Monstah Boy
Hello,
I am new to this forum and this my first post. My question is, how do you prepare for a gig or a mix? Do you randomly select tracks as you mix or do you have a prepared list of tracks to play? Also do you use Itunes playlist or create a list within virtual dj? Are there advantages to using Itunes or just organizing within Virtual DJ. Sorry if I am putting this in the wrong area. Thanks for your input.
I am new to this forum and this my first post. My question is, how do you prepare for a gig or a mix? Do you randomly select tracks as you mix or do you have a prepared list of tracks to play? Also do you use Itunes playlist or create a list within virtual dj? Are there advantages to using Itunes or just organizing within Virtual DJ. Sorry if I am putting this in the wrong area. Thanks for your input.
Posted Thu 13 Oct 11 @ 11:55 am
djmariojax
Personally, I think you have to get in the habit of reading your crowd. If you prepare a playlist and your crowd is not responding, then you look bad. If you are making a mix at home for friends then think about what your friends would like. In the end, don't forget that you cannot please everyone. I have also a playlist in itunes that I keep of tracks that are current and a particular crowd might like. However, I never rely on my playlist because whats the point then of having a dj compared to just an ipod hooked up to a mixer? Learn to read the crowd, that will answer everything.
Posted Thu 13 Oct 11 @ 12:15 pm
Monstah Boy
Thanks for the input djmariojax. Thats what I kinda figured. The main reason Im asking is because when I open up my songs in virtual dj, they are all listed by artist>cd>songs. I have not been able to have virtual dj to open all the songs by all artist so I can sort by bpm. Didnt know if a playlist was needed for me to do that.
Posted Thu 13 Oct 11 @ 12:26 pm
mp3jrick
Let your crowd help you, reading them can be tricky if its a broad age group.
Looking at myself, you'd never figure me for a top 40 hip hop rap kind of guy, and people can be as diverse about music as they are about the food they eat. I am not a mind reader,that guy comes in at 9pm during my break, lol.
Be friendly, and talk to them, invite them to make requests, this is a good guide to what is in front of you or at least those who did come to dance will definitely have suggestions. Look for the party girls, the ones you can see want to dance, start there because they will jump start the dance floor for you. Make eye contact and smile, that opens the door and they'll be in your face in seconds.
Here is a good source for music and music video, look a the classic and specialty and all time party classic series for the best proven results.
http://www.promoonly.com/view_format.php?IssueTitleID=9
You can review any category to find the best and most popular songs from any year.
They have a great staff and you can talk to any one of them including Pete Werner and Jim Robinson who founded and own the company.
I suggest them for a foundation mainly because they support every dj event in the US and have offices in the UK as well.
They're all about details and are in it to win it.
I used to freak myself out before gigs building sets and such, but after seeing the group had a total shift forcing me to fly by my azz which proved to be the best way.
Sure get an idea, but .....wait.....till you see the crowd to decide what to play and let them tell you also.
If you put out a request tablet, my bet is they will fill it.
I leave one out just to keep them out of my hair, lol...
Pick the right time to transit from dinner to dance if table served is involved.
Check with the wait staff to make sure they are clear before you turn the joint into a riot, its chaos that makes the staff mad at you which is not good for future events. You need those people, treat them nicely and its gonna come back.
Then push go with a song that will set the party in motion, this could be a line dance, or the latest hot track and depends on the crowd.
You may have a shy crowd that needs cheese like YMCA or ABBA or others that need Disco or others that want Old Time Rock and Roll or Stayin' Alive.
Don't forget to play all 9 minutes of Freebird for that drunk guy screaming at you all night....not, lol.
Run the dance like a roller coaster with the tempo going up and down gradually or cutting half or double the beat.
People will sit down when you are off the trail or are tired because you didn't downshift in time.
Lots to practice, but keep these things in mind when live as a guide and you'll do fine.
Now once you do a few gigs, the songs you played are saved to the history folder in the left browser by date code.
These can be saved as a playlist, but better they can be used to build refined sets knowing how the crowd reacted to it etc...
You can also use them to fall back on when you have no idea what to play drawing a blank.
Sometimes you just gotta load a save my ass file so you have 3 min to think and compose.
Hope this helps
r
Looking at myself, you'd never figure me for a top 40 hip hop rap kind of guy, and people can be as diverse about music as they are about the food they eat. I am not a mind reader,that guy comes in at 9pm during my break, lol.
Be friendly, and talk to them, invite them to make requests, this is a good guide to what is in front of you or at least those who did come to dance will definitely have suggestions. Look for the party girls, the ones you can see want to dance, start there because they will jump start the dance floor for you. Make eye contact and smile, that opens the door and they'll be in your face in seconds.
Here is a good source for music and music video, look a the classic and specialty and all time party classic series for the best proven results.
http://www.promoonly.com/view_format.php?IssueTitleID=9
You can review any category to find the best and most popular songs from any year.
They have a great staff and you can talk to any one of them including Pete Werner and Jim Robinson who founded and own the company.
I suggest them for a foundation mainly because they support every dj event in the US and have offices in the UK as well.
They're all about details and are in it to win it.
I used to freak myself out before gigs building sets and such, but after seeing the group had a total shift forcing me to fly by my azz which proved to be the best way.
Sure get an idea, but .....wait.....till you see the crowd to decide what to play and let them tell you also.
If you put out a request tablet, my bet is they will fill it.
I leave one out just to keep them out of my hair, lol...
Pick the right time to transit from dinner to dance if table served is involved.
Check with the wait staff to make sure they are clear before you turn the joint into a riot, its chaos that makes the staff mad at you which is not good for future events. You need those people, treat them nicely and its gonna come back.
Then push go with a song that will set the party in motion, this could be a line dance, or the latest hot track and depends on the crowd.
You may have a shy crowd that needs cheese like YMCA or ABBA or others that need Disco or others that want Old Time Rock and Roll or Stayin' Alive.
Don't forget to play all 9 minutes of Freebird for that drunk guy screaming at you all night....not, lol.
Run the dance like a roller coaster with the tempo going up and down gradually or cutting half or double the beat.
People will sit down when you are off the trail or are tired because you didn't downshift in time.
Lots to practice, but keep these things in mind when live as a guide and you'll do fine.
Now once you do a few gigs, the songs you played are saved to the history folder in the left browser by date code.
These can be saved as a playlist, but better they can be used to build refined sets knowing how the crowd reacted to it etc...
You can also use them to fall back on when you have no idea what to play drawing a blank.
Sometimes you just gotta load a save my ass file so you have 3 min to think and compose.
Hope this helps
r
Posted Thu 13 Oct 11 @ 4:40 pm
DJ Ace Cap1
Mix at home: Drink!
Mix at club or party: Sleep, make sure everything is working & have music ready.
Mix at club or party: Sleep, make sure everything is working & have music ready.
Posted Thu 13 Oct 11 @ 8:39 pm
Caliente123
To record a Mix, You gather the songs you want and then listen to each track to pick out the order of which would go first and so on.. Thats why some mix cds dont sound good. To prepare for a Club, You have to make alot of session folders. The beginning session is songs to get people in the mood. People walk into the club and they always head to the bar to chill and have a drink. You have a session folder for 12 am when the club is almost packed. You play alot of club bangers. At 2 am, you mix it up and get busy because most people have a buzz (Alittle Drunk) and your keeping everyone in the zone. Some Djs have the habbit of playing too much of a genre and slowly, the people are walking away.
Posted Thu 13 Oct 11 @ 11:25 pm
pseft
tonight i played 80's then i played some vocal house, i needed to eat so i put on a cd of chuck love... nice eating music, funky jackn but smooth.
after that i decided to play some AC/DC sabbath led zepp, they loved it.
then i went into playing some club and electro had them dancing. i decided to play some differen tunes and u can c that they didnt like it so quickly found another song and they stayed. in a club u can prolly get away with that coz that makes them go to the bar or the loo.
after that i decided to play some AC/DC sabbath led zepp, they loved it.
then i went into playing some club and electro had them dancing. i decided to play some differen tunes and u can c that they didnt like it so quickly found another song and they stayed. in a club u can prolly get away with that coz that makes them go to the bar or the loo.
Posted Sat 15 Oct 11 @ 12:29 pm
jboerlage
I now only do podcasts.. and the preparation depends on the genre.
If I do club or house, I'll just pick a style, make a filter folder with everything from that style, pick a first song and go from there, selection the next on the key, bpm and waveform.
For example: http://i.mixcloud.com/CjAro
For more complex genre's or mixes, the choice of music is very important and tempo and key changes make your planning more important. I than make a pre-selection in a virtual folder, globally determine what I'll play and go from there.
For example: http://i.mixcloud.com/Chowo
In both cases make sure everything is scanned for bmp and key and never fully trust the beat grid.
And yeah DJ Ace Cap1 a nice drink is always a welcome extra :P
If I do club or house, I'll just pick a style, make a filter folder with everything from that style, pick a first song and go from there, selection the next on the key, bpm and waveform.
For example: http://i.mixcloud.com/CjAro
For more complex genre's or mixes, the choice of music is very important and tempo and key changes make your planning more important. I than make a pre-selection in a virtual folder, globally determine what I'll play and go from there.
For example: http://i.mixcloud.com/Chowo
In both cases make sure everything is scanned for bmp and key and never fully trust the beat grid.
And yeah DJ Ace Cap1 a nice drink is always a welcome extra :P
Posted Sat 15 Oct 11 @ 2:22 pm
Monstah Boy
Thanks everybody for your input. Some very nice suggestions. I will play around with those suggestions and hopefully develop a system that works for me. Thanks again everybody.
Posted Tue 18 Oct 11 @ 2:31 pm