»What Exactly Do DJs Do?«
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 I thought I would start this thread to shed some light on the subject. A lot of people ask me this, and a lot of people come up to me while I am DJing to tell me that I have no talent, and all I am doing is putting a record on a turntable and hitting 'play'...and of course anyone can do that. Sometimes, if I am in the right mood, I tell them to go ahead and try...it's those people that find out first hand that it's not as easy as "hitting play". (these are all just vague descriptions): Anyway, there are several different types of DJ's...from radio DJ's who sit in a room and DO actually hit play from song to song, but have to speak to an audience and have good speaking skills and so on... Scratch, or turntablists who are really good at cutting up a song and scratching the vinyl while playing and so on...(I don't do that but I know some guys that do...on occasion I will do a little scratching but nothing compared to what you would think of when you think of scratch DJ) Club DJ, whos main job is to make people dance and have a good time. He has to be good with song selection and be able to keep a steady beat going all night so that the dancing does not get disrupted. (I do this from time to time) Mobile DJ, who hires himself out to play at whatever function hires him. Has to have a large knowledge of music to satisfy whatever group he may be playing for. From weddings to frat parties. (I've done both) Anyway, I'll talk about what it is that I do. Ever heard a "techno" song? If so then you know that there are some very distinct beats in the vast majority of "techno". Ever heard a DJ mix this music (or really any type of music)? And when you hear a mixed set...do you ever really notice when one song ends and the next begins? Do you notice that the beat seems to continue to the next song and they blend together? I do that, and I do it live for an audience...and it happens fast...you cannot pause for more time, you cannot stop and say, hang on, let me try again, you cannot rewind... The main thing behind what I do is called beat matching. It is what it sounds like...I take two or more songs and change their speed until they are the same BPM (beats per minute). BUT, just simply being able to beat match does NOT make a good DJ. It is, a MUST though...the basic skill that you must have to do this. I'll give an example of a gig: I am at a party, playing some songs...I have to watch the crowd, see their reactions to what is being played...if they like it, then I have to keep that momentum going by playing another song that I think the crowd would like. If you play the wrong song, or your beats are mis-matched, the dancing and flow will be disrupted...and that's not good. (you can always hear a bad DJ, but the good ones go unnoticed...why? because you can really hear when things do not line up or go together, but if they do, you don't really notice) Anyway, I have to think of the next song...and quick, I have maybe 4-5 minutes to figure out a song, get it out, cue it up, get it beatmatched, figure out the timing of the song currently playing and the song I'm about to play so that I can start/stop the mix at the best time... So I pick the next song, I place it on the turntable that is not currently playing (I have made the mistake of putting it on the turntable that IS currently playing before...oops) then I listen to it in my headphones to make sure that it will go together with what is playing. I may have to change songs 2 or 3 times before I decide on a song, but not always, most of the time I go with my first thought. Anyway, so I am listening to the 'next' song (well call it song 2, and the one currently playing is song 1)...while listening to song 2 I also listen to song 1 at the same time. I play with the speed of song 2 until I get it to the same BPM. I never touch song 1 during this...because people can sometimes hear when you change the speed of the song they are already dancing to, and it confuses them. So once I have the BPM's matched up, I figure out the pattern to the song...where it breaks, where it will build up...try to find the best possible place to start bringing in song 2. You can't do it too soon, or else people will notice, song 1 won't be over and the next song is already started up, and you may have vocals on top of vocals...that's not good. You can't do it too late, or song 1 will end and song 2 hasn't really started yet...and you get what seems like 5 minutes of nothing but a beat...you have to time it just right so that song 1 ends and as it ends song 2 is coming up at the same pace that song 1 is going out. Now, there are times when you can do a mix in the middle of a song...as long as you figure out the pattern and can start the mix at the right time so that song 2 has come in during a part in song 1 that won't interfere. Now, some may say that beatmatching is simple, the beats in "techno" or soo pronounced. Well, try it. It's not as easy as it looks...well, after practice it becomes very easy...but that is true with anything, practice makes perfect. And not all songs have that loud, steady, easy to hear 1-2-3-4 beat that is commonly associated with "techno". I play a lot of what is called 'break beat' type stuff. The beats are not a steady 1-2-3-4 at all...well, I mean, you can still count out a 1-2-3-4 beat to the song, but there is not always a simple beat at each number (1-2-3-4), there may be beats in between or missing beats and so on. You pretty much have to be able to play two songs at once without people knowing. They have to be lined up perfectly, go together sound-wise and so on. It's a lot of fun because you can totally control the crowd (as in any type of music performance). You can play with them sometimes and make them anticpate certain things...it's like a performing musician, depending on what you chose to play...the crowd will react a certain way. Except with DJing, it's not rehearsed...it's spontaneous. Sure, I sit in my apartment and mix quite often...but if I mix 10 records in a certain order and have it down perfectly and think that I can go out to the party or club and play that 10 song set the same exact way for the crowd...I would be wrong, I have never been able to do that. Sometimes, they don't like the song that I picked, so I have to change direction. Rap and Hip Hop is the same. Ever heard a DJ spin/mix that? Do you ever notice a change in beat? That's because they are lined up, matched, and mixed so that it all blends together. A lot of the famous DJ's out there are not only DJ's. They do spin and mix music, but they also remix other songs, or create their own from scratch. Some may say that they don't really do that since the vast majority is done on computers. Well, what isn't done on computers now? If they create a song from scratch, it's as if they composed it. But not only that, they had to create the sounds that they wanted for that song. Yes, it was on a computer usually, but it's not an easy thing. When a DJ like that performs, they cannot bring their MIDI's, keyboards, computer, recording studio with them...so what do they do? They put it on vinyl and mix it in with other songs. anyway, I have to get to work now, I just thought I would post this in case anyone was wondering. posted by allone |
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| in-my-opinion.orgEntertainment & SportsEntertainment & Art (Assorted topics)What Exactly Do DJs Do? |
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thought i would say real quick, posted by allone |
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 I actually didn't realize that the job of a DJ encompassed so much! So is DJing your career, or your pasttime? allone: DJ Shadow Θ is a well known DJ who does a lot of live performances "Building Steam with a Grain of Salt" and "Midnight in a Perfect World" are excellent. posted by Tiefling |
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Tiefling: I actually didn't realize that the job of a DJ encompassed so much! So is DJing your career, or your pasttime? its just a very expensive hobby for me. i would love for it to be my career, but there are a ton of DJs out there, and there are a lot of good DJs...it's like anything in the music industry...you just have to be discovered. be at the right place at the right time so to speak. i used to do a lot of mobile gigs, which around here is pretty much fraternity parties. i got tired of that. i also used to spin at some clubs around here quite often, but that has kinda died down a bit too. i still do some parties on occasion...there are (amazingly enough) people around here who know who i am and enjoy my DJing so i will get calls every now and then for party requests. actually the other week i spun a little bit at the only real dance club in this town. actually this guy i know who is just starting out does gigs every tuesday at this bar here. he asked me last night if i could maybe start showing up and bring some vinyl. he is really impressed with me...anyway, he is just kinda starting out and he and i have been trading lessons...he teaches me some guitar stuff and i show him some things to make mixing easier...it seems to be working out. right now my career is as a landman and a student. fun stuff right there... posted by allone |
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 allone remember i told you about my friend who is also a dj? (yes yes not as good as you are, never) anyway he actually dj's on the radio through the internet. its really awesome if you can find a radio station whatever, online and actually hook your stuff up and play during your own slot that would be really cool. I'll figure out exactly what it is and let you know, its broadcast all over our province and the eastern side of Canada so its pretty cool. and you can do your own commentary or whatever its called. Anyway Ill let you know for sure, worth checking out... posted by gkiss |
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ive played online for you several times...but then again, that was through yahoo voice chat posted by allone |
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yeah i know but im saying you can do that for like a whole bunch of other ppl live on air in your state and other states too depending...not just for me...anyways too bad im gunna find out for you posted by gkiss |
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a lot of people now DJ with cd's...i do not. i like to stay with vinyl just because...well, i don't know. i like the "feel" of it and like to stay "true to the game" or whatever. even though a lot of the newer cd players that are coming out can pretty much turn a cd into a record...that may be hard to understand. lets see, with a record on a turntable you can touch the record, slow it down stop it, play with it, scratch, whatever the heck you want to...this was an advantage that vinyl had over cd's, but now...now they make cd turntables. they take the cd and pretty much can turn it into a record...(ill post a pic of a cd player like that) the advantage that cd's have over vinyl...plain and simple...COST! records are not very cheap. especially when you purchase a record and it only has one song on it. well, it has more than one, but most of the time its just one song with a couple different remixes/versions of that song (original and one remix on one side and maybe two different remixes on the other) but there are records out there that have just one song, no extra versions/remixes...just a song on one side. that's it. and the average price is about $10 per record. prices can range from 5-15, just depends. the most i have ever paid for a record was $80...but it was a really really hard to find song, and i had looked for ages for it...i was worth it to me. with cds you can just burn songs onto a cd and have a booklet filled with literally thousands of songs. so they are also easier to carry around with you. and that is a major helper if you are doing a gig and have to carry around all your equipment...(turntables, amp, speakers, mixer, and lighting effects sometimes)! records are not light at all, and when you have 100 the weight adds up fast. it sucks having to carry them around. that's another reason cds may be better than vinyl. but if you spin at a club...they should have the equipment already for you and all you have to worry about is bringing music...and headphones, i wouldnt use someone elses headphones...ew. either way, i still refuse to use cds...when i am asked if i use cds my answer is...yeah, they make great coasters. (and i use them in my car) even though if i do a gig and have to bring my equipment...its not so easy to load a miata down with all that stuff. although amazingly enough, i have fit two turntables (in protective flight cases) a mixer (in a case) two flight cases of vinyl that had 100 records each all into my car! all but the amp and speakers pretty much. usually though, if i am aksed to do a party i will ask if someone with a truck or SUV can help me move everything around. that's the worst part of it all, moving all the equipment. anyway, i thought i would just post that real quick...i just ordered some more records in preparation of for next Tuesday...it looks as though i might be spinning that night. [CLICK HERE TO VIEW THIS PICTURE] posted by allone |
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That device looks like it says Technics. I worked for Panasonic when they introduced that brand name. I used to repair the first direct drive turntable, the SP-10. 
posted by psikeyhackr |
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psikeyhackr: That device looks like it says Technics.
I worked for Panasonic when they introduced that brand name. I used to repair the first direct drive turntable, the SP-10. vintagetechnics.com... yeah, that is the technics cd "turntable". i was really impressed with it when i played on one...but not enough to go drop $800 each for one (what my friend paid for them a while back). with turntables you would HAVE to go with direct drive, a belt drive will wear out before you know it...what with all the back cueing and what not...and if you scratch, well...you wont on a belt drive. i currently have technic 1200mkII turntables, they are direct drive and pretty much set the standard back in the day for DJing. they are a considered by a lot DJ's who have been spinning for a while to be the best in the industry. i have had mine since 1999 and they are still in mint condition...i am very protective of my equipment. they haven't shown any signs of age what-so-ever and are still going very strong. my first set of turntables were some really low priced gemini direct drive turntables...that was back in like 1997. they were crap, you really do get what you pay for...(well, that's not always true) now a lot of other companies have turntables out that can really keep up with the technics. a friend of mine has some vestax turntables that have a lot of effct type things on them, different things you can adjust and so on...that's just to much for me, i just need a simple turntable, i don't really use a lot of the effects. with a turntable like that though there are a lot of new ways to do a mix, different tricks that you can pull out and what not...and i do take advantage of that whenever i get the opportunity to play on them, which will be next tuesday it looks like...i just shelled out some money for some more vinyl the other day and they should be here tomorrow... posted by allone |
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youre right, allone it actually is much harder than it looks-- posted by Rain-- |
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I have a Kenwood KD-500 direct-drive that I bought in the late 70's. I had the motor go out and replaced it and upgraded the tone arm from an Audio-Technica to a Linn-Basik but I barely use. Just when I want to play some old LP that I haven't replaced with a CD. The wierd thing is just handlig an LP. It's like my brain climbs into a time machine and takes me back 20 years. What kind of cartridges do you use for scratching? I would think the ones I bought for hi-fi would easily break under that abuse. And I set the tracking force for less than one gram. I have a Shure gauge around for that somewhere. 
psikey posted by psikeyhackr |
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I had to go thru a bunch of gyrations to get a picture. 
posted by psikeyhackr |
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psikeyhackr: What kind of cartridges do you use for scratching? I would think the ones I bought for hi-fi would easily break under that abuse. yeah, just a normal cartridge would not stand up to all the back-cueing and what not. i currently use shure m44-7 cartridges on each turntable and also have an ortofon concorde dj cartridge as a back up there are quite a few different carts out there made specially for DJing...some are more for scratching, like the m44-7's which is what i use...even though i am not a scratch DJ...my reason for purchasing them was due to the thought that, if they are made for scratching, they can probably hold the groove of the vinyl pretty dang good...and i need that, although my back up does a great job also. meh... anyway, like i said, there are different types for different styles of music...some offer more bass, some have a different sound that goes great for a certain type of music, some or made for scratching and so on... [CLICK HERE TO VIEW THIS PICTURE] [CLICK HERE TO VIEW THIS PICTURE] posted by allone |
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 i have a question you could answer allone, how do you get tracks without vocals on them? or how do they remove the vocals etc? like when you here vocals on a completely different beat? was always curious about that... posted by The ONEder Man |
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