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DJ Networking Atlanta, Georgia (pg. 4)
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| DJMaytag |
| quote: | Originally posted by DJChrisB
I take it you use the purely-pitch-control method of beatmatching? That's the way to go. Tough to conquer at first, but makes for much smoother mixing. |
Yup, but it's probably one of the two tips that have made the biggest difference in my skills (the other being NEVER matching two tracks in your headphones, because you never know when the day might come when you mix on a mixer that won't allow you to cue more than one signal at a time, like is the case on the original Rane rotary style mixers). I took a while, as I started using that method as soon as I dumped the starter decks in favor of 1200's.
| quote: | Originally posted by DJChrisB
Wow, good for you dude! I need to go to the DJ Maytag school of promotion. |
I hope you like mac & cheese, cuz that's ALL I was doing (and eating) at that point in time in 2001/2002, spending all day online making contacts and then all night going to the clubs talking to promoters. It was a VERY tough time... but now it looks like it may have been worth it (my taste buds strongly disagree though!)
| quote: | Originally posted by DJChrisB
I've been DJing for years, but I simply don't have time to promote myself adequately. I even signed with a management company about six months ago, but I don't think they have their sh*t together. |
Promotion is a bitch because you always have to walk that fine line between pushing yourself but not sounding too arrogant (at least that was the case in Madison, WI anyway). I crossed that line several times and bruised a few egos, but I had great track selection and my skills were improving as I went along, so I could back it up when I got behind the decks.
The other aspect of course is the time involved in doing it. I'm hitting it up hard on my own accord right now while I'm on a temporary lay off, trying to get some out of town gigs and making all sorts of great contacts with producers and labels since I got on the Release Promo Pool (some of THEM searching ME out after reading the reactions I've given their upcoming tunes).
| quote: | | Originally posted by DJChrisB I think Atlanta is a tough spot for DJ's in general. I know a lot of top-knotch DJ's who don't get nearly the exposure they deserve; at the same time, I know a lot DJ's with zero talent that are regulars at some of our top venues. (I guess that's the same in any music genre though.) |
That's the way it was in the midwest too. Crappy DJ's had followings and owners saw the $$$ that came with those crowds. It seems to be MUCH worse the bigger the town is, like I noticed in Chicago and Milwaukee (but oddly enough, not so much in Minneapolis).
I'm not saying this is the case in ATL, but I've seen it in many places where some of the best DJ's don't go as far as they could because they either get too wrapped up in the "party scene" or are way too tied down to a place for whatever reason (day job, wife/husband, etc). I don't think I'd be doing what I'm doing now if I hadn't left Madison to move to Savannah, and even then I was just at the right place at the right time: the husband of the owner of Venus at the time just happened to be there on a night I filled in, and he really liked what I played and wanted me to be the guy on Saturdays since their former SAT resident had just taken a higher paying gig (this despite the fact that the head DJ of Venus already had someone lined up to do Saturdays and also despite the fact that I moved to SAV as a way to QUIT focusing all my efforts on DJ'ing and try to get a "real job" and move on with life... oh the irony...). |
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| DJChrisB |
| quote: | Originally posted by DJMaytag
I hope you like mac & cheese, cuz that's ALL I was doing (and eating) at that point in time in 2001/2002, spending all day online making contacts and then all night going to the clubs talking to promoters. It was a VERY tough time... but now it looks like it may have been worth it (my taste buds strongly disagree though!) |
Yeah, that's a tough one indeed. I have a pretty demanding day job -- consultant for one of the Big 5. (Rather be DJing, but it pays the bills.)
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The other aspect of course is the time involved in doing it. I'm hitting it up hard on my own accord right now while I'm on a temporary lay off, trying to get some out of town gigs and making all sorts of great contacts with producers and labels since I got on the Release Promo Pool (some of THEM searching ME out after reading the reactions I've given their upcoming tunes).
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You think Promo Pool is worth it? I've thought about joining it, but it's so expensive. I'm stuck in the catch-22 of i don't want to invest a ton of money in my DJ career (although, i already have) before I have a decent revenue stream from it, but at the same time, it takes the investment to get the revenue stream.
| quote: | | I've seen it in many places where some of the best DJ's don't go as far as they could because they either get too wrapped up in the "party scene" or are way too tied down to a place for whatever reason (day job, wife/husband, etc). |
Yeah, that's the predicament i'm in right now. My wife is in (sigh) law school, so moving isn't in the picture. Once she takes the Bar, we're kinda tied down to one state as well. Might move once I go to grad school, but that's a few years down the line. In the mean time, my day job does provide me with the income i need to support the lifestyle I want.
At the end of the day though, it's all a fun journey. No matter how bad my day has been, I always have a pair of Tech 12's waiting for me at home. :) (...and a wife, of course ;) ) |
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| sleepydragon |
| quote: | Originally posted by Ted Promo
teach yourself :p
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best way |
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| DJMaytag |
| quote: | Originally posted by DJChrisB
Yeah, that's a tough one indeed. I have a pretty demanding day job -- consultant for one of the Big 5. (Rather be DJing, but it pays the bills.)
You think Promo Pool is worth it? I've thought about joining it, but it's so expensive. I'm stuck in the catch-22 of i don't want to invest a ton of money in my DJ career (although, i already have) before I have a decent revenue stream from it, but at the same time, it takes the investment to get the revenue stream. |
YES IT'S WORTH IT! But there are a few things to consider though:
A) While it's only $100 a month, the time to sit there and listen so you can rate each track can REALLY add up to many, many hours (you HAVE to rate each track before you can download them). If you're at all particular about how you name files and edit the MP3 attributes for organizational purposes, then double that time (at a minimum). I've lost entire days to doing nothing but listening, rating, downloading, editing attributes, and burning CD's...
B) Do you play enough to qualify and get enough DJ income to drop $100 for a minimum of 3 months? I don't know if they're as stringent as the Balance Record Pool, which requires 2x weekly plus 1 out of town a month. Sorry about my ignorance about how much and when you play, I've been off the ATL/SE TA forum for quite a while until recently.
C) Will they accept another member from ATL? They already have at least 3 on the pool as it is. I would doubt that my being a 4th in the state would be a factor since I'm so far away.
My situation is one where the $$$ for this and Baroque's Pool (@ $50/mo for 15 tracks on average) is a drop in the hat compared to what I used to spend on shipping tons of vinyl in from overseas.
I'm also at a major turning point in my life as well, as I'm on this temporary layoff from the day job (electrician) due to a medical condition that may never get better (a sleeping disorder), or at least not allow me to follow that career path I was going down in the apprenticeship program here in SAV.
I either go balls to the wall 24/7 promoting myself, making contacts, and getting out of town gigs in hopes that DJ'ing in town can pay enough of the bills that I can do some part-time BS jobs to cover the rest (DJ'ing covers my rent & promo pool bills with the addition of the Thursday weekly). With the way the medication is going, I may never be able to get up early enough to do a 7-3 or 9-5 type job due to this disorder...
| quote: | Originally posted by DJChrisB
Yeah, that's the predicament i'm in right now. My wife is in (sigh) law school, so moving isn't in the picture. Once she takes the Bar, we're kinda tied down to one state as well. Might move once I go to grad school, but that's a few years down the line. In the mean time, my day job does provide me with the income i need to support the lifestyle I want.
At the end of the day though, it's all a fun journey. No matter how bad my day has been, I always have a pair of Tech 12's waiting for me at home. :) (...and a wife, of course ;) ) |
You've got a good thing going there, I certainly envy you there. |
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| DJChrisB |
| quote: | Originally posted by DJMaytag
I'm also at a major turning point in my life as well, as I'm on this temporary layoff from the day job (electrician) due to a medical condition that may never get better (a sleeping disorder), or at least not allow me to follow that career path I was going down in the apprenticeship program here in SAV. |
I'm sorry to hear that. It really blows when stuff completely out of your control takes a toll on your life like that. |
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| DJMaytag |
| quote: | Originally posted by DJChrisB
I'm sorry to hear that. It really blows when stuff completely out of your control takes a toll on your life like that. |
I didn't get it diagnosed until March, but due to all the problems I've had with sleeping in my life, that's the reason I ended up DJ'ing (short hours, late night work, [and a little detail about how I LOVE MUSIC, etc LOL).
It's kinda ironic how things are seemingly starting to fall into place that it might work out after all to do this, since working as an electrician or any kind of day job that requires early mornings isn't likely to be in the cards for me (at least definitely not until the day comes that the medication can manage it, if it even can).
The effects of this thing have made it difficult to live at any level other than just getting by, so at least I'm used to being poor and eating mac & cheese all the time. I can't really complain too much because while it is debilitating, the symptoms I have aren't nearly as bad as what others have (some pretty freaky and potentially fatal ones). |
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| keithos27 |
Hey guys... If no one has plans on July 4th maybe we could do a little session at my place during the day?
Sorry I had to bail on Saturday... worked over 20 hours this weekend. :( |
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| DJ_Eric |
| quote: | Originally posted by DJMaytag
The effects of this thing have made it difficult to live at any level other than just getting by, so at least I'm used to being poor and eating mac & cheese all the time. I can't really complain too much because while it is debilitating, the symptoms I have aren't nearly as bad as what others have (some pretty freaky and potentially fatal ones). |
I feel ya, man. I've had chronic fatigue the last few years and almost classifed a narcoleptic. It's gotten a little better (found I had some food allergies), but not being able to sleep properly is just debilitating.
Hang in there... |
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| keithos27 |
| ^do banking... you'll put all those "awake" hours to good use and make some decent money doing it too! |
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| DJChrisB |
| quote: | Originally posted by Dojomaster26
Ok guys, here's what I'm mixing with:
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hrmm...images didn't post right.
edit - looks like one of them is working now.
Does that mixer have EQ's for each channel? If not, you might want to consider trading it in for even a simple two-channel mixer that has EQ's. I'd hate to see you go all out and get Pioneer CDJ's and not have EQ's. |
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| Dojomaster26 |
Yeah, that's the next upgrade. I'm saving to hopefully get a DJM-300 soon, or even one of Numark's better mixers...
On the plus side, I didn't have any effects or EQs to worry about while learning to beatmatch. When I started it was just that dual CD-player, and the matches were either right or horribly wrong (with no way to cover up the mistakes!)
The other images are there in link form. |
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