two general complaints... not about ableton

[griper]

i dont see the turntables blocking the crowd's view, so why should the laptop?

When I'm in the crowd I don't give a shit whether or not I can see the DJ. See http://www.ableton.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30330

i should have started the post with a caveat: only for djs interested in interacting with the crowd.

that said, i've seen a few comments boasting of how little they use the screen... theres no denying that this LIMITS INNOVATION. for all your midi controllers, there are things the live gui (library--ie record case) alone provides. there doesnt have to be a compromise between looking cool and actually choosing the songs you want to play on the fly--in fact that's my whole POINT. integrating all the features of live into performance (not just integrating some features into a midi console), by keeping the screen but putting it out of the way, allows infinite flexibility--not just "i set myself up like this so i dont have to look at the screen" or "i don't care if i look like im checking email" (which complements "i dont care if i can see the dj or not" very well).

[TheAnimal]

i dont see the turntables blocking the crowd's view, so why should the laptop?

When I'm in the crowd I don't give a shit whether or not I can see the DJ. See http://www.ableton.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30330

i should have started the post with a caveat: only for djs interested in interacting with the crowd.

I think it's the other way round. The question is if the crowd wants to interact with the DJ at all. Usually what people want is dance, have fun, be seen, and meet other people while the DJ serves as a facilitator or something like that.

[mike holiday]

i remember back in the old days (when i had to walk to school up hill both ways)

and the dj would be hidden someplace

and you would have to find him/er

sometimes you might not see the dj booth all night

or perhaps you'd come across it when you wernt expecting it

( and this is detroit in the early 90's and they really were trying to hide the dj )