What are your thoughts on todays top DJ's using a digital platform/Ableton Live? Most of all, my question is, who do you think is most talented at it? Sasha with his custome made controller, BT w/ the Laptop Symphony? Or James Zabiela with 2 CDJ's, a sampler, drum machine, and Live? Put your thoughts down on the keyboard.

Mine would be BT for the wild stutter edits he creates with the module he has (I forget the name). I saw him over the summer and really impressed me with a live performance.

you forgot about richie hawtin

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Originally posted by WirelessEyes Mine would be BT for the wild stutter edits he creates with the module he has (I forget the name). I saw him over the summer and really impressed me with a live performance.

watch these video's of Tim Exile using Reaktor 5 and some midi controllers.

http://www.nativeinstruments.com/in...s&tsr_id=34002#

SASHA 4EVA ZOMG!#!@11

actually, James Zabiela gets my vote. "Utilities Disc 2: Recorded" was simply amazing - it was a very flowing and converging set, but somehow maintained my interest the entire way through. It was like one constantly evolving song. Here's a part of the press release that came with the 2 disc Utilities set:

"James Zabiela continues to prove he is at the forefront of DJing with this 2CD mix. Devoting one disc to the much publicised Ableton technology mixed entirely off computer. Whilst he goes totally live on the second using 3 CD decks and samplers and EFX units. Tracklist includes James’ incredible debut single ‘Robophobia’ plus cuts and remixes from Aphex Twin/Infusion/Buick Project/Trentemoller/Montero and many more…"

Wheeee - this guy is awesome. Kicks the pants off of Sasha in terms of what he does with the software and where he takes it.

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Zabiela doesn't use it near it's full potential. My vote goes to either Richie Hawtin or the guy who beat-boxes with Ableton.

I don't like software DJ's at all. I can put Armins set on, say it's mine and not do anything while all the people jam to "my" set.

I don't care if it's like SS or FS...that's still beatmatching by way of listening to both tunes and using pitch to get them matched. Sasha takes some wav files, puts them in albeton and moves his faders up and down. Takes no skill. When mixing like sasha with albeton...it's basically boring because there's nothing to listen to anymore....there's no more calling out "TRAINWRECK!" when a live set is on...and it's all jsut one big long boring song

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Originally posted by SpecRadio I don't like software DJ's at all. I can put Armins set on, say it's mine and not do anything while all the people jam to "my" set. I don't care if it's like SS or FS...that's still beatmatching by way of listening to both tunes and using pitch to get them matched. Sasha takes some wav files, puts them in albeton and moves his faders up and down. Takes no skill. When mixing like sasha with albeton...it's basically boring because there's nothing to listen to anymore....there's no more calling out "TRAINWRECK!" when a live set is on...and it's all jsut one big long boring song

im sorry but you really dont have a glue what its all about do you? (music)
applications like ableton, when used to their full extent, allow djs to play music right when and how they want it to be. They can re-arrange the whole song on the fly and add other interactive elements as they go. im sure you are already familiar with the concept, but I guess not with the outcome then: totally unique mixture of sound. Even when you catch these djs about a week later than the last time and you hear the same tune, its not really the same tune since its re-edited & arranged differently.

Ableton allows dj's to bring out their creativity that usual dj-tools (turntables and cdj's) tend to hinder.

Of course here comes the good old beatmatching argument.. If youre sayin' that the skill in djng consists of only beatmatching then I urge you to practice some more and I think that soon enough you will see that beatmatching IS a very trivial skill. ANYONE with a little ear & patience to learn it will some day reach the point when it takes about ~20-30 seconds (or less) to match two songs & then mix them perfectly.

I must agree with you to some extent: a dj set sounds a little more "live" when you occasionally hear the dj correct the beats a little.. (I guess its the same with tube amps and their 'warm' but then again not 'perfect' sound)

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But I truley don't see any skill being put into their sets.

I did watch that reaktor 5 thing...that actually took some skill. What Zab & Sasha do...requires the brain of an infant.

Zab just turns the efx 1000 on flange and jerks the CD player off as fast as he can...

And sasha moves faders up and down.

I listened to ONE sasha set on albeton. All I can say, is I've never heard anything as boring in my life. I could listen to dead air and have more enjoyment out of that.

If you don't want the same song to be played, remix it...or add efx or something. Put some vocals on top.

Plus...I've seen what sasha requires at ever club he plays at...sounds like a major fag . A Xone V6 with like 4 CDJ's...and if not...a Xone 62. If you don't have that, he wont play. Also, he needs the monitors the right way. Top DJ's/Producers are fags. Well...most of them.

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Originally posted by sym watch these video's of Tim Exile using Reaktor 5 and some midi controllers. http://www.nativeinstruments.com/in...s&tsr_id=34002#

holy shit...

I guess Richie Hawtin or Surgeon if you look on how their screens are setup but i usually find Ableton-sets really really really boring.
Sasha's sets are pure sleepers, he adds the Lift Me Up-vocal during the bassline from one track and the beat of another, so what?
He can add whatever elements he wants but as SpecRadio said, his sets are one long sleeper.

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