Now curate your setlist in your browser

Prepping a new setlist for every new event can be a pain. Buying new tracks, crate digging, loading them onto your DJ software platform, transferring to USB. Not always ideal, and in the case of last-minute gigs, a straight up nightmare! One new development of interest to online course DJs might be of help. Meet Beatport DJ.

What is Beatport DJ? 

Beatport DJ is a web application that runs in your browser and aims to streamline a DJ’s workflow. Using the service, DJs are able to browse tracks in the Beatport catalog, search and build playlists and preview full tracks. You can even layer songs without having to download and import them to your software. Basically, Beatport has taken advantage of the fact that web browsers are feature-rich and sophisticated enough to process audio on the fly. 

Pros

Beatport DJ looks dope when it comes to track curation and high-quality, full track preview playback. The industry benefits when paid music services are done right. The service allows for cross-device playlist curation and serves as a hub for crate digging and more. Essentially, Beatport DJ is LINK on steroids. On the web. Oh, and while you’re on the web, level up your skills with an online DJ course.

Cons

To sign up, users require LINK, which is Beatport’s cloud subscription service currently starting at $15/mo.  Currently only available on Google Chrome web browser. Safari is being promised later in the year, along with mobile devices. Another challenge is the fight against the forces of subscriber lock-in. By its very nature, DJing track selection is (or perhaps used to be?) about having access to tracks that others can’t or don’t have. When everyone has access to the exact same catalog of conveniently categorized tunes, you might as well have DJ Suggesto-Bot running the event. 

But do check out Beatport DJ. There’s currently a 30-day free trial if you haven’t signed up for LINK yet. As per the official hype, Beatport DJ promises a “truly effortless experience that you would expect from dedicated desktop software”. And all things considered, it looks like a real time-saver for professional DJs on the road. For the rest of us, Beatport Link does look like a fancy new way to organize your library. As with all things tech, just remember to keep focused on the music! 

Using streaming services to DJ

There’s a discussion taking place about the role of integrated streaming services when DJing. Because wifi is so widely available and mobile data is cheaper than ever, it sorta makes sense to have instant access to 60 million songs rather than however many you carry on your flash drive. So should DJs use streaming services? Here are two reasons against (and one for) Spotifying your setlist.

Quality

With one less gatekeeper (the record label) in the path between the producer and the fan, more people than ever are self-publishing their work. Inevitably, this means a drop in the overall quality of what we hear. When the cost of manufacturing a track is so low, so is the average quality of the output. So beware. With repeat exposure, we’re training our ears to think average audio quality is good. Here’s a 22-minute doccie on that topic.

Convenience

Future mobile DJs are going to wonder how their predecessors dealt with bridezillas who absolutely needed to hear her favorite obscure 80s cut - right now! For events where your setlist is not fully decided, using integrated streaming services wins. You can’t beat having access to basically the entire catalog of recorded pop music. 

Conformity 

We’re outsourcing ever more of our brain and decision-making power to software. Recommended songs, automatically generated playlists and smart track selection are all features that are now available to DJs. “If you like that, you might like this.” Neat! Problem? Everyone taking the easiest possible route all the time leads to a gray goo of conformity. In the case of club nights, it leads to a setlist that doesn’t seem too different to the ones before and after it. Many of us still want DJing to reflect the personality and taste of the human being behind the decks. 

Contrary to what many DJs think, integrated streaming services aren’t a devilish attempt to turn us all into button-pushers. They’re just a new base of the pyramid. It’s simply a tradeoff. You get convenience and in return you sacrifice some personality and culture. So choose where you want to be on the pyramid, and work for it. A good place to start? One of the DJ Courses Online course options.

Why DJ pools make sense

Joining a DJ pool makes life easier. When you’re part of a DJ record pool, you have access to a library of curated tracks and DJ edits which serve as food for commercial DJ audiences. Tracks that aren’t widely available to the public. Let’s check out a few of the advantages of being part of a record pool.

DJ pools make sense

Being part of a pool makes sense because not every DJ needs to have completely exclusive access to 100% of their tracks. There’s overlap. There should be, if playing hot tracks is your aim. People like what other people like, and being part of a pool means having access to the stuff that’s being pre-promoted the most widely. Just remember that in order to stand out, you gotta have some cuts that the others don’t!

DJ edits

Pools sometimes include edits to the master tracks. Intros, outros, instrumentals, censored versions, acapellas, remixes, tempo transition tracks, and so on. Stuff that gives you options. Platforms are constantly announcing and adding DJ edit versions. This week, Beatsource is leading the charge with a first-ever delivery of licensed edits by artists like Fat Joe, Busta Rhymes, Rich The Kid, Anderson Paak and more.

Widen the library

Buying music is expensive, especially when you’re finding your audience. Professional DJs all obtain their music legally, both to support the industry and to avoid the risk of playing bad quality. Bar and restaurant gigs can last for hours, so having a big library makes sense. DJ pools make it possible to do so at a fraction of the cost.

You get the point? Join a DJ record pool. Here’s a good list of where to start. DJ record pools allow you to access music which isn’t accessible by the general public, and there are some hoops to jump through. But having access to the goods will spark new enthusiasm for your DJ career. 

New management for Traktor parent company

Native Instruments, the creators of DJ software Traktor, is under new ownership. In January 2021, it was announced that Native Instruments, EMH Partners, and Francisco Partners are selling the majority shares to the investment firm Francisco Partners. What could it mean for Traktor and the world of professional touring DJs who have made their names using it? 

DJ software changes

This official forum post points to the future building of some type of “Google One” version of Native Instruments called “One Native”. Native Instruments openly states their aim to create a “seamless user experience”, one which is based on community needs. All standard corporate waffle, by the sounds of it, and somehow generally well-received by the commenters. But where does Traktor fit into it all?

The future of Traktor

Development on Traktor has basically ground to a halt in recent times. In the latest announcement, there was no mention of the DJ software, with most of the news focusing on their Maschine and Komplete platforms. In the reshuffle, will Traktor be able to keep up with the more rapidly developing competition, or is it on the way to becoming abandonware? There are many choices for software DJs! 

Allen & Heath to purchase Traktor?

All we’ve had are rumors, but the idea has been floating around that Allen & Heath might purchase the Traktor division of Native Instruments. This makes far more sense given the relative brand awareness and DJ-friendly support of Allen & Heath. Traktor may have been a reason to jump aboard the Native Instruments ship years ago. But now it seems to have fallen into disrepair. A buyout and overhaul by A&H would be largely welcomed by DJs who use Traktor.

Companies which thrive by selling digital products do so by measuring their users in precise detail and by incentivizing repeat payments over once-off purchases. By the sounds of it, Native Instruments is gearing up to lock their existing users into some kind of subscription model. Let’s wait and see. While you’re waiting, how about checking out the free preview video of the DJ Courses Online Traktor course?

Mixcloud Live to the rescue?

Here’s the problem: you’re trying to keep your head above water as a professional DJ. But right now, you’re basically not allowed to leave your house, let alone play out at a club. One solution might have been livestreaming your set to drum up some donation or subscription cash. But Facebook - home to the masses - keeps killing your stream due to licensing issues. What can be done? Fortunately, you’re not the only one who’s been thinking about it. Mixcloud Live has exited their beta phase and come to the rescue of many struggling DJs with a platform that allows them to stream on a legal and licensed platform.

OBS-friendly

It would be tempting for Mixcloud to launch their own proprietary version of OBS in order to maximize user lock-in. But for now it seems as though your favorite open-source broadcaster is still the go-to for streaming to Mixcloud Live. Great! No switching costs.

Producers get paid

Producers sure are gonna be happy about this. The best part about Mixcloud Live is that copyright holders get paid. You can sort of get away with it on Twitch, and YouTube does pay rights holders, but only if their music is pre-registered with a publisher or mechanical rights collection agency like Audiam.

The downside

Mixcloud Live currently requires a Pro membership, which costs $15/month to use. Why should you pay when you can stream for free on YouTube? The short answer is based in psychology. Free costs nothing because the creators don’t value the work enough to charge for all of it. Pro costs something because they do. The power of paid content platforms is both in attracting the quality and deterring the amateurs. Choice is always yours.

Mixcloud Live is breaking new ground. Not as a streaming platform - that’s all been done - but as a legal, licensed and fair way to keep DJing alive in a time of crisis. Be the change you want to see by considering signing up and streaming your sets to a new category of fans - the ones that are serious about what you do. While you’re at it, think about advancing your own DJ skills by signing up for a course by DJ Courses Online.

How Final Scratch shaped DJ history

Where would vinyl DJing be without Stanton’s Final Scratch, the first DJ-centric software solution which transformed DJing entirely? It took a while for most DJs to adapt to using CDs, even well into the CDJ era. Vinyl was considered more tactile and ‘real’ than CDs. But the options for playing on turntables were drying up as clubs began replacing their house systems.

Beyond hardware DJing 

Before Serato DJing courses were a thing, DJing was exclusively a hardware activity. It was either CDJs or vinyl. Then Final Scratch worked out a way to control computers with vinyl records using DVS (Digital Vinyl System) technology. Final Scratch DJs use special records with timecodes that send a modulated signal to the audio interface. This allows the computer to know exactly where in the track a DJ was. 

Bridging the gap

Final Scratch did more than bridge a gap between vinyl and digital. It pretty much shouldered the task of keeping vinyl alive. In 2003, the software was ultimately bought by Native Instruments and renamed Traktor Scratch. This allowed further options, such as MIDI control, and effectively democratized the market by kickstarting the era of bedroom DJing.

Software vs true vinyl

Spinning wax is now a pretty niche thing, even with the assistance of Traktor or Serato timecode records. The advantages to using software-encoded vinyl (over actual vinyl) are mostly that you’re able to play stuff unavailable on vinyl. You can also do digital stuff like keylocking, pitching, looping and more. Software-encoded vinyl is generally more sturdy on wobbly dance floors, and some software has functionality to avoid needle skips.

As with previous DJ innovators, Final Scratch revolutionized DJing. Controllerism was born. DJing made its way to laptops, allowing for even more librarianship. Without question, Final Scratch contributed to the ongoing wellbeing of DJing three decades into the digital era and gave birth to a hunger for the online DJ courses and workshops that we see today.

Getting serious about online DJing

Right now, it’s as if someone has turned the global economy upside down and is shaking it just to see what falls out. The arts are usually first in line when budget cuts come rolling around, so it’s not surprising that many of us have shrugged at the idea of being a professional DJ in lockdown times. But here’s why it makes sense. 

Produce your own music

It really can now pay to own intellectual property. But having a DJ hobby is a little different to making software or online courses. You don’t actually own the beats, and it’s likely that trying to sell your DJ mixes is gonna end badly for you when the rights holders find out. So if you’re serious about DJing, it’s time to start producing your own music.

Do more live shows

You’re going to want to capitalize on people’s boredom, even in an age of infinite entertainment. There’s currently nothing cooler than seeing some stuff happening live online, especially when you get to be involved. Gaming has the lion’s share of live streaming, but DJing is up there. Get a Twitch account for DJing (or Restream, for multiple platforms) and start sharing your skill as a DJ with a few random strangers. Keep showing up. You will get followers. Make it visually interesting.

Offer video content

DJ Courses Online has been offering tutorial DJ courses for years now. It’s obviously better following a paid, professional coach than someone who’s learning on the job. But you have a shot at a following, too. Start a YouTube channel where you share your knowledge with a specific audience. It could be in your home language. It could be software-specific. The aim is to find the others, and the method is by being really specific and continuing to show up with something of value.

OK, a confession: all of the above advice could apply to any profession, not just DJing. Online content is still new, and most of us aren’t quite convinced enough in its staying power to trust it yet. But the multiverse of YouTube channels, Facebook pages and Twitch live streams is here to stay. Start sowing your seeds by sharing your passion for DJing and giving something of value to the community. Even if it’s just a friendly face.

Mixing unusual styles

Mixing house and hip hop are still the twin pillars of basic DJing techniques. Wherever you are in the world, either one of the two styles are the backbone of partying. As a DJ, it’s worth knowing your way around both, even if you’re only a fan of one of them. But what about other musical rhythms that require their own alternative styles of mixing?

Dub & reggae

Wanna know why it’s called dubstep? The rhythm of dubstep mimics the half-time reggae beat popularized by Jamaican producers like King Tubby and Lee Scratch Perry in the 1970s. Skrillex basically drew inspiration from reggae! Although dub is not dance music by any stretch of the imagination, DJs could take a page out of its book. Mixing music means first understanding a core rhythm. If you’re not familiar with half-time rhythms, give mixing dub reggae a go!

Breakbeat, breakcore

Mixing breakbeat music can be tricky. Unlike house music, most breakbeat places its identity in the hands of fidgety drum patterns that can be inconsistent from one track to the next. On average, there are more than two kicks per bar. As such, there’s sometimes no clear’one’ and ‘three’ beats that can be used to anchor the mix. But done successfully, mixes can resemble pleasingly scattershot rushes of snares, hats and percussion elements. And you’ll impress the UK party crowd if you can do it!

Glitch hop

Artists like Opiou and Slynk have put their stamp on this (admittedly Eurocentric) instrumental style, which favors erratic and raw sounding beats over the smoothness of deep house and EDM. Makes for good practice! Added to the complexity of mixing this style is the typical swing groove, which can throw off your efforts to sync up the hi hats during the mix. It’s fertile terrain to see if your skills extend beyond auto-sync house music mixing. Listen to Slynk and give it a bash!

Getting out of your genre comfort zone is a great way to level up. Not only are you forced to listen to new types of music, but you’re also stretching your techniques and familiarizing yourself with the mainstream offshoots. There are also a ton of ways to level up, so check out the DJ Techniques I course by DJ Courses Online today.

How to choose an online DJ course

There are tons of ways to learn DJing. You can spend your life on YouTube, or find an online course or even just jump in with live streaming. You can read up on new software. You can acquire new gear and hope that gets you places. But ultimately it’s about the practice. If you have a few hours a week to focus on learning to DJ online, here are a few ways to help you narrow the search.

Learn from multiple DJs

When you’re trying to create your own style, you have to unlearn. It’s a total win having a pro like Jon Sine or Laidback Luke giving you all their tips for free via their channels. But at some point, you’ll need to challenge your own teachers’ methods in order to create your own. So yeah, start with the free content to find your bearings. And when you’re ready to level up, select a course by other professionals with a different take on DJing. 

Specific software or hardware

You might already have decided that you’re never going to be a turntable DJ. That narrows things down to software, hardware or decks. For example, check out this approach to DJing with Ableton Live. Take it further and decide where you’d like to start. There are a range of options available to first-time DJs. We recommend starting with the gear you already have. If that’s a laptop and a controller, find a course that suits your setup. Don’t pretend that once you have the gear you’ll automatically be good. You can expand your rig as you go.

Learn by music style

Only ever want to play house music? Makes things simpler, doesn’t it? And we love simple. So begin by collecting a selection of killer house tracks that reflect your style, and jump in. Pro career tip: when you’re starting out, you don’t need to have the skills and selection to please everyone. Just find a few people who love what you do, and do it for them. For free, at first. Then leverage. 

The trick to making progress as a DJ (or anything for that matter) is to form a habit. To make it so that you’re never hunting RCA cable adapters. Everything should always be ready to go at the flick of a switch. Forget the numbers of followers for a while and focus on being good. Like, actually being good. Takes time, but that’s the way to ultimate DJ glory.

The 2020 global DJ wrap

What a year. We say that every year, but...man. What a year. Like many other activities, DJing was forced out of its comfort zone and into a new era. Plans were made, changed and then cancelled. People under lockdown rekindled their passion for the artform. And we all learned a thing or two about following our passions and becoming better DJs by learning from the pros.. Here’s a brief wrap of what went down in 2020 in the world of DJing.

Live streaming blastoff

In the absence of in-person events, most of us turned to live streaming our DJ sets. To be fair, live streaming was always around, but this year was its graduation. If you’re DJing today and aren’t in with the new live streaming normal, you might find interest in your sets dwindle from here on. Event bookers especially now want you to show your work. Everyone is now live streaming.

Cloud collections

One of the biggest obstacles for new DJs is building their music collection. We’re now past the era where everyone needs an external hard drive with their own tracks. No wonder that four major companies began offering the ability to stream tracks directly from online collections. As it stands, Beatport, Beatsource, TIDAL and SoundCloud now all offer DJs the much-needed respite from local storage. Notably, Spotify opted out of this opportunity in July 2020 in a terminating of their agreement with Algoriddim’s djay software.

Stem separation

Perhaps the most exciting development has been the widespread introduction of stem separation in DJ software like Virtual DJ and Algoriddim. Giving DJs the ability to mix the separate elements of a track (drums, music and vocals) rather than full tracks has really widened the playing field for creative and innovative developments in DJing. We now have separate faders for the drums, harmonies and vocals! Sure, it has a way to go, but we’re on track to some mind-blowing new DJ mixes. 

It’s safe to say that we can all breathe a sigh of relief now that the year has come to a close. It’s been a whirlwind. But we’re still here, and we’re still DJing. The key is to keep moving forwards and upwards towards our goals. So if you’re looking for a boost, consider checking out one of the DJ Courses by DJ Courses Online today.

How the Vestax VCI-100 shaped DJ history

The year was 2006. DJing had come a long way since its inception in the early 70s as a way to keep the dancefloor alive. The founding pillars had been built. Select. Mix. Scratch. Tweak. But learning to DJ using Traktor wasn’t really a widespread thing yet, and DJing was still an artform that seemed reserved for the few. A technical skill that was inaccessible to the masses. But that was about to change

Enter Vestax

The Vestax VCI-100 controller arrived in 2006, and brought with it a new era. One which shifted the landscape of digital DJing into the mainstream. For the first time, the average laptop owner could easily use a CDJ-style controller to select, mix, scratch and tweak effects using only one unit. And it only cost $600.

Keeping it simple

There were predecessors, of course. Most notably, the Hercules DJConsole. But it had limitations. You couldn’t scratch with the jog dials. There were no effect controls. The layouts didn’t make sense. It was only with the VCI-100 that these limitations were replaced with an intuitive and familiar layout. The trick was to keep it simple, with a layout that resembled Pioneer’s benchmark setup of two-decks and a mixer.

The arms race

The release of the VCI-100 set off a type of manufacturing arms race in the controller market. Soon, Pioneer, Denon and Native Instruments all began work on releasing a competitively priced and simplified version of their flagship controllers. The end result was the release of controllers like the MC6000, the DDJ-SX, and Kontrol S4. Although the company has since folded, Vestax has left its mark on DJ history with the VCI-100.

And so, one more item was added to the list of products that shaped DJ history. It started with the Technics, SL-1200. The PMX 9000 pushed it into the mainstream. Pioneer’s CDJ-1000s helped DJing cross over into the digital space. And finally, the Vestax VCI-100 made bedroom DJing a thing. Keen to level up? Here’s the preview from the DJ Courses Online Traktor 101 Course by instructor (and former Native Instruments employee) Nick Trikakis.

Understanding DJ set copyright takedowns

Copyright rules seem to be going hard. Many livestream DJs have had that heart-sinking feeling when a notice appears on their screen saying they’re being muted. Or even cut off. But it’s more complex than just rights holders dampening the fun. When you’re done learning how to DJ using one player, check out more on the current copyright wars happening in the livestream and mix video space. 

The two rights of every track

There’s a right to be paid when your musical composition is played, and a right to be paid when your sound recording is played. These are two separate rights. If you created a song (melody, lyrics, etc) and then produced and recorded it yourself, you’re owed for both rights. If you have released a cover version, then only one of them. Anyone who wants to use either of these rights in their new musical composition needs a license. Get it? 

Granting a license

As a holder of copyright, you grant someone a license when 

• They publicly perform the song. Not necessarily perform, like with a live band. ‘Perform’ in this case also means play back the record, like in a DJ set. 

• They record a cover version of the composition

• They synchronize the composition to film or video and make it available on-demand

So DJs are technically in the first camp. When you spin a record that you didn’t write, you (or whoever is organizing the event) technically owes the rights holder something. 

It gets super complicated. The music industry is a pretty murky place when it comes to legalities, but here’s what you need to know about DJing copyrighted material: if you play other people’s music, the artists should get paid. Without this basic agreement, the production of good music ends. Livestream platforms like Twitch and Facebook Live are tired of being hit with potential lawsuits, and have decided to block playback. 

It’s a weird time, and nobody really has a solution which suits everyone. Big companies like Amazon seem to want to help, but have yet to invent a sustainable way to genuinely support DJ culture. Watch this space. And while you’re watching it, watch a few preview videos from the online DJ courses offered by DJ Courses Online. Ever wonder how to do a proper backspin?

How Pioneer’s CDJ-1000s shaped DJ history

There was a time when DJs used vinyl records. Not because they were super niche and hip, but because flash drives hadn’t been invented yet. Actually, neither had CDs. So when CDs came along, with their superior storage ability and audio clarity, most DJs had to find a way to navigate the transition. Just like you have to navigate the transition from being a bedroom noob DJ to a serious one with one of the DJ courses by DJ Courses Online. Read on.

The vinyl problem

At the time of its release, the Pioneer CDJ-1000 was an ingenious solution to the problem most DJs were facing: how to acquire music that was not being released on vinyl as it made its way out of the door and CDs made their way in. DJs were stuck in vinyl, and the world was moving on. CD players could do the job of playback, but there was almost none of the control that DJs needed to keep the floor moving. No scratch control, no easy way to transport, no crossfading curves.

Enter the jog wheel

The first model of CDJs was released by Pioneer in 2001. It rivaled the Technics 1200 in innovation by introducing the revolutionary, never-seen-before jog wheel. The functionality of vinyl had arrived in the world of CD DJing. Using the (now omnipresent) 7-inch, top-mounted disc encoder, DJs could slow and speed the track. And even better, they could scratch. It was the perfect bridge for vinyl DJs to adapt to the clearly superior digital world, and adoption was quick and (almost) universal. 

Other wins for DJs

There were even more reasons to switch. CDJs offered cue points, allowing DJs to jump to a specific part of a track. This ushered in the age-old hip hop technique of looping breaks and hooks to hype the crowds. Due to the relative weight of CDs and the fact that MP3 encoding would soon become the norm, travel was made a whole lot easier while also offering more track options to DJs.

It’s hard to imagine any club without a pair of CDJs somewhere in the booth. They’re still the global standard for professional event playback, and it all started with the market-focused release of the CDJ-1000s. The design still serves as a source of inspiration for many gear designs today. As we move into an ever more streaming-focused world, let’s pause for a minute in retrospect and all hail the aptly-named Pioneer’s most significant contribution to DJing. Speaking of contributing, you should get better at DJing by checking out what DJ Courses Online offers in the way of online DJ courses.

Three DJ developments 2020 brought us

It’s been a heck of a year. But the release of new music hasn’t slowed down, and the demand for DJing has continued to grow as more people stuck at home searched their lost and lonely lockdown souls for the type of meaning music gives us all. DJing is here to stay, albeit in a new form, so embrace the changes by leveling up your DJ skills with one of our online DJ courses. And check out a few things 2020 brought us. 

Track stem separation

Sure, the ability to play back separate elements of a track has been around for a while. But with the launch of new AI tech like DJay Pro’s Neural Mix and Virtual DJ’s Real-Time Stem Separation (among others), the future of DJing has truly arrived. Again. As the ability to mix individual components of a track becomes more accessible, expect for a wave of acapellas being played back over tracks for which they weren’t written. 

Virtual events and live streaming

With the Great Plague of 2020 seemingly posing less and less of a threat as the year winds up, may we all raise our heads and breathe a collective sigh. And then may we thank our virulent overlords for one good thing to come from the year - the mass adoption of livestreaming and virtual events as a source of income and exposure for lockdown DJs. Might not be much for most of us, but we’ve crossed that bridge now. Onwards towards a future where we can all live in the countryside and make a living spinning our favorite records. 

Copyright rumbles

In 2020, Facebook banned all playback of copyrighted material, severely limiting the ability of livestreaming DJs to access their (often) primary audiences. Mixcloud cut a deal with rights holders for over a million tracks. TikTok played them without permission and with a come-and-get-us attitude. Twitch asked out loud if we can’t all get along. A range of reactions to a sticky subject: who pays for streaming of copyrighted material? As usual, it’s a terribly weedy path to navigate and we won’t get into it here. But let’s just say as of 2020, copyright is square in the spotlight. 

The art of DJing is getting way more interesting, and apparently converging ever more with the fate of our chosen tech platforms. DJing might seem to be developing into something of a winner-takes-all competition for access to walled garden content. But make no mistake. If there’s one activity that relies on the type of tasteful human curation that currently can’t be emulated, synthesized or procedurally generated, it’s the act of DJing. Choose to be a part of it with one of the DJ courses by DJ Courses Online. And hey, have a great festive season.

How the PMX 9000 mixer shaped DJing

One of the earliest pioneers of DJ hardware was the PMX 9000 Crossfader DJ Mixer. Today, the PMX 9000 might look like something you’d use to block a door from slamming in the wind, but at the time it was an innovative (and expensive) piece of hardware. And one that paved the way for DJ techniques that persist to this day. Let’s check out some of the debts that professional DJs owe to this historic piece of gear. 

Crossfading

First introduced in 1979, the PMX 9000 was one of the first mass-produced DJ mixers. And the first to use a crossfader. Without the crossfader, we wouldn’t have scratching, beat juggling and beat matching. Simply put, the 9000 turned DJing into a sport. It wasn’t long before Gemini, Numark and Vestax followed with their own version of PMX-style mixers.

Going mainstream 

Although the PMX featured no per-channel EQ or gain, it did manage to spark off competition between other audio manufacturing companies. Pretty soon, it became clear that DJing wasn’t just for the type of people who assembled their own ham radios; it was now becoming cool, and accessible to the mainstream. 

History in the making

The PMX 9000 kickstarted sparked many new developments in the field of DJ mixers. Developments like 3-band EQs, per-channel cue and crossfader curves. All of these are considered standard parts of the DJ practice to this day, and without them we wouldn’t have Grandmaster Flash or his disciples.

DJ history is peppered with stories of frontier-pushing development and artistry. We have many pioneers to acknowledge, all of whom had one thing in common - their desire to level up. So level up yourself! Check out some of the DJ tutorial video courses on offer today.

Livestream your DJ set from your phone

Travel back in time. Try explaining the fact that we all carry computers in our pockets to someone from the 1950s. You’ll get locked up. And while you’re there, you’ll have some time to do a bit a reading on subjects that interest you. Stuff like how to livestream your DJ set from your phone. Ready to level up? Here we go.

It’s a hack

There’s currently no magic one-stop shop for livestreaming your set from your phone, so it’s a bit of a workaround. You’ll need to get a tripod with a phone grip holder, a few special audio cables and an external soundcard. But once you’re up and running, “Look ma, no laptop!”

What do I need

OK first off, the software (app) for your phone is called Larix Broadcaster. Install it. Then go ahead and order EvermixBox4, which is the audio interface that you’ll need. Here’s a video on how it works. You’ll be running audio from your mixer to the EvermixBox4 into your phone, so buy the appropriate ⅛” TRS and TRRS cables to make that connection. 

Where do I stream?

Twitch is the most popular option. Mixcloud Live is the premium option. Mixcloud is a great platform for livestream DJs, and reasonably priced. You get a free month trial. YouTube is an option, but it’s probably going to flag you for one or more of your tracks. Avoid Facebook until they manage to make a deal with the rights holders. 

Remember, this is just a broad overview of the process, and you’ll need to do some more work in figuring it out. But the results will be a more mobile, agile and portable DJ live stream experience that puts you at the front of the artform. Half the job is always figuring out the tech! The other half is knowing how to put on a show. Check out some of the showmanship techniques used by professional DJs in the Advanced DJ Techniques course by DJ Courses Online.

2020 World DJ Championships goes virtual

News from the world of competitive DJing: the World DJ Champs is currently slated to take place from November 16th until the final on November 27th. The competition will be virtual-only for 2020. Find out more as the world’s best turntablist DJs go head to head for the title. And while you’re here, check out our Serato Itch/Scratch DJ course.

Event details

The 35th Technics/DMC World DJ Championships has announced that the 2020 virtual edition of the Champs will take place from the 16th to the 27th November. It was announced in September that the event would be held entirely online due to the coronavirus pandemic. There’s already a whole lot of submission material from the pre-finalist participants on the official site.

How it works this year

Every country with a ruling DMC governing body is hosting its Online National Championships while all the other countries are competing in a "Rest of the World" battle. The National Championships performance has a duration of four minutes.

Schedule and participants

Since September, the contenders have been battling it out for a spot amongst the top 10. On 16th November, the final ten turntablists will be announced. These are the participants from 15 World Elimination Finalists. The current finalists include JFB (UK), Immortal (USA), DJ Dino (Algeria), DJ Kitsos (Greece), and Tony J Kut (France). Fellow Frenchman DJ Skillz is the reigning champ and has taken the title for the last two years running. 

To watch the championships, head over to the Championships 2020 website on 27th November. Check the schedule for regional times. Get hyped up by some of the existing uploads by the pre-finalists. And most importantly, get yourself back into vinyl with a DJ course by DJ Courses Online!

Organizing Your Virtual DJ Library

There’s a buzz about Virtual DJ right now. Not only is the former underdog of DJ software leading the charge in the field of realtime stem separation, but also because they’re attracting the type of development that truly benefits professional DJs. Let’s check out a new dev by DJ Conversion Utility which helps make your library work easier.

DJ librarian?

The stems thing is fun, but DJing is actually in the data. We DJs get our tracks from many sources and mostly need a reliable way to organize our track libraries across multiple different sources. Now, using a piece of software called DJ Conversion Utility, we’re able to convert our track libraries from Traktor, Rekordbox and Serato to Virtual DJ.

Two-way conversion

Up until now, the software allowed conversion from Virtual DJ to other platforms but now it works both ways. The software creators have also announced the ability to convert playlists directly to Serato crates, whereas before they were only converted to iTunes playlists. 

Get into it

That’s the big news. Now what does it imply? For one thing, it makes Virtual DJ look even more attractive than before as it promises to take at least some of the pain out of DJ librarianship. The software is currently priced at 19.50 Euros on Sellfy. Unfortunately, Mac users only for now. The developers have created a couple of YouTube tutorials for DJs on how to get it working. 

The love-hate relationship with the totally non-glamorous side of DJ has its toll. Fortunately, we’re never alone, and only ever a forum thread or two away from finding the fixes. Check out the Level III DJ Techniques course by DJ Courses Online today and join the DJ gang.

How the Technics 1200 Created DJing

DJing has come a long way since 1970, when the first recognizable DJ turntable was released. In this series, we’re looking at a few historic innovations that went on to change DJing forever. First up, the Technics 1200 DJ Turntable. Wanna DJ vinyl? Check out the Serato Scratch Live course by DJ Courses Online today.

The OG of DJ gear

The Technics 1200 was the first turntable to really focus exclusively on the needs of the DJ. It made its debut way back in 1970 and undoubtedly led to the hip-hop revolution which came as a precursor to DJing. Inventions have included direct drive motors, tonearms in an S-shape and platters which allow nudging. To this day, Technics is still the most celebrated brand amongst DJs.

Pitch control and direct drive

The 6% pitch control fader began allowing DJs to mix records at different tempos, fully enabling the concept of a DJ set and an unbroken dance floor. Direct drive motors prevented wear and tear on the standard belt-driven turntables that came before. The power of the motor also allowed the platter to be stopped and then started up again without major lags. Any hardware will still cause occasional DJ problems, but on the whole the 1200 was a sturdy beast.

Tonearm

Ever wondered why the tonearm of a deck is S-shaped? In contrast to a straight arm, the shape allows for tracking stability. Along with the super-useful tracking light for dark places and a heavy-duty metal build, the turntable provided enough value to assure its place in DJ history. Check out this cool slideshow showing the development of the Technics 1200 over time.

It wasn’t long before Technics released the 1210 line of turntables, successors which went on to become the de facto standard in clubs. And basically every turntable since has drawn on the original design. DJing has come a long way. Claim your spot in the DJ story by checking out the preview videos from the Serato Scratch Live DJ course by DJ Courses Online.

DJing with acapellas

As a DJ, you have to be unique. To have something the others done. That thing could be a classy selection, a specific mixing technique, or an acapella. Acapellas - the isolated vocal stems of a track - are an established way to bring your own flavor to a track, set or mashup. Let’s get into a few ways in which acapellas bring the heat.   

Transitions

Acapellas are great for atmospheric transitions between tracks or to bridge two different tempos in your set. When used in isolation, they can be stuttered, mangled, stretched and otherwise affected to create a palette cleanser between tracks or tempos. Tricks like this should be used sparingly, but can create the type of moment that stops conversations and gets people excited about whatever you’re about to drop. Just a couple of things you figure out when learning to DJ.

Mashups

The best part about acapellas is finding a matching key and simply plugging them into other tracks. Tracks they weren’t designed for. For example, playing an acapella in G over a track in C creates an interval difference which teases the audience. Try it out. Use acapellas to create these moments can result in  some stellar mixes.

Fun!

It’s a fact that vocal music is more interesting than instrumental music. No doubt about it. Acapellas make human ears perk up (especially when they contain those saucy lyrics). A beautiful female voice caked in reverb with a banging beat is a great way to get people onto the floor. Use acapellas for DJ mix transitions and to show them you know your stuff. 

All major DJ software is now equipped to incorporate acapellas into your set. Grab some acapellas from Voclr.it or Acapellas4u. If you’re stuck in Track A/B mode or want to otherwise level up your set, using acapellas in your DJ sets is your next step. Checking out one of the DJ courses from DJ Courses Online is another good way to level up!