Set preparations, what do you do?

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Set preparations, what do you do?
Posted on: 10.12.2012 by Donnetta Enrile
I've got a gig coming up in a month and i've got an hour set for the evening . I'm grabbing tunes to play and putting it into its own playlist. This is how i'm preparing haha. How do you guys prepare for a gig? What sort of organization/preparation do you guys go through?

-Zygote
Jonas Hanway
12.12.2012
Originally Posted by protocollie
Always fun to do this, but I still carry the 'record bag' mentality from my vinyl days.

I deviate a lot more in front of crowds that I'm more comfortable with.
In all fairness I don't drink that often. But do get obliterated now and again. I'm a resident in a bar in Liverpool so it's just too easy.

You're definitely the same as me when it comes to deviating more than I want to. I don't play RnB but am expected to drop the odd song now and again (snore).

I bring a massive selection of house music with me because that's what I play. So I can adapt to whatever might need to be played.

Commercial, disco, funky, deep, progressive, swing, chicago, jackin, electro.

Can never to be too prepared.
Laurence Calisto
11.12.2012
Originally Posted by SquireC
+1

Exactly the same.

Bring all my gear with me, (Macbook, Audio 8, X1, CD wallet, Headphones, cables)

Select my first song, play to the crowd from there on out. Mix with plenty of JD. Wake up in the morning hoping to GOD all my gear made it home with me.
Always fun to do this, but I still carry the 'record bag' mentality from my vinyl days.

I deviate a lot more in front of crowds that I'm more comfortable with.
Jonas Hanway
11.12.2012
Originally Posted by Jester
choose first track. drink.
+1

Exactly the same.

Bring all my gear with me, (Macbook, Audio 8, X1, CD wallet, Headphones, cables)

Select my first song, play to the crowd from there on out. Mix with plenty of JD. Wake up in the morning hoping to GOD all my gear made it home with me.
Latina Samon
10.12.2012
Originally Posted by Zygote
Did you use iTunes smart playlist or do you do it in Traktor?
I do it in itunes but by hand so I can decide what fits where. Sometimes it'll fit into both 2 and 3 for example. Being at the upper end of 2. Then I have the same folders in Traktor and just drag and drop them into it.
Laurence Calisto
10.12.2012
Originally Posted by Zygote
That sounds like a very simple way of doing it. I like the simplicity, and yet it still gives you options on ways to go during the mix. I might actually try this haha
i like simple, cause imo no kind of prep beats really knowing the music going in. setting up the record bag is more of a way of making it easy to find the stuff you already know and figure out where you want to go in a pinch
Donnetta Enrile
10.12.2012
Originally Posted by protocollie
personally, i put together a bag of tracks that's about 2-4 times longer than the timeslot i'm going to play depending on how confident i am about the crowd i'm playing for, organized from lowest energy to highest energy. if there's groups of tracks that i believe go good in order i'll mark them with the same color in rekordbox when i put them next to each other. that's pretty much it, here.

for my own sanity i also try and pick out two tracks that go really well together to start, so i can get the first mix out the way sounding good and calm my nerves. stage fright has never gone away no matter how long i play.
That sounds like a very simple way of doing it. I like the simplicity, and yet it still gives you options on ways to go during the mix. I might actually try this haha
Donnetta Enrile
10.12.2012		I've got a gig coming up in a month and i've got an hour set for the evening . I'm grabbing tunes to play and putting it into its own playlist. This is how i'm preparing haha. How do you guys prepare for a gig? What sort of organization/preparation do you guys go through?

-Zygote
Freida Leash
12.12.2012		I believe one of the fun things is how sets evolve, not only in the moment but over time. I got the list of newest stuff I'm playing, then classics that need dusting off, maybe a few of things I know work because the transition is massive and a routine or two that is in current rotation. In the end the fun comes from not knowing what I'm going to do, sometimes I don't get to tracks I want because a complete tangent took control, maybe the guy before me or that is tag teaming with me opens up new directions to follow. I believe having a loose plan and being able to scrap it and be happy is important.
Bunny Sockel
12.12.2012		I don't have any preparation. I have my own intro tracks that i use but other than that i just rock up and play some quality techno/tech house
Jonas Hanway
12.12.2012
Originally Posted by protocollie
Always fun to do this, but I still carry the 'record bag' mentality from my vinyl days.

I deviate a lot more in front of crowds that I'm more comfortable with.
In all fairness I don't drink that often. But do get obliterated now and again. I'm a resident in a bar in Liverpool so it's just too easy.

You're definitely the same as me when it comes to deviating more than I want to. I don't play RnB but am expected to drop the odd song now and again (snore).

I bring a massive selection of house music with me because that's what I play. So I can adapt to whatever might need to be played.

Commercial, disco, funky, deep, progressive, swing, chicago, jackin, electro.

Can never to be too prepared.
Palma Hanslip
12.12.2012		I get in one big huge cluster fu*k, do nothing about it. Turn up and play what i enjoy...

On a more serious note though.

I make a playlist in iTunes (now starting to use Rekordbox), and if my set is an hour i will put 3 hours worth of music in the playlist. All tracks that i know by heart with some new additions also. I then narrow out some tracks i KNOW i will play. For example if i know i will play house music, i will then choose a batch of house tracks that i would like to play but if the crowd isn't into what i'm playing i also have another batch of tracks that may be tech house so i can be quiet flexible back and forth. I then have a playlist of 'maybes' which basically says it all.. Tracks that will go down brilliant if the crowd are up for it or tracks that will recover the floor if any issues come around. For emergency or if i fancy mixing in some older classics or even have to totally switch my genre i always have a CD wallet with MP3 CD's going back 4 years (about 80 CD's) which means i can change it up a bit!

I then burn MP3 CD's for the CDJ1000 mk3's or pen drives for CDJ2000's.. These are the only decks i play on really (not a choice, just fortunate enough).

I don't really practice and my method works for me which i love and i don't really get any nerves.
Tawna Ulmen
11.12.2012		I run my tracks thought Mixed in Key and give them a star rating based on energy level when I download them. I also have a bunch of playlists with tunes that work well together just in case all goes to shit. I keep a few 10min mixes to hand just in case I need to take a dump or grab a kebab.
Erich Vallabhaneni
11.12.2012		i usually practice about an hour+ a day but I record the 3 days before a show, listen a few times, then just go out there and go with the flow. It usually works well, but stage fright has caught me off guard a time or two
Layne Koop
11.12.2012		I will pre-mix a few short sets (3 to 5 songs) and put them on my phone. These tend to be "good" songs that are 6 to 9 months out of their peak, and are songs I am unlikely to play during the core of my set. I use these tracks as needed to transition between DJs, or in the event of a laptop "issue" to buy myself some time. At any given point, I have 6 to 8 of these short transition sets on my phone. Whenever I am about to drop some songs from my "active list", I will tend to rotate them into this pool. It helps keep everything fresh, and doesn't require attention every gig.

I will try to have a solid idea about how I want to open the set...maybe 3 to 5 songs that I will use to see how the crowd is doing. I never actually play a ll 5 in order....but it is handy to have a good plan that lasts 10 to 15 minutes.

I am eternally refining beatgrids, cue points, etc. So, if there are any bangers I want to play, those will get some attention. If there are any "old school" tracks that I "re-discovered" I will also spend some time on those.
Laurence Calisto
11.12.2012
Originally Posted by SquireC
+1

Exactly the same.

Bring all my gear with me, (Macbook, Audio 8, X1, CD wallet, Headphones, cables)

Select my first song, play to the crowd from there on out. Mix with plenty of JD. Wake up in the morning hoping to GOD all my gear made it home with me.
Always fun to do this, but I still carry the 'record bag' mentality from my vinyl days.

I deviate a lot more in front of crowds that I'm more comfortable with.
Ada Matzkin
11.12.2012		i make playlists in 5 or 10 bpm intervals usually about 50+ songs on each list and maybe name them something like 120 bpm chug , or 140 bpm dark. i make sure i have at least a few songs to cover each harmonic interval (or camelot key)in each playlist. i rate the songs with stars for overall energy of the track. they key is to have playlists that cover a certain emotion range or mood. then i can basically play around controlling the mood of the floor. also this way i never really have a cohesive set planned but i know that as long as i use my playlists right that everything will jive.

if im playing a set of an hour or so with other djs then i just pick what feels right from my playlists, if im holding down the whole evening alone like i will be on new years for 4 hours or more, then i tend to start out with some 110 ish stuff and just slowly progress the tempo until i end up in trap or electro or what have you.
Jonas Hanway
11.12.2012
Originally Posted by Jester
choose first track. drink.
+1

Exactly the same.

Bring all my gear with me, (Macbook, Audio 8, X1, CD wallet, Headphones, cables)

Select my first song, play to the crowd from there on out. Mix with plenty of JD. Wake up in the morning hoping to GOD all my gear made it home with me.
Audrey Pinda
11.12.2012		Like others said. I usually put together a set of 100 tracks or so, for an hour long set. I used MiK, so I gather a few select tracks from each key value, (like seven different 1A tracks, seven 2A tracks, ect ect) and then I throw my playlist on my iPod for the couple days before a gig, and listen to them non-stop when I can. Helps me get extra familiar with all of them.

Then, when it's time to play, I usually just work my way around using the keys, picking and choosing which track I actually want to use based on the crowd, or what I feel would work best.

It works for me.
Tera Baragan
11.12.2012		I plan abit more, I will loosely plan the set with songs that work well. Probably have a peak 5-6 song selection of bangers that I have pre mixed and know works really well..

Im trying to get into the more live, go with the flow feel tho
Latoria Kavulich
10.12.2012		choose first track. drink.
Latina Samon
10.12.2012
Originally Posted by Zygote
Did you use iTunes smart playlist or do you do it in Traktor?
I do it in itunes but by hand so I can decide what fits where. Sometimes it'll fit into both 2 and 3 for example. Being at the upper end of 2. Then I have the same folders in Traktor and just drag and drop them into it.
Donnetta Enrile
10.12.2012		Did you use iTunes smart playlist or do you do it in Traktor?
Latina Samon
10.12.2012		I organised all my tunes into folders with a rating of intensity. From 1 to 4. Makes it a dream finding a track that goes well.

Similar to what Protocollie does really. First gig at the weekend but not planning anything other than first track.
Laurence Calisto
10.12.2012
Originally Posted by Zygote
That sounds like a very simple way of doing it. I like the simplicity, and yet it still gives you options on ways to go during the mix. I might actually try this haha
i like simple, cause imo no kind of prep beats really knowing the music going in. setting up the record bag is more of a way of making it easy to find the stuff you already know and figure out where you want to go in a pinch
Donnetta Enrile
10.12.2012
Originally Posted by protocollie
personally, i put together a bag of tracks that's about 2-4 times longer than the timeslot i'm going to play depending on how confident i am about the crowd i'm playing for, organized from lowest energy to highest energy. if there's groups of tracks that i believe go good in order i'll mark them with the same color in rekordbox when i put them next to each other. that's pretty much it, here.

for my own sanity i also try and pick out two tracks that go really well together to start, so i can get the first mix out the way sounding good and calm my nerves. stage fright has never gone away no matter how long i play.
That sounds like a very simple way of doing it. I like the simplicity, and yet it still gives you options on ways to go during the mix. I might actually try this haha
Laurence Calisto
10.12.2012		personally, i put together a bag of tracks that's about 2-4 times longer than the timeslot i'm going to play depending on how confident i am about the crowd i'm playing for, organized from lowest energy to highest energy. if there's groups of tracks that i believe go good in order i'll mark them with the same color in rekordbox when i put them next to each other. that's pretty much it, here.

for my own sanity i also try and pick out two tracks that go really well together to start, so i can get the first mix out the way sounding good and calm my nerves. stage fright has never gone away no matter how long i play.

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