Learn To DJ Online - Learning From Video DJ Classes and Courses

When I first started DJing in Phoenix a few years ago, I was amazed by the difference between how easy it looks and hard it can be. Although I was being trained by a pro with more than 15 years of experience, it was so difficult to get the sound right.

With beat matching, tempo, cues, and all of the more advanced techniques, it feels like you could just drown in confusion before you really start to catch on. Now it doesn't take a lot of DJ skills to get out there and play a few top hits while fading from one to the next. Yup- we can all play a middle school dance after a few nights with our friends' decks.

But to me, it's so easy to see that what all of us DJ's really want is to get up in front of a large audience that knows good music and blow them away. To be respected in front of our peers (who know what good DJing sounds like) is a feeling that can't be beat. Except- when you get paid for it to.

In order to take yourself from playing school dances to doing clubs and getting your name out there, you need to practice. Like most things, DJing is going to take practice to get good and to become sensitive to the sound you are trying to exude. When I started learning, I got so frustrated at the speed I was improving before I got some video DJ courses. The video courses made all the difference.

With so many DJ's today moving to CD's, iPods, and software, the DJ that can get out and spin some vinyl is in higher demand than ever. You just cannot be the rich sound or vinyl or duplicate the effects that can be done on vinyl with a CD mixer or DJ Software.

Now, put simply, to be a DJ you are going to need:

1. Sound recordings in a DJ's preferred medium (vinyl, cd, or ipod)

2. A couple of sound devices, IE decks, cd players, ipods, or what have you. You need at least 2 so you can alternate back and forth.

3. A sound system for amplification or broadcasting of the recordings (e.g. portable audio system, PA system) or a radio broadcasting system.

4. A DJ mixer, an electronic two-channel mixer with a crossfader used to smoothly go from one song to another.

5. A microphone, so that the DJ can introduce songs and speak to the audience, and

6. headphones or a monitor speaker, which is used to listen to one recording while the other is playing, without outputting the sound to the audience.

But once you've got all six of those items in place, you have to learn how to use them correctly and with your own style. It's like making love: just because you have the right equipment doesn't mean you're done learning.

Bradley Spencer was a DJ in Phoenix, Arizona for a good long stretch. Now he helps aspiring DJs get their skills in line before trying to get their name out.

As a DJ trainer, Brad always suggests starting with a complete DJ Video Training Course before playing out or paying a professional DJ thousands of dollars for hands-on training.

Digital Dj'ing - Using a Laptop or PC as part of your Mobile Disco

Many Mobile Discos have made the change from a conventional CD or Vinyl based system to a software based one, usually running on either a full sized pc or a laptop. The fundamentals of both systems are largely the same, and so you shouldn't simply be taken in by reading other DJs horror stories about how their laptop overheated during the first dance at a Wedding or how their full sized PCs power supply exploded halfway through a gig. There are pros and cons of using both systems, but largely whether to use a full size pc or a laptop comes down to personal choice, practicality, budget and space, and you'll often find that DJ's criticising the opposite machine, have never actually used the system that they are criticising!. If possible visit a DJ who already uses a system to that which you intend to use yourself, nothing can sell an idea better than actually seeing it in use!, for the record, I have watched Mobile DJ's use both PC's and Laptops to DJ from, and neither, in my opinion, was more reliable or better than the other, so it should only be personal choice, rather than rumour or scaremongering which makes the decision on that score!.

Is running a Mobile Disco from a PC or Laptop reliable?

Anybody who has ever encountered the windows blue screen of death, or worn out the Ctrl+alt+del keys on their keyboard will possibly dread the thought of using such a system as a platform to their DJ'ing!. In essence, a decent dedicated pc or laptop with a clean install, good quality hard drive and a reasonable amount of memory will out preform most typical home pc set ups which may be running several applications at a time, be infiltrated with virus or spyware traces, and have a hard drive and registry full of corrupt enteries and partly uninstalled files.

The key to running a successful software based DJ system, is to buy a dedicated pc / laptop for the task, and to only run the operating system and DJ Software on there, and never allow it to run other applications or even connect to the internet. This way the installation runs and remains clean and largely error free, will rarely have a corrupt file, and won't get infiltrated or bogged down with several other applications. This advice is given by DJ's who have been using software and PC's for many years, and have found this method of DJ'ing to be just as reliable as conventional DJ'ing from CD's.

The advantages of using a Laptop or Pc to DJ

The advantages of converting your material to music files and using a Pc or Laptop to DJ from are many. The first is the most obvious, gone are the days where you are carrying several heavy boxes of CD's around with you, most DJ's CD collections can easily be converted to MP3 and will fit onto a 80gb - 200gb hard drive!. By converting to Software Dj'ing you also rid yourself of that long search through several hundred CD compilations in order to find that elusive requested track that you just know that you have got somewhere!. With most DJ Software, you can type in part or all of the artistes name or song title and find it within seconds!. It really is possible to find and cue up a request within 5 seconds - something which just can't be done easily or quickly with a CD or vinyl collection.

Other advantages of a software based DJ system, include the possibility to create playlists from frequently used tracks, and you could create playlists from all genres, for example a playlist for background music, one for dance music, one for the 70s and one for the end of the night slowies. Of course you can also group the tracks together and catalog them according to Genre which also makes finding tracks from particular era's easier too. Some DJ Software will also allow you to group tracks together which have a similar BPM - a boon for DJ's who mix.

Which DJ Software should I choose?

There are many different brands and types of DJ Software about, again it comes down to personal preference which type you choose. It is always a very good idea to check out reviews and discussions on DJ Forums and if possible to find a DJ who uses a system based on the software which is of interest to you, so you can actually see it in action, in a disco environment.

Some DJ Software comes with a free trial, which enables you to download and install the software on your system and try it for for free for a time limited period (usually 10 - 30 days). Depending on the cost of the software, there can be differing features. Some Dj Software will simply allow you to cue up and play music using 2 "players", others will have more comprehensive features, such as being able to fade between tracks, alter the pitch and tempo controls in a similar manner to conventional CD and Vinyl turntables, some of the more expensive software will even allow you to mix, or add a USB controller which looks and functions like a twin cd controller!, some Software will even mix the tracks for you!.

Remember that a feature is only worthwhile if you have a use for it!. Carefully consider what features you need, and which will be the ones that you will have any use for. It would be pointless buying a Dj Software package which allows you to mix, if you are a mobile dj who rarely has the requirement to beat mix. Most Software in its basic form, also comes with the option to add and install plug ins which give you additional updates and features, so its worth starting with the basic packages and then adding new features if and when you require them!.

My advice at this stage, if you are new to, or considering Software Dj'ing is to download the free trials of the various software which is available, try them for the time limited period, and then buy the one which suits you, and which is the most comfortable to use.

Some dj software titles which are currently popular and well reviewed by Mobile DJ's include OTSDJ, DSSDJ and PCDJ

What type of PC do I need to run my DJ Software package

When you have decided on a software package, it is then time to consider what pc or laptop to use it on. Contrary to rumour, you don't need the latest brand new pc or laptop to successfully run DJ Software from, and neither do you need a huge CPU processor. Most DJ Software will happily run on a pentium 3 processor with 600mhz speed or higher, many of the newer 1.2ghz+ celerons will also flawlessly run DJ software with no problems and without breaking into a sweat. Try and buy as much memory as you can afford, ideally 512mb of memory or a minimum of 256mb for most applications.

How big should I be :o)

A decent sized hard drive is the next consideration. Remember the bigger the hard drive the more individual tracks that you can fit on there. An average music file ripped at 192kbps is around 5mb in size and so a 100gb hard drive should fit around 20,000 tracks on there. However if you increase the quality of the track in MP3 format, then the file size rises also, so a 320kpbs mp3 could be as large as 11mb in size and so the same 100gb capacity would be reduced to holding only around 9000 tracks. Don't forget to factor in space for your operating software, drivers and DJ software when working out hard drive capacity!. You can of course expand your hard drive capacity by fitting external hard drives to USB ports, and these are also reliable. If possible try and use a system which runs USB2.0 or even firewire since these run at faster data speeds than conventional USB1.1 although many Dj's report no issues with hard drives and soundcards run from older 1.1 systems.

Give me Sound!

Using a good quality soundcard is a must!, many laptops and motherboard based sound chips on full sized pc's rarely do justice to sound quality or are designed with full time high quality audio playback in mind. Consider installing a pci sound card in your pc, or investing in a good quality USB external soundcard if you opt to use a laptop. Most 2 channel soundcards will suffice for DJ'ing in most mobile applications, where the audio is mixed between the players on the laptop and the single output is then fed through a pair of "L" and "R" connectors on the soundcard, and then into the mixer or amplifier.

However, if more creativity is required, or the software is to be used for mixing applications or the use of a crossfader between channels on a conventional mixer is likely to be utilised, then you need to buy a 5 channel soundcard. This allows the soundcard to be set up, in a manner which allows one pair of "L" and "R" outputs to be used for "Player 1" on the soundcard and fed into an individual channel on the mixer, and the same for "Player 2" - this allows each software player to have its own fader on the mixer - just like a conventional twin cd player.

What Quality?

Some Dj Software packages come complete with the means to "Rip" a cd. "Ripping" means placing the original Cd into the PC's CDROM and the process of converting the original music on the CD to MP3 Data, which is then stored on the hard drive as an MP3 File. In the case of OTSDJ, the option is also there to convert to a file called OTS, this is a custom files regonised only by the OTSDJ software, however it sounds just as good as MP3 and is also a slightly smaller file size, meaning that more OTS files can be stored on a hard drive when compared to conventional MP3 files.

If you use a DJ software package which does use conventional MP3 files, then you will need to select the quality at which to "rip". This figure is measured in "Kbps" and often ranges from 32kbps and 320kbps. Lower ranges are not recommended for professional use over a PA system since they can sound dull and even distorted. Ideally for professional use, the DJ should be looking at ripping their CD's to Mp3 files at 192kbps or greater.

192kbps is considered reasonable quality, however 320kbps is near cd quality and may be prefered by some Dj's - however on smaller audio systems the difference may be hard to detect. As the quality is increased, so does the file size, and a 320kbps file may be several mb larger than its 192kbps counterpart, it may also take longer to rip an entire CD at 320kbps than at lower rates.

For Dj Software which doesn't have ripping capability, Musicmatch Jukebox may prove to be an alternative for this process,

Are there any disadvantages to being a Digital DJ?

Now the disadvantages!. Obviously the initial cost of buying a PC / Laptop, a good quality soundcard, large hard drive and the Dj Software itself is likely to total far more than buying a conventional CD Player or turntables. It also takes time to "rip" your cd collection to Mp3 and store them on your hard drive. In some jurisdictions it is also illegal to convert original material to MP3 format for digital use without a licence, and this can prove to be expensive, if the Dj is to work on the right side of the law. It is the possible licence requirement that we discuss next.

Do I need a licence to play music from a laptop?

At the time of writing this article, an annual licence is required in Canada and the UK in order to use a PC or laptop to DJ from. In the UK, a further licence and possible royalty payment is also required for the conversion process. Although no fees have yet been advertised (April 2006) these controversal laws are likely to make this form of DJ'ing unattractive when compared to more conventional, and "licence free" alternatives.

Finally, my tips for Software Djing

* Always buy and use a dedicated pc / laptop purely for Dj use, do not be tempted to use the family pc or run other applications on the machine you use to DJ from, and do not allow this machine to connect to the internet. On a pre-used machine, also start from scratch with a format and fresh install of the operating system.

* Use a good quality soundcard, even if you need to upgrade or buy an external USB one

* Always rip the music direct from an original CD at 192kbps quality or higher. 320kbps is advised for higher quality pa systems and is near cd quality. 192kbps is okay for smaller systems used by the Mobile DJ.

* Don't be too concerned about buying the latest top of the range PC to run from. Most Dj Software will happily run from basic P3 600mhz machines, but do check out the minimum requirements on the software authors website.

* Read reviews on the various software packages available. Stick to the features that you will use, since you can always upgrade extras later. Take advantage of the free trials of DJ Software which are available and use the time to find the best software to suit you

* If you choose a full sized PC make sure that it is professionally flightcased - pc's are not designed to be carried around.

* Select a high capacity 100gb - 200gb hard drive from a reputable manufacturer. Where practical and legal always back up your data

* Fit your machine with at least 256mb of memory, and ideally 512mb.

* Check out the legal aspect of converting original music to MP3 and whether a licence is required to operate such a system.

You may freely use this article on your website, blog or forum, provided a working, active link is provided to the full article at http://www.djsite.info/idx/0/028/article/Running-a-Disco-from-a-Laptop-or-PC.html.

2 Basic Tips to Learn How to DJ

For the outsider DJing might seem like a fairly easy thing to do. When the DJ is playing music in a club or at a party at least every third person on the dance floor probably thinks he or she not only could do that but also do it better. Learning how to DJ however, is easier said than done when most professionals spend immense amount of time in front of their turntables to be able to scratch or juggle a beat in a way that makes the crowd go wild. Here are 5 tips to learn how to DJ and become a true Beat Juggler.

1. Get the proper DJ equipment

Perhaps you thought the first tip to learn how to DJ was going to be a bit more inspiring. We will simply choose to think that you have your reason and inspiration as to why you want to master this craft and get to the chase. No reason to waste any more of your time you could spend practicing on your mixing or scratching. DJing is a game of proper gear. Without the right equipment you will never be able to become an adored MC. So get prepared to spend some money, because turntables, mixers, vinyls and laptop will cost a small fortune. However, when you are done this investment you will never have to spend another nickel. Except for any repairs, if you do not get insurance or guarantee.

If we were to write this twenty years ago, the list of things to buy would be totally different. Today it is all about MP3 digital DJing; a new innovative technology that allows you not to spend money collecting music on expensive and carry them around in heavy cases. What you need is the Serato Rane Live Scratch edition, the latest in digital DJing. But before you buy this or simultaneously as you buy this you still need to purchase two turntables, a mixer and a well-performing laptop. The Serato Scratch Live edition includes an audio interface, a computer software and two blank vinyl records. Though the computer software you will then be able to set up playlists of songs to play through your mixer and turntables. The feeling and performance is exactly as if you would be using regular vinyls to DJ. The only difference is really that #1 all professional DJs has crossed over to digital DJing and #2 it will allow you less heavy equipment and a larger music library.

2. Learn to mix & scratch

There are tons of videos on YouTube with DJs trying to pass the torch of scratching and mixing. However, since particularly scratching is a skill that requires perfection in every detail, shaky cameras and blurry definitions of homemade recordings rarely manages to teach even the simplest of DJ techniques. That's why you should look to find proper DJ tutorials and don't be alarmed if they cost a little. This merely means you are getting what you pay for. By paying a couple of bucks the quality often increases a lot. If something is free it normally indicates that it is also poorly made.

This article shares tips on how to become a better DJ, but if you want to take a walk down memory lane and get advice for the legends, visit BeatTheJuggle.com - an 10 Moments in Dj History. Good luck!

DJ Equipments To Rock The Dance Floor

Do you know what is the key to becoming a successful DJ? Well it is the ability to produce great music mixes that bring the dance floor alive. And in order to create the right kind of music you have to invest in a range of advanced DJ equipments.

If you are just a beginner to the world of mixing and turntables, you are most likely awestruck by the well-established disc jockeys that have the ability to set the floor ablaze with their highly energetic music mixes. OK so you may not have the same range of talents as these DJs, but you can make up for your lack of experience or talent with the right kind of DJ equipments. Next time you visit a night club or disco, just make a trip backstage to check out the DJ equipments, and you will be amazed at the wide range of DJ equipments that are used to churn out those masterful mixes. Although, a novice in the field requires some time and practice on the turntable to somewhat master it, there are other DJ equipments that are not as difficult to learn. And as you advance as a DJ, these equipments will help you to create better music. As in any business you have to make some initial investment in this world of music mixing, as DJ equipments are the basic tools to give you a head start in this trade.

As a DJ, you can manipulate the equipments in a number of different ways. Not only can you rock the dance floor with beats and rhythms, you can also synchronize the music smoothly from one track to the next.

As a DJ, your goal is to make the crowd come to its feet and rock all through the night. At the same time you have to keep the energy level of the dance floor at a point that it can sustain over a longer stretch of time. You have to maintain a musical consistency throughout. As a DJ it is in your hand to keep the tempo alive without annoying a portion of the crowd.

To accomplish all these goals, DJs must be well versed in the advanced technological features of their DJ equipments. You need to be really familiar with your instruments like the back of your hands to use them to their fullest potential.

In the end, it is your skill as a DJ that will be appreciated by both the crowd uninitiated in the art of DJing, and also by those who do have some idea about the workings of a DJ. So make the best use of your DJ equipments and enjoy the wide appreciation from the audience for making them rock and roll throughout the night.

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How Do I Mix Music Without Knowing the Beats Per Minute?

To be honest there is no real way of knowing how to mix songs without at least having a sense of how fast the song plays. You might not know the exact BPM, but after trying to mix some different songs together and actually calculating the BPM of at least a handful of records then you don't have a reference point.

You need to at least calculate the BPM of some records in order to have a reference point so you know when you hear a record play you can estimate the BPM of it.

This really comes with knowing your records and the only way to know your records is to play them. If you don't take the time to get to know your records then there is no point in DJing.

What do I mean when I say "know your records"?

When you know your records I mean you know the song and can repeat it. When you know your records you also know the following:

1. The name of the record label

2. The artists

3. The producer of the song

4. The way the song begins

5. The way the song ends

6. How fast or slow the song plays

7. If the song is one that gets people to dance

8. If the song has breaks in it or the point where only the drums play.

9. If the song is only a quick transition song or if the song can be played for an extended period of time without getting boring.

10. Does the song offer the opportunity to scratch over it?

11. Does the song offer the opportunity to make a great mix?

This is what getting to know your records means. By definition a DJ is supposed to know the first three items on the list down pat.

1. The name of the record label

2. The artists

3. The producer of the song

People will want to know the names of the songs, who the artists are and sometime the record label.

You will find that when you play records people will come up to you and ask you. "What is the name of that song?" Your answer should roll off your tongue.

When you get to the point of knowing your records you will inherently have an idea of the BPM in order to mix just about any song you want. This, however, does not happen overnight and it will take some time.

I find that the best DJ's naturally have a sense of time and rhythm and can almost instantly pick up any record and mix it after they've listened to the first few bars of the song.

Fortunately for you this can be taught by simply listening to a song and clapping your hands to the beat.

This may sound basic but understanding this simple concept and applying it to other songs you will find that you start bobbing your head and then bouncing your whole body to the beat of a song.

Unfortunately from my experience even the most enthusiastic music lovers don't necessarily have a sense of rhythm and if this is the case with you don't despair. Read the earlier section on calculating BPM's for a better understanding.

Sterling is an article marketer and SEO enthusiast. He has been marketing online since 2003 in many disciplines. Visit his latest websites at http://www.discountkitchensinks.net which helps people decide among popular brands of discount kitchen sinks.

DJing Class Reunions Confidently and Effectively

How frustrating is it to DJ a class reunion? These events are probably the most annoying parties to DJ due to the ego's of the guests attending trying to look and sound "cool" to classmates who thought they were "cool in school". This is an informative article offering tips of effective music programming techniques and perfect responses to annoying guests. By the end of this article you should be confident and excited to DJ class reunions.

The Ego's of the party really depends on how old the crowd is. The older the crowd, generally, the more tame a crowd you'll have. The younger the crowd, prepare yourself for a night of bad requests, people telling you how to do your job and what to play, a few insults, and possibly the longest night of your life!

This article will teach you about choosing appropriate music, ways to format your music program, and what to say when guests come up to you when guests have requests and what to say to those guests who try telling you how to do your job. If you take this advice, you'll actually have a TON of fun DJing Class Reunions. Learn to Stay Cool and have fun because You have Total Control!

Hour 1: Choosing Music

What Year did they Graduate: Look up on the internet "Top Songs" from the year they graduated. Like, "Top Songs from 1994" if the class graduated in 1994. Make sure you put together a bunch of songs from that year and a few top songs from "around" that time period. EX. From 1993 and 1995. For about the first hour you want to play this type of music.

Hour 2: Play Some Current up-beat top 40 rock stuff

Hour 3: Open up the dance floor with Current Beat Music (Current Hip-Hop and some Current Rock Beat Music)

Hour 4: Play a few slow love songs for the couples to dance to and then open up the dance floor again with some really good dance music (try different sets and see how the crowd responds: Older hip-hop, Motown, Classic Rock Dance Set, Spanish music if the crowd may like Spanish (if the crowd looks like they like it keep going with it, if they look like they are getting bored, change up the set.)

End the night by asking the host what song their class song was. Play That and your night musically should have been a great success.

What do you Say When Guests request songs? "I've already played that" or "I'll work that in later on"

What do you say when a guest tells you what music you should be playing? You can say politely, "Thanks for the suggestion, but let me be the DJ and go enjoy yourself with your friends, we'll get to your stuff later" (smile)

When guests really, really want a song and they are pushy but not rude, they say things, like; "Come on if you play (This Song) everyone will dance to it." (people hardly ever do). Say ok. Play their song and announce that this person requested (THAT SONG) and said everyone would dance to it. People will then be hesitant to request songs, leaving you in control of the party.

What do you do when a guest gets belligerent about requests? With a smile say: "Would you like to DJ?" Show them your mixing board, and say, "ok have fun". Then walk away leaving them behind your booth, watch how fast they panic.

This is your party, your music, and you will never see these people again, so be super confident in your choices and decisions. Always be as polite as possible and never get angry (this shows that you are losing control). If people ever get super angry at you and may pose a danger, shut your equipment off, pack up, and leave. It's not worth you getting emotionally destroyed or hurt. Stay Cool and Calm because you really are a great DJ!

http://www.mixesthatwork.com is a site made for DJ's by DJ's. I am an entrepreneur and I am always seeking ways to make things better and run more efficiently. MixesThatWork.com is a site that is about to revolutionize the industry with instantly connecting DJ's to each other never leaving DJ's without a great mixes and programming.

10 Tips to DJing With Ableton Live

Ableton Live is a great program for music producers and djs alike. It offers great tools for creating music in the moment or doing more linear recordings. I'm going to walk you through how to make smooth dj mix transitions with live the way I do it. I've put one three channel eq on each track and set it up so that the numbers on my computer keyboard control the bass frequency kills on each one. I also open all the tracks I want to use in advance and set the warp markers for each song so that I know when I start it that it will be perfectly beatmatched. Keep in mind you have unlimited routing possibilities that allow you to control many perimeters in Live with Midi controllers or your computer's keyboard.

1. Get your bass kills setup using EQ Three on each track (I use the numbers on my keyboard as controllers) To do this activate the Key button on the top right then select the L on the EQ for low end and press the key you would like to set as the controller. If you are using a midi controller then select Midi on the top right instead of Key.

2. Make sure the 1 marker lines up with beat 1 in the track, and the tempo has to be correct or else you'll have to add markers throughout the track manually. If you know the tempo is consistent throughout the track but the tempo is not set correctly then line up the one marker on beat 1 and then go to beat 8 or so and line that one up without double clicking to the corresponding beat. This should change the tempo automatically to match.

3. Press play on track 1

4. Let it get into a groove and eventually bring in track 2 with the bass killed

5. When you want swap the basses out so the track 1 bass is cut and track 2 is bumpin'

6. Fade or cut out track 1 volume

7. Bump it

8. It's all about timing

9. You can press start on track 2 within four beats before the 1st beat you want to start on and live will automatically start on beat

10. Keep the beats bangin' when people are dancing (many people don't like it when a groove goes into some long break right when they were feelin' it.)

If you have any questions of how to do any of this stuff then feel free to contact me through my website and I will be happy to answer any questions you might have.

This article was written by Jacob Louis A.K.A. DJ Story.

Check out Jacob's website: http://www.intuitivebeats.com