[DJ-Matt]

I have a ton of 50s/60s/70s vinyl and I DJ hipster parties or old folks events where they want the old music. It is nice to see the kids appreciating old soul music. 4 hours of playing James Brown and Motown and kids younger than me are dancing to it!

[Biz]

(03-27-2015 02:32 AM)Brian Shima Wrote:  

Has anyone used or heard anything about the Traktor Kontrol s2? It was recommended for a newbie who just wants to experiment with their music at home , mix 2 songs, slow music down, etc.

http://turntablelab.com/products/native-...controller

I've had the S2 for a couple years, its a good cheap all in one controller. It's good if you don't have a proper DJ set-up and just want a simple controller and laptop. It's also perfect for on-the-go gigs / small house parties and whatnot, all you need is the controller and your laptop.

It's a little small if you're used to CDJ's but it gets the job done, especially once you get it configured the way you like it.

I bought it right when they were introduced, they have a few newer versions now with many more features.

[Cyclone]

I've wanted to get one of these for years now

Supposedly it's what araabmuzik uses to lace his beats, absolutely wild. And it would definitely differentiate you from the other generic DJs, if you're in it for the money. I've attended / read numerous DJ courses and couldn't understand any of it - sometimes I think i should just invest $200+ and play with the equipment and learn it on my own......
.

[Special1]

learn the music production basics ... it will help your DJing skills

[Brian Shima]

Im not buying records and dont plan on dj'ing at clubs. I just want to mess around at home, slow music down, mix vocals over beats, combine songs etc. From my research, a Controller that connects to my laptop will do the trick so i can just use mp3s. Biz that is just what one person on a website recommended. Numark, Denon, Pioneer, Hercules are other brands which keep coming up in lists for best beginner controller set ups. The bad part is there does not seem to be a best go to beginner set up, every list maker and person commenting on the article says something different.


Http://turntablelab.com/pages/beginners-...ent-setups

[naughtynomad]

I used to DJ for 3 years at a clubs and bars in Dublin. It's the easiest money I've ever made and it got me laid like a champ.

Despite what people say, there is very little skill involved. It's the more overpaid job I know off.

The main thing is just reading the crowd, matching beats and mixing (an automated process), and playing good music. All you need to get started is a half-decent laptop, Virtual DJ, and one of these (which usually come with Virtual DJ anyway)




The console I used was called by Hercules and cost me only $150. You'll recoup your investment in one night.

[Biz]

(03-28-2015 10:43 AM)naughtynomad Wrote:  

Despite what people say, there is very little skill involved. It's the more overpaid job I know off.

I half agree. Mainstream music yes, absolutely, as there is basically no mixing involved you're essentially just cutting in and out of tracks.

The music I DJ (underground house music) absolutely not...massive amounts of talent are involved. Programming, mixing, track selection, timing are all essentials to be a good DJ.

[Phoenix]

(03-28-2015 10:43 AM)naughtynomad Wrote:  

I used to DJ for 3 years at a clubs and bars in Dublin. It's the easiest money I've ever made and it got me laid like a champ.

Despite what people say, there is very little skill involved. It's the more overpaid job I know off.

Yeah I never got the 'the DJ gets laid' thing. I guess for some girls "he's standing in front of people and playing a mix tape" means "effectively a rock star". That said, I've heard that even the leaders of pub-crawls get laid off the miniscule authority/leadership that entails.

Question: how does licensing work with the music? Do the copyright violation trolls ever cease-and-desist someone in the middle of them playing a song through their DJ console?

[fucksong]

(03-28-2015 04:40 AM)Cyclone Wrote:  

I've wanted to get one of these for years now

Supposedly it's what araabmuzik uses to lace his beats, absolutely wild. And it would definitely differentiate you from the other generic DJs, if you're in it for the money. I've attended / read numerous DJ courses and couldn't understand any of it - sometimes I think i should just invest $200+ and play with the equipment and learn it on my own......
.

I thought Araabmuzik played an MPC? Completely different from a DJ controller, it's a beat maker.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtGaQMnQ5K8

[Cyclone]

(03-29-2015 07:32 AM)fucksong Wrote:  

(03-28-2015 04:40 AM)Cyclone Wrote:  

I've wanted to get one of these for years now

Supposedly it's what araabmuzik uses to lace his beats, absolutely wild. And it would definitely differentiate you from the other generic DJs, if you're in it for the money. I've attended / read numerous DJ courses and couldn't understand any of it - sometimes I think i should just invest $200+ and play with the equipment and learn it on my own......
.

I thought Araabmuzik played an MPC? Completely different from a DJ controller, it's a beat maker.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtGaQMnQ5K8

Was that not an MPC? They look very similar

Anyhow I wouldn't mind finding a guide out there on how he does what he does. I'm glad another RVFer listens to his stuff. Actually seen him live twice and it's just insane
.

[WALLOM]

Used to DJ a late-night radio show back in college, which was a blast. Graduated and over the next few years completely disregarded any sort of music production. About a year ago I got a good buy on a Numark Mixtrack Pro controller from a friend of mine who was having ca$h problems. It's not the most advanced piece of equipment I've used, but this machine is a good starting point for any bedroom DJ.

I'm just getting back into the swing of things so I've been primarily working on mixes and doing some house parties, but it's kinda like riding a bike. I really wish I had the time to really dedicate to craft and play some local venues, but right now bedroom status will have to do.

Best thing I can suggest is making some sample mini-mixes (10-15 mins) to hand out to club owners and promoters. A lot of them are reasonably busy and if you're looking to snag gigs, something short like that will give them a good feel for what you'd bring to their booth. Bring your A-game (try to keep the mix flowing really good), toss in some fresh recognizable songs, but just enough original flair to differentiate yourself from every other DJ in the area.

Also with vinyl, if you can get a good stack of vintage records and have a USB turntable rip yourself some classic fill samples for your mixes and have fun with them.

[TempFade]

Just bought a trktor s2 and the traktor bible. Kinda expensive I think but I can easily make it all back with some house party gigs. Just gotta get over my fear of actually making friends from scratch now.

[Brian Shima]

I went to Guitar center and had a worker give me a quick run down of the Traktor Kontrol s4. I ended up playing with songs for 2 hours so yeah I am just doing more research before I get one.

[thirty-six]

I have the Kontrol S2-MKII. It's 2+2 (Left Channel, Right Channel + 2 Remix Decks...which are kind of like sample slots). The S4 is a 4-channel controller, so you mix with four decks. You can also hook up turntables and use DVS with it. Traktor actually just released the S8. Anyway, the S2 is a great piece of kit. If you have some specific questions about it feel free to ask here or PM.

(03-27-2015 02:32 AM)Brian Shima Wrote:  

Has anyone used or heard anything about the Traktor Kontrol s2? It was recommended for a newbie who just wants to experiment with their music at home , mix 2 songs, slow music down, etc.

http://turntablelab.com/products/native-...controller

[thirty-six]

And for anyone who wants to learn how to beat match and mix, just watch this video:

[Biz]

(04-05-2015 11:59 PM)thirty-six Wrote:  

And for anyone who wants to learn how to beat match and mix, just watch this video:

Wow that was painful to watch

[xtr3m]

You might be wondering why some tracks sound amazing when mixed together and some are just crap: every track has a key and most keys are not compatible with each other. Look up Mixed in Key the app.

[Brian Shima]

I wish non-Rap instrumentals and acapellas were easier to find on Torrent sites!

[Ringo]

Bump.

I've considered learning to DJ for a few months now.

The goal would be to play techno, house and deep house at parties and events.

From what I've read, I can get started with:
- Laptop
- Headphones
- Set of monitors
- Controller & software

I have everything except for the controller and software.

My research has led me to the Pioneer DDJ SB2.

Is this a good pick? If not can anyone recommend me a good option under US$300 or so?

The Pioneer was designed for Serato, but since I don't have any experience I guess I'm down with any software - I'll have to learn from scratch anyways.

[gringoed]

I own and use the Pioneer DDJ SB2. I'd definitely recommend it for other noobs, it's easy and can take you pretty far.

I think the most important aspect to being a good underground DJ is finding great music. I personally like to listen to mixes of other DJ's I like, and listen for a track I like and then find it. I also look for tracks on Soundcloud by using the "related tracks" feature and listening to playlists that other people have created with the song.

Anybody have any good tips for finding great underground music?

[benji]

Agree with a lot of what is already said on here, there is no need to buy CDJ's or vinyl if you're going to be playing mainstream music but if you really wanna stand out nothing beats knowing what you're doing on a turntable. I started with 1200's then CDJ's came in and now controllers. A decent controller makes it soo much easier than anything else though. Traktor S2/S4 is rock solid and really easy to use, Pioneer have some good entry level controllers which will do everything you need unless you like to really get creative and remix live, the DDJ SB2 and RB are good. A bit of advice here, don't buy Beats Mixr headphones for djing, i used to use Senheisers HD25's and thought i'd change things up, only lasted a year compared to my old Senheisers which still work fine after many years of djing.

I think you're already doing what i did gringoed if you wanna find tracks that nobody else has you just gotta keep searching, look on dj forums, record pools, soundcloud, mixcloud and things like that. I used to spend hours and hours just going through hundreds of crap songs to find one tune that's worth all the effort and can make you stand out.

[Ringo]

@gringoed and benji:

Do you guys use beatport? https://www.beatport.com/

A lot of good stuff there.

[goncalo999]

What about also producing? anyone tried it before?

[benji]

@Ringo i use it to search for tracks or check the charts sometimes, it used to be better imho or maybe i've just gotten more fussy over the years.

@goncalo999 i have tried using Ableton, it's fun but really time consuming or at least it was for me. I have friends that do it and can do things much quicker, it's one thing i really wanna experiment with more. Most of my learning has come from Youtube tutorials and friends.

[goncalo999]

(10-13-2017 02:31 AM)benji Wrote:  

@Ringo i use it to search for tracks or check the charts sometimes, it used to be better imho or maybe i've just gotten more fussy over the years.

@goncalo999 i have tried using Ableton, it's fun but really time consuming or at least it was for me. I have friends that do it and can do things much quicker, it's one thing i really wanna experiment with more. Most of my learning has come from Youtube tutorials and friends.

a few years ago I produced some EDM songs with FL studio, nothing special, but I would like to try it again. Really complex program though