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Being A DJ Is So Easy, So The Journalist Says (pg. 3)
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| DjSimonB |
For a start, that article mentions a lot of hip hop and punk, not electronica. If you're spinning these genres (except if you're a turntablist) the chances are you'll be doing quick fades because these aren't genres that involve a lot of skill to mix.
People are always saying 'DJing is easy' (like on this very thread), well yeah it's easy if you know your tunes well and you've learned to beatmatch, but it's not as if anyone who doesn't even listen to the stuff would be able to mix a set. It's a skill like any other, takes learning and practice. And even if you can beatmatch it doesn't mean you'll pull off perfect mixes every time, or always play tunes that compliment each other.
Of course there's the argument that you'd be spinning for drunks and E-tards who won't give a what you play, but I dj for myself as much as for other people, I wouldn't be able to stand myself going out there and trainwrecking and playing crap tunes, I got into DJing because of the love of music so I'm gonna do my ing best.
I'm not saying it's the hardest thing in the world, because it's not, but easy it ain't. |
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| DjSimonB |
| quote: | Originally posted by Citizen X
I was recently introduced to mixing by my friend and I am already selling my mixes to gyms and shopping malls in my area. A week ago I taught my little brother how to mix and I was shocked this morning when I listened to an awesome prog house set that he has made. Producing tracks is also easy but you need a lot of money for that. Don't worry about making a bad track, almost any track will find fans in one place or another and you can slowly build your fame by ads, connections, word of mouth etc. |
There is a such thing as a 'bad track', if you've never produced and don't know much music theory, the chances are if you're sat in front of a computer/studio and asked to produce, you'll make a bad track, music takes knowledge and mixing, effects etc take practice, most labels won't want to release a track that sounds unprofessional.
I tried teaching my brother to mix (back to DJing now) once, he couldn't mix for , and everyone who's ever had a go at my decks has found it pretty hard. |
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| nrjizer |
Mixing 2 tracks back to back isn't that difficult. Creating an atmosphere is a whole different story. It's something that many A-List DJs couldn't do to save their lives, if it weren't for their PR machines churning out the hype for them.
I still want to see more DJs take a step forward though and incorporate more live PA elements into their sets. The technology is there, the pioneers (Hawtin, Zabiela, Phil K) are also there, but everyone's too busy frothing at the mouth over Tiesto and PvD and Oakenfold playing the same boring tracks back to back with sketchy mixing. Hopefully Sasha will be the spearhead, I'm pretty sure he's starting to get into Ableton and all that good stuff, and he's pretty good at setting trends. |
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| trewqy |
of course learning to beatmatch is considered easy with enough practice and determination.
However, it takes a huge amount of knowledge and talent to create great sets, atmosphere and flawless mixing.
Example, I know how to play the guitar. And with enough practice, you could shred ur way fast enough with quick fingers and just blaze away in front of the audience. However, i'm no Joe Santriani,I make quite a number of mistakes, and if i do this quick enough and show enough "determination", I would sound and look good enough to fool 90% of the audience that i'm an ex-member of Malmsteen or something. |
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| DarkFall01 |
| quote: | Originally posted by trewqy
of course learning to beatmatch is considered easy with enough practice and determination.
However, it takes a huge amount of knowledge and talent to create great sets, atmosphere and flawless mixing.
Example, I know how to play the guitar. And with enough practice, you could shred ur way fast enough with quick fingers and just blaze away in front of the audience. However, i'm no Joe Santriani,I make quite a number of mistakes, and if i do this quick enough and show enough "determination", I would sound and look good enough to fool 90% of the audience that i'm an ex-member of Malmsteen or something. |
Exactly, I remember when I first started shredding, I only knew how to play 2 scales really fast and really dirty too. I still played in front of my high school and fooled EVERYONE. Now, playing like Satch or Vai, takes alot of skill and many years of practice.
Same with DJing. Have you tried playing 4 or 5 decks at the same time like Cox does? |
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| Nite-Mer |
I'm willing to bet that the people posting that djing is easy, are probably not dj's. If they are, they probably don't play out anywhere and would themselves in front of a large crowd. I'm not saying djing is rocket science, but there are several intangibles to djing that many don't have. Beatmatching doesn't make you a good dj, every dj can do that. It's the ambiance you create through your selection and programming and technical abilities. If you beatmatch well, but can't run your levels correctly, you might as well cut mix. There's a lot more to it than most non-dj's think.
So after all that, Josh4, how long have you been spinning? Where do you play? |
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| Dave Piazza |
This article is filled with bull.
Does this bitch mix prog. or trance or techno ?? Obviously not.
NO DJ'ing is easy if you spin bull pop tunes for the crowd. Just do quick fades + kill eq's.
Her idea of flow is utterly stupid. Flow means telling a story with the music in a coherent manner. NOT moving from genre to genre smoothly. Hip hop and punk SHOULD NEVER BE IN THE SAME SET!! EVER!
This person is obviously one of the many bull DJ's (which I've heard & seen here in Chicago as well) that play weak ass and don't know how to mix.
The article should be about how bull DJ's, like herself, get booked for gigs when they obviously suck big fat dick.
This bull article might fly with people that don't know dance music or those who don't understand how to DJ but after I read this article it made me want to vomit.
I wish Amy would put up a link to hear her ‘Easy 1.2.3. Mix' so I can rip it apart.
Next time think about what your going to write AMY KELLNER because real DJ's do exists amongst the bull no-skill Dj's , which you are apart .
Regards,
Dave Piazza |
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| Dirk W. |
| quote: | Originally posted by Citizen X
Anyone who knows something about mixing will know that this article is very true. djs don't want people to think that what they do is easy and most people who know nothing about mixing think it is actually hard and takes great talent while all a dj really does is mixing tracks together.
I was recently introduced to mixing by my friend and I am already selling my mixes to gyms and shopping malls in my area. A week ago I taught my little brother how to mix and I was shocked this morning when I listened to an awesome prog house set that he has made. Producing tracks is also easy but you need a lot of money for that. Don't worry about making a bad track, almost any track will find fans in one place or another and you can slowly build your fame by ads, connections, word of mouth etc. |
i would love to hear your set. :rolleyes: |
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| Radagast |
| quote: | Originally posted by Nite-Mer
I'm willing to bet that the people posting that djing is easy, are probably not dj's. |
I'm willing to bet that it doesnt matter. |
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| Nite-Mer |
| quote: | Originally posted by Radagast
I'm willing to bet that it doesnt matter. |
The words of a non-dj. If you played, you'd understand. |
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| Radagast |
| quote: | Originally posted by Nite-Mer
The words of a non-dj. If you played, you'd understand. |
I already understand, and I don't need to play. |
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| Nite-Mer |
| quote: | Originally posted by Radagast
I already understand, and I don't need to play. |
Trust me. Your understanding changes when you become a dj. Most every dj will tell you that another part of your mind is opened up when you dj for a while. You horizons broaden and your ear becomes more particular. Now I understand why you love quick mix dj's. Don't start spinning. It will change your whole perspective and tolerances for errors. |
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