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I'm an harddisc (traktor and controllers) jockey myself and I hate when kids start asking me about software and controllers.

frebentos wrote:

physical wrote:just pose away behind your computer.

see this too many times.

if you want to play parties...sound...but go out learn on something other than software and buy the tracks.

You see too many kids playing out shit mp3's that they've ripped off the internet, on software that does all the work for them, so they can be the "DJ"...it sounds shite and its a kick in the baws for stnuc that have spent time learning how to do it and actually go out and buy the tunes...

i agree. if you're going to be using software to DJ, you should at least a) know how to use said software, b) buy your fucking music!, and c) learn the basics about mixing.

that being said, what do you mean by "software that does all the work?" Live, once all your tracks are properly warped, will eliminate on-the-fly beatmatching, but everything else about mixing is still there.

This seems to be such a ridiculously big issue in dubstep/drum and bass... most other genres wouldn't bat an eyelid with whatever you use. It really doesn't matter. The point of Live quantizing things for you is to free up time to do other shit in! It's only questionable if someone is literally just clicking on a play button every 3 minutes and not doing anything else

it is actually possible to trainwreck with a any digital system....you would still have to go in and properly beat grid all your tracks to use the "sync" button....that alone takes some skill....cause if its not gridded proper....you will train wreck and itll sound like shit ....and yes....it gives you a whole lotta extra time to do other things besides just "mix" .... me personally...i use a shitload of loops...hotcues....and about 14 other EFX tricks .... this arguement will go on forever

physical wrote:it would deeefinitely piss me off if they were doing no mixing/beatmatching themselves and just using a laptop and controller.

i think if people are paying to see you perform in a club at least put in the time and effort to learn to mix on cd/vinyl (which you should want to do anyway if you are wanting to become a DJ), and not just pose away behind your computer choosing tunes like an iTunes playlist.

I've never been to gig, having a good time and stop what im doing to comment whether he/she is using a midi controller or whatnot. It's all in your choice of tunes and how you mix em. people go out to dance. a DJ with a good ear is just that, regardless of what he's using. people like to have a good time.

frebentos wrote: You see too many kids playing out shit mp3's that they've ripped off the internet, on software that does all the work for them, so they can be the "DJ"...it sounds shite and its a kick in the baws for stnuc that have spent time learning how to do it and actually go out and buy the tunes...

what are these wack-ass events that are hosting shit like this?

thrush wrote:i dont like efx chains or loops or anything. tracks are built the way they are because they're built the way they are. you shouldnt need to change it if its a good tune.

its not about playing a tune or playing another one after it. Its about combing two or more tunes to make something unique. Something that people want to hear and that you have the imagination and the flair to create, combing two or more tunes into a new song that people skank out to is an amazing thing.

Doing this with tunes that are perfect in their own right is even more difficult because sometimes people fail to see tunes as anything other that song in its own right.

It doesn't matter if you use a program on a computer and a controller... or vinyl decks you've had since your hip-hop days. You still need to know the music in order to make shit that sounds good. If people can't respect that- fuck em

yes this ^^^

you don't see Carl Cox, Craze, Booka Shade and Richie Hawtin complaining about digital Djing. They play out to 10s of thousands at Festivals all over the world and they all use Traktor Pro. Argument closed.

Sharmaji wrote:

frebentos wrote: You see too many kids playing out shit mp3's that they've ripped off the internet, on software that does all the work for them, so they can be the "DJ"...it sounds shite and its a kick in the baws for stnuc that have spent time learning how to do it and actually go out and buy the tunes...

what are these wack-ass events that are hosting shit like this?

psytrance festivals... 4 out of 5 dubstep parties in the south east (atl, mia excluded)... it really is vexing... especially when they get paid for their jackassery.

tbf its not as rampant as it was before beatport started selling for the big labels...

I use a VCI at home just for practical purposes. The only bad thing about using a controller is sometimes the club/party you're playing at will limit your ability to use such items be it their sound setup or at the very least not having enough fucking room. Something to consider.

If you're going to rely on bringing a controller of any type always best to have cds or vinyl on hand and be prepared for anything.

as far as shit mp3's its a plague but you can take comfort in knowing few djs like that ever go anywhere. Even casual fans notice a 192 sounding like absolute shit.

pkay wrote:as far as shit mp3's its a plague but you can take comfort in knowing few djs like that ever go anywhere. Even casual fans notice a 192 sounding like absolute shit.

without a doubt man. Even if they dont know why, I've seen some folk who are like, "why does it sound so shit!?"...ripped mp3's.

Sharmaji wrote:

frebentos wrote: You see too many kids playing out shit mp3's that they've ripped off the internet, on software that does all the work for them, so they can be the "DJ"...it sounds shite and its a kick in the baws for stnuc that have spent time learning how to do it and actually go out and buy the tunes...

what are these wack-ass events that are hosting shit like this?

I see it all the time. A lot of things, be it dubstep, disco, techno, all have their laptop lothareos.

I wouldnt know much about what to do in the time you spare by using a programme like ableton and don't have enough knowledge to get into the ins and outs of how easy or hard it is to get a good mix out of them.

My main beef is people skipping a whole load of time and not learning how mix on traditional equipment but even more so...not buying music.

If you are playing out at whatever and your using ripped mp3's, your basically sending out a big, FUCK YOU, to everyone out there whos puttin in the time and effort to make, distribute and promote their tracks....and that just aint cool.

Why does everyone think beat-matching is the be-all and end-all of DJ'ing? As en ex-hip-hop DJ, I appreciate that it's a skill that's well worth learning, but I'd much rather listen to a set that's put together creatively than one where the DJ spends half the time beatmatching and the actual mixing becomes an afterthought. I started using Ableton after seeing it used at Optimo and have never turned back. It just opens so many new doors that were otherwise unexplored while wasting time sliding pitch shifters up and down, and frantically finding cue points in the dark. Although as many have stated already, if you're going to go digital, you should at least be paying for all your music, there's really no excuse when places like Boomkat are charging 99p a tune.

I completely forgot about starting this... haha. I've figured a way to set up turntables, and im buying my techs in may thanks for all the feedback

charliefoy wrote:I completely forgot about starting this... haha. I've figured a way to set up turntables, and im buying my techs in may thanks for all the feedback

for the record, i'm using a set of cheap direct drive stantons along with torq. gives me the freedom to buy vinyl at my own pace and still be able to play tunes off my laptop.

solo strike wrote:This seems to be such a ridiculously big issue in dubstep/drum and bass... most other genres wouldn't bat an eyelid with whatever you use.

This is because we're all a bunch of barely reformed indie kids who can't handle the concept of going to a club to party to some great music and to have a good time with our friends but have to turn it into some sort of a gig instead. And since we can't do people with guitars, the next best thing we can get is going to 'watch' a DJ and pretend that there's some great performance going on when someone pokes some bits of plastic.