i've been noticing lately that many djs have perfect studio sets. the beatmatching is perfect, the transitions are superb, sound levels are accurate. however, the same djs have many live sets that are not of the same quality. for example, their beat matching might be off once in a while, many transitions are not perfectly times etc...

i was wondering if these dj use softwares to creat the perfect dj sets.

also, is that possible with ableton?

i do know that many djs use ableton for production, gigs etc...but can one construct a dj set using this software? that includes the beatmatching, transitions, fading, sound levels etc?

your insight would be appreciated. thank you!

yea man a lot of the pros are using ableton to mix this podcasts and what not. their mixing is superb, impossible live unless you're very very amazing.

Well if you use Ableton Live like Sasha and PVD do when they play out live you could have it perfect. Using Serato and Traktor helps out too. Using cds and playing a long set live you might mess up here and there but at least "YOU" are playing live and not staring at a computer screen the whole time to see if your beats are in sync.

The top dj's use Ableton to record their radio shows mostly though as they are busy touring and gigging all over the world. I see it as a personal preference kind of thing.

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quote:

Originally posted by msz yea man a lot of the pros are using ableton to mix this podcasts and what not. their mixing is superb, impossible live unless you're very very amazing.

not true.

it is called practice.

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it's called unpossible.

easier said than done when dealing with trance el freak. i realize you dont listen to trance really, i was listening to menno de jong podcast recently for some reason and was very impressed by the mixing having being told it was on cdj1000s. but then after found out it was ableton. in that mix he puts any of your traktor/serato mixes to shame, and yours are pretty good. (im talking about mixing not djing, his track selection is @_@)

Last edited by MSZ on Jan-14-2010 at 22:22

that being said, less house techno djs would do this, more trance djs would do this. and to answer your original question, yes it is possible to do that perfect set manually, but be prepared for a lot of dedication, and like el freak said a lot of practice. beatmatching is insignificant you can train that well, its everything else you have to nail.

just my 2 cents

Last edited by MSZ on Jan-14-2010 at 22:29

quote:

Originally posted by snatonsb Using cds and playing a long set live you might mess up here and there but at least "YOU" are playing live and not staring at a computer screen the whole time to see if your beats are in sync.

I suggest you give Ableton a try as I think you have a poor understanding of the way it works.

I took 2 years away from the scene and am pretty disappointed at the existance of these sort of opinions despite the fact that a large majority of resident and working DJ's are using software to their advantage without needing to stare at the screen to see if their beats are in sync (should I not have my headphones on too long or I might look like I'm trying to listen to my beats being in sync?)

***

For all reading this thread who are interested in what is possible with an Ableton set feel free to check out a recent mix of mine:

Click here for the thread

As you can see it's almost 20 tracks in less than 80 minutes. However you'll find in this mix Ableton allows for 2 or 3 tracks to be edited and blended seamlessly.

I use this mix as an example because I think it's a great way to show the nuances and subtleties involved in creating an orchestrated piece, rather than a typical a->b DJ set as I would with my DVS and 1200's/CDJs.

You will probably find that any presumption of how a mix can sound when you mash tracks in a regula DJ set is blown away by what is capable with Ableton. A large percentage of these tracks are live reedits.

Note that I am primarily a CDJ and Vinyl DJ but I use Ableton for producing and editing. In this case I used it create an orchestrated piece rather than a traditional DJ set.

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reading the original post some more maybe i can help answer some questions.


you can use ableton, to stretch the beats so it stays in time, like beatmatching essentially to you.

low mid high EQ can be set on any track, and can be edited via line automation(you can play the track back and forth, and record drawing of how you want the EQ to sound)

you can adjust levels the same way. You can even crossfade in it, but it would probably be better sticking to volume levels.

like spawn said, you can do a ton of things you couldnt without using it. in addition, making a standard A - B set sound spectacular. (On the fly improvements)

i tend to agree on the trance thing solely because of things like key clashes and stuff like that, but it is still formulaic enough that if you play in key and know your tracks you do not need ableton to play perfectly live.

___________________
Whooooooo Hawwwww Whoooooo Hawwwww. - Busta Rhymes 3:16

www.soundcloud.com/le-freak

Le Freak - Funk for Cows (pure fat bitch haus..click and free wet naps.)

Come on, weekly podcasts, mixes from Radio 1, mix CD's, etc. have been done in the studio for a VERY long time. This is nothing new. Even before ableton, these were often done with pro-tools in a studio.

The very-good DJ's can do nearly perfect sets live, but they are NEVER 100% perfect.