Training | Digital DJ Tips

May 21st, 2013 Training

Tools & Workflow Ideas For Organising Your Music Library

by Andre Shenoi

mp3Tag for Windows is a powerful utility to let you perform all kinds of bulk actions on your musics’ tags.

In An Essential Guide To Organising Your Music Library (which was part four of this occasional series looking at ways of better organising your DJ music collection), we considered how we might like to classify the tracks and tags. My last stage of music library organisation is choosing the right tools and workflow to go from “download to deck-load”, which is what we’re going to look at today.

Before we get going, I’d like to stress once again that these are guidelines and not rules: They’re here to help empower youself to make your own choices. Ultimately, the important thing is to do what works for you!

29 Comments »

May 19th, 2013 Training

Over To You: Should I Spend My Time DJing Or Producing?

by Phil Morse

What’s the best way to carve up your time if you’re a DJ who also produces (or a DJ/promoter, or a DJ with a full-time unconnected job)?

Digital DJ Tips reader Mathieu writes: “I actually produce house music (funky /disco house) as a ‘full-time job’. While it takes a lot of effort to do this alongside finding places to get gigs, things seems to be going well because I’ve managed to get some gigs in bars. But it’s still very hard and requires a lot of phone calls and/or unanswered emails and so on.

“So my problem is that I don’t really know on what I need to be focusing! Music production or DJ gigs? (I like both but promoting is really time-consuming.) Should I be looking to team up with a promoter to help?”

21 Comments »

May 18th, 2013 Training

Your Questions: How Much Should I Charge For My DJing?

by Phil Morse

How much to charge for your DJing services varies massively from place to place, but there are some basic rules…

Digital DJ Tips reader Eijah writes: “My plan in DJing is to reach the stage where I’ve made a name for myself in my region, and I’m working really hard towards that goal by reading and taking notes on everything I can find here and elsewhere.

“I plan to play my first gig in August. I will have my PA system in May and I plan on getting the Numark Mixtrack Pro 2 and a PA mixer over the early summer by working summer jobs. My question is, for my first few gigs, how much should I charge hourly? Thanks for all the help!”

33 Comments »

May 15th, 2013 Training

Beginner’s Guide To PA Systems, Part 4: Cables & Soundchecking

by Terry 42

A soundcheck before a public event in 1929: Now as then, this is an important part of preparing for any live event.

In this fourth and final part of our beginner’s guide to PA systems we cover setting up and soundchecking. You’ll learn about the different types of cables, and how to get all the levels right so everything sounds perfect on the night.

Don’t forget to go back if you’ve missed any of the others parts. The first of the four articles is here: Beginner’s Guide To PA Systems, Part 1.

23 Comments »

May 12th, 2013 Training

Over To You: How Do You Use The Genre Tag In iTunes?

by Phil Morse

The famous Ishkur’s Guide to Electronic Music – but be aware you can get lost in the rabbithole of genres outlined here!

Digital DJ Tips reader Dennis writes: “My iTunes database is a monster. I have many years’-worth of music in there and then some. I knew I needed to clean things up and so I’ve started to do just that.

“I’ve realised that trying to apply a ‘genre’ to songs is a futile act for me! Especially with EDM I find that there are so many little pigeonholes people want to stuff songs into that I am not sure about any of the genres I apply to music except when they are really, really, really broad.

32 Comments »

May 11th, 2013 Training

Controller Clinic #25: Syncing My Controller With An Ableton DJ

by Phil Morse

DJ Jason Buckham playing a set from Ableton Live. But what’s the best way of playing back to back between Ableton Live and other DJ software?

Digital DJ Tips reader Biachi writes: “I am going to DJ duet with another musician that runs on Ableton Live. I want to get a DJ controller to go with my MacBook Pro and then be able to sync with Ableton Live. Basically we want to alternate our songs back and forth at shows and have both of our systems go to the PA.

“Is this possible and if so how? What controller is better… the Numark NS6 or the Pioneer DDJ-S1 for this duet?”

13 Comments »

May 9th, 2013 Training

An Essential Guide To Organising Your Music Library

by Andre Shenoi

How you decide to classify your files really depends on on where, how and on what equipment you intend to access them. Pic: jachim.net

Now that we’ve looked at the music files and formats themselves we can turn our attention to the real meat of organising your music library, how to classify or label the tracks.

This is the most important but the most arduous part of getting your music library organised. Your approach to this will impact the usefulness of your complete library, your workflow from download to deck-load, and the way new tracks are added to your library.

25 Comments »

May 8th, 2013 Training

The Proven, Secret, Time-Saving Trick Guaranteed To Get You DJing Success

by Phil Morse

Nobody on the phone offering you the big gigs in the places you want to play, even though you feel you’re good enough? Only you can do something about that… Pic: Circuit Mag

Do you feel like it’s your turn? Like you’ve paid your dues, like you’ve built your skills, and it’s time for someone to pluck you out of obscurity for stardom? For a powerful record label to sign your tune? For a top promoter to listen to your mixtape and give you that star DJ booking?

Do you feel like the only way for you to now get ahead is for someone to finally recognise your talent, open that door for you, invite you in to the inner circle where your skills will finally be recognised? Yes?

25 Comments »

May 7th, 2013 Training

Beginner’s Guide To PA Systems, Part 3: Amps & Speakers

by Terry 42

Very different to the type of amplifier you may have in your home stereo, PA power amplifiers are designed to run at high levels for long periods of time.

In the first part of this four-part series we looked at the basic elements you need to know about when it comes to DJ PA systems. In the second part, we carried on laying the groundwork by answering some common newbie questions.

Now, we’re ready to look more closely at the two major components of any PA system: Amplifiers (“amps”) and speakers. Today we’ll look in-depth at both, and discuss the crucial matter of speaker placement, before next time moving on to cables, setting up and sound checking.

15 Comments »

May 5th, 2013 Training

Over To You: My DJ Controller’s Phones Level Is Too Quiet

by Phil Morse

The Mixtrack Pro ought to be able to power most decent DJ headphones enough for you to DJ in public properly using it; our reader finds that in his case, this isn’t true. Pic: Wilkz

Digital DJ Tips reader Neil writes: “I’ve got a Mixtrack Pro and I use it with Virtual DJ. The problem I’ve got I’d that the headphone volume is just too low through the Mixtrack Pro. My headphone level is fine when I plug the same headphones into my laptop sound card.

“I was just wondering what I can do to alleviate this? The problem is that although I can use the unit at home, it’s not loud enough in the headphones for DJing in a public venue.”

40 Comments »

May 4th, 2013 Training

Your Questions: Can I Have Your Whole Tunes List Please?

by Phil Morse

Just like Charlie Brown, most DJs are extremely proud of their music collections, and don’t relish the thought of ever giving a list of more than a handful of the tunes they own to any other DJs.

Digital DJ Tips reader Ahy writes: “My question is about the tracks you play during the How To Digital DJ Fast course. I realised that even though I have a wide collection of music, I am missing some extremely good stuff (like the ones you play during the course…).

“Please could you share the list of the 600 tracks that you say you regularly DJ with; if not, at least would you share your top 20 to 50 favourites so that I can start digging and reaching more? I started playing at a bar now playing exactly the genres that you mention you play in the course.”

73 Comments »

April 30th, 2013 Training

Beginner’s Guide To PA Systems, Part 2: Common Questions

by Terry 42

The Yamaha Stagepas 300 is a small PA system with a powered mixer of the type discussed in this week’s article.

Now we’ve examined some PA system basics, it’s time to answer a few of the most common questions about PA systems, to help you make sense of the seemingly almost infinite choice out there. This should make it easier for you to choose a system when it comes to time to buy.

Once we’ve cleared up some of these common queries about amplifier options, power choices and mixers, we’ll move on in the next two parts to looking in more detail at speakers and amplifiers, and cables and soundchecking.

31 Comments »

April 28th, 2013 Training

Over To You: How Do I Stop Power Surges Wrecking My DJ Sets?

by Phil Morse

Can minor power surges or blips knock out DJ gear, even when a battery-backed up laptop is the heart of a set-up? That’s the question our reader would like answering today.

Digital DJ Tips reader Chad writes: “I’m a mobile DJ last 15 years or so and I’ve fully embraced technology. I use Traktor Pro with a Kontrol S4 for home mixing or when I’ve been asked to do a long dance set at a party, but my main working tools at weddings are laptop going through a GIGIport AG sound card with Asio drivers into an analogue mixer. Very solid.

“My problem is three times in the last year a power ‘burp’ (for want of a better word) in venue has caused my laptop to lose connection to the sound card. I thought maybe it was the drivers that were the problem but it happened last night at a gig and I saw someone putting in a plug at the exact same time I lost connection.

42 Comments »

April 27th, 2013 Training

Controller Clinic #24: Confused About My First Step Into Digital

by Phil Morse

A great digital mixer for Traktor, the Kontrol Z2 is nonetheless the kind of purchase a DJ who knows exactly what he wants and what he wants to pair it with would make. It’s not the obvious choice for a beginner.

Digital DJ Tips reader Dinn writes: “Hey, I’ve been producing dubstep and electro for about two years but have never DJed. I’ve been trying to decide what gear is best for this new movement away from the traditional style of DJing with CDJs and everything.

“So my questions are: Does genre (house, dubstep, electro, drum & bass) dictate what methods you should use to DJ at your best? Is it worth the risk going for a product like the Midi Fighter that requires knowledge of Midi mapping against something like the Kontrol S4 or Kontrol Z2 where it’s automatically synced to the software? And why is DJing with software and a laptop so looked down upon? I hope you can answer these because I’m kind of lost.”

20 Comments »

April 25th, 2013 Training

Beginner’s Guide To PA Systems, Part 1: Basics

by Terry 42

The Mackie Thump is a popular PA for DJs, with the speakers containing the amplifiers meaning there’s no need to carry separate amps. Here the speakers are pictured with a small PA mixer.

Stuck understanding PA systems? Need to rent or buy one for your shows? Scared about plugging into or playing on a PA? Want to know why you need one at all, when you could take your home stereo speakers to the party and use those instead? If so, trust me – you’re not alone. This guide is here to help.

I’ve helped lots of DJs like you, as well as many live acts, with getting the best from PA systems, and I’ve been doing it for a long time – even longer than the 15 years I’ve been DJing. In that time I have used lots of different PA systems, in places from small wedding venues right up to festivals with tens of thousands of people.

30 Comments »

April 23rd, 2013 Training

Choosing The Right File Formats For Your Music Library

by Andre Shenoi

Music files come in all shapes and sizes, so it pays to decide upfront which file formats and quality you’re going to use, and be sure as to why.

In 5 Reasons To Organise Your Music Properly we explained the importance of having a music system, and in How To Get Started Organising Your Music we covered the basics of getting going.

So now we can delve into all the considerations you should make in order to make this a success. Even if you don’t consider yourself a “new” collector, the approach taken to starting a new music collection can be applied to existing libraries; you just choose to start at a different point in the journey.

47 Comments »

April 21st, 2013 Training

Over To You: Should I Trust My Ears Or My Level Meters?

by Phil Morse

With both channels playing, our reader is worried by the boost in output. Should he trust his level meter or his ears?

Digital DJ Tips reader James writes: “I am really in need of some advice on master output levels while mixing from one track to another. For example, when mixing two songs together, I’m monitoring the master output levels to keep the level exactly the same, but with certain styles of music I find that it can sound a bit flat.

“If I don’t focus with precision on the visible levels and do it by ear then it sounds how it should, but the master level jumps when both tracks are in the mix.

25 Comments »

April 20th, 2013 Training

Your Questions: Why Should People Buy On Beatport?

by Phil Morse

Beatport has built a formidable brand, but is it really the best place to buy dance music?

Digital DJ Tips reader Christoph from Germany writes: “My question is about why should people buy on Beatport if the track is not Beatport-exclusive. Every other store is cheaper and has the same file quality.

“On the face of it, it appears that there is no reason to spend more at Beatport. Is there anything more Beatport can give you that others, eg iTunes store or Amazon MP3, can’t?”

39 Comments »

Digital DJ Tips1>

Learn How To DJ With Digital DJ Gear

Tools & Workflow Ideas For Organising Your Music Library

by Andre Shenoi

Over To You: Should I Spend My Time DJing Or Producing?

by Phil Morse

Your Questions: How Much Should I Charge For My DJing?

by Phil Morse

Beginner’s Guide To PA Systems, Part 4: Cables & Soundchecking

by Terry 42

Over To You: How Do You Use The Genre Tag In iTunes?

by Phil Morse

Controller Clinic #25: Syncing My Controller With An Ableton DJ

by Phil Morse

An Essential Guide To Organising Your Music Library

by Andre Shenoi

The Proven, Secret, Time-Saving Trick Guaranteed To Get You DJing Success

by Phil Morse

Beginner’s Guide To PA Systems, Part 3: Amps & Speakers

by Terry 42

Over To You: My DJ Controller’s Phones Level Is Too Quiet

by Phil Morse

Your Questions: Can I Have Your Whole Tunes List Please?

by Phil Morse

Beginner’s Guide To PA Systems, Part 2: Common Questions

by Terry 42

Over To You: How Do I Stop Power Surges Wrecking My DJ Sets?

by Phil Morse

Controller Clinic #24: Confused About My First Step Into Digital

by Phil Morse

Beginner’s Guide To PA Systems, Part 1: Basics

by Terry 42

Choosing The Right File Formats For Your Music Library

by Andre Shenoi

Over To You: Should I Trust My Ears Or My Level Meters?

by Phil Morse

Your Questions: Why Should People Buy On Beatport?

by Phil Morse

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