How did everyone get past the whole roadblock of what equiptment to use when playing at a venue? The reason i ask is, I’ve heard some people bash me behind my back for using controllers as opposed to turntables or CDJs. Even as a beginner, I’m trying to formulate what I should use and practice with, I guess what I’m trying to get at is I’m used to the “ideal dj” image of someone on huge turntables. How did everyone get past that notion - and also what would be a standard “ideal” gear set to use at venues.
Good question! I have an advantage being in a small town, I create my own dj nights using my connections in the local bar scene, and no one can say $hit about my gear choices because I’ve got more bookings than them.
Seriously, Put on a good show and make the promoters some cash and it won’t matter what you use. Bring the gear that you are most comfortable with so that you perform well, rock your set, and who cares what other DJ’s say. Unless you are using an “industry standard” like technic 1200s or CDJ 1000s you will probably get flak. Just keep in mind that the people on the dancefloor are the only ones that really matter, and if they’re happy, you’re doing just fine.
The people on the dancefloor are the ones writing your check, and they don’t care or even know what kind of gear you’re using. There will always be the “LOL YOU’RE NOT BEATMATCHING WITH AN AUTHENTIC SCHWITZLINE GRAMOPHONE YOU’RE NOT A REAL DJ!!!” people with regard to any new technology (hell, BPM detection on CDJs used to be “cheating”).
I’m always a bit boggled by the people that consider switching from controllers to traditional setups just for the sake of image. There’s no need to put limitations on yourself like that.
I didnt have to, i started with 1210’s about 111 years ago, then moved to cdj’s, then traktor scratch pro.
ive won competitons using just vinyl, and just CDJ’s, people know what im capable of but i always make sure i have cd’s in my record bag with tracks and tools to create an impromptu battle set to shut anyone up who decides to give agro, then ask them if they want to take me on
This year they will talk shit about you for using controllers. In 2 years, they’ll talk about how you were playing out on controllers before anyone else.
Laugh at them and tell them that your audio is higher fidelity than vinyl and that you’re just trying to squeeze all the performance out of the sound system that you can.
Remember, garbage in-garbage out also applies to amplifiers and speakers.
Your digital files are lower in fidelity than vinyl. Most of us are using mp3’s and while we try and get higer quality files it’s still a lossy compression. You lose some of the quieter bits because the algorithim says it’s not needed. If your spinning a DVS set and switch to actual vinyl the difference is substantial.
In theory, yes. In reality, vinyl often suffers from the average to criminally bad state of the turntable’s needles. In fact, I often had to “detune” my output to match the horridly worn needles.
Anyway, the same applies when you switch from vinyl to CD. I mean, let’s be honest, how many DJs actually still buy physical CDs? Most of them go to beatport, itunes or whatever and burn them.
Really, you shouldn’t bother about what others say about you as long as you can deliver.
(I’ve got to admit that it helps to know that I could destroy most of the badmouth DJs on MKIIs or CDJs if I just could be bothered )
Edit: Oh, and BTW, the mp3 quality discussion is as old as the format itself. I personally never got to know anyone in person that could tell a 320k mp3 from an uncompressed wav file. Certainly it never happened to me that someone in a club came to the booth and complained about the sound quality of my mp3 file based set. But that’s kinda off-topic, I guess.
They way I do it is Im very flexiable. My main rig that I use at my residency is 2 CDJ’s and a DJM-700 mixer. When I play at clubs it varies between my VCI-100 SE +X1 + Audio 8 or Audio 2 internal mode or 1 Kontrol X1 + Audio8 or Audio2 in external mode with a DJM-800 or Rane 57 mixer. If its a really short set, I just play on cds, if its a vinyl only, well Ill do a set with that too.
who gives a fuck what they say… there not the ones paying you, or the ones your there to entertain… i had a few DJ’s bag me for using controllers in the clubs, and on more than one occasion, by the end of my set… they were standing right behind me going “dude, how did you do that?” “but i thought that was the volume fader, how can it do that?” “how the hell are you doing that with your jog wheels?” “wasnt that the play button before?” and with certain controllers ive used before they were just like “WTF? how do you DJ with that thing?”
ive played with vynil, CDJs, DVS and now full digital, all in the clubs… the people on the dance floor dont give a shit what you are using, theyre just there to drink, and enjoy the music. those DJ’s are just jealous that you can basically do everything theyre doing on a controller that you can fit in your backpack and that your one step ahead of them, or there just stupid douchebags that still think vynil is the be all and end all of DJ’ing. They think that beatmatching is the ultimate skill in DJing.
While i still think beatmatching is very important to learn and to train your ears, and a very useful skill to have, its not the “ultimate skill” like some DJ’s seem to play it out to be. There are many other important skills like track selection, reading a crowd, and creating a mood or “story” that i think are much more important than being able to beatmatch.
Eventually, those guys who still play on their CDJ’s or Vinyl are going to have to make a choice at some point in the future… go the way of the dinosaur, or have to learn to use controllers. Theres allways some douchebag in every kind of medium that thinks it was “better in the old days” but its only because he doesnt know how to use the new and improved equipment thats out there. Like “that guy” who still thinks old school photography with actual film is way better than “this new digital crap” Sure… to each his own, and he might still be down in his basement developing his photos every weekend, good on him. But do you think “that guy” still has a job developing photos from film? No fucking way… no one uses film anymore… its all digital.
