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How to get started with DJing

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Re: How to get started with DJing

#51

Post by jdietrich »

voycey wrote: post #30

This article should start off with "First buy Turntables and then buy Vinyl" Step 2 - once you have mastered beat-matching on this then you can fuck around with the new fancy electronic systems. Step 3 - learn to get good at it. #1 its all about fun and the tactile pleasure of controlling your music, something that the digital age has robbed many of us from, CD's are a happy medium between Vinyl and Digital but are e…

99% of professional DJs have abandoned vinyl, for good reason. Why lug around a fragile, heavy box of vinyl when you can carry your entire collection on a couple of SD cards? Vinyl is lovely and tactile and nostalgic, but it's also a massive pain in the arse.

If you want to learn an industry standard, rent a couple of CDJ-2000s and a DJM-2000.

Re: How to get started with DJing

#52

Post by jdietrich »

sangnoir wrote: post #50
jdietrich wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I'm going to seem like an elitist prick, but in my opinion DJing is absolutely useless if you don't produce/compose. Basic 2 decks DJing is fucking boring Exhibit A for the defence: this utterly masterful set by garage legend DJ EZ. He deftly plays with the build and release of tension without relying on formulaic drops. There is still enormous creative mileage in traditional two-deck mixing. https://www.youtube.com…

> Selectors don't even mix in the traditional sense, nor do they compose or produce, but there's a tremendous art to what they do. I disagree with you on not composing or producing - at least at the highest level of sound clashes. I skipped around a bit in the Red Bull video you linked, and each and every song I encountered was re-recorded (by the original singers) specifically for this event with tweaked lyrics deni…

Clash dubplates are traditionally cut at the original studio by the original producer, by request of the sound system. I suppose it depends on your definition of "producer". I'd consider the role of a clash selector as part DJ, part A&R - as much as anything, their skill is for identifying talent and making the connections required to get exclusive dubs cut.

Rodigan is such a dominant figure in the clash scene because of the mutual respect between him and the Jamaican music scene. He can get dubs that no-one else can, because he has served Jamaican music faithfully over many decades. Through thick and thin, he promoted Jamaican music in Britain and internationally.

His career speaks more broadly to the vital role that DJs play in musical culture. DJs are the link between artists and audiences. They curate, they encourage, they introduce. What they do in the booth is the product of their work, not the work itself.

http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/lectures/david-rodigan-20...

Re: How to get started with DJing

#53

Post by krylon »

imaginology wrote: post #34
empath75 wrote: post #24

Okay, so I was a rave DJ in the early 2000s and opened for some of the most popular DJ's in the world at sold out clubs and I'm about to give some real advice. Yes, all of this stuff about producing music is important, but people who can mix records are a dime a dozen. You need to be able to do it, but it's not enough to get gigs. The way you get gigs is to be popular. You need to go clubbing every weekend. You need…

> Alternatively, you can spend 10 years in your bedroom learning how to be a really good music producer and hope some popular DJ signs your single and then gradually build a following and then maybe in five more years you might make what a junior sysadmin makes. Or you could become a junior sysadmin right from the start and treat music production as a hobby with no intention of turning it into a career. Although, I h…

> Or you could become a junior sysadmin right from the start and treat music production as a hobby with no intention of turning it into a career.

I know a couple of people who did just that. ;-)

I was slightly shocked how much money they invested in synthesizers and other equipment, but it was clear they did this for the fun without any intention to make a living from it. And other people have expensive hobbies, too.

Incidentally, most of them were actually sysadmins or programmers. ;-)

Re: How to get started with DJing

#54

Post by MaddAgent »

As someone who is a Systems Engineer by day, and a DJ by night I can highly recommend anyone that has even the slightest interest in Djing to just jump in and give it a go!

Don't get caught up in the details (Hardware/software, CDs/mp3s/vinyl etc) just yet - try and find your starting point and progress from there. The barrier to entry has never ever been lower!

When I started, there was no choice but a pair of Technics SL1200 / SL1210 turntables and a big record collection (CDJs had not even been introduced!). Now you don't even need to invest a fortune in building a vinyl collection!

over 20 years later, here I am - I do at least 2 gigs every week (try to just stick to Fri and Sat nights, but could have more work if I chose to, although Djing until 3 or 4am on a week night is not exactly compatible with the day job!

I still have the original set of technics turntables that I bought in 1994, they still work - although I have moved on to a serato setup using the CDJs provided by almost all venues these days! I'm too old now to lug a massive box of vinyl around hahaha.

One last point - I'd echo previous comments that in reality its not about how technically brilliant you are. Like a lot of things in life, its really about who you know! so get out there, meet the promoters, other DJs, venue owners / managers etc. thats the key to getting a foor in the door.

Re: How to get started with DJing

#55

Post by Ericson2314 »

barbs wrote: post #22
Ericson2314 wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone who plays lots of music, but never listens to music because its just too much of a chore, I appreciate that a good DJ can find a form in multiple songs none of which I ever have any chance of know about myself.

That's interesting, I'm the opposite - I listen to loads of music but don't play much. I would've thought one would lead to the other, but I guess not.

Never too late to learn one!

Re: How to get started with DJing

#57

Post by kruhft »

voycey wrote: post #30

This article should start off with "First buy Turntables and then buy Vinyl" Step 2 - once you have mastered beat-matching on this then you can fuck around with the new fancy electronic systems. Step 3 - learn to get good at it. #1 its all about fun and the tactile pleasure of controlling your music, something that the digital age has robbed many of us from, CD's are a happy medium between Vinyl and Digital but are e…

Vinyl is so heavy that it's a burden, but there's nothing like playing on real decks to teach you the ropes.

Re: How to get started with DJing

#58

Post by empath75 »

clappski wrote: post #46
empath75 wrote: post #24

Okay, so I was a rave DJ in the early 2000s and opened for some of the most popular DJ's in the world at sold out clubs and I'm about to give some real advice. Yes, all of this stuff about producing music is important, but people who can mix records are a dime a dozen. You need to be able to do it, but it's not enough to get gigs. The way you get gigs is to be popular. You need to go clubbing every weekend. You need…

I studied Music Technology at university where I picked up DJing and did fairly well (for a student) out of it (I.e. regular paid gigs, invited to play one off events). It's a really, really tough industry. The only way to get a gig is become friends with another DJ, promoter or venue owner who's naturally adverse to inviting someone they barely know to come and play their night. The alternative is to throw your own…

I'm right there with you. I don't care how good you are at programming, you are never going to have people jumping down and screaming about it. I miss those days so much.

Re: How to get started with DJing

#59

Post by seanp2k2 »

jdietrich wrote: post #52
sangnoir wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Selectors don't even mix in the traditional sense, nor do they compose or produce, but there's a tremendous art to what they do. I disagree with you on not composing or producing - at least at the highest level of sound clashes. I skipped around a bit in the Red Bull video you linked, and each and every song I encountered was re-recorded (by the original singers) specifically for this event with tweaked lyrics deni…

Clash dubplates are traditionally cut at the original studio by the original producer, by request of the sound system. I suppose it depends on your definition of "producer". I'd consider the role of a clash selector as part DJ, part A&R - as much as anything, their skill is for identifying talent and making the connections required to get exclusive dubs cut. Rodigan is such a dominant figure in the clash scene becaus…

This is why I'm not a fan of protecting your playlists as a performer. I understand when some performers have stems or remixes which aren't available anywhere public, but renaming tracks / hiding playlists / refusing to tell anyone "what song that was" always just comes off as a dick move to me.

Re: How to get started with DJing

#60

Post by seanp2k2 »

ovao wrote: post #33
dpc59 wrote: post #2

I'm going to seem like an elitist prick, but in my opinion DJing is absolutely useless if you don't produce/compose. Basic 2 decks DJing is fucking boring, learn how to play instruments and all the theory behind pop music, then figure out the software and hardware to play live sets. Obviously you're going to need to understand the basics of mixing to play live sets, but playing a regular DJ set in front of an audienc…

I'm having a hard time understanding where this comment is coming from. I can understand if your exposure to DJs has been limited (I'm sure we've all seen performers who are just about useless at truly engaging crowds), but there are some who are genuine performers behind the decks. Not just from the perspective of technical proficiency, but also of artistry. I'll argue that the actual instrument doesn't matter. A mi…

Yep, and I've also heard performance set-ups which sucked. I've heard Araabmuzik mess up pretty badly live (he's normally phenomenal). For me, it's interesting in that it humanizes him a bit; "hey, I get to fly around the world tapping on my MPC to make crowds go wild, but I'm not perfect".

Controllerism is a whole other thing, and if you're curious, go read about it / listen to it / go to some meet-ups / shows. It's big in the Bay Area and many other places. The monome community in particular is really awesome (I'm sure many are but that's the one I have some limited personal experience with). The best part of different music scenes IMO is the variety and the people. You get a bunch of random weirdos together and play with putting your own spins on a genre, twisting it and pulling it into your own direction while making nods to those who came before you. You use the right samples, sometimes with your own personal touches, as tiny musical shout-outs to the other people in the scene; the musical family you've chosen. The audience is in on the fun and the jokes too. It's the sort of thing which tickles the brain in a manner unmatched by other worldly pursuits.

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