2006 was the worst year ever- professionally and especially personally.
Good
fucking
riddance

quote:

Originally posted by Nemesis44 So what if this year? Well, if nothing else, learn something new. If you are a bedroom DJ, make that special effort to try and land you that first gig. It doesn't matter how big or small but put yourself on the map and stake your claim!.

Ahh man, i'm buying CDJs probably this year. Sick of being stuck in my room when i've been able to mix cleanly on turntables for over a year now.

I just gotta figure out how to go about it and make money from it all now.

quote:

Originally posted by Freak 2006 was the worst year ever- professionally and especially personally. Good fucking riddance

+1

Anyways, my DJing history has seen all formats. I began making mp3 mixes on things like MixMeister and Traktor as a teenager. Then I began to mix on vinyl. Then I moved to CDs, which I now prefer due to their functionality (for tricks like hotcues and feedback loops) and economy ($2 wav tracks beats $10 vinyl).

I also now have a MacBook with Ableton. I intend to integrate it with a MIDI Controller.

Each format has it's advantages and disadvantages. Limiting yourself to any one would just be restricting yourself. I won't be ditching my decks any time soon to do laptop sets. Not only is that boring to me, but there are tricks I can do on CDJs/Vinyl that I simply cannot do on Ableton. Likewise, there are some things I can do on Ableton that I simply cannot do on my decks. I use them all together to my advantage.

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NEW MIX [Feb/March 2008]

Great words as always, Nem.

I am one of those "started out on Traktor" guys, but I started out on it knowing full well everything that you said in your original post. I'm still using Traktor (and a MIDI controller as my "mixer"), and my main limitation and reasoning behind this is simply monetary. However, I have really grown to like DJing this way from a utility and functionality perspective. I still plan on getting decks, but I don't think I'll ever ditch the laptop from my setup. I have tried to make my sets interesting (link in sig if you want to judge for yourself), and I hope that I am doing that... but I have only been at this for a couple of months, so I'm sure I have a lot of learning to do.

One thing that I forced myself into is beatmatching by ear, regardless of the ability to have the computer do most of the work. (It's not that accurate if you don't help it along anyway, IMO). I wanted to be able to do it on my own in the case of not having Traktor available. Though I will say that I have become heavily dependent on the wave display, and this likely keeps me from needing to "know" my tracks as well as, say, a typical vinyl DJ.

My situation is a little bit different from yours too, in that I started out as producer, and THEN went to DJing. So I'm a producer at heart (and that's what I do the most of). I think this makes you much pickier as a DJ, so I feel like I'm off to a good start simply from that aspect.

i'm going to be flat out serious with this.

i think 90% of Ableton only DJs are plainly full of fucking BS.

yes, i said it. it's not the use of Ableton, rather the method. you have a bunch of guys doing something absolutely uncreative, and easily achievable with 2 plain vinyl decks. only they use Ableton for it. so, basically, they are just mixing normally, without having to beatmatch. don't see the point to that.

if you are going to use Ableton only, in order for it to be respectable IMO, you should do something with the damn music. rebuild some tracks, throw in some original material. just sequencing tracks makes no sense.

if you see guys like Richie Hawtin, you'll notice their Ableton only mix CDs and such are basically impossible to do on normal equipment, as they are effectively rebuilding music and creating a collage of tracks based on loops and samples. they also throw in original material. playing out live? he carries FinalScratch, and plays tracks off of that, adding to it with Ableton at his side. he also plays tracks out of Ableton when he feels he wants full control over it, and has it deconstructed in loops. that makes for an interesting performance. or look at good ol' James Zabiela. still his crazy self, only with added power from Ableton.

remember, Ableton is a production tool first, and was adapted to DJing. but if you're going to use it for DJing, might as well use it in a somewhat live production sense. see THIS GUY for more info. he plays Ableton only sets, but at least he takes the time to sort himself out and put some work into it, instead of just pressing play on a track and fading it in.

EDIT: oh, and happy new year to all

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check out my guest mix for OndaSonora Podcast (aug.2009)

Great read Nem, and congrats on the signing also. I have to agree that its going to be a great year.

hah, Im nowhere near as good as most of you, but by the end of 2006, 3 months into DJ'ing, I've seen some great progress. I went from not being able to beatmatch to becomeing comfortable beatmtching, getting tighter mixes, adding effects to transitions, and have finally picked up the main skill of the dj, listening to two things at once. Now in 2007, I hope to get my name out there, starting with house parties and small raves, and hopefully by the time im 21, (2008) I will be ready for the club. Good luck to all the other small djs out there, and congrats to nem and t-soma on your accomplishments.

hah, Im nowhere near as good as most of you, but by the end of 2006, 3 months into DJ'ing, I've seen some great progress. I went from not being able to beatmatch to becomeing comfortable beatmtching, getting tighter mixes, adding effects to transitions, and have finally picked up the main skill of the dj, listening to two things at once. Now in 2007, I hope to get my name out there, starting with house parties and small raves, and hopefully by the time im 21, (2008) I will be ready for the club. Good luck to all the other small djs out there, and congrats to nem and t-soma on your accomplishments.

quote:

Originally posted by kingklubz hah, Im nowhere near as good as most of you, but by the end of 2006, 3 months into DJ'ing, I've seen some great progress. I went from not being able to beatmatch to becomeing comfortable beatmtching, getting tighter mixes, adding effects to transitions, and have finally picked up the main skill of the dj, listening to two things at once. Now in 2007, I hope to get my name out there, starting with house parties and small raves, and hopefully by the time im 21, (2008) I will be ready for the club. Good luck to all the other small djs out there, and congrats to nem and t-soma on your accomplishments.

Iv learnt never to turn down an opportunity unless you can see direct loss from it (damage to equipment etc). No-matter how bad things may seem, iv realised its important to take with you what lessons you can because it will come in handy at some point.
2007, Year of the Trance Addict
Iv never been so pumped about a new year before haha.

Good luck not only to the aspiring TA DJs but to all DJs out there doing it for the love of good music.

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