Once a year, something so amazing comes out that we all have to stop and say: “Damn, why didn’t I think of that?” This is that day. The EyeCan Dj control interface from Inklen promises to replace all forms of djing instantly with the most powerful control interface ever…
Archive for March, 2010
When Good Ears Go Bad–It’s All Gone Pete Tong
You just left a gig and you’re dialing the number you got halfway through your set. As you lift the phone, you notice two kinds of ringing. One is coming from the phone, but the other one? That, my fellow DJ, is the piercing cry of a damaged microscopic hair in your inner ear, who’s sole purpose is to pick up that very frequency you’re hearing. No big deal, right? Yes, big deal. That tiny hair is making that shrill noise because it’s so severely damaged, it’s about to die. And even worse, you will probably NEVER hear that frequency again. That’s right, never. In this article, I give you a brief lesson on the anatomy of the human ear and interview two experts, so you can begin to understand what is happening beneath the headphones.
Continue reading When Good Ears Go Bad–It’s All Gone Pete Tong
TO KEY OR NOT TO KEY
Some DJs do it all the time, while others do it only occasionally. Some DJs never do it and have no intention of doing it. We could be talking about hooking up with groupies, but in this case, we’re talking about mixing in key — also known as harmonic mixing. This is not an article on how to mix in key, but rather about key mixing in the real world of the professional DJ. We look at the advantages, disadvantages and downright pitfalls of attempting to mix for an extended period of time harmonically in key. Read on to find out how those keys can affect your performance when playing to a live audience, for example, in some instances they can make you sound awesome but sometimes they can backfire horribly.
Publicity for the Working DJ
In my last article for DJTT we wrote about self-promotion, an often overlooked task in developing a music career. Now I would like to focus an essential aspect of promotion; the press kit, which is a small package containing biographical background, basic facts, press, pictures, and samples of your music. A press kit’s purpose is to generate interest in you as an artist allong with providing promoters, press and agents critical materials about you. Chances are you have been asked for a press kit before but dont know where to start, so we have compiled a few musts in developing a successful and potent press kit:
Continue reading Publicity for the Working DJ
Classic TechTools “Travel and DJ”
Its time to bring back another techtool classic from the vaults. This week its my article on paying your travel expenses by djing. Most djs think that gigging abroad is only for the uber-famous tastemakers. In reality, its not, there are many ways you can travel all around the world, dj clubs and cover all your living costs without being a famous dj. Before returning to San Francisco to run TechTools full time last year, I spent almost 4 years playing gigs around the world and loving every moment of it. In this article I suggest 5 different ways that you can do the same.
DJ Essentials- 5 Mix Techniques
There are at least a dozen ways to blend from one track to the other and we still use just a few in our sets. To arm you with a few more mix techniques and explain some basic mixing to the new guys, we are doing a series of videos on various ways to mix the same 2 songs. In this first video we mix the following tracks in 5 different ways:
Alex Gopher- HandGuns (DadaLife Remix) (Website)
Music Discovery Tips
Even though many DJs have an insatiable desire for new music, the Internet is so awash with listening and downloading options that without direction, you could fritter away many hours of screening music without netting anything to use in your sets. While everyone has favorite recording artists, there are many online tools that will help you keep up with those artists and find new music in similar styles that you’re likely to enjoy. We pulled together the music discovery habits of several DJ Tech Tools contributors to compile a list of sites and tips that is sure to keep you flush with usable new tracks. You may already know and use at least some of these, but a more well-rounded and complete routine will definitely keep you covered with all the new tunes you can handle.
The Perfect 25-Cent Controller Stand
Most smaller MIDI controllers are low profile, allowing them to slip easily into your bag but are too low to use with turntables and mixers. This makes using small controllers along with standard DJ gear slightly awkward. Those of us who are on the taller side also suffer from controllers that are too far away and not at playing height. The solution for both problems? A few pieces of gear that are already in your bag + a very simple 25-cent investment that will raise up most small MIDI controllers to a playable height without adding any weight to your bag.
Mix Master MacGyver
Has this ever happened to you? You’re ready to drop the set of your life to an eager audience when a technical issue threatens to spoil the evening. Panic stricken, your eyes dart around the room for a sound guy, who of course is absent or non-existent. At this very pivotal moment, the night could be saved by your “Mix Master MacGyver” skills. Most of us have been jerry-rigging turntables and the like since we first popped a penny atop the cartridge of mom’s home stereo and cut up “Sesame Street” records after school. Thusly, I’m sure some of these tips you’ll already know, but if the following information saves just one party, then my job is done. After all, the show must go on.
DIY MIDI Kits
Designing and building your own hardware was previously restricted to those with huge R&D budgets or extensive technical know-how, but it’s now within the reach of just about everyone. Development of the Arduino and other low-cost, USB powered MIDI boards have sparked many home brewed MIDI controller projects that are relatively easy to use and fairly powerful. This article will cover some of the low-cost DIY MIDI kits available on the market and evaluate each of their individual strengths and weaknesses. Continue reading DIY MIDI Kits
