Where to start DJ’ing
So I am about 16 and i just came upon dj’ing in and interview and it looks so sick and i really want to get into it and i dont know where to start. If anyone give their personal inputs on good places to start, money needed, etc etc that would be great.
I would recommend the search function + google 
My advise would be to download the Traktor Pro 2 demo or Virtual DJ and play around with it for a while. Then, as you understand the software and learn the theories behind mixing, you can assess your needs and decide whether you want to invest in controllers/mixers/turntables, etc.
step 1: buy this: http://www.smithsonmartin.com/emulator-dvs/
step 2: get all da bitchez
Do this
Don’t do this
Make sure you’ll stick with it if you try to DJ. It’s an expensive hobby and it takes more time than most people realise.
I too am new to everything with DJing and did not have any clue where to start and still don’t really. I download torrents and came upon the DJ for dummies book but have not read into it but a chapter. Not sure how useful it will be or not.
Also I was going to end up making a post but I am glad to see you made this.
There is a site digitaldjtips.com that has a short 4 hour online video course thats $47 USD. That is just something that I also stubbled upon searching for DJ stuff. Not sure if that is a good thing for newcomers looking for information or not but maybe someone will comment on that?
Protip: don’t torrent
for real. that goes for everyone.
i can really tell the difference when some guy has all lossless songs and then some guy follows him with 320k songs. it really kills the mood. :eek:
I don’t believe you, calling you out! lol. Unless you have the most discerning hearing known to man, I suppose. Or if the DJ is using tracks just labeled as 320kbps but are actually lower quality than that, which is common.
Otherwise, on a club system, you will never tell the difference.
inb4 Mostafa.
The point about not torrenting has nothing to do with the quality of the files and EVERYTHING to do with stealing from the artists! If you want to be a serious dj and get paid to do it then buy your music and practice… A LOT!!
Where to start ? The bedroom.
Go for an ultra cheap midi controller. Maybe ask your DJ friends, they might have on lying around.
320 vs. wav is a minimal difference on most club systems. Studio monitors it stands out a bit more, but still. On the other hand, a bunch of pirated mp3s will be “320” but are actually 128 re-encoded to 320 (which only serves to make the file size bigger; does nothing for the quality). You’re better off buying from iTunes/beatport/wherever, but that doesn’t mean you have to buy everything in lossless.
I had only mentioned that I torrented a DJ book to read up for knowing nothing about DJing. I never once said anything along the lines of MUSIC.
LOL!
And yes, you start on you bedroom, with some used controller and googling this website completely.
Not accusing you of torrenting music either (sorry if it came across that way), but you should be aware that talking about torrenting in general (or well, admitting to it), is quite frowned upon around here, and might make you er… “ostracized” from the rest of the community.
Maybe it just me, but a few gigs ago I was talking with the other dj’s, and some were saying the format they prefer, and it was this debate about lossless and just regular ‘iTunes’ or ‘torrented’ files, and it might have been a placebo effect, but I’m positive the lossless sounded so much better. It had much better highs and lows, and it didn’t sound so compressed and limited.
And it could have been the drugs…
Sorry for thread hijacking.
Seriously, start in your house like everyone else. Practice for a few months, learn how to mix songs, practice dj’ing in front of friends, and when your confident that you can play for a solid hour, then you go out and start networking.
If college has taught me anything it’s that networking is the best way to get a job.
The same applies to finding gigs, it’s all about who knows your skills, and who is willing to give you a chance.