prepared sets vs freestyle mixing?

[Deejaesnafu]

just wondering what people prefer when they play out between preparing a set , or just winging it. on one hand you have a set you can practice and get to sound how you want, but is rigid and allows for minimal crowd interaction, and on the other hand you can try to go solely from the feel of the crowd, but have to constantly worry about finding the next track. I've tried both approaches but often wonder if other people struggle with this decision when they do shows.

[PeteWoods]

i tend to have some sort of structure in my sets, but of course it all depends on what the crowd wants, i usually work with maybe a few songs that go well to start, then wing it, and of course work off knowing which tracks work well together etc

[sobi]

A completely prepared set is more or less a venue/promoter overpaying for what a CD could have done.

[R2D2]

A completely prepared set is more or less a venue/promoter overpaying for what a CD could have done.

Totally agree with this

[wrong chris]

does freestyle mixing mean actually freestyle mixing or using beatgridded tunes you used MiK on with all the loop and cue points already set?

[jayo]

A completely prepared set is more or less a venue/promoter overpaying for what a CD could have done.

or its someone who takes their job seriously and wants to put their best effort in for the crowd/client.

I think you should have a general idea where you want the set to go, but making the adjustments to connect with the crowd is crucial

[Bassline Brine]

I'd compare it to making food.

Some people prefer following a recipe to a T. Having all the items at hand, mostly measured out to specific amounts, and just following the plan. I like to call these people "bakers".

Some people have an idea of what to make and how to make it, but like to improvise a bit with the timing and exact amounts. These people enjoy mixing things up a bit and going with what they know naturally. I like to call these people "chefs".

When you go out for a meal, it really depends on the time and the venue if you want something that a baker would make, or a chef. Both can make excellent food, and it's often quite different. Sometimes it's absolute crap as well.

Sometimes the baker ends up just going off the recipe and going with what they feel might work better. Sometimes a chef needs to follow a recipe to get something correct.

Either way, it's all good eating.

[DJMM]

lol thats a way of explaining it. Well my opinion is to have couple tracks that goes well in mind instead of whole prepared set.

[Alex Wild]

It depends what kind of set you're playing. If you're a bug name guy who people have gone to see specifically, then you could have a pretty locked down set that you know people will dig.

Personally most of my gigs are for 5-6 hours in a bar/club so there's no way I could prepare a set even if I wanted to. I much prefer vibing off the crowd. And the panic of finding the next tune can result in some inspired last minute song choices.

[TreTuna]

I go into any set with at least an idea of what I'll be doing, perhaps some mini-sets in mind, but never anything completely planned. To me the two biggest things in DJing are track selection and reading a crowd, which go completely hand-in-hand with each other. If you plan your set completely rigid, and the crowd doesn't dig it, what are you going to do? So, on a personal note, you'll never hear a completely planned live set from me.... Ever....