Post up a mix and let us see what you have got. Some of the guys here can offer helpful hints to direct you towards a better set or ways to improve your set.

I hope you have done at least one gig or something in front of people. I remember when I first gigged out, it was in front of 12 other dj's and a small crowd of people. Man I had the shakes like an epileptic (no offense) That was the worst part of it, I was so nervous my hands would shake and I'd almost mess up the mixing.

If you haven't then I also recommend recording a mix like you will be posting it up here, that way you still get that nervous feeling cause you know a dj will pickup on a trainwreck easier than a club goer.

Don't worry about scratching, if you want and feel you can just scratch in the first beat before you mix in, but you gotta make sure you drop it just right or you'll have an easily identifiable trainwreck throughout the speakers.

Just make sure your song selection is on point and your mixes are tight and you will be fine. Keep an eye on the crowd and have a backup song ready in case the crowd flees due to a bad song choice. Don't let the song ride out for 3 verses if the floor is a ghost town (halloween joke)haha

Just for future reference, when you type on these forums and you want people to take you seriously/professionally I suggest you avoid using Z's instead of S's at the end of your sentences. I am guessing your much younger so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.

I agree with puma, don't worry too much about scratching. Most of the time the people at the bar/club don't even understand whats going on, they care more about the beat matching so they can dance and not stop also that you don't cut off their favorite hook of their song they like to sing obnoxiously with their girlfriends.

Song selection is key, beat matching is key, scratching is just a tool along with effects. I would avoid using effects at all costs because most DJ's use them to cover up train wrecks, you won't progress with effects and it will just hold you back from when you spin somewhere that doesn't have effects as a failsafe.

Last but not least, don't be TOO CRITICAL when your DJing just have fun and enjoy the music. Play what you want to play. You'll get people coming up saying "everyone wants to hear this" (suggest you check out the thread on most ridiculous requests for a few laughs and actually for the most common ones). Don't let people discourage you.

Good Luck

The anticipation is the best and worst part. You will relax when the first record starts to spin. Have a drink or two if it helps you relax (don't drink too much the adrenaline will mask the effects or alcohol)....

IMO... don't try anything you are not confident with in front of a crowd (scratching… tricks... effects). Keep it simple and don’t mix above your ability in front of a crowd… keep that in your basement til your ready to display it.

I sometimes suffer from "writers block" or not being able to find the next track. To help this I will make up a temp playlist of tracks I know I want to play at some point in the night. I bounce into that playlist when I am struggling to find the next track and it usually gets me headed in the right direction again.

I wouldn't worry about the critics in the crowd or people/DJ's sitting back and judging you... its you and the actual crowd (the people on the floor enjoying themselves)... you and the crowd control the room... have fun WITH the crowd... dance WITH the people on the floor...

IMO... confidence will come with experience... jump in and give it your best.... remember you can't please everyone and when it comes to music everyone in the crowd has an opinion. They will tell you what THEY think is the best song to play at the moment. Use your judgment... sometimes requests are good... sometimes the people are self serving...

Keep at it and you will find your way... have fun :)

+1 couldn't have said it better

All those comments above are really good one and you should take the advice seriously.

I have been spinning for 18 years, and I still get nervous before I play every week. The good thing about that is that it heightens your senses and makes you more aware. The bad thing is that it heightens your senses and makes you more aware....lol

Seriously. People will not go home and say "Did you hear that wicked mix, and the DJ rode the mix for 2 minutes!!" They will go home and say that they had a good time and the music was awesome. Most people are not in tune with your mixing skills, but your song selection. I have seen DJs rock the house just by slam mixing or cut mixing as we called it in the old days, and the rocked the house.

We are our worst critics. I still will loose a mix from time to time. It happens to everyone, and you cannot be perfect all the time. What you do have to do is stick to what you know you are good at and run with that in the beginning. As you grow you will feel more comfortable to get creative with your mixing and your effects. Me personally, I don't like using effects and I like to hear a DJ raw, so you can appreciate the skill no matter what level.

Don't worry about other DJs. Some will have that bigger than now attitude, but most of us are nice and are always willing to help. Go around to clubs in your area and meet some of them and watch them play, or join your local facebook DJ group and post questions. Most of us will be happy to help!

Bottom line is that it's your first gig, and you should concentrate on exceptional song selection, good mixing, and crowd control.

Good Luck!

Would be nice to hear a mix, or if you dont have a mix, then at least a short set list, just to see what kind of direction your going to take, if you can build\manipulate a dance floor. Honestly I believe that its 90% track selection (and knowing when to drop them. Two different Djs could have the same songs in a crate, but the better dj will know how to build momentum). I've heard Djs that dont beatmatch, just fade in and out with the volume faders, but still have been able to rock a serious dancefloor.

Don't worry too much if you hear a bad mix, the majority of the time the crowd is fairly ignorant, and don't really notice if your galloping a little bit, or if your mixes are slightly off. They will stick out to you 50x more than to anyone else in the club.

Fist time I heard that... lol...

Other one I heard was "Shoes in the Dryer" to describe an off mix...

My advice to you is: practice every day - practice makes perfect.

Sure, We all arent perfect, no matter how long weve been DJing, but its proven that the more time/effort you put into your craft, The better you will be. Definitely have fun, play stuff you like, play hits the crowd will enjoy. Overall, Be confident and have fun.

+ 1,000

After 15 years, I try to get at least 10-15 mins. behind the decks a day... even without Serato, Just throw on an old record and an old ISP skratch record.

??? inappropriate much?

5 Months?


This may sound harsh. But, You need to practice and not worry about gigging.
But to each their own.

Take 2 shots before you go on.
I do it every night...Even after 18 years...LOL (No lie)

I would agree. I would practice rather than gig if I only had 5 months under my belt.

I think its funny, because its a girl you are all so nice, If this was some dude, you would all respond with "why are you taking gigs that an experienced DJ jcould play" ....LMAO...

to the OP. Practice darlin..... If you cant mix.... play the same song over and over and over again until you learn how to mix....start out with some house, or even just a drum track.... play it till you know it like the star spangled banner........then play it some more....

learning to mix is the essential.... you can rock crowds without ever scratching a sound... I suggest you go this route first.....

secondly, cover your screen. dont use the waveforms to beat match with. do it all by ear.... this is an invaluable tool... A Dj that cant mix by ear, in my eyes, is not a DJ.....

halloween is a good first gig.... everyone is focused on costumes, getting wasted and having a slutty good time... so your gonna be ok on that front...


dont forget to play thriller, the freaks come out at night, the theme song from friday the 13th and Mike Meyers.......stick with what you know,... and most of all

HAVE FUN!!!!!! thats what this is all about...

and here...use this on halloween:
www.zshare.net

I don't know. The first time I gigged I just got out there and DID IT.

I had shitty equipment, only a basic idea what I was supposed to be doing skill-wise (as opposed to knowing what I know now), had a rough idea of the songs I wanted to play, and just went with it. Other than an important gig last week where I had a very strict time block and was opening for someone who I wanted to make sweat just a bit, I have never laid out a setlist. A rough idea of songs I want to hit during the night, yes, but never every single connecting point.

First gig went off without a hitch. Song selection is king...way back when I started, I was doing a format no one in town was doing, and over the years just learned everything on the fly along the way.

I just took the same approach I take to playing an instrument - don't have an ego and try do anything in front of people that you know you can't make sound good just to look "flashy." What made me better was playing gigs with better people, and paying attention the entire time, rather than chasing some drunk chick or getting loaded. After that what made me better was throwing myself into an environment where I HAD TO BE PERFECT. I literally went from playing to 80-100 people once or twice a week to 800 overnight, and after that "opening week hype" died down where I could have gotten away with whatever, I buckled down and made sure I was as close to perfect before moving that fader over or up as possible.

Seriously, other than learning the basics ~9 years ago, I've actually sat down and legitimately *practiced* at home maybe a handful of times...I've spent plenty of time messing with Ableton and Traktor as a rough sketchpad to "visualize" ideas, making my own tracks in Ableton, listening to mixes and then dissecting them (where this break comes from, etc.)...basically learning all the theory about how and why certain things are supposed to work off each other.

As a result, after doing this "professionally" that way for 4 years (as in pursuing it more than a hobby, and having at least a regular weekly gig, if not 2 or 3), I'm much more skilled off the cuff than friends of mine that have been doing it professionally for a longer amount of time. I had a buddy I gigged with for a year straight who I always thought was a really good dance DJ, who eventually just fell apart every time he played because he was too busy trying to keep up with me going all Girl Talk on his ass with rock breaks and acapellas, and he would just NOT pay attention to what he was doing and just match the peaks in serato, then just try to ride the blend out for 2 minutes with everything galloping over one another. After he became too worried about what I was doing to the point where even the simplest house/dance transitions got fumbled, I had to just step back and let him work on his own, and he just never got "it" back, because he didn't understand the nuts and bolts behind making things work.

Anyways, I'm rambling too much.

1. Play what you love.
2. Go at your own pace.
3. Err on the side of caution (i.e. don't try to run before you can crawl).
4. Don't get an ego.

I didn't realize this was a girl posting until soprano said so.. I don't apply

Everyone, I appreciate all of the advice, even Liquid's very first line of advice (its funny how you mention the Z's and the S's, I'm actually 22 but I have the workload of a 40 year old! Definitely something I already knew but can't a girl keep her youth with her Z's?! Thank you for you advice!)

Anyways, I am taking all of your advices seriously. Trust me, I try to practice every moment I can. And to Crickett's response: Yes, 5 months?! I knew I should focus and practice more before I took up this party but I guess I'd rather bite the bullet and do it =x

I actually spun for about 20 people the first 2 months for family and friends and it was scary, and then i couldn't beat match for nothing! but hey they enjoyed it and it gave me somewhat of an idea of how things will be..but i know this will be nothing near that experience.


I'll try to put up a short mix, today or tomorrow..if time permits, if not I'll let you guys know how everything goes!

Why whatever do you mean?!
Lol, way to call a boy out.

Honestly, 5 months isn't too bad if you've been practicing a lot.... and I mean a lot!!! You'll know if it's enough the minute you go live in front of a crowd.

If you get really nervous, take a drink AND ONLY a drink 15 mins before you go on. Let it relax you and just do your thing.

Post a live mix and I'll tell you if you're ready for prime time.......

Also, when and if you post a mix, stay away from effects to hide your wrecks cause I will clown you. Also, stay away from scratches if you can't do them cleanly.

I agree with sixxx.

Seriously, just do it, and keep it simple to start. Focus on being clean, and not having any HUGE volume jumps or drop outs from track to track.

From watching a ton of people, this is either something you can do or can't. I've seen people who practice for HOURS, and watch the waveforms like hawks trainwreck left and right matching up simple OONTZ OONTZ OONTZ house beats, or who can cue up for the entire song in their phones and still have the next track be WAY too loud or way too quiet.

Honestly, I'll take someone who can put together a set of clean, interesting programming with songs that SOUND GOOD together/complement each other (never mind beat matching), rather than someone who knows a bunch of tricks and flubs the basics.

If people are looking up and aren't all sporting that "FUCK YEAH!" expression, you're doing it wrong.

Okay guys, I bit the bullet on this one too and recorded a quick 10 mins of the beginning of the set I'm planning to do.. Its raw and uncut. I know I messed up during the mix and I wanted to go back and fix it and send you guys a cleaner version but I knew I'd be cheating myself if I did it so here it is.. this is all I have..

[URL=www.zshare.net]10.20 QUICKIE.mp3 - 24.84MB[/URL]


And SIXXX, I am ready to get clowned on, I just saw your post and damnit I used effects =x

Try again on the link.

And be positive!

Sixxx won't be the only person on here to clown you. :-)

As long as you click the highlighted zshare part, it works fine.

Listening now...not my style, but the transitions are clean, and the effects aren't overdone. I have yet to hear the nu-house/bmore AH-AH-AH-AH-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA echo...*hard stop*...next song transition. LOL.

At around 7:42 I'm not big on the beatmatch transition into "elevator"...sounds a little too "piled" on top of the other song. Key is noticeably off, and I don't know if it's the echo on one set of hand claps or the other, but it sounds a bit "busy."

Honestly, it sounds fine for a first effort, and only DJ's are going to notice you're using the same echo transition every time. I've heard way worse from supposed seasoned professionals (trainwrecks, iTunes fades, etc.), but that doesn't mean you don't need to do some homework.

Heres the link, I don't know why it won't work with the forum link..

www.zshare.net

fame, thanks on the input! I smiled when I read "and only DJ's are going to notice you're using the same echo transition every time"

but hey, like you said, this doesn't mean I don't need to do any homework.. I do my homework every time I'm at work.. that's all I do on my free time..

Honestly guys, my goal really is to be able get gigs at a club and hopefully be a resident at a decent one.. and I'm not stopping until I get there..and you guys definitely are helping me improve to get where I wanna go :]

Watch your midrange EQs when you're mixing, most of your mixes sound too "busy" because there's too much stuff going on in the mids. Also, when you mix, try and do everything in time with the beat, so every time you tweak an EQ, move the fader, or adjust the gains it falls on a beat. Mixes sound a lot more natural if every adjustment happens on-beat.

I'm not a hip-hop DJ, so I can't really comment on the mix "style" (quick blends, echo effects, etc.) except to say that it's different from what I do.

You're ok for 5 months.

But,playing the same bpm for 20 minutes is gonna get you a gig @ someone's house party. Not a gig in a club. Your riding the tracks waaaaaay to long.

In and out thru the first verse and chorus and then see ya.

Check your levels. And do you have anything that isn't DJ friendly?
32 Beat intro's are nice. But learning to be creative with originals will be paramount. Playing top 40 club music is pretty easy and a good place to start music wise.

It's not that it's bad. it's just not very good.

Please keep in mind playing a few tracks online is very different from gigging live. Dealing with live issues is a whole other topic.


You wanted an honest opinion? You got one.
Keep in mind iv'e taught a few new DJ's in my day.
(A few of them on these here forums)


Good luck Newbie.

I don't know if you *couldn't* get a club gig (here in Orlando cats ride the same 150bpm range all fucking night, lol), but it's "bar/small club background" acceptable...it's technically competent, just not very interesting. It just sounds homogeneous and planned like a well programmed radio slot.

You know how to quick mix 2 tracks well enough with the echo, but they don't really seem to "go" anywhere. I can sort of 'hear' your thought process as to how you think all these fit together, but it never really builds to anything.

You have the *basic* basics down. That should get you through a first gig, but don't expect people to be going insane or anything. Learn to actually ride some blends out, and if you can get through a first gig this smooth without any issues, I'd take the lessons you learn from that and then try and get more advanced.

Next time you're practicing, try taking 4-5 songs to build to something 10bpm's quicker, that doesn't sound like everything else you're playing.

I appreciate the detailed comments, this is EXACTLY what I've been looking for. I've been taking note of my errors and many have been those you all have mentioned.. I'm riding safe right now but I know for sure after the party I'm definitely going to spend more time trying working with everything you guys mentioned..

I have been trying to check my levels, straying away from rushing into the next track so it won't sound so "busy".. I find that to be my weakness.. I'm having trouble getting it down..

Does anyone have any good mixes I can "study"? Most of the mixes I have have been done by cats like RJD2, DIPLO, and SHAWDOW.. and most of them aren't live. And I don't have any time before Halloween to go to a club and listen and observe a DJ.. and the radio stations pretty much sound like what I have going.. so if you guys can recommend or send me a link of a good mix I can learn from, I'd definitely appreciate it. Like you said fame, I wanna be able to build something for the crowd..I need to hear a mix that does that.

And I know I sound repetitive but THANK YOU GUYS AGAIN.. I would type your names individually and give props&thanks but damnit, a girl doesn't have enough time!

:]

I dont exactly know how to handle a dj on this forum that actually is looking for and takes advice in a mature and thankful manner. Sorry Fresher--sooooo many have come before you asking the same question and when the first critical piece of advice comes along their attitude begins with "Fuck" and ends with "You". Keep that humble attitude because most of the good dj's (including alot from this board have it)

Ok-- on to the mix.

I'm not a fan of the echo function at all and refuse to use it. You will actually learn quicker and a better way to dj if you practice without it. That being said, a few of your echos were nicely on point. (Like the mix to Dangerous)Some were too abrupt and that makes your mix loose the flow because you're going from an energetic track to a more mello one but trying to use the echo to make up for it.

I think you are farther than most dj's with 5 months under your belt. I think the one area you'll need to develop (like most good dj's should) will be programing. It's one thing to have all the hot songs-- but to know what order to play them in is really where the skill of programming takes over. Very few have the natural talent to do that and most learn it from playing out at parties and clubs.

Beat matching was fairly good. I noticed that after about 4 bars (16 beats) you start to drift on some songs. That can easily be fixed with more practice. When I was younger my mentor would put be through dj "boot camp" and make me mix 2 of the same record over and over to see how long I could keep the beat synced. The goal was to play double copies of a 5 minute song (or 2 beat instrmentals) with no drift or major correction.

I think the fact that you are 1) a girl (sorry but it's true) and 2) at a halloween party will definitely work in your favor at the gig. Others are right when they say that no one will care if you screw up a mix or 2 because everyone is too busy getting drunk. My biggest lesson when I first started dj'ing was a simple one...look up every once and a while--lol.

You'll be fine!! Make sure you give us a gig report when it's over!!!

Notes:

-Major Volume Change at the 7.5 minute mark... easy to fix and it should never happen...

-Seems to me that you are using the same transistion technique over and over

-Beatmatching drifting a little... not enough to confuse dancers but enough to draw critisim

-Some vocal overlap... I don't really like that (personal opinion)


Overall.... you'd be fine in most places. I am no pro... not even close.... just offering thoughts.

Good Luck....

Haven't listened to it YET and I WILL but first... let me comment on the comments.

I would NOT recommend this:



Too many DJ's use this technique and it's actually not good advice if you don't know where the DJ is going to try this. For the most part, I would say 2 and 2 (not 1 and 1) BUT that's for on-air radio gigs. The reason you have to give careful when giving this advice to a prospective club DJ is that you may run into customers or clubs with patrons who actually prefer to hear more of the song. Imagine this. A couple barely gets the guts to up to the dance floor or a dude barely gets the guts to ask a girl out on the dancefloor and once they get there, the song is out and here comes the next one. It usually pisses more people off than anything. I know a lot of DJ's who "compete" on how many songs they can play in a night. It's not about that at all. It's about keeping your crowd entertained.

Also, a 20 minute live mix on the same BPM isn't bad especially since this isn't a demo to give to a club. She already has the gig and this is supposed to be a practice mix to show us what she's got... so far.

----

Now... volume changes are something that you have to be careful with since a lot of new DJ's don't even know that the purpose of using headphones is more than just beatmatching. You can also hear drastic volume changes when cueing and... you must also watch your LED levels. They tell you a lot of info. They're not flickering just to look pretty.

........

I wouldn't clown you on a transition done the same way over and over if it was a clean smooth blend but if you're relying on effects (and it seems you are) then you definitely need to stop listening to radio dj's in your area as it's probably where you got that idea from. Echo transitions (to hide your trainwreck or otherwise) are just ridiculous. A smooth blend is all you need on a dancefloor. The rest (cutting, scratching, whatever) it's just a bonus if you know how to do it right.

-------

Vocal overlaps are a no no as DPR250R mentioned.


.... and last (before I actually listened to this mix)....

I would NOT do a set. I think you should really start thinking about freestyling and learning how to read your crowd. What happens if you practice a set and it's all perfect, but you show up and your crowd hates it? You gotta be able to feel the vibe of the room and go with it.

So, learn how to mix properly and you won't have to rely on sets.

You know whats funny... I have a lot of girls that are friends and this is a big complaint among them. Many times leaving a club they will go on and on about how much the DJ sucked because he/she switched out of a song or songs to quickly. I have to sit and try to explain why I think skills wise the DJ was awesome. They don't want to hear it.

Just wanted to put that out there cause no girls in the crowd can make for a lame party... Unless you are going to a specific show, event where it isn't about "hooking up" its about the music.

Personally... I am guilty of letting the song ride out too long.

WTF!!
Give up now... leave it to the professionals.































































Just kidding :-P

Are you mixing with the crossfader or the channel faders?
1. Try mixing with the channel faders, this will help you out with getting the levels more even when transitioning between songs.

2. It was said earlier in the thread, try to stay away from relying on your effects. Practice mixing by fading in and out.

3. Learn how to count beats and measures. This will help you with fading tracks in and out over each other and achieve a cleaner sounding mix.

Other than that, not bad for 5 months

When I saw that I was like..AW WHAT?! HAHA.. anyways, I fade in and out with the channel faders when I transition.. for some reason I feel a little more comfortable with it that way and I think the reason being is like you said, the levels..

and SIXXX, I really appreciate the advice you gave, especially with watching the volume changes and keeping an eye on the LED lights, I haven't taken those into much consideration.

Well I'm off to do another practice session, trying to keep in mind all of everyone's advice! I'll definitely keep everyone posted! :]

When I was 14, My mentor would make me do this. I'd play 2 copies of Planet Patrol - Play at Your Own Risk, line em up correctly and they'd flange in sync... He would then tell me to walk away from the room and see how long they'd last in sync. After a few months of these kinds of practices, I'd be able to make sandwiches whiles tracks just blended together. LOL

All I can say to fresher is, Dont use effects at all and try learning with non-DJ intro records. Also, Volume faders are your friends, so are EQ's. Learn how to use those to tailor your sound and you will be on your way to being a competent DJ!

Thanks Audio for the advice, this next session will consist of original tracks, and no effects.. let's see how this goes!

I just listened to the mix. First off, I had it in the background playing kinda of low (at the job). So I may have missed a small messup or something. I've been spinning for over 15 years and I know what a good mix is. I thought it was a pretty good mix, especially for 5 months. I think if you do what you did on this mix, you'll be fine at the Holloween party.

And I say if you want to use effects, use them. I've never understood why most DJs hate them.

I haven't read through all the replies but the situation reminds me of how I got started... I had about 10 months worth of collecting vinyl after I got my first set of turntables as an Xmas gift to myself, and then my homegirl allowed me to DJ her Halloween party.

You'll be nervous is hell for the 2 songs you cut, and then it's like being at the crib with your homeboys chillin while you spin some cuts.

Cater towards your crowd, keep em happy, don't get lost in your own hype and have a good time. That's all I can really say. cheers!

SG

imma go practice my planet-patrol-beat-match-sandwich-making-skills.

Relax and Have a good time and if you make a couple of bad mixes try to learn from it.

Practice practice and more practice.

You will need to unlock the loop roll to rock the party proper

^^^^^

this. this right here.

And fresher, your influences are all in the right spot!...the thing those guys know better than anything else is PROGRAMMING!

For example, I've heard Shadow mixes where his mixing is extremely minimal, practically song-to-song with zero transition, other than the fact the end and beginning of the 2 songs just "fit". Really REALLY listen to how those guys assemble their albums as a whole. Once you really truly understand that, you'll get the whole composition element...you won't start thinking song-to-song, you'll start thinking of your set in terms of a few peaks (specific BIG songs you want to get to), and the rest are like a wall of legos you can re-arrange to get there.

If that makes any sense...

YES! PROGRAMMING BABY! I'm trying to be on point with that!

and DJ SNIFFLES.. the loop roll is calling me name.. just trying to program it into something hot!

:D

Why would it call you "name" when you go by fresher. lol

Haha oh hush sixxx, that was clearly a typo!

I thought it was hipo. mmmh. Foreigners. :P

Back in the day when we had no Zshare and shit like that, I'd record my mixes on a tape and try to get people's opinions, DJs and otherwise.

Along with their feedback, I also paid most attention to the professional DJs on the radio (Melo-D, E-man, etc.) and basically tried to imitate their style as much as possible, kind of like training wheels. They were my point of reference.

So basically, based on my personal experiences, I would recommend you do the same. And like Audio 1 mentioned, practice!

I'll also never forget Q-Bert's simple advice he once gave me on MySpace: just practice practice, and practice.

One more thing: some advice you receive may conflict with that of other people/DJs, and that's okay. Eventually you'll develop your own style anyway. But be open minded with the advice you receive.

Yeah. I remember when KaSE kept telling everyone to play Banda at all gigs. :P

Hell yeah, banda! Where's DjWoody?

No way. Woody is going to recomment Vicente Fernandez at every gig. lol

Oh yeah, with my ghetto self... I'd ask the people to return the tape so I could reuse it after they listened and gave me feedback on my mix. Those were the days.

No fucken way! bwahahahahaha!!!!!

I can only imagine you re-recording over and over and the quality degrading. lol

Then he had a good excuse for the trainwrecks...
"It's not the mix, it's just because I've rerecorded on this tape so many times"

LOL
:-P

Aw, I'm out of the loop with all of the above :(

The closest memory I can relate to would be when I was 10. 11 years old, I would try to make a "mixtape" by recording some cuts off of the radio and sometimes I would try to "fade" the cuts early so you wouldn't hear the DJ or the commercials drop in.. Haha =x

Boo..sometimes I wish I started when I was a little bit younger..I can't hang with the big dawgs! Haha

Not listened to you mix and most people have covered the main points above.

The only thing I'll say is when you first get into a club to watch out for the echo and use the monitors where possible. The first time I played in a club I was warming up for my college party and the room was empty and the sound was bouncing around off the walls like crazy and it threw me off. When the room packs out you'll be alright but when you first start it can be intimidating.

Secondly. Watch the led lights on the mixer and if you have sight of it watch them on the amp. Dipping into the red once in a while is okay but if the mixer stays in the red it's going to sound awful. You're in effect squashing the sound and you can fuck up equipment that way.

Other than that have fun and have a few go to songs. Stuff you can draw quickly and throw on incase the crowd is looking restless.

What sort of crowd are you playing to and size etc? That and do you know how long you have to play for what time people turn up etc?

Learn to mix using ONLY your headphones as reference. If the dynamics of the sound system are all fucked up and there are all kinds of echoes, you'll be the Mayor of Trainwreck city in no time.

Already covered SIXXX :]
I won't be running for Mayor anytime soon..

Hah^^. I liked the track selection, hope you have a few more hours of crowd pleasers though.

The crowd will be fairly small (from what I understand) possibly 20-30 people, around the ages 18-24. All are mainstream hip hoppers, top 40 lovers.. I have my set just right for the crowd..and as far as the time.. around here most parties reach its peak at around 11 to 1130.. so by then most of the people should be there already.

I'm actually feeling better about gig now..way better now that I've receive an ample amount of strong, positive and helpful feedback from everyone :]

Oh, I believe I have a good amount of selection on hand...muahah
:said in a creepy manner:

All this worry for 20-30 people? Bwahahaha.

Just record your mix and play it back at the gig. :P

I give you props on consistency. It seems you really are trying to learn. What SIXXX said is real important. Learn to mix with your headphones. At clubs and venues, Sound can be give or take... When your more experienced, I'd say you practice headphoneless mixing. I did that alot over the years mainly during practice sessions. It was more difficult with vinyl but with Serato as a visual reference, Its more simpler. Def keep the headphones on for now.

AHAHAHAHAH! Oh helllllll no is exactly what I said when I read that.. haha freaking SIXXX..

maybe I should do that.. haha.. but really though, just in case my external fails on me or when I just so happen become the Mayor for the night.. =x

Actually Audio1, I've been practicing without the headphones, and to make it more difficult, I borrowed some vinyl from my uncle and I've been able to catch the beat.. also another thing I would do before I didn't have the vinyl, I would keep the phones off, and eyes closed, away from the visuals.. and that was pretty helpful and satisfying at the same time because I was able to catch the beat.. it was trying to keep it on beat which is still the difficulty I'm trying overcome.

Now that I've been able to catch the beat, I now use the visuals and it really helps out A LOT! I love it. But I guess bottom line is, I tried to teach myself to use Serato without its advancements and used it as if it was straight vinyl. I didn't want start spinning with Serato without learning the roots of it all :]

Sorrry for the essay, I'm a true, passionate girl who wanted this for a very long time and now that I got it, I'm gonna run with it, 100% effort!

Props. It takes a lot of dedication to become a good DJ.... and you seem to be doing things right. What is your DJ name?

How is it mixing the Eagles and the Carpenters LP's? Hard to keep those needles clean w/ all that dust huh?

I wanted to response in this thread, but everybody has said everything already.

Oh Yeah! try not to take too many shots before u start your set, no not bc of being drunk & dj'ing (b/c that is a skill you will acquire with time) but bc u have to remember that the line for the womens restroom is always like 10x longer than the guys.

add 2 or more redbull

If you're the DJ, exceptions can be made. :)


I remember at this residence I had, I made my own restroom. This plant behind the establishment was huge when I finally left. lol

Fresher, Do what Sixxx made his wife do and put a towel over the screen. He failed that test at one of the SSL Jammy Jams. LOL

lol... absolute mode is a bitch. :)

HAHAHA for your info my uncle isn't exactly THAT old.. he's pretty young actually, 28 so I have TODAY'S music.. but hey, I don't have anything against Carpenters..(I actually own one..it was the only vinyl i actually knew of when I found it at the thrift store..but hey I had to work with what I had..haha)

HAHA GROSS. Unfortunately, being a girl, I don't think I'll be making any plants grow, okaay.. haha..

as far my dj name.. I'm going with FRESHER.. My friends and and acquaintances know me as "Erica Freshness" (myspace thing that suddenly grew onto me) so I didn't want to use the whole "Erica Freshness" or "E. Freshness" so I stuck with FRESHER haha..

I don't know if I want to put DJ in front of it though..

Oh snap... I think I know you Erica. lol

The whole "uncle" had me thinking. But now I know for sure, that I know you.

Haha! NO! Impossible for you to know me!

I'm waiting for the drum roll.. and the womp womp at the end.. hahah

Sadly the one true tool of a club dj cant really be taught...

reading the crowd.

it comes with time, and obviously it takes being infront of a crowd..
theres no other way to really learn it...besides playing "monday morning quarterback" to DJs your out watching.
which I think we all do, as djs, when we are out...

as far as song length, well, you really couldnt do what we can do now with serato.
flying through songs...
but dont let that burn you! sometime people want to hear more than a verse & a chorus...and sometimes they dont...thats the skill you have to learn
you cannot DJ WITH BLINDERS ON!

and that is one of the sole things that will take a party/bedroom dj to the level of club DJ...
read the room, see who's around...is it all couples? is it a "knowledge" kinda crowd that will call you out on dropping wackness? or is the kinda crowd that will loose there Schit if you drop Peek-a-boo by Suosix and the banshees?
these are the reasons people say "it takes time"

on the other hand, you can always just "do your thing" and hope enough people dig it, if it makes you happy... but the job of a clubn dj is to make the crowd happy.

hope that helps.
J

Thanks Joshua for the crucial advice. That's one thing I'm anticipating for.. I know it will take time.. I actually had a little feel a couple months ago..and boy.. did I mess up with the song selection..I didn't look up to see that they were enjoying the current track..and when I switched over.. everyone stopped and was like "HEY! WHAT IS THIS?!" Luckily it was only family and friends but boy, I felt burned. Definitely I will keep an eye out on the crowd.

Don't forget about going in a Corona bottle and then giving it to someone that comes up with a stupid request...LMAO

I'm so evil!

That is gross! Lol

You set yourself up for that one. WOMP WOMP!

fresher,


Rule number one of the forums. Study your transitions.
Here you go:

imagehosting.2illegalaliens.com

Remember, in... out.. then ... when you're out.. you'll figure it out.

>=0

That's not nice, but pretty damn funny....LMAO!!

:: studying ::

Awwww Sixxx.... Nice try! Thank god for right click! (No right click homo)

That transition was sweet, at first I was in, then out...thought about it and got back in with a single click.



One shot before you start will be fine (grey goose)

I just clicked the report button... Matt is coming for you...

Im Sure you've heard it but Stay Hungry and Determined (Practice Makes Perfect)and in no time you'll be gettin some Sick Gigs --> www.scratchlive.net

G-Luck on your Halloween gig, let us know how it goes.

1. don't scratch at all.
2. better to just drop something in on-beat than to force a mix and end up having your blend fall apart.
3. if you do fuck up, fuck it, just forget about it.
4. dj'ing isn't rocket science.
5. pay attention to your levels.
6. pace yourself, not sure how long your shift is, but if you're doing 6 hours, don't burn through all your heat in the first two hours. you don't want to run out of gas at 130 because that's crunch time and if you're not hitting at that point people will leave. no one is going to leave at 11pm.

i could go on but people hate reading long posts in most cases.

pay extra attention to 6. like really can't stress enough how different it is to program an entire night than just doing a concentrated set in your house. learning to dj parties is only something you can get good at with time by playing more and more gigs. practicing at home can only give you so much, like the mechanics and some ideas and techniques. to master being a good party dj is something you can only learn by playing more and more in front of people.

i can't tell you how much i've learned since quitting my job 3 years ago and dj'ing full time since then...

Fresher---- how did the gig go?

Any stories to tell?

Shaky hands like a son of a bitch I bet.

Hope it went well. I can still remember my first gig clearly ten years ago. Sweaty shaking hands. Heart in my throat. Nerves everywhere.

Any advice anyone gave me before it went right out the window so I wont give any lol.

No response. Did it go that bad?

I never had the shakes or butterflies....probably because I've never been to a gig sober. Yikes

She just had her way with us and left us.... I feel used...

Lol, I know, I guess we just have to assume she completely bombed.

She probably got killed with a bat.

*runs and hides*

Fresher, If it did go bad, don't worry, it gets better besides you invested too much money to give up

LMAO, WTF!? Stupid Sixxx!!

Alright guys, sorry for the late response but I've been really busy with work and what not so I haven't had time to visit here. ANYWAYS, Here's a copy of a response I sent to one of the guys on myspace:

"hey!
so the halloween gig was alright.. it ended really early..pretty much right when i was going to start my main set.. cops came and killed it.. it was somewhat of a disappointment..but at the at same time i realized a couple of things:

1. ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN TO MY DAMN LAPTOP. serato fcking FROZE for the VERY FIRST TIME EVERY.. that was really embarrassing.
2. ALWAYS HAVE SOME SORT OF BACK UP FORM OF MUSIC. Seriously my sht was frozen for a good 5-7 minutes. serious buzz kill and i didn't have anything to back me..
3. ALWAYS CLEAN THE NEEDLES. hahah fck. i don't even have to explain about that.

so all in all. it was an experience. also i busted my home studio speakers (m audio bx5a) haha but i have warranty on it.. so ill have it replaced. i seriously need to get some better speakers but i don't have enough $$$ .. do you by any chance know of any speakers thats affordable and easy for me to bring around.. (keep in mind a tiny filipino girl so I can't go all out with the equipment.."

So there you have it. I gotta say I nervous as hell. the turn out was actually bigger than expected. There was about 80+and there was this huge crowd trying to break through the gate.. that's why the cops had to shut it down. So that estimate I said about 20-30 people was completely off!

With that being said.. I have 2 more gigs offered. The first one is a house party next week and the other is a actually gig at this bar/restaurant in my city and it gets pretty busy at times. I think I'm down for the house party but I'm kind of nervous for the bar.. I haven't accept the offers.. I'm still kind of iffy..AND they're asking for my rates and I have NO CLUE as to how much I should be charging (the first gig I did for free but after all the hard work of packing up ..driving..setting up.. I realized "DAMN. I NEED MONEY FOR THIS".. They ended up sneaking $100 into my pocket which was nice since I wasn't expecting anything but seriously.. I need to figure out how much and what not.. so I guess we'll see whether or not I'll take the offers.. I want to see what you guys have to say :]

ps.
I had a nice shot of jose cuervo before I jumped onto the decks.. lmao

OH HELL NO.. I did not! Lmao!

I love all you guys! You're all my wonderful teachers! :]

Does the bar offering you the gig have equipment or would you have to bring all of your own?

I have to bring my own equipment.. they have the speakers tho..

Hah, welcome to the club.

Since your still a rookie, I would say $200 minimum

Make sure you collect some proper paper if you have to bring your own gear, I refused to bring my gear anywhere til i was able to afford a set of backups, you'll have a tough time collecting from any bar owner if some douche spills a drink on your mixer.

fresher, the comment about the bat is from another thread. :P


----

Sucks the party got killed, next time don't try and compete with me as I was spinning down the street and I won't call the cops. :P But, seriously, you always have to have a back up plan. My computer hasn't crashed but better prepared than sorry.

Does everybody remember the old days when doing house parties was the way to go?

Ahhhh, The good old days.


+11100000 On the Cuervo shot. Works every time.

House partys are da bomb when done right...

Proper Set Up

Proper Sound Proofing

Proper Guest List

Proper Booz

Make sure you know what type of crowd or people are at the bar/restaurant. Hopefully they will not want all clean music, but since you said bar, you should be ok.

$200 or $250 minimum for bringing your own gear at least.

House party, probably the same if not more. Just be firm with your price, don't low ball yourself, they will always expect that price.

My motto is Fuck U Pay me! What does taht mean you say. Simple pay me upon arrival not the end of the night so they can tell you well U sucked or they din't make enough. Get paid right after you get there. That has been my mode of operation for years. Not getting stiffed! F#$$#% That! Practice makes perfect. I been spinning for over 15 years and I still practice at least 10 hours a week specifically trying new stuff and new music. Try to expand your selection of music as well. Be open to listening to different music you might like it. One

Commas are your friend

Erica... you're trying to be Asian now? lol

+6

Not all gigs are able to pay up front... if you're getting a percentage of the door, that wouldn't work. Plus I think it all boils down to who you're working with... I would agree that might be a good approach when starting out, but as you become established and work with a trusted promoter or club manager/owner, (I know... they're far and few between, but there are some), there's nothing wrong with getting paid at the end of the night... who knows.. they might surprised ya with bonus $...

Getting a bonus from a promoter. lol That's funny.

Like I said... it's VERY rare... but I have in the past... And with my residencies I know I'm going to get paid...

If they had House speakers why did you take your home studio monitors? My Studio Monitors stay in the studio. If I just need some little rinky dink monitors to hear what the crowd is hearing I use some old computer speakers in the booth. A good place to get some speakers though are off craigslist, and you gotta flip the money you make spinning back into the equipment. Don't expect to get paid off this if you still got stuff to buy. It takes time.

The freakin speakers at the house didn't work! Just my luck.

I suppose I'll try both, asking up front and waiting. I'll take my pick.

As far as the gigs offered, I did not accept them. I want to practice, practice, practice. Just like you guys said. Although I feel somewhat comfortable, I'd rather hold off, save some $$$, buy some back up (BLACK FRIDAY for my externals and laptop maybe) and chill. All that energy and excitement has from Halloween has wore me down =\

LOL SHUT UP! I'M FILIPINO!!

Damn, how did I miss this thread??



Sixxx is the man (no homo), in my headliner bag I carry an emergency crate of classic hip hop party jams that NO ONE should get mad at, should that one dreadful day come when Serato decides to take a sh*t - Dwyck, Aint No Fun, Award Tour, T.R.O.Y., I Get Around, etc.

Good luck w/your next gig ma : : Black Friday is always a good come up IMO

Unlucky about the music break. I always take backup as you never know what will happen.

I turned up at a gig once, and one the turntables only had the left channel working, but they had frigged their sound system to compensate for it, but the lack of channel prevented me using time code vinyl!!!

Once turned up at a place which didnt have any power sockets for my laptop, and all the sockets for everything else had been engineered away inside the walls and you could not get to them. ! doh!

Haha...some place I had a residency at had turntables with horrible RCA and ground cable problems. They had ONE good pair, and about 10 more in a loft graveyard above the room, which after spending all of my setup time going through, none of them worked either.

Of course the promoter and his entourage (who only used CD-J's in the other room) HAD to have the ONE good pair always set up in their side of the club, despite the fact that they were there as nothing more than drink holders and a lazy susan queue for CD's. For some reason they ALWAYS have TT's set up so everything "looks good" for the photographers, even though none of them have a clue on how to handle a piece of vinyl.

But noooooooooooooooooo...I couldn't have the working pair, and give them any one of the 20 dummies lurking in that place.

I learned how to rock internal mode REAL fast. :\

I hate it when TT's have RCA problems. .. and I hate it when spots have 1200's set up next to CDJ's for show only . . . *wack*

These days I'd tell the promoter to switch them over or I'm going home. I can understand if they were using them or if they broke mid gig but if they weren't I'd walk. I've gone past the fucked off stage with venues paying you barely enough to spin then expecting you to at the last minute go home and get your own equipment as well at no extra cost.

Yeah, the only problem was mine were 80 miles away at home at that point. Jokes on them as A) we still killed that night without a TT on either side (after a couple shaky blends getting used to the pitch nudge in internal mode), and B) business hasn't been the same since they let me go.

*shrug*

Ouch, all these scenarios! So excited and not excited to have any of them! (Excited for the fact that I landed a gig. Not excited, for obvious reasons. That and being MODED!)

Fresher, Don't study all that, alot of us have been doing this for like 20 years. Stick to some house party's for now if you want, but get paid. Don't do it for any less than $100. The other thing is was this a house party or a club/bar, that had it's own "house" speakers. If it was a house party then you should have taken your own DJ speakers. If it was a club/bar then the speakers blowing was on them. And you can always ask for half up front half when you're done. You can put that in your contract as well

fresher.... in ten years that is the mild experiences ;) I have a lot worse things happen lol! Its all part of the life ;)

One More thing...Female DJ's are in high demand right now. I've been trying to get my Wife and my Nieces involved but they been half steppin. Nowadays it ain't like you gotta carry anything anyway

+1

LOL, this is SO true. When I spin House, everybody is using Burned CD's so one turntable becomes a holder for their CD Book, while the other becomes the "lazy susan" for the upcoming or just played tracks.

Total disrespect of the Turntable.

man this was soooooo the case in the laste 90s early 2ks.

theres was a few gigs I showed up to and I was told i was the first person to use the turntables in years...

now, heres the funny thing (now dont take this the wrong way hiphop folks)
but edm in most of your "upscale" environments;
the patrons, the trainspotters, the other djs...
they all pay VERY VERY close attention to the mix, the sound, the programming
proper use of eqs and efx... why wouldnt you want that warm thumpy sound of vinyl?
(mind you im talking back when cds were usually made by someone else, not edited by u to ensure they were 320+)
not that a hiphop DJ could get away with the cds, but.
in most top40/hiphop club... the drunk chicks really dont care,
the only person who might notice, is another dj.

like chris rock says "if the beat is all right she's gonna dance all night, skeeet skeet"