The Future Of DJ’ing
Hi Guys,
This is just a quick one i thought i’d throw out there for peoples opinions on - where do you think DJ’ing will go in the next 5-10 years?
Stay pretty much the same?
More audience participation?
The use of things like that giant see through/hands on l.e.d Traktor Controller
Etc etc…
Less turntables, more controllers, same amount of more than mediocre DJ’s that will quit after a couple of years.
Loads more of those.
Personally I think we’ve kind of hit the peak on that for this go around. I have no numbers to back that up though just a feeling.
Not sure about that Chris - the ‘barriers to entry’ (software and hardware prices, software functions like sync, portability etc. are dropping all the time.) A mate’s DJ school enrolments are at an all-time-high.
(And they a generally SOOOOOOOO bad:eek
Surely all of this newfangled technology makes it easier to become a DJ, but that doesn’t necessarily mean one becomes a quality DJ with it. I’m rather new myself, but I’ve got experience from my high school’s band (concert, marching, and jazz) and drum corps. Something that most new DJs don’t have. Because this bar’s being lowered, DJing is getting more popular. Not sure if I like what I’m hearing from them newbies.
But don’t get me wrong, I love seeing someone trying and doing something new. Especially music-related. But it’s like the Party Rockers: the skill isn’t really there, but they’re showing it anyway.
software will be integrated into the controller
Laptops will be for backup.
Probably about the same amount of people using vinyls..
I doubt anything is going to happen to make an increase in the number of people dropping vinyls for controllers.
more crazy lights.
I’m very interested to see where the CDJ world goes.. Its already out dated media on bulky/expensive hardware.
A lot more interesting hair cuts from the mainstream performers/“djs”
Hopefully the tablet thing disappears.. not to sure why many people use them.
Dr Dre will probably come out with DJ headphones.
People will continue to discuss what will replace 1200s.
Fun stuffs. +1 for that last one. Also interested in what’s going to be the next big costume/icon and/or DJ booth/stage is going to be. Daft Punk → Deadmau5 → ??
House music will be even more mainstreamed than it is now.
I would like to see a company think out of the box and come up with some sort of platter/touch interface that can be even more expressive than turntablism.
Controllers will continue their gradual rise to DJ acceptance.
CD burning will be a thing of the past.
My personal oppinion is that laptops will stay in the booth for years to come. It’s hard for me to think a hardware with built in software interface will have the adaptability and functionality as what a laptop and software + controller offers.
I predict DJs are gonna play music…
Heresy!!! BURN HIM!!!
I think we’ll start seeing more controllers that work without the laptop on stage, but rather uses the laptop for preparation, that synch to whatever is used on stage.
With an APC/S4 we don’t have to touch the computer, won’t be long until we don’t have to look at it either.
More social networking between the audience and the DJ, that’s sadly missing just now at DJ performances. Hint, there are all kinds of interesting web and SW solutions someone could write for this purpose.
I would’ve like to agreed with Chris, but I fear the opposite will happen like ^^.
As long as there exists Superstar DJs and the technology is highly accessible, people will jump on the DJing is cool train (like playing the guitar used to be)…
So essentially a High-Tech version of two turntables and a mixer?
Just like it took a few years to rise to the immense popularity its seeing now, it’ll take a couple of years to not be as cool. I say 2012 will see a lot less groundbreaking stuff, less inexpensive controllers and maybe more of a focus on refining some of the things released in the last year or two.
I’m making all of the following up as I go so it may not make sense.
Mixers will become controllers and controllers will become mixers. They’ll be common place and thought of as one in the same. You’ll just have $100 ones and $2000 ones.
I think something we’ll see will be some type of something in the DJ booth where you just plug in a USB stick. I think it would be nice if there was a web app that we could analyze all our songs with, set cue points, beat grid and all that then we plug a USB stick with our music on it to a mixer and go. Maybe Serato and NI will both have a system like that or maybe it will be something like Rekord Box that the hardware manufacture creates. Our loads have lightened tremendously, but they’re still not light.
I would still like to see a generic layout that we could customize at home, maybe with the web app above. Then we can tell the buttons, knobs and faders what we want them to do. Kind of like mapping, but with firmware…sort of. If we want one knob to send three CC notes, then we tell it when and where.
On that same subject I think maybe Midi will be gone in 10 years, there will be something else better suited to what we do.
By then terabyte sticks will be common so why carry a computer? Especially if the mixer acts as the computer.
I see a transition from laptops over to Tablet computers. Not necessarily DJ apps, but just the use of them in your setup. I have a feel that CDJ and Vinyl will be gone, as much as the purists want them around, this culture is only 15-20 years old, so is bound to change quickly. I think more controllers like the s4 are bound to take over the market. In the way of mixes, I think 4 deck looping will reign king. People like to fiddle with things, so 4 deck looping seems logical.
Vinyl culture 15-20 years old? Better get your numbers straight.
Vinyl will be here to stay. The further we get from any physical media, the more important it actually becomes.
Vinyl DJing is only 15-20 years old, is it not?
Controllers do so that we dont have to touch the laptops only look at them, soon tablets can be used for browsing your traktor library and other visual feedback. That way the laptop can be completely off stage.