Should I bother learning how to DJ with vinyl??
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Should I bother learning how to DJ with vinyl?? Posted on: 14.06.2011 by Trinh Sochia I caught the vinyl bug a while ago. I've been slowly building a collection of records. I started out with Digital Djing on Traktor and Ableton, but something is constantly pulling me to vinyl. My setup right now uses a 2 ch vestex mixer to mix between sound coming from Traktor and Ableton. I also own an Audio Technica AT-LP120 that I use with Traktor for a bit of DVS. I've been looking on ebay trying to score a second one. Best case I'll get one for $170. Besides the gear
, vinyl is fucking expensive...I can use my time codes and just do DVS, but idk. it will never be the same. Has anyone picked up vinyl gear and regretted it? Is it even worth learning how to DJ with vinyl these days? Thanks! | |
| Dorie Scelzo 17.06.2011 |
Originally Posted by sarasin
The only downside is that I haven't found a city in the US that I'd be happy living in where it's legal to keep a Caracal as a pet |
| Dorie Scelzo 16.06.2011 |
Originally Posted by jimbob5000
Nothing feels like vinyl |
| Dorie Scelzo 17.06.2011 |
Originally Posted by sarasin
The only downside is that I haven't found a city in the US that I'd be happy living in where it's legal to keep a Caracal as a pet |
| Dorie Scelzo 16.06.2011 |
Originally Posted by jimbob5000
Nothing feels like vinyl |
| Dorie Scelzo 17.06.2011 |
Originally Posted by sarasin
The only downside is that I haven't found a city in the US that I'd be happy living in where it's legal to keep a Caracal as a pet |
| Dorie Scelzo 16.06.2011 |
Originally Posted by jimbob5000
Nothing feels like vinyl |
| Dorie Scelzo 17.06.2011 |
Originally Posted by sarasin
The only downside is that I haven't found a city in the US that I'd be happy living in where it's legal to keep a Caracal as a pet |
| Leeanna Ayla 17.06.2011 |
Originally Posted by djproben
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| Danae Dumler 17.06.2011 |
Originally Posted by mostapha
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| Dorie Scelzo 16.06.2011 |
Originally Posted by jimbob5000
Nothing feels like vinyl |
| Irene Larner 16.06.2011 |
Originally Posted by TommyQuiet
Anyway, back to the point. I know a bunch of people who do use vinyl for various reasons. One being, they have a massive collection of it. Why change? Should I look down on them because they don't feel like investing another huge chunk of euros for new tech and massive amounts of time in ripping all that stuff? Don't believe so. Others just like the feel of it, or enjoy to have some kind of personal connection to their vinyl colletion. If they enjoy that, why should I judge? I also do share the view that vinyl is good for one thing and one thing only from a DJing point of view. But to me, it's obviously a different thing than to you guys. To me, it's good for entertaining a crowd with music. And in that aspect, it's no different from what we do with controllers. Let's be honest, most people here just play their tunes, add some FX and that's it. You can do the same thing with vinyl and a mixer. Others may do cuepoint juggling, but I basically compare that to the turntablism/scratching route. So not much difference there as well. Basically, controllers are a new way to do the same thing. Yes, it does open a lot of doors to do creative things. But basically, you can be just as creative with vinyl. Limitations can be very inspiring and make you find new ways to do new things. I don't expect anyone to share that view. All I'm hoping for is that vinyl heads as well as controllerists start to realize that they're not that different from each other and that there's absolutely no reason at all to look down on each other. Don't abandon controllers as toys or tools for cheating, don't abandon vinyl as archaic remains of the past or fashion items. All of that is just plain wrong. It's all about music and DJing, and not about how you do it. That is about personal preference. BTW, I didn't direct anything I wrote to anyone personally. I just wanted to sum up, maybe in a little exaggerated way, what I perceive to be a popular view of things here on the community s, which I personally believe is leading into a wrong direction. Which kinda leads back (on a very long route) to my answer to the question of the original poster. Should he bother learning how to DJ with vinyl? Sure, get to know that side of DJing, even if it's just to broaden your horizon of possibilites and to get to know that way of DJing. Don't pre-judge it, try it. Then you can still make a choice if you're switching over or stick with controllers. |
| Dorie Scelzo 16.06.2011 |
Originally Posted by MrPopinjay
It's just a lifestyle accessory that makes your life harder.
Originally Posted by slpower01
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| Dorie Scelzo 16.06.2011 |
Originally Posted by ellgieff
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| Dorie Scelzo 17.06.2011 |
Originally Posted by sarasin
The only downside is that I haven't found a city in the US that I'd be happy living in where it's legal to keep a Caracal as a pet |
| Lilliana Perris 17.06.2011 | City dwellers..... |
| Kiyoko Wellisch 17.06.2011 | Holy shit look at that thing, it's adorable |
| Leeanna Ayla 17.06.2011 |
Originally Posted by djproben
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| Dorie Scelzo 17.06.2011 | Sounding warm isn't the only goal to strive for. |
| Danae Dumler 17.06.2011 |
Originally Posted by mostapha
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| Dorie Scelzo 16.06.2011 | And because I like big walls of text when I'm bored at work, here's a picture of a baby caracal learning to hunt. BTW, caracals are the coolest cats ever. |
| Dorie Scelzo 16.06.2011 |
Originally Posted by jimbob5000
Nothing feels like vinyl |
| Audrey Pinda 16.06.2011 | Also something to consider is, what are your friends who are also interested in DJing doing? Are they going the vinyl, dvs, cdj, or controller route? If you are going to be spending any amount of time chilling with them, it's nice being on the same page. That's a big part of my own motivation get get to understand vinyl, because I have a few different friends whom have vinyl / dvs setups, and I'd like to be able to hop on the decks as well without looking like a retard at times as well. Everything has it's place, and digital is more convenient. Trying to find a legit record store is NOT easy these days. It's much easier to plunk down at home and whatever website you use to buy music, and get it instantly and play it back. But in all honesty, do what you want, what you believe you want to do, what you feel comfortable doing, and what you believe you are going to enjoy the most. |
| Irene Larner 16.06.2011 |
Originally Posted by TommyQuiet
Anyway, back to the point. I know a bunch of people who do use vinyl for various reasons. One being, they have a massive collection of it. Why change? Should I look down on them because they don't feel like investing another huge chunk of euros for new tech and massive amounts of time in ripping all that stuff? Don't believe so. Others just like the feel of it, or enjoy to have some kind of personal connection to their vinyl colletion. If they enjoy that, why should I judge? I also do share the view that vinyl is good for one thing and one thing only from a DJing point of view. But to me, it's obviously a different thing than to you guys. To me, it's good for entertaining a crowd with music. And in that aspect, it's no different from what we do with controllers. Let's be honest, most people here just play their tunes, add some FX and that's it. You can do the same thing with vinyl and a mixer. Others may do cuepoint juggling, but I basically compare that to the turntablism/scratching route. So not much difference there as well. Basically, controllers are a new way to do the same thing. Yes, it does open a lot of doors to do creative things. But basically, you can be just as creative with vinyl. Limitations can be very inspiring and make you find new ways to do new things. I don't expect anyone to share that view. All I'm hoping for is that vinyl heads as well as controllerists start to realize that they're not that different from each other and that there's absolutely no reason at all to look down on each other. Don't abandon controllers as toys or tools for cheating, don't abandon vinyl as archaic remains of the past or fashion items. All of that is just plain wrong. It's all about music and DJing, and not about how you do it. That is about personal preference. BTW, I didn't direct anything I wrote to anyone personally. I just wanted to sum up, maybe in a little exaggerated way, what I perceive to be a popular view of things here on the community s, which I personally believe is leading into a wrong direction. Which kinda leads back (on a very long route) to my answer to the question of the original poster. Should he bother learning how to DJ with vinyl? Sure, get to know that side of DJing, even if it's just to broaden your horizon of possibilites and to get to know that way of DJing. Don't pre-judge it, try it. Then you can still make a choice if you're switching over or stick with controllers. |
| Dorie Scelzo 16.06.2011 |
Originally Posted by MrPopinjay
It's just a lifestyle accessory that makes your life harder.
Originally Posted by slpower01
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| Kandy Ahdoot 16.06.2011 | |
| Loralee Erban 16.06.2011 | not sure... never died thanks to my freewheel |
| Kiyoko Wellisch 16.06.2011 | Every time? Man! And I thought you could only die once. |
| Loralee Erban 16.06.2011 | i used to have a single speed bike for dirt jumping had a freewheel though otherwise everytime you land youd die :P |
| Kiyoko Wellisch 16.06.2011 | Mostapha: I bet they enjoy their fixed gear bikes though. They feel good as they make their commute |
| Loralee Erban 16.06.2011 | ill admit I was going to buy some cheap turntables for image more then an actual need for them... a dvs setup looks bad ass but then thought about my needs and getting an xone 4d instead... it controls everything i need and i can use the soundcard to record i dont believe ill ever run out of control with this baby... so the moral is... get a product that suits your current style already... |
| Dorie Scelzo 16.06.2011 |
Originally Posted by ellgieff
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| Irene Larner 15.06.2011 | Man, it's so easy to provoke people into starting one of the old arguments about the vinyl or digital thing. This one is surprisingly tame so far, which is a good thing. Still, some things i'd like to mention. Vinyl is great. As a medium, it's not better than digital, it's not worse. It's just a different medium with it's strengths and weaknesses. You believe you can do more with a midifighter than a vinyl DJ? Qbert or Kid Koala might believe differently. Are you a hardcore turntablist and see controllers as a toy for posers with no skills? Here's my traktor and midifighter, prove it or shut up. Anyway, the vinyl question: Spinnin' it is fun. Knowing how to do it is good in my opinion, as I always advocate that it's a big plus for any DJ to be able to cope with as many different formats as possible. In the end, choose what you like most on your experiences. I go mostly digital, because it's cheaper, tunes are easier to get hold of, I have no time to go diggin' tunes in some record store as I have a day job, the lower weight saves my aging spine, and I don't already own a massive music collection on vinyl. If I have to though, I can cope with CDs or vinyl as well. And it happens. So, in my opinion, learning it and having fun with it is good, but still not the choice maker whether you should become a vinyl or digital DJ. Darn, these days, in reality, there should be no vinyl or digital djs anymore. There should be DJs. Who cares about their preferred technology? Those vinyl dinosaurs with their superiority complex, you will say. But you're wrong. Because the "new breed", the people who have started the whole DJ thing with all the technology we here at the DJTT community s admire, seem to have the same superiority complex about their preferred format. So much in fact that they look down on the oldskool vinyl heads and those they call hipsters just as much, still moaning that those people supposedly look down on digital. I mean, shouldn't we know better? And how will we ever come to the point where we don't have to talk about this me-vinyl-you-digital-me-good-you-bad-thing anytime someone mentions the word "vinyl"? As far as the getting-better-part is concerned, I'm hopeful. But we're not quite there yet. |
| Kiyoko Wellisch 15.06.2011 |
Originally Posted by ellgieff
I'm pro vinyl, I believe it's fun. |
| Rosenda Gossage 15.06.2011 |
Originally Posted by mostapha
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| Jacque Divinity 15.06.2011 |
Originally Posted by Sherlock Ohms
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| Spencer Kilcoyne 15.06.2011 |
Originally Posted by mostapha
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| Dorie Scelzo 15.06.2011 | I don't really get the digging thing. Remember that whitelabel I mentioned? Yeah |
| Dino Hapgood 15.06.2011 |
Originally Posted by keithace
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| Audrey Pinda 14.06.2011 | It's also a matter of your collection. If someone has some solid record shops still around, and can dig there... then I find that sometimes lead to some really nasty sampling material to throw into a middle of a set. Think DJ Shadow for one, the ultimate grand-master of digging. With digital, and I solely buy MP3's online for the most part now, it's the same kind of deal that people have been saying. If you have 100 GB of music, are you really going to play all of it? It just depends on how you personally want to play it. Playing straight vinyl is HARD to learn. It's not just pick up, press sync, and you're halfway there. I'm learning on it myself at the moment, really from ground zero, and it's making me appreciate the DJ's who work off straight vinyl even more. Not that it's something I particularly want to do forever, but know that I've put the time in to get to that point is a goal I'm striving for. There are also a few places that are pretty much vinyl only around where I am, and so in not learning, I'm only limiting myself. Vinyl is much more expensive. It's more difficult to learn on. But it also brings a ton of respect, not only in the electronic dance music community, but also in other genre's as well. Punk/Industrial and Hip-Hop also are still pretty much hardcore vinyl, and I've had discussions with DJ's in those genres who still to this day don't touch anything digital. A lot of them won't even touch Serato or any other DVS. Vinyl isn't the future, it's the past and present. But it's always solid to know the roots, and from people just getting into the game, it brings a lot more respect from those whom have been in it for awhile. Is digital the way to go in the future? Hell yes. Who wants to lug around 1200's and crates of vinyl everywhere they go? Not me. Another thing for myself personally, I have a few friends who all have decks set up. A couple with Serato, one with Torq, and one with both Serato and Traktor. All of them hooked up with various turntables (Mostly Technics, but one guy has Numarks and another Stantons). I want to be able to take my computer (and serato box if I need to) and just hook in. It's the standard of gear myself and my friends have taken upon us to gather, because it's one of the standards of clubs. TT setups are still cheaper than CDJ setups. Are CDJ's a happy medium between vinyl and controller setups? I'd like to believe so. But they are also fucking expensive as hell. If you just want to get into it, and play the music, then that's no issue. Eh. I'm rambling on now. But I believe you get the picture. It's personal preference really, but there is something about at least learning and knowing it, then moving on if you so choose, that speaks to at least myself on a personal level. |
| Kiyoko Wellisch 14.06.2011 |
Originally Posted by keithace
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