I have always believed that a good DJ should earn their keep by using such media as CDs and vinyl records, cueing up songs individually, doing all the mixing work themselves, without the aid of a laptop. In fact, I am still against the usage of a laptop and computer software to make pre-fabricated playlists where each song is automatically crossfaded into the other. The only appeal of a computer to me is the storage size, because I could have my entire music collection with me, and I would have far fewer CDs to take with me.
That said, my trusty tech guy and DJ/MC, Jon, has shown me some new technology that would remedy the song storage issue, BUT still allow us to think about what we are playing before we play it, AND still have the capability to use CDs. (Note: I'm leaving vinyl out of this post, because we will still bring it when requested. Don't worry vinyl people!!)
If I'm understanding this correctly from Jon, this new technology is a deck that allows me to plug in at least 2 hard drives via a USB port. The interface is similar to a CD player: 2 sides, each assigned to a channel; but instead of navigating a CD, I'd be navigating through files on the hard drive. This way, we can have all of our songs with us, at all times, and be able to access them easier.
As a DJ who has always used vinyl and especially compact discs, I am a bit nervous and will need to be weaned off, slowly. HOWEVER, we will never completely stop using CDs. All important songs (e.g. Intro Song, First Dance) will still be brought on CD and played on our CD player, which will remain in our rack setup. I will also keep key lifesaver songs and compilations with me on CD. And of course, for those events that require vinyl, we've got you covered.
2 comments:
Along w/ Jon, I wish to challenge your thinking about using a laptop and MP3s vs. physical media. Pro DJ software emulates a dual CD player/turntable setup and I can beatmatch and segue as well with my laptop as someone else can using CDs and vinyl. Nor is it EVER a pre-programmed list of songs when using a laptop. Just like any other DJ worth her salt, I will often have cued up what I thought was the perfect song, only to swap it out in a panic at the last minute because the dance floor nuance has changed.
I wonder if your issue might better be framed, not as a CDs vs. Laptop issue, but rather as an unskilled/newbie/wannabe/ DJ (regardless of the media) vs. a DJ who knows how to manipulate the dance floor by knowing how to manipulate the music.
DJ Will Stephens, Philadelphia wedding DJ, www.4MostSound.com
Will,
Interesting thoughts. This post is more about a comfort issue for me as opposed to a diss on all laptop DJs. Unfortunately, I have had too many laptop DJs tell me that they use pre-fabricated playlists; some of them do that just for cocktail hour and others do that throughout the whole night.
While I do realize that there are DJs who do not use the laptop programs as a crutch, that was not the case at the time that I wrote this post.
Once again, this is a comfort issue for me. On ODJT, I did mention that I'd be posting an update on my decision of what sort of technology to use (CD, laptop, hybrid). Look for that post soon.
Thanks for reading!
Anna
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