is this considered "cheating" as a dj?

[squidot]

That's ridiculous. your friend that is.
my thought is the job of a dj is to make the crowd move ( I also add playing good music to this ) the way I look at it i dont care what the hell they use or how they do it to get the job done. If someone can use mp3s in Cubase and kick as$ then im fine with that. Also, most DJ's i know sort of pre plan their sets. think about the DJ who brings a selection of vinyl to a gig.
One thing i'll say though is that i think it would be harder to do a really good job with a preplanned static set, than with a set that is a bit preplanned but evolves based on the crowd feedback and system...I don't dj yet so my opinion is from that perspective.

lol, yeah i tell him that he is being ridiculous but he wont listen. i guess he doesnt hate it enough to stop being my friend though, heh.

i definitely agree that having a fully static set can be hit or miss. if the crowds not digging it then you either have to deal with a poor reaction or change something up until it does the trick. or you could just be playing for a bunch of non musically open minded peeps at an open deck night that constantly barrage you with play some doors, zep...I WANT TO HEAR TI OR 5o CENT DAMNIT!!!!! or my personal favorite: "can you play something ive heard of or can you play something normal?" what kind of relative bs is that? sometimes you just cant please all the people...or even any of them for that matter. thats why i always have something like aphex twin - ventolin ready to drop to make all the people bounce lol...bounce bottles off the booth that is, but im kind of an evil asshole sometimes. the feeling of knowing you pissed off a room of people with 1 track is sometimes just as magical as making everyone fall in love with your vibes...in a twisted sort of opposite way. one time in a pt's pub here in vegas i made some jukebox selections that made the entire place vocally angry and pissed off. the bartender offered me 10 dollars to skip my "crap" and i politely declined watching everyone suffer through the next 15 mins. who knew ming & fs would be so hated somewhere?

[Green Lemon]

That's ridiculous. your friend that is.
my thought is the job of a dj is to make the crowd move ( I also add playing good music to this ) the way I look at it i dont care what the hell they use or how they do it to get the job done. If someone can use mp3s in Cubase and kick as$ then im fine with that. Also, most DJ's i know sort of pre plan their sets. think about the DJ who brings a selection of vinyl to a gig.
One thing i'll say though is that i think it would be harder to do a really good job with a preplanned static set, than with a set that is a bit preplanned but evolves based on the crowd feedback and system...I don't dj yet so my opinion is from that perspective.

lol, yeah i tell him that he is being ridiculous but he wont listen. i guess he doesnt hate it enough to stop being my friend though, heh.

i definitely agree that having a fully static set can be hit or miss. if the crowds not digging it then you either have to deal with a poor reaction or change something up until it does the trick. or you could just be playing for a bunch of non musically open minded peeps at an open deck night that constantly barrage you with play some doors, zep...I WANT TO HEAR TI OR 5o CENT DAMNIT!!!!! or my personal favorite: "can you play something ive heard of or can you play something normal?" what kind of relative bs is that? sometimes you just cant please all the people...or even any of them for that matter. thats why i always have something like aphex twin - ventolin ready to drop to make all the people bounce lol...bounce bottles off the booth that is, but im kind of an evil asshole sometimes. the feeling of knowing you pissed off a room of people with 1 track is sometimes just as magical as making everyone fall in love with your vibes...in a twisted sort of opposite way. one time in a pt's pub here in vegas i made some jukebox selections that made the entire place vocally angry and pissed off. the bartender offered me 10 dollars to skip my "crap" and i politely declined watching everyone suffer through the next 15 mins. who knew ming & fs would be so hated somewhere?

Love it. Never known how to deal with those requests as "NO!" just doesn't seem to penetrate, no matter how many times its repeated. Now I know- put on Aphex Twin~! Here's your normal!

[Grandmasterbird]

@ the original poster-

dont pre-plan sets!!

When DJ'ing, you are supposed to be catering for the crowd on the dancefloor and what you have pre-planned may not suit what the crowd need.

If what you are doing is'nt working then you need to try something different, not stick to a pre-planned set list.

That said, there's nothing wrong with knowing what tunes work really well together and if what you are doing is working, then great. But be prepared to change what you are doing if you sense the crowd are'nt digging it.

You'll also probably enjoy it more and get more of a buzz by having to work harder and think a bit more creatively by improvising and doing things on the fly.

[citizenchris099]

imho the only real cheat for a dj is to pass someone elses mix/remix/mash-up....whatever off as your own

[cenik11]

Yes, IMO.