Two turntables...

[\/\/illy]

By "track it", do you mean chop it up into individual .WAV files? If so, I use CD Wav for that task.

As do I. That being said though, I am interested in what else I can find to do the task. The reason being, I'd love to use the time 'countdown' feature I've seen on some CDs when I track live shows. That way, at the end of a song, it can 'countdown' to the beginning of the next song. That would resolve the difficult task of deciding at what point one song ends and another begins. Does that make any sense?

[Bennyd]

I hate to say it but the black crack is a way of the past. I was at the Winter Music Conference http://www.internetdj.com/article.php?storyid=750

in south beach this year and all of the best Dj's are going digital. I was talking to Gabrial and Dresdan and their insights were amazing. With the amount of music out there for Djs from file sharing companys like www.beatport.com why would anyone want to buy records. Not to mention the cases of records you have to lug around, compared to a memory stick. Any way if your going to by turntables go for digital. I would recommend the Technics SL-DZ1200 it lets you store, playback, scratch and loop sampled media from a removable SD memory card with the feel of a ten in. direct drive plate. the Stanton T80 is also a good choice for beginners with less money. I have used them both and love the new medium. 3 years ago they all sucked but now they are nice. I-pod even has a new unit that allows you to plug two I-pods into it an Dj from there. You would probably benefit by going out and buying a copy of remix mag. to learn about the new stuff out on the market.

And for people who resist the change from records to digital, I think is goes against everything that this music has come to symbolize.

I am interested in knowing what people think about this.

Aside: The coolest thing I saw at the WMC was a program for Mac that lets you play pong on the two turntables while you play a pre-mixed set (Weddings, Birthdays ect...) so it looks like you are actually Djing when in reality your just hitting a digital ball back and forth

[CyberHippie]

I hear what you are saying Benny. The studio I've been playing at also has two cd turntable like devices. It just isn't the same though.

It's so hard to define the difference between vinyl and digital. But vinyl just seems more real, intimate and tactile. You can see the music and feel the music. With digital it just seems cold, removed and synthesized...

Seems to me vinyl is making a big comeback right now. But based on what Benny is saying it could be shortlived... I dunno though, playing a record is just so very different from playing a cd.

[PalacePrincess]

as someone who fully enjoys and appreciates the immense skill and talent involved in scratching (aka "turtablism"), i can honestly tell you i would be bored to tears watching someone do that with anything but records. in fact, i wouldn't watch.

you don't get to be part of the invisible skratch picklz by being a digital sissy. mixmaster mike, dj jazzy jeff, q-bert, a-track, heck, even kid koala, are all up there as some of the favourite live acts i've seen. some of the stuff people can do with records will blow your mind. try and find footage of world dmc champion dj david ('90 & '91). doing it digitially just seems like a half-assed sell-out attempt to me. like anyone could do it well.

people who love vinyl will forever love vinyl. the weight, the way it feels in your hands, hell, even the smell of a new record drives people crazy. flipping through records is so much more satisfying than turning an i-pod dial or clicking a mouse -- and that will never change. i've been around a lot of djs and there has to be something said about that special feeling of going through your bins of records, selecting all those awesome crazy tracks (that no one but you has) for your set that night, and loading up your crate. records really are like black crack to those who love them (if you don't believe me, go record shopping with one of these people. make sure you clear about 6 hours to do so ).

as far as digital being more convenient than lugging a crate of records, sure, maybe. but i'm going to be mighty pissed if i've paid money to see someone who approaches their set that night like it's just a job, looking for the easiest and most convenient way to get it done. i want to see practice, perfection and passion for it. i want to see meticulously applied pieces of tape on double copies of thriller, and tons of finger smudges, betraying hours of practice. i want to see hands and fingers flying so fast across the decks and the mixer it takes me a second to figure out what is even happening. i want to be extra shocked and impressed because they're doing it with records.

how the heck is dj david supposed to finish off his set by doing a windmill ON the turntable? he'd break one of those digital puppies!

king:

p.s. MamaPink... "calling all cars, calling all cars...."

[MamaPink]

round and round and round and round .... thanks PP... I almost had that video out of my head after all these years. It really was a great moment... maybe not great enough to watch a bajilliontrillionmillion times, but it was great.

I'd love to get my hands on that invisible skratch picklz (sp?) video again...

[bradm]

I'd love to get my hands on that invisible skratch picklz (sp?) video again...

Is it one of these?

Aloha,

Brad

[MamaPink]

wow, that was quick bradm! But those aren't the ones The one I remember had all 3 of them playing together. It's very impressive! (from what I remember, anyways)

[questcequecest?]

Grandmaster Roc Raida of the X-Ecutioners is playing at PJC soon.. don't recall the date. If you need a fix of heady hiphop beat juggling and turntable wizardry at it's best, this is your chance!!

Also, DJ Vadim will be at PJC soon too, with BluRum and some chick performing as 'One Self' Another chance to see some fine turntablism.

As far as digital DJ'ing goes, I imagine it's the dancefloor dj's making the change, not so much the hip hop dj's. Sasha and Digweed can lick deeeez nuuutz.

[fluffhead77]

Roc Raida is playing buffalo on Friday

and Vadim is great, in fact you really can't go wrong with ANYONE from Ninja Tune. Highly recomennded label...