quote:

Originally posted by JM-8 Technological advances in DJing are what you decide to make of it - sure you can just use the medium for its standard use of you can push the limits of the technology. For example - Standard Uses: Turntables - with the use of a mixer beatmix 2 records CDJ - same as above, just now being able to use CDs Laptop - load 2 tracks into your software, possibly use software to automatically beatmix the tracks but now push the technology to its boundaries: Turntables - see any DMC competition video, try doing a hydroplane or other crazy scratch technique on a laptop or CDJ, there are some parts of this performance art that will never be able to be transferred to another medium no matter how good the CDJ gets CDJ - re-edit every track you play to your liking, create loops on the fly, blend tracks 20 BPMs different from each other using master tempo feature Laptop - using software like Ableton Live, play 20 different loops or samples in realtime, changing them and tweaking them as you go, which is impossible with any turntable set-up obviously my examples aren't perfect, but hopefully I was able to illustrate my point. 10 years ago I never thought that anything would be created that remotely came close to a turntable, but with a CD, and look and all the awesome technology that exists now. Who knows what they will think of next. JM-8

Great post!

For a pro-technology point of view from Sasha (someone who I respect a lot more then Oakenfold....) go here http://www.inthemix.com.au/features/18062/

It makes me laugh that Oakenfold says new technology is ruining the 'art' of djing when he can hardly mix two records together. He is more concerned with his image and 'moves' then being able to do tricks on the turntables. Not to mention the fact that he once played a pre-recorded set for a live crowd, does that sound like an artist to you?

Even the point about people not wanting to dance to someone playing with a laptop. Have you seen Junkie XL play live? I have. The crowd was going absolutely crazy with his 'laptop performance'. Obviously he knows how important image is to a DJ because he dresses up like a scotsman and does jump kicks all over the place - in effect making up for the fact that he doesn't have to mix.

Thing is, that whole argument is based on an 'image' thing. If Sasha was playing 10 foot above the stage so you couldn't see if he was mixing on decks or just playing off a turntable, yet played a mean set and everyone was really into it - would you question his performance?

A DJ 'performance' and the image of the DJ is tied together, you get an ugly fat DJ who doesn't move around and listen to him play a mean set, and then get a good looking DJ to play the same set, who jumps around and energises the crowd, see which one the crowd loves more...

My point? Image and marketing yourself is important to being a popular DJ - however that, is not art, artistic or anything to do with an art form - its marketing.

I don't see anything wrong in Final Scratch or CDs, example: PVD used 'em and nobody at the club said : "This dj sucks, we're going home." Everybody I talked to was rather exited about him using it. I think because of human nature evolution will effect every aspect of our life's so the music, dj'ing or mediums we use to play the music will evolve too and as long as you don't do anything illegal and you love what you do I don't see anything wrong in dj'ing with final scratch. Example: I noticed more and more clubs have only cd decks and they are packed every weekend and nobody on the dance floor is complaining about the lack of vinyl... well, unless a rather larger girl is wearing it And another thing, the equipment doesn't make you a great DJ , you still need skills . I've meet people that came from wealthy families and you herd them brag how great and fancy their equipment is , for them it was nothing to go and spend a lot of money on their gear , but they still couldn't mix for shit , at the same time guys that couldn't effort all the fancy stuff were technically unbelievable and way better in feeling the crowd in the place they were spinning in , some of them were using CDs because cd decks were cheaper and medium was more affordable as well .

he needs an editor cause his article is poorly written...

other than that... do what you want

quote:

Originally posted by Dirk W. Also, I have never seen a CD player match keys either.

I assume he means key lock which does make matching keys a whole lot easier. Personally I would probobly try to mix harmonicly a lot more if didn't have to worry about speed differences changeing the key of the track.

As for laptops it depends. What I mean is, of course someone mixing with Traktor is not going to look nearly as active as a normal DJ as they are mostly doodling on the computer. However some DJs/artists really use the PC in a new way, specifically BT comes to mind. We all know he sucks balls at DJing but give him his laptop and he will do a live perfomance of mixing/remixing which is definitly a step beyond DJing.

Edit: Though I don't think many people are argueing this, I think it is important to seperate FS (and therefore SSL as well) from "laptop" mixing because you are mixing with the mixer and tables. Of course as someone mentioned above, this does all become a moot point when the DJ is really seperated from the crowd and no one can see exactly what they are doing (either because they are off in a dark corner or because the booth is so high above the crowd).

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Last edited by auujay on Oct-21-2004 at 04:11

DJ Tiesto; "I don't know about Final Scratch really. I'm not sure if you're DJing or you're up there checking your e-mail!"

Oh Tiesto :P

Personally, I love FS. Works wonderfully to me and many DJ's around the world are using software like this.

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Hey if it sounds good and I like what I hear, than I don't care what equipment is used. Sure turn tables look cooler and the dj seems a lot more interactive but that's just an image thing.

On a different note, what I want to see in the next gen. of CDJs to have an internal hard drive and a USB connection. This way I can put my digital files right inside the cd player and do without a laptop if I choose to, not to mention carring CDs an no more fiddling around with a mouse while behind the decks

Future of DJing = DVD-Audio and Super-Audio CDs...

with that dvd audio thing, are u implying that im gonna go to a club and stare up at a screen and watch people mix videos? if thats the case i doubt that, especially considering that trance videos always manage to suck in my opinion.... But in respect to your opinion, i could be wrong

doesn't have to be trance videos. You can put any video on top of any song you want in any half ass piece of shit editor.

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i see.... im still not convinced that people would wanna feel "fixed" to a screen

quote:

Originally posted by ESMdjm600 i see.... im still not convinced that people would wanna feel "fixed" to a screen

This is VJing. Super Audio CDs and DVD audio are a CD replacment. They are only audio but at much higher quality and use the larger storage capacity of these media to do it. This may be the future of DJing but not for at least a decade.

PS - Trance videos do suck balls...

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Major Johnson - February Progressive Mix

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