Where to Mr. DJ - technology directions in the field of a DJ

Blaxter · Post by **Blaxter** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 5:54 pm

sAme'0 wrote:
FoundationStepper wrote:lol at the refernce to reggae sound system culture - in jamaica they havent used records music in quite a few years now, only CDs.

and these days almost no vinyl whatsoever. the whole reggae 7" thing has existed solely as an export market in the past few years
fair nuff, shows how much i know about regaee.

Wasn't the reference to London though?

Post by **system** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 10:11 am

spiral wrote:Playing live from your DS with nitro tracker, electro plankton and nano loop. The world in your pocket.

succinctly put.

Post by **lynt** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 10:30 am

sAme'0 wrote:yeah if i saw some one using an ipod for djing i would jast laugh..
but hey i'm a purist through and through

Hawtin did it about 4 years ago. Can't find video but I saw it with my own eyes.

http://www.wired.com/entertainment/musi ... 3/11/61273

Post by **fooishbar** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 11:02 am

black star wrote:
sAme'0 wrote:
FoundationStepper wrote:lol at the refernce to reggae sound system culture - in jamaica they havent used records music in quite a few years now, only CDs.

and these days almost no vinyl whatsoever. the whole reggae 7" thing has existed solely as an export market in the past few years
fair nuff, shows how much i know about regaee.
Wasn't the reference to London though?

in the uk, dnb that i saw was all cds, but dubstep is strictly dubplates. plastician does serrato, i think matty g and nick argon do some cds, but i haven't see anyone play pretty much anything other than dubplates over there.

universal sea · Post by **universal sea** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 11:05 am

re: technology directions. laugh about this now but check this thread in a couple of years, there is a lot of work being done on electro magnetic sensors that track brainwaves and energy running through people's cerebral complexes, around their faces, etc.

my feeling is that through these advances it will have implications for music. you know how you're playing a track, and possible tracks you could mix into come into your head? these brainwaves would be able to select the applicable beat patterns, and queue up the next track automatically, just by thinking about it.

this has more implications than just DJ stuff... you could be at home, listening to music, and a song you haven't heard in a while, or really want to hear, pops in your head... it's selected, and added to the playlist. Bam.

Snowie · Post by **Snowie** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 2:38 pm

FoundationStepper wrote:I would hope that the next genreation technology to make it and survive are those that provide the functionality/tactility DJs are used to, without requiring the installation/patching of bought in gear

the problem with serato is you need to bring in/patch your lap top

with these mini things, the flexiblity and funcitonality isnt there really either...

ideally id like to be able to use good spinning platter CDJs style units that feel close to vinyl in how you manipuate them, hooked to a traditional mixer (preferably a good one!) - but to have the ability to plug in my own files off flash or whaever, usb stick even - and view the waveform on the unit itself.

all patched into the mixer, ready to go, no fing about

that would be ace

Check out the Korg Zero 4 and Zero 8 channel mixer. It is atm the closest thing to what you described. The ability the have ableton, vinyl, cdj, serato all from your mixer with a efx unit on each channel and the master. propably only thing mising from it, is the ability to have the usb stick plug in.

marcus · Post by **marcus** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 2:42 pm

My take on the method you use to play out with is all what you feel comfortable using and your competence in using it. If you're no good at using Ableton/Serato/Decks, you probably won't have an audience. It's all about the user at the end of the day.

marcus · Post by **marcus** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 2:45 pm

Snowie wrote:
FoundationStepper wrote:I would hope that the next genreation technology to make it and survive are those that provide the functionality/tactility DJs are used to, without requiring the installation/patching of bought in gear

the problem with serato is you need to bring in/patch your lap top

with these mini things, the flexiblity and funcitonality isnt there really either...

ideally id like to be able to use good spinning platter CDJs style units that feel close to vinyl in how you manipuate them, hooked to a traditional mixer (preferably a good one!) - but to have the ability to plug in my own files off flash or whaever, usb stick even - and view the waveform on the unit itself.

all patched into the mixer, ready to go, no fing about

that would be ace
Check out the Korg Zero 4 and Zero 8 channel mixer. It is atm the closest thing to what you described. The ability the have ableton, vinyl, cdj, serato all from your mixer with a efx unit on each channel and the master. propably only thing mising from it, is the ability to have the usb stick plug in.

Mmmm, but even if you did plug in your usb stick, you wouldn't be able to see your track playing would you? (I'm assuming it doesn't have a screen...) It would have to have a waveform display on it i reckon if you were to go down that path - one of the thing i hate about cdj units (apart from 1000's) is the inability to tell what your track is doing.

unsoundbwoy · Post by **unsoundbwoy** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 2:55 pm

pioneer cdj1000 mk3 have a slot for SD card.

bang done

obliveus · Post by **obliveus** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 2:56 pm

You know, I was really feeling this topic a few months ago. Wondering about the whole 'technology vs my vinyl' debate and so on. But now I've come to this incredible realization (for myself only)...

I collect music because I enjoy it. Getting to play the music I enjoy out in the clubs is a privilege. I enjoy collecting vinyl records more than any other format of music, so I will continue to collect vinyl records til the day I die and keep playin in the clubs til my wife wont let me no more.

If I cant find a song I want on vinyl, I'll play a CD version of it if I have it. For the past year, I've been finding songs I've always wanted on vinyl over at iTunes, cuz I was sick of not getting to play them to a dance floor. I then rip them to CD. I've been playing these in clubs, even though people tell me iTunes has a shit format for this and sounds like crap. You know what? Punters dont give a shit and dance just as much as they do to my vinyl songs.

If people want to play Serato, more power to them. If people want Ableton, go for it. Bang on pots and pans for all I care. I dont bother myself with bit rates, samplers, compression, downloaded song quality, proper mixers, top of the line equipment, genre specifics, etc, etc. I realize others do care about these things, so seriously, more power to you. I'm the dinosaur, not you. But if you aint watchin and feelin the dancefloor/club at all times and playin what you want over what the dancefloor/club requires, then yer a shit DJ!

Give me two turntables, a phat system, 1 CDJ and a two-channel mixer, whatever the brands, and let's rock the house.

Just my two cents...

unsoundbwoy · Post by **unsoundbwoy** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 2:56 pm

marcus wrote:My take on the method you use to play out with is all what you feel comfortable using and your competence in using it. If you're no good at using Ableton/Serato/Decks, you probably won't have an audience. It's all about the user at the end of the day.

script
and have fun doing it

Snowie · Post by **Snowie** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 2:57 pm

Numark have released a mixer that does allow for a usb drive/stick to be plugged straight into the mixer, but as you say marcus it lacks the ability to see the wave form. That definately would be an awesome enhancement. The numark product is a first generation product, and with time hopefully it would evolve into something abit more user friendly.

At the end of the day it will still come back to the performer either using it to it's maximum for amazing results or allowing the user to use it at it's lowest common denominator with very boring un-imaginitive results.

marcus · Post by **marcus** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 2:58 pm

obliveus wrote: But if you aint watchin and feelin the dancefloor/club at all times and playin what you want over what the dancefloor/club requires, then yer a shit DJ!

Think you hit the nail on the head there Mr Obliveus.

Post by **lynt** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 5:50 pm

marcus wrote:
obliveus wrote: But if you aint watchin and feelin the dancefloor/club at all times and playin what you want over what the dancefloor/club requires, then yer a shit DJ!
Think you hit the nail on the head there Mr Obliveus.

I think there's a difference between a club DJ and an "artist". Look at Monolake for instance, all tech heads, not much club rockability.

Electronic music is way more mainstream now, it's not always about Dj's rocking clubs, it's now also about performance, being ahead of the game, wowing geeks and so on. Some DJ to clubs, others perform to fans on computers.

There's a difference and the technology is there for both.

obliveus · Post by **obliveus** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 10:22 pm

^^^ Agree and that's why it's not about rockin out all the time. It's about keepin an eye on the place and peeps yer playin to. I get to rock out once a month, generally speaking. Most of the time it's about keeping a good drinking vibe in the venue so the club makes cash over the bar. I'm cool with that because I like the music I play and collect, no matter how many times I've heard the songs. Those I get sick of I stop playing. If I was playing to an online crowd through radio or something like that, it'd be totally different. Whether you rock it or not, you have to pay attention to who yer playin to. However you want to do that is fine by me, with whatever technology, too. But in the clubs, too often I've seen peeps playin entirely inappropriately for the time, crowd, vibe, whatever...like they're playin for themselves first and foremost. That shits me. Show a little professionalism. Yer getting paid pretty good money for playing other people's music. PAY ATTENTION!!!

How many DJ's take the time to walk out from behind the decks and check the levels and crowd in ALL parts of the venue? Even when it's packed. It's a great way of checkin the vibe of the place. What you see in front of the decks isn't how the whole place is goin...well, not always!

Sorry, I just realized this is way off the original topic. Peace out...

Post by **JAMESSSS** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:49 am

As long as any time and energy which is saved by using technology to automate tasks is put back into more complex tasks I couldn't care less what people use.

flippo · Post by **flippo** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:04 am

fooishbar wrote:
black star wrote:
sAme'0 wrote: fair nuff, shows how much i know about regaee.
Wasn't the reference to London though?
in the uk, dnb that i saw was all cds, but dubstep is strictly dubplates. plastician does serrato, i think matty g and nick argon do some cds, but i haven't see anyone play pretty much anything other than dubplates over there.

I know gravious, vex'd, and moving ninja (who has moved over there) use Lappies.

Direkt · Post by **Direkt** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 11:48 am

obliveus wrote:^^^ Agree and that's why it's not about rockin out all the time. It's about keepin an eye on the place and peeps yer playin to. I get to rock out once a month, generally speaking. Most of the time it's about keeping a good drinking vibe in the venue so the club makes cash over the bar. I'm cool with that because I like the music I play and collect, no matter how many times I've heard the songs. Those I get sick of I stop playing. If I was playing to an online crowd through radio or something like that, it'd be totally different. Whether you rock it or not, you have to pay attention to who yer playin to. However you want to do that is fine by me, with whatever technology, too. But in the clubs, too often I've seen peeps playin entirely inappropriately for the time, crowd, vibe, whatever...like they're playin for themselves first and foremost. That shits me. Show a little professionalism. Yer getting paid pretty good money for playing other people's music. PAY ATTENTION!!!

How many DJ's take the time to walk out from behind the decks and check the levels and crowd in ALL parts of the venue? Even when it's packed. It's a great way of checkin the vibe of the place. What you see in front of the decks isn't how the whole place is goin...well, not always!

Sorry, I just realized this is way off the original topic. Peace out...

Spot the fuck on brother.

I read your previous post (i.e. rockin' out) as playing a succesful set by keeping the punters happy - not necessarily just playing bangers - but playing appropriately, as you later qualified.

mrj · Post by **mrj** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 12:55 pm

jbs wrote:As long as any time and energy which is saved by using technology to automate tasks is put back into more complex tasks I couldn't care less what people use.

an excellent point that I completley agree with

new techonology is great if it can allow the DJ to do more. And that can be anything, be it more time interacting with the crowd or more time layering effects, or whatever really.

With the techonology comes freedom and with freedom comes new ideas. And new ideas I like very much.

Post by **JAMESSSS** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 2:15 pm

mrj wrote:
jbs wrote:As long as any time and energy which is saved by using technology to automate tasks is put back into more complex tasks I couldn't care less what people use.
an excellent point that I completley agree with

new techonology is great if it can allow the DJ to do more. And that can be anything, be it more time interacting with the crowd or more time layering effects, or whatever really.

With the techonology comes freedom and with freedom comes new ideas. And new ideas I like very much.

Exactly. Hawtin had a great quote about this.

Ritchie Hawtin wrote: The progressive people are thinking, if computer technologies automate one task, what can I now do better or what new task can I focus my attention on?â€

same o · Post by **same o** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 2:19 pm

lynt wrote:
sAme'0 wrote:yeah if i saw some one using an ipod for djing i would jast laugh..
but hey i'm a purist through and through
Hawtin did it about 4 years ago. Can't find video but I saw it with my own eyes.

http://www.wired.com/entertainment/musi ... 3/11/61273

lol...
a mate of myne is being payed a shitload to dj for 8 hours on two phones at good vibez..
fucken lol.

spiral · Post by **spiral** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 8:06 pm

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea ... =354791996

derrick may wrote: what a boring time to be a Dj , no more record shops, sitting on line listening to downloads is the most irritating thing Ive had to do in a long time,(WHACK IS THE WORD) the worst thing is to download a track thinking it might be hot only to play it and its shit, there is no way listening to a track on a computer on the fly ( IN A HURRY) is the same as bangin it on a system to get the feel. This is not the future myself and Juan Atkins envisioned , but it is what it is,,,ain't it! ill keep bangin vinyl till its no more ,Cd's i can live with but downloads "i ain't down for the load" mofoes look like there checking there email................................................................. welcome to the bland future.

Post by **lynt** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 10:55 pm

spiral wrote:http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea ... =354791996

derrick may wrote: what a boring time to be a Dj , no more record shops, sitting on line listening to downloads is the most irritating thing Ive had to do in a long time,(WHACK IS THE WORD) the worst thing is to download a track thinking it might be hot only to play it and its shit, there is no way listening to a track on a computer on the fly ( IN A HURRY) is the same as bangin it on a system to get the feel. This is not the future myself and Juan Atkins envisioned , but it is what it is,,,ain't it! ill keep bangin vinyl till its no more ,Cd's i can live with but downloads "i ain't down for the load" mofoes look like there checking there email................................................................. welcome to the bland future.

Sounds jaded to me.

I been doing it (playing digital releases) for years (I ran a record store for 3 of them) and I still gag for it. DJ'ing rules.

Haters (derrick may included) can go back to the miserable blogs they came from and whinge all they like, it's not gonna stop me or the rest of us moving on.

DBoy · Post by **DBoy** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 11:06 pm

One of the first crews I ever saw use computers while playing were Peaktime back at a Everypicture party, and they were some of the most energetic showman I have seen behind the controls. A DJ can be just as boring behind the decks as a computer.

I do like the concept that if technology can free up some time from cueing etc then surely it can be allowing time for other elements to be added.
That opens the mind to some mad possibilities.

ADD_Boy · Post by **ADD_Boy** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 9:36 am

DBoy wrote:Everypicture party

ah good times!!

Post by **JAMESSSS** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 9:42 am

lynt wrote: I been doing it (playing digital releases) for years (I ran a record store for 3 of them) and I still gag for it. DJ'ing rules.

Hang on, didn't you quit DJ'ing in a fit of rage because you couldn't download tunes fast enough on your 56k dialup?

LÃ³s Kasinoâ€” · Wed Feb 06, 2008 5:32 pm

the PACEMAKER - POCKET DJ!!!

http://pacemaker.net/

hmmm..

Post by **lynt** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:41 pm

jbs wrote:
lynt wrote: I been doing it (playing digital releases) for years (I ran a record store for 3 of them) and I still gag for it. DJ'ing rules.
Hang on, didn't you quit DJ'ing in a fit of rage because you couldn't download tunes fast enough on your 56k dialup?

I couldn't burn them all fast enough with my 2x CD-R.

Post by **system** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 7:07 am

2x? that's way too high tech for my 64Kb buffer.

Post by **lynt** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 7:54 am

system wrote:2x? that's way too high tech for my 64Kb buffer.

Ah, so you got the minimal residency then?

DBoy · Post by **DBoy** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 9:56 am

LÃ³s Kasinoâ€” wrote:the PACEMAKER - POCKET DJ!!!

http://pacemaker.net/

hmmm..

THat is actually what started the thought process, looking at the first post and the link there....

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/20/busin ... ref=slogin

Direkt · Post by **Direkt** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 10:03 am

Can also be found here: http://melbournebeats.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12472

Post by **system** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 11:29 am

lynt wrote:
system wrote:2x? that's way too high tech for my 64Kb buffer.
Ah, so you got the minimal residency then?

the latency was 4 hours.

same o · Post by **same o** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 11:41 am

system wrote:
lynt wrote:
system wrote:2x? that's way too high tech for my 64Kb buffer.
Ah, so you got the minimal residency then?
the latency was 4 hours.

SoulWhiteMan · Post by **SoulWhiteMan** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 4:45 pm

speaking of digital downloads, I think it has opened up the "mystique" of DJing and pushed the whole thing forward.

Punters can buy their favourite tunes. Shit, my housemate has 10 gig of prog and minimal, and he doesn't even want to DJ!!!!!!!

It's not the "wow" factor, it's the supposed "mystique" djs once had, collecting weird vinyls from overseas...that no one could get hold of... and wowing people...

now those people can get the same tunes with a few hours in front of the computer....

this has left the ground for innovation open: if you want to "wow" people, you need to do new things... incorporating technology to play live in your performance, or make your own tunes - this is what I see everyone doing.

In terms of the vinyl thing, the only scenes who seem to be "purists" are dubstep and dnb - because of the "dubplate presha"

minimal, techno and psy-trance have had the best perform music from their laptops for years because the focus is on the music and not the medium.

Don't get offended, this is just an opinion.