DJing with Ableton vs. DJing with the best turntables

Kozak · Post by **Kozak** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 2:23 pm

I want to start DJing and I am starting by just mixing songs together and so on. Now I have 4000 euro to spend so I can buy CDJ1000 mk3 (why not just start at the top huh?). But I can also but external midicontrollers and a laptop and do it in Ableton.

Now I have asked some of my buddies who have not been affiliated with Ableton and they are very fond of normal turntables. But I who has experience on the productive DAW capability think it should be awesome on the mixing side to. Now my question.....what is the best choice?

This choice should concern, mobility, creativity, ease, quality, quantity....etc.

I am leaning towards Ableton..

kabuki · Post by **kabuki** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 2:27 pm

Quetion one: Do you DJ for yourself, or do you DJ for other DJs?

As long as the floor is moving, iit only matters what YOU think. I would suggest going to Ableton myself, but what do I know? I am not you.

Lord Kahn · Post by **Lord Kahn** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 2:31 pm

Would you not be able to do both for 4 grand?

toby82 · Post by **toby82** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 4:03 pm

i would suggest some turntables, a mixer and a vinyl simulation software, thats much more fun and you learn beatmatching by yourself!

coop80 · Post by **coop80** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 5:12 pm

4000 is a hell of a lot of money to spend if you're just starting out. Personally I'd pick up a second hand set of SL1210s and learn to beat mix first and then If you take to it you can upgrade to something a bit more advanced.

NewSc2 · Post by **NewSc2** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 6:21 pm

With 4000 euros you should be able to afford a set of turntables, a nice mixer, a laptop, soundcard, midi controllers, and some cash to spare.

lesterdiamond · Post by **lesterdiamond** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 9:50 pm

tables!! and a dope mixer

IMO Ableton isn't "natural" DJ'n

4ace · Post by **4ace** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 9:56 pm

toby82 wrote:i would suggest some turntables, a mixer and a vinyl simulation software, thats much more fun and you learn beatmatching by yourself!

+1

I've been F'ing with torq and i gotta admit it's WAY MORE FUN than ableton.....

However,....Live has it's place and time!

chrysalis33rpm · Post by **chrysalis33rpm** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 10:08 pm

The importance of learning the basics can't be overstated.

If you really want to DJ, you must understand with your hands what it is to mix records.

Ableton changes the game completely, but it opens up so many possibilities that it is overwhelming, and very technical.

DJing is first and foremost about feeling the music...a connection which is directly made between the hand and the grooves on vinyl.

Start at the beginning. Don't blow all your cash in one go, as you develop you will see what direction you want to grow in.

Have fun.

waybeyondz · Post by **waybeyondz** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 10:09 pm

toby82 wrote:i would suggest some turntables, a mixer and a vinyl simulation software, thats much more fun and you learn beatmatching by yourself!

i agree. i'd get traditional vinyl turntables and the software like ssl, torq, etc. this will be cheaper than cdjs and is a better setup IMHO.

i still think that you should get into ableton djing--i'm just suggesting that you do both. i'd spend the remainder of your money on a good mixer and a controller or two.

kooki415 · Post by **kooki415** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 10:31 pm

spend the money on music.

billdiz · Post by **billdiz** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 11:14 pm

chrysalis33rpm wrote:The importance of learning the basics can't be overstated.

DJing is first and foremost about feeling the music...a connection which is directly made between the hand and the grooves on vinyl.

I fully agree with this, and if you intend on maybe djing live in clubs etc, your gonna wanna know how to mix with vinyl and dj decks well enough for the public. unless you maybe get the comp and programs - then just make sure you head to your mates to practice on the physical tables as much as posible.

all in all - as everyone else has pointed out, its really your personal preference but how can you really know unless you start from the ground up? may miss something is all/

Dominik · Post by **Dominik** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 11:21 pm

good monitors,good soundcard,good mixer....

ScholarlyGent · Post by **ScholarlyGent** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 11:27 pm

Despite what several above may feel, mixing and making music is not a freakin martial art. An art, yes, but you dont have to pay dues to make art or express yourself. You dont HAVE to spend months waxing on and off on a pair of turntables to be able to make great mixes, or appreciate what your mixing, or be able to get the most out of the gear of today or gear of tomorrow. For some reason many hold these jaded elitist views about DJ as if they have forgotten this is all about art and expression! As if one must first earn the right to make art how they want to! Dont mind those people. They are miserable enough. Here's some advice from someone who has been in the business for a while and has managed to keep their head out of their ass (even though I am speaking in 3rd person).

I starting spinning in the Detroit area on turntables about 12 years ago when vinyl was the only way to truly mix as one would like. Another big things was that the music I was mixing was only available on vinyl. I had a hell of a lot of fun learning to spin wax (mostly electro and techno), scratching, beat juggling, all of that. It certainly is an art form in itself, HOWEVER, you can now do much of the same and even much more using something like live or other apps. The beauty of programs like live is that many are so intuitive that you dont have to know how DJs of the past have mixed to be able work the software. In fact it is such a different methodology (software vs. hardware) that beyond the general concepts of beat matching much else from the old days wont transfer. And that knowledge which could be transferred can also be learned anew while learning the software.

My advice. Unless you want to do battle style mixing and scratching, go with live and a nice controller (ie lots of knobs, buttons, faders, reliable and well built). This type of mixing is the most versatile, simple, portable, and the creative possibilities with it are vast. You will not lose much if anything by starting here rather than learning how to spin vinyl and if its pure mixing you want you cant beat this approach. IF you do want the ability to do battle style mixing and scratching (which is a lot of fun and a skill/art in itself) go with something like final scratch or other apps like it that let you control MP3s and other audio files as if they were on wax. CDJs and the like are nice but simply don't compare to the capabilities of using vinyl to control files off your laptop.

Good luck, hope that helped.

ScholarlyGent · Post by **ScholarlyGent** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 11:39 pm

By the way I didn't mean to imply that any of the posters above me are jaded or elitest... they gave some good advice.