quote:

Originally posted by nrjizer Whats dumb about laptops is that they're useless. Digital vinyl? Honestly, why not just use REAL records in that case? Saves you $1500 for a laptop/software. Laptops are also fragile, hard drives can die, the software can crash, etc. If you're going to go digital, go CD, you can do much much more with it. If your CDs are lost, stolen, etc, just re-burn them. If someone gives you a fresh promo on CDR you can play it as soon as you want.

good points about the fragility of laptops, but their greater use comes from sampling, on-the-fly editing and visual interfaces that allow the user to concentrate on creating more complicated music within sets. i disagree that laptops are useless. why not take your digital studio (in the form of your 'laptop') with you? you could even create a track on the way to a gig and play it right off the comp that same night...just some thoughts.
also, why burn a cdr when that someone could just send you the mp3 via the web?

quote:

Originally posted by nrjizer Whats dumb about laptops is that they're useless. Digital vinyl? Honestly, why not just use REAL records in that case? Saves you $1500 for a laptop/software. Laptops are also fragile, hard drives can die, the software can crash, etc. If you're going to go digital, go CD, you can do much much more with it. If your CDs are lost, stolen, etc, just re-burn them. If someone gives you a fresh promo on CDR you can play it as soon as you want.

Yes laptops are expensive...but vinyl is waaayyyy more expensive in the long run, also you can do SO much more with a laptop. Djs are getting bored, so they want to be more creative. Laptops let them do this. Laptops can die, sofware can crash, and laptops are somewhat fragile...this is true, but vinyl isnt ALWAYS a walk in the park either...

Vinyl will never die just because it's stylish and mysterious - the dancefloor majority has no clear idea of how the DJ creates his mix.
DJ with a laptop pushing buttons looks boring...

Well I should probably have been specific. When I say laptops I mean software like FinalScratch.

Laptops are definately handy and useful, but I don't think they're useful for actual mixing at all. I'd rather have my hands on a record or a CDJ wheel than a mouse while I'm mixing and scratching, or on a knob or pad while I'm adding effects.

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NEW MIX [Feb/March 2008]

Is there anything worse than being on a dancefloor when the DJ is using cds or a laptop?

For mine, you might as well stick a blow up doll up there with ear phones and it would be more exciting.

Off to see Steve Murano @ FAMILY tonight, yip yip.

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TA all round nice guy.

- you dim your lights in the room to a nice soft glow. The room is quiet with anticipation. With ready hands you take out that piece of vinyl, which glistens in the light. It's almost ceremonial the way you put that first record on. Some may ease it on, some may flop it on and give it on good turn...everyone has their own way, but which ever way we do its always done with a sense of respect. Once that strobe is lit, and the frist revolusion turns its way around, you feel as if new life will be given to this record you are about to play. The slight hiss and crackle are happy reminders of the many joyous times you have let this record play. When that first note drops you are always reminded that this is the way music should be played...

Its this warm and intimate feeling that REAL DJs get when they play with vinyl.
Yes technology is great, in fact I own two CD decks and final scratch. But there is no feeling like spinning on vinyl. Some of us know it well, and others may never know... I'll leave it at that.

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Digweed is not from this planet.

quote:

Originally posted by TwoPlow Oh shit, the big boys are doing it, we better all hunker down and follow suit. The future is not CD over vinyl or sticking to vinyl alone, you have to combine all the available mediums. And who the fuck cares what you're spinning on, as long as you throw down a great set.

I agree completely. Although I must admit I have also been gradually sliding in favor of CD's...far more portable and also in conjunction with the fact that record labels are going digital.
Vinyls are definitely NOT lame though

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Spacy dreamer

I heard alot of stupid shit on this thread that I just needed to post.

First.

Spinning 100% or 100% CD's is not going to make you a better DJ. Beat Matching is done the same with either medium. If your using a program then why dj. Beat matching is only 1 of the many skills you need to mix. EQ'ing, levels, programmming,etc. are skills you have to develope reguarless of the muisc medium.

Second.

Vinyl will not disappper nor will CD's. Both have the advatages and disadvantages. But DJs will always buy wax and cds.More importantly wax is more applicable to DJ's (DJ's in their heart prefer the feel and act of touching vinyl, pulling out a record, etc.) and as a result price is not a big issue with us rahter if it were sold to the publc ( thats why they have cd singles).

Third.

Music. If I can find it on vinyl Ill buy it there first. If I cant Ill try cds. I think this is the rationale with most DJ's. But the important point is the music not the medium. If I like the track I dont care what its on. ( for example a up and coming producers give me a cd-r becuase he has no label and the tune is killer no shit Ill play it)


Selection

I found that trance and alot of other EDM genre distribute newer music first on vinyl. Yes there are some good MP3 pay site but they dont carry all the artists and new releases as say chemical records or juno records does. Vinyl is stricly for dj;s as a result producers and label produce vinyl to reach audiences first though a dj viz via vinyl. Yes their are CD's too but Vinyl is still king for new distribution to mass djs(i.e. white labels). Yes armin and tiesto get cd-rs but seriously they are world class dj's who get to meet with the producers and get those very very limited cd-r promos. The rest of us djs have to rely on white labels.


solution

You need to have turntables and cd player if you want to be a dj. the computer thing is dangerous because of techncial probelms (i.e wiring, crashes, etc) Dont listen to me jsut look at any big venue or club and you will see 2-3 technics and 2 pioneer cdjs.

Vinyl is expensive. Equipement is expensive. CDs cost money too. The result is that being a DJ means having deep pockets and doing it for the right reasons. It's cool that you want to mix mp3's jsut to f$ck around but if you want to be a dj you need to throw out your "kiddie stuff" and do what pros do. This is the only way you will learn how to mix, whats the difference between vinyl vs. cds, and how to use differnt equipment. For example this is what I have in my basement:

2 Technic 1210 MK5's in black <--------------For my wax
Denon DN-D4000 <---------------------For my CD's
Rane MP 44 Club Mixer
PROFESSIONAL SLANT RACK CASE-BLACK
SONY MDRV700DJ DJ/REMIX HEADPHONES
2 Electro Voice SxA250 Powered 15-inch two-way
2 JBL JRX118SP POWERED PORTABLE 18 INCH SUBWOOFER
4 Ortofon needles (Night club)
2 Grundorf TURNTABLE CASE
Pioneer EFX 500
4 Odyssey LP Cases
CHAUVET CH01 9 FT TRIPOD STAND
2 Par-64 Spotlight ( Blue Light)
2 CHAUVET Corona
1 ADJ Moonflower Projector
2 ADJ Star Ball ( set this up Tiesto In Concert Style i.e. one on each side of my decks)
FURMAN RR15 8 OUTLET POWER CONDITIONER WITH LIGHTS

OH No! It's the late 1980s again, vinyls are going out of style and will disappear into obscurity forever.

Or maybe not.

Her Throat Cut, you're a idiot. There be a movement in this world thinking that anything analogue is shit and that digital is better in every situation. It's good to see that television and marketers have won you over.

I have a vinyl collection and I don’t even have a second turntable. They're not just for djing. I like to 'listen' to music, not wank about what format it's on. Vinyl slut Eh? you sound like a tech whore. You love your CDs but do you know that CDs are already superseded by DVD-Audio/SACD.

You're also stupid because you put words into the DJs mouths, show me anywhere where a dj actually says 'vinyl sux bro@!!!!!!!!!!!' Sucks to be you with the vinyl hate, vinyls will never, ever disappear.

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quote:

Originally posted by nrjizer You know, I find it odd that everyone still goes on and on about the convenience of carrying a CD wallet instead of a box of records, while completely missing the REAL advantavges of the CD/digital format. Just look at what James Zabiela does - there's simply so much more creative potential with CD's than there is with vinyl. This is definately its biggest advantage. Why don't people realize this? The other big advantage is that new, unreleased tracks are dirt cheap to produce and put in the DJ's hands. Five years ago, some kid in his bedroom with the next big track would have to first promote himself to a swarm of record labels, get signed, and wait for the first promo records to be pressed. Today, he can burn a million copies himself and send them off to anyone and everyone. If he's a DJ, he can finish his track that afternoon and be spinning it that evening. Don't get me wrong, vinyl is great. The sound is still better, technics are still rugged and dependable. But refusing to accept CD's simply for nostalgia's sake is ignorant. Both have their advantages and theres zero reason why both records and CD's can't coexist in our record bins.

completely agreed - except for the "sound is still better" of vinyl, that is highly subjective but i still like them

i also think one day mixing on software will become acceptable. dj'ing these days in genres like uplifting trance where most dj's just do the transitions and barely no tricks is just focused on beatmatching and eq'ing, apart from track selection. why should dj's be 100% dependent on beatmatching by ear when there's computers that can help a bit? it's just the tradition, the "the dj has to know how to beatmatch" basical skill. on uplifting trance this becomes overrated cause that's a huge part of what the dj does. on more versatile genres like techno i think there's is a door for computer-aided beatmatching cause it allows the dj's to be creative without having to worry about it.

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sempre contra a corrente do jogo

quote:

Originally posted by paranoik0 i also think one day mixing on software will become acceptable. dj'ing these days in genres like uplifting trance where most dj's just do the transitions and barely no tricks is just focused on beatmatching and eq'ing, apart from track selection. why should dj's be 100% dependent on beatmatching by ear when there's computers that can help a bit? it's just the tradition, the "the dj has to know how to beatmatch" basical skill. on uplifting trance this becomes overrated cause that's a huge part of what the dj does. on more versatile genres like techno i think there's is a door for computer-aided beatmatching cause it allows the dj's to be creative without having to worry about it.

Yea agreed! As long as the DJ is actually doing something (looping, sampling, beatmatching etc) it doesn't really matter to me what kind of medium he's using, but when he's just sitting there and gives a few mouse clicks every 5 minutes then thats really lame :/