Customers want sync, they just don't know it.

[JaF]

In a perfect world all DJs would know how to beat match and do so sublimely.

~however~

I went to a party this past weekend, some of the DJs were very good, some were not. There were some really horrible mistakes that made all the guests miss a beat and clear a floor. I couldn't help thinking that the customers would have been much happier if the DJs were using sync. What's funny is the guy running the party insists that his DJs don't use it but at the end of the day, the paying customers are the ones who suffer.

[amadeus]

Mistakes happen, needle's jump, tone arm gets knocked etc

Have I or any of the guys I've DJ'd with cleared a floor because of it, no, do they get heckled, yeah, and crowds join in.

Mistakes and imperfections are part of life, f*ck sync.

[ToOntown]

f*ck sync.

I don't like where this is going.

[amadeus]

Sync has its places but to say that crowds would be happier if sync is used, going a bit far if you ask me.

I also wouldn't say customers suffer because some of the lack of sync.

Sync has its place, has it uses and I'm not against it, just to clarify.

[deevey]

I couldn't help thinking that the customers would have been much happier if the DJs were using sync. What's funny is the guy running the party insists that his DJs don't use it but at the end of the day, the paying customers are the ones who suffer.

Well, if they hired decent DJ's the customers would not suffer in the first place and that is the job of the musical director / manager or whoever is in charge of hiring - a manager who cannot differentiate between good or bad DJ's should not be in the position in the first place.

Personally I would find somewhere else to go where they understand the difference and the DJ's don't clear the floor due to a bad mix.

Customers don't necessarily want sync, they just want a DJ who knows what they are doing

[blatterjr]

What is wrong with sync?

[DJAdeSands]

Customers don't necessarily want sync, they just want a DJ who knows what they are doing

This is pretty spot on, it shouldn't be an issue of whether sync should be used, sync can be used very effectively in certain situations. I personally don't rely on it, and I do agree that DJ's should know how to beat match without digital sync, it is after all a primary requirement for decent mixing.

[JaF]

crowds would be happier if sync is used, going a bit far if you ask me.

I don't know. If they were told that the DJ was using it I'm sure that many would object just out of principle, but it's kind of like don't look in the kitchen thing. At least on the night I went, I'd say about half the DJs were "not there" yet and I'm convinced the customers who paid $50 a ticket shouldn't be used for their practice. Seems like it would be better to use the sync and practice at home.

Well, if they hired decent DJ's the customers would not suffer in the first place and that is the job of the musical director / manager or whoever is in charge of hiring - a manager who cannot differentiate between good or bad DJ's should not be in the position in the first place.

Personally I would find somewhere else to go where they understand the difference and the DJ's don't clear the floor due to a bad mix.

Customers don't necessarily want sync, they just want a DJ who knows what they are doing

Like I said in the first post. In a perfect world paid DJs would know what they are doing, or rather be very good at it. That being said I've never ever ever been to a party where some DJ didn't screw up. And if people only hired perfect DJs where would you/I/anyone have got your start?

[William Gibson]

I just dont understand the pretentious people that go on and on about using sync. If there is a tool that makes your job more accurate and the outcome better, why hate on it? I can see having respect for ones that dont use it but actually hating on people that use it is ridiculous.

By trade Im a construction worker. the Egyptians had none of the modern tools I had. Am I cheating by using modern tools even though its possible to build massive structures with primitive tools? Fuck no. With my modern tools I can build much faster and with greater accuracy.

My best friend is an accountant. Is she cheating by using a calculator or should she do it the "more skilled" way and do everything on paper, longhand? Fuck no. With computers she can do her math work much faster and with greater accuracy.

The point of a DJ is to keep people dancing. However the fuck you have to do it. I would rather have someone using sync with a GOOD mix that keeps everyone dancing then a DJ not using all of his tools available that keeps emptying the floor with mistakes.

Just my .02

[ImNoDJ]

I just dont understand the pretentious people that go on and on about using sync. If there is a tool that makes your job more accurate and the outcome better, why hate on it? I can see having respect for ones that dont use it but actually hating on people that use it is ridiculous.

By trade Im a construction worker. the Egyptians had none of the modern tools I had. Am I cheating by using modern tools even though its possible to build massive structures with primitive tools? Fuck no. With my modern tools I can build much faster and with greater accuracy.

My best friend is an accountant. Is she cheating by using a calculator or should she do it the "more skilled" way and do everything on paper, longhand? Fuck no. With computers she can do her math work much faster and with greater accuracy.

The point of a DJ is to keep people dancing. However the fuck you have to do it. I would rather have someone using sync with a GOOD mix that keeps everyone dancing then a DJ not using all of his tools available that keeps emptying the floor with mistakes.

Just my .02

DJing is meant to be an artistic pursuit. Once you remove any physical skill from it, a lot of that art and craft is now gone.

Sync isnt the problem, its the lack of effort and commitment to the art, and this seems to be most displayed by those that use sync in my experience. They are low effort in all other areas of DJing, from beatmatching to phrasing to selection.

Anyway your analogies dont hold. A better analogy would be:

If a guitarist doesnt want to learn how to strum rhythms on a guitar, they could just program a robotic arm to do it live. People might enjoy the music, but they sure as hell dont think he is a proper guitar player.