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DJ's...help!
 

offline aphextriplet from your mothers bedroom (United Kingdom) on 2006-03-14 22:20 [#01860059]
Points: 4731 Status: Lurker



I'm pondering the idea of going into DJ'ing but i have a
few questions...

firstly, assuming it's all electronic music, done on a
laptop...

Do you time stretch the bpm's to match up?
If so, do you use something like ableton to do it? Does it
fuck up the quality?
If not, how do you mix the tracks together?

Also, assuming you've pre-prepared the majority of the DJ
set on your laptop, what the hell do you do live? Do you
just press play and browse the internet and play solitaire?!


 

offline denniscpearce from Canada on 2006-03-14 22:22 [#01860060]
Points: 1562 Status: Regular



step 1: click play



 

offline pigster from melbs on 2006-03-14 22:28 [#01860061]
Points: 4480 Status: Lurker | Followup to aphextriplet: #01860059



or minesweeper.


 

offline grinningcat from london (United Kingdom) on 2006-03-14 22:30 [#01860062]
Points: 1073 Status: Lurker



you dont need to time stretch anythign... ableton Live will
do that for you. All you have to do is prepare each file
with a few markers so that ableton knows what tempo its at.
This take about 5secs per song (if its a straight tempo,
which most electronic music is.) Theres free tutorials for
this on their website it think.

no the quality dosnet fuck up...

u can do a million thigns live. (get a MIDI controller
though) . You can be playing live bassslines/fx / samples on
top of your dj set, you can bee applying effects
filters/delays, you can do things you can do on decks , you
can do amazing things if you are imaginative.... or you can
just click play but thats boring and people notice.


 

offline aphextriplet from your mothers bedroom (United Kingdom) on 2006-03-14 22:55 [#01860066]
Points: 4731 Status: Lurker | Followup to grinningcat: #01860062



thanks! Been researching some stuff online too.


 

offline unabomber from Palma de Mallorca (Spain) on 2006-03-15 00:52 [#01860089]
Points: 3756 Status: Regular



You could use Traktor...


 

offline Combo from Sex on 2006-03-15 02:00 [#01860108]
Points: 7540 Status: Regular



I use traktor for mixing tech/house/electro/some shit music
on my laptop. Decks are 1000 times funnier though.


 

offline Ceri JC from Jefferson City (United States) on 2006-03-15 02:08 [#01860109]
Points: 23533 Status: Moderator | Followup to aphextriplet: #01860059 | Show recordbag



"Also, assuming you've pre-prepared the majority of the
DJ
set on your laptop, what the hell do you do live? Do you
just press play and browse the internet and play
solitaire?!"


As amusing as it sounds, it's worthwhile learning to do
this. I was playing at a paid gig, 200-odd people. I was
getting a lot of requests for a particular track and needed
to get away from the booth for half an hour so I could DL
it. Whilst I carried on mixing on the cd/vinyl decks, I
spent every spare second for quarter of an hour making a 6/7
tracks "set" on the PC in traktor, which I then mixed into
whatever was playing. I hung around for the end of the first
song, to make sure the automated/pre-prepared mix would work
okay. I then left for about 20 minutes, just advising one of
the lads to make sure no one touched anything in the booth.

I went off to a PC in the office that had internet access,
installed kazaa, set the tracks DLing, posted on XLT and
then went back to the party. Did the same thing later on to
allow me to "collect" the track. I took it back to the party
via a USB stick. Crowd loved it and loathe as I am to say
it, playing the track, which was Sean Paul's "Like Glue",
twice back to back (with me yelling the obligitory
"reeeeeeewind" routed through the kaoss pad's echo effect
while I backspun a record on the vinyl deck after it played
the first time) got the best reaction of the crowd all
night.

Ableton is good, but I find it requires a bit too much
preparation time if you're cutting up tracks and setting
loop points etc. There's nothing wrong with using Traktor,
particularly if you use it with a midi controller and/or
hardware mixer if you're just DJing like you would with CDs,
rather than a Richie Hawtin "One Step closer..." style
re-make of tracks.

As to doing whole sets like it. Yes, theoretically you can,
but at least until the crowd is a bit tipsy and already all
dancing, you really need to follow them and hence select the
next record on the fly, rather than queing up a se


 

offline Drunken Mastah from OPPERKLASSESVIN!!! (Norway) on 2006-03-15 02:11 [#01860111]
Points: 35867 Status: Lurker | Show recordbag



timestretching often add more sound. if the songs aren't too
far apart, try pitching instead


 

offline unabomber from Palma de Mallorca (Spain) on 2006-03-15 02:13 [#01860113]
Points: 3756 Status: Regular



Good work Ceri! Quite stressful IMO...

There's no way I'm leaving the booth while djing... Just
need a mate for keepin' the beers comin'...


 

offline Combo from Sex on 2006-03-15 02:22 [#01860114]
Points: 7540 Status: Regular



Funny story Ceri ! How is this Sean Paul track anyway ? I'm
gonna play it @ my next party !!


 

offline Ceri JC from Jefferson City (United States) on 2006-03-15 02:26 [#01860116]
Points: 23533 Status: Moderator | Followup to Combo: #01860114 | Show recordbag



It had just come out at the time and annoying as it was/is,
I knew it would be requested. In the rush to prepare, I
somehow forgot to get a copy, so had to do it on the night.
It's quite cheesy, but I have to concede that the organ hook
is good and it's naff and danceable fun.


 

offline Combo from Sex on 2006-03-15 02:29 [#01860117]
Points: 7540 Status: Regular | Followup to Ceri JC: #01860116



I admit these kinds of songs are rather funny on a
dancefloor with girls. =|


 

offline big from lsg on 2006-03-15 04:21 [#01860191]
Points: 23730 Status: Lurker | Show recordbag



you only want it for cheap fame and sex


 

offline Ceri JC from Jefferson City (United States) on 2006-03-15 04:31 [#01860197]
Points: 23533 Status: Moderator | Followup to big: #01860191 | Show recordbag



Yes, it's a shame that DJing is seen as cool. People's
motivation for taking it up, not talking about aphextriplet,
of course, is often a lot less pure than "because I want to
share the music I love."

When I see people post things on DJing forums like, "I've
learnt to beatmix, now I need to decide what sort of music I
should play, any suggestions?" I want to smash a mixer over
their head.

The whole notion of "superstar DJs" is ludicrous anyway.
Even most of the DJs that you've heard of/seen on posters in
London don't earn much and generally have a day job. It
really is only a handful of DJs, even in the most popularist
commercial house/dance genres that actually enjoy a
champagne and learjet lifestyle.

Do it for love and when you make money as a side affect, see
it as a bonus and spend it on records/gear. If you just want
to make regular money and quit your job, buy a van, CD decks
and a mobile PA and become a wedding/party DJ and work 7
nights a week. Or, the other route is to be a bedroom DJ,
develop only the absolute basic rudiments of DJing. Then, go
and make a naff dance hit that will be number 1 on the
ringtone sales chart. You will then have no problem getting
DJing gigs in dance clubs up and down the country at a
pretty generous rate. Even if you cannot mix for toffee,
your name on the flyer is what they're paying for, so they
don't care either. After 4-6 months when the fame has died
down, you'll be back to stage 1, but make another
cock-cheese record and lather, rinse, repeat, ad infinitum.

NB: Can you tell I hate bad DJs who do it for fame? ;-)


 

offline vlari from beyond the valley of the LOLs on 2006-03-15 04:40 [#01860208]
Points: 13915 Status: Regular



*makes novelty hit


 

offline big from lsg on 2006-03-15 04:43 [#01860211]
Points: 23730 Status: Lurker | Show recordbag



When I see people post things on DJing forums like,
"I've
learnt to beatmix, now I need to decide what sort of music
I
should play, any suggestions?" I want to smash a mixer over
their head.

that's people posting too much as well though, similar to
too much blogging on uninteresting subjects, well and
aphextriplet's post too maybe
and it is that these djs, especially the names, have to be
one style, for marketing to the audiance i guess


 

offline unabomber from Palma de Mallorca (Spain) on 2006-03-15 05:37 [#01860232]
Points: 3756 Status: Regular | Followup to Ceri JC: #01860197



Could you recomend some of those DJing forums?
All I find is pure crap!


 

offline Ceri JC from Jefferson City (United States) on 2006-03-15 05:46 [#01860235]
Points: 23533 Status: Moderator | Followup to unabomber: #01860232 | Show recordbag



Skratchworx is the only one worth bothering with IMO
(it's aimed at turntabilists, but most of info is pertinent
to other DJs too). As you say, the vast majority of them are
utter rubbish.

You think this place is bad for people who sign up and their
first post is a "Hi, great site listen to all my tracks and
fill in this ego-wank questionnaire I wrote about them",
invariably with an incorrect HTTP link, you should see DJ
forums. It seems every other thread is DJ
AnonymousPrickWithNoSkillsAndBloodyAwfulMusicalTastes
posting his "great mix" he did last night, with links to a
200MB mp3 on a site with 2KB/s dl rate. Likewise any
constructive criticism, like "The beats seem to fall out of
synch at around 23:13 and when you compensate, you make the
other record too fast." Is met with the stock, "Well I never
said I was a pro", or "I'd like to see you do better" or, my
personal favourite, "I meant to do that, you just don't get
it".


 

offline big from lsg on 2006-03-15 05:50 [#01860237]
Points: 23730 Status: Lurker | Show recordbag



djs give ceri a bad name


 

offline unabomber from Palma de Mallorca (Spain) on 2006-03-15 05:52 [#01860239]
Points: 3756 Status: Regular | Followup to Ceri JC: #01860235



LOL at "I meant to do that, you just don't get it"

and thnx, goin now to check!


 

offline Ceri JC from Jefferson City (United States) on 2006-03-15 06:02 [#01860243]
Points: 23533 Status: Moderator | Followup to unabomber: #01860239 | Show recordbag



It doesn't matter what area of creativity/art you're talking
about, when some novice who doesn't know better makes a
blatant mistake and someone corrects them/points it out,
it's invariably seen as some sort of criticism of the work
as a whole and for a lot of bedroom egotist internet tough
guys, it's easier to claim they meant to do it that way,
rather than 'fess up and say, "Yes, actually my writing
isn't that good, I did miss two commas out of that sentence
by accident" or "You're right his head is a bit mis-shapen
in what is clearly meant to be a correctly proportioned
photo-realistic painting".


 

offline impakt from where we do not speak of! on 2006-03-15 06:02 [#01860244]
Points: 5764 Status: Lurker | Show recordbag



Every time I try making a mix in traktor3 it will suddenly
change the tempo to half-time or double-time in a middle of
a track and fuck my whole set up. VERY ANNOYING!

That's why I use ableton live.


 

offline unabomber from Palma de Mallorca (Spain) on 2006-03-15 06:18 [#01860250]
Points: 3756 Status: Regular | Followup to Ceri JC: #01860235



registered and in!

(your nick there? )


 

offline vlari from beyond the valley of the LOLs on 2006-03-15 06:24 [#01860251]
Points: 13915 Status: Regular | Followup to impakt: #01860244



n00b


 

offline Dannn_ from United Kingdom on 2006-03-15 06:44 [#01860253]
Points: 7877 Status: Lurker | Followup to aphextriplet: #01860059



Just get traktor 2.6, learn to find your bpms accurately and
play with it a bit, see if you enjoy it.


 

offline neuronaameboide from palma de mallorca (Spain) on 2006-03-15 06:53 [#01860255]
Points: 183 Status: Regular | Followup to aphextriplet: #01860059



the most important thing...

...are u cool enough?


 

offline impakt from where we do not speak of! on 2006-03-15 06:55 [#01860257]
Points: 5764 Status: Lurker | Followup to vlari: #01860251 | Show recordbag



tell me how to work around it :o


 

offline vlari from beyond the valley of the LOLs on 2006-03-15 07:01 [#01860261]
Points: 13915 Status: Regular | Followup to impakt: #01860257



is it the actual playback tempo or the bpm that gets
screwed?


 

offline Ceri JC from Jefferson City (United States) on 2006-03-15 07:06 [#01860265]
Points: 23533 Status: Moderator | Followup to unabomber: #01860250 | Show recordbag



Ceri Grafu, I only tend to post in the news threads though.


 

offline impakt from where we do not speak of! on 2006-03-15 07:10 [#01860266]
Points: 5764 Status: Lurker | Followup to vlari: #01860261 | Show recordbag



I think it's the automatic bpm-detection that does it. But I
haven't found any option to turn it off.


 

offline vlari from beyond the valley of the LOLs on 2006-03-15 07:14 [#01860270]
Points: 13915 Status: Regular | Followup to impakt: #01860266



yeah, I it's a bit off at times. sometimes you'll have to
tweak it in the bmp section (see attachment)

having some knobs dedicated to fine and coarse pitch is also
of big help, maybe even with some buttons for extra fine
pitch


Attached picture

 

offline impakt from where we do not speak of! on 2006-03-15 07:43 [#01860288]
Points: 5764 Status: Lurker | Followup to vlari: #01860270 | Show recordbag



Yeah, but what I'd like to do is disable the automatic
adjustments, cause it happens in the middle of a track
suddenly...


 

offline vlari from beyond the valley of the LOLs on 2006-03-15 07:50 [#01860290]
Points: 13915 Status: Regular | Followup to impakt: #01860288



even with properly analyzed tracks?


 

offline impakt from where we do not speak of! on 2006-03-15 09:03 [#01860330]
Points: 5764 Status: Lurker | Followup to vlari: #01860290 | Show recordbag



No, I havent analyzed my tracks. I guess I should.


 

offline vlari from beyond the valley of the LOLs on 2006-03-15 09:06 [#01860334]
Points: 13915 Status: Regular | Followup to impakt: #01860330



its tedious, but it helps regarding bpms


 

offline Dannn_ from United Kingdom on 2006-03-15 09:35 [#01860343]
Points: 7877 Status: Lurker



autogain doesnt work without analysing either


 


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