'live' sets that aren't really live

[Sexual_Chocolate]

bah i agree was just tempo dont matter if your selections are on point, ya geme

[murky21]

fuck live sets

[chekov]

fuck live sets

tbh

[Ocelots Revolver]

Well its certainly more interesting than playing two songs at the same bpm and then crossfading from one to the other for two hours straight.

i take it you arent familiar with Oneman?

or selecting?

Relevance?

[ehbes]

He's saying that dj sets can be just as entertaining or just as boring as live sets

[Ocelots Revolver]

The proposition that tune selection is the only thing that matters for a DJ is an interesting thing to say.

If that were true then 100% sync buttoned sets and maybe even fully pre-recorded sets are totally fine given that the right tunes get played.

[SunkLo]

Not that it's the only thing that matters. Just that a well-selected vinyl set has tons more creativity and technical prowess than a lazy ableton spastic trigger fest.

[ehbes]

Not that it's the only thing that matters. Just that a well-selected vinyl set has tons more creativity and technical prowess than a lazy ableton spastic trigger fest.

not even a vinyl only set. again look at what oneman is doing. watch any of his boiler rooms for an example, he just knows exactly what to play to keep it fresh and keep it rolling

[SunkLo]

Yeah just using the two extremes as an example.

[ehbes]

Yeah just using the two extremes as an example.

[Jizz]

so... what is an electronic live set?

[murky21]

nothing wrong with mixing two records at the same speed for me. if you think thats all there is to it, or that cant be exiting then you are doing it wrong/ you have only started going to events in the last 3 or 4 years. that's all club nights have been for decades and is better than some prick with a laptop for me

[RmoniK]

If that were true then 100% sync buttoned sets and maybe even fully pre-recorded sets are totally fine given that the right tunes get played.

Honestly that's how it is for me. I couldn't care less if it's synced or not, everyone can beatmatch, it's not a talent and it's a waste of time if you could use that time to plan out more interesting sets, effects, transitions, etc.

[RmoniK]

If that were true then 100% sync buttoned sets and maybe even fully pre-recorded sets are totally fine given that the right tunes get played.

Honestly that's how it is for me. I couldn't care less if it's synced or not, everyone can beatmatch, it's not a talent and it's a waste of time if you could use that time to plan out more interesting sets, effects, transitions, etc.

[chekov]

planning out dj sets is wack yo^^

[wub]

planning out dj sets is wack yo^^

Agreed, spontaneity is the name of the game. If something is pre-planned it is noticeable. I saw Avicii play 'big' sets twice within the space of a few weeks, and in both sets he had a couple of repeat 10-15min sections that had obviously been preplanned, same tunes blended in the same way.

[DJoe]

If that were true then 100% sync buttoned sets and maybe even fully pre-recorded sets are totally fine given that the right tunes get played.

Honestly that's how it is for me. I couldn't care less if it's synced or not, everyone can beatmatch, it's not a talent and it's a waste of time if you could use that time to plan out more interesting sets, effects, transitions, etc.

You two both need to watch this and shut up because your both chatting pure breeze

[Ocelots Revolver]

Not that it's the only thing that matters. Just that a well-selected vinyl set has tons more creativity and technical prowess than a lazy ableton spastic trigger fest.

Of course it is.

And a child can draw better than a blind adult, a Chevy is more reliable than a Nissan that is currently on fire, and a kitten can beat a pitbull in a fight if it is armed with a G36c.

Of course good thing A is better than a shitty thing B.

No one is saying Live sets are categorically good or vinyl sets are categorically bad. I'm just tired of this snooty chin stroking argument that one is better than the other because it is more of a hassle. Even Andy C uses Serato now. Beatmatching is archaic.

DJing is the one aspect of society that is introduced to something new that makes the task easier or capable or a wider range of options and everyone's like "FUCK THIS!" On a forum of music producers who generally accept updated software and new plugins with open arms, I find it baffling.

Where are the threads about how the latest Reason update is too easy, too user friendly, too capable of the user's free expression that to make use of it is some sin?

[SunkLo]

The problem isn't that it's too easy, it's that people use it as a crutch. Ultimately people want to be entertained. A guy doing blends on turntables is more entertaining than a guy syncing everything and chewing his nails. If you're gonna sync your bpms, you should be using the mental resources that frees up to do something extra.

For it to be really live there needs to be some feedback between that moment and the performance. Whether that's the vibe of the crowd influencing the selections or some sort of improvisation or on-the-fly arrangement.

The difference between the live scenario and production scenario is that when you're at home producing, you're not trying to entertain a crowd with what you're doing. I do still think it's a bit stupid that a lot of sequencers have like auto-chord and composition features built in, at that point you're just letting the software designer make music for you. Anyway that's not important.

Here's an anecdote, I went to see a Zeppelin cover band and they were pretty spot on. I found out the drummer was using a double kick pedal because he couldn't play the parts the way Bonham did. Ultimately, whether he used a single or double kick, I still saw the same show so should it matter? I think it still does to some degree because if people are watching him thinking "Wow he's a badman playing those bonzo parts verbatim" but he's actually using a technical crutch, is that really a legitimate performance? If you watch someone walk across a tightrope but they've got an invisible wire holding them up does that matter? You're still watching a guy walk a rope so subjectively it should make no difference. But if the ringmaster were to tell the audience "By the way, Jim up there actually has terrible balance, he's just using a wire to hold himself up" I think it would negatively impact the enjoyment of the performance.

Also a pitbull would still fuck up an armed kitten. Opposable thumbs are pretty vital to the operation of most firearms.

[AxeD]

It's about selecting to fit the mood and expressing yourself through the music.
Planning it ahead completely is only something I would do if it was mostly my own music.
I usually pick around 40 tracks and whack em in a playlist randomly. Just like having a crate
of vinyl with you or a folder of cd's.

On the topic of technicals. Really I don't think it's that easy to beatmatch and cue exactly how you want to on nothing but two turntables and a mixer.
Part of that experience might be due to my 4 year old needles and dodgy pitchfaders though