Anybody using LIVE for DJing?

[SongCarver]

hey there LIVE people

is anyone using LIVE to DJ in a 'commercial' format...that is, taking long tracks(4min) and mixing together??

What have your reponses been like?

for that matter, is anyone out there using live SOLO as a 'creative' machine??

Please do not be offended at my usage of 'commercial' and 'creative'...perhaps the words 'cover' and 'original' might apply better.


Basically I am interested in people using live SOLO, typically where a DJ might be.

PLEASE, GIVE ALL DETAILS...eg audience looked at me funny/ could not find a power socket for 8 hrs of DJing on battery/ Am booked solid due to new expresive abilitites...

Thanks,

-Keith

[SongCarver]

yes sorry, i see another older thread exists.

Questions are still unanswered though, for instance - what is the CROWD REACTION?

How do venue bookers accept it... can you LIVE Dj's DJ on VInyl as well??

[ryansupak]

regarding the crowd's reaction to the software (ive dj'ed about 20 times now with Live, using a mixture of short loops and "full songs"):

the crowd seems to have a better time since you can simply alter the feel of the set to please the audience more. i am almost completely pragmatic when it comes to djing in a club environment, so the audiences' enjoyment is always my first priority. if i can retain artistic integrity at the same time, then that's great too.

also, people freak out when you use the dynamic time-stretching to voice the rhythm of, say, a vocal loop one way the first time it comes around and then change its rhythm the next time.

i also seem to have a small group huddled around the computer at all times, composed of 98% guys, who want to know what setup i am using/what texhniques i am using. i often end up having a mini "q&a session" right in the middle of a set!

regarding the question about experience with vinyl, i do traditional djing as well. however, Live has gotten me a lot more excited about playing out because it is so much more expressive and convenient.

regarding promoters' tolerance (or lack thereof) of software djing, they seem okay with it for the most part. in my experience people in the djing scene tend to be extremely conservative, but everyone who has seen Live has been really impressed with its capabilities. i think most promoters actually see it as a nice addition of variety to a djing lineup.

anything else, just ask 8>

rs

[ryansupak]

i also wanted to mention that i think live far surpasses cubase, logic or protools when it comes to creative mixing and remixing for clients with them standing over your shoulder.

a lot of musicians seem to not really understand that something even as simple as getting a drum loop to be properly aligned with a vocal track is much harder than it might seem, and may be time-consuming.

however, Live bridges the discrepancy between the "lay-musician's" expectation of how long manipulating something should take, and how long it actually takes. i haven't opened logic or cubase for a while now, except to export .wav files of my individual tracks to use with Live!

[SongCarver]

thanks for the reply ryansupak. Much appreciated!

I have a bunch of q's if you have a few minutes..

It's strange how the DJing community, whilst working hard to become recognized as a valid musical expression against a conservative background can exhibit the same intolerance to something new.I can't DJ myself, I don't have the skills or the tools.

+ Would there be 'disrespect' for me because I can't Dj "traditionally"?

not that it bothers me. More, my point is how do you promote yourself...as a Dj, or a Dj with latest technology??

+ I suppose 'requests' are better, because you have them 'on file'. Is that right??


you said
"also, people freak out when you use the dynamic time-stretching to voice the rhythm of, say, a vocal loop one way the first time it comes around and then change its rhythm the next time.
"
+ how does live handle the vocals?? ie, is timing still good etc?

+ Do you have trouble setting up your equipment at all? (finding powersockets, audio?)


+ What sort of audio backup do you have in the case of computer/ software failure?

and lastly..

+ I assume that that you can be far more creative, almost to the point of putting your own music in a normally 'conservative' dance mix... is this right?

thanks again,

-Keith

[ryansupak]

>It's strange how the DJing community, whilst >working hard to become recognized as a valid >musical expression against a conservative >background can exhibit the same intolerance to >something new.

yes, that is highly ironic. i think it says something universal about human nature, but that's obviously another discussion so i wont put you to sleep with my philosophical beliefs. 8>

>Would there be 'disrespect' for me because I >can't Dj "traditionally"?

in my experience, you might run into some of that, but i think most people (especially those who came to dance/rock out to the music/meet potential boy-girlfriends) will respect you if it sounds good and if you keep the appearance of a good attitude - regardless of your setup.

(gratuitous literary reference to this concept: Machiavelli, _The_Prince_, XVIII.6)

>how do you promote yourself...as a Dj, or a Dj >with latest technology??

i used to do a really noisy live PA/digital hardcore thing so i'm sort of known around town for that. therefore, most people who know me know i tend to use atypical setups.
but, i don't promote myself based on that - just as a regular ol' dj.

> I suppose 'requests' are better, because you
> have them 'on file'. Is that right??

yeah, they've actually done psychological studies on people - and proven that people will respond more favorably to what they've heard before, as opposed to something new. so i guess that that reasoning can be taken as near or as far as you want 8>

>you said
>"also, people freak out when you use the >dynamic time-stretching to voice the rhythm of, >say, a vocal loop one way the first time it >comes around and then change its rhythm the >next time."
> how does live handle the vocals?? ie, is
> timing still good etc?

it sounds great. occasionally i get digital artifacts, but those can be eliminated by switching to "hi-q" mode for that particular wav.

> Do you have trouble setting up your equipment > at all? (finding powersockets, audio?)

no, i just bring my own surge protector and piggyback on the surge protector that they're using for the turntables. it's sooooo much easier than lugging all my gear around.

> What sort of audio backup do you have in the
> case of computer/ software failure?

i always bring a few records in case of catastrophe, but so far Live has only crashed once at a gig, and that was with version 1.03. i think 1.1 is much stabler.

> I assume that that you can be far more
> creative, almost to the point of putting your > own music in a normally 'conservative' dance
> mix... is this right?

i hope so. 8> i also use live in more of an 'art-for-its-own-sake' fashion in non-club contexts.

a band called Stereolab put it well. they talk about keeping surface elements in their music that will cause people to symbolically associate it with pop. however, they use that as a way to "get their foot in the door" of people's perceptions. just below the surface, they are doing a lot of subversive things, musically - trying to express themselves and push the envelope while simultaneously not alienating the average listener.

sincerely,
rs

[puthupa]

Ryan,

Just wondering if you're using a PC or Mac. (forgive me if you've mentioned this in another thread)


puthupa

[ryansupak]

sorry, i forgot to say:

pII-450
256MB RAM
windows XP
2 scsi harddrives (1 for audio only)
maudio omnistudio sound card/ASIO drivers

does anybody know if you can use 2 simultaneous, independent mice with XP? or for that matter, can OSX do it? that could be grounds to switch over for me.

[SongCarver]

thanks ryansupak for your helpful comments.

Do you make a living DJing?

[ryansupak]

no, i just graduated college and i'm trying to make a living as a producer.

rs

[timothyallan]

Ahh, good luck!

[rozling]

Necrobump!

[Khazul]

Its just sad muso/dj wannbe geeks who actually give a damn about how the music is played in a club.

So long as the set flows well and the punters like it - it doenst matter.

Just please please please dont start getting bored and start mangling the hell out of otherwise decent music for the sake of it - *that* is the problem with laptop DJs - they just cant leave the music alone and have to mess with with it because they can.

Its like dogs pissing on lamp posts.

this is the reason I generally hugely prefer a set that is being played off CD or vinyl - no idiot mangling it for the sake if it.

[andydes]

Its just sad muso/dj wannbe geeks who actually give a damn about how the music is played in a club.

So long as the set flows well and the punters like it - it doenst matter.

Just please please please dont start getting bored and start mangling the hell out of otherwise decent music for the sake of it - *that* is the problem with laptop DJs - they just cant leave the music alone and have to mess with with it because they can.

Its like dogs pissing on lamp posts.

this is the reason I generally hugely prefer a set that is being played off CD or vinyl - no idiot mangling it for the sake if it.

You're too late. The OP probably defined the whole mash up scene. Did you notice the date?

[Khazul]

Its just sad muso/dj wannbe geeks who actually give a damn about how the music is played in a club.

So long as the set flows well and the punters like it - it doenst matter.

Just please please please dont start getting bored and start mangling the hell out of otherwise decent music for the sake of it - *that* is the problem with laptop DJs - they just cant leave the music alone and have to mess with with it because they can.

Its like dogs pissing on lamp posts.

this is the reason I generally hugely prefer a set that is being played off CD or vinyl - no idiot mangling it for the sake if it.

You're too late. The OP probably defined the whole mash up scene. Did you notice the date?

No - another thread that someone bumped from pre-history...

I guess hes probably long become that arse with a laptop doing the rounds trashing otherwise perfectly good music.