Ok guys so I want to learn some basic stuff on how to DJ at parties. I want to do all this from my MacBook and I'm wondering if anyone on this board knows what equipment I'll need and what programs I'll need to install.
I used to DJ both private and public events. What kind of music are you mainly looking to spin? Do you actually want to learn how to beatmatch and mix music, or just basically put together a playlist? Is this some part time thing to have fun/make some money on the side or do you really want to get into the art of DJing?
Basically my best friend is into throwing a lot of house parties and hes tired of using CD's for music he said he wants to get a DJ but doesn't want to waste alot of money on one so I came up with the idea to learn and do it for free. It's gonna be alot of hip hop and rap music r n b being played. I dont want to be a whack DJ thats just there I want people to go there and be impressed and ask me to DJ for them.
I don't know about DJ'ing with software, but I've seen guys DJ with their ipods. Numark has a product called the iDJ2 that has an LCD, and two plastic "turntables" so you can scratch. You just need one ipod. iDJ2 Their website does show software under the products tab so maybe they have what you are looking for.
If you search ...sites...you may be able to find a copy of tracktor 3 or pcdjfx. You can dj with virtual cd/turntables through the software. Great tool to learn. You can do pitch control, beatmatch, beat mapping, cue and loop, etc. The software uses mp3 files you keep in your library and arrange in playlists. Perfect for laptop dj. I'd suggest you play with something like that for a while before you shell out a lot of money for pro gear.
Yeah, I've played at wedding where they had a DJ for between sets. They were all using iPod mixers like this except that they had 2 iPods docked into it.
1 Solution for all your problems.. Serato by Rane. #1 http://www.serato.com/ I love it and wished I had it when I started back in the mid 90's.. Technology in the music scene is simply amazing.
Except that you still need Turntables/CD Players and a Mixer. Serato is by far the industry standard DJ software application by working club djs. However, I think for someone starting out that doesn't want to spend money on actual dj equipment you can start off with Traktor DJ Software or PCDJ as someone had suggested.
Go for the software route to give you an idea of what hardware can do. Traktor software is pretty good as is PCDJ. They give you a good idea of what dual CD players can do. I'm not quite sure on how you set it up so you can cue music in headphones while the other channel is playing, but you might have to buy additional hardware like a sound card to do something like that. I started messing around with software when I was really young, and it built a solid foundation for when I moved onto the hardware. Now if you are really serious about getting into DJing, hardware is the way to go. Now, there are several routes you can take with the hardware and it really depends on how much time and money you want to put into it. I started with the Dual CD players. Now this was 6-7 years ago, and at the time I got one of the better CD players out there. I was really into DJing and I wanted to learn turntables, however I couldn't afford buying records every single time a new song came out. It was just so much easier and cheaper for me to burn CDs and use them at parties. It also limited my investment to the hardware and nothing more except the cost of blank CDs. I would recommend a dual CD player if you aren't into scratching and aren't a "purist" DJ. But if you want to scratch mix and learn turntables, you got a couple more options. They now have CD players that give you amazingly authentic scratching sounds and control as a turntable with vinyl would give you. Some companies that make these are Pioneer, Denon, and Numark. I have messed around on these and they are fun. I kinda like them because you can have more control over the music along with the scratching. (CD players can do things such as saving cue points and a boatload of other sutff over vinyl due to the fact that its digital). And again, you only need to spend money on the hardware and music(real or burned CDs). Somebody already mentioned it, but Serato by Rane is another option. This allows you to hook up your laptop to your turntables and use special records to control and mix the music. The music comes from any mp3s on your laptop. This has been becoming popular for a couple years now and it really is amazing software. Rane is one of the best companies in this business, and are almost unmatched in the quality of their hardware. It is becoming the industry standard and gives you a VERY portable setup for turntables (not having to carry around crates of vinyl is awesome). It is kinda steep in price, but seriously worth it if you are a turntablist and are serious about what you do. And of course, there is the good ol vinyl and turntables. Preferred by all the purist DJs out there. This is how DJing started and will always be there. Some people just love the sound and feel of vinyl and also searching for awesome records. You can spend a lot of money though maintaining the tables and purchasing the vinyl. In addition to the CD player or turntables, you're going to need a mixer and some headphones. You will need speakers and an amp but you can either buy them or rent them out from places if you won't be doing this as often. Also, you might need lighting and microphones depending on the events you do. Do you know anyone else that does this? Next time you're at a party with a DJ, go ask him some questions about what equipment he has and what he thinks of other hardware as well. Go to Guitar Center if you have one nearby and mess around with the equipment. You'll get a better feel as to what suits you. Also check out www.pssl.com for hardware lighting and any other pro sound gear. Good luck!
i been a dj for 20 years. i started as a mobile dj for parties and dances and then moved on to clubs and production. since being back in houston, i just finished a weekly resident gig at deco. if you want people to truly respect you as a dj, the best thing to do is to be able to know how to mix/beat match well using either vinyl turntables or cd turntables. the industry standard for software that we are all using right now is called scratchlive, made by serato. it's a badass software that connects your turntables or cd turntables to your laptop so that you can grab your music from your laptop. you can get more info here: http://www.serato.com hope this helps and good luck! www.witnessme.com
ok im not going to be able to get all the equipment by next friday so basically the plan is to just make a playlist on my macbook and hook it up to some speakers. Any good programs to mix songs with?
