Live for DJs

[radder]

This really is an awesome thread. Count me in as a new Live DJ

I've started throwing together a Live set with some ripped CD tracks. So far I have some Shpongle, Eat Static, Fischerspooner, Ozric Tentacles, Wagon Christ, and one of my originals in there. Definitely a lot of fun!

I have a dream of one day doing a hybrid DJ / live improv looping set, with me playing synths and drum machine to build up segues between tracks that might never fit next to each other if you tried to just crosfade them. I need to get a bunch of tracks ready though

I have a question about setting up warp points. The only way I can get it to work right is to first turn off warping on my new song clip, then play the clip and tap the tempo into Live... then enter in that tempo in the "original BPM" field. Otherwise it seems no matter what I do I need to move a TON of warp points in each song clip. Is this a normal way of doing this, or is there something faster? Hopefully I'll get the hang of this soon!

[montrealbreaks]

Hey Radder, fancy meetin you here!

(OT: Didja get my CD yet?)




I started using Live to DJ my own music - I am just now getting into more improvisation, in the sense that myself and some musicians are doing a loop based improv thingy. Very rewarding.

Initially, I played my completed tracks through live, but then moved to playing elements of my tracks. I would boil a track down to four aif files - one for core rythm, one for other percussion, one for bassline and the other for the remainder of the track (pads, little hooks, leads, etc). Then, armed with four equally long files (around 6-8 minutes each) I would mix them together. I had the ability to filter / fade / cut / pan / eq / effect each individually, giving me some more control of my own tracks. Since Live time stretches and pitch shifts, I could also do the old take track A, and replace it with the bassline from track B for one show. Very fun.

I thoroughly encourage all DJs who are thinking of incorporating Live into their DJ set to do so. Even if you simply sample short looping elements of your records, you can do really long, intense mixes.

L8er
Montrealbreaks

[Pitch Black]

Question; anyone recommend a little light so I can see what the hell is on the Remote 25?

I'm using one of these:
www.kensington.com/html/1176.html

cheers
p

[ducktail]

I've got one of those. I need something for the controller, which is usually on the other side of the mixer

Ducktail

[al3x]

I'm really enjoying this discussion, and I cast my vote in the apropos thread in favor of a DJing forum. Admins take notice, please!

It's taken some time to get the hang of the track warping concept and technique, but after hours of fiddling today I think I've got it. I just got through laying down markers in Pole's "Slow Motion (Instrumental)" and it didn't take too much longer than the running time of the track to do it! That said, I've still got some questions.

I saw that someone else was taking a shot at rhythmically odd stuff like Akufen. I spin mostly "quirky" electronic music, very little straight-up 4/4 techno or house, so most of the stuff I play is laden with polyrhythms. I've been trying to get a couple of dubby tech-house tracks with complex beats to mix in Live, and despite marking out their basic rhythm they still didn't match up quite right. It could just be that the two tracks don't jive, but I managed to get a decent enough mix going in Traktor just to test. So Question 1: can anyone comment on DJing more rhythmically complex tracks with Live?

Secondly, how do you negotiate big jumps in BPM without getting a really tweaked, pitched-up sound? Say I want to go from the aforementioned "Slow Motion" at roughly 76BPM (real slow!) and mix atmospherically into a tech-house track that's around 130BPM once the beat kicks in. It seems like when I ramp up the BPM towards the end of "Slow Motion" I'm gonna get that "33 played at 45" kinda sound. I guess it also begs the question of whether DJing in Live is really suited to atmospheric mixes, or if the beat/bar-oriented design behind the warp marker setup is really only friend to beat-matching? I guess you could just play some clips without warping on, but there's got to be something I'm missing.

I guess that's it for the moment. The Ableton-provided "DJing With Live" tutorial could use an update in light of all this! A codified how-to, preferably with lots of screenshots, would be really helpful for this advanced use of Live.

Thanks in advance for your advice!

[smutek]

how do you negotiate big jumps in BPM without getting a really tweaked, pitched-up sound?

I would probably try to work it out by throwing in some type of texture like clip with no beats, like a drone or something at the end of the track. Pitch it up over the course of a few bars then start the next track. Wouldn't be as smooth a transition as mixing two tracks together but it would still provide some sort of bridge between the two without stopping the sound.



Also, if the second track is close to twice the bpm of the first track couldn't you double time the clip to get it right?

[al3x]

Also, if the second track is close to twice the bpm of the first track couldn't you double time the clip to get it right?

(Bmore represent! ) Yeah, I thought of that, but at least for this mix it doesn't quite work. Perfect for the ol' hip-hop to jungle bridge, though.

[Guest]

good question

i'm working with some more dusty grooves (RAMP, James Mason, Minnie Riperton etc) for a more laidback set, having trouble warping these tracks with live drums. I can wrench them into a 16th quantize but it loses the flow of the original drummer, or I can use less markers and then lose some of the attacks on the percussion.

Is re-pitch the only way? or do i have to have a marker for every cuica squeak? i want to do more complex live edits and looping, which would be v.hard to sync with live drummers in re-pitch.

i'm a bit stuck, please help people! how do you deal with live drums?

[Guest]

how to deal with live drums in live playing live? we need some new words. Kodwo Esun Where are you!!!

soz i mean manual, not live, drums in ableton live playing in real time.

but are we playing or playing with??!

anyway u know wot i mean.
back to the soul sync question

[digitalrust]

I've got one of those. I need something for the controller, which is usually on the other side of the mixer

Ducktail

i would look for a booklight or a gooseneck with a clamp. don't know where, but you should try a google search.

[kabuki]

Attention all Live DJs.

I set up a DJ Template in Live 3. 2 Virtual "DECKS" and 1 Monphonic "SAMPLER" with QWERTY Key assignments and a Chart to go with it.

Holler, and I will Email it to you if interested... Mac ZIP file. PC compatible... 796 kb


Peace.


ALSO NOTE THE DJ Poll in General Forum...

[kabuki]

Attn, DJs. See the DJ Forum Poll.

K.

[kabuki]

BUMP:

DJ Template still available... PM Me if yall want it.

Kabuki (The Big Phatbottom)

[Guest]

Appreciate the offer, but I'm still evolving my layout which incorporates an oxy 8, a powermate, and the qwertys. I'm hoping to add a uc-33e soon. There is something twisted and fun about launching and killing clips by playing 2-ocatave "chords" on the oxy.

I have the lower octave set to stop clips. The upper ocatave is set to launch clips in the currently selected scene. I dial up the scene containing the next set of clips I want to launch. At the appropriate moment, my left hand plays a stop-clips chord while my right hand plays the launch-clip chord. I usually have quantization set to bar so that I have time to move to the knobs and adjust levels.

[kenan]

Not sure how I got logged out....

Appreciate the offer, but I'm still evolving my layout which incorporates an oxy 8, a powermate, and the qwertys. I'm hoping to add a uc-33e soon. There is something twisted and fun about launching and killing clips by playing 2-ocatave "chords" on the oxy.

I have the lower octave set to stop clips. The upper ocatave is set to launch clips in the currently selected scene. I dial up the scene containing the next set of clips I want to launch. At the appropriate moment, my left hand plays a stop-clips chord while my right hand plays a launch-clip chord. I usually have quantization set to bar so that I have time to move to the knobs and adjust levels.

kenan