Sign In:     

Forum: General Discussion

Topic: How are software dj's viewed nowadays?

This topic is old and might contain outdated or incorrect information.

Just occurred to me the other day, I wondered if software dj's are still viewed pretty much as imposters still?

Or is it more generally accepted now?

I understand theres a difference between a guy turning up with a cracked copy of vdj and a secondhand laptop mixing with the mousepad, and possibly someone like myself who has listened to the likes of 808 State, Adamski, Altern8, Jean Michel Jarre and been into trance since the beginning. I started on 1210's but sold them with 10 years worth of records to pay the rent when I got made redundant.

So if I turned up with my laptop and a numark Omni control at a club, knew how to blend two tracks together and play a crowd, would I still be frowned upon?


www.house-mixes.com/profile/mattl
 
Posted Tue 24 Sep 13 @ 3:17 pm
A buddy of mine still considers it cheating, I've been trying to get him to try it for ages now. I tell him and anybody else to read up on the Romanovs and what happened when they failed to embrace to industrial revolution. Not quite as drastic here but if you fail to keep up with the modern technology you're probably going to get left behind, especially in a cut throat business market. We can do so much more than an analog setup allows, not to mention eliminating record or cd crates. So I figure they can think whatever they want, I'm gonna try and stay on the cutting edge;^]
 
You only need to look at the kit that's available now to see that computers are accepted by the DJ industry in general.

The "club standard" (haha) Pioneer kit is all fitted with USB sockets, audio interfaces, network connections...

Same with other brands, all the way from the top flight stuff to the cheap plastic domestic kit.

There are of course still people out there who'd rather use dedicated standalone hardware, and that's understandable from a reliability POV. Laptops aren't made for a life on the road. If you're careful though, and you have a backup in place, then you should be OK.

I dunno about an Omni Control though. Not exactly high end or cutting edge! If you wanted to be taken seriously then something along the lines of a DDJ-SX, NS6, S4, VCI-400 etc. would be more likely to impress (IMO).
 
So what's the industry standard now? CDJ's? Are 1210's obsolete now? Do any of the more well-known dj's do gigs with any form of software set-up?

Lol yeah I appreciate an Omni control is pretty basic but it serves me ok for my style of mixing. Its all I can afford and it's only a hobby for me anyway.

Just thought it'd be marginally more acceptable than mixing with the mousepad ;)
 
Yeah, if you ask Pioneer or anyone that's a Pioneer fan, then CDJ-2000s and a DJM-900 would be named as the "industry standard"...

That's "industry" as in clubs and DJs at the higher end of the market that probably get their kit via a "deal" from Pioneer anyway.

Technics decks can still be found in some clubs, mainly due to those DJs who prefer the feel of using turntables & DJ via timecode vinyl into a Rane interface & Serato software or a NI Traktor Scratch setup. A few DJs might still play proper vinyl, but as most tracks now are released online, playing music directly from vinyl is a rare thing.

Well known DJs? Who would that be, in your opinion?
 
In clubs I'd say it's about 50/50. But of the 50% acceptance of controllers only a small portion would be though of as having actual skill. CDJ's and dj's who can operate them still rule clubs.

If you going to take a controller and your playing with some elitist dj's going with an omni control isn't going to win you any friends. I would suggest upgrading with the money you earn from djing to a used VCI-100 Mk2 for an all in one as it's built like a brick, has very high construction quality and I usually see them go for $200AUD on eBay, or go the modular route and get a pair of reloop contours or behringer CMD PL-1's. Then at least you'll be using the house mixer which usually sounds better anyway. But a mouse and keyboard is a big no-no imo as you don't have the necessary control over your music which is what djing dance music is all about.
 
Well in the hiphop club dj sector 1200s are still standard...but software is very muched embraced. The advantages of software with the feel of wax is loved. In the house clubs ive been in its 85% controllers with a few spinning on 12s.
 
Good to see you in the forums Chunky...

Don't worry what others say and think, let your skills do the talking.

I DJ'd for 5 years in clubs with an RMX and more recently my MC6000.

I do soul events mainly now, and while most still choose to DJ from CD, those that do turn up with controllers and laptops don't get a second look. It's just accepted.

As DJs we are thick skinned at the best of times. Ignore the pier pressure and do what's right for you.

Cheers,

Roy
 
I started off back in the seventies with a pair of old citronic twin decks and moved over to cd's when they first came onto the scene and people thought I had lost it, but with the quality of sound much better than vinyl I couldn't cared a rats wee wee what they thought, all I cared about was the quality of sound and less weight to carry up them all to often mountain of stairs to do a gig.

Then we have the laptop and it's capabilities of video and everything else associated with the fx side of things both visual and audio, and virtually minimal weight... no brainer for me.

I've been doing gigs nigh on forty years now (unfortunately coming to the end soon) and never once have I been questioned by any venue boss what equipment do I use, all they want is the ching ching of the till and happy customers, supply that, and they who matter won't care either, so forget about what other guys think and run what's best for you and don't worry about no one else's choice, besides if they come up and ask while your working it means usually they aren't, nough' said.

Enjoy your new DJ lifestyle, it will only get better.
 
@ ChunckyMonkey. The Standard that you will find in most clubs is CDJ 2000's (Some places have Cdj 1000's) Some clubs may have both Cdj 2000's and Tech 1200s. I have seen very few Djs post pictures DJ ing with a Pioneer DDJ sx controller at The Club. If its a small bar where the Dj has to bring his own equipment, He brings his choice. A lot of Djs still use timecodes and they feel comfortable using it and nothing else. I know one dj who demands that the club has turntables or else he wont spin. DJ Mad from New Jersey.. You have so many rotating djs back to back and they don't want to use anything else.
 
...."so many rotating djs back to back each night", ... Yep I'm seeing that more and more these days in small and large popular venues, so looks like they figured out how to slice more pieces out of a smaller pie...
 
3 Roating Djs and each taking 100 bucks for two hours of Mixing. A lot of New Djs just want to have there name or picture on a Flyer, Smoke some Hookah and Drink. The 100 is a Bonus for them.
 
Okay Well Here is the deal.


I guess it all depends on who you talk to. I thought it was cool back in the day and still do. Cheating.. I doubt it. I have almost gotten to the point of questioning a dj who does not use a software interface. Why would you choose to lug around all that stuff? Especially when you don't have to! Why make yourself work harder than you have to!

Honestly I don't care what someone uses cd's laser disk, vynal or mp3s. as long as the crowd is moving, the mixes are good, and the dj chooses the right music to keep the crowd going. Who am i to judge.

Who cares who added the usb port first.

Fact is those midi ports you know those cicrular ports in the back of many mixers or keyboards etc.. those actually have had the ablitiy to interface with computers for a very very long time. Infact before it was even practical to have your music collection on a computer that was worthy of being played through pro audio.

So it was only a matter of time before who ever put a USB port on the back of them.

I have seen many of times on here Evolve or Die.... Maybe just maybe the manufactures of these beloved products we all own or would like to own. etc.. decided Hey we are not going to die and we are going to evolve.
 
Cool, so hopefully the general consensus is if you know how to blend a tune and keep a crowd moving you're good to go!

Maybe I need to think about upgrading the trusty Omni control then lol, although from some of the comments on here, if it works it works. :)


www.house-mixes.com/profile/mattl
 
I've had VDJ for just over a year now, and while I'm a hobbyist who mixes for pleasure rather than business, I get sneered at by my Vinyl playing mates. Funny how they never bring their kit to mine. I guess they're either purists, lazy, or unfit enough to not make three journeys from the car... Me? All goes in two bags. Handy that, as I have two arms.

Everyone who I know plays digitally loves it, as do I, irrespective of the software they're using. Whether they prefer it or not, now, that's a whole new question. I learned on my mates Technics years ago, made a mix, and played it to death, never touched a turntable since. But there is an itch, a certain something about actually touching records that (on a budget - I know, there are controllers with spinning platters) digital doesn't scratch (no pun intended).

I guess going digital has made the inaccessible accessible to many - the cost of turntables and a mixer was (is? I can't qualify that.) too expensive, plus the cost of the records themselves. Those wanting to get into digital probably already own a computer powerful enough to run the software, and the LE versions shipping with so many controllers has made the cost even less prohibitive. Oh, and I bet they have a stack of CDs too already, probably, in fact, already ripped to their machines in anticipation.

Bottom line - depends, I suppose, on when you discovered mixing relative to the person you're asking?

Ta
Mike
 
Laptops are widely accepted now. As far as the hardware though, in my area, there are a handful of clubs that have permanent installs that will require you to play on their gear. Two that I know of has a 2 CDJs and 2 Technics SL1200 and a Pioneer DJM mixer. One has a set of CDJ900 and a DJM900. So if you don't know how to work those, you will not be playing there. I would say however, again talking about DFW, TX area, most bars and club require you to bring your gear to plug into their house system. I would venture to assume the percentage, based on what I see when I play out and go out to clubs just to hangout, near 70% of the DJs still use either a Turntable or CDJ. The remaining use controllers. But 98% of them will use a laptop. Very few uses either CDs or USB. There was a club here, that use to do an all vinyl night. NOt sure if they still do it though.

Personally, when I DJ at a large club, I know people expect a DJ to play on turntable or CDJ. So I bring my turntable. If its a small bar gig or a lounge, I bring my controller.

Bottomline though, if you know the basics of mixing. You can mix on anything. Gear is the least of your worries. Promoters, club owners and other DJs are the only ones that care what you use.
 
xcakid wrote :
Personally, when I DJ at a large club, I know people expect a DJ to play on turntable or CDJ. So I bring my turntable. If its a small bar gig or a lounge, I bring my controller.

Bottomline though, if you know the basics of mixing. You can mix on anything. Gear is the least of your worries. Promoters, club owners and other DJs are the only ones that care what you use.


+1
 
i have to be honest. I got my ass schooled the other day by a dj playing cds . It happened because I had a laptop issue and it really makes me mad. I am going to re-burn all my collection as I have cd players and all the new and old gear. I realized djing is ways simple when you use a laptop but I also can kick ass when it actually works. I have virtual dj so fine tuned that its getting to a point where I don't have enough hands...
 


(Old topics and forums are automatically closed)