softcore

Hello! My turn for saying sorry for late reply! 😉

Its true that Reason comes with its own set of effects and instruments (as all other programs discussed here, are) but the difference is that VST support ensures nearly unlimited expansion of your tools with a relatively low cost.
Another thing one should take under consideration is the fact that there are VST effects out there (equalizers, compressors, etc etc) that have the price of the whole Reason program alone – you can imagine the attention beeing given to the sound quality of said plug ins. Reason and all its instruments/audio effects, superb as they might be, are all made from the same team of programmers. With VSTs, you can have your favourite Synthesizer manufacturer, and a different favourite EQ manufacturer and so on and so on.
Before I get misunderstood, of course I do not mean that you cannot make absolutely brilliant music with Reason – in fact with ANY of today’s programs. It all comes to down to personal choices and what suits you best – on that scope, VST support is more ensuring that you will find those instruments/audio effects that suit YOU best – regardless of the program you add them to.

As already mentioned, Ableton Live is the one to look for, if you want to create mash-ups and remixes. This is because it allows easy manipulation of audio files. Apart from Ableton Live also FL Studio is a great program for production and favourite amongst beginners (a lot of guys swear by it).
If you want to have a glimpse of what the rest of the major “players” are these must be:
Pro Tools
Cubase
Logic
Sonar
Samplitude

If you google them and find their manufacturer websites you will notice from the screen pictures that they share a lot of common characteristics in their UI – which expands to their way of working, with Ableton Live and FL Studio being a bit different. This is the thing that makes then more appealing to beginners but also a thing to cosnider if you want to go pro: there must be a reason all the rest major DAWs use the timeline-based UI.

Strictly personally, Id advise anyone who wants to dabble with production to consider one of the following DAWs (in the order they appear):
Sonar
Cubase
Ableton Live

As far instructional videos go, especially for Ableton Live a search in Youtube will reveal to you a lot of videos.

PS: as for learning production, whatever the program, its absolutely true what has already been mentioned – there is no easy way. Read manuals and definitely search for basic terminology on the net for synthesizers and audio effects so that you will be able to comprehend what all those knobs, sliders and buttons do on these devices.

Max D is correct! Additional stuff one might want to know is that Traktor allows ANY 2 decks controller to be used as a 4 decks one via the “modifier” keys found in controller mappings but it requires a total remapping of the controller.
For example you can set a midi button to be used as “toggle” for modifier M1 value, in other words this button will toggle the M1 modifier to values 0 and 1. Then you can configure sayyyy a fader to control Deck A volume only when M1=0 and control deck C volume when M1=1.
In fact, the modifier keys in Traktor is a controllerist’s dream.

+1 on Traktor even though I dont use it. I have a great respect for this program and if I wasnt using Live this would be my choice.

…or read the Traktor manual.

We have to seperate/define two important but totally different elements/aspects here. There is change, evolution and there is “sell out”.

An artist can change his style, work, genre etc that doesnt necessarily mean he is a “sell out”. Setting hardcore purists aside who will complain about ANY change an artist will go through, sometimes the audience is right that their favourite artist is “selling out”.

As an artist (IF I have the right to call myself that, because really I believe its a term only another person can use for you) I am against anything that will prevent my artistic expression – that could mean audience expectations (therefore I ll change If I want to) or money (that means I wont be changing in the hopes of getting more money-gaining more audience). I ll play-write what I want to and I’ll let the listener decide – I accept the fact that this may end up having me only a handful of listeners but I’ll be happy in the thoughts that my own personal expression finds a true, no-gimmicks listener who listens to ME not what marketing and advertisements told him to (note: I also have accepted the fact that music is never going to be my main income).

The sure thing with my method is that no matter how MUCH I ‘ll change I will never be accused of being a “sell-out”. Get me? 😉

One last thought: I have generally seen the general approach to DJing in this very blog is that they MUST be “pleasant” to the listeners, therefore they must at some point take under consideration what the listeners want to hear. While I agree with this idea I do not agree that this is a general definition for “artist”. Primarily “art” is about expression so in my opinion, an artist should be free to express himself, externalise his inner world regardless of what the audience, listener, spectator will think. I can already hear voices shouting “…but, but then you ll starve to death.” Wellllll, frankly speaking, do you know how MANY artists in human history starved to death only to be famous after their death? By expressing the real “you” there is always the chance you will find a “hole” in the market and all the “like-you” on the planet will end up being your fans 😉

Im using NI 2 for DJing, Focusrite Saffire 6 USB for production. You could theoretically use the Saffire for DJing too, but unfortunately its headphones output is a bit weak. M-Audio, as suggested, is a famous manufacturer, the only problem being a few years ago there were a lot of complaints about their drivers for their devices. Check their forum/support out and if these have been sorted, go for it.

Actually, if you are planning to make your name known and if you are after “branding”, and if rap is not your thing, I would advise you to not play – even if it all turns out ok, lets say it goes perfect, are you sure you want your name-brand to also be associated with rap? If of course, your branding target is “DJ who plays what the occasion demands” then go for it – its just that “usually” house, techno, trance DJs create a name that is associated with the specifif genres they play. And at least where I come from, no promoter of raves will call a guy to play if he has been associated with anything other than “rave” music – so rap might be a mistake for you.

*I grew up listening to hip-hop and rap, dont think Im saying the above because of disliking the genre, actually I do like the old school stuff like Cypress and Wu-Tang and all that*