Turntablists, hamster style or regular??

zordon · Post by **zordon** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 4:05 pm

I've gotten used to scratching with the cross fader "standard" like Dj Qbert, and I haven't really put a lot of effort into beat juggling. Now I'm thinking it's easier to beat juggle hamster style but I'm not used to scratching hamster style. Trying to put together a routine but I don't know if I wanna be switching all the time. Anyway what is your preference and is it any easier either way?

hambone1 · Post by **hambone1** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 4:06 pm

[dfi] · Post by **[dfi]** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 4:55 pm

I switched to hamster years ago.
Hamster feels more natural somehow...

SimonPHC · Post by **SimonPHC** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 5:04 pm

I've always wondered why regular style didn't have an animal name too. Hamster sounds so much cooler then regular.

doc holiday · Post by **doc holiday** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 5:13 pm

I thought you meant this hamster style

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQrHsrKIspM

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 5:41 pm

I like both. learn a move one way, flip the switch and you have another effect.

Punky921 · Post by **Punky921** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 6:01 pm

I scratch regular. I'd imagine juggling hamster would be confusing as hell.

mikemc · Post by **mikemc** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 7:07 pm

DJ Q: Yo man, what's those red bumps all on your hands? Looks painful
DJ A: Turntablisters

*ba-dump teesssh*

rbmonosylabik · Post by **rbmonosylabik** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 10:43 pm

I fail miserably at anything that isn't hamster with left hand on the record.

guerillabass · Post by **guerillabass** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 4:50 am

I rekon...

Hamster is better for Flares and cutting the sound up

Regular is better for Beat Juggling and Transform scratches

...

But do both and you will get better at it all !

nuxnamon · Post by **nuxnamon** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 7:14 am

Stick to scratching regular if your used to it and learn to juggle regular.. I've never met any one that juggles hamster.. The biggest benefit in scratching and juggling in regular is that you can incorporate more scratches to your juggles with out reaching more a hamster switch. that's the biggest disadvantage if your scratching and juggling are in different fader styles,, A hamster switch has nothing to do with getting better crabs and flares, just what your more comfortable with.. Since your just starting to juggle, stick with regular so that you don't get too far ahead and form the habit. The only reason I started using the hamster switch is that I started along time ago when people used to use phono/line switches in the numarks which was a up and down switch.. Numarks were the shit before the vestax and rane era.. FYI.. My buddy Frank Cuevas , AKA DJ Cue was in the "Bullet Proof Scratch Hamsters".. Their the first ones who use to reverse the inputs on the rca's and that's how they scratched reversed and that's where the name "hamster" switch came from..

funknotik · Post by **funknotik** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 9:03 am

nuxnamon wrote:Stick to scratching regular if your used to it and learn to juggle regular.. I've never met any one that juggles hamster.. The biggest benefit in scratching and juggling in regular is that you can incorporate more scratches to your juggles with out reaching more a hamster switch. that's the biggest disadvantage if your scratching and juggling are in different fader styles,, A hamster switch has nothing to do with getting better crabs and flares, just what your more comfortable with.. Since your just starting to juggle, stick with regular so that you don't get too far ahead and form the habit. The only reason I started using the hamster switch is that I started along time ago when people used to use phono/line switches in the numarks which was a up and down switch.. Numarks were the shit before the vestax and rane era.. FYI.. My buddy Frank Cuevas , AKA DJ Cue was in the "Bullet Proof Scratch Hamsters".. Their the first ones who use to reverse the inputs on the rca's and that's how they scratched reversed and that's where the name "hamster" switch came from..

Yeah I'm going to stick to regular just cause I'm used to it. But I see Kentaro, I-Emerge, and all these bad ass jugglers using hamster which compelled me to try it. Also BPSH are dope as hell, your lucky to know one of them. I imagine you learned alot from him. Also just to make sure because there are conflicting opinions, hamster style is when the cross fader is all the way to the LEFT and no sound can be heard from the RIGHT turntable correct? I'm getting dudes telling me different shit and I've always been told hamster style referred to the aforementioned cross fader positioning. Thanks for your replies all, I knew there was some turntablists on the forum somewhere!

nuxnamon · Post by **nuxnamon** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 10:37 am

all the hamster switch does is it reverses the fader assignment of channels 1 (L turntable) and 2 (R turntable).. with the hamster on, sliding the fader all the way to the left means that channel 2 is on and you wont hear channel 1. i'm not sure whether kentaro or I-emerge use hamster for scratching, but for sure they juggle regular.. crabs, flares, orbits, whatever.. they can be done either way but again it just depends on what your comfortable with.. it's like writing.. if you've been using your right hand to write, why would you switch yo you left cuz some famous guy is writing with his left hand.. if you can spell all the words he writes with your right hand, that's all that matters.. hopefully my analogy helps... but yeah, there's not alot of turntablist here in the ableton forum, it's just a whole different crowd and not many see the musical talent that some turntablist have like Qbert, d-styles, kentaro, etc. But mention Tiesto, richie H, etc,, and you'll get more responses. lol. There really is no comparison because there 2 totally different genres with the turntable the common instrument. But I don't even consider myself a turntablist cuz I am more focused on music production so I don't practice like serious turntablist do. but I do try and mend some basic turntablism and music production/performance by using a serato/ableton combo like Dj Enferno... I think that's where turntablism is headed..

Emissary · Post by **Emissary** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 9:14 pm

i use gerbil style myself. I set up the left mix with a slow downtempo slurp and the the center channel with a high pitched wince. by pulling my hand across the gerbils ball sack i make it scratch its legs with its nose and squeak the happy clap. The elephant burps and the horse gyrates and the whole dance floor goes epic. I member of the pubic ran out and fell in the canal, but we left the bollock to drown.

funknotik · Post by **funknotik** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 11:29 pm

Emissary wrote:i use gerbil style myself. I set up the left mix with a slow downtempo slurp and the the center channel with a high pitched wince. by pulling my hand across the gerbils ball sack i make it scratch its legs with its nose and squeak the happy clap. The elephant burps and the horse gyrates and the whole dance floor goes epic. I member of the pubic ran out and fell in the canal, but we left the bollock to drown.

Yeah I heard Richard Gere has that same style, in his ass! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bH9CdoUmFxs