Todd Oddity

I play with bands all the time (mostly at clubs that cater to 19 – 25 year olds – important to know the demographic on any night). I always ask before the start of the night if they have a playlist. That helps to get a sense of what they are going to play, and making sure paths don’t cross. If they don’t, I ask them if there is anything I should avoid (makes them think about their set a little).

Make sure you know the set times and be ready to go as soon as they stop so there is no dead air. Time your sets so you end on time – but always keep something cue’d up in case they aren’t ready to go.

As for what to play, obviously would be different by venue and age groups, but what normally works best for me is to play something very different to kick off your set. If the band ends on a rock note (as most do), I’ll start with a hip-hop or house track with a hard start. Sets the tone immediately. Gets the live music fans to the bar for a drink and the dance music fans to the dancefloor. Then about 10 minutes before the band is supposed to start up again I’ll tone it down a little so that when they switch back on it isn’t such a drastic change.

As a side note, you will run into the occasional band that treat dj’s as “background” between their “headliner” sets. While you shouldn’t be an ass, don’t ever put up with this. You are both equally important parts to the success of the night. You don’t start playing over them, they shouldn’t start playing over you – or turn off your feed before you are finished. Like I said, it is normally a rare problem, but you may run into it every now and then…

Overall, playing with bands can be a blast – have fun with it!

It doesn’t seem to me like it would be hard for them to update their business model quite quickly. Leave the software alone, have Intro as the free “included” LE version with controllers, Itch as a paid full version (and unlocked to any midi controller), and SSL as the hardware dependent version.

There. Done. Now why is it taking them so long to see how easy that was? lol

I can only comment on the Denon unit, but after using Denon products from the 90’s through to the present, I found the workflow on the 6000 to be immediately familiar and it took me all of 5 minutes to adjust.

I’ve been towelling my equipment for years. Works just fine. Costs a buck at Walmart.

Guess I needed to wait an extra day for the review to pop up… http://djworx.com/review-magma-laptop-stand-riser/

1. Look for PC’s that have “Windows Signature” instead of just a straight OEM install. This is a version of Windows that Microsoft has specifically optimised for the computer model running it (this optimisation of hardware and software is what makes Macs seem more stable). I’m actually very surprised that more manufacturers haven’t taken up Microsoft on the new service.

2. Next, get a clean install of Windows. Most manufacturers clog up new units with so much crapware it makes the machine grind to a halt. Either clean it yourself or pay the store to do it. Or if you can find a machine with a clean install – even better!

Vizio is launching a new line of PC’s that cover both of these, although I’m not yet in love with the specs they are offering.

synthet1c, post: 22301, member: 1107 wrote: But midi controllers are there for consumers so already incredibly cheap in comparison. The problem is they are not built to last like an allen & heath mixer, cdj2000’s or technics 1200’s. so yes you could spend about $4000 on professional gear that will last a lot of years or you could buy 5 or 6 controllers for about that much to last the same amount of time. plus you need to buy a laptop or two & dj software upgrades if using traktor.

Strongly disagree with this point. Just as you can buy low end CDJ’s, you can buy low end controllers. The reverse also applies, and I can attest to my Denon MC6000 being every bit as solid as any top end CDJ on the market today. You get what you pay for.

Papa Bear, post: 21820, member: 966 wrote: How do I get drunk chicks out of my DJ booth without being rude 😉 ?

Ah, I remember one night at this little place I used to play – it was slow, but there was a big group of drunk girls there, so I took the opposite approach and invited them all into the booth… at the same time.

So now there was absolutely nobody in the bar, and the manager walks around the corner and sees me in the booth stuffed to the walls with girls. She took a picture and hung it by the door. It was awesome.

Ah, memories…