Gimme Some Basics Yo

[BondoDub]

Basically I'm interested in creating some basic mixes/mashups before I go on to create beats of my own as I have pretty much no prior knowledge. The only kind of dj controller I have is a padKontrol. Any reccomendations on software to use with it or if it will even work to mix at all? thanks

[Astral]

If your looking for something that you can DJ in and learn the interface and DAW itself, Id suggest Ableton.

[BioQuark]

Read the stickies yo!

http://www.dubstepforum.com/the-dubstep ... 14797.html

Production bible is your friend, Yo!

[Basic A]

Youneed fader control for things like volumes, pitches, and effects. KInobs would be worth it too. You should drop on a nanoKontrol too dude, there only 50 bucks and youll be able to use it when you start learning to produce too.

As far as software your basics are Traktor, Serato, VDJ, Deckadance, and Mixxx. These are all jsut a question of what features you need (obviously youll need midi, so I recommend Traktor or Serato, unless you run linux like me Mixxx might be difficult to get stable midi mappings with...)

Youll need an audio interface because obviously you have to be able to hear whats playing before your audience does, and beatmatch it. Any interface wtih 2 ins and 2 outs with cue function is going to work fine, but Id reccomend either a Focusrite Saf. or an N.I. Kontrol Box series... this is just my own product loyalty though, and I know both interfaces can handle standard timecode vinyl stuff if you ever wanted to upgrae, and for now they will be able to provide you cue and recording out puts for what you do.

From there man its all about learning, and I think, judging by your post, you think this is going to be alot easier then it is.

Best be ready bro.

And start drilling beatmatches now.

Best of luck, if I didnt answer what you need, ask more questions!!!

And @ astral, thats going to be much more coplicated then jumpin on a more traditional rig, and youll note hes new, he doesnt wanna produce yet, so be ebst to just let him learn theory and hardware / audio rotuing practice before we throw him head first onto a DAW, innit? Just speed his learning curve up if he keeps it simple DJ rig until he wants to produce and learn the live production stuff ableton offers...

[Astral]

Guess it depends how you look at it, from what I gathered he wants to start messing around to get the hang of producing.

In my eyes, using a piece of software to do both the mixing and producing aspects from the word go and learning that from the ground up is much easier than going through a selection of different softwares and then moving onto another foreign piece of software when he starts to produce.

[Basic A]

But I tihnk that will create a severe dependance on ableton because its such an isolated way to mix from what everyone else is doing. As effecient as it is youll never make it the standard model for DJing, there will forever be some sort of two player and mixer concept in the club as stock, regardless of what that means, its about the ability to apply the same concepts of using a digital 2 play and mixer ystem straight to vinyl when given the oppurtunity, or straight to cdj, or vinyl to cdjs, or cdjs to vinyl, ect. That jump from your setup to the one at the house party or show, ect.

First time I used vinyl coming from 2 player digtal systems and cdjs, all I had to be taught was how to properly handle everything, and I was good fromt here because concepts were same. Same with ANY person I meet who is a dj.

Ableton, though effecient, is going to put you on an island away from everyone else DJing. Sure, production wise, its a fucking TANK and a DAW is a DAW when your using it for basic production purposes. And as DJs, it can take us a whole new level. But you cant get on that island from the word go. Bad idea.

DJing, you want to be able to be invited to some random house party, show up and find a set of decks is there, and jump right in man. Its the cross applicable concept of 2 players and a mixer. Its universal. Imagine, if you showed up at a random house party one of your friends was ahving, important DJ producer local guy is there, and they say, YO ASTRAL!!! COME GET IN ON THIS!!! and you ahve to say 'Ahh I cant man I dont know how to do that..'

Chance to make a first impression, gone.

Dont get on an island, thats all Im getting at. Thats the only reason I preach about ableton. Sad to see it happen to folks...

[Astral]

I thought I'd just point out that Ableton is a perfectly fine standard for DJing and I don't feel by using it you would be isolating yourself at all.

And I don't think the guy is looking to become a superstar club DJ anytime soon, from his thread he said that hes looking to mess around to then move onto making beats IE, he wants to Mix first, then produce. Ableton is the perfect catylist for this transition.

Combined with the fact he has a controller, he could effectively simulate physical Djing techniques.

[Recessive Trait]

Ableton is a perfectly fine standard for DJing

yeah, but it's also kind of lame. what ever happened to feel?

[BondoDub]

thanks for all the advice guys. I need to get some skrilla so I can get some kind of other controller but ill try to rig ableton for now and yeah I wanna mix before I produce

[Mad_EP]

Ableton is a perfectly fine standard for DJing

yeah, but it's also kind of lame. what ever happened to feel?

Dunno what yer talking about... I feel plenty while DJ'ing in Ableton.

[Recessive Trait]

fingertips + vinyl = good times.

[Basic A]

That was a pointless answer about feel...

But my point is ableton teaches you to use ableton. I cant take my knowledge of creation of clips and transfer it onto decks when moment strikes... I cant translate my warp functions into an ear match when I go to a friends house and they ask me to take a mix. Im not talking about being a superstar DJ Im tlaking about being able to DJ when your asked too without having to be equipped with YOUR setup but rather use whats on house.

Ableton would be a find standard for djing, yes, but to say WOULD BE STANDARD doesnt make it standard. And its never going to become the way... it will be someones way but its not a cross applicable enough skill, ableton DJing, that yeah, I feel like that, is an island.

[Steve_French]

basically, go on Dv247.com and buy Native instruments Audio dj 2, cause its 85£, comes with traktor duo for free untill june the something and its uber suffiecient for your needs as you're only starting out.

[Basic A]

basically, go on Dv247.com and buy Native instruments Audio dj 2, cause its 85£, comes with traktor duo for free untill june the something and its uber suffiecient for your needs as you're only starting out.

Any of the N.I. interfaces + traktor so you can cue = done...

somethin cheap midi to control your faders.

[Astral]

I still think people are missing the point here, he dosn't want to DJ, he wasn't to mess around with a few mixes so can can learn a few things and begin producing

[Basic A]

He wants to learn to dj, and get into production one day. You dont make mixes. You mix.

[deadly_habit]

renoise
if you start in a tracker every sequencer becomes a piece of piss to work in

[Moxxiedubstep]

I actually like Renoise 2.0 . Ive been using cubase for years but I have a pet pev about GUI's. If Fl9 didnt stall so much it would be awesome, cubase is an eyesore of a GUI. Renoise is pretty cool. Anyways, my setup consist of Cubase, Deckadance , Renoise , Recycle and Image Line Slice X. Youre best bet is to get Deckadance for sampling. Its like the technics of virtual dj equip. I just download songs from the net and use Deckadance to chop out a piece I like, then deckadance records that piece into wav then its off to the Slice X. Ive tried every virtual dj software out and ill say id rather stick with deckadance.