Vinyl DJ's Digital DJ's and Music Producers

[djadonis206]

Curious - I've got some DJ gigs coming up and I found myself more focused on DJing, buying vinyl and connecting on the late night with club promoters and potential fans...

Problem is I haven't touched the mouse or opened Ableton - I finally did last night after I drank a MONSTER energy drink. i got inspired by a old Bando record i was trying to program into my set.

God, both are so much fun - hands down...but my probelm is I cannot focus 110% on both

it's like it's either or - but not both

If you're playing records out you have to practice, you have to be up on all the newest jams, which means hanging out on BEATPORT, JUNO and ELP - not to mention daily stops in PLATINUM

Then you have to be at the clubs because you want to know what's cracking, who's cracking and rally the troops

all the while your poor computer sits at home with a pouty face

anywayz - I think I'll get my beat making groove back

but is this a problem for most or just me?

*FYI my girlfriend doesn't like this arrangement, loud music, late nights and random phones numbers on random pieces of paper* DOH!!!

[Cache]

yo adonis. i have exactly the same problem. playing live vs making tracks in the studio.
it is very hard to do both.
as you say, when you are gigging you need to be out, meetin people, supporting other events. and if you drink etc etc, then you have the_day_after to deal with as well.

i've found that i tend to do both in spurts - dj a couple of gigs, then back in the studio, produce 3/4 FULL tracks (mixed mastered) then back do some gigs.

but trying to do both at the same time means that you do both very slowly.

i also have a girlfriend (fairly understanding, but still...) and also am trying to get production company off the ground, so time is vital.

add that to an addiction to this forum and a few other sites, that i check >5 times a day... and its a lot of time!!!

i do find that giging is necessary to make connections, try out your productions and also to be *involved* because you know yourself, everyone you meet these days is a 'producer' (thanks reason!!!!)

[donnydonny]

for me (and like Cache said)... i go through phases of writing music music music then feeling burnt out so i'll work on my dj'ing a bit more then when i get bored or inspired and it's music music music again.

[djadonis206]

Yeah - I just got some headphones and believe it or not but the best thing for my "production" was not having headphones

I couldn't mix unless I queued the records up out loud

If I had to play somewhere I just borrowed someones

i feel you though - if I get bored with my beats it's easy to get reinspired by dropping a record or two

If I get bored with my records I sample them and give it a go with Ableton

good stuff

[Mike Goodwin]

yo adonis. i have exactly the same problem. playing live vs making tracks in the studio.
it is very hard to do both.
as you say, when you are gigging you need to be out, meetin people, supporting other events. and if you drink etc etc, then you have the_day_after to deal with as well.

i've found that i tend to do both in spurts - dj a couple of gigs, then back in the studio, produce 3/4 FULL tracks (mixed mastered) then back do some gigs.

but trying to do both at the same time means that you do both very slowly.

i also have a girlfriend (fairly understanding, but still...) and also am trying to get production company off the ground, so time is vital.

add that to an addiction to this forum and a few other sites, that i check >5 times a day... and its a lot of time!!!

i do find that giging is necessary to make connections, try out your productions and also to be *involved* because you know yourself, everyone you meet these days is a 'producer' (thanks reason!!!!)

all that sounds so familiar that it is not even funy

[bazylp]

Hi Adonis

I feel you too.

Option 1 - Rip your records to HD, chuck in some of your own stuff and DJ out with Ableton (or have I just blasphemed?)
Option 2 - Team up with a like mind (similar to Concord Dawn or Arctix - some cool New Zealand duos - not forgetting Pitch Black of course but i'm not sure if they perform separately - Paddy?) and get double the amount of work done in the same time (or the same amount of work in half the time) in the studio, then one or both of you can DJ together at the same venue, at different venues or take it in turns to DJ at the same/different venues on different nights.
Option 3 - Accept it for what it is (i.e that you only have 36 hours in a day) and repeat the mantra "The path to personal success is constantly uphill. The path to personal success is constantly uphill. The path to personal success..."

[jahnlay]

I manage both, you don't have to go out that much to stay in touch!

[Voodu]

I definately suffer from this as well. I have a weekly saturday night gig and I'm always researching/listening to new tracks. Trying to learn them inside and out so I know where my mix points are. Sometimes where you drop a mix in a track is as important as where you start it:) Needles to say there's usually not much time to make music.

[mike holiday]

the problem this gives me (producing and dj'ing at the same time) is that i don't expect my tracks to do anything.
just carry one point and that is it.
I like to drop it quick, and mix it long.

this makes it hard for me to visualize my tracks outside of a mix.

[djadonis206]

Ah the fine art of PROGRAMMING!!!

A lot of novice and dj (haters) really don't get the actual art of programming

when one record drops the other should do something and if you have it right you get a nice mix / response - if you're trying to work your set so there's very few beraks or maybe you're trying to melow things out and want alot of breaks etc etc - you have to program records not to break or wait to let the mix ride to the break - mix through the break etc etc

another thing I'm actually learning is records in KEY and out of KEY - since I've been making music with someone who knows chords and has a ear for what's in key and what's out of key it's made me listen harder to music

I generally play - buy records at around 136 - I thought this was all I needed to pay attention to but now I'm playing a lot more records with more indepth strings, chords and basslines it's important to keep things in the right key

you can ride 2 seperate basslines together if they are in the same key - that kind of stuff...

It's really a shame that a lot of people hate on djing because it is really alot more than just moving the crossfader from a to b

so much so it can take up some serious time if you want to do it right and be good at it.

[Voodu]

It really is an art all it's own and can't be compared to maing music or being in a band in any way shape or form. Like you stated the programming will make or break you. You have to know where the energy is in a track so it gets in as soon as the energy in the last track dies down. There seems to be alort of rivalry between djs/producers/musicians but I think alot of us here are all of thee above:) If that it is indeed the case then you all should understand they are all vastly different art forms but equally cpmplex.

[missjade]

damn, i totally hear you. i sometimes get frustrated with not being able to get into either djing or producing without neglecting the other in some way, but it's 2 different mindsets: throwing down at a club and socializing vs. being a hermit in the studio= extraversion vs. introversion.

i go through phases where i work on beats and withdraw from the scene a bit, and then i get bored and want to play parties again... then i need a mental detox and get back to writing. i don't think you need to feel guilty about it at all. i think they both feed each other in a way, and i prefer to focus all my energy on one project at a time (my famous excuse for procastinating)...

and anyway... i think it's important for people making dance music to know what kinda shit sounds SICK in a club and makes you wanna dance!

PS have fun @ your gigs...

[djshiva]

i would rather dj than produce any day of the week. !!sacrilege, i know!!

that said, sometimes i find myself hiding away for days making beats and fun noises... *shrug*

i just go with it. live is too short to worry about this stuff. if it works it works...if it doesn't, do something else.

sometimes i sit down to work on tunes and think..."wow, i would so much rather read a book!" and ya know what? when that thought hits, i usually do. my job is stressful. music and djing and production can be at times, but i don't want them to make me crazy. these things are my break from the rest of the world.

have a beer and a smoke and let whatever happens (djing or producing) happen.

p.s. there are a lot of prolific producers who chug out lots of tunes. how many of them are consistently good? focus on what yer feeling, and not pie in the sky. you'll be happier for it.

[muthafunka]

Good timing for this thread-got my first dj gig in a big club for a while on Monday, rounded up a few new tunes at the shops recently and hitting the decks at home properly for the first time in months, just been sat in front of the computer all that time, but DAMN did it feel good! Also feeling like I'm just going to play all vinyl/cd this gig just to get away from the monitor and feel that random risk factor.
Hey Adonis, if you ain't heard it I reckon you'd dig the new Alexi Delano on Harthouse, also the latest on Abe Duque Recs-Al Lindrum (??hard to read but it's ADR11)

[djadonis206]

I want to mix right now

FYI - Adam Jays mix on Kroma is HOT! - Roman came up on that jam...now we know KROMA

I'm actually feeling REDHEAD right now - everything he puts out is massive

speaking of producers who crank 'em out

most like Bryan Cox and Marco Bailey come pretty strong consistantly but I know what you mean

another one who has alot of releases and never fails to please is PAUL MAC - Everything that guy touches is the HEAT!

and HERTZ comes with it everytime as well...

all jams all day