| When I first started DJing in Phoenix a few years ago, | | | | With so many DJ's today moving to CD's, iPods, and |
| I was amazed by the difference between how easy it | | | | software, the DJ that can get out and spin some vinyl |
| looks and hard it can be. Although I was being trained | | | | is in higher demand than ever. You just cannot be the |
| by a pro with more than 15 years of experience, it | | | | rich sound or vinyl or duplicate the effects that can be |
| was so difficult to get the sound right. | | | | done on vinyl with a CD mixer or DJ Software. |
| With beat matching, tempo, cues, and all of the more | | | | Now, put simply, to be a DJ you are going to need: |
| advanced techniques, it feels like you could just drown | | | | 1. Sound recordings in a DJ's preferred medium (vinyl, |
| in confusion before you really start to catch on. Now it | | | | cd, or ipod) |
| doesn't take a lot of DJ skills to get out there and play | | | | 2. A couple of sound devices, IE decks, cd players, |
| a few top hits while fading from one to the next. Yup- | | | | ipods, or what have you. You need at least 2 so you |
| we can all play a middle school dance after a few | | | | can alternate back and forth. |
| nights with our friends' decks. | | | | 3. A sound system for amplification or broadcasting of |
| But to me, it's so easy to see that what all of us DJ's | | | | the recordings (e.g. portable audio system, PA system) |
| really want is to get up in front of a large audience that | | | | or a radio broadcasting system. |
| knows good music and blow them away. To be | | | | 4. A DJ mixer, an electronic two-channel mixer with a |
| respected in front of our peers (who know what good | | | | crossfader used to smoothly go from one song to |
| DJing sounds like) is a feeling that can't be beat. | | | | another. |
| Except- when you get paid for it to. | | | | 5. A microphone, so that the DJ can introduce songs |
| In order to take yourself from playing school dances to | | | | and speak to the audience, and |
| doing clubs and getting your name out there, you need | | | | 6. headphones or a monitor speaker, which is used to |
| to practice. Like most things, DJing is going to take | | | | listen to one recording while the other is playing, without |
| practice to get good and to become sensitive to the | | | | outputting the sound to the audience. |
| sound you are trying to exude. When I started learning, | | | | But once you've got all six of those items in place, you |
| I got so frustrated at the speed I was improving | | | | have to learn how to use them correctly and with your |
| before I got some video DJ courses. The video | | | | own style. It's like making love: just because you have |
| courses made all the difference. | | | | the right equipment doesn't mean you're done learning. |