Japan Relief Event

This Saturday, 19 March 2011 , Second Life’s top music venue ToonTopia will be holding a 24 hour/24 DJ Benefit event beginning at 1am and ending 1am 20 March, with all proceeds (tips) going to the Japan Relief Fund. That’s 24 hours of DJ’s from across the world, with 24 hours of different styles of music. Please come and enjoy some of the finest live mixed dance music to be had in Second Life (or First Life for that matter). I will be supporting this event from 5-6 pm SLT (midnight until 1AM GMT). I intend to make this set a powerful message of hope for those less fortunate. Bring your friends to this event!!! Awesome music….. and a chance to help others in desperate need. It is not to be missed.
Some of the other DJs performing live will be: DJ Blair Styles, DJ Dre Straaf DJ Jess Fosse, DJ Coca Supercharge, DJ Ebony Tunwarm, DJ Walker Devin, DJ Izerai Doune Fosse, DJ Deepdish DJ Kira, DJ Britsurfer Bauer, DJ Tink Toll, DJ Saltydogg68 Baily, DJ Freakshow, DJ Lady Avilara, and others yet tro ne named. I will publish the diary of the event once it has been finalized.
Thank You for your support! Please pass this on to your friends!

Decision time – HELP!!!!!!!

Well its decision time! I won’t solve this one over night. But the blogging process is always helpful in forcing me to think in depth and logically address the issues/thoughts/concerns to hand.

I have reached one of the limits of the software which I use to DJ. I currently use Virtual DJ Pro version 7. I am now expert and to be honest I love this software. I use the Mixlabs 3.0 skin and an external mixer and I have grown as a DJ because of this. This software is amazingly flexible and powerful. So you might ask why I feel I have reached its limits. The software offers much more than I actually use. I use a few effects and an occasional sample. The place where I have reached the software’s limitation is in beatmatching. As many of you know, I have blogged about this in the past. I have struggled with this and realize that part of the issue I am fighting is related to the inability of the software to adjust the track speed (using the pitch slider) in any increment less than 1/10th of a bpm. I have used my mixers job wheel to the best of my ability and have tried incorporating micro adjustments of the pitch slider. While the slider on my mixer is infinitely adjustable, the Virtual DJ software is not. I also believe there is an aggravating factor in that I tend to loop a lot when I mix. I believe this may make the condition more noticeable and make adjustments even more of a requirement, adjustments I just can’t make on a continual basis with the jog wheel. I have paid more attention to this and believe I have tightened up my mix somewhat. However, I am not sure I can constantly adjust the beat position with the jog wheel and be successful at what I am doing.
So now I need consider my options:

1) Continue with VDJ knowing the limitation and working on continual adjustment. I will do this in the short term no matter what I decide about the following options. The benefits are that I am comfortable with VDJ and proficient enough to be happy with most of what I do. The drawback is this will hold me back and I will be continually unhappy about my beat matching.

2) Change Software. I have looked at other software in the past including Trakktor and a handful of other free or low cost options. I have heard good things about Trakktor and intend to have a better look at it in the next few weeks. I actually have a licensed copy of Trakktor Duo as it came with my midi controller. Virtual DJ has one major advantage over Trakktor in my opinion and that is the view it presents with the combined wave form box. Virtual DJ presents a graphical representation of each track (which is a definite aide in determining the track structure and timing for loops and drops); But Virtual DJ also has a wave form representation of the tracks overlaid on each other as they play. This does help in beat matching as you can actually whether one track is ahead or behind the other in terms of the beat. The benefits of Trakktor and the other software out there such as Serato products is that (I am told) they are much better at beat matching and actually has fine adjustments to 1/100th bpm. I have no experience other than Virtual DJ but the research I have done (reading various blogs and forums) indicates this level of control is required for proper beat matching. The drawbacks are the learning curve that exists with any new software (complicated in this case with mapping and interface differences between the software and my hardware/mixer), and the cost of software (I suspect even if I use Trakktor at some point I will want to upgrade to the Pro Version). Questions would always exist about the ability of my PC to handle any of these as well.

3) Take the big step and buy actual DJ Kit. Ok this is the glamorous thing to do. If I am serious about pursuing DJ in something other than an online game this is really the only option worth considering. Unfortunately this is not a step an easy step to take for me. Besides the monetary investment which is significant (although so is the investment in software) there is admitting to others around me that I have been a closet DJ for the last 2 years in an online game. This is not something those I work with (and for) will not appreciate as I do, and will be a contributing factor in my decision. The benefits of this step are many and large. Proper kit and proper skill can revolutionize my ability. I will face far fewer limits. On the other side of that, I will face many more challenges as well. I will be starting over from the beginning in terms of skill to some degree. It won’t change my knowledge of tracks and my ear. It will change how I approach mixing. I have become extremely reliant on the visual ques provided by the software. I can look at the wave forms of 2 tracks I have never heard and instinctively know enough to mix them. Although this is not fool proof, it is certainly an advantage over the hardware I have seen (which isn’t a lot …lol). The drawbacks with this are the cost (which may be incremental to software or significantly more depending on the hardware I select), the extended learning curve, my entire lack of knowledge and experience with actual kit (other than my trusty Numark Omni) and the inability for me to easily carry my kit in my carryon bag when I travel (which I do quite regularly for work). The benefits seem almost endless at this point, a new world of techniques, effects, hardware and skills to broaden my ability and proper kit (that would be respected in real world venue/club). If I am truly to grow and reach my potential I know this is the answer. Now if I could win the Euro Millions and retire, the pathway would be clear!

So what am I to do.???? I am hoping to hear from you on this. Please comment and let me know your thoughts. I know there is a fourth Hybrid option combining Hardware and software using time coded cds/vinyl) and I haven’t ruled that out. I just believe that it would be an extension of the Hardware option and I would want to learn proper hardware mixing before I moved to the software aided hardware (if that makes any sense at all).

As always, the process of organizing my thoughts for this blog have highlighted the obvious plan (well short term anyway).

My short term plan is to look at the software I have and explore its potential and limitations (any feedback regarding Trakktor Duo is highly appreciated). Expect to hear a set mixed with this sometime n the next few weeks (I will warn you if you need cover your ears…lol). I will continue proper research on Serato and other options (please suggest your fav). I will also make the pilgrimage to the local DJ Equipment store and have a look at actual hardware. Then…..reassess, make another plan and execute accordingly. Yes it’s typical…and yes…I am a project manager in real life.

I anxiously await your feedback

Regards

DJAimee