DJing beyond just blending two tracks

Controllerism? Live PA?  Whatever you want to call it, I’m looking at expanding my DJing setup.  I’m not at a point to perform my tracks live but I am looking at learning more about DJing going past just blending two tracks and use of FX’s.

For those that use Traktor, I would like to discuss what inspires you in creating a set or what do you start with when creating a mix using loops & samples along with your selected tracks?

I’ve been watching stuff on DJ Tech Tools and some that Native Instruments puts out and been intrigued lately.  I’m excited to see the next version of Traktor has added and new controller.

(For those that use Live, you’re not out, I just use Traktor for DJing)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGxd1Cm2_Sc

seeing this when it came out a month ago, had got me thinking about going this direction.

Thing is, DJing IS about blending a couple tracks together.  In fact, I’d venture to bet that 99% of most clubs in the world expect to see and hear, just exactly that.  Many successful DJs that have ventured beyond the status quo for club performances have shitloads of experience performing before they went the direction of controller and live PA direction. 

I think honestly it depends on the direction you’re wanting to go with performance.  Most clubs I’ve played at, unless they are super clubs and have budgets for bigger name performers, don’t have enough room for most people’s setups. If you don’t have a lot of experience performing at the base of what DJing is at its core…  I dunno. 

Plus, depending on how you present yourself as an artist, if nobody knows who you are, promoters that would consider booking you will tell you to f*** off if you show up with a big rig of controllers.  Lately there’s been a trend of booking 4+ DJs in a night, which generally gives each DJ about 1hr of play time, so setting up a bunch of gear for minimal play time just really sucks the big one, not to mention its becomes a hassle for all the other DJs who might be hooking up Traktor or Serato, or even just the djs playing off CDs.  

So either you are working on a live show, finding a promoter that is into promoting that sort of thing, or you’re just grabbing the stuff for fun mixing at home and potential house parties.  And your live show better be freaking awesome, if it comes across basically the same as a regular dj on CDs, it falls under the category of unimpressive and waste of time.  

• This reply was modified 85 days ago by  Joel Armstrong.

I agree with Joel. The biggest problem when people start trying to do live setups is they forget about transporting that rig AND how it’s goign to set up in a cramped booth.

I do a hybrid DJ/live PA type setup. I’ve gone to great lengths to keep my setup small. It’s why I use a UC-33e and a Launchpad. It all fits into a laptop bag, easy to transport and doesn’t take up much booth space at all.

1) Moving to more than 2 decks for mixing requires you to stop thinking about mixing tracks and thinking more about mixing “loops” or “parts”. You’re not going to be going from track a to track b. You’re going to have at least deck c running something in a loop and you will eventually make that loop be the whole track. It’s something you need to practice at home until you really understand what that 3rd or 4th deck is really there to do for you. 

2) Minimum controllers and gear. You can’t expect a club to let you haul in a huge rig. An NS7 is too much. You’ll also need to arrange to get there earlier if you’re going that route. Know exactly what you need and how the club is set up before you get there and plan for things to go wrong.

3) Regardless of your rig… make sure you can set it up in the dark, in a crowded area and with other people in the way who don’t want you there. Do all of this while maintaining a Godly attitude too.

4) Understand that chances are you are not going to be the main attraction. Act like it… then put on a show that makes you the main attraction. 

5) Don’t get lost in controllerism. Period. It’s fun and all that but 1) most ppl don’t get it. 2) it’s more than what’s necessary. 3) you will spend more time tweaking your rig than you will actually preparing for a good show. 

6) K.I.S.S. – Keep It Simple, Stupid. Or… Keep It Stupid Simple.

Now… my rig: Laptop, audio card, Traktor Pro, Numark Stealth Control. That’s for 2 decks. For decks 3 & 4, I’m using an M-Audio Trigger finger, but honestly… I’m interested in something smaller, I just can’t justify it right now.

@Joel – I’ve mixed with vinyl TT’s, CDJ-1000s and Traktor with and without Scratch addition.  I’m just looking at learning more about Traktor and adding another layer to my mixes.

I’m with Dave, I like keeping things simple.

So adding the second pair of decks, for those that do, how do you usually approach it?  Do you use loops and samples to create a whole track in between two you’re mixing?  Or do you use them to accent the previous or upcoming tracks? or both?

I have ideas already and not asking these questions because I don’t have a clue.  Just wanting advice from those that already have been doing this.  

Every track in your current library is built from 8 or 16 bar loops. That’s really all you need with creative eqing. 

You just need to set up you traktor contoller so you can loop anything with one press of a button. So… you find a good loop within the start of each track and loop it. 

You’ll play your track on deck a sans loop, slowly bring in your loop from deck c so it adds to w/o overpowering deck a. You’re looking for accents here. Then later on, you bring in deck b and slowly mix out of deck a. You could even loop deck a at this point and pull it back to an accent. While deck b is the main thing, you start cueing up deck d using the same idea as deck c. Totally bring deck a out of the mix, slowly bring in deck d, bring deck c fully into the mix and remove the loop. Loop deck b, eq it back. Start working again on deck a and repeat.

That’s how I’ve had to work. Everything you do has to build or rather add to what you have playing already. You have to be careful about what tracks you are playing. When you start layering things like that, things get muddy pretty quick. Minimal (techno, house etc…) tracks seem to work the best because of their stripped structure. DnB may not do as well because of the complex rhythms. Liquid DnB could work though I think if done right.

Does this help a bit? 

Also, don’t forget that a LOT of what contollerist have done in the past has been on just two decks.  This idea that you have to have 3 or more isn’t mandatory. In fact, I guess with the new traktor it’s possible for you to have 17 tracks playing at once if you were to use the sample decks and the loop recorder. That’s more than enough… to make mud.

I’ve been expanding to 4 channels with my DJing, I was originally using the Sample Decks in Traktor, but I found just doing 4 decks worked better for me.  I don’t need 8 additional loops, I just like to have a loop or two going on to make more interesting transistions and such.  I might eventually expand to the sample decks when 2.5 comes out with the “remix decks” that allow you to  kinda scroll through them like Ableton style.   

I agree with the guys about setup, you definitely want to think it out and try to keep it as condensed as possible.  That’s why I like the S4, nice and simple. Just one USB cable to to the laptop and done.  My live PA is also pretty small compared to most, RemoteSL MKII 25, Launchpad, and Maschine.  

But I also do not play out very much, and where I do play out is not your conventional club environment.  I prefer DIY style events where they are more open to experimentation and non-conventional setups.  Boiler Room is my dream venue.

Yes, great info guys. Helps a lot. Just wanted to get some ideas when I start using other decks or sample decks in Traktor.

i have actually been looking into this quite a bit more lately myself as it dawned on me that djing is very rapidly losing its credit as an art form with all the synch buttons, autocues, and the like that make it so if you wanted to let it happen… the decks will all but mix a set for you. I recently purchased a novation launch pad, and am currently trying to figure out how to use it in a creative and unique way while still being able to dj like normal… i guess i want to do a livepa/dj kinda hybrid setup… or not… i honestly dont know because ive been strictly djing for many years, i wouldnt know the first thing about live pa… i do need help… if anyone is willing to offer… also… more equipment that is good for live pa type stuff would be good as… again… my knowlege on this subject is still very limited.

After all, DJ`ing is about the 1+1=3 rule… Wright track, on the wright time makes 
“3″.. If you`re able to do that, you can start playing with loops and acapella`s for example. Agree with the arguments of keeping your setup as small as possible, can`t refurniture the whole DJ booth everytime

can`t refurniture the whole DJ booth everytime 

Yes. Yes you can.

Shelby,

I think you’ll probably like Traktor Pro 2.5 (comes out this summer), it’s going to bring an element of Ableton into Traktor so you can DJ like normal but have “Remix decks” where you have a grid of loops on each C & D Deck.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=SGxd1Cm2_Sc

More insight on 4 decks + maschine…   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=j2mXhFS-uoY

Favorite part:  Don’t bother the DJ!  

Deeflash,
Yeah, can’t wait for the new update and controller too.

Also the Traktor video is what I have in mind as far as adding to my DJing.