Surely you don't know all your tracks, but what do you know?
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  1. #1

    Default Surely you don't know all your tracks, but what do you know?

    OK so your music collection is getting pretty hefty and your memory is full of stuff. So much so that you surley can't know everything about all your tracks inside out? or do you?

    If you do, are you a super human or do all you djs have this super human power?

    If not, what do you know about each track to allow you to pull off being a dj?

    I'm basically hopeless for learning stuff and just love to play music and mess around with it, i move onto the next track before i've learnt enough about the track before. This is why this is just a hobby to me, and i'm happy it being that.

    But how about you how do you deal with limited personal headspace to keep it all up there.

    Fancy a discussion?
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  2. #2
    Retired DJTT Moderator DvlsAdvct's Avatar
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    I know there's no way I can know every song I own, but I'm going through a rather laborious procedure of organizing my collection down to about 1/8th of its entirety, moving only songs I will actually DJ into Traktor.

    Of those songs I can usually look at the artist name and have a really good understanding of the style of the song. For songs I spin a lot I can probably break down the structure before I even hear the opening line.

    Right now I'm also going through the process of tagging genre and sub-genre, and putting needed cue points in. Eventually this is going to be a process of standardization (Cue 1 is where the mix ends, Cue 2 is the introduction, Cue 3 is the chorus, Cue 4 is the bridge, Cue 5 is the melody with no vocals, Cue 6 is the breakdown, Cue 7 is a mix in loop and Cue 8 is the outro) but that is going to take more time. And I'm going to try a star rating based on energy (not quality, though). That'll take more trial and error.

    It will also allow me to not need to process the information by memory, but instead by sight and can make my mixes much more solid. And it'll help me get to know each song's inner workings.

    For me it's about understanding the energy of the songs, which, really, you can know with a quick preview hit
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  3. #3
    Tech Guru Fatlimey's Avatar
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    Can I sit there in a silent room and explain to you the layout of a track from just it's name? Not a chance.

    But play me a 5 second clip and I can name the track and artist, the genre, ballpark the BPM, whether there are some really notable events in the track that should be looked at (breakdowns, vocals, classic beats, useful hooks) and probably suggest something that might go with it.

    I think in pictures and dance music creates pictures in my head - tracks have shapes, grooves have colors, vocals create emotional images.

    The ability to quickly preview a track is vital to me, names as words don't work for me so well. I just wish I could add "preview cuepoints" to the tracks in my collection so that I could get to the memorable bit faster. Native Instruments? Hello?

  4. #4
    Tech Mentor de_stilj's Avatar
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    what I miss in traktor is a comment tag thing independent of the cue point!! it would be awesome to remember certain part in song when you haven't play for a while.
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  5. #5

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    I like your style devils. How did you cope before traktor though ? Were you ever a vinyl only dj?
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  6. #6
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    In this respect I opened a new suggestion in the NI forums called "track associations", it's something like an intelligent playlist.

    If you could associate tracks, and then pick one track you could which tracks you have associated with it, and pick one of those to mix next.

    It's not exactly info about a specific track (structure, beats, etc) but how it works with other tracks.

    http://www.native-instruments.com/fo...d.php?p=613848

    If you like the idea, please vote for it. I think it would be a great addition to our digital arsenal of djing weapons.
    Last edited by pier; 12-16-2009 at 04:59 PM.

  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by pier View Post
    In this respect I opened a nes suggestion in the NI forums called "track associations", it's something like an intelligent playlist.

    If you could associate tracks, and then pick one track you could which tracks you have associated with it, and pick one of those to mix next.

    http://www.native-instruments.com/fo...d.php?p=613848

    If you like the idea, please vote for it. I think it would be a great addition to our digital arsenal of djing weapons.
    Ian did a blog on this some time ago if i remember right. The idea being that you put the name of that track in any tracks comments tag that you have assosiated it with so that when you search by track name you get all the tracks listed that are associated with it to.
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  8. #8
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    I started DJing years ago using vinyl and pretty much knew what every record was and how it sounded but since going digital I have to preview some of the tracks, I obviously know how alot of them sound but the obscure ones definitely need a listen before I choose to play it.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by MisterMoleyMole View Post
    Ian did a blog on this some time ago if i remember right. The idea being that you put the name of that track in any tracks comments tag that you have assosiated it with so that when you search by track name you get all the tracks listed that are associated with it to.
    Yeah I read that post, but that would be a mess, and wouldn't be much of an improvement over regular playlists.

    What I'm saying is much more user oriented. Like having a small "+" icon at then end of the track name and then click that icon and get the list of associated tracks. You could even have that action configured in your controller without the need of writing anything.

  10. #10

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    If the obscure ones arent known and need a listen what would make you pull them out. In th eheat of the moment have you got time to be pullin out records and havin a good old listen?

    I think i must just overload myself with more new music instead of learning what i have, i think thats my issue.

    I need an ipod and places to walk while listening to stuff instead of only really listening to stuff when messin about on the decks.
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