Your DJ Success Timeline

[Sherlock Ohms]

Nice idea chap - I'm no where near as successful as many on here, but I'll share.

1. When/How you became involved in the scene as a whole?

Been a music obsessive since I can remember, started going to the Big Chill festival and got involved in their forum. Shortly afterwards a bunch of guys and gals from the forum founded Purple Radio, whilst another mate from Bristol showed me how he played off a laptop using Traktor s/w which he gave me a copy of.

2. Your first set up and current set up (if you have upgraded and why)

Behringer BCD3000 and a cracked copy of Traktor 3 (which soon got upgraded a legit version of Traktor Pro I hasten to add) A couple of years ago I played around on a mates VCI100 and bought the SE version about a week later. I've recently bought a pair of 1210s and Traktor Scratch Pro as I wanted learn how to scratch properly, and am in the process of upgrading my crossfader (it bounces, and whilist I could clean it I don't need much of an excuse for new shiny toys)

3. First "real" gig

Radio Station summer party at Ride bar in Nottingham - was quite quickly running a night in Bristol after that.

4. Favorite/Best gig

Either support for DJ Moneyshot at the last end of Summer party for the Radio Station, or support for Ugly Duckling at Festinho

5. Other form of work you do besides DJing

System Design Engineer in the Defence Industry

6. Do you produce? If so how did you start? If not why?

Not yet - largely due to a lack of knowledge about production tools ... it'll happen

7. Which program(s) do you use to DJ/produce?

I default to TSP, but also have Serato on my laptop and occasionally use it if buggering about with cables would interrupt the flow of the night. Pays to be flexible in these things. I've also made sure I can use CDJs and their equivalents so I can get a series of tunes out of most setups.

8. Best advice?

Advice given to me my my mate Andrea - "never play a tune you don't 100% believe in". At the end of the day for all the controllerism/turntablism and whizzy transitions in the universe if your track selection is crap you'll lose the dancefloor - and that includes playing a track thats ok-ish just because it makes getting from one to another easier ... don't do it!

[Sherlock Ohms]

Truer words never spoken it seems like alot of the "DJs" out there think that the most underground track trumps the obvious need the crowd has to enjoy the music. Just because nobody but you and 5 or 6 other people have heard it doesn't mean that it makes you more of a DJ to play it.

When I first started out a lot of the gigs were parties with a load of other DJs from the station there as well - lead me to play too many 'cool' tracks that they all knew, which bombed on a 'regular' dancefloor - sorting that out has been the biggest thing I've done in the last 18 months ...

[levvis]

Sick thread, keep them coming! I'm in the same boat as the Sherlock above (sweet pun-age by the way), but will share anyway..

1. When/How you became involved in the scene as a whole?
Was into hip hop for most of my teens then around 17 started bumping house then progressed to more underground electro early 20's. Bought decks the year I moved away for uni and have been going for about a year now.

2. Your first set up and current set up (if you have upgraded and why)
The Dj-Tech Hybrid-202 system (2x Kontrol One's + a shitty mixer)
Upgraded to a djm400. Controllers are sick but am building up some dollars to cop 1 cdj deck just so I can get gigs at archaic clubs who hate on our kind!
EDIT - oh yeah TP + audio 2

3. First "real" gig
nil (but working hard on that one)

4. Favorite/Best gig
My extent of performing is b/w housemates and family so tough to choose..

5. Other form of work you do besides DJing
Poor uni kid

6. Do you produce? If so how did you start? If not why?
I've been slack, but I've been trying to put an idea or just create something in garageband every day (where possible). I know it's not really the height of production but it allows me to be as creative as it allows me (if that makes sense). Looking to maybe cop some prod goodies from santy claws this year.

7. Which program(s) do you use to DJ/produce?
Garageband - leaning towards ableton

8. Best advice?
When I told my uncle I was unsure I could even complete the uni course I somehow got accepted into - Bite off more than you can chew, then chew like fuck.

[Wickedsight]

novation dicers- won a contest. going to use them for brat juggling/ making decks c/d sample decks

+

a....kindercare......

This could be a very interesting combination