AMERICA’S FIRST MAGAZINE FOR PROFESSIONAL DJs ESTABLISHED 1988
MAY 2013
$6.95 CANADA $4.95 US
MIAMI MANIA ’13 ULTRA, WMC & MORE MARQUEE MAN
MARKUS SCHULZ America’s Best DJ 2012 PLUS: MISS KITTIN * EATS EVERYTHING * BEST SETS AT SXSW * CRAZY FOR CONTROLLERS * CUBASE 7 * SOCIALMEDIA TIPS
www.djtimes.com
WHICH MOBILE MARKET HAS BOUNCED BACK?
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INDUSTRY EVENTS…NOTABLES…MILESTONES
NEWS
SXSW ’13: A LOOK BACK AT THE BEST SETS IN TEXAS By Lina Abascal
e-heartthrob was a hot commodity for SXSW bookings, playing everything from the Pitchfork showcase to a day party hosted by independent music blog Live for the Funk. Attracting a crowd from hip-hop heads to internet nerds, Hemsworth mixed radio favorites Frank Ocean and Drake with the melancholy vibe he shares with his fellow We Did It collective members. Brenmar. Dropping a set filled with what he describes as “club music for the present,” Brenmar thrilled with a steady diet of R&B samples and house vibes.What’s perhaps most impressive about the always-dapper DJ is his unending ability to cater to a crowd. The dimly lit Mountain Dew backyard party was not packed, but maintained a constant buzz that made people comfortable enough to dance. Joined onstage by other New York DJs Venus X and Mess Kid, Brenmar effectively brought his Brooklyn warehouse vibe down South. M|O|D. These five Boston-based college friends play both as a crew and individually under their own names—Yung Satan, Rewrote, Lil Texas, CZ, and Arnold. Though seeing five DJs play at once may seem all too intense, the group thankfully alternates between back-to-back sets and switching off between threes. M|O|D collectively has enough club, Jersey house, B’more, and trap tunes to play showcase after showcase—and they did. Proving they can be appreciated
Ashley Suszczynski
Austin, Texas — If you ever needed any more evidence that DJ culture has successfully bumrushed mainstream music culture, take a look at this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) convention/festival. From Soundcloud randoms to Billboard magazine cover stars, more DJ talent than ever graced this year’s SXSW. The annual live-music bacchanalia—held this past March 8-17 in venues all over Texas’ capitol city— was never at a loss for beats. The 2013 festival was yet another confirmation of the blurring line between dance music and hip-hop— trap tunes, anyone?—and the growth of its shared audience. Working the stage with vocalists and rappers with whom they collaborate, DJ/producers played original solo tracks and collaborations, plus official or unofficial remixes of Top-40 artists—whatever it took to get the party started. Collectives and crews had a strong presence, banding together to throw perfectly curated showcases and parties representing all points from Los Angeles to Boston. We saw plenty of lesser-known young acts use their online presences to draw an impressive crowd far from home and play with genre peers. Here were a few impressive DJ/ artists that we saw rock SXSW in Austin: Ryan Hemsworth. In the midst of his nationwide tour supporting Daedelus and Shlohmo, this Canadian
Tiësto: Back to School
Philadelphia — Tiësto lights up Philly’s Liacouras Center during the Feb. 23 stop on his 13-city “College Invasion Tour.” Spinning on a bill that included Australian sensation Tommy Trash, the Dutch DJ played behind a booth façade that included 26 Chauvet Nexus 4x4 LED wash fixtures.
Fab 5: M|O|D brought Beantown beats to SXSW.
and distinguishable on their own, the quintet worked as a cohesive unit without missing a beat during their performances, beginning on the Lanai rooftop Wednesday and ending with their showcase at Republic Live Saturday. Pictureplane. Known for both his obscure style in everything from clothing to production, Pictureplane enticed the crowd by tangling his body with the microphone cord as he performed at the Brooklyn Vegan showcase. During an all-original set, the Denver party staple spiced up his performance with heavily effected live vocals. Having produced for Antwon and co-produced with members of the band Health, Pictureplane’s di-
Denver DJ: Pictureplane dropped cyber-club music.
Brenmar mixed R&B samples & house grooves.
verse cyber-club-music set the stage for similar performances throughout the night from Brooke Candy and Zebra Katz. Flume. At the Spotify lounge, the Australian producer surprised with an impromptu outdoor performance, as he hopped on the turntables for a set packed with his original tracks off his self-titled album from this past year. Without any introduction or microphone use, Flume threw in the occasional remix—including “Hyperpardise” by Hermitude—causing audience members to recognize his chill-out beats and get their collective groove on—drinks in hand.
VOLUME 26 NUMBER 5
12 A Victory Lap
Since Being Voted America’s Best DJ, Markus Schulz Has Gone onto Bigger & Bigger Things—and Quickly BY JIM TREMAYNE
18 Miami Madness 2013
Winter Music Conference & Ultra Music Fest Highlight Another Manic Week in Florida BY JIM TREMAYNE & CHRIS DAVIS
DEPARTMENTS 7 Feedback
This Month, Our Club Play Chart Welcomes a New Latin-Music Entry
24 Making Tracks Steinberg Cubase 7
26 Sounding Off
Denon MC2000 & N.I. Traktor Kontrol Z2
28 Mobile Profile
Arizona DJ Goes Corporate
DJ TIMES
APRIL 2013
After Years of Stagnant Growth, Mobiles Are Seeing an Increase in Spring Bridal Bookings—and Prices. BY JEFF STILES
4
SAMPLINGS
30 Business Line
How to Ace Your LinkedIn Profile
32 Gear
New Products from Mixware, Moog & More
38 Grooves
Phat Tracks from Pan-Pot, Josh Wink & More
40 DJ Times Marketplace
8 Eats Everything
Shop Here for All Your DJ-Related Supplies
10 In the Studio With…
The Hottest Records, As Reported by Our Top U.S. Record Pools
Hungry for Success Miss Kittin
41 Club Play Chart
Cover & Contents Photos By Al Powers
22 Bridal Bounce?
FROM THE EDITOR
America’s Best DJ: Making the Most of It When you’re voted America’s Best DJ, you’re certainly allowed to bask in some of the afterglow. But Markus Schulz—our 2012 winner—seems to be taking it to another level. Indeed, it looks as if he’s bent on making this year even more memorable than the last. How’s he doing it? For one, he’s recently upped the ante by playing Madison Square Garden. Along with New World Punx partner Ferry Corsten, he rocked “The World’s Most Famous Arena” as part of the A State of Trance 600 event this past March 30. Soon after, he ventured out on his “North American Scream Tour” with fellow artists The M Machine and KhoMha. The bus tour currently is hitting 18 cities, many of which rarely enjoy that level of talent or stage production. By playing towns like St. Charles, Mo., and Tulsa, Okla., Schulz and company are carrying the music to America’s heartland, and that’s an encouraging sign for the long-term health of EDM. We recently caught up with Markus in Miami to discuss the latest developments, post-ABDJ. Speaking of Miami, we recently returned from a crazy week there. In addition to exhibiting at Winter Music Conference, we caught the first weekend of Ultra Music Festival (there were two this year) and several evening events that had us glowing for the duration. With help from our photographers like Nicole Cussell, we present our rundown of eight days and nights of manic Miami action. And from Austin, Texas, our Lina Abascal offers reviews of the best DJ sets from the SXSW conference. Continuing on the musical tip, U.K. correspondent Tom Banham talks with Eats Everything (aka Daniel Pearce), who tells a tale of how he overcame a period of deep doubt to become one of EDM’s hottest DJ/producers. Also, in Samplings, we connect with Miss Kittin from Paris, as she discusses Calling From the Stars, her double-CD that includes a tasty mix of pop, ethereal and dancefloor moments. On the mobile-entertainment side, we visit with Arizona jock William Reed, who has done well down in the Valley of the Sun. In Business Line, Mike Kearns and Lori Ruff show jocks how to ace their LinkedIn profiles and make it work for them. Also, Jeff Stiles takes a look at one mobile market that seems to have bounced back—spring bridal bookings. Our gear reviews find Alabama-based DJ/producer Dave Gadbois, a longtime Cubase user, putting Version 7 through its paces, while Denver jock Wesley Bryant-King handles a pair of hot new items—Denon DJ’s MC2000 controller and Native Instruments’ Traktor Kontrol Z2 mixer. On a final, sad note, we must mention the passing of a Scott Friedel (aka Scott Hardkiss). He was a genuine DJ pioneer who, along with his “Hardkiss Brothers” Gavin and Robbie, helped provide the soundtrack to California’s nascent rave scene in the early 1990s. Additionally, he went onto produce mind-bending dance tracks as God Within before he began to suffer from a variety of medical issues. He was a terrific DJ and helluva nice guy, who generously helped DJ Times with a pair of DJ Expo West events in San Francisco in 2000 and 2001. Without his vital contributions, this exploding American EDM scene as we know it wouldn’t be the same. He was only 43 and he’ll be missed. Safe passage, Scott.
editor-in-chief Jim Tremayne jtremayne@testa.com
art director Janice Pupelis jpupelis@testa.com
editor-at-large Brian O’Connor boconnor@testa.com
production manager Steve Thorakos sthorakos@testa.com
chart coordinator Dan Miller dmiller@testa.com contributors Lina Abascal Jody Amos Tom Banham Joe Bermudez Wesley Bryant-King Shawn Christopher Paul Dailey Chris Davis Justin Hampton Josh Harris Robert LaFrance Polly Lavin Michelle Loeb Lily Moayeri Phil Moffa Natalie Raben Scott Rubin Jennifer Shapiro Nate Sherwood Jeff Stiles Emily Tan Phil Turnipseed Curtis Zack President/Publisher Vincent P. Testa
FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND TO ORDER SUBSCRIPTIONS, CALL 800-937-7678 VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.djtimes.com
DJ TIMES
MAY 2013
Sincerely,
6
Jim Tremayne Editor, DJ Times
DJ Times Sound & Communications The Music & Sound Retailer Sound & Communications Blue Book America’s Best DJ The DJ Expo IT/AV Report Convention TV News VTTV Studios
brand design & web development manager Fred Gumm fgumm@testa.com digital media manager Chris Davis cdavis@testa.com advertising manager Jon Rayvid jrayvid@testa.com art/production assistant Douglas Yelin dyelin@testa.com Circulation circulation@testa.com Classifieds classifiedsales@testa.com operations manager Robin Hazan rhazan@testa.com Editorial and Sales Office: DJ Times, 25 Willowdale Avenue, Port Washington, New York, USA 11050-3779. (516) 767-2500 • FAX (Editorial): (516) 944-8372 • FAX (Sales/all other business): (516) 767-9335 • DJTIMES@TESTA. COM Editorial contributions should be addressed to The Editor, DJ Times, 25 Willowdale Avenue, Port Washington, NY, USA, 110503779. Unsolicited manuscripts will be treated with care an d should be accompanied by return postage. DJ Times (ISSN 1045-9693) (USPS 0004-153) is published monthly for $19.40 (US), $39.99 (Canada), and $59.99 (all other countries), by DJ Publishing, Inc., 25 Willowdale Ave., Port Washington, NY 110503779. Periodicals postage paid at Port Washington, NY, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to DJ Times, PO BOX 1767, LOWELL MA 01853-1767 Design and contents are copyright © 2013 by DJ Publishing, Inc., and must not be reproduced in any manner except by permission of the publisher. Websites: www. djtimes.com and www.testa.com May 2013
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FEEDBACK PLUS: NicoLaS Matar // tiNi // DJ MUggS // iZotoPe aLLoy 2 // HercULeS coNtroLLer // BoSe SPeakerS
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The club and mobile DJ communities continue to be major forces in break‑ ing new music in each region and city of the U.S. all these past years. There are around 1,200 DJs in the trenches of the U.S. that subscribe to the ser‑ vices of Latin record pools. We hope that major and independent record labels, as well as all those unsigned artists, will trust the Na‑
tional Latin Dance Chart in DJ Times and continue to provide record pools with product. As always, it will as‑ sure the same club and street promo‑ tions it has always provided in the past. We urge all labels and indus‑ try colleagues to get their subscrip‑ tion to the magazine, and support this great platform for Latin music. Online, DJ Times will feature content
of interest to our industry. So, last but not least, I would like to thank DJ Times Editor Jim Tremayne and DJ Times Chart Editor Dan Miller for be‑ lieving in the DJ-driven Latin recordpool concept, for entrusting me with this responsibility, and giving them the opportunity to use DJ Times as their platform. – Alex Carmenates, Latin Chart Manager
NAMM RepoRt: GReAt GeAR 3/15/2013 7:08:28 AM
This is Feedback, a monthly feature that fields questions from you, our readers, and funnels them out to in‑ dustry professionals. If you have any questions about DJing – marketing, mixing, equipment or insurance, any at all – drop us a letter at DJ Times, 25 Willowdale Ave, Port Washington, NY 11050, fax us at (516) 944‑8372 or e‑mail us at djtimes@testa.com. If we do use your question, you’ll receive a free DJ Times T‑shirt. And remember, the only dumb question is the ques‑ tion that is not asked. New Latin Chart In this issue, DJ Times NEW i n t r o d u c e s a n e w monthly entry—the National Latin Dance Chart. Compiled by Alex Carmenates and included in our Club Play Chart on Page 41, our new entry will feature reports from the top dozen dance-leaning Latin record pools and it will chart the genre’s Top 20 and feature the five most added tracks. We’re very pleased to present this new feature, and we hope you enjoy it and find it useful. – Dan Miller, DJ Times Chart Editor
Once again, this is another historic moment for Latin Record Pools. Within the Latin-music community, we all know how important the Latin record-pool visibility is for the Latinmusic industry—and its continued existence. Therefore, I’ve worked hard to bring forth to the industry the official National Latin Dance Chart for DJ Times. Each month, we’ll compile charts from the re‑ gional charts of America’s Latin re‑ cord pools, and more importantly to provide the monthly information that will assure their relevance. With this national chart, we will provide the industr y with vital tracking information that hopeful‑ ly will once again place the Latin record pools in the forefront of street promotions and serve as a tool to the Latin-music industry.
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SAMPLINGS
DJ TIMES
APRIL 2013
Eats Everything: Hungry for Success
8
These days, Eats Everything’s sub-heavy bombs are destroying dancefloors around the world, but it wasn’t always an easy trip up the ladder for the English DJ/producer. Luckily for Dan Pearce, his success has been a testament to the powers of hard work. Known professionally as Eats Everything, he’s the “overnight success” built on a decade of slaving away in the shadows. Records that seemingly emerged from nowhere—low-slung slabs of bass punching their way onto Dirtybird or Pets Recordings and into the boxes of house jocks like Jamie Jones to Claude VonStroke—were forged in the jungle/hardcore raves of the early ’90s. Then, they were tempered in the fires of countless bar gigs, and thankless studio hours, as Pearce dreamed of brighter times. “I broke down—I thought I’d never make it,” he admits from the car on the way to his studio in Bristol, his hometown. “And then one day I was talking to my now-wife and said, ‘I’m never gonna do it, am I?’ And she said, ‘You might. Give it one more year, and if you don’t make it, give it up.’ And I thought, ‘Yeah, that’s a good idea.’ And luckily, on the eleventh month, Pets signed ‘Entrance Song,’ and the rest is history.” He laughs as he tells this story, but behind the levity there’s a tangible sense of relief. It’s the relief at having fulfilled the dream of a 12-year-old kid, who played on a friend’s brother’s decks for the first time, then quickly decided that he was going to be a DJ. It’s the relief of the 14-year-old who’d travel across the country to dance all night at enormous raves, watching awe-struck as junglists like DJ Ellis Dee cut and blended their way through the breakbeats of early hardcore. And it’s the relief of the recruitment consultant, approaching 30, who quit his job to spend a year making music, living on welfare—and frustrating his girlfriend. “We nearly broke up a lot of times over that year with my obsession to get there,” Pearce recalls. “Now, obviously, she’s over the moon, and everything’s great and we’re married—but there were times when it was really, really tough. Splitting up, moving out of houses. She’d move in with her mum for a bit. It was really bad. And I was earning no money. It was horrendous. But it’s paid off, basically. So I wouldn’t change a thing I’ve done.” That payoff has been impressive. Pearce signed his first release in 2011 after handing a CD to Dirtybird affiliate J Phlip at a gig. Impressed, she passed it to her friends Catz ‘n Dogz who immediately snapped
up “Entrance Song” and “Hevvie” for their Pets imprint. The EP’s thumping 808 subs caught the attention of Claude VonStroke who, hearing the Dirtybird DNA in the Englishman’s sound, quickly signed a pair of EPs. A relationship blossomed and collaboration between Pearce and much of the Dirtybird roster was quick to follow, including the swaggering sub-smasher “Ignorance Is Bliss” with VonStroke himself. Despite his successes in the studio, Pearce still sees himself as a DJ first and foremost. “I’m a much better DJ than I am a producer,” he laughs—and, as anyone who’s seen his multi-CDJ, FX-laden sets will attest, that’s no slight on his production talent. “I play like a hardcore DJ. I mix loads of records, do loads of stuff. Obviously, in [the ’90s] you couldn’t do what I do now, but I do loads of cutting, loads of fills, dropping vocals in from other tracks all the time. It’s not messy. It’s all regimented, but it’s loads of tricks. I’m kind of like James Zabiela, but nowhere near as good.” Again, that self-deprecating guffaw booms down the phone. Pearce isn’t a man who takes himself, or his music, too seriously. He sees his sets as party fuel to make people have a good time, not some three-hour lecture in dance history. “I’m not for everyone,” he admits. “I’m not a deep-house DJ or anything like that.” And in a house scene that often falls into over-serious navelgazing, it’s still an approach that’s packing clubs around the world. To watch Eats Everything spin, you’d think his setup has been set down on a hot plate. His fingers dance across the Pioneer DJM-900nexus mixer, never settling on a knob for more than a moment, as he throws in a cappellas, filters loops through echo chambers and layers track over track. “You’ll never hear a record that I play exactly the same in any other set,” he says proudly. “Whereas some people just play the record, I’ll always be doing something to it. So even if it’s virtually the same, there’ll always be a slight difference to anyone else playing it.” This fascination with the unique finds Pearce setting aside a day a week, devoted entirely to making edits of records, stamping them with the Eats Everything mark. “Otherwise I’m not going to stand out,” he explains. “I’m not going to be different to anyone else. And I think that’s part of my success – which I’m grateful for.” This past year has been an amazing ride, but don’t expect Pearce to take that for granted. No, global tours and a packed release schedule remain on the immediate horizon. “I can’t imagine it topping 2012,” he smiles, “but if things go the way they’re looking, it’s going to be amazing. It’s an ideal place to be.” – Tom Banham
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IN THE STUDIO WITH For this story, we connected with Miss Kittin from Paris, just as she was experiencing two distinctly different, but no less momentous occasions. Just as she prepared for the release of her expansive double-CD Calling From the Stars [wSphere], she announced that she was selling many of her studio’s analog prizes—like the Roland Jupiter-8 synth she bought in 1997. But the always forthcoming Miss Kittin—aka Caroline Hervé, 39—had a great attitude about it all. As excited as she was about the upcoming album—which includes nervy electro cuts like “Bassline” and warped, ethereal moments like “Silver Lake”—she was philosophical about saying goodbye to the much-coveted gear. “Now everybody can make music with a cheap computer,” she says. “But all my vintage pieces are filled with 20 years of love for music, and I am honored to pass them to the new generation.” Here’s how it went: DJ Times: What got you into DJing? Miss Kittin: I fell in love with rave parties and early electronic music in 1989-90. I knew all the tracks, was hitch-hiking to listen to all DJs possible, but never intended to be one myself until my friends pushed me to try it.
DJ Times: Any early heroes for you? Miss Kittin: As a French raver, Laurent Garnier was always our godfather. His incredible knowledge, intuition for the crowd, and smart attitude was a big example for all of us. At this time, electronic music was nearly illegal, so he worked hard to legitimate our culture. DJ Times: How have your musical tastes evolved? Miss Kittin: I started out playing quite hard—Woody McBride, Plastikman, Jeff Mills, Aphex Twin, Autechre for the experimental side. When I moved to Geneva in the mid-’90s, the Swiss underground scene opened up my ears. I was buying all kinds of electronic music and trying to mix everything together. I also did quite a lot of leftfield mixes at home, for myself or for friends. It made me the DJ I am today, trying to include all kinds of influences, because it’s all about good music. DJ Times: You’ve been really prolific recently. Where’s that inspiration coming from? Miss Kittin: Like one of the songs on the LP, “Life Is My Teacher.” Anything can be a song. It’s all about point of view, developing your poet soul. I go to the studio when I have something to say. I can write six tracks a week and nothing for months.You have to accept the flows of inspiration. And you need free time to let ideas come to you. DJ Times: What’s your studio set-up now? Miss Kittin: I am using just a laptop, Cubase, plug-ins, and some toys, like guitar pedals, microKORG, [Korg] Electribe, and a microphone, of course—a very simple set-up. DJ Times:You’ve got some really diverse sounds on the album, even an R.E.M. cover [a fairly faithful version of “Everybody Hurts.”] What was your process? Miss Kittin: I wrote sketches in my little studio. I never thought they were finished versions until my friend Pascal Gabriel, who always pushed me to create alone, who believed in me more than I ever did, told me they were done. We were supposed to finalize it together, but he said I should keep the innocence of it. He was right. Later on, I had some electronica pieces left for another project, inspired by the early Warp compilations—that era. I thought I should join them together. The part one, more pop, would bring the listener
DJ TIMES
MAY 2013
MISS KITTIN: LESS GEAR, MORE MUSIC
10
to the second part, more ambient. DJ Times: Do other current DJ/ producers inspire you? Miss Kittin: Yes, I am amazed by how talents like Nicolas Jaar, Azari & III, Tale of Us, Soul Clap and Maceo Plex can combine so many influences nowadays. Also, I have a special connection with Maya Jane Coles. She is so gifted, and so smart dealing with success. I feel like I finally found a little sister, sharing the same vision and aspirations in electronic music. DJ Times: How do you DJ now? Miss Kittin: Now, USB keys or cards with Pioneer CDJ and [DJM900] mixer. As I sing, that mixer is the only one with a high enough signal I can plug my microphone in. My microphone goes through a Boss Digital Delay [DD-6]. DJ Times: In the end, what do you think makes a good DJ? Miss Kittin: A good DJ is someone who makes people dance and opens perspectives, sharing his unique taste. Someone who has respect for the ones who make his living— the audience. Someone who enjoys what he is doing. Laurent Garnier is still in this dynamic, 30 years later. – Jim Tremayne
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DJ TIMES
MAY 2013
A 12
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Las Vegas – This past Oct. 7, Markus Schulz enjoyed an evening that can only be viewed as another high point in an already successful career. In front of a packed Marquee nightclub, Schulz was honored for winning the 2012 America’s Best DJ vote, as he was presented with the golden DJM-900 mixer—ABDJ’s annual “trophy”—by Davey Dave Arevalo of Pioneer DJ, the title sponsor of ABDJ’s Summer Tour. With family in attendance and an amped-up, holiday-weekend audience before him, Schulz “slayed” deep into the night with a mix of techy bombs and melodic trance gems. A night to remember, sure, but even then Schulz was looking forward to an even-bigger 2013. Fast-forward six months to New York City, and we catch Schulz bounding down a steep set of stairs from a Madison Square Garden stage. Before a sold-out Garden this past March 30, Schulz and fellow global-trance jock Ferry Corsten had just stepped into the “World’s Most Famous Arena” and rocked it—billed as New World Punx, the duo dropped 90 minutes of madness at “A State of Trance 600” show. They might’ve been warming up for headliner Armin van Buuren, but the crowd was more than warm—it was in a lather. “So,” I ask, “what was that like?” “Wow!” spat out a sweaty, but still-glowing Schulz. “Just wow—indescribable…” But that’s how things have been going for Schulz since accepting his ABDJ title— success after success. And now he’s taken to the road for his spring “North American Scream Tour”—a victory lap, if you will. And what’s different about this crosscountry trek is that Schulz isn’t traveling first-class via his favorite airline. Instead, he’s doing 18 dates on a pair of buses—one for artists, the other for production gear. Along with KhoMha (a signee to Schulz’s Coldharbour Recordings) and The M Machine, Schulz is taking a full-on audio-video-and-FX show to many markets that don’t usually get such spectacles. It’s a grassroots opportunity to spread his music, raise his profile and further his label’s brand—2013 promises to be big. Just as he prepped for the tour, we caught up with Markus Schulz at the Red Bull Guest House/Dream Hotel for a look back and a view forward. DJ Times: How has being voted America’s Best DJ impacted you? Markus Schulz: It’s a real honor to have won. The fans are really more proud of it, I think. The fans message me a lot and tell
and Q
uickly
By Jim Tremayne
MAY 2013
DJ TIMES
me congratulations. So, for me, it was a rallying thing for the fans to get behind. I do this music from my heart and the fans are so loyal. They get together and show support by voting. So winning gave me confidence and some pride, so that I could push forward, and it almost validates what I’m doing. DJ Times: So, for the record, you’re an American citizen living in the United States, right? Schulz: Absolutely. I was born in Germany and I moved to the U.S. when I was 13. These days, I live in Miami. DJ Times: For some reason there were people out there—supporters of other ABDJ nominees, perhaps—getting bent out of shape at the notion that you weren’t American or didn’t live in the States. Schulz: It’s funny, but when you travel the world DJing, it seems that everyone wants to claim you. Truth be told, I do feel like an international citizen
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DJ TIMES
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Markus in Miami: At Sirius-XM Music Lounge.
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because I feel at home wherever I am. But, to be sure, I’m U.S. I eat hot dogs and apple pie and play baseball… DJ Times: But there are times when it helps to speak German and eat strudel once in a while, right? Schulz: Absolutely, and eat bratwurst [laughs]. DJ Times: As a legit DJ who’s been spinning since the days of vinyl—how’s that for a setup?—what do you think your victory represents? Schulz: One of the things that I represent is the art of DJing. I’ve said this many times, but there are many guys who’ve produced a hit record, and then they have to learn how to DJ to go play the main stage in front of 20,000—and they’re just learning! I take nothing away from the productions they’ve made—or that their teams have made. They’re fantastic. But I represent the art of it. DJ Times: You’re a DJ first. Schulz: I really feel more at home playing the 10-hour sets, playing from the beginning of the night to the end. On New Year’s Eve, I played a 13-hour set at Avalon in L.A. Here at Winter Music Conference in Miami, I played a 10-hour set on the terrace at Space. It’s about reading the crowd, taking
people on a journey, not just playing an hour set full of three-minute edits of your hits. DJ Times: You play those same festivals, too, right? Schulz: Oh, I also have to do that when I play the main stages at some of these events. I understand the challenge and I like that challenge as well. But in my heart, I started as a resident DJ. I have the most fun when I do those marathon sets. DJ Times: Due to the new technologies, just how much do you think the definition of a DJ has changed? Schulz: Traditionally, it was always someone who played vinyl, so the definition of a DJ was very clear. But as technology came in… see, people use different technologies to do the same thing and it becomes a big debate because some people are playing out of a laptop. Does that make them a DJ or not? Because a DJ is actually a disc jockey and when there are no more discs to play… DJ Times: That line’s been blurred for a long time now. Schulz: Right, and everyone has their opinion. My opinion is that anybody who plays pre-recorded sounds, music, and puts it together… DJ Times: From at least two sourc-
es… Schulz: Right, and there are people who are mixing sounds live, a kick drum with a different bassline, say, and they can be listed as DJs, but it’s a complete blur right now. To me, DJ just represents the whole EDM culture. It doesn’t matter if you’re playing vinyl, CDs, off a USB stick, or off a laptop. It’s just a general term for people playing music or entertaining or performing. DJ Times: Because technology accommodates almost everything now. So… after he won the 2011 ABDJ title, Kaskade said that he’d been part of a genuine DJ/dance culture for 20 years and “now this is our moment.” It was a culmination of things for him and others, too. Do you feel that way? Schulz: For sure . One of the things I’ve always said is that there have been so many people who have worked so hard and put so much effort into getting the scene to where it is now. Some of them may not be part of the scene anymore, but they’re a big reason why the scene is where it is today. DJ Times: It’s gotten bigger than a lot of folks ever imagined. Schulz: What’s happening now is a big celebration and a lot of credit
should go to the people who paved the way and did this when the money was not there. They did it purely for the love and the passion for this scene and its music. I know people who eventually aged out, got married, got burned out, moved into new jobs or whatever, but without them we wouldn’t be where we are now. DJ Times: On the Winter Music Conference panel [“Pushing Buttons: The Laptop vs. Traditional DJ”], people were discussing DJs who played prerecorded sets. I thought you made a good point when you said that if a club owner has a queue down the block to see one of these DJs, he’s not going to care how he’s delivering the music. But is there a breaking point where the audience does begin to care? Schulz: Here’s the thing: I feel that as long as everything is successful, nobody really cares—but where is the credibility? It’s almost like Milli Vanilli, you know? At some point, I hope truth will win out. DJ Times: But there are some bigger issues at stake, aren’t there? Schulz: I want the scene to have respect and how much respect really is there when you’re playing a prerecorded set and you’re pretending to mix and you’re not actually doing it? If you’re twisting knobs, but you’re not really doing anything? The scene has to have credibility if it’s going to survive long-term. DJ Times: There’s so much money involved. Schulz: I understand that these guys who are playing pre-recorded sets and drawing thousands and thousands of people and I understand why they’re being booked. But, at the end of the day, there’s got to be some pride in the scene. There has to be some pride from the promoters to say, “Listen! At some point, this all could crumble down if we don’t make this legitimate.” Put pressure on people to be real. If people believe that the whole scene as fake, it’ll be seen just like wrestling. DJ Times: Among your DJ colleagues—let’s say the ones who’ve been doing this awhile—what’s the talk about some of the DJs who are playing pre-recorded sets? Schulz: Well, everybody has a great excuse as to why they’ve done it… [laughs] DJ Times: They have to sync their explosions or pyro… Schulz: Um, I get it, but there are other ways to get the same effect. But I get it. Still, there has to be some pride in doing things the right way. It’s very easy to make a pre-recorded set and give it to your VJ and to your pyro people to coordinate something. But you have to have pride in your product. And I totally disagree with those who say that pre-recording allows them to “concentrate on other things.” Improvising is gone, and that’s
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the art of DJing. DJ Times: From talking with DJs, part of the problem that a lot of them had with Deadmau5’s comments in Rolling Stone was that he seemed to throw all the DJs under the bus—not just the guys who were being inauthentic in their performances. Schulz: It’s definitely a hot topic there, but, I mean, there was a scene way before I got involved. There was a whole scene, a whole culture. People figured out ways to do things and be creative. But yeah, those comments really indicted everybody and didn’t give credit to people who’d done things in the past. DJ Times: But, also the guys who are incredibly creative now, and I’ll give a nod to the jocks with real turntablist skills, people like A-Trak or a Z-Trip… Schulz: Whatever’s going on today, people who do their sets with Ableton or whatever, what they gotta remember is that they’ll be viewed differently in 20 years, too. How are they going to feel in the future when they’re not given credit for what they’ve done now? DJ Times: Not to pile on Deadmau5… Schulz: No, I’m not really singling him out, actually, but I feel very strongly about giving credit to the people who came before us. There’s a whole history there. It’s just like rock bands today need to give credit to Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd or The Beatles. What’s happened in the past has directly affected their success today. DJ Times: How do you view the American DJ scene now? Schulz: In the past, American DJs
had to go to Europe and break there in order to be successful in the U.S. Now it’s a global culture and the fact that dance music has blown up in the States, there’s a lot of pride with local talent, or American talent. I know that when I play in Germany, when I play with German DJ, I see there’s a lot of pride for their DJs. When I play in Ibiza, I see there’s a lot of pride for the Spanish DJs. I’m starting to feel that here in the U.S. as well. It’s not really like American DJs are finally getting their just due, it’s their fans are showing their respect for DJs from their own country. DJ Times: The Top 10 vote getters for ABDJ last year really indicated support for a broad range of styles, from house and trance to techno to, say, whatever Diplo’s playing these days. But, as always, it seems like the trance fans are the most engaged. Schulz: You know what? I love the trance fans. You’re absolutely right. They’re the most loyal. They will follow you. If you’re doing a gig in San Diego, then the next night Orange County, then again in LA, they’ll be at all three shows. Then you’ll see some of them again a couple weeks later in Las Vegas. They are amazing. DJ Times: Tell me about the Scream bus tour, which will hit a lot of cities that don’t always get toplevel DJs. Schulz: I’ve traveled a lot all over the country and played in some B and C markets. And when I go there, the club doesn’t have the production or the same vibe that you have in the big cities. So we decided to bring our own production and give them a taste of what the bigger cities get. DJ Times: That’s also a great way
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Marquee Men: Turning Sin City into a Music Mecca Las Vegas—On Oct. 13, Marquee Nightclub at The Cosmopolitan again will host the closing party for DJ Times’ America’s Best DJ promotion. After a 20-date summer tour (sponsored by Pioneer DJ), a new champion will be honored at Sin City’s hottest nightspot, a place that DJs have grown to love.
Sol Shafer
“Marquee is a mecca,” says Markus Schulz, 2012 ABDJ titlist and venue resident. “With the dancers and visuals, it’s a great show for fans and a place where DJs can be comfortable. Also, the people behind the scenes take care of you—top to bottom, it’s terrific.” Sol Shafer is the man behind the curtain at Marquee Nightclub and Marquee Dayclub. As “Director of Special Operations & Music,” Shafer books the DJs and coordinates events for these two major Tao Group venues. “We are a team and work closely on everything to make sure that the experience we are providing to customers is top-notch,” he says. “The sound needs to be perfect. The production needs to be perfect and, of course, the room needs to be full. Once a DJ/artist has all three, it puts them into a position of control and comfort, which translates into them giving 100-percent.” When discussing Schulz and some of his legendary nights at Marquee, Shafer is quick to gush. “Markus Schulz is an amazing DJ,” he says. “Markus’ music selection is spot-on and finds the perfect way to make the room bounce as one. If you have ever been to Marquee and had the opportunity to watch Markus play, you know exactly what I mean. His showmanship is among the best in the business.” J.T.
to cultivate fans and spread goodwill. Schulz: Hopefully, yes. I remember playing in this one city and the venue didn’t have video screens. There were no LEDS, no lasers, nothing. I said, “Why didn’t you just rent these things?” And they said, “We would’ve had to get it all shipped in from California—we don’t have any of that [production gear] in this area.” Now, we want to give these cities the same full-production experience that bigger markets like Los Angeles, New York or Miami get. We’re bringing a show. DJ Times: You and Ferry Corsten have formed a new DJ duo—New World Punx—which is debuting at Madison Square Garden. What can we expect? Schulz: Ferry and I have been playing together for years. Last year, we decided to do some back-to-back sets and we had such a good chemistry that promoters began requesting it. We decided to put an official name to the project, polish it up and put a theme behind it. Now it turned into this project with its own unique vibe and vision, and, yes, we’re debuting at the Garden. We’ve made some tracks for the occasion. DJ Times: And the music? Schulz: The music is a lot more intense. It’s more edgy. It’s ver y main-stage material. It still has our elements, but it’s more intense. It’s two brains put together for the main stage. DJ Times: What do you think about playing the Garden? Schulz: I’m a huge sports fan, so I’ve seen MSG on TV—from Sunday afternoon NBA and beyond. For me, it’s not just playing; I’m going to get the goosebumps as soon as I walk into the Garden because I’ve never been there before. It’ll be a special moment for me. When I told my mother I was playing Madison Square Garden, she was on the phone calling all her friends. But this show is just another validation for DJ culture. DJ Times: You’ve accomplished a lot in your career so far. What do you tell younger DJ/producers who want to do what you’ve done? Schulz: First thing, you’ve got to be patient. Just do it because you love it. It’ll break sooner or later. There have been some guys who’ve had success right away and there are others for whom it’s taken 10 years. I’m one of the latter [laughs]. But if you love what you do and you stay true to what you do, then when you finally do break, you can be proud of it. I know some guys who have chased a sound, become popular, but it wasn’t really what they’re into. So I say, be in it for the long term. Live it. Breathe this music. You have to give your last dollar to buying that track that you know will rock the crowd. Do it for the right reasons. n
FSTVL#0014>>
PHASE 1 A TRIBE CALLED RED / AMTRAC / ANDY C / ART DEPARTMENT BEN KLOCK B2B MARCEL DETTMANN / BIG GIGANTIC / BRENDON MOELLER AKA ECHOLOGIST CARL CRAIG / DAVE CLARKE / DENNIS FERRER / DERRICK MAY & KEVIN SAUNDERSON DRUMCELL / DVS1 / GEORGE FITZGERALD / HATCHA / J.PHLIP / JOHN DIGWEED LUKE SLATER - P.A.S. - live / MAETRIK / MALA / MIKE PARKER / NICOLE MOUDABER / NOISIA ONRA / PACO OSUNA / RICHIE HAWTIN / RROSE / RYAN ELLIOTT / SILENT SERVANT SLAM / STEVE RACHMAD / SUPERVISION / TENSNAKE / TERRENCE PARKER / THE BUG THE M MACHINE / TOMMY FOUR SEVEN / TRUNCATE
PHASE 2 ADULT. - live / AL ESTER / ALTON MILLER / ATAXIA / AUDION - live AZARI & III - live / BEN SIMS / BIG CHOCOLATE / BREAK SCIENCE - live / BRODINSKI BRUCE BAILEY / CARLOS SOUFFRONT / DANIEL BELL / DANTIEZ SAUNDERSON DJ MINX featuring DIVINITI and EVA SOUL / DON DADA (DJ GODFATHER and ZEBO) DOWNLINK / ELLEN ALLIEN / ERIKA - live / GESAFFELSTEIN / GRAMATIK / GREGOR TRESHER GRiZ - live / HECTOR / LAURA JONES / MASTERS AT WORK - KENNY DOPE & LOUIE VEGA MATT TOLFREY / MIGUEL CAMPBELL / MILKMAN / MOODYMANN / MR. JOSHOOA NICOLAS JAAR - live / PAPER DIAMOND / SOUL CLAP / STACEY PULLEN / STEFFI T.WILLIAMS / TOKiMONSTA / TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS - live
PHASE 3 COMING SOON!
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By Jim Tremayne & Chris Davis Miami, Fla.—Just when you thought the annual dance-music excursion to South Florida couldn’t get any more intense, welcome to the 2013 version. This past March 15-24, downtown Miami and South Beach offered a mosh of many things for many people. The 28th annual Winter Music Conference drew dance-industry types to the Miami Beach Convention Center for its seminars, exhibits and networking opportunities. Meanwhile, the 15th annual Ultra Music Festival at Bayfront Park expanded to consecutive weekends, drawing a reported 330,000 fans to its seven stages. And the parties—private or public, sponsored or spontaneous—ran around the clock. As usual, DJ Times was there for the good, bad and ugly. At WMC: The most spirited seminar—
“Pushing Buttons: The Laptop vs. Traditional DJ”—saw jocks like Markus Schulz, Tommie Sunshine and Oscar G kicking around the very notion of what even defines a DJ anymore, plus the implications of an art form that remains somewhat misunderstood. “For me, digital has opened more creative avenues for DJs—CDJs allow me to do more things,” said Schulz, the 2012 America’s Best DJ titlist. “But I just hope the art of DJing isn’t being lost in the eyes of the audience, because reading and reacting to a crowd is a big part of that art. A pre-recorded mix just cannot do that for you.” Then, when an audience member began to bemoan the divide between underground and mainstream concerns, the rarely diffident Sunshine broke in: “If you don’t like what David
MIAMI M ADNESS 2013 Airborne: 12th Planet takes an Ultra leap. TheSuperManiak
Winter Music Conference &
Ultra Music Fest Highlight Another Manic Week in
DJ TIMES
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Florida
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Ultra Rodent: Mau5 in the hau5. Nicole Cussell
Guetta or Avicii are playing, change the channel,” said the Brooklyn-based jock. “But, understand, we’re talking about underground, when [EDM] is clearly a runaway train.” Best Party: Ovum at Treehouse on March 16. From Josh Wink’s rollicking new acid track, “Balls,” to his closing cut, Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up,” the longtime Philly jock held down the main room with aplomb, while Ovum label mates like MANIK crushed it out front. Onto Ultra Fest: Where to start? This year’s event was so massive with so many options and obvious attractions (e.g.—Swedish House Mafia’s last gig) that we can only offer some of our personal highlights: We kicked off Day 1 of Ultra in the Carl Cox & Friends Ultra Mega Structure with a standard set from Jamie Jones, DJ Times’ February cover boy. Playing awkwardly early—blame the sun for keeping its ugly head up while Mr. Jones attempted to take us into the deep underground—Jamie was followed by the boss himself: Carl Cox. The 50-year-old vet delivered his usual banging brand of techno filled with production wonders including Kryoman, sexy female acrobats, and a ceiling of hexagonal LED screens that would systematically descend and arise above the unsuspecting, loop-entranced dancers. Wild. An incredibly diverse set from John Dig-
Anjunabeat Party: Mat Zo in the heat.
Red Bull House: Alex Metric in the mix.
No Apologies: Nicolas Jaar at UMF. Nicole Cussell
Right Here, Right Now: Fatboy Slim at UMF. Nicole Cussell Hands Up: General Craziness at Ultra. Nicole Cussell
Bangarang: Skrillex at Red Bull House.
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Men of the Moment: Disclosure at UMF. Nicole Cussell
Rollin’: Diplo/Major Lazer at UMF. Nicole Cussell
DJ TIMES
Eric Prydz at All Gone Pete Tong party.
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Big 3: Aoki, Armin & Avicii at Sirius XM Lounge. Gustavo Caballero
minutes late to the stage—Chicago’s Krewella filled in the time nicely with a tight set of bass-heavy, but melodic bangers. Art Department, who you can find on the cover of the April edition of DJ Times, warmed up the Surface stage with their brand of quirky deep Farewell: Swedish House Mafia’s UMF swan song. Nicole Cussell
It’s Over: Emotional SHM fans at set’s end. Nicole Cussell Buddy Shot: Calvin Harris & Pete Tong.
Ferr y Corsten at Sirius XM Music Lounge. Gustavo Caballero
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weed was next, and quite the treat! When we caught Diggers at UMF 2012, we’d begun to think he might have been beaten with a drumstick as a child, due to his noticeable lack of percussion in that performance. Not this time! Fatboy Slim followed and he slayed the arena with banger
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Techno Titan: Adam Beyer gets busy.
Massive: Umek rocks Ultra Fest.
after banger, avoiding his classics for a medley of modern genres. To wrap Friday, we caught Nicolas Jaar at the UMF Live stage, where he greeted the small group of fans with a warm, if disappointed, “I guess we’re the only ones not going to the retirement party, huh?” As Swedish
House Mafia’s mainstage show next door began to bleed into Jaar’s, he let his quirky “blue wave” beats stop to announce that he was going to play a new song for the “private party,” and joked again about the fireworks bleeding into his set, saying that this was also “his last performance.” Day 2 highlights included the acoustic bass and percussion-frenzied vocal-house act of the moment, Disclosure, at the UMF Live stage, followed by the funky house beats of jozif, an amazing deep-house journey by Henry Saiz, and a bit of a fun hour of techno from Pig & Dan. We wrapped things up with a tired set from Faithless, and the return of the prince of dance music’s rodent kingdom, Deadmau5. And no, he didn’t dis anyone from the stage—he just delivered his regular big-venue set. Sunday’s best brought trap kings Flosstradamus and the Skrillex & Boys Noize power-duo, Dog Blood, to the Ultra Chile stage. Female rap diva Azealia Banks’ afternoon set lacked energy, but blew us away with her razor-sharp lyrical execution. Before Banks began—she was 20
house, followed by remarkable deep techno and house sets from Magda and Maya Jane Coles. The underground-oriented stage wasn’t so easy to find—ask Friday fans of Josh Wink or Steve Bug—but was rewarding nonetheless for those who did. Next we popped over to the Live stage again to catch emerging R&B crooner The Weeknd and his killer live band, and let the Toolroom Knights bossman, Mark Knight, guide our 2013 Ultra experience to a close. I dare say the ebullient Mark had more fun than the entire audience. Near the end of the experience, we hopped over to catch a few minutes of Moombahcore man Dillon Francis. What we didn’t realize was that Francis’ warehouse-sized stage stood next to Avicii’s airplane-hangar environment, a mere two football fields away. Just as we were beginning to dig into Francis’ crunchy grooves, we could hear in the distance the all-too-familiar opening synth lines of “Levels” and we looked to our left at Avicii’s overflow crowd going mental. We should’ve looked the other direction because we weren’t the only ones to hear “Levels.” No, from our right, a good thousand people began sprinting toward the Avicii stage—many hand-in-hand, no doubt wanting to share in the moment of mass mania. Caught in the midst of the brief Swedish Stampede, we were compelled to scrunch up against a fence to avoid being trampled underfoot by Avicii fans. (What a way to go, huh?) We survived, but at that point, we had to call it a night… and a festival. Obviously, this EDM thing has gotten a little out of hand. Well done, UMF ’13. Until next year… n
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bRIDAL bO UNCE? After Years of Stagnant Growth, DJs Are Seeing an Increase in Spring Bridal Bookings—
DJ TIMES
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and Prices.
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By Jeff Stiles
Brendan Lafferty of B-Sharp Entertainment in East Freetown, Mass., has two receptions coming up this fall with an interesting matchup. The bride from the first wedding works with the groom from the second wedding, but they found B-Sharp Entertainment through two entirely separate channels—and had no idea they had both booked him until he just so happened to ask if they knew each other. Lafferty says that’s further evidence that t h e e c o n o my i n t h e
Northeastern section of the country is turning around. “I really made an attempt to do a better job marketing myself this year,” he says. “As a single-system operator providing a high level of service, it’s important that brides see my company name wherever they look when making their entertainment decisions. This year I’ve got a featured listing on the WeddingWire network, paid for a placement on The Knot and a half-page ad in the Boston edition of The Knot Weddings magazine. I’m also running a Google adwords campaign for my Photo Booth service and ran a Facebook ad campaign as well. “Referrals from venues and past clients are still my biggest source of new customers, but those new customers are even more con fident in choosing me when they also can find
information about my company on their own. I can say without hesitation that there’s an advantage to being seen in many different places—and both of these clients are extremely confident that they’ve booked a great DJ.” Thus far, Lafferty says his reception numbers will be about even compared to last year, but next year appears to forecast an even more dramatic turning point. “Our 2014 inquiries are way up,” he says. “I’ve raised my prices for wedding receptions by 10-percent for this year, and also increased them in each of the past four years. Lately, the recession has not deterred brides from using my services.” With the economy seeming to make a recover y, how are our wedding reception bookings going this year? More than last year or less?
“We’re talking beat-mixing with
Meanwhile, back up in Seattle, Adam Tiegs of Adam’s DJ Service says it’s difficult to compare how business in 2013 is to past years because he recently transitioned h i s b u s i n e s s f ro m a multi-op to a solo setup. “I do have over 50 weddings on the books so far, though, and that’s pretty good,” he says. “I’m mainly filling up my off-peak Saturdays and Fridays/Sundays during our wedding season—which runs from June through September here in the Pacific Northwest.” Tiegs says he just recently raised his prices, effective for the remainder of 2013 and into 2014. “The only thing I’m doing differently is cutting back and trimming the fat—only continuing what’s worked in the past,” he says. “Network marketing [via associations such as NACE, Wedding Network USA, ISES and ABC], online marketing on key websites [like WeddingWire.com, TheKnot.com, WeDJ. com, etc.] and word-ofmouth from past clients are the main ways I’m marketing the business.” Still, because of his transition back to a solo operation, Tiegs is hesitant to forecast how business will end up by the end of the 2013 season. “If you are to ask me this a year from now,” he says, “I’ll have some better numbers for comparisons.” n
branded DJs, nightclub-style lighting, coupled with impeccable execution and MC skills.”
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Among the younger, hipper couples, Sticky Boots says his company concentrates on what he calls “a true DJ experience,” with turntables and a focus on new music. “We’re talking beatmixing with branded DJs, nightclub-style lighting, coupled with impeccable execution and MC skills—the same thing young couples are seeing in movies, TV, YouTube, clubs and concerts, especially with the rise of EDM and DJ culture in popular media.” Over in the Pacific Northwest, J.D. Fields of Catch The Beat Entertainment in Snohomish, Wash., says the overall economy is still extremely tough, but he sees signs that things are slowly improving— including the fact that wedding bookings are up at least double the amount he saw last year. “Prices have been raised and, as a single operator, I’m surviving,” says the enter tainer known as JD the DJ. “I’ve always pushed clients to check out the competition, and here in the Seattle market we do have fierce competition. The amazing thing
is my competitors— whom I refer to as ‘associates’—understand knowledge and pricing, and we’re all getting along very well and referring each other constantly. “We’re finally compared with photographers and the average we d d i n g i s f e t c h i n g $2,000. People are understanding what we do and the quality of service, along with our expenses.” Fields says that with increased knowledge among his clients of the I n t e r n e t — We dd i n g Wire .com, Facebook and The Knot—expectations of the wedding industry and what p e o p l e e x p e c t f ro m their entertainer have become greater. “I must say, it’s always a cycle in this industry,” he says. “Finally, people a re b e c o m i n g m o re outgoing and want more unique things for their wedding. They see things on the Internet that they want, so we as mobile DJs must be a lot more creative. “As an interactive enter tainer, I had to become more conser-
DJ TIMES
Have we been able to raise our prices, and if not, why? And how are we marketing differently to brides-to-be in 2013? Over in the Midwest, Blake “DJ Sticky Boots” Eckelbarger in South Bend, Ind., says he is definitely seeing a stronger wedding season shaping up for 2013 compared to previous years. “Bookings and prices have been on an upward trend since 2010, but 2013 stands out right now,” says Sticky Boots. “Our numbers are at least 20-percent above last year and I expect that percentage to rise as we move into the spring.” E c ke l b a r g e r s ay s brides in his market are actually looking for more add-ons and extras for the first time in a while. “Clients are not necessarily booking earlier, but they are booking larger packages and more upgrade options such as uplighting, ceremony coverage and TextLive,” he says. “We’ve also raised the prices of our top packages this year, and have seen no pushback whatsoever from clients looking for the ultimate experience. “Marketing-wise , we’re increasing our focus on social media and web traffic. We’ve also put more effort in developing vendor relationships and scaled back on traditional marketing channels like bridal shows and print m e d i a . O u r fo c u s i s young, hip couples looking for a modern clubinfluenced reception.”
vative after 9/11. These days people don’t seem to go out to the clubs o r b a r s — t h ey s e e m to go to weddings to be social and get away from their computers. “On a side note, it was interesting that during a trip recently to Canada, the bars and clubs have changed their name to ‘social houses.’ I wonder if that term is going to catch on in the United States.” Down in Rock Hill, S.C., Kevin Porter of Elite Entertainment says his company is definitely experiencing an increase in early bookings. “As of March, I already had 20-percent more bookings than last year, and I’m still getting quite a few last-minute calls for jobs one week to three months out,” s ay s Po r t e r. “ A s fo r prices, I haven’t raised them but neither have I had to drop prices. The prices are finally coming back to what they were three and four years ago.” Porter is proud to say that he never had to reduce prices during the economic downturn, though he does now offer more value in what he offers brides— because even though his brides are optimistic that they’re finally getting married, they are still looking for the best deal. “I’ve lost a few events due to price within a couple hundred dollars of my quote, so it’s not like they’re going after t h e l ow - b a l l e r s ,” h e says. “Though they are still looking for a deal and I’m still being asking if there are any discounts.”
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MAKING TRACKS STUDIO…HARDWARE…SOFTWARE…
CUBASE 7: BRAVE NEW WORLD By Dave Gabdois
DJ TIMES
APRIL 2013
The old saying goes, “There’s no need to reinvent the wheel,” and very often that’s true. But, what if you’ve actually created a better wheel? Well, that’s just what Steinberg/Yamaha has done with its new upgrade to Cubase, Version 7. I’ve been a user of this Digital Audio Workstation since Version 1 hit the market in 1989, and I’ve seen many upgrade functions—such as ASIO and VST—become industry standards. Over the years, I’ve seen Cubase develop an upgrade pattern in which every other version includes something big. While 2112’s Version 6.5, with its new features and functionality, was an upgrade, Cubase 7 is essentially a product change. Steinberg’s new philosophy is called “the single-window concept.” With this, the Cubase developers have created a work environment with everything you need in a single window, rather than one which requires you to page through window after window looking for a knob or fader or pull-down. One way they achieved this was to allow buttons to cycle through many attributes of the chosen item. For example, the EQ in the channel setting window allows you to cycle through all three display modes with one button. Once you find what you are looking for, you can minimize the window and get back your real-estate. Customization seemed very important to them as well with the ability to turn on/off things, change colors, and even change the complete work-
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flow to one that suits the user. In Search of Help: There’s a group of features I’ll call the “help group,” which includes the search abilities, presets, and displays. Cubase 7 offers an extremely high-powered search engine with the ability to find everything you’re looking for—except, maybe, your car keys. Next in the help group are Cubase presets designed by the award-winning producer, Alan Morgan. These presets are a great place to start for those who have never touched a sequencer before and for those who just need a fresh sound and a great place to start your tweaks from. When you finally get finished creating that perfect workflow you can save a preset of it for later. Presets can be made of every attribute, including tracks, VSTs, and plug-ins. The displays are colorful, bright, and intuitive. If you have a hard time remembering what is on the track you can add a color to it or even a small image of what you’re working with—for example, an image of a drum for a drum track or a microphone for a vocal track. Now this is not new to the sequencer world, but it is for Cubase, and that’s why it’s worth mentioning. The World Is My Oyster : Another huge Cubase 7 showcases Steinberg’s feature is the ability to have collaborations in new DAW concepts. real-time with studios anywhere in the world, as long as they have a dependable high-bandwidth Internet connection.VST Connect allows a person in studio A (the main studio) to communicate with the artists in studio B (using a webcam). The artist just downloads a free standalone program, plugs in a microphone and begins to record. (The program doesn’t work as a plug-in in the performer’s computer, but a plug-in in the recording computer.) Now imagine this scenario: You’re on tour in Hong Kong and you have your laptop with the project on and a high-speed connection. You need some extra vocal work to complete your project, but your artist is in Paris—what do you do? Well, with the new Cubase 7, you contact a Parisian studio, which also has a high-speed connection. You send the studio the free application. Your artist shows up, sings what you need, and it gets sent back to your computer. You finish the project. Make It Loud: Cubase 7’s new leveling meters, based on new loudness standards called EBU R128, are important and useful. As we know, louder is not always better and just because you see that graph bump -0.1db does not mean you’re getting the best volume from your project. It’s not about peak level; it’s about average level. I would suggest you do some research on the loudness standard if you really want your mixes to bang—this is why I am mentioning this as a major upgrade. Anything that can help get your mix sounding as professional and finished is an upgrade we will always need. In addition, it requires you to produce/engineer from a new perspective and refocus on the metering again, instead of just throwing a Maximizer plug-in on the end of your mix and walking away. Controlling the Mix: The MixConsole will probably be the window that you have to open the most often. It consists of eight panes and each pane includes tabs to give you even more choices of the content inside the pane. For example, the far right pane includes your control-room set up and a tab that then switches to the metering window. The mix control window is completely sizable and the content is completely customizable. You can choose what types of channels to view, isolate individual tracks group tracks or even choose a
track and then show everything associated with that track. And once again the use of multi-purpose knobs and cycling buttons helps to give you access to everything without giving up monitor real-estate. Channel Settings Window: Plenty of changes here: Extended routing capabilities, the EQ now has a built-in spectrum analyzer, A/B comparison for plug-ins, and “right click” opens new send features so you can stay in one window to make any changes to any track. That last feature goes back to the “single-window” philosophy. Another addition is the Voxengo CurveEQ, which is a SplineEQ which adjusts the curve in smooth lines and shows the spectrum. However, the best part is that this EQ can copy that spectrum to another source. So, if you like how a pre-recorded track sounds, this EQ will copy that spectrum quality and then you can paste it to your track, and, yes, it works as advertised. I wish that I had the ability to switch Voxengo for the default EQ in the channel settings window, but maybe that will come out in a patch later. Chord Track: I spent my youth learning how to DJ, not playing the piano. So, as a producer, I’ve had great difficulty finding keyboardists who
Deep DAW: Fast, intuitive & customizable. Voxengo CurveEQ: Spectrum-matching.
understand what’s required in creating a great dance track or, worse yet, a keyboard player who wants $250 just to play some simple chord progressions. While I can do that, it takes time. Luckily, Cubase has a new track called the Chord Track and, with it, you can type in the key you want played, move it to where you need it, and you’re done. Oh, but it gets better. Let’s say you want the progressions to be a little more complicated and not sound like the other producers who didn’t take piano lessons. With the push of a button, a window opens and suggests different chords that would work with your arrangement. Plus, the Chord Track helps when creating harmonies on your vocals using VariAudio 2.0.
Channel Strip: Another ace feature would have to be the new channel strips located in the new MixConsole. What makes it a top feature is that each channel includes an envelope shaper, tube/tape saturation, compressor, limiter, and gate. All of the processing gear one would find in a standard analog mixing board is right there at your fingertips (without the need to spend time on setting these features up)—and processes like noise gate, compressor and envelope shaper can be sidechained. If you don’t need them, they can be minimized. But just having them available quickly is what makes it so useful. Need for Speed: The best new
feature Cubase 7 offers is speed. It’s the speed to be able to move quickly through the software, have what you need where you need it or be able to create a layout that matches your workflow. There is a flow to creativity and anything that disrupts that destroys the quality of the work. If you were to add up the time spent moving through endless pull downs and screens that do not have what you are looking for, you would see that hours are wasted and the creative flow is sacrificed. But Cubase 7’s workflow is just phenomenal. Conclusion: To sum up Cubase 7 ($499 MAP) in a few words, I’d say that it’s customizable, intuitive, and amazing.
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CONTROLLER CONCEPTS FROM DENON & N.I. By Wesley Bryant-King
DJ TIMES
MAY 2013
Denon DJ MC2000
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D&M Group is the company behind some of the world’s most respected audio-visual brands, including Denon, Marantz, and Boston Acoustics. And while the Denon brand is largely a consumer one, the company also applies it to a growing range of DJ gear over the last 20 years. Having acquired Allen & Heath, along with its renowned Xone DJ line a couple of years ago, D&M certainly remains well represented in the DJ marketplace. In recognition of the fact that the DJ market today spans from bedroom DJs all the way to artists performing on-stage for crowds of thousands, companies including D&M are expanding their product range to meet these broad-based needs. Unabashedly aimed at the entrylevel DJ, Denon DJ’s MC2000 is a controller/software bundle with a street price of right around $350— well within affordable territory for many aspiring DJs, as well as those who simply want to be the life of the neighborhood party while honing their chops. Bundled with the MC2000 is Serato DJ Intro. Late last year, Serato retooled and rebranded its…—well, let’s call it “non-scratch” software. (In case you live on the moon: Serato is best known for its Serato Scratch Live product—pro-grade software that, combined with Rane hardware products, forms the backbone of a solution preferred by legions of DJs.) A couple of years ago, Serato— wanting to expand beyond its Scratch Live base—introduced Serato Itch. The idea ostensibly was to replicate its success with Rane, but in the conventional controller space, pairing certified, purpose-built hardware from a range of manufacturers with the Itch software. Last year, the company decided to go a slightly different direction by branding the product as Serato DJ, and splitting it into two versions. Serato DJ and Serato DJ Intro—the latter bundled with
the MC2000—more closely model what’s become the industry norm: packaging a basic piece of software with the hardware product, and then offering an upgrade path. First Impressions: While the MC2000 and Serato DJ Intro might well be targeted to the new DJ, I was pleased to discover that neither skimp on what has become a fairly standard and expected function set. You have all the usual transport functionality, including a pitch control and two large rotary encoder platters. There’s 3-band EQ, and even a set of straightforward, useful effects, along with loop controls—all of which is duplicated for each of the two decks represented by the controller. In the middle is also a fairly standard set of browse-and-load controls for mouse-free track loading. On the back panel, the MC2000 sets the bar firmly in entry-level territory by offering only a pair of RCA master outs, along with a single aux input pair, and a mic input. While I applaud the fact that the aux input is provided, I found it an unfortunate design decision that its level control is also on the back panel—perhaps not out of reach in the technical sense, but not well-positioned for easy visual checking or convenient adjustment, making it of questionable utility in my view. On the front panel is a single ¼-inch headphone jack. Thankfully, its level control is on the top surface of the controller where it can be easily adjusted as needed. All in all, the controls have a nice feel, with firm knobs, and LED-backlit translucent rubberized buttons for a number of functions. I loved the deck fader feel; the crossfader, however, I found to be a bit “loose” in feel, but this is honestly the norm for DJ mixers and controllers. As I often grumble about on these pages, however, Denon provides no way to disable the crossfader for those (like me) who don’t use one. I once again resorted to using a piece of gaffer’s
Denon MC2000: Solid, appealing & affordable.
tape to hold it in the center position, lest I accidentally bump it one direction or the other. That being said, for a new DJ learning the ropes, it’s probably smart to give them “industry-standard” choices—including a crossfader. As for overall construction, it’s a mixture of metal for the chassis and plastic trim—robust looking and feeling, without weighing you down if you throw it in a gig bag or backpack. Set-Up & Use: My test set-up for the MC2000 was a Windows 7 PC. The printed quick-start guide gives the steps for installation, which proceeds with a minimum of muss or fuss, and didn’t even require a restart. There are two CDs included: a resource CD with Denon DJ drivers and other “stuff,” and a separate install CD for Serato DJ Intro. The resource CD goes in first for the installation of the requisite ASIO drivers. (It works with CoreAudio on the Mac.) Once that’s done, the Serato disc goes in, which was also a breeze. Leaving the default choice, the soft-
ware starts immediately after installation, resulting in a “get going from a standing start” time of literally a couple of minutes. Browsing my hard disk for some music to load into the decks, I was off to the races. Serato DJ Intro is fairly Spartan, as you would likely expect. But as I said earlier, everything most DJs—even professional jocks—need is there. The default display is designed for minimal clutter and confusion. The effects display (featuring a set of must-have effects like a flanger and filters) is a toggle, as is the display of the sample decks. By default, there’s just not much to it, giving the newly minted bedroom jock a decidedly “OMG!-free” experience. Serato DJ Intro gives you a choice between a horizontal and vertical display of the waveforms, but the default horizontal display is nice and big—making it easy to see visually how beats are matching. I think this is essential for the aspiring jock to understand and get a feel for what’s really going-on. The deck displays are classic Serato, including the “spinning-
Throughout its roughly 12-year histor y, the Traktor brand from Germany’s Native Instruments has seen near-constant evolution in both breadth and depth, along with an ever-expanding scope. Originally solely used for the company’s DJ software, the Traktor name is now used by a family with a growing number of DJ-
related hardware products. There’s little wonder why—the art of DJing continues to evolve and expand, and the line between merely playing other peoples’ music and producing music yourself continues to blur. Native Instruments is clearly rising to the challenge, offering now both hardware and software to support everyone from the bedroom DJ to mobile entertainment folks to club jocks—all the way, it appears, to artists steeped in DJ culture who perform on stage. The latest entry into this line-up is the recently-introduced Traktor Z2, which arrived on the scene alongside version 2.6 of the Traktor Pro software. Called a “2+2 channel control mixer” by N.I.—because DJs can add extra channels into the mix via two dedicated gain knobs on the mixer— the Z2 is designed specifically for Traktor Scratch Pro, the sub-brand of Traktor that utilizes scratch-control methodology. For those not familiar, “scratch” control involves the use of specially-coded media—vinyl records (on turntables) or CDs (on CDJs)— whose audio output isn’t played for the audience, but is instead fed back into a special interface where it’s interpreted by software and used to control virtual decks playing digital music through the actual audio outputs of the system. Nudge the platter on your turntable or CDJ, and the virtual “turntable” in your software is nudged. Put your finger on it to stop the platter, and the virtual platter stops. The “whys” of this approach vs. the dedicated DJ controllers I often review for these pages is not the subject of this piece; I’ll leave that debate to others. But scratch control xdoes remain quite popular among many DJs who feel that you just can’t get the same granular, tactile control any other way. The Z2 is designed for this very
approach, and ships with both vinyl and CD time-coded media, along with a full version of Traktor Scratch Pro. While it can be used as a standalone 2-channel DJ mixer, to be used for its intended purpose, you’ll need to add a pair of vinyl DJ turntables or a pair of CDJs, and of course, a computer and your digital music collection. First Impressions: As with the Traktor S2 and S4 controllers, the Traktor Z2 makes a very nice first impression coming out of the box. With its robust metal chassis and great controls, it’s clear that it’s serious gear. Like the S2 and S4, it sports a top surface that is largely acrylic with a glass-like shine. Its stunning good looks reflect a real commitment to industrial design, and it’s hard not to look at it and associate it with classically German attention to
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N.I.’s Z2: Adds Macro FX to Traktor software.
detail and high standards. Aesthetically, while it’s general arrangement is typical of any 2-channel DJ mixer, it has anything but a typical appearance. Even the choice of font for labeling the controls isn’t the same-old, same-old. All the controls have a nearly perfectly balanced feel that’s firm and sure. The sliders—all of which come from Innofader—are simply delightful to use. When lit up and fully in action, even the button backlighting is innovative, using RGB coloring that breaks out of the usual red, green and yellow into purple, orange, and other hues that set a new standard in communicating operational state via color. Set-Up & Use: So the Traktor Z2 is pretty, but is the beauty merely skin-deep? Thankfully not, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Unboxing the Z2 is all about that good first impression; everything’s nicely and appropriately packed inside. Consistent with today’s general trend of assumed Internet access, the only media packed in the box are the coded turntable/CDJ media. To get your software, follow the URL printed on the enclosed card (which also has your product serial numbers for activation). New users will need to register (continued on page 42)
DJ TIMES
disc” visual, and a tidy arrangement of things like BPM, time, etc. With the MC2000’s intuitive, logical, and customary layout, for an experienced guy like me, there was simply nothing to it in terms of knocking out a competent set from the get-go. For the newbie DJ, the combination of the logical layout with the capable, but simplified software makes a great platform for learning, practice—and performance. It’s truly a place for everything, and everything in its place. But is this merely training wheels for new DJs? Hardly. While Serato DJ Intro is simplified, there’s nothing inherently limiting its use for serious work, and Serato offers an upgrade path to the full Serato DJ version, which offers a range of additional professional-grade capabilities. And the MC2000 itself, as a controller, gives all the functionality that a typical mobile or club DJ needs to get the job done. Niceties like ¼-inch or XLR master outs would make it arguably a better platform for working DJs, and most working jocks would probably appreciate a dedicated booth/monitor output. But that being said, for many situations, the RCA master outs are all that’s strictly necessary. Conclusions: With the MC2000, Denon delivers to the DJ controller market a competent, solid, and appealing entry that works great with the bundled software, while offering an upgrade path as DJ skills grow. While perhaps aimed and priced at newcomers, it should easily prove to be a platform to take those newcomers a long way—while having some real appeal for value-conscious advanced users, too. In summary, it’s a nice package to which you only need add a laptop and a music collection to rock your next party—and get well along the path toward one’s career aspirations for those so-inclined. (For more info and demo videos about the MC2000, please visit denondj.com.)
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MOBILE PROFILE CAREERS…INNOVATIONS…SUCCESS STORIES
William Reed plays club music for the black-tie set.
ARIZONA DJ GOES CORPORATE
DJ TIMES
MAY 2013
By Joe Kearns
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Phoenix, Ariz.— It happened one night in 2004, when a friend asked William Reed to guest DJ at his club. The offer back then seemed scandalous: $50 and drinks for four hours. Reed thought he was getting the better end of the deal back then—and in actuality he was. That one-off gig turned into a Saturday-night residency that eventually won “Best Dance Night” from every newspaper and magazine in town, and it changed his life. Since then, as a touring DJ, he’s performed alongside such recognized names as Kaskade, Steve Aoki, Girl Talk and Grammy Award winners Paul Epworth (producer/writer for Adele), Arcade Fire and Kings of Leon. He eventually broke into radio and began teaching DJ and music-business classes with the local community college district. (He’s currently adjunct at Mesa and Glendale Community Colleges, teaching classes like Introduction to Disc Jockey Technique, Artist Management & Talent Development and Marketing & Self Promotions for the Music Industry). Oh, and along the way he’s parlayed his mixing abilities into Arizona Deejay Company (AZDJCO), one of the most sought-after
corporate-party DJ businesses in the Phoenix market. The business began five years ago when he was picking up gigs on the side from his club and touring gigs. “I was getting to the point where the volume of corporate DJ gig bookings I received was increasing,” says Reed, who moved to Arizona 15 years ago after growing up in Germany. “I soon realized the business potential the corporate sector held. So I formed Arizona Deejay Company to focus on the corporate end of the DJ spectrum—weddings, private events, blacktie, fundraisers, lounge, restaurants, birthday parties, holiday and education.” And with 300 days of sunshine qualifying Arizona as one of the biggest wedding markets in the country, Reed had a pretty good idea where he wanted to take the company—which was not without its battles. “Some of the biggest challenges of for Arizona Deejay Company were breaking into the wedding circuit,” he says. A background in marketing, PR and communications helped his business model, but in the early days, most bookings were via word-of-mouth. Initially, he was a solo operator. But as bookings increased, he looked to sub out jobs to other DJs.Turns out it wasn’t that easy to find DJs who beat-matched, mixed harmonically, and read the crowd to bridge the gap between nightclub and corporate. “It was a challenge,” he says, “to find technically proficient DJs that were also professional and could clean up well for corporate clients.” Today, AZDJCO employs a roster of half a dozen regular DJs. “We also work with another half a dozen supplemental DJs on an as-needed basis, all of whom are professionally trained and have experience as producers, radio show hosts, event organizers, and music label heads.” Currently, 70-percent of all AZDJCO gigs are corporate events, the remainder weddings. Trying to balance that out to a 50/50 ratio, William attends the Bridal Fashion Debut twice a year. “This is the biggest wedding trade show in the country,” he says, “a huge event that allows us to network directly with thousands of brides. In addition, we run advertisements in multiple wedding magazines and online bridal portals. “Aside from that, we run a fairly aggressive direct-mail campaign that targets brides. Of course, referrals are always a huge part of the gig-generating process, and daily deal websites have also proved successful.” But nothing beats establishing new relationships. Arizona Deejay Company is also a member of Local First Arizona—a non-profit organization working to strengthen communities and local economies through supporting, maintaining and celebrating locally owned businesses throughout the state of Arizona. “We position ourselves as a modern and tasteful approach to corporate entertainment,” says Reed. “All of our DJs mix their music, use only the most state-of-the-art equipment on the market today and are very fashion-forward. All of these things combined have really made us stand out from the competition.” Reed also understands the value of networking with fellow DJs—specifically the local chapter of the ADJA. “It’s been the networking key,” he says. “You can’t just set up a company and expect the gigs to come rolling in. I always say that DJing is the easy part—90-percent of the real work happens behind the scenes. Also, being a member of a fraternal organization lends multiple levels of support to us as a small and developing business.” What a strange trip, indeed. What began as an adolescent and insatiable love for music morphed into a talent for event production and promotion in the late ’90s (when he arrived as a fresh-faced high-school graduate from Europe). It opened many doors for him, including the chance to eventually receive invites to DJ at random events for friends around the Valley. But now, with a successful mobile enterprise, where does Reed expect to see his company in five years? “That’s a good question,” he says. “We primarily service the greater Phoenix metro area—the fifth largest city in the U.S. Although we technically cover northern and southern Arizona, I look forward to expanding more into those markets, respectively. I also look forward to establishing Arizona Deejay Company as the most trusted and recognized name in the Arizona professional mobile entertainment circuit.”
BUSINESS LINE SALES…MARKETING…SOLUTIONS…
HOW TO ACE YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE By Mike Kearns & Lori Ruff
One social network that continues to gain traction, even in some ways more significant than Facebook, is LinkedIn. Its search engine capabilities are a great way to get mobile DJs noticed from catering directors and corporate-events personnel. Lori Ruff and Mike O’Neil are social media “rock stars,” and their book, Rock the World with Your Online Presence, is chock-full of tactics you can employ today to maximize your presence and yield results. Here are some of their ideas: Browser: Consider using Firefox or its cousin, Flock, as your browser. Both have basic spell-check capabilities built in. Flock has several social media features built in.
DJ TIMES
MAY 2013
Your Profile: A LinkedIn profile should be thought of as an online resume. The purpose of it is to find and be found. While a resume looks 90-percent back and maybe 10-percent forward, a LinkedIn profile is a forward-looking document. It tells people what you want to do moving forward, based on what you’ve done in the past. This is especially true for the Summary section of your profile. When crafting verbiage for use in your profile, use your word processor, as the LinkedIn system currently has no spell check. After completing your profile in a Word doc, use the cut and paste function to transfer the text to the appropriate section on your profile
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(Summary, Specialties, Experience, etc.) Do not use outline formatting. It will insert oddlooking boxes in your profile. If you want to indent, it’s better to just enter a special symbol and a few spaces in front of the paragraph. If you’re making regular changes to your profile, log into your accounts and settings to turn off the “profile updates” feature until you are done with the majority of edits. More information can be found in the “Account and Settings” section under “Privacy Setting: Profile and Status Updates.” Use your LinkedIn Network status to let others know of the projects you’re currently working on. They’ll have a shorter shelf life and will enable you to keep your profile updated. Profile Summary: Use action words and not typical descriptive text. For example, are you “experienced,”
or are you a “seasoned expert”? Pick up Words That Sell by Richard Bayan to help with this process.
customize your headline just to have LinkedIn default back to the boilerplate material everyone else is using.
Specialties: The Specialties section is the place where you want to add keywords, since this section is the one designed to be read by the search engine in LinkedIn. Do not repeat the information from the Summary in Specialties. Write down all the words and phrases you wish to be found under. How? Ask your customers how the found you. What were they thinking when they entered a keyword in to Google? If you have a Google Adwords campaign, what are the words that you’re using in it? Make sure there are in your LinkedIn profile. Put your list of words in a Word doc, one per line. The use the thesaurus function to see what other word might fit in. Add them to the list. Work Experience: You have 100 characters for the tile field. Include acronyms and variations of your title to make it easier for people to find you. For example, you might include “President/ CEO.” Include your formal as well as popular descriptive titles to ensure that you will appear more often in search results. Be careful when adding a new “current” position, because there’s a checkbox that allows LinkedIn to update your headline with the title and company name. Uncheck this box! You don’t want to
Your Education: List all of your schools, including high school. If you took classes, even just a course, list it. It allows you to join Alumni groups for all those institutions. Activities & Societies Subsection: If you’re part of any group, fraternity, sorority, club, sports, etc., put this information here, separated by commas. The commas indicate the start and stop of a clickable keyword—a hot link to an instant search within LinkedIn. To understand how this works, enter the terms and then go to “View and Profile.” You’ll see that all of these words and phrases are hot links that allow you to find other people with the same word or phrase in their profile. If no one else comes up in the search, try modifying the information until you find other people. This is a great way to search for other users with whom you already have something in common as well as to be more findable when others perform those searches. Recommendations: Your LinkedIn profile is not considered complete until you have at least three recommendations. You recommendation should not be focused on you as a person, so much as your performance
at a specific employer. Ask people from whom you are seeking recommendations to tell a story about a project that you worked on together and your significance to the success of that project. Example: “DJ Mike stepped in when a previous DJ flaked out on my fiancé and me. We had less than three weeks to get the playlist and introductions together. Somehow, Mike managed to talk to everyone in our wedding party and our families to get an understanding of our story—which he used in the introductions and throughout the night.To say we could not have done it without Mike is an understatement.” Recommend others: They will automatically be prompted to return the favor for you once they accept. You do not have to be connected to someone to recommend them; although you do in order to ask them for a recommendation through LinkedIn. If you are not connected, you can email with a link to your profile and instructions to click the “recommend his person” beside your picture. Type your LinkedIn public profile URL into an Internet browser address bar to see how your profile looks to people outside of LinkedIn and to check “Your Public Profile” settings. Good luck! “Rock the World with Your Online Presence” by Mike O’Neil and Lori Ruff is available on Amazon.com
The Stanton SCS.4DJ is a stand alone, self-contained USB Mixstation ready to perform any kind of gig without the need of additional computer hardware. Simply plug in your music and start mixing! The class leading SC-IX software which drives the Stanton SCS.4DJ is designed for the DJ, providing professional features such as real time waveforms, smart synchronization, looping, equalization, effects and hot cues. Fitted with 4.5� touch sensitive decks, integrated mixer and multiple USB ports makes the SCS.4DJ a powerful, yet compact solution ready for any situation! Learn more about the innovative Stanton SCS.4DJ and how it is changing the industry at: http://stantondj.com/stanton-controllers-systems/scs4dj.html
GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF
Life of the Par-ty ADJ Products 6122 S. Eastern Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90040 (323) 582-2650 www.americandj.com
DJ TIMES
MAY 2013
American DJ’s Mega Go Flood Par is a low-profile, wide-angle beam LED Par 38 powered by a rechargeable lithium battery. The unit can run for 4.5 hours at peak performance when fully charged and the battery takes approximately 6.5 hours to recharge. The Mega Go Flood Par comes with 27 4.5-watt LEDs in red, green and blue, and it features a 120-degree beam angle. Additional features include 0-100 percent electronic dimming, LED pulse and strobe effects and 35 built-on color macros.
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UDG Whiz Mixware 11070 Fleetwood St, Unit F Sun Valley, CA 91352 (786) 362-5757 www.mixware.net UDG Gear, distributed Stateside by Mixware, has released new models in its Creator Hardcase Protectors range that are designed to fit the NI Maschine Mikro, Pioneer RMX-1000 and Novation Launchpad. In addition, the line now includes a cartridge case that holds up to four DJ cartridges from brands including Shure, Ortofon, and Stanton. Each case is made from lightweight compressionmolded EVA material and features a laminated Nylon exterior. The cases are specifically designed to protect against drops, scratches and liquids.
Synth When?
Diamonds & Pearl Whites
Moog Music 160 Broadway St. Asheville, NC 28801 (828) 251-0090 www.moogmusic.com
Pioneer Electronics 1925 E. Dominguez Street Long Beach, CA 90810 (310) 952-2000 www.pioneerdjusa.com
Moog Music’s Sub Phatty analog synthesizer comes equipped with 31 knobs and 21 full-size keys, as well as a reimagined sound engine with two variable waveshape oscillators that the company says “require almost no warm-up time.” The unit comes with a Multidrive circuit, which combines OTA distortion and FET drive, and a 4x4 preset matrix that includes 16 definable presets and doubles as a control panel that lets users select filter poles, set pitch bend amounts, toggle between legato glide modes and more.
Pioneer DJ’s XDJ-AERO is now available in a pearl-white version. The Wi-Fi-enabled DJ controller, already available as a black model, allows users to send music from a tablet, smartphone or laptop to the controller using Pioneer’s rekordbox app. The system comes with a mic jack, built-in audio interface, independent three-band equalizer and built-in jog control and audio effects, including a Sample Launch with four built-in sound effects that can be stored on a USB memory device.
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GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF
Going Rogue
Ma & PA
Keith McMillen Instruments 970 Miller Ave. Berkeley, CA 94708 (877) 812-0408 www.keithmcmillen.com
Peavey Electronics Corporation 5022 Hartley Peavey Drive Meridian, MS 39305 (601) 483-5365 www.peavey.com
QuNeo Rogue is a wireless accessory from Keith McMillen Instruments that’s designed to work with the company’s QuNeo pad controller. QuNeo ships with presets, templates and scripts for many popular software packages including Ableton Live, Traktor, Serato Scratch Live, Apple Logic Pro, MIXXX and Reason. It has a range of 60 meters and battery life of six to eight hours.
Peavey’s Escort line of portable PA systems now includes three new two-way speaker system models with a 10-inch woofer. The 300-watt Escort 3000 features seven channels and six combination XLR ¼-inch inputs. The 500-watt Escort 5000 has eight channels and the 600-watt Escort 6000 has nine. Both of those come with seven combination XLR ¼-inch inputs, a subwoofer output and customized rubber knobs. All three models ship with two folding speaker stands and two 15-foot speaker patch cables. They also all feature a USB MP3 player and the company’s patented Feedback Locating System.
The EX Factor
DJ TIMES
MAY 2013
Roland Systems Group 5100 S. Eastern Avenue PO Box 910921 Los Angeles, CA 90091 (800) 380-2580 www.rolandsystemsgroup.com
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The Roland V-4EX is an extension of the company’s V-4 four-channel video mixer, adding such features as inputs/outputs for HDMI, RGB/ Component or S-video, plus USB streaming, and HDCP support for material from sources like game consoles and Blu-Ray players. The unit comes with a stereo RCA audio input and features dial controls for effects on each bus and master output dial. It also features a built-in audio mixer that features up to 4-frames delay to “lipsync” your video source, according to the company.
Anniversary Party American Music & Sound 22020 Clarendon St, Suite 305 Woodland Hills, CA 91367 (800) 431-2609 www.americanmusicandsound.com The limited anniversary edition of Beyerdynamic’s DT 770 PRO headphone comes in an all-black designed with a special aluminum “Limited Edition” label. The headphones are refined to 32 Ohms for mobile applications. They feature Glassball reinforced ear cups, as well as a 5.2-foot OFC single-sided cable with ¼-inch adapter, and “Softskin” head band and ear pads. The headbow is treated with ecofriendly electrophoretic coating for additional comfort, according to the company.
Gear #2; Pic #2
2013
AmericA’s Best DJ tour stArting mAy 2013
Gear #3; Pic #3 Gear #4; Pic #4 Gear #5; Pic #5 Gear #6; Pic #6 Gear #7; Pic #7 Gear #8; Pic #8 Gear #9; Pic #9 Gear #10; Pic #10 Gear #11; Pic #11 Gear #12; Pic #12
Fostex the People Fostex/American Music & Sound 22020 Clarendon St, Suite 305 Woodland Hills, CA 91367 (800) 431-2609 www.americanmusicandsound.com Fostex, distritubed Stateside by American Music & Sound, released the company’s first two-way powered studio monitor system, the PMO.3. The unit includes a Class-D amplifier with 15 watts per channel, RCA and stereo mini inputs, a dedicated three-inch LF fiberglass cone woofer, and ¾-inch HF silk dome tweeter drivers. It comes housed in a wooden enclosure box and has a matte-finished front baffle that comes in a choice of white, black or gray.
djtimes.com/americasbestdj
GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF
iPad-dy Cake Sub Wrapped Gator Cases, Inc. 18922 N Dale Mabry Hwy Lutz, FL 33548 (813) 221-4191 www.gatorcases.com The Gator Cases line of lightweight speaker bags has been expanded to include the G-SUB2118-17, a new rolling subwoofer bag designed to fit the popular Mackie DLM12S subwoofer and similar-sized 12-inch cube-style PA subs. Made of a tough nylon exterior, the bag features a 10-mm internal foam padding to keep your sub safe when not in use. A built-in caster board includes heavy-duty, industrial-grade rubber casters allowing you to transport your sub with ease. Also included is a removable towing strap and side carry handles.
Native Instruments North America 6725 Sunset Boulevard, 5th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90028 (866) 556-6487 www.native-instruments.com Traktor DJ is a new hands-on DJ app for iPad. It features eight Traktor effects, as well as two decks that each come with dedicated three-band EQ and filter sections. Using Traktor DJ, DJs at all levels of proficiency can not only manipulate waveforms by touch but also slice up a waveform into playable parts using Freeze Mode. Users can transfer all their stored work in Traktor Pro directly to Traktor DJ via a free Dropbox account.
D-Fi Fo Fum
DJ TIMES
MAY 2013
Chauvet Lighting 5200 NW 108th Ave. Sunrise, FL 33351 (800) 762-1084 www.chauvetlighting.com
36
Chauvet’s DJ Obey 4 D-Fi 2.4 is a wireless DMX controller compatible with all Chauvet DJ products operating with D-Fi 2.4GHz systems. The controller offers automated, sound-activated and manual RGBA/RGBW playback modes, and it features 11 operating modes. It can connect to any 4-channel LED fixture for color mixing or selecting premixed colors. In addition, the unit controls up to four separate fixture addresses capable of operating in different playback modes simultaneously.
GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF
Eye for an Eye
Key Club
Eye Party 21 Maiden Lane, Suite 8B New York, NY 10038 (346) 470-5393 www.eyeparty.net
Mixed In Key www.mixedinkey.com
EyeParty’s wayfarer glasses feature flip-down lenses that create an effect called “visual adrenaline,” allowing users to be visually engaged in the music. The glasses “take a single, solitary light source and multiply that light many, many times,” according to the company. They come with hard plastic lenses or in original paper versions, both of which can be co-branded to promote the performer, venue or presenting brand of a given show.
Mixed In Key 5.6 is the latest version of the company’s harmonicmixing software. Among the new features in this version is energy analysis, which gives songs their own “danceability rating” so that DJs can create perfect sets. Mixed In Key 5.6 is available for Windows and Mac OS X. It supports MP3, WAV, AIFF and FLAC audio formats, as well as M4A and MP4 video formats. It has a built-in audio player and integrates with all DJ software and hardware.
No Rest for the Wicked Empire Brands, Inc. 875 West 325 North Lindon, UT 84042 (800) 487-1035 www.wickedheadphones.com
New Cartridges
Stanton has announced that all future production of the ST.150 and STR8.150 turntables will include new cartridges. As part of this new offering, the ST.150 now includes the TrackMaster V.3 cartridge, which features high-output, low-cue burn and a four-coil pick up. These features make it perfect for any club or scratch performance, while its integrated design does not require a headshell. The STR8.150 will also now include the SM V.3 cartridge, which offers superior stereo imaging and the ability to align the cartridge on its included headshell. This alignment capability allows for improved tracking response.
MAY 2013
Gibson Corporate 309 Plus Park Blvd. Nashville, TN 37217 (800) 444-2766 www.stantondj.com
DJ TIMES
Wicked Audio announced a new pair of DJ headphones called Solus, Latin for “be yourself.” The headphones come in a dual black/red design and feature a built-in DJ switch that lets users switch between stereo and DJ sound to hear in either or both ears. Features include an adjustable headband, padded earcups and a braided cord so that it won’t tangle while traveling.
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GROOVES
TRACKS…MIXES…COMPILATIONS
“BALLS” u Josh Wink u Ovum
“CAPTCHA”
Wink’s first release since ’09 takes you on a 10+ minute sonic journey through pumping, surging techno ripe with hip-house undertones, heavy synthetic percussion, and tense, mind-melting builds and breakdowns.
u Beltek & Morgan Page u Sneakerz MUZIK The basic 4/4 stomp and triplet-based electro-house synth-stabs of this colossal big-room track lay the foundation for a sonic spectrum packed with ferocious bass and a wash of reverberating cymbals.
– Chris Davis
– Chris Davis
“HALCYON” EP
“LOSE CONTROL” EP
u Terrence Pearce u Futureboogie
u Niko Schwind & Kellerkind u Light My Fire
Check the title cut—a soulful tech-houser that just hits you right out the gate. The seductive horn hook compliments the moody bass line perfectly— very hot. We’re also feeling the summer-smooth “Poise,” a cool house instrumental.
While the title cut delivers a solid deep-house groove, we also get the flowing “On The Floor” and the bouncy “Everybody.” All three cuts keep that soulful feeling throughout—very nice!
– Phil Turnipseed
– Phil Turnipseed
Magic Panda
Stacey Pullen
jozif
Terrence Pearce
Download
Corner
“CHURCH”
u Dubble D pres. Moodymanc u Rebellion The loop-driven groove and numerous samples all blend to make an intoxicating gospel-house sound. The spoken-word vocal just adds to the lovely drama. Both the Original and “Ashley Beedle Revision” are crate essentials.
– Phil Turnipseed BALANCE PRESENTS JOZIF
u jozif u Balance Music A bit more for listening than dancing, this maiden “Presents” entry encapsulates the sound of raw, emotive sorrow with deep, cathartic house cuts like Steffi’s “Sadness” and Burnin’ Tears’ “How I Feel.”
– Chris Davis “ANY WHICH WAY” EP
u Stacey Pullen u Blackflag
DJ TIMES
MAY 2013
If the original’s jingly top-end and atmospheric techno bassline aren’t enough, check the killer “Dirty Mug Mix,” which borrows elements from the original and layers in a catchier hook. A “Dirty Mug Dub Mix” and “Red” and “Green” remixes from Martin Buttrich round things out.
38
– Chris Davis “JOYRIDE” u EPRhode & Brown u Toy Tonics All four cuts deliver rich, deep basslines and perky chords, but spew an underground attitude. We love the smoky “Floating Figures,” the soulful “Joyride” and the smooth “Under Your Spell.”
– Phil Turnipseed
Marvin Zeyss
Adeline
Each month in this space, DJ Times digs through the virtual crates to give you a quick sample of the plethora of extraordinary tracks available exclusively on legal download—care of our favorite next-generation “record” stores (e.g. Beatport, iTunes, etc.). “No One” (Original Mix) by D-Formation & Tini Garcia [Yaiza]: Intricate percussion programming and amazing sounds are the hallmark of the D-Formation style. “No One” demands your continued attention with spoken-word affirmations and a subtle intense melody designed for the biggest of rooms and afterhours. Found at beatport.com. “Distant Places” (Max Cooper Remix) by Magic Panda [Tigerbeat6]: Sullen, yet inspirational; a few months old, but completely fresh; melodic, but driving—this track really has everything going for it. At 122 BPM, it lies somewhere between tech and trance, but takes the best from both worlds. I slept on it once—don’t you do the same. Found at beatport.com. “Kepler” (Julian Jeweil Remix) by PanPot [mobilee]: This unadorned groove features just a few well-crafted sounds. However, a distorted synth line growls through the break and its haunting reverb swells will have our minimal-minded hands in the air. An absolute stormer. Found at beatport.com
– Robert LaFrance
GROOVES TRACKS…MIXES…COMPILATIONS
“WHATEVER” EP
“WHAT YOU GOT” EP u Adeline u Culprit
u Marvin Zeyss u COLOUR
Adeline’s seductive vocals on “What You Got” and “Unravel My Mind” dare the listener to delve into her dirty, deep house grooves. “Thugfucker” feat. Greg Paulus’ remix of “Under the Moon” is another highlight, injecting muted trumpets and oceanic ambience into the original mix’s shuffling groove.
This EP drops a dark, moody tone that’s perfectly balanced with active beats and soulful chords. We like the subtle tribal groove of “Whatever,” the deep-tech groove of “Thinking Of You” and the Mario Aureo remix of “Solitary Life.”
– Phil Turnipseed
– Chris Davis
THIS IS DUBSTEP 2013
DEFECTED PRES. MK IN THE HOUSE
u Various Artistsu AEI Music
u MK u Defected Records
Boasting a hefty 40-tracks on the 2-CD physical release, this one’s jam-packed with the best
Mark Kinchen drops his first-ever mix comp, one that effortlessly shows his pioneering influence MK
Daniel Steinberg
on house music. CD1 gives a heavy nod to the ’90s, beginning with his classic “Love Changes” ft. Alana. Then, CD2 grooves deep into the underground of today, showcasing his breadth by way of a dub of Lana Del Rey’s “Blue Jeans” all the way to his 2012 collaboration with Lee Foss ft. Anabel Englund, “Electricity.” Digital copies of the release feature 10 bonus tracks.
Burnski
– Chris Davis “LOST IN THE ZOO”
u Burnski u Saved Records
– Chris Davis
A new-school jackin’ house monster with a warbly, synthesized disco feel. The Martinez Brothers give it the remix treatment on the flipside, pumping up the bass and taking it deeper into the depths of eerie funk.
“EVERYBODY WANTS SOMETHING”
u Akabu feat. Alex Mills u Z Records With a tough, soulful vibe, a stunning vocal and a tight production, this cut delivers on all fronts. Joey Negro drops a sick “Strip Mix” that just slams the dancefloor. Also, “The Akabu Warehouse Mix” stands out as a rugged tech-house track.
– Chris Davis TREPTOW u Daniel Steinberg u Arms & Legs Fantastic funk, soul, and disco sample choices anchor this collection of uplifting tech and deephouse grooves. Check the soulful “Can’t Find My Baby,” disco-influenced “Joy & Happiness,” and the sexy Latin vocals of “Pasilda.”
– Phil Turnipseed
“DON’T COME BACK ALIVE” EP
– Chris Davis
u Phil Moffa & Paul Raffaele u Idol Hanse The original mix teases with a deliberate highend percussive build into an acid squelch that slowly descends back into the depths of techno, resolving again in the form of a sonically thick chorus. A dub mix and a funky, gut-rattling “Huren Remix” round out the package.
– Chris Davis
“BARCODE (FIGURE REMIX)”
u Blood Diamonds ft. Dominic Lord u OWSLA
Skream
Figure straps on an AK-47 and supercharges Barcode’s genre-defying original mix, replacing most of Lord’s vocals with his signature drum-n-bass punch and vowel-synth stabs.
– Chris Davis
MAY 2013
and brightest, dirty and darkest, most banging dubstep that 2012 and beyond had to offer. This is an essential compilation to pick up for someone looking to expand their sub bass and dub tastes. Check the tribal subsonic undertones of Skream’s “Phatty Drummer” and, on the Kito Remix of SpectraSoul’s “Away With Me,” the dotted quarter-note punches overlaid with vocalist Tamara Blessa’s sensual promises are irresistible.
Blood Diamonds
DJ TIMES
Pan-Pot
Josh Wink
39
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DJ TIMES
MAY 2013
Sirius........................................ 36
40
Sound Pro................................. 27 Video Blocks............................ 21 While every care is taken to ensure that these listings are accurate and complete, DJ Times does not accept responsibility for omissions or errors.
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MP3s in 56
Compiled As Of April 20, 2013
National Crossover Pool Chart 1 Will I Am F/ Britney Spears 2 Justin Timberlake F/ Jay Z 3 Emeli Sande 4 Suzanne Palmer 5 Alicia Keys 6 Kwanza Jones 7 Nicki Minaj 8 Kelly Clarkson 9 Tony Moran F/ Anastacia 10 Jay Sean 11 Pitbull 12 Christina Aguilera 13 Britt Nicole 14 Justin Bieber F/ Nicky Minaj 15 Stacey Jackson 16 Miasha 17 Calvin Harris F/ Florence Welch 18 Vic Cologne 19 Conor Maynard 20 Tori Amos 21 Audio Playground F/ Snoop Dog 22 Katrina 23 Esquille 24 Ke$ha 25 Icona Pop 26 Enrique Iglesias F/ Sammy Adams 27 Ke$ha 28 Depeche Mode 29 Kerli 30 The Wanted 31 Muzik Box 32 Carley Rae Jepsen 33 Kristine W. 34 Ciara 35 Courtney Stodden 36 Adele 37 Macklemore & Ryan Lewis F/Wanz 38 Greg Machado 39 Delonda Harvey 40 One Direction
National Urban Pool Chart
Scream & Shout Suit And Tie Next To Me Joy Girl On Fire Supercharged Va Va Voom Catch My Breath If I Was Your Boyfriend So High Don’t Stop The Party Let There Be Love Gold Beauty & A Beat Pointing Fingers Everybody’s Beautiful Sweet Nothing One More Time Turn Around Flavor Emergency Ready To Love I Take U Higher C’Mon I Love It Finally Found You Die Young Heaven The Lucky Ones I Found You Ear Candy This Kiss Everything That I Got Sorry Reality Skyfall Thrift Shop Switch It Up Dancer Live While We’re Young
Interscope RCA Capitol Music Plant RCA Innovation Universal RCA Go Deeva Light Universal Jive RCA Capitol Mercury 3B1G MAF Ultra Music Plant Capitol Mercury Canwes Red Red Global Groove RCA Big Beat Universal Republic RCA Sony Island/Def Jam Universal Control Voltage Interscope Fly Again Sony Media Giants Columbia Mack 2 Hot Ent. Music Plant Sony
Carried Away What You Are If Time Runs Out Gold Heaven Acid Rain As We Collide Stay Let There Be Love Dancer
Columbia Sybasonic Global Groove Capitol Sony Sony Planetjes Def Jam RCA Music Plant
Most Added Tracks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Passion Pit BEX Duncan Morley Britt Nicole Depeche Mode Alexis Jordan Paul Oakenfield, Chr Rihanna Christina Aguilera Delonda Harvey
Reporting Pools n Masspool - Saugus, MA; Gary Canavo n OMAP - Washington, DC; Al Chasen n Pittsburgh DJ - Pittsburgh, PA; Jim Kolich n Soundworks - San Francisco, CA; Sam Labelle n Majik Boys - ,Los Angeles, CA ; Jeremy Martorano n WPTV-Prty 105FM Frd MdMx - New York, NY; Mike Rizzo n Dixie Dance Kings - Alpharetta, GA; Dan Miller n Pacific Coast - Long Beach, CA; Steve Tsepelis n Flamingo - Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Julio n New York Music Pool - Levittown, NY; Jackie McCloy
Looking for these titles? You can hear them and buy them at www.dancekings.com. Just click on the links in the chart. DDK has limited memberships available for qualified DJs in the US. We service CDs and MP3s in dance and urban formats. Feedback and membership dues required. 770-740-0356
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Kendrick Lamar F/ Drake Poetic Justice 2 Chains I’m Different The Weekend Wicked Games Future Neva End A$ap Rocky Fkn Problems Drake Started From The Bottom T.I. F/ Lil Wayne Ball Lil Wayne F/ Detail No Worries Wiz Khalifa F/ Weekend Remember You Trinidad James All Gold Everything Rihanna Diamonds Keyshia Cole Trust And Believe Game F/C.Brown/TYGA Wiz Khalifa&Lil Celebration Tamar Braxton Love And War Macklemore & Ryan Lewis F/Wanz Thrift Shop Rihanna Pour It Up Lil Wayne F/ Drake & Future Love Me Rihanna F/ Future Loveeeee Song Chief Keef Love Sosa Justin Timberlake F/ Jay Z Suit And Tie
Interscope Island/Def Jam Universal Republic Epic RCA Cash Money Atlantic Universal Republic Atlantic Island/Def Jam Island/Def Jam Interscope Interscope Epic Mack Island/Def Jam Republic Island/Def Jam Interscope RCA
Most Added Tracks 1 2 3 4 5
Kendrick Lamar Ciara Miguel Kat Dahlia A$ap Rocky F/ Skrill
Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe Body Party How Many Drinks Gangsta Wild For The Night
Interscope Epic RCA Epic RCA
NEW National Latin Dance Pool Chart 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Hector Acosta “El Torito” No Soy Un Hombre Malo Venemusic Widy Baby Baby (Remix) Widy Music Juanes - Cumbia Sexy (Remixes) Universal Toby Love Lejos Top Stop Music Alsikiatra El Gordo Loqra Ephrem J Feat Alexandra Noche De Maravillas Mayimba Music Don Omar Zumba Universal Karlos Rose Infiel Universal Ruina Nueva Feat Los Adolecentes Yo La Amo Papa Grande Thalia Feat Prince R Te Perdistes Mi Amor Sony Carlos Vives Volvi A Nacer Wj Ent J King Y Maximan La Noche Esta De Fiesta (Remixes) Universal Joey Montana Unico Universal Victor Manuel Feat Gocho Me Llamare Tuyo Sony Tito Nieves Que Seas Feliz Top Stop Music Francisco Toscano Decidete (Remixes) Unison Prod Papi Sanchez Te Amare Sanchez Fam Jerry Rivera El Amor Existe Venemusic Fulanito Feat Matatanes Mueve El Eskeleto Soundcheck Mayra Veronica Ay Mama Mia (Remix) Bmg
Most Added Tracks 1 2 3 4 5
Edgard Daniel Alex Mato Marlon Olga TaÑon Pitbull
Enfermedad Que Pena Me Duele Todo Lo Que Sube Echa Pa’lla
La Ririca Matos Music MED Mia Musa Music Mr 305
Reporting Latin Pools n Latinos Unidos – N. Arlington, NJ; William Otero n Salsamania Latin – Houston, TX; Alex Carmenates n Lobo/Bass – Los Angeles; Justino Guerrero n Urban Tropics – E. Northport, NY; Manny Soba n North East – Revere, MA; Justin Testa n Mixx Hitts – Clermont, FL; Danny Peguero n Ritmo Camacho – Ashburn, VA; Jorge Camacho n Ritmo Internacional – Antioch, CA; Tony Orellana n DJ Latinos – Medford, MA; Antonio Ortiz n MassPool – Saugus, MA; Gary Cannavo n Record Pool Latino – W. Palm Beach, FL; Tony Torres n VIP Chicago – Chicago, IL; Hector Vargas
Sounding Off
(continued from page 27) with NI. The Getting Started guide to explain what to do next is offered only via download, but it does explain every aspect of set up clearly. It’s worth mentioning that existing Traktor users (like me) who don’t currently use the scratch version of Traktor will need to “upgrade” their installation via Service Center—NI’s tool for product activation and updating. As soon as I did this, entering my serial number from the packaged card, the scratch mode was unlocked, and my existing installation of Traktor Pro became Traktor Scratch Pro, while retaining major settings, and my history and collection data. Easy peasy, as they say. In my case, I disconnected my usual mixer/controller, and replaced it with the Z2. I have an old pair of Pioneer CDJ-400s that I brought out for the occasion, connecting them as instructed in the documentation, and inserting the encoded CD media into the slots. I did feel inclined to tweak settings a bit, since Traktor Scratch has additional options vs. Traktor, but otherwise existing Traktor users like me will feel immediately at home. Those new to Traktor, of course, will require some ramp-up time to get fully up to speed on the software, but I’ve always personally found Traktor to be pretty intuitive—if equally overwhelming in some ways due primarily to the myriad options, sophisticated effects, and so on. Both new and existing users alike will find comfort in the Traktor documentation. NI has always done a superb job in this area, with a very “oldschool” approach to this. While many software packages large and small today simply don’t offer documenta-
tion at all, or find it too tempting to reduce costs by making it a low priority, NI didn’t choose this easy way out. Instead, the documentation is well-written, provided in a number of major languages, well-organized, and reasonably complete. My sole complaint has always been that it’s not sufficiently indexed… Thankfully, it’s offered in PDF format, which makes it easy enough to search by keyword, or to load onto your e-reader or tablet for easy reference. (My iPad has long been my rolling documentation library.) In any case, NI offers a comprehensive Traktor manual, as well as a separate one specifically for the Z2. Given the methodology I normally use for DJ control (a dedicated controller), adjusting to the scratch method and re-acclimating myself to using CDJs (the platter, the pitch control, etc.) took some time, but was hardly difficult. I also quickly got the knack of restarting the CD track when loading a new song; the “playback” track on the time-coded media—track 2—is 25 minutes long. That may last awhile, but should still be restarted prior to dropping in a new track. The Z2 has a pair of simplified effects controls, and while there’s one on either side of the unit, they are not tied to the respective decks, but rather, Traktor’s #1 and #2 effects engines. Buttons on the device let you apply engine 1, engine 2, or both to either of the two decks. Given the complexity of Traktor’s effects, I would have preferred to see something more comprehensive here in terms of control—less Spartan. Seemingly in recognition of this, however, Traktor 2.6 features new “macro effects” that let you combine one or more effects with simplified control
methodology. The end result indeed lets you apply some pretty cool effects and control them with just two knobs (dry/wet, plus a parameter control). I also really liked the Z2’s easy-touse combined looping and beat-jump knob. I don’t do that much looping in my own sets, but something as simple as punching in a four-bar loop to extend an outro when I need a little more time can be needlessly complex in some control scenarios. Not with the Z2. You can easily set the length with the loop knob—LED readouts above the channel faders show the number of beats currently selected— and initiating the loop is as easy as pushing down on the knob. The only issues I experienced in testing the Z2 were easily resolved. First, there’s a Traktor preference for enabling multi-core support; I had turned it on since I have a quad-core Mac on which I use the software. I later discovered that with it enabled in Traktor 2.6, I experienced audio dropouts, pauses and other strangeness—including when merely loading a track into a Traktor virtual deck. It took some time to trace it to this setting, but leaving it unchecked delivered the reliable performance I was used to. Secondly, there’s no option directly to disable the crossfader—a recurring complaint of mine, given that I don’t mix with crossfaders. I and my non-crossfader-using brethren can be a fussy bunch when the only option is taping the darned thing into the center position. While it’s a bit obtuse, you can get the same net result from Traktor and the Z2 by simply turning off the association of specific virtual decks to the crossfader in the virtual controls on-screen. (You may have
to tell Traktor to display it on-screen first, then turn it off after making the changes.) Once done, the crossfader position no longer has any effect. Finally, it’s worth mentioning another of my recurring gripes with so many DJ controllers and interfaces: an inability to use the microphone in recordings, due to the mic audio being routed straight to master outs, vs. brought back into the computer on an audio channel. NI has equipped the Z2 with a sufficient number of audio channels to render this point moot. (Yay!) While it has to be expressly configured in the Traktor preferences, it’s an easy matter to set up the audio routing to record one’s DJ sets to disk, along with any use of the mic (or aux inputs—one of two choices for the overall auxiliary input channel). As a result, mobile jocks can record an entire show as a keepsake for the bride—or any DJ can use it easily record demos, podcasts, etc. Conclusions: The Traktor Z2 mixer/controller/audio interface, along with included full version of Traktor Scratch Pro 2.6, delivers a comprehensive, capable, fully-featured and enjoyable digital DJing experience, utilizing “scratch” control from either vinyl turntables or CDJs. Just add your own decks, computer and a music collection, and you’re good to go. At roughly $800 (street price), it represents a good value for a true pro-grade solution. With its excellent (if slightly Spartan) control for effects, easy looping, color-coded cue point buttons, and more, it’s the excellent functional match you’d expect from a bundled hardware/software solution. And with the amazing feel and stunning good looks, it’s a pleasure both to look at—and to use.
DJ TIMES
MAY 2013
Amtrac: On Playing Detroit’s Movement Fest
42
They say playing “The D” can be scary.
But, these days, truth be told…
There’s nobody left here to mug you. Amtrac, next month in DJ Times.
KEITH SHOCKLEE As a founding member of Public Enemy Keith Shocklee has been defining and defying musical genres for over 30 years. “The future is the past! We’re taking new music to the streets in New York… it’s how we did it before Public Enemy and it’s happening again today - very organic and powerful.” Keith and his mobile DJ’s, Power5, trust their PRX600 speakers to deliver devastating grooves night after night. “PRX’s bang hard! We record on JBL LSR4300 monitors and when we perform live our PRX’s sound identical, just ten times louder. And, at 3:00 am after the smoke clears, their lightweight is heaven. JBL is the bomb!”
Photos by: James DeMaria
Learn more at jblpro.com/prx600 Check out Keith at keithshocklee.com
POWERFUL. RUGGED. VERSATILE.
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