Any DJs out there?

[Wilko]

I used to DJ a fair bit on the old Technics 1210s, also had a set of CDJs for a bit but am intrigued by the new laptop/PCDJ movement.

Now I know many do not consider it PROPER dj'ing unless it is vinyl but still keen to have a go.

So, anyone out there had a go at it and if so which package?

Cheers

 

[Mendoza]

Do you need an MC??

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

I heard you can DIAL and MC now - especially for lazy lob ons.

 

[house your seagull]

i use a program called Torq by M-Audio using my powerbook, it cost about 200 notes. i plug it into the mixer as 2+ seperate channels.

it also acts as an interface between vinyl - MP3 - output, you get 2 'dummy' vinyls that you use on normal turntables (ala final scratch - but cheaper) - you plug the tuntables into the Torq hardware and it recognizes your movements and tempo/pitch changes instantly adjusting the MP3 output - so you have vinyl control but you choose the music via your mac.

i buy music off wordandsound and whatpeopleplay, both german distribution companies with mp3 sale divisions, i also get promo's emailed through as MP3. it means now that instead of going to the record shop the day before a gig and spending 100 quid, i can get loads and loads for about 15% of the price. i listen to so much music online, i can really pick and choose what i want - sometimes i'll listen to a track everyday for 3 weeks before finally purchasing it. shopping on juno used to really depress me because of the amount of money i spent.

although i think i'm a good vinyl dj, using the electronic method has enhanced my dj sound. i play electronic leftfield house, disco and techno and can easily cut, sample, loop, re-edit etc on the cuff - some people can over-ableton a set and it sounds horrible but for my taste it's great. i'm not denying great djs can do all this with their hands but it means i can concentrate on other things while djing.

the differnce with Torq compared to ableton is that the mixer is the key piece of equipment, i still have physical control.

the best part is that my appreciation for vinyl has increased since moving digital - i collect old disco, italo, punk funk pieces now on vinyl and really appreciate them, i used to to think of 12" as a throw-away commodity but now i really love getting a 12" mailer in the post knowing that the record inside is really, really good.

it's a real splitter this digital/analogue thing. my thinking is that as a DJ the music is the key, i don't play hip hop and scratch all the records around, people who care about what medium the music is coming from are a little short sighted in terms of the music i play.

phew.

 

[CHAPPERS]

I'm no dj but I do know that REVOX by Tim Green (Justin Martin rmx) is a HEATER.

 

[Cian]

Ableton, if you've got a fat wallet.

 

[beorhthelm]

cd was stepping away from proper DJing, PCDJ is just cheating. you can down load shareware apps that do a decent job of beat mixing anything, im sure commercial stuff is even better. I was at Audio a while back and it was blatant that the "dj" was just playing a pre-mixed long mp3 or programmed somthing to just run through a selected set... either way he wasnt doing anything but sipping beer and look like an over serious, pretentious twat.

 

[eastlondonseagull]

No, I'm strictly a 1200s and CDJ man, not any of this PC bollocks.

On the other hand, my mate's a DJ and uses his laptop at every gig. And he's a brilliant DJ. He reckons it's easy once you've mastered the basics.

.

 

[Springal]

Serato is good too, 2 mates are djs as by profession [5 nights a week in top luminar venues] switched over to it recently and have been in the game for 10+years, mac, serato, 300gb usb hard-drive sorted!

I'm still happy with pioneer cdj1000's though!!

 

[Wilko]

i use a program called Torq by M-Audio using my powerbook, it cost about 200 notes. i plug it into the mixer as 2+ seperate channels.

it also acts as an interface between vinyl - MP3 - output, you get 2 'dummy' vinyls that you use on normal turntables (ala final scratch - but cheaper)

Do you get the mixer too or is that independent from the package? Have youtried Ableton? have heard a lot of good things about it.

 

[Barnet Seagull]

Was always 1210's for me and quit just as digital was kicking off. Had a bash on some SLDZ1200's a couple of months back and was well impressed.

 

[Springal]

Was always 1210's for me and quit just as digital was kicking off. Had a bash on some SLDZ1200's a couple of months back and was well impressed.

They are SHIT, bet you'd be hard to find any club or bar with a pair of them installed

 

[Wilko]

Was always 1210's for me and quit just as digital was kicking off. Had a bash on some SLDZ1200's a couple of months back and was well impressed.

I think nearly every club in the country has turned a blind eye to them and gone for the pioneer CDJs instead. The SLDZ look superb but not in the same league.

 

[Springal]

Look good, lack substance though!

 

[Soul Finger]

1210s all the way.

I can appreciate technology, and people using it, but I've got over a thousands pieces of vinyl and I simply don't want to get rid of them.

For me, the quality - sound-wise - and the general feel of a record cannot be beaten.

 

[eastlondonseagull]

i use a program called Torq by M-Audio using my powerbook, it cost about 200 notes. i plug it into the mixer as 2+ seperate channels.

it also acts as an interface between vinyl - MP3 - output, you get 2 'dummy' vinyls that you use on normal turntables (ala final scratch - but cheaper) - you plug the tuntables into the Torq hardware and it recognizes your movements and tempo/pitch changes instantly adjusting the MP3 output - so you have vinyl control but you choose the music via your mac.

i buy music off wordandsound and whatpeopleplay, both german distribution companies with mp3 sale divisions, i also get promo's emailed through as MP3. it means now that instead of going to the record shop the day before a gig and spending 100 quid, i can get loads and loads for about 15% of the price. i listen to so much music online, i can really pick and choose what i want - sometimes i'll listen to a track everyday for 3 weeks before finally purchasing it. shopping on juno used to really depress me because of the amount of money i spent.

although i think i'm a good vinyl dj, using the electronic method has enhanced my dj sound. i play electronic leftfield house, disco and techno and can easily cut, sample, loop, re-edit etc on the cuff - some people can over-ableton a set and it sounds horrible but for my taste it's great. i'm not denying great djs can do all this with their hands but it means i can concentrate on other things while djing.

the differnce with Torq compared to ableton is that the mixer is the key piece of equipment, i still have physical control.

the best part is that my appreciation for vinyl has increased since moving digital - i collect old disco, italo, punk funk pieces now on vinyl and really appreciate them, i used to to think of 12" as a throw-away commodity but now i really love getting a 12" mailer in the post knowing that the record inside is really, really good.

it's a real splitter this digital/analogue thing. my thinking is that as a DJ the music is the key, i don't play hip hop and scratch all the records around, people who care about what medium the music is coming from are a little short sighted in terms of the music i play.

phew.

Interesting thoughts there, fella. Nice to hear that your appreciation of vinyl has increased, despite using more and more digital stuff.

.

 

[alan partridge]

Ableton is excellent, although after using it for a while I realised that I actually like to hear most of the record. What I mean is I like fairly simple mixes so you don't really need a powerful piece of software like Ableton for that.

It is great though and the possibilities it throws up are pretty much endless. I love vinyl but think people who hold on to it just for the sake of it are being a little short sighted. Unless you are a brilliant turntablist or a serious audio-phile who loves that sound I can not for the life of me see the point of turning your noses up at new technologies. I met a trance DJ recently who was going on about the dull vinyl vs cd thing. A trance DJ! He just beat matches! It's nothing to get spiritual over.

Punters do want to see the traditional set up though. They see a bloke with a computer and they just think he's cheating. He may be a producer remixing his own work on the fly but give em a DJ beat matching with some 1210s and they'll be happier.

Going a bit off topic here but it does piss me off that with music like Hip Hop or Electronica, that were so driven by innovation and new musical making techniques, you get luddites who seem to want those processes of innovation to stand still in time.

At the end of the day, it's what's coming out of the speakers that concerns me.

Back to Ableton, it is brilliant for remixing, mashin up, straight mixing, jamming, all kinds of shit, but as someone said, it is tempting to go overboard. You could do some amazing stuff with it though if you are really into the idea. If you buy a midi controller, some get you the Lite version with it and then an option to get the main programme a bit cheaper.

 

[Wilko]

Ableton is excellent, although after using it for a while I realised that I actually like to hear most of the record. What I mean is I like fairly simple mixes so you don't really need a powerful piece of software like Ableton for that.

.

Ableton doesnt use the dummy DJ vinyl though does it? I like the look of the Serato or Torq packages as they still have that hands on feel. Like the idea of being able to make tracks on Ableton though.

 

[Mendoza]

woah woah woah, its not shit, its THE shit!!

 

[alan partridge]

Ableton doesnt use the dummy DJ vinyl though does it? I like the look of the Serato or Torq packages as they still have that hands on feel. Like the idea of being able to make tracks on Ableton though.

No it doesn't, it's very much a computer solution. If you play out with Ableton you look like you're checking your email.

Having said that I think there might be some options like that coming but not sure.

It is a complete music making package now, not just a DJ tool. Great for getting ideas together.