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Wasn't sure where to put this...
How did you learn the art of DJ'ing,
is it tough, easy?
do i put hundreds of dollars into equipment before i learn, or after i learn?
i'm friggin' lost, all i know is that i wan't to start DJ'ing...
Help (anyone) ?

I did it the other way round, started as a dj then started producing.
That was 13 years ago so it was a bit different to get started then, you had to buy decks, spend all of your school dinner money on vinyl, and learn that way.
I guess now you could just download some mp3 djing software and a bunch of mp3, and learn how to beat mix that way (or just get Live and let that mix for you) then get yourself some decks if you want to go down the vinyl route....

wow, almost sucks that it's that easy...
i was actually kind of looking forward to the starving rebellious artist route...
anyone else care to elaborate?

Lol that guys a pessimist, although there is truth in what he said.

If you want to learn how to mix "unaided" then its still tough.

Take about 3-5 years to learn how to beatmatch properly (I mean having the tune locked for the duration if needs be without any slip ups, for every tune of a 1 hour set. not 16 bar mixes where you can hear the dj pushing and pulling the platter).

Lots of people like to think they can DJ after spinning for 2 years, its not the case, and if it is.. then well done to you, i'm impressed.

you are probably looking at around 600 for 2 technics and a mixer. then depending on your sound setup youll need either and amp or soundcard and some speakers/monitors.

i'd go with the tanoy reveals to start off with, theyre cheap and decent. you should be able to pick up a pair for about 60, then get yourself an amp and you are ready to start learning.

if you dont fancy turntables and vinly then theres the serato/traktor option which will set you back 350. but remember youll still need the decks and mixer whatever route you choose.

dont bother with cd's they feel and sound cheap and tacky. dont bother with auto-beatmatching software because then you aren't really a dj are you - youre a glorified bedroom music listener. but then again... arent we alll? lul.

D+ wrote: dont bother with cd's they feel and sound cheap and tacky. dont bother with auto-beatmatching software because then you aren't really a dj are you - youre a glorified bedroom music listener. but then again... arent we alll? lul.

here here!!!!

I'm not a pessamist though ha ha!!! it's just when like me you've worked hard for years learning beat matching, scratching etc, that nowadays a bit of software can do it for you.......well you get what I'm saying

But seriously mate, Get yourself some decks and a mixer and learn that way. It's tough at first, the first few months it drove me mad trying to get tracks in time pitch etc, but it's a great feeling when you first get it!!!!

Also remember that choice of tunes is a real important part as well.....make sure you've got some serious heat in your box

I don't even have a box.
Let alone vinyl
Or a job.

Can i sell my soul on ebay for a couple grand?
Anyways, it's job hunting time...

As for equipment, deckwise i know i'm getting a couple of used technics i've been looking into decks for a while now...

It'd still be nice to here stories about how you people got started DJ'ing...

i bought a set of technics about a year ago, been producing for a lot longer and been making allsorts of nonsense music since school days.

i wanted decks because i liked them, was often round me friends house watching him play on his decks (no mixing, no skill, just playing track after track of all sort of genre's) something about them made me want them...i began to try to beatmatch...job done, i am not particularly good, but cheeky enough to play out...don't really DJ out much at all though, but it's nice to just do at home.

The other chap in Pure Phase is a turntablist by trade via Pedestrian arts (though i think less so now)

best advice i can give you is buy a set of crap belt drive turntalbes
the reason i say that is if you can match a beat on crap deck then you will be even bettter when you get to play on 1200s

i tried dj'ing,

didn't really like it, im definately the type of person who enjoys making the music for someone else to spin rather than spinning it myself.

which is a shame becuase dj'ing is where the money is in this minimal money sub industry.

ive been producing longer than dj'ing. before I had any idea on mixing (maybe had laid my hands on turntables once before just messing around) i took the plunge and found some decent about a year ago and can now generally beat match with some struggles. i dont have serato or traktor, but will use Live 6 to play my tunes and then get other tunes going on the decks. getting a mix going with your own tunes along with others' is really rewarding when it goes well. i would highly recommend it.

I have been djing for like 12 years now. I got into it originally because I wanted to write the tunes that dj's where playing so I figured I need to get inside the mind of a dj. What better way to do that than become a dj myself? I hadn't planned on getting serious about it but I got gigs early on and had a lot of fun with it. That just sort of continued up to the day. I have thought about retiring from the trade a few times LOL but how do you retire from something like that? Just as you are like fuck it 3 promoters ring your phone and are asking me to play. Free beer, gotta do it.

Truncated wrote: which is a shame becuase dj'ing is where the money is in this minimal money sub industry.

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha...

oh...you were being serious?

Boofenstein wrote:Wasn't sure where to put this...
How did you learn the art of DJ'ing,
is it tough, easy?
do i put hundreds of dollars into equipment before i learn, or after i learn?
i'm friggin' lost, all i know is that i wan't to start DJ'ing...
Help (anyone) ?

1. Acquire some dj equipment,

2. Acquire some records (or mp3's if you are mixing cd's, or on a laptop)

3. Practice

4. Repeat step 3 until you are good at djing.

sapphic_beats wrote:

Truncated wrote: which is a shame becuase dj'ing is where the money is in this minimal money sub industry.

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha...

oh...you were being serious?

lol i know it is laughable but what money there is, is mostly in dj'ing, releasing records won't get you much money,

it's the same in d&b, which is why it comes down to doing it for the enjoyment of making music,

if i wanted to make money i would of carried on selling hiphop instrumentals to spoilt american kids.

knew a few people making upwards of $100,000 just off their own websites.

but the music is much better in underground scenes

I started producing before i started mixing, but decided to invest in some decks because i couldn't think of many artists i listened that didn't DJ aswell as produce (even if on occasion) . Figured if my tracks ever got popular there would be nothing worse than not being able to drop them yourself!

probably got into it for the wrong reasons but it worked, i enjoy mixing now and if the time came i would be able to drop my own tracks.

This has got me well n the mood for a mix, i'm off!

I can DJ at a fairly average level, beat match and stuff, on the odd occasion I do play out I have to plan my sets though, its not a big interest of mine i'm not really into DJing but I do have a good laugh once I am up there doing it..

Personally I wanted to DJ first, started when I was like 11, till i was about 15 and sold my dex for gig tickets & drugs, then started producing and then DJing again about last year..

I like to think I am a producer first, DJ second though, I'd rather load up a DAW then go record shopping, any day.

dj'ed first, started making beats after

my girlfriend used to sell a lot of drugs and got some turntables in trade for something one time so we both started mixing, except i got good and she didnt stick with it but other than that i just used to listen to mixtapes and try to recreate some of the mixes, pretty much just taught myself

I started spinning first, then producing. I quickly realised that one of the things that sets djs apart from other djs is their own tunes, so I started producing. Two years ago, I probably would have said Id rather spin than produce, but after playing a few sets of entirely my own material, its about even now.

For me its like this... DJing is like skating, Producing is like building the halfpipe. Hitting a realy sick double drop off the cuff is really fun, and quite rewarding... like a good run through a skatepark. Hitting a really sick double drop with two of your own tunes is like a really good run on the halfpipe in your driveway, that you built, with your homies, that took all day and cost all that money, but it doesnt matter cause its yours. Sometimes you wanna ride at home, sometimes you wanna go rip up something new.

Other way around for me also.

I am fed up with playing other peoples records and I wont get any serious bookings until I make music imo.