“Hey DJ Sean, I’ve been looking at the Pioneer CDJ 800s and pioneer cjd 1000s. I want the 1000s because they have more features, but is the extra $400 worth it? I’m short on money as it is so I would appreciate your help. I’m just getting started and I want to be a great DJ one day like you!” ~ Dj Johnny Swift – Manchester, UK.
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Johnny, I wanted to address your Pioneer CDJ question because it is common for a lot of new DJs. I literally receive 10 – 15 emails every day with this exact question; “should I buy ‘x’ piece of gear or should I buy the slightly different ‘x’ piece of dj gear?” And I’ll take a guess and say that 90% of the emails I receive from new DJs like you always start with or end with “I don’t have much money to spend”. Read the rest of this entry »
This past week I had a chance to rock it out on Pioneer CDJ 2000s. And to be honest I LOVE them!
If the CDJ 1000s weren’t good enough (they’re the nightclub and music industry standard) These new CDJs take traditional DJ Mixing and digital djing with dj software to the next level. (To take your DJing to the next level sign up for our Dj training newsletter by clicking HERE now!)
This awesome piece of dj gear will store all of your music, it can play all of your music from USBs, SD cards, MP3 CDS and even DVDS. The 2000 works VERY well with ableton live and has built in controls to work smoothly with traktor and serato scratch live!
I just found this awesome dj video featuring the best piece of dj equipment on the market right now:
To learn to dj like a pro you will have to train like a pro dj. What does this mean?
First of all get the Free Dj Training video lessons by clicking here NOW!
Lets take a look at 5 of the top pro athletes in the world right now: Tiger Woods, Lebron James, Syndey Crosby, Wayne Rooney and Payton Manning. These guys are the top of their field and live their dream lives and yet they all still swear by a number of things: The first is coaching. Even the best have coaches to make their learning process easier and faster. They all have training aids such as videos. They all study other great players in history.
My point here is that if you want to be a HUGE pro DJ, follow the footsteps of the pro DJs that have already made it. There are TONS of resources out there for DJs. There are dj videos, dj manuals, dj guides, dj books, dj dvds, in person dj lessons, online dj academies and even biographies on successful DJs now and from the past.
Get out to parties, nightclubs and raves by yourself. Hang around the DJ booth and watch the DJs mixing. You’ll learn a TON. Check what dj equipment they are using. CDJs? DJ Turntables? DJ software like Ableton Live or Serato… How are they mixing? How much time do they spend looking at the crowd? What are they looking for?
“What dj equipment do you recommend I start with?”
This is a question I get asked daily from my Dj students. Its usually proceeded with “I have a budged of $xx and I’ve been told I should buy turntables or CDJs…”
While I have a FREE DVD coming out that will teach you everything you need to know about DJ Gear, let me give you the answer to this in a few words. In the meantime, you can learn a lot about DJ Gear through our Free video DJ Lessons. Get yours now by clicking HERE!
Don’t buy turntables if you are just starting out.
Don’t buy expensive CDJs (Pioneer CDJ 1000s – dj cd players).
Don’t buy a $2000.00 laptop
Most DJs that start out want to get the coolest pro DJ gear possible. This is a waste of money at the start because you will just be learning basic mixing techniques to begin with (cue & throw, beatmatching, pitch riding etc).
Instead of throwing away thousands on gear when you start, buy some cheap CDJs and a cheap mixer, or even better a DJ Software and digital controller package. These will be low cost solutions that you can learn mixing on quickly and easily.
The best part is that you will have tons of cash left over. Use this cash to build your music collection (which is most important) and to learn more about DJing by getting dj lessons or buying some programs (DVDs) to get you mixing better, to learn to promote yourself and to learn how to get big gigs!
Here it is….straight up! Dj Mixing and scratching are two VERY different skill sets. Even though they can be used together, you will have to start by learning to dj with one or the other.
Mixing is more geared towards playing multiple songs together to create new unique songs, playing with the energy of the must to fuck with peoples emotions and to take people on a journey. Scratching is more geared towards jaw dropping short 5 minute performances.
Scratching and Mixing also require very different dj equipment to learn and play on. Scratch DJs swear by vinyl and mixers with a tight crossfader. This is because they need tough equipment that will allow them to feel the small sounds and cut back and forth rapidly in between sounds. Mixing djs have all moved to CDJs (dj cd players) and a lot are heading towards fully digital setups because mixing can be done on almost any DJ setup.
Both methods of DJing are wicked but here is why I chose learning to dj mix first over learning to scratch vinyl:
You should know by now that when learning to dj the basics are super important. Choosing the right Dj Gear (DJ CD players, vinyl turntables, software like Ableton Live?) learning to mix well (beatmatching) and understanding how to work the industry so you can get lots of big gigs are essential. But there is one more thing that stands out as a “must do” for new DJs that often goes overlooked in the mad dash to landing your first gig.
Over the last few weeks I’ve been sitting down with some of the biggest and best DJs in the world. These guys are the cream of the crop in the DJ world. We mostly sat down to catch up but I also interviewed these superstar DJs to get their secrets for making it from the Bedroom to the Dj Booth in the biggest clubs in the world. Those of you are signed up for the newsletter will get access to the interviews soon when they become available (soon!).
I have got a lot of CRAZY stories and mind blowing tips from them but there is one piece of advice that stands tall above everything else.
It sounds so simple at first. Its almost common sense. But so many new DJs fail to follow this one cardinal rule that will largely determine their success or failure as a DJ.
Here it is….. DEVELOP YOUR SOUND.
You’re probably thinking that’s it? Thats the big secret? Why is it such a big deal to develop your own sound as a DJ? Here’s why…
Great news. I just tracked down a wicked series of videos for you! These were filmed for DJ Download and Pioneer CDJ customers only in a special promotion but I found them to show them to you! Get your FREE video DJ Lessons on DJ Gear, Mixing and Playing gigs by clicking Here right now!
Legendary girl DJ Sarah Main is a resident at the famous and massive Pacha Ibiza (seen below)!
She invites you into her beautiful villa for a series of videos showing the basics of how to get into the scene and how to start mixing for anyone that wants to learn to dj .
She shows you how to mix using Pioneer CDJ400s (dj cd players) and the Pioneer DJM400 mixer. Great gear to start off on (but a little on the expensive side).
There is a series of 5 videos all of which build off the one before it. The videos that I will be sending out the the newsletter will go above and beyond these tips but this is a great start to your dj training!
If you’re learning to dj ou’re probably busy and overwhelmed by choosing the right dj equipment. If not then you’re spending time learning to beat match on a pair of turntables with vinyl, dj cd players (Go Pioneer!) or with dj software (Serato or Ableton Live). If you’ve figured this out then you’re probably out there hustling trying to land gigs. No matter where you are you are probably focusing 100% on your dj skills and building a music collection.
No matter where you’re at in this process of Learning To Dj, its important to take time to get to know the history of the music you play. Knowing where the music came from and how it has evolved will help you as a DJ. Knowing this will give you new found respect for those tracks you play.
Trust me, no matter where you are (beginner or even a seasoned dance floor pro), knowing the history of the music will make you a better DJ!
Theses are the best videos I’ve ever found on the history of the music I love: House Music.
This documentary was filmed and aired by the BBC in London. The series introduces you to the influential names and unsung heros of dance music. The documentary follows dance music from its beginning in New York at the Paradise Garage in the 70′s, to Europe and all the way to breeding new sub genres of trance, techno, breaks, dnb, progress, chill out and the rest of the electronic dance music genres. It takes a look at the rise and fall of the rave scene, the anomaly called Ibiza, night club culture and everything else you need to know about Dance music.
Some of the big name DJs found in this series are Pete Tong, Carl Cox, Paul Oakenfold, Tiesto, and many many others! These guys will inspire you to learn to dj!
The first video in the series is posted above and the rest of the videos are posted below.
1) How To DJ. Advice To Help You Learn How To DJ: How To DJ 2) Advice On DJ Lessons For Beginners: DJ Lessons 3) How To Be A DJ. Advice On How To Become A DJ: How To Be A DJ 4) A Review Of The Best Dj Games: DJ Games
