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Just a rant
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| DizkokidD |
| At diamonds at the moment. I don't know if it's just me. But why does every "dj" have a mac and 2 tables. I mean it's like i can't beat match so I'll let the software do it for me and call myself a dj. Mybe I'm just old school. But i think people need to start learning basics before even attempting to mix. Maybe I'm just drunk. Anyways, posting this from the iPhones to show you the the good time that I'm having. I really wish I was living back in the days of running from the cops and moving locations last minute. God those where the days. Here is shedding a tear for you. Oldschool |
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| Jim Carson |
There are some DJs that still do their sets "on the fly, ""live," and "have to still beat-match." It is just getting rarer. Everyone wants to be a DJ and some of these guys that call themselves DJs are just lazy, computer geeks, or just don't know what they are doing. That is why some of these big-time massive rave promoters who have been throwing events for years and have respect for real DJ culture get pissed when they pay thousands of dollars for an artist to come in and the artist plays a pre-recorded set off of Ableton Live and calls it a performance. You'd be pissed too if a DJ walked into your event and played a pre-recorded set or put in a pre-recorded CD into a Pioneer CDJ1000.
I wouldn't say that every DJ who has a Mac and 2 tables isn't beat-matching or a good DJ, but there are certainly a number of DJs that do auto-beatmatch and use their computers as a crutch rather than actually having to be a master technician up there. |
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| DaveT |
From what I can initially tell, even the next CDJs can bet setup to auto-beatmatch (think you just have to set your markets in the software for it before hand).
If someone gets up there and just mixes a pre-planned set from one track to the next and uses beat-matching, that's one thing. If they are up there choosing tracks on the fly as they playing using the softwares features to let them work on other things, such as adding elements to make the track unique, effects, etc...then they are adding something and able to focus on that part more if they and that's fine.
When you say two tables, do you mean turn tables or CDJs? If you use Scratch and all that on your laptop, you can still use your CDJs to lineup the beats and all. I think J00F was going to move over to Ableton, but in a blog of his awhile back -- I think -- he mentioned how he was going to Scratch so he had to line the tracks up manually when mixing...(could be wrong how he explained it or if it was him. It was a DJ who has been talking about moving over to a Ableton for some time and then decided to change for that reason.)
Anyhow, if they are using a 100% pre-recorded set off a laptop then be angry. If you are upset over the simply use of a laptop to do a style of DJing that you are used to...well, get over it becuase it's the future.
Maybe one day we'll get to a point where the new CDJs are commonly used, but I expect to see them basically rented only for the big DJs who require them as a part of their contracts.
For now, I would just get over your qualms and work on embracing it. We all have/had to. (Supposing it isn't a completely pre-recorded set) |
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| Jim Carson |
| quote: | Originally posted by DaveT
From what I can initially tell, even the next CDJs can bet setup to auto-beatmatch (think you just have to set your markets in the software for it before hand).
If someone gets up there and just mixes a pre-planned set from one track to the next and uses beat-matching, that's one thing. If they are up there choosing tracks on the fly as they playing using the softwares features to let them work on other things, such as adding elements to make the track unique, effects, etc...then they are adding something and able to focus on that part more if they and that's fine.
When you say two tables, do you mean turn tables or CDJs? If you use Scratch and all that on your laptop, you can still use your CDJs to lineup the beats and all. I think J00F was going to move over to Ableton, but in a blog of his awhile back -- I think -- he mentioned how he was going to Scratch so he had to line the tracks up manually when mixing...(could be wrong how he explained it or if it was him. It was a DJ who has been talking about moving over to a Ableton for some time and then decided to change for that reason.)
Anyhow, if they are using a 100% pre-recorded set off a laptop then be angry. If you are upset over the simply use of a laptop to do a style of DJing that you are used to...well, get over it becuase it's the future.
Maybe one day we'll get to a point where the new CDJs are commonly used, but I expect to see them basically rented only for the big DJs who require them as a part of their contracts.
For now, I would just get over your qualms and work on embracing it. We all have/had to. (Supposing it isn't a completely pre-recorded set) |
I agree. As long as the set isn't completely pre-recorded or pre-planned, the girls are happy, you aren't playing the same tracks from 3 years ago, you don't kill the vibe of the entire party and you don't make people feel as if they've been ripped off, it doesn't matter what you use. Sometimes that just doesn't happen though. I understand DizkokidD's frustration. DJs used to have to put in hours and hours combing through the local record shops in their city to find those gems that would make club nights and rave nights legendary. There was something about collecting vinyl and playing vinyl that was magical, mysterious, and had a charm to it that has been lost in the digital era. The sheer motion of the platter on the Technics 1200s with all the heat and electricity being generated from the needle digging into the grooves on the record is still enough to drive any analog audiophile of today wild! DJs were passionate about what they did and they took pride in pushing a producer's work and making that producer become a household name in the EDM community. The DJs today still make or break producers as they are primarily the artists pushing the producers work and purchasing their work from sites like Beatport, Audio Jelly, and DjDownload.com. Now you can download any song within a matter of seconds and you have producers proclaiming they don't need DJs to make or break their music and they can fxck off because they are going to use Ableton Live to bring their music to the world. They want to sue a DJ if they put a few of their tracks on a promo CD where the tracks haven't been officially been released in the US yet, yet you can find them on various UK download site shops. Sometimes they just want the DJ to just take the tracks off their mix and will request them to redo the mix. This has actually happened to me before. They won't even thank the DJs for their support of their music. Some producers want DJs to start paying fees to use their tracks at club gigs. This is what the digital era has spawned with ego-driven, maniacal producer/wannabe DJs who can't mix to save their lives and that have no idea how much money and sacrifice DJs of the past have spent on their record collections, how DJs actually help them become famous and contribute to the expansion of their income, and how DJs actually know what they are doing up there when they play sets. These are the DJs that were playing vinyl back in the early 90s, running from cops, moving locations from warehouse to warehouse, and some of the last to switch over to digital formats.
I completely agree, you are going to have to get used to seeing a Mac and two tables up there. First, Macs rock. Second, it is easier for the DJ to organize their tracks and have rapid fire access to any track within a matter of seconds. Third, it is has become the industry standard next to DJs that use CDs on the CDJ1000s.
A Mac and two tables are going to be here to stay for a long time. |
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| Laila.OC |
| quote: | Originally posted by Jim Carson
Second, it is easier for the DJ to organize their tracks and have rapid fire access to any track within a matter of seconds.
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that is the only reason why my bf uses his laptop when djing. |
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| Lomeli |
| quote: | Originally posted by DizkokidD
At diamonds at the moment. I don't know if it's just me. But why does every "dj" have a mac and 2 tables. I mean it's like i can't beat match so I'll let the software do it for me and call myself a dj. Mybe I'm just old school. But i think people need to start learning basics before even attempting to mix. Maybe I'm just drunk. Anyways, posting this from the iPhones to show you the the good time that I'm having. I really wish I was living back in the days of running from the cops and moving locations last minute. God those where the days. Here is shedding a tear for you. Oldschool |
Hahahaha!! That isn't old school man. That happened just this past weekend. Warehouser busted by cops, moved to a second location.
I think the old school needs to get with the new school and learn from each other. |
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| Jim Carson |
| quote: | Originally posted by Lomeli
Hahahaha!! That isn't old school man. That happened just this past weekend. Warehouser busted by cops, moved to a second location.
I think the old school needs to get with the new school and learn from each other. |
LOL :) |
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| Junior Chavez |
Nothing beats having just two pioneer cdj's and a mixer. Preferably a TASCAM X9 mixer. The faders on this puppy 'float', so smooth. My absolute favorite mixer of all time!!
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| manatsu |
Well, I started on the wrong side of the fence also. Started using computer first. played around with it, the beat matching was cool and I really got used to it. 6 months down the road I break down and get 2 stanton C314 and a 2ch numark mixer, holy crap...never knew beat matching was this tough. But I tought-ed it out. kept practicing and practicing, has it done pretty good now, using bpm counter as a reference but never fully rely on it. plus thoes damn vbr mp3 always jumping around on me!
Since then I Really got respect for the turn table Djs. Its amazing. I noticed that switching from computer to turn table is like night and day have to relearn, but then its more fun. I feel more challenged. Learning the tricks now etc.
I think a good advantage of the computer is that you can bring your library and search it, load it with ease. While its almost impossible to bring your entire library and search in it...Most DJ I have seen, bring a preplanned smaller version of library. Thats neat. Hope I can learn more. Anyone around LA can give me some pointers? lol. |
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| Junior Chavez |
lol manatsu. yes, using just tables and a mixer is the real deal. Now try vinyl, which is my favorite but unfortunately now very obsolete. Vinyl is most fun, and yet most challenging because of the momentum. ahh, the wheels of steel... RIP.
Only advice we can give is to simply allow both tracks to play for a few seconds... determine which track is ahead or behind... adjust the pitch accordingly... then listen again.
think of beat matching as a trial and error basis... if your track is way too fast... lower the tempo a lot... listen in again. if its now just a little slower... speed it up just a tad bit. Since you have a visual... think of your analyzed tracks from your laptop... you can keep that picture in your mind... but it's all based on just your ear. =]
Have fun! |
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| manatsu |
| quote: | Originally posted by Junior Chavez
lol manatsu. yes, using just tables and a mixer is the real deal. Now try vinyl, which is my favorite but unfortunately now very obsolete. Vinyl is most fun, and yet most challenging because of the momentum. ahh, the wheels of steel... RIP.
Only advice we can give is to simply allow both tracks to play for a few seconds... determine which track is ahead or behind... adjust the pitch accordingly... then listen again.
think of beat matching as a trial and error basis... if your track is way too fast... lower the tempo a lot... listen in again. if its now just a little slower... speed it up just a tad bit. Since you have a visual... think of your analyzed tracks from your laptop... you can keep that picture in your mind... but it's all based on just your ear. =]
Have fun! |
Nice. Thanks for the input, quick question. As for the setup, I noticed that most all DJ setup have a big monitor speaker, that plays what the actual room speaker are playing, the question is, are you guys actually beat matching by listening to the monitor speaker? I find it impossible to beat match by listening to the monitor speaker and with headphones. How the heck does it even work...
The only way I can beat match is actually run the cross fader on my headphones. I know that some others use L and R channels on headphones to do beat matching, but what is the best? |
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| Junior Chavez |
| quote: | Originally posted by manatsu
Nice. Thanks for the input, quick question. As for the setup, I noticed that most all DJ setup have a big monitor speaker, that plays what the actual room speaker are playing, the question is, are you guys actually beat matching by listening to the monitor speaker? I find it impossible to beat match by listening to the monitor speaker and with headphones. How the heck does it even work...
The only way I can beat match is actually run the cross fader on my headphones. I know that some others use L and R channels on headphones to do beat matching, but what is the best? |
I beat match by turning hearing both channels/tracks in my headphones. once i beat match it i then cue into my next song, and turn up the master on the monitor as needed. That's when the monitor is needed really so that there is no reverb from the walls and so you can hear with no delay the levels that you are bringing in the new track. |
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