DJ ing with laptops

MINIMALTECHNOHOUSE · Post by **MINIMALTECHNOHOUSE** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 11:02 pm

I like to hear a bit of dodgy mixing once in a while though, it adds to the live feel of everything...

Some of Ricardos best sets are like that, but it makes me love them even more....

soapz · Post by **soapz** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 11:15 pm

If the DJs rockin the arse of a party or takin you on a journey thats blowin ya head off for me it doesnt matter how they doing it. Obviously if somebody playing boring music and they just using ableton to keep the tracks in sync it'll be the first thing you call them for. But in the end it was the boring music that was pissing you off!

Ive mixed with cds, serato, mp3s using purely ableton, vinyl and my approach to the music never changed. I still wanted to achieve the same. Right now I prefer serato and external effects, but if I find myself having not enough hands for the effects I need, or Im needing more control over the tracks that serato cant offer me, then thats when I will change to mixing purely on the laptop. I wouldnt expect anybody to be annoyed that I wasnt "proper mixin" as I would be still trying to achieve the same for the crowd!

steevio · Post by **steevio** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 12:49 am

i think the whole beatmatching argument is silly, any half decent DJ can beat match vinyl easily, dJing isnt about beatmatching, its about the ability to chose the right tunes (or loops) in the right order so that there is a seemless and creative flow through the set, while manipulating eq's, effects etc.
so intrinsically it really doesnt matter what the format is.
however vinyl dance music DJ's have been around for a long time, turntablism is a true form of musicianship, without it we wouldnt be here today talking about this, give respect to the masters of the form, and accept the digital revolution for what is, forward momentum.
theres room for both cultures to exist side by side, infact its healthy to have this ever increasing diversity.
i know what my path is, and i know i'm still no where near acheiving what i want to in the medium i'm working in. i'm in no hurry. technology isnt going to go away.

if · Post by if » Sat Apr 05, 2008 1:08 am

I've played both all vinyl and with traktor before, in front of 25 people or 500. It's the same to me. I get a better feeling when mixing vinyl, but feel far more free to add 3-4 tracks with traktor. Sometimes it's a travel issue, not having vinyl with me, or final scratch hardware or just not wanting to bring all that stuff along on my back for a month.

Bottom line: djs are djs because they know how to choose tracks, create a style and get a dance floor crazy

tone-def · Post by **tone-def** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 4:57 pm

I'm suprised some of you don't think the audiance care what the dj's using. Shows how out of touch some of you really are. I've see people shout at the guy with the laptop "play some records!" i've even had it because i played a CD in a set!

What i don't like about ableton is you can have a set all planned out ready before you play. I also feel i know enough about the structure of dance music to make a decent set without even hearing the music. Ableton locks everything up so perfectly and you can see whats going on in the audio files. I really do beleve anyone could put an ableton set together after 30mins to 2hours training on how to use it. I can't imagin many people doing that with vinyl or CD mixing.

Having said that i do think ableton has a place in a dj set. It's after all the best loop player ever made. If or when i get a laptop i will use it for loops and effects a long side 1210's.

I don't see the future as dj-ing with purely ableton. I see it as a performers playing purely their own music like so many of the best sets i've seen in recnt times. It's so much more creative, flexible and entertaining playing live. You have total control over your music and do things that are impossible dj-ing vinyl or ableton. Really how can a dj compete for gigs when we have all these amazing live acts coming though with more talent and doing a much better job?

revy · Post by **revy** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 7:29 pm

^^^
good points...these days id usually rather hear a good live pa...not sure if the average clubgoer cares or can tell the difference though.

MINIMALTECHNOHOUSE · Post by **MINIMALTECHNOHOUSE** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 7:59 pm

revy wrote:^^^
good points...these days id usually rather hear a good live pa...not sure if the average clubgoer cares or can tell the difference though.

Id rather hear a good dj set...........

plastik · Post by **plastik** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 8:21 pm

MINIMALTECHNOHOUSE wrote:
In essence, if your mixing other peoples tracks just in live your cheating imo

I think this is a good point. let me tell you this story: I saw a guy at a local club djing with ableton. he wasn't playing live, he was "just" djing.
basically, he loaded a live set, set up some some efx (eq 3, some filters, some delays) and that was it. he was cross fading between songs.
the end result was brilliant. he chose a terrific set of songs and the audience loved it, but it felt a bit strange to me.
what do you think about this?
I think the so-called purists might throw up in disgust at this.
one more question: you can only play live with ableton when you have your own songs, can't you? how could you with other people's tunes?