Most music calamities at DJ events are as a result of a software issue. Programs are the bottlenecks through which a lot of (analog) audio usually passes. Unlike fixing a faulty cable, our inability to easily pop the hood of a computer program usually causes more trouble than hardware. Let’s understand a little more about how Serato and Traktor DJs solve their software problems on the fly.
File not recognized
One common problem when DJing is when your software or decks fail to recognize a file. The dreaded ‘file not recognized’ issue can come as a surprise, particularly when you’re playing on a set of decks that belongs to the club. Or something on the older side. While it is a bummer being denied your banger, you can usually just skip to the next track. Best solution? Do your research into which decks are buggy, and know your downloads. Here’s a nice brief overview of how different file types tend to behave.
Laptop updates
It’s incredible how laptops seem to time their software updates right as you’re about to play a gig. If you’ve ever been unfortunate enough to see a ‘please wait while XXXX updates’ message, you’ll know what we mean. It’s enough to give a DJ a stroke. Laptop DJs: disable automatic updates on your event machine. You’re welcome. Here’s a DJ that pranks the crowd with a Windows error message song.
The oldest fix in the book
When all else fails, restart your laptop. Obviously not the most awesome thing to happen mid-set. That’s why you should always have an emergency mix loaded up on your phone, plugged into the desk via an aux cable. In the time it takes for you to diagnose the problem and restart your main machine, you can hit play on your phone and if you’re lucky, the crowd will be none the wiser. You should come prepared to every gig with an emergency switch-and-reboot setup. It fixes most software problems and also beats 7 minutes of silence.
Ah, software. The solution to (and cause of) all of life’s inconveniences. Software is eating the world, but that doesn’t mean you have to be a victim of it. In fact, learning how to use your gear better is the only way you’re gonna get on top of it. Learn from YouTubers, or learn from professional DJs. Either way, have a banging set!