DJs?

[Eccles]

I can sympathize. I'm sure I lay down as much on records as on clothing per month it ain't cheap even for me in the UK. If you want rare or out of stock records some bargains can be picked up on Gemm kinda the ebay of records

[keagan]

turntable lab is great.

they/ups lost my package of 26 records one time though.

but i don't buy from anywhere but discogs sellers anymore, because I haven't been buying anything new on vinyl.

[jeepster]

dude they had that 12" at virgin for $4.99 for weeks, i'll check on it next time i'm in the hood.

theres no virgin within 30 mins driving distance from me.

im gonna hit up some record stores tomorrow to see what nice vinyls i can dig up.

[hellogoodbye]

if you're a broke ass kid vinyl might not be the smartest route to take. shit is expensive. why not look into cdj's?

[PicknUpMixtapes4rmBeyonce]

I dj'd from 99-2002 then stop and sold the equipment cuz i needed money. my old setup was 2 direct drive numarks (forgot exact model.TT1520's?) numark djm1001x i think and shure sc35c cartridges. Mostly spun hip hop and some breaks and did a few house parties here and there. More of a bedroom dj. I've always wanted to dj since the 5th grade. I always think about dj'n ever since i sold my set and now im gonna buy a new set sometime this month. a set of 1200s, pioneer djm600, shure m44-7's, and serato (can't resist) to run on my macbook pro. I really wanna get serious and do more house parties and hopefully land a gig at some type of lounge/club/venue whatever i can get. I love doin it. Even if i don't do much parties or clubs, i just wanna do it again.. And hopefully later on save for an mpc.

[SENDkylHISPASSWORD]

if you're a broke ass kid vinyl might not be the smartest route to take. shit is expensive. why not look into cdj's?

Don't fuck with CDs - if you are going to do that you might as well just be running a laptop into a mixer.

Look in to Torq.

[hellogoodbye]

Don't fuck with CDs - if you are going to do that you might as well just be running a laptop into a mixer.

Look in to Torq.

torq works by letting you play your mp3's on vinyl right? how different is that from burning your tracks onto CD's and playing them on a CDJ?

[SENDkylHISPASSWORD]

torq works by letting you play your mp3's on vinyl right? how different is that from burning your tracks onto CD's and playing them on a CDJ?

Well the guy inquiring has turntables all ready. Also you get the ability to control the tracks like real vinyl - and you'll pick up more chicks.

[jeepster]

if you're a broke ass kid vinyl might not be the smartest route to take. shit is expensive. why not look into cdj's?

because cdj's are more expensive from the beginning and i already have access to turntables and stuff.

[hellogoodbye]

and you'll pick up more chicks.

fuck cdjs

66666

[Eccles]

I much prefer vynil to mp3 or cd's. It may be more expensive and trickier to learn but nothing approaches the sound quality, it's a lot more fun and of course you pick up more chicks

[SENDkylHISPASSWORD]

fuck cdjs

66666

Its true - all the bitches run over and want to put the headphones on and do some scratching, next thing you know they're sucking your dick.

[hellogoodbye]

ah yes the classic 'sound quality' argument

the difference in quality between vinyl and a high bit rate mp3 is hardly discernible, especially in a club situation. but yea it's best to start off on vinyl then decide whether you want to try out other mediums or not

edit- i wasn't being sarcastic i know vinyl getz you bj's i was just trying to give him a more cost effective solution

[Eccles]

yeah the sound quality thing is just an opinion I don't think theres any real proof for it but I do think vynil has warmer tones. I just feel that it's more enjoyable because there is a greater level of skill involved in playing records. Thats not to say that you can't be a great dj without them.

[arem]

Vinyl does sound better than digital on a nice system in a controlled environment, but as was said above, in a club full of people having a good time, you wont be able to tell the difference between a good MP3 and a record. Love that pic, here's one for everyone who annoys DJ's with endless requests:

[jeepster]

why do so many people feel the need to fight DJ's?

[artificialsky]

keagan is a laptop dj

[seraphim]

djs use decks, vinyl and they mix. they don't queue up songs on a playlist off itunes. or use cds. it's fucking lazy ;/

[Ashez]

Well guess the definition of what a dj is can be abit vague.

I've been playing on and off for 4 years and have played on some clubs and partys.

I play progressive house mostly but do like dnb, techno house and what not =)

[mrjameskent]

I've got 5 of my recent DJ mixes for download at www.mezon.wordpress.com with artwork.

Fairly broad mix of stuff from Arthur Russell to Carl Craig.

J

[TheBrokeDJ]

honestly jeepster, i'd put some money aside and save for something like serato. when you think about it, you saved so much already not having to buy your own turntables and mixer. i started off like you, with this whole setup and no records. no money to afford vinyl. then i got serato as a gift, changed my life...started doing gigs, meeting other djs, etc, etc.

at the same time, it's a steep investment, and you need a laptop if you don't already have one. they're usually around $550 usd but can be found for around a hundred less on ebay. even if you decide it's not for you, it should have a good resale value.

otherwise the first two things you'll really have to learn is beatmatching and phrase matching (counting bars or whatever you wanna call it). keep in mind, beat matching can be made MUCH simpler if you determine the bpms of your vinyls beforehand and write them down on the labels.

here's a good series of videos on counting bars/phrase matching. i wouldn't really recommend his other videos though...

http://www.djtutor.com/dj_tutorials.php?subgroup=mixing&pagename=counting

edit: if you're gonna get into turntablism, def stick to regular vinyl though. having normal records forces you to learn to scratch/beat juggle w/o making the needles jump

[yea!]

djs use decks, vinyl and they mix. they don't queue up songs on a playlist off itunes. or use cds. it's fucking lazy ;/

and the debate continues...

[southfive]

haha when i dj i just use a usb mixer and ableton live.

i generally play minimal techno.

im not a real dj amirite?

[keagan]

djs use decks, vinyl and they mix. they don't queue up songs on a playlist off itunes. or use cds. it's fucking lazy ;/

no, fucking idiot- dj's play prerecorded music to people.

the best dj's know how to read a crowd and give them what they want, whilst keeping their own sonic aesthetic.

effort does not equal good music. or in this case, a good set.

[alex_844]

i agree with keagan in this case... like beat matching, how u play it, what u play it on. none of that shit matters, just having fun, playing good music and making ppl happy.

personally i have a pretty big vinyl collection and wouldn't think of using anything else... but its all equally valid as far as i'm concerned.

[TheBrokeDJ]

^^ mmhmm, the best skill a dj can have is knowing how to play the right song at exactly the right moment... and that's not something you learn from fiddling around with decks. it's about being able to understand both your music, and the people to whom you're playing your music.

there are djs that are excellent at mixing, with perfect blends, perfect beat matching, excellent scratching skills, but their song selection sucks. then there are those with no technical skills: can't beat match for their life-but they know their music so well, and they're so in tune with the crowd, that they consistently pick out one good song after the other. who would you rather listen to?

i gotta admit though, vinyls are still pretty fun...

[yea!]

ableton is fun too

[TheBrokeDJ]

^how exactly does ableton work for a dj as opposed to a producer? i have the version that comes with pro tools but never used it. the interface looks pretty cool though

[MikeN]

I just DJ with CDs. Been doing it for over 2 years. I'm sure I'll move on to Serato eventually. Right now I do three nights a week in NYC, and then I have my day job too. Needless to say, I very rarely sleep.

[lilldavid]

I dont really host anything or have a recidency right now, been to busy with something else (related and I'll tell you once it's finished) but I do play about once a week in a few different venues here. Now it's mostly been at a bar called Morfar Ginko

As for setup, I like to keep it simple:

and for those interested in what kind of music I play, it's somewhere between Nudisco and housemusic I guess. This is a link to a mix I recorded a few months a ago. Nothing fancy, just pressed record on soundforge and let it go for about an hour. http://www.klubbheadsup.com/music/themidnighthour.mp3