for tracks, but sucks for DJ mixes. I wish DJs would stop trying to put their stuff on there and just use MixCloud and/or MixCrate.
ParticipantDJ GRE, post: 6510 wrote: Personally when I think of mash up I always think of Girl Talk – his mashups are amazing and I drop one or two of his tracks in a set and people love trying to catch all the little samples used. I think they have their place and are their own work of art when done properly.
I agree.
I still like making mixes/mixtapes more.
I have nothing against mashups, but I do feel at times when I hear most of them that it tells me we’re not moving forward musically, but living in the past. I worry when I hear sets that DJs claim is “all new stuff”, but it’s really old anthems with new beats and sounds tossed in.
I always say this: “A mashup with Bon Jovi in it will just come off as Bon Jovi to the audience. They won’t notice nor care that you cleverly remixed it with some other tunes…they’re just paying attention to the familiar bit you played.”
I just think it’s important that underground or mainstream…DJs should challenge the crowd a bit with new stuff they don’t know, but might like. Too many guys I see playing mashed up stuff (not the Girl Talk types of people) simply just play nonstop familiars and never deviate into new territory unless it ends up on the radio.
Participantmr_john, post: 6466 wrote: no disrespect to his talents… I’m just not a fan of EDM going mainstream. But I suppose it’s inevitable at this point. House music is lost to the masses. 🙁 I think I liked it better when everything made by a dj was called “Techno” here in the states.
It’s all cyclical. EDM gets popular for a year or two in the mainstream world, then it fizzles out.
I’m sure in a year you’ll see college frat boys dissing anything EDM and demand hard rock or rap music, and girls will call it all “techno”.
ParticipantIt honestly depends on the crowd and venue.
Warm-up for me is just darker, deeper, more abstract. In a mainstream spot it can also be older stuff that people are almost sick of.
ParticipantGuetta wanted to find a way to make average Americans like dance music. He found it in making dance music with popstars and R&B acts.
I won’t fault him. He went far as a DJ/producer, but wanted to be in the mainstream. He succeeded. Some hate him and call him a “sellout”, but much of what I hear on Top40 radio is this pop/dance hybrid. It’s now a big gateway drug for many to dive down deeper in the rabbit hole and see what else there is.
ParticipantI only have to be careful with things made before drum machines.
Bear in mind too that sequencers vastly improved over the 90s…and now people do it all on DAWs. Times changed.
August 25, 2011 at 5:41 pm in reply to: Crying For Your Help!!! Simple DDJT1 Basic Setup Question Please Help :-( #6333ParticipantI would imagine Master Out 1 is the spot for the main output. 2 is probably a booth output.
Try that…if it doesn’t work, then go into the Traktor preferences and check to see where the program is telling the sound to go.
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