The death of the skilled DJ.

[Dubsta]

The format doesnt matter......a dj's job is to make people dance.......forgetting the beard strokers having the vinyl vs cd debate whilst hanging around the booth like vermin, ask yourself as a raver what you go out for.....me, i want to have a good time maybe a dance and look a cunt on the dance floor for a few hours.....thats what a djs job is.

And whoever mention double dropping makes a good dj is talking out of their gary......anyone can DD as long as you know your tunes......LTJ Bukems not known for double dropping but hes had me going mental on the dancefloor...

Teddy is right.....its the selection and the way you drop certain tunes and when you drop them.

And all that scratching and doing gymnastics at the same time is just for winning competitions and looking good on youtube....i dont wanna dance to that when i go out

[Dubsta]

id also like to say....because someone uses cdjs doesnt mean they are lesser of a dj than somone using 1210's.....i can mix on both, and im guessing most people can....I dont see the point in using 1210s if you find mixing easier on cdjs......Its called progress. People should start to embrace new technology instead of fighting the inevitable......if you had your way youd still be listening to jive bunny

[Agent Smith]

selection and creativity is all that matters to me

Glad someone touched on the creativity aspect of a DJ set. big up Miszt.

I still think it would be easier to be creative if you were on CD's...once its locked its locked, & then you can focus all your attention on your mixer for cuts, switches and EQ work.

Even more easier potentially for some Laptop DJ's. While I will be there for example attempting to cue tunes quickly 16 bars before the drop...Mr Laptop DJ might have all of his tunes lined up, cued and ready to go...

I don't see that as being creative, I just see that as planning ahead.
The Laptop DJ certainly has the upper hand from the off, picking and cueing tunes pre-set, so they could potentially be very creative in their set...but the harsh reality is some are quite lazy and cut corners with it all...

[rosssss224]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1H9W_iLff0

he seems like the least fun guy to have a pint with but interesting approach to the issue...maybe only applicble to techno. around 2:00

[prettyherb]

I think you have to check it from 2 sides to consider what a good dj is.

From the dj-side (the people who are familiar with dj'ing and stuff)
--> I think it's a combination of technique and selection. First you have to learn to beatmatch correctly. Thats a standard for me. Than, it all comes to your style of mixing (fast mixing, slow, lots of teases, double dropping all the time,...), and selection.
Then the medium you use. Vinyl > cd's> software (imo). Vinyl is i think the hardest way to learn beatmatching and stuff. With good cdj's like pioneer cdj 2000, even my granny could mix a couple of tracks... With software she might trow a complete set lol.

Than the other side: the party people side. (Those who aren't familiar with dj'ing and stuff.)

TO be honest, the party people just consider a good dj those who can play energetic sets and make them move all the time.
An alcohol/ drugs influenced crowd doesn't give a fuck if the dj uses vinyl or cd's or whatever. They just want to dance on good music.
THey won't even notice if he's a bit uncorrect with the beats. ( as long as you aren't 2 bars wrong for like 30 seconds of course).

COnclusion: It depends on who you are imo how you can consider someone as a good dj.

Hope someone reads this half page of bullshit lol

[miszt]

G creative if you were on CD's...once its locked its locked, & then you can focus all your attention on your mixer for cuts, switches and EQ work.

Even more easier potentially for some Laptop DJ's. While I will be there for example attempting to cue tunes quickly 16 bars before the drop...Mr Laptop DJ might have all of his tunes lined up, cued and ready to go...

for CDj's, nah unfortunetly not, although 1000's can pretty much hold the track in time, they are still not as accurate or steady spinning as Vinyl. that said, Cue points make all the diffrence

laptop dj's imo should not be just mixing 2 tracks together, not that it bothers me much tbh, i just feel they are letting themselves down by not using the laptop to its full potential

[jlspecial]

for CDj's, nah unfortunetly not, although 1000's can pretty much hold the track in time, they are still not as accurate or steady spinning as Vinyl. that said, Cue points make all the diffrence

laptop dj's imo should not be just mixing 2 tracks together, not that it bothers me much tbh, i just feel they are letting themselves down by not using the laptop to its full potential

cd's a digital signal though so it doesn't drift as much as vinyl which is an analogue signal though ?

[miszt]

cd's a digital signal though so it doesn't drift as much as vinyl which is an analogue signal though ?

nah, other way around, vinyl provides infinite accuracy, CDj's offer 0.1-0.001% accuracy; more than enough for any one, but still less accurate than analog

its not the signal that defines the accuracy, its the motor, and the pitch fader and clock which controls it (digital in CD, analog on 1210's)

[IV4]

I always found that vinyl had a warmer more rounded out sound. Even when converted into digital freq.
Cdjs intimidate me. I have never used them and really dont know how. There is a comforting feeling about the sensual touch of a spinning technique to slow or speed up the record ever so gently into place. The look of a record that lets you know how to line it up with the one playing so you can bring in a double drop and know how to cut the fader, even if you don't know the song. The ability to improvise a mix is just wonderful with vinyl. The romantic feeling you are playing the most contemporary music on the world oldest format. I still miss and have actual dreams on a weekly basses about spinning my vinyl and mixing the tunes I used to mix. I guess I am just getting nostalgic.
As far as mixing goes. Even professional dj piss me off. Music is written in keys. You can not have often the key of d playing with the key of am. But if you have the key of d that is playing at 174 tempo and you have track at 173 tempo in the key of am it will work. This kind of basic music literacy is often over looked. (Although I hear that the new cdjs and mixers auto correct this.)
I also think the mark of a good dj is being able to play two or three songs "seamlessly" together for a long time inventing a new song of sorts. Not just playing one song to the break down, then switch.
Drum and bass djs should all have the juggle skills also. The ablity to play at least two songs and switch between them multiple times(Seamlessly) in a bar. So the djs hand is all over the place but the track sounds consistent in nature and the normal crowed is oblivious to the fact that the dj has just created a mash up of sorts.
Also being able to eq while djing is important. You can create, make, and BLEND in thousands of different ways by using your eqs. Clashing frequencies sound like shit. To often I hear mixes with both basses on or both mid rages on. It is annoying and djs should be smacked for doing it.
Turtabelist are awesome.
Also before I dropped out of college. My english professor always said,"Know your audience." A good dj does that.(See what I did there)
Most important of all a DJ(non-producer) choose the right track and play it for the right time. (And that can me a lot)
In conclusion a good DJ is dynamic, aware of social situation, professional musician, and an artist.
Sorry for the rambling.

[mesh]

Learning to beat-match on vinyl takes longer, which I think helps you to learn timing, and to understand track structures. I also find the physical manipulation of vinyl to be a lot more enjoyable than using CDJs, although the modern jog-wheels are pretty good.

Vinyl is less forgiving, so it helps to develop your sensitive touch on the decks. I am one of those sad cunts who like to know what format a DJ is using, and although I understand everyone is on the digital/CDs nowadays, I still love to see vinyl.

DJs have always been gatekeepers of taste, and most DJs like that aspect of it, whether they admit it or not. The cost of vinyl was a traditional barrier to stop try-hards - if you were willing to spend hard-earned on vinyl it showed you weren't lightweight about DJing. Cheap/free music has ended that I guess; not necessarily a bad thing (more music is good), but it sure lowers the bar to entry.

Fairly unstructured thoughts, and I can't really answer the question .... ah well.

[bulletstorm]

In my opinion this is what makes a skilled dj:
- great tune selection
- building a good structure in the set
- Double drops that sound amazing
- the use of mutliple decks
- using some form of live performance during the set
- NO BACKSPINS
- and using tunes that don't sound out of tune to each other


I really appreciate a dj playing with vinyl, but all the above points mentoined above are more important to me.

[hyperd4eva]

People who use Vinyl usually have a penis size of 10 inches or more..

[Danny gy]

People who use Vinyl usually have a penis size of 10 inches or more..

and usually living off an unplanned overdraft

[hyperd4eva]

and usually living off an unplanned overdraft

just managed to get out mine.. then went and spent 80 quid on tunes... needless to say im brass again! the worst is when u email a sop or something asking for tunes to be put aside to for you, i did this alot with WSrcrds.. then when the end of the month comes u forget and feel to bad to not buy them!

[Danny gy]

just managed to get out mine.. then went and spent 80 quid on tunes... needless to say im brass again! the worst is when u email a sop or something asking for tunes to be put aside to for you, i did this alot with WSrcrds.. then when the end of the month comes u forget and feel to bad to not buy them!

yeh i read youve got yourself out of debt, good job man im on the payback road now seems like a never ending slog. Ive only ever mixed on cdjs im kinda scared to buy a deck prob cost me a fortune in vinyl n not sure if it'll just click or it'll take a while to learn to mix on a 1210.