15 years ago all I needed to do as a DJ was buy a stack of vinyl records in my style of choice, learn to beat match and show up at your gig with a heavy bag full of vinyls and start to mix. There was another guy there working the lights, a sound engineer and later of a guy joined with videos and a video screen.
15 years later the guy with the video screen is no longer needed, because video is now integrated into the DJ software for a seamless integration between sound and video. That also means that now I need to learn how VJ-ing works. (Any one know where the heck you can get videos?)
So fast forward twenty years form now, where do you think we will be? Does the DJ not only have to mix, make sure killer videos are projected on the screen, but also program all the lights, control the LASER show, make sure the 3D holographic projections of naked girls dance in sync to whatever tune your were playing?
Where will this end? Quite frankly I’m in this for the music, not the lights, not the video. So call me lazy, but I’m not looking forward to the era where the “DJ” is expected to control all of the show elements of a venue or rave.
[QUOTE]There was another guy there working the lights, a sound engineer and later of a guy joined with videos and a video screen.
15 years later the guy with the video screen is no longer needed, because video is now integrated into the DJ software for a seamless integration between sound and video. That also means that now I need to learn how VJ-ing works. (Any one know where the heck you can get videos?)
[/QUOTE]
IMHO unless you are simply playing the actual music videos from the songs (you can get them from iTunes BTW) … VJing should be left in the hands of a visual artist.
99% of DJ’s I know of don’t have the slightest notion of how to run a lighting rig PROPERLY or project visuals that reflect the music he’s playing in any kind of decent manner.
A DJ should focus on the music and not be worrying about whats on the screens or coming out of the ceiling anyhow - if a club won’t hire a lighting guy (if the rig is any good whatsoever) they are just being cheap.
20 years from now - well, someone will still need to pick the records no matter what. The videos, naked lady projections, and lights might have some semblance of decent artificial intelligence / frequency or music detection behind them BUT will still need to be programmed with the settings for that in advance by the Visuals guy unless the club are gonna be happy with random factory programmed shit happening.
Its a bit like voice recognition dictation - remember how we were all told how awesome and easy it was back in the mid 90’s. Till today even its bullshit! Manual correction afterwards is needed every time. Hiring proper typist to do it from a recording is STILL a way more efficient and more error free way to put together any kind of decent document :roll eyes:
Technology changes, Jobs change, people adapt or get left behind.
It will probably be a bunch of oldschool sync dj’s whining about the new mind control devices, and how your not a real dj unless you beatgrid your tracks… so it will be exactly like it is now sync dj’s will be the dinosaurs while us beatmatching dj’s will be extinct ;p
Then when the final show is played, the resting beatmatching DJ’s emerge from their slumber in the dark depths of the ocean to once again reek havoc on the decks, and it shall be a glorious occasion.
And everybody will be given pen and paper to hand write notes to the people three rows over. Of course half of the notes will go to the wrong person and mayhem will ensue. Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria!
That would be a horrible day to see all these functions rolled into one. The jack of all trades, master of none saying rings true here. You could learn how to do lights, video, dj, and break dance all at the same time but more then likely it will result in mediocrity for all those areas. Instead each of those jobs should be left to the person who is an absolute pro at it. A dj will have a better idea for what song to play and a vjay will be able to enhance that song through video, same with the lighting guy. The extra cost is well worth it. This also leaves you to be the best in whatever area you specialize in.
Although I’ve looked into incorporating vj elements into my set it just would be another distraction for me. I’d rather find a great vj that has the same style.
In the future - the DJ will become more of a composer. The technology is there now (Ableton Live) but attitudes need to change. It takes a lot more concentration and skill to DJ in the way that Ableton Live allows you to - and it’s a slow road.
We’re only just completely understanding what is possible. Like I said, attitudes are slowly changing.
It’s good to read that I’m not the only one being sceptic about incorporating video and who knows what into my set. Indeed, let me handle the music and let other guys do what they are good at. I can surely imagine running data lines to the VJ and lights guy with exact data on each beat, kick, high hat, key board note, etc. that is being played so others can use that for perfect integration into a full show, just as long as my job remains with the music.
That makes me wonder why DJ software companies are trying to include video into the DJ software. Surely if Traktor can do it then Serato wants to follow and vice versa, to keep out competing each other. But IMHO it would make more sense developing something like Serato Video as a stand alone application that can be used as such by VJ, but does seamlessly work together with Serato DJ software. So then the video could start exploring music or the DJ could start exploring video. Modular standalone software seems to me a better product. In fact, that could be extended to lights software and holographic naked girls software as well, but modular and all working together on either on laptop (or whatever we are using twenty years from now) or on multiple laptops where each artist uses its own laptop with some from of hyperspace neutrino data link or whatever.
I haven’t read this thread, but I think in terms of “straight mixing” once DJ software becomes more intuitive, it’ll be able to mix seamlessly, recognizing wave patterns and coming in at just the right time. Think about the software “DJay” for the iPad, except not crappy. I think cue point juggling and APC mashing will still be around, but I don’t think it’s long before DJ software figures out how to mix itself and seamlessly at that. There’s still the aspect of “mixing in key” which I think a piece of software should still be able to do provided the key is attached to the metadata…But track selection will still be subjective and most likely better from human control.
the problem with videos is it stops people dancing if there is something to watch, especially music videos… abstract things that blend into their surroundings are great though… but this sort of stuff is for touring dj’s with big production budgets or mobile dj’s who have to entertain people who are too shy to dance.
but if you want your mind blown watch amon tobins projection mapping on youtube… it will blow your mind! thats the future of productions
