@Mojito!

Eye level, where you in the audience then?

Cause i have been at eyelevel with several names in the business, that dont mean that i have been working with them!

You have your opinion, and it seems you choosen the easy way of deejaying, and thats when many go wrong and they miss out on so much, but it takes another type of person to know what im talking about.

Its like getting money, you can spend it but you dont respect it!

Do stuff from the ground up and you get respect and a reputation.

Kind a funny that DAFT PUNK released their latest album on vinyl, i have it and it sounds PHENOMENAL, kicks cd or itues, hahah mp3 by a longshot!

There will always be a follwing to different types of gear or music, Hawtin was some of the first guys who went digital, maybe because he thought he could evolve i dunno, his sets sounds ordinary, but that is a preference of taste.
Maybe also that was a form of business, when he went digital i formed a cult of followers that worshiped the computer as an instrument.

And if you look at hawtin, some clips show him beeing at it all the time, most of them however he just watches a screen.

D&S

My goodness, it is amazing to see that people are still posting the same rants against digital that I was reading 10 years ago. The fact is that if you practice an art that people value, they will pay to see you; if people don't value your particular skills and craft they won't pay to see you. I think all the anger (and yes, my friend, you do sound very angry and bitter) is really more about the listeners who don't distinguish one form of the art from another.

If you want to "own" the title DJ, because you spin the round things and therefore are, in fact, a DISC jockey: fine. Everyone else is a selector. But you must be aware that in the world at large, where people go out to drink and dance and flirt while music plays, they are still going to say "DJ" even if the music is coming from a computer, because for the most part, they don't really have a dog in your fight. If you want to get THEM and the venue-owners who want them for customers to stop calling digital selectors "DJs" I think you are in for a long and useless fight.

You used the metaphor of the woodworker and the skills and quality of the one who "deserves" to be called a craftsman. It's a good analogy. And those woodworking craftsmen still exist and they sell their work to a discerning group of people who appreciate it enough to pay what it is worth. But 90% of people are buying their furniture from IKEA or some outlet that sells factory made stuff, because they just want a chair, dresser and bed at an affordable price, and don't look for or care about artistic expression and fine craft.

In the end, I think it's your commercial survival that is at issue here -- and no one could possibly blame you for being concerned that venues would hire "punks with laptops who just hit a sync button" to provide music, rather than pay top dollar for an experienced craftsman who works with vinyl ... but if the patrons of the venue don't actually *care* about the difference, then that's what is going to happen a lot of the time. And you have a right to be concerned about that, and your concern could properly take the form of educating people. Unfortunately, a rant is less educational than you might suppose ... and there are probably not that many venue-owners on the forum to read it anyway.

I'm not your competition, BTW -- I've never played in a club and have no desire to ever do so. I've been making "personal radio" mixtapes since the 60s mostly because I don't appreciate commercial radio. If it weren't for the internet and the music-streaming platforms that have come into being over the past 10 years, we would never have encountered one another, because I'm not on your turf. Digital DJs who are your competition can mount their own defense of their work (why not send Richie Hawtin a link to this forum and see what he has to say in his own defense? That should be interesting.) I'm only replying to you because this is an old old rant, and unless everyone throws away the computer tomorrow and vinyl production ramps back up to the levels of the 70s and 80s, I'd say the argument is really over by now: The market has room for more than just a vinyl DJ.

One last thing: MixMeister is a great tool, but there's no way it makes a mix on its own with the single push of a button. There's work required, and while it may not be the kind of work you do, it is by no means "automatic". If there are people who try to use it that way at a paying job, I'm pretty sure they would never get invited back for a second show.

Peace, brother

MmeFLY

Well acording to this article im not the only one questioning what the fkk is going on!

http://www.mixmag.net/words/features/is-edm-killin...

Looks like a great article -- skimmed it, will read in depth later, still unpacking from vacation ... but as it is focused on live events and doesn't appear to mention radio, it's out of my area really and more for you guys who perform in person in public. I will say I really agreed with this sentiment, though:

It does a great disservice to the DJ and our craft if you boil what we do down to technology – or even just to mixing. To say a DJ is only as good as what occurs in the minutes he blends the tracks together is basically saying that we are some kind of flesh jukebox. When you pay to hear a DJ you are buying a ticket to knowledge. Automated mixing’s audio-Switzerland of neutrality between two awful tracks is not what makes me spray sick out of my ears, it’s the two hours of lazily chosen disco-snoring that truly pains. It’s not the L-plate and stabiliser wheels for learner DJs, like sync, that are killing us. Getting angry at the sync button is like throat-punching a Teletubbie for not speaking properly. No, it’s much deeper – and sadly more worrying.

“DJs no longer bother to ‘dig’ for their music, preferring to play the obvious hits”

Tons of good insight, thx for the link!

MmeFLY

Hey folks!

Some has asked where I would be LIVE! Well, it seems that I have the Chance to play two hours live next year! It's a event for new blood artists, an acquaintance of me want to play me there! I don't cherish the illusion that this is my new international quantum jump, but perhaps that is a little chance that the people learn to know me more --- why I haven't played more live in the past? Because of the GEMA! You have to pay a lot of money here in Germany when you want to use music material for events, if you want to get any money for that! And you have to get money then, because you have costs when you play live! I had calculated and calculated all costs and have had a lot of fear to do that! What would be when only 10 people would come to my event and I have had 1000 Euro costs? I'm not rich, so that was the reason why I was afraid to jump on the stage!

However, now I have the chance to jump on the stage next year, so I have thought for weeks what equipment I could use for that! I read DJ MAG and producing magazines and have watched hundreds of tutorials at YOUTUBE in the last weeks, and you can believe that I'm not an naive idiot! I wanted to find out which equipment could be the best for me!

So this I have found out: I love dj-ing, so first I should buy an equipment what is better than that dj toys for home playing, that is sure! And if I haven't any chance to play live anywhere else after that event: stuff it! You know: there are also many, many musicians which are very good and you never see them in any charts of the world, but they love what they are doing - and so the same is with me I have found out!

Yeah, and so I need a better equipment than the dj - "toys", but I can't buy a equipment like Carl Cox, because I'm not a rich man. It has to be an equipment which is in the MIDDLE price level! I have a LAPTOP, so the first way would be to buy a 4 channel controller with a STAND ALONE mixer!! So later I could complete the set with CDJ's and / or turntables, all is possible then! That I have found out!

I want to buy one of these controller with STAND ALONE Mixers:

- Pioneer DDJ - SX ------ that would be the priciest controller of all, but I really like it! It comes with SERATO 4 channel Software and it has great pads to be very creative as a dj! A wonderful tool!

- Numark NS 6 ----- also a great tool, but it has not so many pads to be creative as a dj!

- Vestax VCI 400 ----- a special tool, it needs getting used to it, but then it is a creative tool like the Pioneer DDJ - SX! And not so pricy!

I still have the MM controller, MM Fusion and MM Studio, but the new technic is better for live working, and I want to work more live, even when I should do that predominant at home in future - I love dj - ing, sory!

So look at my three choices above and if you have an suggestion what you would buy of them I would be thankful! As I have told it: These are 4 channel controller with a STAND - ALONE mixer part, so that you could work with them even without a pc, only with turntables and CDJ's, or with all! That was one reason why I have chosen them, I think I buy one of these three, but which?

MM Studio is also cool today, but for live playing I think it's better to have a more creative equipment than MM Fusion - IMHO!

Ok, and again: I'm not the man which is creeping on the ground before the big dj's - why? It's great what they can do, but it's from this world, you and me could do it too, if we had such a equipment. The premise is that you love it and that you practise a lot, like it is with everything in life! That I mean when I say I work at eye - level with them! Yeah, my god ---- they are humans and they are also very happy when somebody talks with them on that level, have heard that lately! They don't want that somebody is creeping on the ground before them, no, no!

I dont know what most of you expect from beeing a deejay, semi or professional, its more easy to be in the pro range as most of the guys get tonnes of promotion, freebees, freegear and so forth, as they have allready turned that hard corner when it comes to money and tough investments so to speak. To be a deejay takes alot of money, you have to buy gear, airtime, tools and music of course.

And playing at a venue or party is not cheap either, there are royalities and licenses to be payed. so if youre not 100% focused on what to do, dont go there, simple as that.

If it turn up 10 people and you are counting on 1000 to visit your party, well you gona loose money, its simple 1.0.1 in business, you have to have a working businessmodel and stick to it, it cost money to earn money.

Dont drag to much expencees and debt if you cant afford it, skip it or save up the money, the worst thing you can do is running a event on credit.

Gear!

There are only two brands that you can count on in all conditions, the first is Pioneer DDJ SX or the new DDJ SR which booth uses Serato DJ

And Denon MC 2000 for Serato, or MC 6000 / 3000 for Native Instruments Traktor 2 Pro.

However!, while the MC 6000 works flawless, its on a dying platform, cause traktor will soon be no more, Native has painted themselves into a corner and started a war between the manufacturers, they have no colab with Pioneer, Denon or Numark, that beeing said they turn to their own products, which many know for a fact is less quality and higher price than other brands.

Personally i think the S4 / S2, or S4 mk2 is both overhyped and SHEIT!

I own MC 6000 and i use it solely for small parties / venues that do not have the space for a full on dj rigg.

But if possible i use CDJ 2000 / Nexus and Rekordbox.

But i could manage with CDJ 850 and a 850 mixer as well as it has great potential for an affordable price.

But you want a mixer and a controller

Buy Pioneer DDJ SX, or The Denon MC 6000, they both have theyre own powersources, and can be used as standalone mixers, i would say the MC 6000 is the best suited of them all, and best sounding controllers period, but its a matter of taste and walletsize.

Im a crossover, i use whatever suits me best, dont care if it says Denon or Pioneer if the product is good, but i mostley use those two brands, as they never have let me down!.

But on a sidenote, if you want to reach the inner workings of a computer and traktor, and dont mind of programing or creating own templates and edit TSI, choose Native and Denon cause it gona take time and effort, not to mention patience to get a machine working 100%, but when it works, it works, kicks or blows the competition out of the water! and you can hook up CDJs on the side, you have a great 4channel soundboard, with 2 mic inputs and hardwired Echo. And the build quality i 2nd to none!.

If you want a full working machine right out of the box when you push ON

Choose Pioneer DDJ SX and only that mixingboard, as its the only standalone mixer from Pioneer, DDJ SR has the same solution like S4, usb powered, no real mixer, but easy to handle, but if the computer goes down you cant hook up anything else!

Personally i was more twards the Pioneer XDJ R1, that have best of four worlds, Wifi, CD, Usb and Computer / ipad compability, and dont forget a Mini mixer "Similar" to the DJM 900 with interesting and really good sound when it comes to effects, and with a Ipad it got even more unique features, found only on that mixingboard!
and at a resonable price.

But i talked and have been chatting with different guys who Returned their machines back cause of glitches and software errors, SHAME, cause it looked on paper like a bullseye for a bedroom, mobile semi or even pro dj.

Cheers and hope you succed in you future endeavors ;D

/SzM