Who Djs/vjs?

Off-Topic
1

Just though I ought to start another of those threads where we all learn a little more about each other. You know, keep the community going & all that :D

I play D&B mostly, although in the past I have been know to veer towards trance and even some cheesy house (never played that out though), but eventually decided to stick to where my roots lie - the drum & the bass (with a bit of quality old school now & then)! I guess another reason I wanted to start this topic is because I want to brag about my Allen & Heath XZone32 mixer that I received today… sweet bit of kit with a nifty ‘tap-able’ LFO function and HP,BP & LP filter controls. I just gotta wait for Panasonic to build more 1210MK5’s then I’m gonna learn to scratch (after about 11 years of using my belt driven soundlabs). Been waiting since September though, getting a bit worried about this. Even Panasonic don’t know when they’ll be ready :S

As for VJing, I’m still a beginner, but using Resolume (which has a rather sexy interface not to dissimilar in style from Renoise’s), alongside a Korg control 49, and a DV camera for some real time action. It has certainly given me another hobby to consider. I have my first VJ gig on the 9th, (followed by another on the 23rd) at a regular hardcore night where I plan to also work with pictures & footage from previous events. I just can’t wait for Renoise to have more for MIDI output features so I can sync vids to sounds :)

So what do you all do? Where/what & how do you play?

2

Well, I work as a DJ sometimes. But usually, I do no “public” performing. I was allowed to mix on the vision parade in Bremen once (infront of 20000 People) but I was too unskilled then. So, I am just mixing sometimes and uploading those mixes from time to time.

But I am in that VJ-Stuff :) Together with DJ Nightflyer I am running a techno-site and we produce music-videos to songs :)

3

Cool, what do you use?

4

Oops, I knew I forgot something. I have 2 direct-drive TTs, one by Reloop, one Citronic for deejaying. The mixer is a simple Behringer VMX100. I have around 200 Vinyls and for video-stuff I use Sony Vegas, Renoise and Audacity.

I have to admit, that I started to learn deejaying, because I thought, when I have to present my music live, it’s some sort of dumb to simply press “STRG” on my laptop :)

5

I am Djing, though not as often as I would like to, basically because my setup is not fully “legal” yet.

I play alot of different styles, jazz/lounge music from the 70s, which is not much of a mixing problem, its basically crossfading ends and beginnings of songs together; disco and funk from the 70s which has some more options with mixing; and finally modern electronic stuff like house/tech/breaks and stuff like that.

mainly I use a program called atomix virtual DJ which I chose after testing a few programs (including traktor), its rock solid, offers a few effects I need (like brakestop and rewind) and allows for full keyboard customization including writing little scripts (like brakestop on deck1 and play on deck2 with one touch of a button). the program goes to a Soundblaster USB card without need of external powersupply into a mixer
(gemini pmx100 at home, which is not the best one, the EQ-potis are very small). also I have a numark turntable to play vinyl for the 70s jazz/disco/funk sets (those are mixed mp3/vinyl sets mostly).

when I go out I just take whatever they have, plug the soundcard into their mixer and utilise the turntables that are there.

however, I don’t own any newschool vinyl (way too expensive for me) and can’t even beatmatch (and I can’t learn because I don’t have two proper TTs …), its all mp3 and an awful lot of that warezed. but I plan to buy more tracks from beatport and the like (already have) and if I should have the chance to get money for djing I would put that completely into beatport, I guess. so far its really just a money-problem.

as for gigs, I did a few private parties, played at clubs/bars in berlin, leipzig, halle and had 2 hours at this years evoke (which no one really appreciated because it was like 9 in the morning, hehe).

edit: oh, some more things : the mp3-djing has the huge advantage that you can do edits of tracks that you dont like in some way, like cutting out cheesy, stupid vocal parts, extending 3-minute-tracks (I did an 8 minute version of mylo’s "otto’s journey), make stuff more housy (luke viberts “illogan” has a very soft base, replaced that with a proper house-drumloop) and so on and so forth.
also, you can check my skills (muhaha) here :

http://www.loozabeats.de/mixsets.html

6

i play funky house (filter disco, a bit of latin… whatever i can find that makes me shake my booty). i have 2 gemini sa-600 direct drive decks with a small gemini mixer. i’ve never played out in a club but i used to play a lot of college dorm parties. i haven’t bought new vinyl in several years and i’m way out of practice. getting a job and having a child will change your life / the amount of free time you have like that.

7

couldnt agree more.

8

I second that, but only from what I’ve seen my best mate deal with, not personal experiences.

As for those digital mixing tools, I had a play with one of those hercules DJ USB console things. Not too bad, especially for the price. The only thing I had issues with were the obvious varying qualities of tracks (assuming you haven’t used original WAVs/CDs), and the rather flimsy mock turntables, which I kept catching my fingers on (and a certain software bug irritated me a bit too). Stanton’s final scratch seems like a good alternative though, and Serato also, but will never be the same sound as vinyl on a loud system imo. Call me sentimental, but that feedback & natural sound you get from vinyl can’t be beaten :D

The downloading of music kinda takes the point away from going into a good music store imho. Having tracks layed upon you that you’d probably never be able to download, (not to mention the dubplates, promos) & contacts you’re likely to meet in person add to it all. I don’t think I’d appreciate the music as much If I didn’t buy it to be honest, but once again, I’m probably being sentimental.

9

i remember when finalscratch came out about 6 years ago and it was expensive as f|_|ck and i thought i would never be able to afford anything like that…

then my friend showed me this a couple months ago…

http://www.behringer.com/BCD2000/

these go for only about $150. he bought one but i haven’t talked to him since he got it to see if he likes it.

i’m seriously considering selling my decks and getting this. i don’t think i can justify paying $10 for two or three songs on vinyl anymore

edit: i also just saw that it was voted “best midi controller”. so i guess you could use this for other things like controlling vsti parameters in renoise. !!! well i think i should definitely get one now.