Anyone feel like technology is too advanced for them?

DJ Life & Community General Discussion
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Anyone feel like technology is too advanced for them?

After learning how to spin with vinyl/CD’s, I decided to go digital, and have been using a digital system for just a little over a year now.

The problem i’m facing now is that I feel like if I spent every minute, of every day, focusing on everything related to my digital system, I would STILL only know about 10% of everything I need to know.

When I started using Torq/Xponent there was a lot of things I had to learn about digital DJ’ing, but everything was already mapped out, as Xponent was basically made for Torq. Not to mention, all the track info was saved in a different file called a .TQD file. After using it for about a year, I had a pretty good handle on it.

Now that I’m using Traktor, I’ve had to learn about ID3 tags, and how you can’t play DRM protected files. I’ve also recently started using Rapid Evolution and I’m starting to discover a whole new set of problems. You have to have Quicktime installed, you need to have the right Java (still learning about what this is, and what it does) installed, and it still doesn’t seem to work. On top of the fact that it keeps crashing for some strange reason…And then there’s the compatibility issue with Traktor Pro.

Not to mention the on-going cross-compatibility issues between different iTunes and Traktor versions…Then there’s the subject of midi mapping…

When I first got my VCI-100, I thought I could use other peoples’ mappings…But then I realized a lot of them didn’t have what I wanted…Ean’s mapping works best with firmware 1.3 (which I don’t have, and have also had to learn about)…So I figure at some point i’ll have to figure out midi mapping as well, or get my firmware updated…Either way I guess I should learn about mapping though.

One of the really bad things is that I’ve been unemployed for about 6 months, and I haven’t been looking for a job, because I stay up until the wee hours of the night learning as much as I can about my new system. Which means I wake up late, and groggy, and don’t get much job hunting done…I think part of it is that job hunting often doesn’t come with immediate gratification, whereas everytime I learn something new about my system, I feel like I accomplished something.

I feel like I’m about ready for a mental institution right now…And the thing that really kills me, is even though I get a good grasp of all the aforementioned things, there’s still the compatibility issue that I’ll have to encounter everytime a new version of iTunes, Rapid Evolution, or Traktor Pro comes out.

I’m so tightly wound right now, that this would be a good time for a joint…

I also just filled in the order form for my free windows 7 upgrade, at which point I assume I’ll have to tackle some of the compatibility issues all over again.

Oy…

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It’s all a learning experience. This is so much more open ended and there is no basic compatibility. I mean, two turntables and a mixer is actually more complicated then just that, encompassing different headshells, needles, torq, slip mats, etc. etc. etc.

But you’ll learn. I’d say the job hunt is more important, but, well, that’s just me. :slight_smile:

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I do think that when I take too much with one bite.
I can totally agree with you that there is lots too learn. My advice is to focus in learning one thing at a time and then move on. My small advice would be first to get comfortable with Traktor pro and your controller, without getting other software to the equation yet. You don´t need to have the key for all your tracks neither all the tags. Just work with tracks directly and get focused on using traktor with your controller. Get it mapped yourself, its the only way to have a nice workflow and to understand the functions.
Once you have that solved move to integration with other softwares. One thing at a time mate and you will use your time wisely and move forward. I can´t give you the advice on Itunes or rapidevolution cause I rarely use them.
If you have any specific doubt just mail or Pm me I will be glad to help.
Also +1 with DvlsAdvct on the job hunt, learining how to dj should be second now :stuck_out_tongue:

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I am the same as you originally learnt on vinyl, now trying it on digital with a gap of 13 years of not mixing! and it’s a lot to take it but slowly but surely it is coming together, plus i am not shy i asking :slight_smile:

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You sound sorta like me in a way, though your a straight up closet tech junkie.
In theory the more you understand your complicated set up, you’ll think & play
more dynamically, utilizing & improving on the set up..

&Windows 7 compatibility issues, hah, vista has left you with a few trust issues…
I currently run Traktor SP 1.2, SSL3, Ableton Suite 8, FL Studio 9, etc.
plus a bunch of midi drivers & instrument’s programs, etc.
None of which has giving me any compatibility issues
(I run win ultimate 7)

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I know exactly what You mean. I look at what I know about traktor… and then I watch something like moldovers approach to controllerism, and it just blows my mind…

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bottom line is keeping up on your game is a full time job.

&to almost entirely retract that last paragraph,
my (cracked) PCDJ VJ setup couldn’t run on 7,
probably cause what iv put in parenthesis.

never had it on vista so can’t compare.

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Re: Anyone feel like technology is too advanced for them?

knowledge is power, the more you know the more you can do.

and great things don’t come easy :slight_smile:

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I’m like you right know, but I have a full time job and a wife (since may/2009) :smiley:

I’ve just started to use Ean’s Oxygen mapping and I didn’t like it totally for Psytrance, so I’m starting to map it better to my desired workflow, It’s easy for me because I work with computers and development but you can get there if you develop your logic thinking enough.

It’s hard to keep all things in life well balanced, It’s even hard when you are young (like me 23 years old) but it’s a matter of exchanging experiences and learning from your mistakes, or even better, with others mistakes.

Sometimes you have to work on your anxiety and do the things that you need to do before things that you want to do, otherwise your life will be unbalanced and will be harder to balance it again.

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No worries man. As some others have said, just concentrate on your controller and one piece of software for now. A good controller and TPro is a very powerful combo, and I’ve found that building my own mappings from scratch has been the best way to learn. Experiment and try different things, settings, just maintain the basic logic that will keep the system tight. It’s ok to not know everything. Technology always keeps advancing, there’s no stopping it, but you can get good at your niche, and just add new knowledge as you make time for it.

But even more importantly, definitely work to get your operating system stable and solid. You’ve got to be able to trust it to feel confident about what you’re doing.

Also, and speaking from experience, take time out to just put the shit away too. Music is best when other parts of your life are in balance. Work hard on what you’re doing, but take the time to eat, sleep, and (most importantly) do other things. It’ll help brighten your perspective about the tech learning curve.

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yes all this might give you a hard time right now but just think about it, you are are learning and improving by the day the more u know and learn, more will come out end of the day and combine technical and creative together theres nothing stopping you. technicality and creativity its a balance.

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Its all part of the Trade, the trade just got more technical and it requires more knowledge.

The payoff is better a djing experience for the crowd (when executed properly!)