SmiTTTen

I always relinquish the flange menace – its everyone else that’s the problem.

Right now the main DJ Booth forum is generating around 50 threads a month which is fairly easy going traffic. If I was in Phil’s position, I don’t know that I would be making too many changes until the traffic and memberships gets a to critical mass. I have Phil on Skype and I can tell you that this guy is online and working at all hours of the day. What he has created is a site that is very very friendly and most importantly, beginner friendly. Nobody calls each other names and the community is genuinely out to help the rest of the community (with the exception of a couple of “LOOK AT ME” divas ;)) In short, let’s keep in doing what we are doing. Those who are more advanced, or are becoming more advanced should start thinking about how they can be proactive in educating others. I write, but not everyone likes writing. Some of you (Mr Mackney immediately springs to mind) make videos. Even if these are only published on the forum (or whatever the boss wants) they will do much to advance the community. Let’s avoid becoming a bunch of disconnected elitist idiots. I can’t tell you how many (non Dj) forums I have been on to ask questions only to get the immediate “rolls eyes” responses and people ranting on some inane pseudo-related topic that I have no clue or interest in.

Ok, I have used the word “community” far too many times. I am off to punish myself.

I often wonder why people ask other people for validate or suggest a name (DJ or otherwise). Part of being an artist is to have your own identity that is chosen by you, for you. You could have 1000 people tell you to be DJ X but it’s meaningless, it’s not “yours”. Don’t go by something that is given to you, go by something that is true to you. One other thing to consider, the more you ask people to guide you in your creative decisions, the more you are telling the world that you don’t know how to make a creative decision – not good for your long term credibility. Better to make a bad decision than have someone make a good decision for you.

Being an artist is putting your work out there and taking the good with the bad. I write as part of my day job and I write as part of my love for world of music, production and Djing. I have written articles that people have ripped to pieces. I have been called all sorts of name, been told I am a clueless f***, a totally untalented and a wholly unprofessional writer (btw i don’t consider my forum posts to be in anyway profession). i continue to write and put work out there and I continue to drop mixes when time permits – it’s what you do.

This opinion is not exclusively aimed at you – you seem like a totally decent bloke which is why I am taking the time to write this (sorry Phil). I just want people to figure out things for themselves and build their own identity as it’s the only way this industry will evolve.

Good luck!

The single most common complaint I hear from people buying used NI kit relates to software registration. Have the owner de-register the software and make sure he does it when you are there. Have them fill out this registration form while you are there: http://co.native-instruments.com/index.php?id=regsuppfrm

Also. find out which version of the software you are getting. if the unit is only 3 months old it should come with the tracktor 2.x. If it only has the original Kontrol S4 version of the Traktor (the one that was initially released with the S4 prior to the versions merging) you want be sure you get the free upgrade to version 2.

Check the front and back ports and knobs to ensure they haven’t been damaged. Test all the controls WITH the software. I would be direct and ask the seller if they have opened the unit up. The S4 crossfader is not officially replaceable so hopefully they haven’t messed around with that. Give it a gentle tilt in each direction to make sure you can’t hear anything rolling around inside.

Good luck!

“Ugh” – agreed. The mix train projects that we do give DJs 10-20 minutes for their “slot” but a slot is not supposed to be a complete set, rather it’s just a component of it. With 4-6 slots per mix the finished product should sound like a single mix rather than a series of spliced sets. We have some that are amazing and some that are……not.

I am still trying to figure out controllerism. If it’s genuinely supposed to be the turntablist methodology on a midi platform that’s great but like turtablism, it isn’t something I want to dance to and it’s unlikely to take me on journey or tell me a story (unless it’s this) like a our friends Alex and John used to do.

On a slightly practical note, I would just take several mixes of one tune and go to town 😀

Goose!