FOR SALE: 2009 MacBook Pro + Uberstand + NI AUDIO 4

[Hidden Driveways]

I can totally get why you would want to DJ with CDs, but why sell the apc40? Don't you want to keep using it for production?

I can understand why someone would want to CD with decks (I prefer touching vinyl). It seems like you still want to use Live, and for me the APC is an awesome thing to have for Session View.

If you just want to DJ in small clubs and cafes, I don't think you really need to invest in CD players and a mixer. The audience you will have in those settings will not be at all critical of your skills. You can pretty much show up and learn how to use the given install system as you go. Chances are that they will all have different bottom-of-the-bucket CDJ's and mixers anyway. Learning on a home system will likely only frustrate you in the field, or in the dining area in this case.

I see "real" DJs screw up all the time in "real" clubs, and the crowd never really gets upset, in fact, they barely seem to notice. The only people who really notice are the other DJs in the room, which admittedly is 40% of the people in attendance, even when the club is packed. But who cares.It still doesn't matter. In fact, I rather like it when a DJ screws up. It makes me more relaxed. If you see a big screw up and the beat stops for three seconds, it kind of makes everything okay somehow.

As for people munching on croissants and sipping lattes, you don't have to worry about it. I have a hunch that you're just selling to upgrade some stuff, either now or in the future. Anyhow, practice and enjoy.

[citizenchris099]

you bought all that to START djing?????

lol talk about impulse buy. thats a kind of dream set up for lots of people and he doesn't want it....guess it takes all kinds.

It wasn't an impulse buy at all, really. I researched for a long time before I decided on this gear. Plus, it's not like I'm new to Ableton Live. I was using it for two years before I decided to make it my performance tool as well. Also, I was on a different but similar digital setup before the Mac.

I've come to realize, though, that the digital approach just isn't for me.

ever rock a dvs?

[BBScience]

Why anyone would want to sell that stuff and buy CDJ's is beyond me. Like someone else said, huge step backwards. If you really want to do traditional mixing that much, wait till you can afford the stuff without selling your laptop/APC. I'm 99.9% sure you'll regret it eventually.

Why not just buy Traktor and a slick controller? Gives you the same functionality.

[citizenchris099]

Someone who's quite good with Live and can perform a decent pre-prepared set using his $99 M-Audio controller is not a DJ.

Maybe I'm taking crazy pills but a DJ is a guy/gal (regardless of fame or status) paid to play other peoples music...end of story. The medium/method used to play said music is of little consequence in this respect. He/She is being paid to play music....period.

we can debate semantics till we're blue in the face. If I'm hired to "DJ" a party and show up and perform my "pre-prepared" set w/my $99 M-Audio controller (as you put it). Though I may not be a DJ to the elitist posturing fellow DJs out their in the crowd at the end of the day I'm still getting paid....because I performed my job...the job of a DJ.

[cenik11]

What do you produce 'music' with?

Ableton Live 8 on my PC

The MacBook Pro was purchased purely as a DJing tool and, so, now that I no longer want to use it for DJing I am willing and able to sell it.

One day down the line I guess I'll get a Mac for producing but my current PC system is more than sufficient.

[contakt321]

Bizarrely, I think CDJs are the WORST of both worlds, here's why:

- Not as fun as vinyl.
- Not as many options to do weird/cool stuff as Ableton.

[Ed Lektron]

Someone who's quite good with Live and can perform a decent pre-prepared set using his $99 M-Audio controller is not a DJ.

Maybe I'm taking crazy pills but a DJ is a guy/gal (regardless of fame or status) paid to play other peoples music...end of story. The medium/method used to play said music is of little consequence in this respect. He/She is being paid to play music....period.

we can debate semantics till we're blue in the face. If I'm hired to "DJ" a party and show up and perform my "pre-prepared" set w/my $99 M-Audio controller (as you put it). Though I may not be a DJ to the elitist posturing fellow DJs out their in the crowd at the end of the day I'm still getting paid....because I performed my job...the job of a DJ.

I see where you are coming from. But the person we are talking about is essentially performing a piece of music that has already been written. If i'm the promoter and I go up to DJ Abe, and tell him that the next DJ is a no-show and I need him to do another two hours, he's fucked. (this actually happened on Sat night, but I was the DJ in the crowd that was able to step in and play cos DJ Abe had rinsed all of his Abletonised music.)

A DJ needs the flexibility to take his set in a different direction at the drop of a hat. Someone playing a 'Live' set is gambling that the audience is going to like what they have in store. If not? Tough shit cos there is nothing he can do about it.The DJ can simply keep experimenting with the crowd on the fly until he gets it right.

EDIT: Thought i'd mention that some of the big name 'Live' sets I saw over summer were really disappointing. Reboot and Gui Buratto stood out as being two of the worst. I think Live sets can be amazing (Lindstrom blew me away), but because of their restrictive nature of them, it is not DJing imho.

[cenik11]

I ordered the CDJs yesterday. This stuff has to go!

[davepermen]

you should have just downloaded the traktor demo and tried that out. or serato, for that matter, as it would get somehow combined with ableton in january, so you could get best of all.

cdjs really are for pussies (means for the ordinary djs everywhere... no, guys, you're not pussies.. of course.. ).

traktor gives me all of cdjs features for much less cost, together with much more flexibility, actually much better features than the cdjs, better audio quality (and improving with each update). there's nothing that a cdj would give me, nothing i would gain from it.

and that's why i guess you've spent your money completely wrong. a tiny faderfox dj2, a small traktor license, and you would have just the same for much less money. just with better features, more usability, and more flexibility.

[davepermen]

you bought all that to START djing?????

lol talk about impulse buy. thats a kind of dream set up for lots of people and he doesn't want it....guess it takes all kinds.

It wasn't an impulse buy at all, really. I researched for a long time before I decided on this gear. Plus, it's not like I'm new to Ableton Live. I was using it for two years before I decided to make it my performance tool as well. Also, I was on a different but similar digital setup before the Mac.

I've come to realize, though, that the digital approach just isn't for me.

quite fun sort of. you researched long and bought all that, now you .. researched long and sell it all for cdjs.. how long till you sell your cdjs then?

[Slightlydelic]

Someone who's quite good with Live and can perform a decent pre-prepared set using his $99 M-Audio controller is not a DJ.

Maybe I'm taking crazy pills but a DJ is a guy/gal (regardless of fame or status) paid to play other peoples music...end of story. The medium/method used to play said music is of little consequence in this respect. He/She is being paid to play music....period.

we can debate semantics till we're blue in the face. If I'm hired to "DJ" a party and show up and perform my "pre-prepared" set w/my $99 M-Audio controller (as you put it). Though I may not be a DJ to the elitist posturing fellow DJs out their in the crowd at the end of the day I'm still getting paid....because I performed my job...the job of a DJ.

I see where you are coming from. But the person we are talking about is essentially performing a piece of music that has already been written. If i'm the promoter and I go up to DJ Abe, and tell him that the next DJ is a no-show and I need him to do another two hours, he's fucked. (this actually happened on Sat night, but I was the DJ in the crowd that was able to step in and play cos DJ Abe had rinsed all of his Abletonised music.)

A DJ needs the flexibility to take his set in a different direction at the drop of a hat. Someone playing a 'Live' set is gambling that the audience is going to like what they have in store. If not? Tough shit cos there is nothing he can do about it.The DJ can simply keep experimenting with the crowd on the fly until he gets it right.

EDIT: Thought i'd mention that some of the big name 'Live' sets I saw over summer were really disappointing. Reboot and Gui Buratto stood out as being two of the worst. I think Live sets can be amazing (Lindstrom blew me away), but because of their restrictive nature of them, it is not DJing imho.

but the only restriction realy is the framework and aproach a DJ using live chooses to work within.

I have a friend whos DJ's NSB with live, the ableton browser is his crate and he selects and drags and drops each tune on the fly, selecting what is in his judgemnet to be the apropriate tune. he doesnt even prewarp, and beatmatches on the fly.

his set is everybit as flexible as any other DJ's and hes able to respond to the crowd in just the same way.

in contrast im not a dj, but i have an a-b mixing setup with the APC just for fun, so i have my crate duplicated in chanels 1 & 2 tracks are pre warped i can scroll and selct any tune at the push of a button, but i stil have all the felxability of which tune comes next.

realy there are many ways to DJ with live and be as flexible as any other DJing system, with regards to tune selection, and ability to react to the crowd.

[Hidden Driveways]

you should have just...

Really people, who are we to say what anyone should or shouldn't do? Dude wanted CDJ's, dude went out and bought CDJ's. That's a win.

[davepermen]

and you could have just quoted my whole statement.

DOWNLOAD A DEMO AND TEST IT. IT COSTS NOTHING.

he should have tried other, free options before just throwing all away and buying all new.

makes sense to me. maybe not to you. so, if you have enough money to just throw out and buy all sort of things, do so. i prefer to just look for alternatives and try out what i might like.

i was able to get a friend to contact a big dj in switzerland who had final scratch back in it's days to bring it to me to test. everyone knows someone after that, i bought it.

maybe, just maybe, cdjs are the way to go for him. but actually buying it? not really. there, i would (and everyone else would) first estimate if it's really worth it. most djs i know haven't bought cdjs for themselves. as they can try and learn in some nearby club or at a friend.

[Slightlydelic]

you bought all that to START djing?????

lol talk about impulse buy. thats a kind of dream set up for lots of people and he doesn't want it....guess it takes all kinds.

It wasn't an impulse buy at all, really. I researched for a long time before I decided on this gear. Plus, it's not like I'm new to Ableton Live. I was using it for two years before I decided to make it my performance tool as well. Also, I was on a different but similar digital setup before the Mac.

I've come to realize, though, that the digital approach just isn't for me.

hey Nick what is it about the digital aproach that is a turn off for you? maybee youve got a valuable insite to share.

[cenik11]

Thanks for all the replies guys! I appreciate all the insight.

The key issue for me is not whether another digital tool, e.g. Traktor, is a better fit for performing. I have little doubt that I would prefer to play with Traktor over Live if I gave the former a chance. That's irrelevant at the moment because my main concern centres on playing with a laptop. As I've said, I do not want to have to lug around tons of gear with me every time I play. Doing so means not being able to play on-the-fly if given the chance (e.g. if I'm at a club and another DJ doesn't show), trying to squeeze all my gear into booths that tend to already be over-packed, worrying about my gear getting lost/damaged/stolen, tearing down my setup while another DJ is starting his/her set, worrying about crashes/audio drop-outs, etc. I want to be able to bring a book of CDs and a pair of cans with me and start playing-period.

Then there's the other issue of feeling like I'm 'cheating' when I'm performing. IMO, unless one is playing a live set (literally building songs as one goes), one can go from deck a to deck b and play with the same effects over and over again only so many times before one gets bored.

Cheers