Does using a controller not make you a dj?
Does using a controller not make you a dj? Posted on: 10.11.2012 by Shela Toumey Hey all,I've been getting some crap lately from DJ's that use CDJ's and Vinyl. Pretty much the argument is that because I use a Controller (Kontrol S4) that I'm not a dj. I was wondering how people feel about this, and the following is overall how I kind of feel about the fight. 1.) "The controller has a Sync button, so you don't have to beat match" - Just because a controller has a sync button, doesn't mean that I don't know how to beat match. I went and learned the fundamentals on a set of numark HDX's and wasn't running time code for me to see the bpms to match those up. though with the technology most dj's use today they can set the bpm in the Timecode software they are using, or if using cdj's they can look at the readout as well. 2.) "Cue points are cheating because you can just use them to get right into your song without even setting up the track" - Just because I put a cue point on a song to remind me of where I should and shouldn't start and stop a track should make no difference. I listen to all of my tracks before making that deck live so to make sure the track flows well with the mix and all. If that is cheating then People using straight up Vinyl and put the little markers or stickers on their records are cheating too. 3.) "There is no talent in button Clicking" - It really bothers me when that is what djing with a controller is dumbed down to. If I'm just a button clicker, does that make you a needle dropper? These are just some of the things I have dealt with and overall this is my belief on the whole thing. It doesn't matter what you use or how you use it. What matters is that you are being creative and you are giving the Statium/Club/Bar/House/internet/bedroom your all and they are getting good vibe and dancing their A$$es off. If I use the sync button in a live mix, what that is doing is freeing up my time to be more creative, whether it be setting up some cue points and a drum section of a song so I can start doing some controllerism in a transition, talk into the mic to get the crowd hyped up more, or even find a new sample or track in my collection that might work in set that I'm currently doing (usually go into a show without a set playlist, usually do it all on the fly) it is giving me more time to make sure I'm giving the crowd a good show that they enjoy. Even if I wasn't adding effects and doing some controllerism in my set, and you break it down into me play a track, transition to the next and do that all evening ; how would me doing that on Vinyl or cdj's be any different than a controller? It would be just going through the motions and not being creative. Let me know what you all believe | |
| Shela Toumey 09.11.2012 | actually it's funny because I talked to a few hip hop dj's around here, they are using NS7's. I sold one my NS7 flight case about a year ago.... Mine Sploded when someones crappy sound system had a crossed wire and sent the power back through the speaker wire and fried the soundcard. |
| Julissa Serrone 09.11.2012 |
Originally Posted by PHader
I believe in general where I live (Miami), you see controllers "accepted" in small bars/lounges and no one believes twice about it, but larger clubs expect you to play on the house gear . Only when you see big time EDM headliners do you see guys using X1's, F1's, Maschine, etc. and it's all good. So there is a big gap there of guys that consider "real" DJ decks and a mixer, and quite a few open format and Hip Hop guys that consider only 1200's to be DJing. |
| Shela Toumey 09.11.2012 | I realized where I was asking lol, I was just wondering other controller dj's opinion when being told they aren't a real dj because of the gear they are using. |
| Julissa Serrone 09.11.2012 | You asked on a "controllerist" community
if using a controller makes you less of a DJ. What answer did you expect to get here? Real answers: 1. If you know what you are doing you can do it on any piece of gear. 2. There are many more shitty DJ's using controllers than there using CDJ's/1200's and a Mixer. Reason: A numark Mixtrack cost 200 bucks. Decks and a mixer are much bigger investment and it does take "some" level of effort to learn to beat match vs. pressing a button. 3. That's part of the prejudice you will absolutely encounter until controllers are more mainstream and considered "pro" gear vs. less expensive bedroom investments. |
| Werner Bile 09.11.2012 | If they know anything about Detroit Techno, ask them if they consider Kevin Saunderson a real DJ. He rocks an S4 and F1 these days. Then of course there's also Richie Hawtin and Loco Dice, both of whom use a combination of controllers and an external mixer. |
| Lillia Datson 09.11.2012 | I did a small gig the other day for a party me a mate organised. Me using my S4 and MF3D, alongside my mate who has a set of DN3700's. He's a much better DJ than me in his mixing skills, however pretty much spins DnB for everything. I played a pretty good set (i thought. A bit of dancey top 40 with some garagey/fidgety bits thrown in and the odd track that complimented the top 40 without going AWOL to the underground) and using the MF3D to make some sweet build ups and a bit of really basic on the fly bootlegging. People were loving it as the floor was pretty packed. I screwed up a few times, but nothing that anyone noticed. My mate started with his set, and although it was a spot on mix, and he played some awesome DnB, his music killed the floor after about 20 minutes. As its stated a million times on this community , its not what you have its how you use it. Im still very much an amateur, but even i could see people didnt give a toss what i was using, they had a good time. Even had some people wanting a demo on the MF3D after the party stopped to see what the hell it was! |
| Shela Toumey 09.11.2012 | Yeah, I just need to get gigs around Nashville Tn and then there won't be any doubt of my skills. Back when I was in western NY, My buddy and I would be able to pack Dive joints. In fact this one place went out of business because we stopped playing there; we pretty much had a resident gig with this guy and he was getting us at a super good deal, he decided he wanted to bring in local bands and used us as a fall back if the band cancelled last minute and what not. Well we started booking other shows and he went for making a good chunk of money to having an empty bar. I just need to be able to get into some places around here then my name will spread. |
| Erich Vallabhaneni 09.11.2012 | I agree, it all comes down to skill and song selection. Not everyone will agree with the choices you make, but those people are the ones you can smile at when you see them in the crowd. |
| Nedra Fresneda 09.11.2012 | The gear doesn't make the DJ. You might choose using A, B or C for whatever reasons you might have but it won't change a thing in the end other than your personal preference for making such choice. We will keep this open as long as the discussion is kept civilised. |
| Tera Baragan 09.11.2012 | Being a dj is 90% song choice and your mix ins.. What you use has basically no correlation to your skill unless your using the sync button all the time. |
| Mac Fly 09.11.2012 | Next time they say that remind them that sync and cues are now available on CDJ 2000 nexus and the new Serato DJ software! And them tell them to go to f*ck |
| Renate Mayeur 10.11.2012 | when the cd-players came into the dj-booths, the vinyl dj's were saying that a cd-dj wasn't a real dj. Same happened when dvs was there. And again, the same was said when controllers showed up in dj-booths. Haters gonna hate. Fuck them. You do what you want to do/feel good to do. |
| Cathy Kotas 10.11.2012 | nuff said its what's in front of the booth, not behind |
| Maryellen Cancelli 10.11.2012 | You will get this all the time. It not about your gear , its about your abillity with that gear . Ean Im sure could rock out a party with 2 self powered speakers, a laptop and a midi fighter classic. Yes unfortanatly the gear today is making cheap DJs pop up everywere. Hell I was even one of them. If it was not for my first VDJ sofware and a BCD 2000 (yup crap i know) I would not have got my first gig and drawn in. But from there I went into it hard, learning what I could do to bring me up to level. Im not the best, but I can rock a party with my VMS4 just like the guy on the turn table. The differnce in my area at less, is my crowd will be dancing and his turn table crowd will be listening to him chop up the songs. Its a differnt kind of DJ I believe. But really what the crowd cares about is not your mix, mash and other skills, its about your programing skills. Playing the right song and the right time. Only DJs trully apreciate your skills and gear . And if you work in a bar, its not about packing the floor, its about making the bar more money so as good as you are filling that floor you have to remember to clear it so they get drinks. Just my 2 cents. |
| Shela Toumey 10.11.2012 | That's what I try to do, but since I am rocking a "controller" dj's in the area don't give me the time of day some I'm not getting show, even though I can put together good mixes and keep a crowd going. |
| Lina Rawie 10.11.2012 | I'm sure this has been done to death on here, being the type of community that it is, but cheap gear and having skills that had to be done manually replaced by technology has certainly led to a decline in average DJ skills IMO, but you simply cannot judge a book by its cover. I judge a DJ by how well they can rock a party and/or how good their mixes are - nothing more, nothing less. There's no winning against this sort of DJ "prejudice" though, so you just have to get on with it and do your thing. |
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