DJ Times June 2011, Vol 24 No 6

2011 TOUR SET TO LAUNCH

AMERICA’S FIRST MAGAZINE FOR PROFESSIONAL DJs ESTABLISHED 1988 JUNE 2011

$6.95 CANADA

$4.95 US

ATB

ROCKS MARQUEE, VEGAS’ NEW HOTSPOT

MOBILE DJs vs. THE IPOD HOW TO MANUFACTURE YOUR BRAND MIAMI MUSIC WEEK HIGHLIGHTS

PLUS ❖ PETE TONG ❖ DESIGNER

DRUGS ❖ VESTAX’S VCI UPGRADES ❖ YAMAHA’S QUIRKY CONTROLLER www.djtimes.com

INDUSTRY EVENTS…NOTABLES…MILESTONES

NEWS

Atlantic City, N.J.—Entering its third decade, The DJ Expo will once again be on the cut-

ting-edge of DJ culture and technology. Set for Aug. 8-11 at The Trump Taj Mahal, The DJ Expo will offer exhibits, parties and seminars, including a special “Keynote Q&A” from DJ Skribble, America’s Hardest Working DJ. In addition to telling compelling stories of the early days of hip hop and the DJ scene, Skrib will play the Expo’s always-compelling closing party. For more on DJ Expo, please visit www.thedjexpo.com.

Massive: Movement will light up Detroit.

All NEW

Douglas Wojciechowski

Starscape Festival on June 4 and Upstate New York’s Camp Bisco on July 7-9—DJ Times will maintain a dedicated exhibition America’s Best DJ booth and take paper-ballot votes from fans supporting their favorite U.S.-based DJs. Both the voting and tour will run from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and the America’s Best DJ award show/ closing party will take place October 1 at Marquee Nightclub in Las Vegas.

Out of the 100 U.S.-based jocks nominated for the America’s Best DJ title, nine will perform at Movement.

They include Felix Da Housecat, Green Velvet, Kerri Chandler, Skrillex, Soul Clap and Victor Calderone— plus current Detroit-area jocks Carl Craig (as 69), Claude Young and DJ Godfather.

Also, 11 nominees will perform at Starscape. They include Steve Aoki, Bassnectar, Dieselboy, Charles Feelgood, Donald Glaude, Hot Pink Delorean, Klever, Skrillex, Star Eyes (from Trouble & Bass crew), Tittsworth and TOKiMONSTA. In addition to Carl Craig, Felix Da Housecat and Kerri Chandler, Mainstage headliners featured at the Movement festival include Fatboy Slim and Sven Våth. Other notable DJ/artists at Movement will include Richie Hawtin, Adam Beyer, Loco Dice, Al Ester, Aril Brikha, Goldie, Ben Klock, James Zabiela, Monolake Surround and Paul Kalkbrenner.

The 2010 America’s Best DJ vote was the closest in its five-year history. Eventual winner, QBert nosed out a diverse group of top jocks that included Kaskade, A-Trak, BT and Wolfgang Gartner. Eventually, the legendary turntablist was flown to Las Vegas and presented with a goldplated Pioneer DJM-800 mixer from Z-Trip, the 2009 winner.

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DJ Expo: The Party Never Ends

Felix Da Housecat: Mainstage jock.

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DJ TIMES

By Jim Tremayne Detroit—After a 2010 event that drew 95,000 fans, the Motor City’s annual Movement festival again expects to light up Hart Plaza this Memorial Day weekend. With three days of performances from top DJs and electronic acts—not to mention a slew of afterhours events—Movement certainly will become the center of the Electronic-Dance-Music world.

Set for May 28-30, Movement also will serve as the launch event for the America’s Best DJ promotion and its Summer Tour. Presented by title sponsor Pioneer DJ and DJ Times, the 20-event summer tour will support an online vote that will ultimately answer the eternal question: Who’s America’s Best DJ? (To vote and see the latest tour details, please visit www.AmericasBestDJ.net.)

A t M ove m e n t ( p re s e n t e d by Paxahau Event Productions) and other tour events—like Baltimore’s

Zach Cordner

AMERICA’S BEST DJ TOUR GETS MOTOR CITY LAUNCH

3

VOLUME 24 NUMBER 6

12 Marquee Man

Contents Photo By Mikey McNulty

18 How DJs Handle iCompetiton As the Technological Revolution Continues to Fuel DIY Events, Many DJs Are Fighting Back

BY JEFF STILES

20 Miami Music Week Superlatives & Photo Highlights from a Week of Madness

BY JIM TREMAYNE/DJ TIMES PHOTOGRAPHERS

DEPARTMENTS

SAMPLINGS

7 Feedback

30 Business Line

As Always, the Answers to All Your DJ-Related Questions

How to Manufacture Your Brand

24 Making Tracks

New Products from Rane, JBL, Chauvet & More

JUNE 2011

DJ TIMES 4

38 Grooves Phat Tracks from Tiësto, DJ Sneak & More

Vestax’s VCI MkII Controllers

28 Mobile Profile Pa. DJ Boasts the Power of the Upsell

Brings Industry to Ibiza for IMS

32 Gear

Yamaha’s Tenori-On

26 Sounding Off

8 Pete Tong

40 DJ Times Marketplace Shop Here for All Your DJ-Related Supplies

41 Club Play Chart The Hottest Records, As Reported by Our Top U.S. Record Pools

10 In The Studio With…

Designer Drugs

Cover Photo By Brenton Ho/Powers Imagery

Germany’s ATB Takes on Sin City’s Hottest New Venue & Comes Up Aces

BY JIM TREMAYNE

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FROM THE EDITOR

editor-in-chief Jim Tremayne jtremayne@testa.com editor-at-large Brian O’Connor boconnor@testa.com

Taking Account of Sin City Vegas is a funny place. In one respect, it’s like going to a never-ending series of boozy shopping malls—brazen stumbling and double-ďŹ sting allowed, if not fully encouraged. Can’t do that in Kenosha, right?

But in another, more crucial respect (for this magazine anyway), it’s the place where American adults are allowed to really act like adults. And part of that is about getting their collective groove on. Lucky for us, Vegas’ hottest new nightclub—Marquee—gets it on in a big way, and we’re thrilled to be partnering with them for our America’s Best DJ promotion and Summer Tour.

Presented by Pioneer DJ and DJ Times, the ABDJ Summer Tour will include a July 4th weekend stop in Vegas and Marquee will host ABDJ’s annual closing party/award ceremony, the event where the top vote-getter will receive a gold-plated Pioneer DJM-800 mixer—plus a year’s worth of the glory.

We recently visited Marquee and caught global favorite ATB, who performed his melodic mixes before an enthusiastic, packed house. After experiencing the full-on spectacle, I gotta say that the club is pretty impressive—big, but not too huge, and just enough Vegas glitz to keep it interesting.

The Funktion-One sound system sizzles and the danceoor/DJ booth connection is tight, a crucial point that ATB makes in our cover story. We look forward to working with Marquee this year.

It’s been a while—a decade probably—since the last time we caught up with AndrĂŠ “ATBâ€? Tanneberger. But the German jock hasn’t faded away since his enormous 1998 hit, “9 pm (Till I Come).â€?

No, he’s continued to tour the world, building his fanbase with energetic DJ sets, consistent music releases and social-media interaction. Of course, he’s always hit the American club market, so who better to ask about Vegas and the steadily rising tide that is EDM in America? Thanks, AndrÊ.

Over in the world of mobile entertainers, the discussions about competition with iPods and iPads continue. Among other questions, our Jeff Stiles asks, “If you can’t always beat ’em, should you join ’em? And if so, to what extent?â€? In our Mobile ProďŹ le, we connect with Pennsylvania jock Mike Kindlick, who explains how the power of the upsell has worked for him. In Business Line, we show mobile operators how to manufacture their brands.

In this month’s review columns, our Floor Vahn evaluates Yamaha’s quirky controller/tone generator, the Tenori-On. Meanwhile, Wesley Bryant-King does double duty with a pair of updated Vestax units—the VCI-100 MkII and the VCI-300 MkII. The digital revolution continues, and at an alarmingly quick pace.

We also take a look at four industry shows—one in the recent past, three on the horizon. We encourage you to take a look at our Photo Highlights from Miami Music Week (March 21-27) and we’d like to thank our crew of talented photographers, including Miami local Nicole Cussell, who ventured into the clubs and festivals to give us such great images. Our Irish correspondent Polly Lavin connects with legendary BBC jock Pete Tong, who was busily preparing his International Music Summit, a high-proďŹ le dance-market confab, set for Ibiza May 25-27. At Detroit’s Movement festival—May 28-30 in Hart Plaza—we’ll kick off our America’s Best promotion and Summer Tour.

Also, we remind you to mark your calendars for Aug. 8-11 for The DJ Expo, which will offer exhibits, seminars and parties for DJs of all stripes. For the latest on DJ Expo, please visit www.thedjexpo. com. We hope to see you there.

DJ TIMES

JUNE 2011

Cheers,

6

chart coordinator Dan Miller dmiller@testa.com contributors Jody Amos Joe Bermudez Wesley Bryant-King Shawn Christopher Nicole Cussell Paul Dailey Justin Hampton Josh Harris Russ Harris Robert LaFrance Polly Lavin Michelle Loeb Lily Moayeri Phil Moffa Jonathan Novick Scott Rubin Nate Sherwood Jeff Stiles Emily Tan Phil Turnipseed Floor Vahn Curtis Zack Stacy Zemon President/Publisher Vincent P. Testa

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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 ofďŹ ces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to DJ Times, 0/ "/8 ,/7%,, MA 01853-1767 Design and contents are copyright Š 2011 by DJ Publishing, Inc., and must not be reproduced in any manner except by permission of the publisher. Websites: www.

June 2011

Jim Tremayne

visit our website: www.djtimes.com

FEEDBACK

WINNING WITH THE SOCIAL NETWORK AMERICA’S FIRST MAGAZINE FOR PROFESSIONAL DJs ESTABLISHED 1988 MAY 2011

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This is Feedback, a monthly feature that fields questions from you, our readers, and funnels them out to industry 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 question that is not asked.

I want to be considered for your America’s Best DJ vote. How do you determine the nominees?

– Emails/Calls from Several DJs

Each year, DJ Times nominates 100 U.S.-based jocks for the ABDJ promotion, with about 20 to 30 new entries to the nominee list. We automatically drop the last year’s winner (can’t win two years in a row), plus the previous year’s bottom 20 votegetters.

We determine the nominees a variety of ways. Some, like Grandmaster Flash or Frankie Knuckles, are pioneers/legends. As long as they’re still actively playing, they’ll remain on the list. Other nominees are determined by their drawing power at clubs and festivals, their overall influence or their track-making abilities. We also consider their music-selling abilities—our friends at Beatport help us with those numbers.

To keep up with the 2011 America’s Best DJ promotion and its Summer Tour (presented by DJ Times and Pioneer DJ), please visit www.americasbestdj.net.

– Jim Tremayne, DJ Times

How does someone participate in the “DJ of the Year” competition at this year’s DJ Expo? How do I get chosen? What are the categories?

– Emails/Calls from Several DJs

Thanks to all of you for your interest in competing. “DJ of the Year” is a

highly competitive night that features some of the top mobile entertainers from across the country. At the event—set for the night of Wednesday, Aug. 10, at The Casbah in Atlantic City—they perform an interactive dance or game and they are judged on their vocal skills, overall performance, usefulness of the routine and the crowd participation.

If you’ve feel you’ve got something

that the mobile-DJ industry could use and needs to see—and you have the guts to get up on that stage and perform for your peers—just let me know. Reach out to me at Mike@EliteEntertainment.com. Ultimately, I’ll make the call as to who makes the cut and will compete that evening.

For consideration, I’ll need a full description of your routine and video footage of you performing it. You can

enter either a game or a dance—there are awards for both—and, as a performer, that night you’ll be eligible to win DJ of the Year.

And remember: The DJ Expo is set for August 8-11 at the Trump Tajo Mahan Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. For more information, please visit www.

TheDJExpo.com.

– Mike Walter, Elite Entertainment, Eatontown, N.J.

DJ TIMES

JUNE 2011

SAMPLINGS

8

“It’s All Gone Pete Tong” entered the vernacular long ago, but neither the Cockney phrase nor the legendary DJ who inspired it ever really left the world of club music. And now, as this coming party season appears on the horizon, it’s even become an official brand.

How’s that? After three years of his Wonderland weekly at Ibiza’s Eden club, Mr. Tong returns to the eastern side of the island for Pacha’s Friday-night slot: “Pure Pacha: It’s All Gone Pete Tong.” The summer-long residency will find the legendary club and radio favorite holding it down with a series of guests that will include Derrick Carter and Paul Oakenfold.

But that’s not all for Tong this spring. He recently celebrated 20 years of spinning on BBC 1, where his Essential Mix remains one of dance music’s most iconic shows. Additionally, he’s been busy preparing the 4th annual International Music Summit.

Set for May 25-27 at Ibiza’s Gran Hotel, the event will offer seminars and networking opportunities to the top movers and shakers of the dance-music industry. Speakers include top jocks like Sasha, Luciano and Richie Hawtin, plus industry stalwarts like Mute label founder Daniel Miller.

We recently connected with the legendary Pete Tong to discuss IMS, Ibiza and the global health of dance music.

DJ Times: What about the rumors on your return to Pacha Ibiza for your “It’s All Gone Pete Tong” party?

Tong: Yes, it’s true about the return to Pacha.

I’m really excited and happy about that. I spent the last three years elsewhere and I’m happy they want me back. It’s all starting at the end of May and runs through the season.

DJ Times: How open is the International Music Summit for incoming producers, DJs and younger business people in the scene? You’re only making 500 delegates badges available.

Tong: Yeah, we are tailoring a part of the programming this year to have some more specific things that will help people who are not already established in the business—smaller audiences, meet-and-greet for less initiated to get access to these characters. We do want to grow it, but we don’t want to go from our initial idea to something that’s already being delivered by Miami. We never want to be in the position where the conference doesn’t matter. The easiest thing to do would be to dump the conference and just put on public events.

We wanted to give something back to the island.

It’s like walking to a tightrope—there is always a balance to keeping both sides. We’re trying to get high-level people together to implement change and inspire each other.

DJ Times: You’re interviewing Luciano this year at IMS. Why do you think it took the island so long to wake up to this guy and what Cadenza Records were doing?

Tong: I don’t think it took that long, to be honest. People evolve. Some people from his world

think maybe it’s happened too fast. He was identified by DC10, came, played and made an immediate impact. He’s also come from amazing pedigree in the form of Ricardo Villalobos. In Ibiza, there is no hype. You get to where you get due to your own ability, and he surprised a lot of people with what he did [at his residency] in Pacha. He’s a natural choice for us this year in IMS. People like the star interviews.

DJ Times: There’s a lot of talk about places like Las Vegas becoming the new alternative to Ibiza. How is the island competing on a global level? Is any of its uniqueness gone?

Tong: No, Ibiza’s uniqueness is not gone—there is nowhere like Ibiza. Las Vegas is capable of doing something and is the second-highest spender in terms of electronic talent. All the casinos have got clubs now. They’ve woken up to electronic music and they now have a season from the end of May to end of September, so many DJs—from Oakie to Guetta to myself—we’re almost residents now. It’s definitely arrived in terms of its place in electronic music.

– Polly Lavin

IT’S ALL GONE PETE TONG—AGAIN.

IN THE STUDIO WITH… Designer Drugs: (from left) Michael Vincent Patrick & Theodore Paul Nelson.

“I’d like to put Nine Inch Nails on our next Datamix,” Michael Vincent Patrick confesses as he discusses the 13th installation of Designer Drugs’ popular online mixtape series, “Or maybe Marilyn Manson.”

After all, somebody’s gotta hold it down for the dark side in New York City, even if the other half of the duo (Theodore Paul Nelson) attends med school in West Virginia. Since the duo’s formation in Philadelphia, Designer Drugs has risen from the depths to fulfill this role with their canny mixture of vintage goth-industrial atmosphere and sleazy electro attitude, which they’ve spread through originals such as “ZOMBIES!” and remixes for Mariah Carey, Annie and the Klaxons.

Their latest CD, Hardcore/Softcore [Ultra], displays all of Designer Drugs’ musical urges, from sparkly Euro-disco (“Crazy For You,” featuring Annie) to slimy future funk (“Through The Prism,” which recently got a rollicking remix from Drop the Lime). For all of these productions, work begins at Patrick’s studio with Nelson and an assistant engineer, who may also shuttle sounds to a separate studio in Philly. There, the duo keeps outboard gear such as a vintage Neotek console, which accounts for the wobbly bass sounds on “Through The Prism,” and compressors by Avalon, ART and Drawmer.

On the digital end, writing is done in Logic Audio and the mixing in Pro Tools, along with 29 soft synths. Among these, Patrick highlights the Korg Mono/Poly Emulation and the LennarDigital Sylenth1 as favorites. The group’s vocals are recorded on a Neumann U87 microphone, compressed and amped through the Avalon and sent through the Neotek board into Logic, where it undergoes further compression and EQing using Waves C1. They’re also not above using Autotune or Melodyne to thrust vocals up an octave.

“On the song, ‘For All We Know,’ the vocal is actually quite processed,” says Patrick, offering an example with the dark, nervy track.

“It’s pitched up about an octave, but it’s only mixed in about an octave.

It’s only mixed in maybe 70-percent, so the lower vocal’s in there as well.”

For club dates, the group works with Serato Scratch Live, Pioneer CDJ-2000s and a Pioneer DJM-800 mixer. Patrick has been spinning for 14 years, so he takes particular pride in the group’s mixtapes, which feature their own work as well as acts from the group’s Sex Cult label (like Alvin Link and Black Matter). Patrick originally executed these mixes on CDJs, but nowadays he uses Ableton Live to rearrange and loop the tracks before mastering them. “[On Ableton], you can loop and resample parts of the song,” he says, “so if the songs have a shitty arrangement, you could fix up the arrangement, so it’s more entertaining, ’cause a lot of these songs we get, the arrangements are so bizarre.”

– Justin Hampton

DJ TIMES

JUNE 2011

DESIGNER DRUGS: THROUGH THE PRISM

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JUNE 2011

DJ TIMES 12

Las Vegas—From his perch just above the Marquee masses, André “ATB” Tanneberger can see that his melodious mix has rubbed the dancefloor into a lather. The new club’s clean and powerful FunktionOne sound system offers the perfect vessel for his boomy lift-offs and hook-filled breakdowns, so the party people are eating from his often-gesticulating hands. Is there a better time than now to push it further? Of course, not.

In the midst of a trippy interlude with dancers shaking to each side of the DJ booth/stage, ATB drops a snippet of his 1998 global smash, “9pm (Till I Come),” featuring one of the few genuinely iconic guitar lines in recent dance music. On cue, hands shoot into the air, strobes fire and a mechanical LED wall, with house dancers stationed on top, eases over the booth.

It’s a moment, one of many to come. Make way for the Vegas party fare—Blur, The Killers, Nirvana—the night’s about to get crazier.

The next day at a Tao Beach pool party, ATB’s at it again. From a relatively cramped booth, he plays to a tighter, certainly wetter environment, but the crowd is no less energetic or adoring. This time, it’s a different mix. Yes, he touches on some trademark trance (his own “9pm”), but he dips deeper into the evergreen house world (Armand Van Helden’s “U Don’t Know Me”) and, this being Vegas outdoors, he drops a few Ibiza faves (Deep Dish’s “Say Hello”).

Animated as always, ATB connects as easily with the sun worshippers as he did the previous evening’s club vampires.

Familiar and tasteful, just what a beach party should be, his set ends and ATB heads to a cabana for an adult beverage, preparing for the inevitable fan attention—pictures, autographs, backslapping— you know, the easy work.

As the Bochum, Germany-based DJ neared the completion of his upcoming artist album, Distant Earth (Napith), we caught up with ATB in a moment of Vegas downtime. We asked the immensely popular 37-year-old jock how he’s managed to maintain such a successful global career, how he views the changes in American clubland (like his residency at Vegas’ spectacular, new Marquee) and how he believes younger DJs can maintain their connections with the audience.

DJ Times: How does a DJ approach playing Vegas clubs? What’s different about it?

ATB: First of all, the people who come to Las Vegas have really high expectations, like, “This will be a special night.” Then, you have a lot of visitors coming from all over, from different areas. So I think it’s really hard to satisfy everybody. And, I don’t know why it is, but I haven’t really had that experience with Marquee.

DJ Times: What’s it like at the other clubs, then?

ATB: I’ve played Vegas a lot of times, but in other clubs it was always too much about the VIP section.

You had people with their noses turned up and people not really in contact with the music. Marquee has a lot of different people, yes, but everyone’s there for the music and to have a really good time.

DJ Times: Overall, what changes have you seen in U.S. dance market?

ATB: The major thing is that more and more people are getting involved. I think I’ve played every major city over here and what I’ve noticed—no matter where I’m playing—is that I’ve always had a good connection with the crowd. They were always enthusiastic and powerful with their support, and this hasn’t changed all these years later.

DJ Times: What makes you so high on the U.S. audiences?

ATB: They’re open to different types of music—

By Jim Tremayne

MARQ

Germany’s ATB Takes on Sin City’s Hottest

DJ TIMES

t New Venue & Comes Up Aces

JUNE 2011

UEE MAN

13

Photos By Brenton Ho/Powers Imagery

DJ TIMES

JUNE 2011

and I love that. I can see that electronic dance music is getting more accepted. I can see that the R&B thing is going down a little bit and that people are open to more electronic music.

DJ Times: You spent years spreading the seeds.

ATB: Yes, of course, and I love that. It’s what I’ve been fighting for the past 10 years. Now we’ve earned the fruits of this work. I’ve worked for it with my heart to get it here where it is, and we should have electronic dance music growing here in the U.S. I just hope it’s not too much.

DJ Times: What do you mean— that it doesn’t get too big?

ATB: Yeah, I notice these big festivals in America—and we’ve had it in Europe a couple decades ago with the big parties. And when you have big parties, you have people who are just motivated by money and the quality can get low. Ultimately, the people notice it, so it can break down from one moment to the other.

DJ Times: To me, one of the big differences from Europe is that, unlike the U.S., EDM is really part of

14

the culture over there. The music is everywhere—radio, stores, etc. And people under 21 can go to clubs.

Here, the underage can only go to festivals.

ATB: Because of the Internet, though, everybody has access. In the old days, you just had the radio. And I think that the internet is the reason electronic music has expanded this far. People are able to choose the music they want to listen to. It’s obvious that people here are into this music—people get it. The organizers and the club owners see that people are coming for this music. It’s developing, getting bigger, but I don’t want to have it too fast. If it’s exploding one day, it can fall in on itself.

DJ Times: Like disco did, back in the day.

ATB: Still, I think in another two years we’ll be sitting here and talking about an even bigger club scene here in the U.S. Five years ago, I noticed that it was coming along slowly and I liked that it was slow. But now with all these big house-music things, like [David] Guetta bringing it to the U.S. with his relationships to the R&B

world, that’s good, but I hope people notice that that’s not all there is to it.

DJ Times: Growing up in Germany, you must’ve fantasized about playing in some of these places that are famous for dance music.

ATB: Yes, I really have some spots I like to play. There are hotspots like Chicago, which is always great for me, but also Los Angeles and Las Vegas, of course. But also, there’s Seattle, New York, Miami, even in Texas and cities like Denver. It’s getting like a virus.

When you put a lot of energy into it, people notice and you get it back.

DJ Times: So, what made you want to be a DJ? ATB: It was a little different for me. Most people start as a DJ, then they want to get more popular and

they begin to search for producers or they make their own music. They seek to get a platform to create. It was different for me because I started [as an electronic musician with the group Sequential One] with a techno project in 1993—it was a hardcore techno project with 180 BPM. I always had melodies in the music and then I got slower and slower. Later, I had my first hits in Germany—they charted in the 50s and 40s, nothing too big. Then I started live acts, though this time with keyboards, MCs and dancers, and these things.

DJ Times: So what changed? What pushed you toward the DJ booth?

ATB: I think in 1997 or 1998, I realized I didn’t want to do this [group] anymore. There’s only a lim-

Marquee: New Vegas Hotspot to Host ABDJ Events Las Vegas—DJ Times and its America’s Best DJ Summer Tour recently partnered with Marquee Nightclub and the Tao Group for the upcoming season-long promotion. In addition to hosting ABDJ tour events, the Vegas-based club and entertainment group will host the ABDJ award ceremony/closing party October 1.

Why the move to Marquee? To give you an idea, we’ve asked a couple of the top-end DJs who’ve committed to high-profile residencies at the recently opened hotspot, joining other jocks like Erick Morillo, Markus Schulz and Kaskade.

Prolific DJ/producer Robbie Rivera, for example, was recently asked: If he could only play one club the rest of his life, which one would it be? His answer: “Marquee in Vegas! Not only is it a beautiful club with an incredible [Funktion-One] sound system, but it’s the way they treat the DJs. It’s amazing.”

Germany’s ATB concurs, adding, “You need to have good contact between the DJ and the crowd to get the party started— and you can do that at Marquee. I’m connected with the crowd, the sound is really good. It’s not just about the VIP thing. It’s got a nice dancefloor—not too big, not too small.

“It’s all 100-percent. So when you receive 100-percent from the club, on personal and technical levels, it really makes you want to give 100-percent to the crowd.”

– Jim Tremayne

Annalyze has earned herself the envious position of America’s leading lady of party rock and hip hop. Dicers don’t leave her side: “Dicers are the most responsive and convenient MIDI device I’ve ever used. Mixing, looping and cueing with the dicer is so on point. they’re small enough to fit in the 45’ and not intimidating in the slightest.

Whether on turntables or CDJs, I don’t play without them!”

ANNALYZE [DJ]

www.novationmusic.com/dicer

DJ TIMES

JUNE 2011

16

have worked out.

ATB: Yes, but I always had this problem. The cool guys in the club said to me, “You are too melodic,” and the pop guys said, “You are too hard.” I always try to mix the hard beats with a nice melody. I think it’s very important when you want to

right with the music I’ve done. I’ve always stayed true to what I want to do and this, I think, is most important.

DJ Times: Did your early life in East Germany impact your musical life and career at all?

ATB: We moved before The Berlin Wall came down, five years prior.

bring emotions to the dancefloor, you can do it with this approach—a melody is like a language. Of course, I’ve had some problems. When you work with melodies, the cool scene is like, “Oh, these melodies are…”

DJ Times: Too cheesy?

ATB: Yeah, right. But I always think, when it comes to the word “cheesy,” you can do melodies that are cheesy or you can do melodies that give you goosebumps and give you a lot of emotions—and that’s what I want to do. There’s always good and bad music. Everyone has their own opinion about and, after 10 years, I think I’m

When I lived in the East, I wasn’t really into the music. In the East, people listened to the same things—some rock stuff. I wasn’t interested. When I was 15 or 16, I began to play instruments. But I was never interested in copying other people’s music and other people’s sounds, so I started making my own.

DJ Times: Was there a DJ who impressed you? Someone who influenced you?

ATB: Yes, his name was Thomas Kukula. He was playing in a club in Bochum, as a resident. I played there as a guest and I had great nights there.

See, I never was a dancer. I was always outside the dancefloor, but I was studying people to see what makes them move when a DJ is playing. I was really studying every hi-hat, every bass drum, every melody. And the guy who played there for five years was my hero and he made music. He helped me make my first tracks.

DJ Times: You’ve seen quite an evolution of DJ technology. What are you using these days?

ATB: Of course, vinyl is wonderful, but it’s not realistic or practical anymore. I’m using the USB sticks, but I don’t use them just because I don’t need a DJ bag anymore—I have a bag, but it’s a little bit smaller.

No, playing with USB sticks is a great advance, because I hated playing with CDs. DJ Times: Why? ATB: You have a CD book and you’re looking through it—and everything looks the same. I really was not creative playing with CDs. You notice that you’re playing the same things every night.

Mikey McNulty

ited amount of things you can do with the crowd. You just have your six to 10 songs and you can’t play around with it.

DJ Times: And you have to rely on other people.

ATB: Yes, that’s it. I just thought, “Let’s change it.” So, I got some records and I thought, “As a DJ, I have more opportunity to steer the dancefloor.” This was a reason to change it. So, in 1997-’98, I started to play in Majorca, the Balearic states, and Germany. At first, playing around in Germany, I thought, “Oh, I don’t want to travel too much—it’s too stressful.” Then I started to travel more and I realized that the music gave me the opportunity to see other people, other countries, other cultures…

DJ Times: It wasn’t so bad after all, was it?

ATB: My parents in Germany, for example, are happy just to go to Spain, you know. I’m really thankful to go all over the whole planet. It could be poor countries, interesting cultures, wherever—and I love to be in the U.S. I never would’ve had the opportunity to see these things without the music. It’s certainly easy to do it as a DJ, without a band. You can really take your music to the people.

DJ Times: What were your earliest electronic-music influences?

ATB: It wasn’t really danceable electronic music. I was always into ancient stuff. My heroes were people like Jean-Michel Jarre. For me, he was a pioneer in making electronic chill music, relaxing music. I wanted to do music like that, but to make it danceable. So I wanted to introduce melodic sounds into the club scene.

DJ Times: It certainly seems to

DJ Times: Some DJs have told me that they felt disengaged from the crowd.

ATB: Yeah, and you stop facing the crowd. You put in the CD, then turn around and search for the next one. We are entertainers. I want to be onstage, facing the crowd and being interactive with them. If you’re searching for CDs, you can’t do that.

With the CDJ-2000, I feel like I’m being more creative because the search for the tracks is really faster and sometimes you see things that you wouldn’t with CDs. DJ Times: I’ve notice that you’re very active on your social media pages.

ATB: A lot of the other guys don’t think it’s important, but I’ve done it for 10 years, even before Facebook and Twitter. I had my own forum.

People would ask me, “If people write in, you answer?” Yes, I do. It’s not just for the fans, but I also listen to them. I can learn. Of course, to hear compliments is a nice feeling because you get a reaction about the things you do. That’s important to me.

DJ Times: You really let people into your working life with TwitPics and so forth.

ATB: Yes, but you know what I hate? I hate it when people just use the Facebook and Twitter only for advertisement, like, “Listen to my new radio show!” Or, “This is out now!”

People don’t want to read that. I tell them things about my new album, play them some music, and that’s kind of advertising, too, but it’s more personal. And I read their feedback and I try to answer them—that’s the difference.

DJ Times: What is your production process?

ATB: I’m finishing work on an album and I’m a little bit old-school when it comes to working in the studio. Like a rock band, I dedicate two or three months and finish the album.

Then I go out and tour. I really don’t like to work with interruptions. If you work with no disruptions, in the end, it makes the result more round, more coherent. In Germany, we say that it has a “red line through it.” The tracks are all related to each other.

DJ Times: What’s in your studio?

ATB: My main platform is Mac with Logic. I have a really nice, big studio with a lot of analog synths. But to be honest, a lot of them aren’t being used now. What I like with the plugins is that they let you work quickly.

I have to be fast. When I have a song in my head, I have to get it down. I do everything in one process—writing, mixing, mastering, everything. The sampler is very important, of course, and Nexus VST is really great. The sounds are really fat.

DJ Times: How do you prepare (continued on page 42)

2011 Dates Announced

August 8-11 Trump Taj Mahal Atlantic City, NJ

Š Testa Communications

BY JEFF STILES Ray Martinez was entertaining for a company function on a yacht in Newport Beach, Calif., earlier this year when he suddenly realized he’d left the power cord for his laptop in a briefcase back on shore. With three hours left in his show and a power capability below 20-percent, Martinez realized he was, as they say, up a creek without a paddle.

Fortunately for the Anaheimbased Ray Mar Productions owner, he had purchased an iPad just a month earlier with just enough music loaded to get him through the party. The event may not have gone as smooth as he would have liked, but in the end he managed to get by just fine.

When talking with DJs from around the country, we found a range of opinions regarding the use of Apple’s iPad in our industry, from dismissive to affirmative.

Everyone agrees we must remain vigilant in combating the trend of brides who ask a family friend to load up their favorite songs on an iPod or iPad to save money for her reception, but many of us differ on to what extent professional DJs can incorporate these latest

technological devices into our presentations.

When a bride is simply wants tunes for background music during cocktail hour in a lobby, Florida’s JR Silva says an iPod—or even a smaller iPod shuffle—can be the perfect solution.

“If a bride is going in that direction, I would offer to rent my speakers—powered speakers on sticks, basically—at a fair rate just so we can add that piece of business to the order,” says the owner of Orlando-based Silva Entertainment.

Fortunately, Silva says this particular discussion doesn’t go much further within his company. “We realized early on that comparing an iPod loaded with clients’ favorites versus utilizing a professional wedding DJ is a silly scenario,” he explains. “That’s because a wedding DJ is the smart-and-smooth solution in a live-event production.

“If a client is willing to settle for an iPod next to the dancefloor, I won’t hesitate to tell them that I think they’re making a mistake and that it could lead to awkward moments which will take away from the elegance of the wedding.There’s never drama with me—just clear communication. There are various options out there, but when you compare good, better and best, using a live DJ is always best.”

DJ TIMES

JUNE 2011

As the Technological Revolution Continues to Fuel DIY Events, Many DJs Are Fighting Back

18

Similarly, Pennsylvania’s Scott Goldoor says that, while the latest tech devices can be handy for cocktail hours or even to be used as a backup system, they should never be trusted for an entire event.

“Please don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of the MP3 player, and in fact I have two iPods myself,” says the Norristown-based DJ. “They’re perfect to take just about anywhere—working out, vacation, using in a home docking station or even to replace a alarm clock.

“But let’s put this into the context of the most important day of your life, your wedding, or planning your company’s holiday party with 250 guests. The last time I checked, the iPod doesn’t have quite as good a personality as a polished professional MC and DJ. It doesn’t typically come with a professional wireless microphone for your welcome and toast. And what happens when the song skips, jumps or the screen freezes?”

While many of us are wary of the practicality of utilizing the latest wireless gadgets in our professional shows, others welcome these innovations as another tool we can use to reach a wide range of clients.

“The truth is, different clients want different options,” says Ron Shrewsbery III (aka DJ Tripp) of Cleveland, Ohio’s Rockin Ron’s Mobile DJ Service. “Just like buying a car, while some will go for the Mercedes, others go for the Kia—it all depends on our client’s

budget and needs.

“I’ve done several non-traditional weddings where there was little to no dancing—I was just a big radio, playing background music at a laid-back wedding. Why not save my time and provide a system for them to plug into and allow us to do another event? Or, at the very least, to enjoy my free time while still making a little bit of income.

“The same goes for many different business ventures. Sure, I can go buy some food and sweat it out in the kitchen while I cook; or I can go out to a nice dinner and enjoy a fantastic meal and be able to sit back and relax.”

DJ Tripp says he feels no pressure from the iPod DJ, in fact, and quite frankly welcomes the competition. “The more people see that it does take more than just a speaker and a bunch of music to entertain a crowd, the more business I get,” he says. “While I may not have gotten that one iPod wedding, I’m bound to get a few calls from those who were in attendance at that wedding.

“As I’ve always said, ‘Sell yourself—not your equipment.’ Any Joe Schmoe can buy big speakers and a bunch of music, but do they have the experience to entertain a diverse crowd and keep a wedding running smoothly? Probably not.”

Greg Hollmann says it’s easy for couples nowadays to decide to load their favorite songs onto an iPod and rent a small speaker system, putting everything on autopilot with a family member starting and stopping the device.

“The main attraction of this configuration is the perceived cost savings,” says Hollmann, owner of the East Windsor, N.J.-based Ambient DJs. “Just as wedding DJs came to rise above the wedding bands of yesteryear, will iPods replace wedding DJs and become

iCOMPE HOW DJs HANDLE

hour or ceremony in a separate area of the venue, which can be done wired or wireless depending on your preference.”

But wait, it gets even cooler.

“The iPad can actually be integrated into your rig,” continues Sellers. “As of this past spring, there were over 8,000 apps for the iPad in the iTunes app store for music, with several-hundred DJ-specific apps for the iPad. By far the best app out right now is djay by Algoriddim software, which features a touch-screen version of the very familiar DJ turntable with pitch control, volume control of each deck, cue points, a crossfader and more.

The djay app allows me to fade each channel. It integrates fully with an existing iPod music library on the iPad and even has an EQ and looping.

“But best of all, it supports AirPlay so you can be completely wireless and free to walk around the room and mix.”

Sellers says he’s often asked by fellow DJs whether their console/ cube can actually be replaced by an iPad, and he claims djay is fully capable of doing just that, though he acknowledges that DJs would still need a small-line mixer (such as the Rane MP2S) to allow them to hook up a microphone.

“On the horizon is a very cool product by Alesis called the Studiodock for the iPad, with profesSIONAL LEVEL CONNECTIVITY WITH 8,2 inputs and balanced TRS outputs,” he adds.

Connecticut DJ Jon March says too many DJs today are either too quick to dismiss new technological gadgets or they simply look the other way and ignore the future of our industry.

“And that’s exactly what’s helping to fuel this trend,” says the owner of Powerstation Events in Cheshire. “It’s actually the dismis-

sive DJs who contribute the most to couples choosing an iPod. “The iPod wedding came about, quite tellingly, at exactly the same time the term ‘cheesy’ began to be attached with wedding DJs. How can you blame cash-strapped couples who run to the safety of their iPod, after seeing the video clips and horror stories on TheKnot.com, showing DJs who still act as if the garter ceremony is the most incredible party experience known to man?

The web is full of video clips of loud, ill-timed, self-important, Vegas-style, headset-wearing DJs who promise to play their clients’ important music, yet are clearly off the mark to everyone in the room . . . except the DJ.” According to March, the iPod (or iPad) is often the lesser of two evils for couples who have seen the embarcontinued on page 42)

ETITION

JUNE 2011

another computer that’s linked with the software, so it’s just awesome if I forgot something on my computer at home.

“The iPad options are endless, and limited only to your creativity or time searching the app store for the next best app.”

When it comes to DJ-worthy apps for the new iPad, we needn’t look any further than Taz Sellers, who has not only been a Philadelphia-based club and mobile jock since 1987, but also has been a technical trainer and specialist for Apple, Inc., for five years.

“The iPad is an amazing tool for DJs,” says Sellers, “and I love to share the areas in which this device can make life easier and add an incredible tool to our equipment arsenal.

“The first area might be a bit obvious, but the iPad is a great sales tool, from keeping appointments in iCal to storing printable contracts in the PDF format to online access to using DJ Power or utilizing a booking software of choice. It truly is a mobile office than can easily replace the bulky laptop. I myself use on all the time at meetings with prospective clients to access my company’s booking system for contract details: Sharing photos of room setups, presenting video of previous events at the client’s chosen facility, and of course sharing music ideas for the bride and groom via either the iPod or the iPad.” That’s all fine and dandy, we might say, but how much of an advantage can the iPad provide when we’re actually out spinning tunes for our guests?

“It amazes me at every event I do how many more ways I’ve found to incorporate the iPad into my DJ rig for music playback and control,” Sellers says. “The simplest way, of course, is to provide remote music for a cocktail

DJ TIMES

the accepted mode of wedding entertainment?

“For cocktail hours in which clients have the ability to tap into a banquet hall’s sound system, an iPod is a reasonable option, as this music is atmospheric background music as guests mingle and there are no announcements required. In the past, we have handled a client’s iPod for cocktail hour before DJing the reception party thereafter.

“With money tighter than ever in the economy, we must constantly evaluate ways to save money. Just as I would never attempt to install a furnace—due to my lack of expertise in this discipline and for fear of blowing up my house—however, I believe couples getting married would be wise to hire a professional wedding DJ entertainer and realize the value deriving from that decision.”

While the iPod has been out for several years now, on the other hand, the iPad2 offers quite a few more options than merely playing background music like a jukebox. Belmar, N.J.-based Jason Jani is someone who’s been finding ways since Day One to incorporate the iPad—and, in particular, the apps available on this device—into the professional presentations of Sound Connection Entertainment.

“At events, I’m using applications like Pages for my introductions, as a timeline manager and for client playlists,” explains Jani. “Other applications such as iTunes or djay are great if I need to download a song wirelessly and then play it at an event by tapping into the system via a 1/8th-inch jack.

“Two ultra cool apps I personally love to use from time to time are iTeleport and Midi-To. iTeleport allows me to access

19

Miami Beach, Fla.—For the past several years, we’ve returned from our annual March trek to Miami Beach with plenty of bare-bones reports, plus some downright bizarre stories. When you mixed the business-based approach of Winter Music Conference and the bacchanalia of its week of parties and events, like Ultra Music Festival, it became quite a stew. And in honor of the late Jackie Gleason, Miami Beach’s longtime party prince, we came up our Gleasons rating system to grade the week’s events, parties and extra-odd experiences. (Eg.—A party girl steps out of a cab in the middle of a clogged Collins Avenue, hikes up her party dress to do nature’s business and directly causes a car wreck… 4 Gleasons.)

But due to the sad fact that WMC and UMF were held weeks apart this year—not to mention that their wrap-up stories appear in two different issues of DJ Times—the responses from the participants were a little fractured this time around. So for this year, at least, we’ve suspended the Gleason Awards, in favor of a photo spread that we think you’ll like.

Again, here’s hoping that WMC and UMF can coincide in 2012. But until next year, we’ll let the pictures from 2011 Miami Music Week do the talking.

– Jim Tremayne

Top DJ Sets from Miami Music Week 1. Skrillex at Ultra Music Fest/Live Stage: A subbusting, bass-dropping tweakfest, mixing melody with the monstrous in the blazing, hot sun—and played to a dubstep-loving audience as manic as anything you’ll see in clubland right now.

2. Josh Wink & Steve Bug at Ovum Party, Shine/ Shelborne: Big, rolling basslines supported supple grooves, which shook the room and put smiles on the Shelborne dancefloor. The Ovum party always rules.

3. Robbie Rivera at Juicy Beach Party/Nikki Beach Club: Serving up the hits to a stoked audience that, thankfully, had fewer, ahem, juicers from the previous year, Rivera pushed the right buttons and brought in the sunshine.

1. One Ocean Drive: Swedish House Mafia blast South Beach partiers. (Below) 2. Satisfaction: Bennie Benassi bangs it at Day 1 of Ultra Music Festival. Ian Witlen 3. Backyard Beats: BT in the mix at Sea to Sun Recordings’ Global Frequency event. Jemal Countess 4. 36-Hour Party People: Behrouz at Sunday School for Degenerates. Scott Kowalchyk for MadeEventcom 5. Welcome to Miami: Audiofly gets ’em dancing in the dark. Nicole Cussell 6. The Limit, Pt. 2: Calvin Harris lays it down at the Louis. Nicole Cussell 7. Sofi Needs a Ladder: Sofi Toufa gets out front at Ultra, while a helmeted Deadmau5 gets goofy.

Jordan Loyd 8. Ahoy! Lee Burridge kicks it aboard Listed’s Tyrant Tikki event. Nicole Cussell 9. Beatport Award Winner: The real Deadmau5 mugs with pal Tommy Lee. Jordan Loyd 10. Ovum Party: Gregor Tresher & Nic Fanciulli shake up the Shelborne. Nicole Cussell 11. Dramatic Dane: Trentemøller gets it going at Ultra Fest. Nicole Cussell 12. Scary Monsters: LA phenom Skrillex does an evening dubstep session. Jordan Loyd 13. Late-Night Visitor: Diddy drops in on minimal man Luciano. Scott Kowalchyk for MadeEvent.com 14. Miami Massive: The Beatport Beach Party fires up the Gansevoort. Drew Ressler/Rukes.com

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15. Day 3 Closers: The Chemical Brothers put a cap on Ultra Music Fest. Nicole Cussell

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Miami Music Week—March 21-27, 2011

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16. A State of Trance: Sander van Doorn shows some flash. Nicole Cussell 17. M.A.N.D.Y. Man: Philipp Jung works it at Arkadia. Nicole Cussell 18. Overnight Shift: Victor Calderone at Ice Palace Studios.Scott Kowalchyk for MadeEvent. com 19. Made Event: Josh Wink grooves at Sunday School for Degenerates. Nicole Cussell 20. Indoor Pleasure: Model-turned-DJ Miss Nine rocks the Heineken Dome. Nicole Cussell

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21. Hands Up: Robbie Rivera at the 17-hour Juicy Beach event. Steve Han

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LET THE BASS OUT

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DJ TIMES

JUNE 2011

SUB 718-AS

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SUB 705-AS ACTIVE SUBWOOFER 700 W, 15”

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MAKING TRACKS STUDIO…HARDWARE…SOFTWARE…

TENORI-ON: A NEW KIND OF CONTROL

By Floor Vahn

DJ TIMES

JUNE 2011

Yamaha’s Tenori-On: Use built-in sounds or your own samples.

24

In 2005, Yamaha’s Yu Nishibori and media artist Toshio Iwai, known for developing the beloved Nintendo DS music game “Electroplankton,” introduced the result of a collaborative effort. It was a novel, futuristiclooking digital musical instrument that immediately piqued interest from DJs and electronic artists—the Tenori-On. Though the unit was originally designed as a work of art, Yamaha decided to back the project. The company started manufacturing and selling this unique music sampler as a “visible music” interface, touted to be “a new medium of 21st Century musical composition.”

Currently, Yamaha offers two versions of the Tenori-On. The original TNR-W (Tenori-On White, $999 MAP) features a magnesium frame with 256 rear panel LEDs, and it can run on batteries. The more affordable TNR-O (Tenori-On Orange. $699 MAP) features a white plastic frame, has no rear LEDs and does not run on batteries. The modes and sound sets in these instruments are the same. (More about these modes later.)

The TNR-O (Orange) appeals to producers and studio hounds, while the TNR-W seems more appropriate for live performances. I will mostly be covering the TNR-W (White) in this review.

My first out-of-the-box impres-

sion of the Tenori-On was that it was a lot smaller than I had imagined.

Approximately eight inches square, constructed of rounded, polished magnesium, the Tenori-On features a 16-x-16 matrix, with an equal number on the rear, although those are display-only. From the outset, it’s clear that this step sequencer is as much about visuals as it is about sound. Its striking, animated display is presented to both performer and audience.

Each button, serving as both note and data entry points, is capable of lighting up at different intensities and even mimicking various shapes and images, creating the impression of a synced music/video light show.

The Tenori-On can be thought of as a “pattern-sequencer-plus-synth.”

Its most immediate function is to enable you to create a pattern of notes by directly pressing the buttons on its panel. A 16-step sequence loops from left to right, and every time the sequencer passes through a lit button, a note is produced. Users can then either program sequences of music into the instrument using the Tenori-On’s built-in sounds or their own samples (by means of a SD card), or press the buttons on their own, like a keyboard.

In addition to the 256 buttons, the interface also offers five buttons to be operated with the left hand, and five more for the right.

There are six modes of playing which can be combined to form complex patterns: Score Mode, Random Mode, Draw Mode, Bounce Mode, Push Mode, and Solo Mode. The first seven layers generate notes using

Score Mode, while layers 8 to 11 make use of Random Mode. Layers 12 and 13 are assigned to Draw Mode.

Layers 14 and 15 are Bounce and Push Modes, respectively. This leaves the final layer assigned to Solo Mode.

These mode-to-layer assignments are fixed, and the learning curve is rather steep. But after exploring the capabilities of each, you’ll soon be moving from layer to layer without much difficulty.

Score Mode operates in a similar fashion to other hardware sequencers, allowing quick creations of looping patterns. Each button on the horizontal axis represents a note, with chords achieved by activating notes in a vertical column.

While Score Mode is great for creating loops with repetition, it’s very likely that you’ll soon want to delve into something a bit less structured. This is where Random Mode becomes useful. Highlighting a single note here causes that note to repeat; but as soon as you enter a second note, the LED lights travel from one note to the next, only producing pitch when the light arrives at the highlighted note. Enter a third note, and the light travels from note one to two to three and so on. Depending on the distance between notes, a loop of unusual length begins to build.

Draw Mode allows the user to draw random shapes by dragging a finger across the button interface and have them played repeatedly.

With Bounce Mode, the Tenori’s matrix acts as a virtual piano, with low notes to the left, and high notes to the right. Pressing a button in Bounce Mode causes those in the column below it to bounce from whichever “height” you’ve selected to the bottom row and back again.

Every time the LED hits the bottom row, the note plays. You can pick a height for every column, resulting in different notes bouncing off the bot-

tom row.

While the rest of your sequence is pulsing along, Push Mode allows you to build sustaining tones, with a special group of factory sounds is designed for it, with lots of time-based tonal changes. You can build up some great chords here.

Lastly, Solo Mode enables you to play chords by again arranging pitches from low (left) to high (right). Holding down the lowest button in any column causes the chosen sound to sustain, so you can select a few to build a chord.

After playing around with these modes, you’ll end up with a “layer” of information. The Tenori-On has the capability of holding 16 “blocks,” each consisting of a complete set of 16 layers. Switching between these blocks becomes easier with practice, and you’ll soon be grabbing notes from one block, then switching and playing from another.

Sound-wise, the Tenori-On has 253 onboard presets, including 14 drum kits. Should you prefer to use your own samples, you can load AIFF and WAV files onto a SD card, pop the card into the back of the Tenori-On, where there are three banks of 16 sounds waiting for your data, making 48 sample locations in total.

Although I applaud Yamaha’s effort to simplify and democratize composition in new and exciting ways—and also leading the way toward more sophisticated instruments based on actual design and build in the future—I find that there are some considerations and issues concerning the Tenori-On. To my ears, the on-board sounds can get old quite fast. Omitting all onboard sounds would allow for a much bigger and better sampling platform.

In addition, the current method of transferring samples into the Tenori via SD card seems laborious. Also, MIDI controls are still carried out via a breakout MIDI I/O cable. The immediacy of a USB connection, favored by the majority of today’s controllers, isn’t present here.

Perhaps the future of Tenori is a control-only version, which completely removes the internal sounds and instead provides a USB port and a neat application to let you use the LEDs for note input, clip launching, (continued on page 42)

SOUNDING OFF PLAYBACK…PRO AUDIO…PROCESSING

VESTAX’S IMPROVED VCI CONTROLLERS

VCI-300 MkII: Tight integration with Serato ITCH software.

VCI-100 MkII: Four-deck control, bundled with Traktor LE.

DJ TIMES

JUNE 2011

By Wesley Bryant-King

26

With the VCI-100 in 2006, Japan’s Vestax was among the very first companies to introduce a DJ-specific MIDI control surface for digital jocks. Then, in 2008, the company worked with New Zealand-based Serato Audio Research to roll-out the VCI-300, one of the first controllers for Serato’s ITCH, which then (and today) endeavors to optimize the digital DJing experience by closely coupling controller hardware with digital DJ software, eliminating many of the usual issues with configuration and operation in the process.

Vestax has recently revisited the design of both the VCI-100 and VCI-300, bringing-out updated models—adding the “MkII” suffix to each—and both offering a number of improvements over their older siblings. I recently had the opportunity to take them for a spin.

What’s New? For the VCI-100 MkII ($659 MAP), Vestax have integrated an audio interface into the device. Since the introduction of the original controller-only VCI-100, this has become pretty much a standard requirement for any DJ controller. In addition to other refinements, Vestax gave the VCI-100 MkII the ability to control up to four decks with the inclusion of A/C and B/D toggle switches. The jog wheels have been improved as well for better control.

For the VCI-300 MkII ($799 MAP), Vestax delivered improved audio amplifier gain—at least when you choose to add extra juice in the form of the optional AC adapter. Mic and aux inputs can be routed directly to the master outs, thereby reducing latency (and providing a way to keep the music going if your laptop freezes at a bad time), along with a variety of miscellaneous “spit-and-polish” improvements the unit overall.

First Impressions on the VCI-100 MkII: The unit is a standard MIDI control surface and can presumably be used with any DJ software with MIDI control support, but comes bundled with Traktor LE, and thus offers an “everything-but-the-computer-and-music-

collection” package. Vestax even bundles a tiny USB hub in the box—a nice bonus, and a recognition that USB ports are often at a premium on laptops. When powered-up, the Vestax is handsome looking, and provides plenty of “cool factor” with its blue LED side lights and bright button illumination.

All the controls on the VCI-100 MkII felt good to the touch, and were nicely spaced to avoid “fat fingering.” One disappointment, however: The unit has no microphone inputs at all, making it somewhat undesirable for the mobile circuit, podcasters, and even some club jocks. And with only one usable pair of RCA jacks for master output and no booth or monitor outputs at all, the limited connection possibilities may turn off some potential customers. On the up side, 64-bit support is included, so it works with the increasingly common, latest-generation computers.

First impressions of the VCI-300 MkII: It gets similarly high marks for overall feel and its controls. Like the VCI-100 MkII, the 300 has sliders with light resistance and fast action. While the 300 does include a microphone input, there is no on/off switch for it—only a level control, which is unfortunately quite small and hard to grab with its location on the front (rather than the top). The dual headphone jacks are a plus—one 1/8-inch and one ¼-inch—great when I forget my adapter. And with its black top surface, it’s hard not to look at the VCI-300 MkII and think, “Wow, this is handsome.”

Set-up: Both of the units installed relatively easily and quickly.

For the VCI-100 MkII, all that was required was the driver installation (to activate MIDI and audio I/O), and since I was using my own Traktor Pro (not the Traktor LE included in the box), I downloaded the Traktor configuration file from the Vestax website and dropped that into my existing set-up using Traktor’s excellent configuration import function.

For the VCI-300MkII, true to the promise of ITCH and its

tight integration, installation was an “insert-the-CD-and-follow-the-directions” breeze. (I did choose to download a free ITCH update from Serato’s website to bring the software fully current afterward). Add some music tracks, and I was DJing in under five minutes.

Using the Controllers: Using the VCI-100 MkII with Traktor Pro was a great experience. The support for four decks is a plus, but as with pretty much any controller on the market today, switching back and forth on a single “side” takes concentration and practice. Another element that took some getting used to—but in the end, I really appreciated—is that the jog wheels work in vinyl mode if touched from the top, and regular jog mode if touched from the side. If you’re accustomed to more conventional control, it was easy to make mistakes at first. But the more I used the unit, the nicer I found it to have both modes of operation literally at my fingertips.

Perhaps the very best thing about the VCI-100 MkII with Traktor is that the effects controls are a perfect fit for Traktor’s sophisticated dual effects engines. Everything is premapped and, just like Traktor, you can engage either or both engines for any deck.

The only down side to the VCI100 MkII—and it’s also true of any controller that uses Traktor’s internal mixing functions—is that one needs to get in the habit of moving a control through its full range of motion to synchronize control positions between the hardware and software.

DJing with the VCI-100 MkII was also a nice experience. If you’re new to ITCH, the provided manual covers all the bases. But jumping right in, I found everything in its place: intuitive and easy. I appreciated that ITCH provides the option in software to disable the crossfader if you (like me) don’t use one. And I also liked that the VCI-300 MkII provides at least ¼-inch connections for mic and MASTER OUTPUT THOUGH 8,2 WOULD have been preferable in my book, and there are no booth or monitor outputs provided.

While I don’t use ITCH regularly, I always appreciate its straightforward interface when I do. When you get used to the lay of the land, so to speak, it makes for a remarkably efficient DJing experience. I’ve also always liked the color waveform displays that are nice, bright and big, making it easy to see what’s happening with beat alignment—not just hear it.

The issues I ran into include pitch control being a bit jumpy and sensitive; it was tough to make really accurate BPM adjustments, and they had no center-position detent—only

an LED indicator that comes on in the roughly center position. The VCI-300 MkII provides no effects interfaces (as some other ITCH controllers do), which was a bit disappointing, as I tend to use basic effects like a flanger fairly often.

On the up side, however, looping control was a breeze; they’re easy to punch in, and to adjust on the fly. And I love the ability to route mic and auxin inputs directly to the master-out.

While that reduces the slight audio latency of bringing them through the computer in regular use, it also pro-

vides a failsafe should your DJ laptop ever freeze during a set—you can hook a CDJ (or even an iPod) to the aux-in, and keep the music going while you recover. It doesn’t happen often, but it’s nice to have a backup plan if it does.

Conclusions: In the VCI-100 MkII and the VCI-300 MkII, Vestax has delivered a pair of nicely made DJ controllers with integrated audio interfaces—one (the VCI-100 MkII) for general use (or with the bundled Traktor), and one (the VCI-300 MkII) for those who want the tight hard-

ware/software integration benefits that Serato ITCH brings to the table.

Both seem to have a “keep-it-simple” attitude, giving you most or all of what you need to do the job, without a bunch of excess bells and whistles that just take up space (or worse, get in the way). Both have a substantial feel, with nice controls. And while the lack of microphone support in the VCI-100 MkII may rule it out for many mobile jocks (and some others), either would make a great companion for today’s digitally-centered DJs.

N OW E V E RYO N E C A N B E T H E DJ .

FIRSTMIX® USB DJ CONTROLLER

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FirstMix makes it fun and easy to be the DJ. Learn more at geminidj.com/firstmix

INCLUDES

© 2011

G C I Te c h n o l o g i e s C o r p .

G e m i n i i s a r e g i s t e r e d t r a d e m a r k o f G C I Te c h n o l o g i e s C o r p .

All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

MOBILE PROFILE CAREERS…INNOVATIONS…SUCCESS STORIES

A former school teacher, Kindlick went full-time 10 years ago.

PENN DJ BOASTS

DJ TIMES

JUNE 2011

By Milo Burke

28

Reading, Pa.—While teaching high-school history nearly 10 years ago, Mike Kindlick began to feel restless. Something was gnawing at him, like something that was inside him, threatening to burst out.

Mike Kindlick, quite simply, needed to boogie—for a living, full-time.

“I had gone to college to study history and secondary education,” says Kindlick, “so I was living my dream, but I was beginning to move away from it. I needed a new direction in my life, and my wife said to me, ‘Why are you kicking a gift horse in the mouth?’ I said, ‘What are you talking about?’”

Kindlick’s wife was referring to the fact that her husband had a parttime passion—owner of a mobile DJ company.

“She said, ‘You love DJing… you’re very good at it, why not give the company a full-time try? And if it doesn’t work out, we’ll go from there.’”

From there, Kindlick was out of the gate. He focused on an ambitious five-year plan: “I wanted to become the largest DJ company in the Reading area,” he says. Seems like the vision has been realized. Currently, Jam On Sound Productions runs eight mobile systems, employs 15 entertainers, books between 70 and 90 weddings annually, sends its headliners out seven days a week to restaurants and clubs, and, by the end of the year, tallies more than 800 events.

“I can now say that we’re the biggest in the area,” says Kindlick.

His DJing history goes back to college, and Kindlick says the most important player in the DJ path chosen was his dad.

“Like I said, my ambition was to teach high-school history, and during college I had been playing local clubs and parties. When I graduated, my pops said to me, ‘Kid, what do you plan on doing with this DJ thing?’

“I said, ‘I don’t know, I’m just working in a local club, meeting people and having fun.’

“He said, ‘Can you make any money at it?’

“I said, ‘Well, sure, if I worked it, I could make a lot of money at it.’”

“He said, ‘Done.’”

Kindlick’s dad lent him $5,000 to go out and buy equipment, and said, “Here you go, go create your future.”

“If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t be here right now, no doubt,” says Kindlick of that event 17 years ago, recalling that he bought a Rane club mixer, the first Denon DN-2000F player, a Peavey CS400 amp, and Peavey SP5G speakers.

Fast forward 17 years, and Kindlick has found ways to mine revenue. Of those 800 events, he runs a pub trivia challenge, a trivia league, like bowling for the brainiac set, with 40 teams at dozens of pubs competing for prizes.

“That all started from a conversation I had at the DJ Expo a few years ago with [Boston mobile] Terry Moran, who had moderated a seminar on creating weekday income. At first I doubted it would work in my market, but it’s really a matter of just trying it and doing it.”

Teams compete for 12 weeks

upsell. “Anybody can be a DJ today,” he says, “with technology today, and equipment coming down in pricing, a couple hundred dollars you can take a kid out of high school and make him a DJ. So competition is growing, and you have to make yourself stand out. That’s where upgrades come in. I push them as non-essentials. Uplighting, for instance, is one item that has taken off, as well as photo booths, and we also offer bartender service, for weddings at a small banquet hall when the client has to ask Uncle Joe to be the bartender. We also offer a concierge service—if the bride and groom want an assistant for the night,

THE POWER OF THE UPSELL

straight, and at any bar or restaurant their points carry over; at the conclusion of the 12-week period, the top 10 teams compete at a Night of Champions.

“We usually hold two trivia events per night during the week,” he says, “And we make money by charging the bar a fee, as if we were karaoke, or a DJ night, or beer pong. But I also add some different stuff to spice it up. We have lifeline cards, and a halftime hunt so teams can get additional points, and now we have bars contacting us because they’ve heard about us.”

The challenge to scaling the trivianight business was getting players to play more than one night a week in their local club.

“I had to get people out of their regular bars, so I created the league,” says Kindlick. “So now you have teams that will always play at their regular bar—winning team takes home a $50 gift card from the bar; 2 nd place gets $30, and third place $20—and because they’re competing, and they need to accumulate points, now they’ll come out a second or third night to another bar, so they can rack up more points and have a better chance of getting in the Top 10. These people take it so serious, they’ve even made their own t-shirts; that’s what’s been behind the success, the teams that are playing it.”

Another big part of Kindlick’s success has been mastering the art of the

an assistant in full tux getting them drinks, carrying packages, and we also offer full band service.”

It’s one thing to have the services to offer, but quite another to get clients to bite.

Says Kindlick: “I don’t sell to the client as, ‘You have to have this to make your event great.’ I push them as non-essentials—they sell themselves.

When a bride or groom comes into my office, they’ll see two or three large scrolling photo screens of our uplighting, of our bands in action, whatever upgrade we have, I let them see it first, and then they might inquire about it. When they ask, ‘Oh, what’s that?’ Then I hit the gas.”

Kindlick hits the gas by telling the client that when the wedding reception is over, guests are not going to leave the event saying, “What the heck? Where was the photo booth?”

“But, if it’s something that the client has a passion for, people will leave the event and say, ‘Wow, there was a photo booth there tonight, how cool was that. I’ve never seen that.’

It’s the soft sell, telling clients that they don’t need the upsells, but they will give a wow factor.

“During a consultation, we’ll go over the different concepts of variety, organization, and atmosphere,” he says. “It’s a matter of rolling with the conversation, and also guiding them. I have some questions that I ask them that can guide them in a direction. (continued on page 42)

Imagine 6,000 Watts Under 12 Lbs.

© 2011 MUSIC Group IP Ltd. Technical specifi cations and appearance are subject to change without notice. The information contained herein is correct at the time of printing.

These devices have not been authorized by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission. They may not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased in the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and U.S. possessions, until authorization is obtained. 985-90000-01451

Join the iNUKE Revolution When it comes to serious audio, you need clean, ultra-responsive sound that is efficient, dependable and roadworthy.

BEHRINGER iNUKE Series amplifiers pack massive output power into exceptionally lightweight, rack-mountable packages.

Models range from the 7-pound NU1000 and NU3000, with 1,000 and 3,000 Watts, respectively, to the 12-pound NU6000 with a staggering 6,000 Watts.

Need onboard DSP? iNUKE NU1000DSP, NU3000DSP and NU6000DSP pack the same power, plus a sophisticated delay for delay-line loudspeakers, a 2-way crossover, two dynamic / eight parametric EQs and dynamics processing with lockable security settings. DSP parameters can be adjusted directly via the front panel, or you can connect your PC/Mac to the convenient USB port for control, monitoring and setup functions.

Sporting massive power, lightweight high-density Class-D technology, an equally lightweight price tag and all the amenities a professional audio engineer could ask for—BEHRINGER iNUKE amplifiers are serious amps for the most demanding applications.

Pull the trigger today and start your own iNUKE revolution!

BUSINESS LINE SALES…MARKETING…SOLUTIONS…

What are your marketing goals?

But what is a brand?

Your Staff

To generate more leads? Convert more leads to clients? Develop new markets? Increase average value per booking? Remarket new products to your existing clients in order to increase your LCV (lifetime customer value)?

According to Paul Keetch and Alex Read, authors of Make My Marketing Work, by creating a basic understanding of your marketing vision, you enable the focus and alignment you’ll need to take your DJ business to the next level.

Again, according to the authors, it’s not the product you sell, and it’s not your website, nor your marketing materials, and it’s definitely not your lightshow.

Simply put, your brand is the promise you make and how you deliver on that promise in the minds of your customers and prospects. In other words, your brand is a collection of the perceptions of your company in the minds of your customers. And remember, your customers are more than merely the people who buy your DJ services. In fact, did you know you have three distinctly different groups of customers? And that the way you interact with them varies?

Your groups of customers include the people who buy or are looking to buy your DJ service; your fellow vendors, like catering execs and suppliers; and your employees.

Your customers are both external

But how can you reflect your values to your staff?

The authors say that modeling is one of the most powerful forms of influence in your arsenal. They advise to use it wisely and you’ll cultivate a loyal workforce who represents your company they way you would.

But set a bad example or by don’t align the example you set with your own rules for conduct, your employees are going to notice. It’s a truism that most employees won’t let you know directly how they’re feeling. Although they might not say anything, they will notice bad examples. Pretty soon, your customers will notice, too, which can impact staff morale, and, ultimately, bookings.

Willingly or not, your company has a culture, and you can create the kind of workplace culture that will reap rewards. The authors advise the following: Remember your own pet peeves: Think back to your days as an employee. What things did you gripe about?

Involve staff in strategic processes: Even if you don’t always use their ideas, letting

By Milo Burke them contribute to the process will let them know they are being heard, so they can better understand the process and buy into the final decision.

Reward top performers: Frequent and publicly recognizing and rewarding your top performers will inspire similar behavior in others. Just be sure that the performance levels required to be rewarded are fully disclosed, this way there’s no guessing and charges of favoritism.

Fire poor performers: Not an easy task, but nothing sucks morale from a staff more than allowing lazy or unqualified employees to stick around.You’ll do your company a great service by cutting out the chaff.

Create a mentoring culture: Provide opportunities for your employees to grow not only professionally, but as human beings as well. We suggest attending DJ Expo (Aug. 8-11 in Atlantic City, N.J.) Profit sharing: Not a favorite among business owners, but studies show that when your staff is directly benefiting from the success of your company, they will be much more likely to do whatever it takes for everyone to be successful.

Offer “well” days in addition to sick days: Helping your employees with their work/life balance will make them more productive. Create a “well day” program, where employees can call in “well” to allow them time to pursue something they’re passionate about.

When modeling, look to other successful companies, and do what they do: is customer service your priority? Look to WestJet, Jet Blue, Ritz Carlton Hotels, or PetSmart and see how hey manage their customer service process.

Or do you want to build a cool internal culture?

Look to Starbucks, Google and Yahoo!

And you’ll be on your way.

Stay tuned, as next month we’ll look into ways to diversify your marketing mix.

DJ TIMES

JUNE 2011

HOW TO BUILD A BETTER BRAND

30

To maximize your marketing efforts, it must have focus. In order to obtain focus, you must know where you’re going. Your vision creates the potential for it becoming real. As Vincent van Gogh said, “I dream my painting and paint my dream.” Can you do the same thing by creating a marketing vision and then acting upon that vision to make it a reality? Sure you can, by first visualizing it, and then make it a reality.

But let’s get into specifics. Your marketing vision must reflect the overall vision of your company or it won’t resonate with you, your staff, or your clients. So if your company vision is to reach 200 new prospects this year, for example, but your marketing vision is to remarket only to existing clients, then your two visions are out of alignment.

The authors say the best way to avoid any misalignment and create your marketing vision is to put it on paper. Brainstorm the elements of what your marketing vision might be—and the elements should be specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, and time phased.

Your Brand There’s no doubt that an integral part of your marketing effort is your brand—the two co-exist.

And nothing benefits your brand more than a repeat customer who loves your DJ services, or your customer service, or any other element of what you’re providing.

and internal, and they are of equal importance to your brand, your company, and your success.

Take, for instance, the people who buy from you, they would be the traditional model of a customer, and the way you interact with this person is your most important list: You interact with them through your marketing copy, business cards, flyers, advertising, website, tradeshow floor, storefront, your sales force, customer service team, your warehouse, finance department, your reputation, your logo, and more.

Your vendors and suppliers, on the other hand, the people you do business with on a businessto-business level, are also your customers, and how you work with them also affects your overall perception in the marketplace. Since the collective perception is your overall brand value, the companies you do business with are a key element of your brand. Some of the ways you interact with this segment are on-site at a gig, at trade shows and bridal fairs, and increasingly through Twitter.

And have you ever considered your staff to be customers of your company? The authors believe you should, because the opinion of your staff is possibly the most important one of them all.

Why? They are the people who interact with your customers every day, creating the experience that your external customers have—both the ones who buy what you’re selling and the vendors who help you do it.

Some of the ways you interact with your staffers can be through an initial interview, availability of parking, rewards and incentive programs, salary (of course), benefits, the type of toilet paper in the washroom (no joke, ask your staff about this), among hundreds of others ways.

'1 0& All-in-one MIDI / USB Controller

PRO STAGE POWER / BEDROOM USABILITY With an award winning design and feature-set, the new DN-MC6000 4–channel / 4–deck MIDI controller can seriously up your show with little to no learning curve.

Packed with an astounding amount of creative and functional features, including a stand-alone real-time channel matrix mixer, slim tabletop design, state-of-the-art solid steel chassis and a high-quality USB sound card, the Denon DJ DN-MC6000 delivers a performance tool that is quickly redeďŹ ning a category and raising the bar for all-in-one controllers. All without sacriďŹ cing the legendary Denon DJ build quality and reliability.

We can’t guarantee that the DN-MC6000 will make you a professional DJ, but you’ll sure sound, and look like one.

DJ TIMES

JUNE 2011

GEAR AUDIO‌LIGHTING‌STUFF

32

Vio-lent Streak

Laughter in the Rane

American DJ Supply 6122 S. Eastern Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90040 (800) 322-6337 www.americandj.com

Rane Corporation 10802 47th Avenue West Mukilteo WA 98275 (425) 355-6000 www.rane.com

!MERICAN $* S NEW 6IO 3ERIES CONSISTS OF THREE $-8 CLUB EFFECTSˆ the VioMOON LED, VioSCAN LED and VioROLL LED. Each product in the line is powered by a high-output 10-watt homogenized LED source that includes red, green, blue and white LEDs in one lamp. The LEDS are rated at 30,000 hours. Features include 0-100% dimming, a strobe effect, 1.8-degree stepper motors with microstepping, manual focus, multi-voltage operation and four-button menu display for navigating $-8 SETTINGS

The Rane SL 4 is “the ďŹ rst standalone DJ interface with two highspeed USB 2.0 ports,â€? according to the company. The ďŹ ve-channel unit features four switchable phono/line inputs. This allows users to control of up to four decks at the same time with either one or two computers, as well as a combination of turntable or CD control. Rane says the unit can also be used as a high-grade studio production tool. It offers a 96 kHz sample rate and 24-bit digital audio processing, plus built-in galvanic isolation that eliminates computer noise and interference.

EON Flux

Seven Year ITCH

JBL Professional 8500 Balboa Blvd.

Northridge, CA 91329 (818) 894-8850 www.jblpro.com

Pioneer 2265 E. 220th Street Long Beach, CA 90810 (310) 952-2000 www.pioneer-usa.com

JBL’s EON210P Portable PA system includes two 10-inch, two-way speakers with 1.5-inch neodymium compression-driver tweeters and 10-inch high-excursion woofers; an eight-channel powered stereo mixer with four digital effects and a 30V phantom power supply for use with condenser microphones; two 15-foot speaker cables and a storage compartment for microphones and accessories. The EON210P delivers 124dB peak system output and each speaker covers a 100- x 60-degree listening area.

Pioneer and Serato Audio Research have joined forces to create the DDJ-S1, a DJ controller for Serato ITCH software. This plug-and-play controller has an effect control area that lets users add Serato ITCH’s $* &8 TO THEIR MIX 4HERE IS AN ,%$ DISPLAY TO TRACK SONG PROGRESSION and additional features include a “Needle Drop� search function, microphone inputs with a talk-over function, and a slip mode for looping, reversing, and scratching without changing the song tempo.

Torq 2.0

Experience the future of DJing.

Introducing the ultimate creative DJ software— from the makers of Pro Tools Torq® 2.0 software takes you beyond beat matching and into the future of DJing. Don’t just spin tracks—reinvent them.

Use all four decks to create complex mixes. Go beyond crossfading with the new Traq Morph™ feature. Develop your sound with innovative effects and a built-in sampler. You can combine Torq 2.0 with turntables, CD decks, and a variety of DJ controllers—or run the software alone. Torq 2.0 gives you unlimited ways to create your own sound on the dance floor, in the studio, and beyond.

Download the free trial at www.avid.com/torq2trial © 2011 Avid Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Product features, specifications, system requirements, and availability are subject to change without notice. Avid, the Avid logo, Torq, Traq Morph, and Pro Tools are trademarks or registered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. or its subsideraries in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

DJ TIMES

JUNE 2011

GEAR AUDIO‌LIGHTING‌STUFF

34

Flight of the Navigator

Sweeper Cell

Odyssey Innovative Designs 155 North Aspan Avenue Azusa, CA 91702 (877) 563-9773 www.odysseycases.com

Chauvet Lighting 3000 N. 29th Court Hollywood, FL 33020 (800) 762-1084 www.chauvetlighting.com

4HE /DYSSEY &LIGHT &8 3ERIES EMBEDS ,%$ PANELS INTO THE COMpany’s DJ cofďŹ n and case designs. The panels create seven colors and offer various color modes like random, slow-fast, auto and sound activation mode—all of which are manipulated by a built-in controller.

The line includes dual turntable and CD player cofďŹ ns for 10- and 12inch mixers and a single CD/digital media player case unit. Each model features recessed handles and latches, a black anodized coated ďŹ nish and a rear cable port with storage/ventilation pit.

Chauvet introduced two new LED effect lights—Sweeper LED and 6SPOT. The ďŹ rst features six individually-controlled pods of tri-colored LEDs that can run as mirror images of each other in master/slave mode.

The second has six low-proďŹ le spot lights, each with a high-power, tricolor LED, creating seven different colors. The spot lights are individually controlled and positioned, and the system is able to be controlled VIA $-8 OR BY RUNNING AUTOMATIC OR SOUND ACTIVATED PROGRAMS

iCrates Expectations

TRAKTOR & Field

iCrates Paul-Lincke-Ufer 44A 10999 Berlin +49 (0) 30 749 278 29 www.icrates.com

Native Instruments North America 5631 A Hollywood Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90028 (866) 556-6487 www.native-instruments.com

iCrates debuted an iPhone app that acts as a search tool and information source for users looking for releases, artists and labels. The iCrates app gives instant access to the biggest music databases and marketplaces such as Discogs, eBay, Amazon and iTunes. Users can also use the built-in barcode scanner to get faster results about particular releases. iCrates offers audio samples and related YouTube videos. It also shows real-time price offers for the title and evaluates its rarity and average selling price in different worldwide currencies.

The new TRAKTOR Pro 2 from Native Instruments offers up to four sample decks that can each add up to four simultaneous samples or loops to the mix. Also included is the Loop Recorder, which allows DJs to capture audio from various sources and drop it back into the mix at any time. Tracks and samples in all four decks are displayed in high-resolution multi-colored waveforms thanks to new “TruWave� technology, available in four selectable color schemes. TRAKTOR’s effect section has also been expanded to include four new effects, including a tape delay emulation and Bouncer.

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Get Your Advance Tickets at

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The DJ’s New Clothes 611 Lifestyle 2218 Martha St Philadelphia, PA. 19125 (267) 603-3611 www.611lifestyle.com

A Visit From The S-Torq

Longtime Philly-based DJ Nigel Richards has launched a line of men’s and women’s clothing and accessories called The 611 Line, which also has its own e-commerce site. Two collections currently make up the line. The DJ Life collection includes t-shirts, record/laptop bags, jackets, and iPhone cases featuring the blackand-white logo from Richards’ 611 Records DJ shop, which closed in 2007.

The Luxe Life line includes men’s suiting, dress shirts, weekender luggage, scarves, hats, and t-shirts, as well as 12 limited-edition women’s pieces codesigned by Philadelphia’s Echo Chic founder, Jennifer Ramsey.

Avid 575 Lexington Ave., 14th Floor New York, NY 10022 (212) 983-2424 www.avid.com Torq 2.0 DJ software from Avid can be run on its own, or it can integrate with turntables, CD decks, and a variety of DJ controllers. The program includes four fully featured decks sporting EQ, level control, headphone cueing, and crossfade. Features include the zplane ĂŠlastique time-stretching algorithm for “extreme audio warping,â€? and the Traq Morph feature, which applies affects as users fade between songs. Four modes are available: Cut, Filter, Duck and Morph. Torq 2.0 features an 18cell sampler and is also ReWire-compatible with Pro Tools M-Powered software, Ableton Live, and other popular applications.

Under CTRL GCI Technologies 1 MayďŹ eld Ave. Edison, NJ 08837 (732) 346-0061 www.gci-technologies.com Gemini’s CTRL-47 is a four-channel MIDI controller complete with two touch-sensitive jog wheels and a built-in 24-bit/192 kHz soundcard, latency-free ASIO drivers. CTRL-47 offers controls for loops, effects, EQ controls, samples, hot cues, and pitch. The unit ALSO COMES WITH 6IRTUAL$* SOFTWARE AS WELL AS BALANCED 8,2 OUTputs and Master, Booth, and Record stereo RCA outputs.

Yeti, Set, Go

DJ TIMES

JUNE 2011

Blue Microphones 5706 Corsa Avenue, #102 Westlake Village, CA 91362 (818) 879-5200 www.bluemic.com

36

Blue’s Yeti Pro USB microphone combines 24 bit/192 kHz digital recording RESOLUTION WITH AN ANALOG 8,2 OUTPUT The Yeti Pro is capable of four different recording patterns—cardioid, omni, stereo, bi-directional—in both studio and desktop recording situations. A desk stand and mic stand thread are included.

Compatible with both PC and Mac, Yeti Pro “features separate circuit boards to maintain the integrity of the analog and digital signal paths,� according to the company, “and discrete electronic components for the highest signal quality.�

GROOVES 42!#+3x-)8%3x#/-0),!4)/.3 LIGHTS FROM THE INSIDE

X Gregor Tresher X Break New Soil Deep, groovy techno with some real gems. For dancefloor appeal, go right for these scorchers: the trippy “Echelon,” the pulsing “Through the Shadow Glass,” and the disorienting “Kingdom of Light.” One of the year’s better EDM-artist albums.

– Jim Tremayne ARMIES OF THE NIGHT: I DECLARE WAR

“I Know the Rhythm,” and the disco-soul “Boogie Alright.” Tight.

– Phil Turnipseed “SUMMER SOUL” EP X d-t3ch X Rebel Hill A funky, soulful four-tracker. The title cut’s the pick here with its haunting female vocal along with a gorgeous deep-house groove. But it’s bouncy, tech-houser “DustyFruit Remix” that’ll get DJs worked up.

X MANIK X Ovum Randy Boyer

– Phil Turnipseed

Groovefests (“She’s Slow Motion”), tweakfests (“Ruckus 8OH8”), subterranean expeditions (“Streets Are Deep”), lowdown G-funk (“Haterville”) and full-on rattlers (“Kent Ave”) make for a tasty artist effort. Keep an eye on this guy.

– Jim Tremayne CLUB LIFE: LAS VEGAS ALBUM 1

Gregor Tresher

X Tiësto X Musical Freedom Tiësto hangs up his trademark trance here, but the surprise comes in his choice of tracks. “Blessed”

by Tom Hangs feat. Shermanology is a straight-up, gospel-diva house track, while his tasty collab with Diplo (“C’mon”) drops elements of dubstep. Tiësto, you’re all over the place and we like it.

– Natalie Raben

“IF YOU TRY”

X Escape Committee feat. Charmaine X Pole Position We do love all seven remixes on this vocal cut, but make sure you check the deep and elegant “Soulplate ReRub” and “ReDub.” Also, check the meaty “Michael McLardy Remix” and the dirty, techy “Matt McLarrie Remix.”

– Phil Turnipseed “NUMBER ONE” (REMIXES)

X Miniboy X Bralli Records Hot Brazilian house music. There’s a minimal ragga vocal that gives some bite, but mixes give the cut all the juice it needs. Check “Bralli’s Remix,” a tough, tech-house gem with a seductive, dirty groove.

FABRIC 57 X Agoria X Fabric

– Phil Turnipseed

– Phil Turnipseed “FORWARD MOTION” EP MANIK

X Hot Natured X Hot Creations The title track offers a Röyksopp-like vocal, a complex, stabby bassline and keys that flow. “B4 the Bentley” is a relentless floor mover with a liquid, house vibe, funky bassline and wicked, jazzy grooves.

– Shawn Christopher “BLOOM” X Eric Kupper X Wave Music Kupper drops a classy tech-house tune full of delicate, alluring percussion, and breathy, visceral keys.

But its deep, boomy low end supports a relentless groove doesn’t back down.

– Shawn Christopher Tiësto

“TO SEE YOU GO”

X Patrick Oliver & Redcurve feat. Minz X Mile End

JUNE 2011

This groove starts off with a tribal thump and eventually veers into unexpected places. Uplifting, a cappellas are introduced, then get paired with an appropriate trance beat that glides you through the mix. Check the “Criss Wave Mix” if you’re looking for a more progressive vibe.

DJ TIMES

– Natalie Raben

38

ESSENTIAL SNEAK, VOL. 4

X DJ Sneak X Robsoul A four-track groover sure to shake some butts.

Check the piano-laden “Since 1993,” the deep, dirty Agoria

Corner

Download

Wicked, dark and dirty grooves for the masses.

Highlights include Sydenham & Joe Claussell’s “Rhythm,” STL’s “Silent State” and two mixes of Agoria’s “Speechless.” A fierce collection.

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).

“Cottage Industry (Dave Angel Remix)

by Vadim Yershov [Dig Deeper]: Danny Howells’ label releases a potent, psychedelic track. With the big-room feel of progressive house and the musicality of deeper stuff, this is a genre-defying beauty that’ll appeal to a huge variety of DJs with its swirling synths and dubby delays. Found at beatport.com.

“Zooloo” (Pleasurekraft Remix) by Miles Dyson & Aaren San [Suicide Robot]: A bouncy, heavy beat full of techy elements and lovely white noise drives the track.

But the drop down into a gradually more overdriven African vocal makes this stand out as a guaranteed dancefloor mover. Found at beatport.com.

“Brain Dysfunction” (Original Mix) by Randy Boyer [EnMass Music]: Despite having found great success with his trancey stylings and partnership with the legendary Darude, Boyer can occasionally dip into a more housey vibe. And this tech bomb with an enormous legato bassline, huge builds, and rises galore certainly shows this DJ/artist’s versatility. Found at beatport.com.

– Robert LaFrance

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2011 DJ EXPO AUG. 8-11 TRUMP TAJ MAHALATLANTIC CITY NJ

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Compiled As Of May 2,2011

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iCompetition (continued from page 19) rassing YouTube clips of DJs “in action.”

“Our collective challenge is to turn the ship around with an education campaign,” he explains. “The message we need to push is that there are DJs you can trust—and it’s worth the search, but clients have to vet the candidates thoroughly.

“The DIY trend stands to become our biggest competitor—if we don’t make it clear that we can be trusted to be ‘safe’ to hire—and that the only cheese at a wedding ‘self-served’ will be what the bride herself serves in the Cordon Bleu.”

Meanwhile, over on the West Coast, experienced DJ owner Brian Doyle of Bay Area-based Denon & Doyle Entertainment says he refuses to believe that DIY weddings and parties actually impact the mid- to upper-priced DJs as much as some of us fear.

“The lower-priced DJs and jocks just starting out are impacted as clients who are more concerned with price than convenience,” he says, “while there will always be room for the true professionals who give our clients peace of mind.

“That being said, I do notice our main wedding DJ business is down about 20-percent. We’ve asked our traditional referral sources why this is, and the answer we most commonly get is that A) their business is down, and B) people are much more likely nowadays to not go with their referrals and instead shop around.

“With the Internet and a quality website so easy to create, it’s much easier for clients to find a company that seems like quality for a better price. To combat this we’ve expanded into decor lighting and photo booths and are always looking for other related services that complement our core DJ business.”

ATB But how does this benefit the professional aspect of Denon & Doyle’s business? “There have been times that people call us simply for a photo booth and, when we ask about their DJ, they says they hold no value in a professional and are indeed doing it themselves,” he says. “Yet they still need speakers, microphones and someone to maintain it, so we simply offer a rental for them at a reduced price with a tech manning it. This is convenient for them and a great way for us to give our newer DJs some experience at an event and make a little more money in the process.”

Doyle recommends to any DJ that they don’t even try to chase the small dollars from DIY wedding clients.

“We noticed this decades ago, back then we were still pursuing school dances and trying to figure out how to be profitable against other school DJs who were charging much less with little overhead,” he says. “By giving up on that and focusing on the corporate, bar/bat mitzvahs and higher-priced weddings, we made a niche for ourselves in a more profitable venture with clients who appreciate and refer us more, and to this day I do not regret that decision.”

In conclusion, Mark Ashe, owner of East Longmeadow, Conn.-based Marx Entertainment, sees new technological gadgets and devices as simply a natural progression in the DJ industry, yet he believes it all goes back to what we as entertainers put behind the music.

“There will always be a spot for the less talented DJ trying to make a buck and screwing up someone’s wedding,” says Ashe, “but on the flip side there is that client that will always want a professional.”

■

(continued from page 16) for your DJ gigs? How much time do you spend listening to new music?

ATB: Sometimes, not enough! [laughs] But the good thing about rekordbox and the CDJ-2000 is that you can do playlists. For me, a playlist is not just about the order the tracks are played. I know the clubs before I play there and I know the crowds, and it gives me an opportunity to see all the tracks that I could play. It also helps me prepare before a tour. I put the tracks into a new playlist—things I want to play, things I like, tracks that could work. Sometimes on special events, like a big festival, you’ll do another playlist. Sometimes I need to do it when I’m in the hotel to get into the mood. You can get tired from the travel. So you listen to the tracks and make a list. You find a track and say, “Oh, I can play that one tonight!” And you’re ready.

DJ Times: Speaking to the younger DJ/readers, what advice do you have for them?

ATB: You need the passion. I talk to a lot of people who want to be a DJ because it’s the cool thing. Everybody wants it. They think they get the girls.

It’s like a one-man rock band. But I think these are the wrong reasons.

You need the passion for the music.

For me, I created music first, then I tried to find a way to present it. So when you are in love with the music and you really are into it with your heart, that’s the best way. Don’t do it just for partying or for the girls. Sure, that might happen, but do it for the music. That’s when it’s successful.

DJ Times: What keeps you doing this?

ATB: It’s still the love for the music. Sometimes I get all the records from the labels and maybe I get 20 new songs a day and I’ll think, “I don’t

like them. Maybe I’m not feeling them anymore.” But then the next day, I’ll get two or three really nice songs and I’ll get goosebumps from listening the first time. So, as long as I get that same feeling onstage and I have a party crowd, I love it and I still enjoy it. ■

Making Tracks (continued from page 24) and even MIDI CC on/off commands.

However, if you’re a sound pioneer who loves tweaking up new audio concoctions, you’ll probably be in a candy factory with the Tenori as your controller. Drawing musical patterns using the various modes produces results you wouldn’t obtain any other way, and it produces some very special musical results. Adding the Tenori-On to your live setup would equally add a lot of punch to your performance, giving the audience something more to see than merely the back of your computer.

If you have any questions for Making Tracks, please send them to djtimes@ testa.com.

Mobile (continued from page 28)

Where is your banquet hall? What’s the size of it? If it’s small, then I’m not pushing them towards our big light show; I might push them in a more intimate setting. ‘What’s important to you? What do you like to do in your spare time? What do you do for a profession?’ Simple questions to get the customer to talk about themselves and then you can bring to the table that you’re more interested in them, as opposed to them simply bringing business to you, which, in the end, will bring more business to you.”

Photos By Teaghan McGinnis

Suck it.

I used to rock— now I do dubstep.

And to those haters, I say…

DJ TIMES

JUNE 2011

Skrillex’s Expanding Skill Set

42

Skrillex, next month in DJ Times

Power and control are all yours with the all-new XTi 2 Series amplifiers from Crown.

PeakX Plus™ Limiters provide the ultimate in system performance and protection, and the Advanced Thermal control now provides the ability to match cooling performance to specific applications. The XTi 2 Series also has a brand-new Advanced Monitoring section which provides visibility of AC line voltage and power supply temperature, along with completely updated HiQnet Band Manager™ and System Architect™ control panels to keep setup and configuration simple and lightning fast.

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