If the future of djing isn't vinyl then.....

[Matt Jones]

If the future of djing isn't vinyl then what is the best digital way to do it. Maybe downloading trax in cd quality and then playing off cd dex is a better way to do it, if the downloading thing works that is. Maybe it would be better to use hard disk style dex where you transfer tracks from your laptop to the deck so you dont need disks. This way, if you start to think about it, would mean that eventually you could bypass a mixer and not even require two digital dex to mix, you could just use something like that Hercules console to mix - good for a bit of fun but taking a bit of the enjoyment away perhaps. With the cd route you still need dex and a mixer which is good because the performance thing is still there. I'm not leaving my vinyl roots just yet but i like the idea of digital downloads and keeping the same two dex and a mixer format but digitally. Any thoughts?

[Mirsha]

I think people will do whatever they are most comfertable with, there is no doub that mixing with digital media has become more acceptable, I remember a few years back when people would frown on things like Final Scratch as cheating somehow.

I think DJing off the back of CD's will continue to rise, people appreciate the convienence of not having to carry about two huge bags of vinyls to play a gig and the sheer ability to download a rare as hell track you have no chance of ever finding on vinyl and have it in your collection for your playing pleasure.

I can see Ableton coming into a lot more in many peoples eyes as well, the fact it's such a lovely production tool gets a lot of people into it and I can see people expanding on this to do DJ sets as well.

[Matt Jones]

I don't know a lot about Ableton, although i'm sure it is a fine remix and polished production DJ mix tool are you just sitting in front of a laptop looking at the screen? Do you incorporate it with other kit? Another thing is that i feel if mixing becomes very easy because there are beat matching aids with digital etc then i don't think it would be as enjoyable for me - i like to feel that sense of achievement when you've pulled off a cracking mix that required some skill.

[Mindful]

I don't know a lot about Ableton, although i'm sure it is a fine remix and polished production DJ mix tool are you just sitting in front of a laptop looking at the screen? Do you incorporate it with other kit? Another thing is that i feel if mixing becomes very easy because there are beat matching aids with digital etc then i don't think it would be as enjoyable for me - i like to feel that sense of achievement when you've pulled off a cracking mix that required some skill.

You can use a controller with live and most do.



And beatmatching is easy the puttiing together of music and sound is the skill ;)

[Apex Beat]

I still love watching people rock 1210's though, I liked it when I saw British Murder Boys, surgeon was using like three decks and regis was on the laptop and the microphone. Pretty cool stuff, personally just watching someone on a laptop isnt all that interesting but I suppose its the sound that counts.

[Mirsha]

I don't know a lot about Ableton, although i'm sure it is a fine remix and polished production DJ mix tool are you just sitting in front of a laptop looking at the screen? Do you incorporate it with other kit? Another thing is that i feel if mixing becomes very easy because there are beat matching aids with digital etc then i don't think it would be as enjoyable for me - i like to feel that sense of achievement when you've pulled off a cracking mix that required some skill.

Find the British Murder Boys set from last months Dogma that Geoff posted a few weeks back and have a listen to that, three hours all done on Ableton between Surgeon and Regis then judge for yourself how you really feel about it.

I can remember when people really didn't like the idea of Final Scratch either and just thought it would somehow take something away from a performance, all it took was for a few people to get behind it and show them that it doesn't before it started to become more acceptable and less people thought badly of it.

[Dai-boy]

I'm one of these people who was purely againest cd use but got introduced 2 the cdj1000 and could'nt believe how close it compared to using vinyl decks, with the added bonus of a loopin fx and a possible bpm increase of 100% not just 16 that 1210's can give u. I'm still abit skeptical about the use of ableton although it seems the way forward as dj's like sasha are using it and praising 2 the max, I just feel it will lead 2 self-distruction and the dj will no longer exist. i would like to be assured that this is not so.

[NFP]

I mix on cd dex more than vinyl and gotta admit a lot of djs I know still prefer vinyl to cd but I think its easier, on cd.
I don't think vinyl will ever go out to be honest with you too many djs swear by it. And many of the big hardhouse labels like tidy trax and vicious circle would definitely take a hit round the head, cause it's there biggest sellers.
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