***Who really mixes anymore? DJ’ing is becoming a farce!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DJ Nada

The job is to entertain people, put on a show, dazzle them. However if we default to the lowest common denominator of "as long as they pick good tunes" we destroy the essence of DJing. It's in the performance, any dumbass can push play on a mix CD.

---

No, the job is to play good music, everything else comes in second and should be used in moderation, imho....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tha Gooch

I guess I just didn't really expect it from people who I assumed had a love for music and enjoyed performing. Maybe there's more truth to the 5 dolla holla/where's my bitches joke than I thought, or maybe it's not a joke at all?

---

On this check the clause marked in bold below....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by lethal_pizzle

I've heard 'performers' who've completely ruined the music they were playing with their 'performance'. It's no good being experimental if your music sounds like you're experimenting with being shit.

If you're a good DJ then you've got good songs to play. By all means mix them together in a pleasing way but do remember that they're essentially good to go before you started mashing buttons with them; respect them.

Remember: phrasing, programming and reading the floor are the fundamentals of deejaying. I've seen too many deejays construct an aural blancmange mashing together bits of good tunes, where the only point of it all seems to be 'look at me, look at me'.

Sometimes the best deejays, like the best footballers, make it look simple.

---

Quoted for truth!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by lethal_pizzle

Mine have. Mind you, most of the good times I've had in clubs and festivals I can't see the DJ very well anyway and I don't go out searching for a good view. Just a good place to dance.

---

+1

Actually, I can't even think of a club night where it wasn't the song selection that made the night memorable. Either I'm always too drunk or I don't care much about anything else than the music being good - probably both :p

Edit: Happy pills of course do contribute to the memorableness of an evening, no denial possible....

Actually: I can think of a DJ who did more than phrasing and song selection (though his song selection was top notch) - DJ Yoda

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by groovemixer

I’m a bedroom DJ who loves to beat mix and I have some experience DJ’ing parties, weddings, car shows etc. I love to beat mix house and trance it’s been a hobby of mine for some time.

This past Friday night I went to a friend’s bday party at a fairly large sports bar north of Toronto. There was a DJ there using Serato and two turn tables. Watching him mix all kinds of genres was very impressing; he was going nuts with his mixer and turntables. Even though he didn’t hit the beats on time every time he was very skilled at what he was doing. He didn’t make that much because he loves doing it and doesn’t care much for the money. I have those same feelings.

Saying all that, I put some time aside from all of my home reno’s and decided to go see one of my favorite DJ’s who came to Toronto Saturday night. The night was going great till I stood in an area of the club where I can see the DJ spin with all his equipment. That’s when I felt I was getting ripped off. He wasn’t mixing at all. He had some software running (I think it was Albelton not sure cuz it was hard to see his screen well) and all he did was tweak the mixer a bit and dance. Whenever the transition came in he popped on his headphones for about 15 seconds max (I was counting LOL) then he’d popped them off and start playing with the mixer for 10 seconds then went back and raise his hands and dance till the next transition and the process repeated again.

To me his set was pre-recorded and he was acting like he was mixing. This happened also when I went to see Tiesto a while back. Again where I was standing I could see what he was doing and never saw him once change a CD for hours, but he kept flipping through his CD binder as if he was looking for one.

If I had a choice I’d rather spend my money to see a DJ who actually uses his skills and makes the odd mistake then to listen to one who prerecords his mix and is too lazy to actually mix live.
That’s like going to a concert and finding out the band is lip syncing. The reason I go to see live bands/DJ’s is to hear it live or I would just stay home and listen to them on a CD.

Sorry but I needed to vent. :mad:
Your thoughts?

---

Just my opinion, but....(and I've purposely only read the first post to respond without any slant from any further posts posted)....

To start, I began using vinyl decks about 12/13 years ago. About 7/8 years ago I dabbled a bit with early DJ software, the likes of MixMeister (a very early version, 3 maybe!?) and ProDJ. I enjoyed it. I could DJ using vinyls, but liked the flexibility MixMeister gave and the interface felt more natural for me rather than using vinyls. Since then, I've used things like VirtualDJ, Fuity Loops, Traktor Pro, Cubase, Ableton, Reason etc. So, I feel that I've gone through the spectrum of DJ technology, and only very recently begun to really use Ableton and Reason.

Firstly, I have to say that, personally, I don't give a f*** what anyone thinks about the technology I use and I should be judged on the music coming out rather than my chosen input interface. If you judge on equipment, then that's your problem. Get over it. I find the discovery of Ableton and Reason MASSIVE for me. It allows my natural progression on to be able to DJ, produce and even blend DJing and production into a live set creating unique, one-off moments if I so wish. Why should someone be downgraded just because they choose a difference input method (such as Ableton over vinyl decks for instance), and perhaps gets a better output from the speakers in terms of making everyone have a good time. Everyone has a choice, and these days people choose whatever feels more natural and suits them.

Surely people need to accept time moves on, as does technology. Why would someone use older equipment if they wanted to use equipment that feels more natural to them and is more tailored to their needs? Just because someone uses a different method or different technology, it doesn't make any more or less real in my eyes.

As long as what's coming out of the master output is good and got people having a good time, who cares what they're doing! Technological advances should be embraced rather than sneered at.

To try and give a little example, if you bought an album and loved a certain complicated sounding guitar riff. Then, went to see the band live and saw that it was done using a very simple guitar piece but the guitarist used a couple of delay, reverb and distortion pedals to get an effect (as are standard in any guitarist setup), would the music be any less good? Honest answer is no, cos it's the same bloody thing!

Jimi Hendrix changed the guitar World by introducing the mainstream to fuzz, distortion, feedback and wah wahs. Since then, music has moved on leaps and bounds from the acoustic blues etc etc. However, people appreciate both kinds based on what music comes out at the end. That's how the DJ/producer World should be in my eyes. Hendrix was seen as the devil by purists at the beginning for starting a guitar revolution, but time has shown that he enlightened many more than he offended.

Having perceptions and pre-concieved ideas about different things and making judgement on them perceptions and ideas have got a lot of people into a lot of bother in the past!

Bunford

I get what your saying, I agree with you but what bugs me is when ppl use technology and cheat with it, make themselves look like they are performing but really are just faking it.

The tools we use to DJ have com a long way and it doesn't matter what you use as a DJ.

BUT there is skill involved with DJ'ing and with today's technology anyone can pretend they have the skill to DJ and pull it off.

I can learn how to lip sync and put on a concert pretending that I am the lead singer of coldplay but I bet when ppl see me they will get pretty pissed off.

Thats my whole point.


To comment on early thread, yes it's very important to have a back up plan or pre-recorded mix in case something goes wrong but I think your a poser if the complete set is recorded and the DJ just farts around with the eq for a couple of secs in his/her set and the rest does nothing but lift their hands. etc

Maybe it's just the difference in genre's or personal taste's then. I'm not a club goer and avoid them like the plague. I go to show's, festivals, and shitty dive bars. When I go to a Z-Trip show I know he's gonna go off, sweat like a mutherfucker, and get the crowd involved. When I see Cut Chemist or Numark they're going to do some shit I've never seen before and probably with things that weren't really ment to play music. If I'm droping $50+ for a show I don't really give a shit how the show is put together or what's used to play but it better be live. And just mixing one song into the next because songs are perfect little snowflakes just doesn't cut it for me. I want the DJ to play that song the way he thinks it should be played, I wanna hear songs that I know from his perspective and think, "that's clever, I would've never thought to take it in that direction". But opinions are like assholes....

In response to an earlier comment DJ Yoda is a god. He is the reason I started DJing. He has everything the ability to mix 4 decks, top notch scratching skills, spot on song selection and awsome showmanship.

He has now moved to 4 decks in serato using the rane 68. However he used to use two 2dvj's and serato on a 4 channel mixer all mixed in together. A little less flare using the bridge now but he is still beat matching the 2 video decks to the beat and pulling off lots of scratches.

Who is the better DJ Yoda or tiesto???

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by groovemixer

Bunford

I get what your saying, I agree with you but what bugs me is when ppl use technology and cheat with it, make themselves look like they are performing but really are just faking it.

The tools we use to DJ have com a long way and it doesn't matter what you use as a DJ.

BUT there is skill involved with DJ'ing and with today's technology anyone can pretend they have the skill to DJ and pull it off.

---

Ok, to respond to this.

Have you ever mixed electro, house etc? Then you are a cheat too!

House, electro etc are almost 100% done using drum machines etc, locked into a constant BPM. That was a technological advancement for music allowing this possibility.

To accept that and use it (which makes mixing easier rather than using songs recorded live with drifting bpm etc) and then complain when someone uses what fits their need would be a tad hypocritical as you'd accept technology that fits your needs, but slate someone else for using technology that fits their need.

Learning and using software like Ableton is no easy feat! It takes hours upon hours to master and learn and is rightly a skill of it's own. To dismiss it as an "easy get out" is very unfair.

I admit though, cheating the audience by faking to do one thing whilst doing another is wrong.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bunford

Ok, to respond to this.

Have you ever mixed electro, house etc? Then you are a cheat too!

House, electro etc are almost 100% done using drum machines etc, locked into a constant BPM. That was a technological advancement for music allowing this possibility.

To accept that and use it (which makes mixing easier rather than using songs recorded live with drifting bpm etc) and then complain when someone uses what fits their need would be a tad hypocritical as you'd accept technology that fits your needs, but slate someone else for using technology that fits their need.

Learning and using software like Ableton is no easy feat! It takes hours upon hours to master and learn and is rightly a skill of it's own. To dismiss it as an "easy get out" is very unfair.

I admit though, cheating the audience by faking to do one thing whilst doing another is wrong.

---

I mix mostly electro, fidget and electro house but not because it's easy, it's because thats the style of music I like. I wont do, lets say, trance, since I dont like it or happy hardcore or breakbeats... Technology allow us to make a lot of creative shit but at the same time cheat the shit out of the audience into cashing an easy check or be able to play near passed out drunkeness.

A huge crowd, say those who follow tiesto, dont like him due to the technicalities of beign a dj, they like him becasue their friends like Tiesto and maybe it was the first time doing X or got to kiss some girl (or guy) or whatever. The experience they got while the concert happened to have Tiesto monkeying around a dj setup on stage.

Dj has become easier and cheaper to get into compared to any timeline in the history of DJ. Expect to see people that dont give a flying fuck and expect to see those who care about it. Problem is that those who care at the same time divide themselves again due to traktor vs serato, or digital vs vinyl or even electro fidget vs electro house. I used to love the Bloddy Beetroots but now I kinda grew out of their shit and thats pretty normal.

Ableton is hard. I tried it. Didnt liked it. Tried Traktor and liked it. I think is a better designed tool and that Ableton will continue to evolve so it can get more intuitive and more user friendly. Just like any other software company that expect to sell their product to the most people they can even more when they have some pretty fucking fierce competition.

Again, even if the DJ purists get what they want about a live performance, it is on the human nature to never be pleased and will inevitably want the next step that would be maybe creating the track onstage with a bunch of synths and drum machines. Even there they would want a real live drummer with I dunno some church organ or some tesla coil whatever to create the experience.

Either way, Tiesto still sucks monkey poop.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bunford

Ok, to respond to this.

Have you ever mixed electro, house etc? Then you are a cheat too!

House, electro etc are almost 100% done using drum machines etc, locked into a constant BPM. That was a technological advancement for music allowing this possibility.

To accept that and use it (which makes mixing easier rather than using songs recorded live with drifting bpm etc) and then complain when someone uses what fits their need would be a tad hypocritical as you'd accept technology that fits your needs, but slate someone else for using technology that fits their need.

Learning and using software like Ableton is no easy feat! It takes hours upon hours to master and learn and is rightly a skill of it's own. To dismiss it as an "easy get out" is very unfair.

I admit though, cheating the audience by faking to do one thing whilst doing another is wrong.

---

Bunford I'm agreeing with you totally i guess I'm just not saying it right sorry.

I love how technology has changed for the DJ world but saying that it has also made it easier to pretend to be talented. does that make sense?

so its like photo shopping a picture and telling everyone you drew it yourself. there's nothing wrong with photo shop but as long as it's known to all it was done by photo shop.

I can tell everyone im an artist but really i faked it using photo shop

Is that a better way of putting it?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Quenepas

I mix mostly electro, fidget and electro house but not because it's easy, it's because thats the style of music I like. I wont do, lets say, trance, since I dont like it or happy hardcore or breakbeats... Technology allow us to make a lot of creative shit but at the same time cheat the shit out of the audience into cashing an easy check or be able to play near passed out drunkeness.

A huge crowd, say those who follow tiesto, dont like him due to the technicalities of beign a dj, they like him becasue their friends like Tiesto and maybe it was the first time doing X or got to kiss some girl (or guy) or whatever. The experience they got while the concert happened to have Tiesto monkeying around a dj setup on stage.

Dj has become easier and cheaper to get into compared to any timeline in the history of DJ. Expect to see people that dont give a flying fuck and expect to see those who care about it. Problem is that those who care at the same time divide themselves again due to traktor vs serato, or digital vs vinyl or even electro fidget vs electro house. I used to love the Bloddy Beetroots but now I kinda grew out of their shit and thats pretty normal.

Ableton is hard. I tried it. Didnt liked it. Tried Traktor and liked it. I think is a better designed tool and that Ableton will continue to evolve so it can get more intuitive and more user friendly. Just like any other software company that expect to sell their product to the most people they can even more when they have some pretty fucking fierce competition.

Again, even if the DJ purists get what they want about a live performance, it is on the human nature to never be pleased and will inevitably want the next step that would be maybe creating the track onstage with a bunch of synths and drum machines. Even there they would want a real live drummer with I dunno some church organ or some tesla coil whatever to create the experience.

Either way, Tiesto still sucks monkey poop.

---

:D LOL nicely put!!!

I have more respect for hip-hop/vinyl dj's then trance and house dj's. I LOVE mixing house or trance and thats were my heart is but watching hip-hop dj's is amazing!