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http://www.maximonline.com/entertai...ticle_6226.html
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How To: Mix and Scratch
Star DJ Armin van Buuren makes up to 50 grand a night to spin at clubs and fight off European models. Now you can, too! In theory.
Maxim, February 2005
1. Gear Up
“Get a set of Technics SL-1200 series direct-drive turntables, the industry standard,” says van Buuren, who’s ranked third in the world by DJmag. (We found ’em used on eBay for under $300.) “Belt-drive turntables cost less but aren’t as stable, and you’ll have to relearn everything to be a pro. Get a mixing console (Gemini PS-700i, under $100 on eBay) and headphones, which just need to be comfy. Visit chemicalrecords.co.uk and dancegrooves.com for records, or Google what you want.”
2. Mix Well
“Play one record through the speakers, then start another through your headphones. Adjust the second record’s speed using the pitch control, a slide mechanism next to the platter, then use the cross-fader to shift the second record onto the speakers. That’s the essence of DJing, but it’s harder than it sounds. If you do it wrong, the beats won’t work fluidly and it’ll sound like shoes in a dryer. A good DJ can transition so smoothly even the trained ear won’t notice there’s another record playing.”
3. Get Tricky
“Sort your records into BPMs (beats per minute) and musical keys. I write the BPMs and keys on my records so I know what tempos I should mix them in. Use records as elements—play part of one, then part of another—rather than just records. As for scratching, there are tons of techniques, so play around and get a feel for what works.” A few rules: Don’t scratch over words of songs, don’t scratch louder than the song, and don’t overscratch—unless you want to be annoying.
4. Live It Up
“Make a demo mix and give it to local clubs,” van Buuren says. “And DJ friends’ parties—you never know when a promoter might show up.” The reward for success? “Five-star hotels, flying first-class, pulling in up to $50,000 a gig. And then you get all the female attention. It’s a boy’s dream. Once I was DJing in Israel, and a famous European model was all over me and wanted to take me home. I turned her down to be the only one she couldn’t have. The promoter gave me a thumbs-up.”
Future Shock
Van Buuren says lots of DJs spin on the Pioneer CDJ-1000, a CD player you can manipulate like a turntable, and FinalScratch 2, which uses MP3s. Still, he insists, “You have to be able to spin on a vinyl turntable; it’s the most basic and essential form of DJing.”
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