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Posted by DjNastyKnight on May-01-2003 18:53:

help a noob!

hey everybody. I've been lurking on here for a long time. I figured I'd finally post and become a REAL DJ. I've wanted to DJ for a long time but I just recently got into "the scene." I only turned 18 this year and the first event I went to was PVD at roxy back in Feb. I feel in love with what the man does. So, I got some questions for all you guys. Any help would really be appreciated. Sorry if my questions are dumb...gimme a break..I'm new to all this!

Ok, first of all...what makes top DJs so good? How are they any more talented then bedroom DJs...what can they do that others dont do as well?

Ok, my next questions are about equipment. I'm trying to decide between the numark battle pack shown here two friends of mine bougt this pack for 310. The other pack I'm looking at is the DJ mart pack#6 shown here

I understand that the numark pack comes with cartridges and headphones. Does the DJ mart pack come with cartridges? Do all decks come with cartridges? (sorry if this is a dumb question) If the stanton's dont come with cartridges can anyone recommend some that arent too expensive? Also, the Stantons have a pitch control of +12/-8 .. I've noticed that most decks have +10/-10 does it make a difference? is one better than the other? Does it even matter?

I know some of you have ordered from DJ mart before...all good experiences? What's there reputations like? reliable company?

I'm kind of leaning towards the DJ mart pack right now because I dont want to spend 310 on the numark pack and then ending up growing out of it in a couple months. I'll consult the headphones thread for info on headphones. Sorry about the long post. any help is much appreciated!

Thanks,
Paul

Posted by auujay on May-01-2003 19:01:

Well for the first part about the famous guys being any better.
For the most part they are not better then a whole lot of good "bedroom DJs", the big diference is that they are famous. Mostly they are famous because of there productions (songs). So if you aspire to do what PVD does for a living you better start producing. But basicly they main thing that the big DJs have is skill (which you can have after a few years of practice) and can make good songs (a lot harder IMO). Some might say that one of the things that the famous guys are good at (one would hope) is reading the crowd and droping the right record at the right time. Most medroom DJs (like me) have never played at big clubs/raves and don't have much experience in that area (... yet).

Posted by loki on May-01-2003 22:50:

Auujay is right The more famous DJ's have skill, are known for producing, and most (not all) can read a crowd and play the appropriate records. This is VERY corny, but if you want just a taste of what a good DJ can do, check out the Intellect DVD on DJ'ing. You can't learn much from a DVD, but you will get some ideas on how to mix. You will also see, in a very small sense, how mixing can be an art. The demonstrator is Nigel Richards. He's an interesting guy, and does a pretty good job explaining how mixing works. It's worth the measley 16-20 bucks

As far as the DJ packages go, I would recommend the DJ Mart package. The mixer is solid, and the tables are adequate for a beginner.

Tranz works with/for DJ Mart, and he might be able to get more info out to you about the package. I have not dealt with them yet (YET), but I have not heard bad things at all.

Cartridges usually come with a package like the one offered by DJ Mart (I think the ad specifically mentions Stanton 520 SK cartridges). Move up to Ortofons though! The quality is very good, although they are pricey.

Headphones, ugh, I don't even wanna touch that one. I will recommend the Pioneer HDJ-1000's and the Sony V6 (I use the Sony headphones at the moment, but buying Pioneer 1000s shortly). Both are solid in my opinion. It's all up to you though. Headphones end up being a personal choice for DJ's.

Good luck!!!
Loki

Posted by hey cheggy on May-02-2003 16:20:

Famous deejays are famous not because they are good djs but because they are famous producers. There are plenty of people out there who get heeps of sets but cant mix for shit. This is cos of their crowd pulling ability after producing big name songs.

Posted by dJohn on May-02-2003 17:06:

quote:
Famous deejays are famous not because they are good djs but because they are famous producers. There are plenty of people out there who get heeps of sets but cant mix for shit. This is cos of their crowd pulling ability after producing big name songs.

There is some false and truth to this. Having famous tracks will up your name, hence, your fame will rise at an unstoppable, almost exponential rate...it seems that in today's image conscious media, fame feeds on itself and grows. But that's not all...at some point skill needs to come in, and that's what seperates some DJs from others. There is a reason why you can't place the likes of AvB or Ferry with Digweed, Tenaglia, and the other "heavyweights", and it's certainly not because of famous tracks.

Posted by Flash Bastard on May-02-2003 19:28:

i think if you wannabee a famous dj and a good one ... you need to be born lucky ..

Posted by Tiger777 on May-03-2003 00:47:

Ofcourse, being at the right time at the right place is THE most important thing to become a famous DJ. But, I think if you practise alot, and you like what you do, you'll get good and after a while, somebody may spot you...

Also, Don't begin to DJ thinking that 1 day you'll earn money with it... Cuz after a few weeks, you'll see(/hear) that actually, you really suck. You will give it up. But, if you dont do it for the money, but rather for amusement, you'll keep working and practising...

Posted by Tony Morello on May-03-2003 15:44:

yes, if you're in djing for the money, don't even bother
but if you're in it cause you love the music, then by all means, have fun
sad but true, most djs don't get much farther than the bedroom stage
it's an industry of who you know and not so much what you know
i've seen djs play at clubs who couldn't mix chocolate milk with a spoon
when i was starting out, i got my first gigs from my friends who just happened to be promoters
so as soon as you start spinning, get out and meet people, buy people drinks, talk
then when you're ready to play out, slip them a cd and you're on your way

Posted by rqpeyruxvg on May-04-2003 09:31:

Its all about beeing at the right place at the right time, If you want to become anything practice makes perfect and you have to always start somewhere. Its always best to start young and time is very precious on these things and if you start and think you are not getting anywhere try harder but dont stress over it. If it gets too much take a break do something else then get back to it.

tezz