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Re: The continuing hate for Ableton DJs
| quote: | Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles
I find it kind of surprising that when the subject is brought up, a lot of people still express hate for DJs who use Ableton, say that DJs who use laptops aren't "real" DJs, or say that they always get "bored" when a DJ plays on a laptop. A recent exhibit is in the "Tiesto should use Ableton" thread, which was resurrected by someone expressing such feelings:
http://www.tranceaddict.com/forums/...45&forumid=1&s=
Anyway, why aren't these people ready to move on yet? Is the visual aspect of DJing really that important? I mean, I understand the whole nostalgia trip and the mystique of records, but for me the most important thing is always the music, not the medium... |
as long as mixing is dynamic and expressive, i don't really care.
it's just as boring to me to watch conservative, flatline vinyl djs and cdjs and mp3js as it is to watch conservative, flatline ableton djs.
however, due to the more intense learning curve and levels of committment associated with vinyl records and to a lesser extent cdjs, i feel there is a much higher percentage of people using software such as ableton to deejay who are very uninspired and underdeveloped as deejays.
having used vinyl, cds, serato, and ableton to dj before in a party situation, i know exactly what is involved with all of these things. most of the time i was using ableton, i found myself bored to tears, and i felt the set was equally as boring, unless I was constantly mixing something with something else, or doing some effect. however, i can't stand too many effects, and i can't stand undadultered mashing, so I never used ableton to DJ again. Using ableton for edits works when the tracks you are editing are simple such as dj tools, but not particularly practical when you are trying to edit complex tracks that involve a lot of simultaneous automation. computers fuck up way more than technics. i've also done live PA out and I know how challenging this can be.
I don't think you should need to make an edit live unless it's an absolute fucking bomb. Otherwise you can just dj and get nearly the same effect. I, for one, am not impressed when richie hawtin loops 3 pieces of shit over one another for 10 minutes and changes the loop length with a filter face.
so unless someone is doing a live pa with ableton using all their own material, i don't really think it's necessary.
in deejaying, 'more' != 'better'. layering 4 shitty tracks does not make 1 good one, it makes a 4x shittier track. similarly, layering 4 good tracks prevents each of those tracks from being simply good on its own. more effects tends to ruin a perfectly good track. you have to have a really special ear and relationship with the software to get these things right, and like I said earlier, because ableton is easier and more accessible than deejaying with vinyl records, 9 times out of 10, the ableton dj is not going to have that really special ear.
also as far as serato goes, i have a love/hate relationship with the software. I love it because I have too much music, I hate burning cds, and I prefer to play with records and use my vinyl as well as my digital collection. I hate it because I don't like having a distracting computer screen in the booth, I like the basic alchemy of mixing two things with a physical form. I don't trust computers in a live situation - too unstable. When I am cooking food, I like to stir and shake the pan. I'd rather not use a computer or midi controller to stir/shake.. I also hate serato because of how many times I have played with djs who beatmatch using their eyes to line up the virtual beats and to download and play pirated mp3s.
Last edited by nefardec on Feb-23-2009 at 18:20
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