DJ Times July 2008, Vol 21 No 7

AMERICA’S FIRST MAGAZINE FOR PROFESSIONAL DJ DJs ESTABLISHED 1988 JULY 2008

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Report From Motown

DJ REVIVAL Mobiles Testify

Solutions for you C E L E B R AT I N G 2 0 Y E A R S

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Plus:

ABLETON LIVE 7 & LE ASSET PROTECTION FOR DJS ROB GEE’S HARDCORE RULES MIGUEL MIGS’ REMIX REACTIONS

Presented By

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DJ TIMES JULY 2008

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INDUSTRY EVENTS…NOTABLES…MILESTONES

NEWS

Nicole Chipi

ditionally, Pullen and fellow ABDJ nominee Dennis Ferrer played a special afterparty at nearby St. Andrews h all.

Beginning at noon each day, the Festival offered unique music environments with five sponsored stages—Vitamin Water’s “big bowl,” the Beatport tent, Real Detroit’s underground area below the plaza, the Pioneer Pro DJ tent and the Red Bull Music Academy tent along the Detroit River with its view of Windsor, Ontario. h ighlights included: Joris Voorn’s manic set at the Beatport stage, which led into the Deadmau5 show.

As soon as Deadmau5 hit the stage— yes, wearing his enormous cartoon mouse mask—dozens of stagefront fans lifted up issues of DJ Times with his rodent features gracing its cover. (continued on page 42)

h ometown h ero: Carl Craig greets the throng.

Fear the Mau5: A Deadmau5 fan in Detroit.

DJ TIMES

ABDJ: Mixxin’ in AC

Atlantic City, N.J.—Nobody can work Pioneer’s DVJ-1000s quite like Roonie G, and this past May 17 he lit up The Mixx at The Borgata during his America’s Best DJ tourstop. Creating his own unique content, the Vegas-based/Georgia-bred ABDJ nominee expertly melded dance and urban flavors for an appreciative all-night crowd. For more on America’s Best DJ Summer Tour Presented by Pioneer Pro DJ, please visit americasbestdj.net.

JULY 2008

Mikey McNulty Mikey McNulty

By Jim Tremayne Detroit—In the end, Movement appeared to be a grand success for all involved. h eld this past May 24-26 in Detroit’s h art Plaza, the 9th annual event, billed as “Detroit’s Electronic Music Festival,” presented nearly 100 performers on five stages—that’s 62 DJs and 31 live acts. According to its organizers Paxahau Event Productions, Movement drew over 53,000 attendees for its three days.

DJ Times was there to help make Detroit a prominent stop on America’s Best DJ Summer Tour Presented

by Pioneer Pro DJ. With its dedicated booth, DJ Times solicited votes for ABDJ nominees, and festival attendees had plenty to choose from. Eight ABDJ nominees—Moby, Carl Craig, Dub re, Mark Farina, Peanut Butter Wolf, Stacey Pullen, Josh Wink and Dieselboy—played the festival. Ad-

Michael Luczaj/beachmonkey.com/edgenewyork.com

MOVEMENT MOVES MOTOWN, ABDJ TOUR DOES DETROIT

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12 Feeling So Real

Volume 21 Number 7

With a Dancefloor- riendly Release & a Return to the DJ Booth, Moby Rediscovers His Roots

By Emily Tan

18 Career Pathfinder

Before They Began Their DJ Careers, These Mobiles Absorbed Valuable Lessons from Other Industries.

By Jeff Stiles

20 The Big Takeover

Now That Digital Dominates the DJ Domain, Let’s Take a Look at the Landscape

By Nate Sherwood

SAMPLINGS

DEPARTMENTS

8 Rob Gee

6 Feedback

Hardcore Rules

10 In the Studio With…

Miguel Migs

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

24 Making Tracks

Ableton Live 7 & LE

26 Sounding Off

Allen & Heath’s XD-53’s & Ecler’s EVO5

28 Mobile Profil

Cali DJ Can Please Without the Cheese

30 Business Line

How DJs Can Shield Their Assets

32 Gear

New Products from Numark, Chauvet & More

36 Grooves

Phat Tracks from Laurent Garnier, Heartthrob & More

38 DJ Times Marketplace

DJ TIMES JULY 2008

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Shop Here for All Your DJ-Related Supplies

41 Club Play Chart

The Hottest Records, As Reported

by Our Top U.S. Record Pools

Cover Photo by Ryan Muir

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DJ TIMES

Passionate About Sound

JULY 2008

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from th e editor

editor-in-chief Jim Tremayne editor-at-large Brian O’Connor

DJ TIMES JULY 2008

Motown Merriment Detroit—It’s a sad admission, but before this past Memorial Day Weekend I’d never been to Detroit’s Electronic Music Festival. Now billed as Movement, the three-day festival held in Motown’s H art Plaza was a genuine pleasure and an education. Fact is, in all my years doing this job, I’d never seen anything quite like it.

It was a pleasure because the music was so good—the lineup included everything from stellar locals like Stacey Pullen to Platinum-sellers like Moby, international stars like Benny Benassi to underground icons like Richie H awtin.

I was swimming in great music.

It was an education to see how much the locals love to represent The D. The city of Detroit has certainly taken its hits over the years, but you’d never know it by the deep civic pride exuded from the Motown faithful. They love their city, and they support its music like no other American town. It’s downright inspiring to see.

So in helping DJ Times make Detroit a big part of America’s Best DJ Summer Tour Presented by Pioneer Pro DJ, we’d like to thank Movement organizers, Paxahau Event Productions. Your professionalism did not go unnoticed. But mostly we’d like to thank Detroit and its music community. I’m pretty sure DJ Times won’t miss this gig again.

Among many others, Moby rocked Detroit that weekend, and it’s encouraging to see that he’s made a big return to the DJ booth. H is semi-regular “Degenerates” parties have been spicing up New York nightlife for the past nine months or so and his new album, Last Night, re ects his renewed interest in the dance oor.

Our Emily Tan found out why and how that happened.

This month also marks our annual “Digital DJ Issue.” As the digital side of the market has taken over to such a dramatic extent, we de-

cided it was time to offer a complete rundown of the landscape and show all the viable options that mobile and club jocks now enjoy. Our Nate Sherwood embarked on the tall task of breaking down the hardware, software, controllers and other futuristic gadgets that are taking DJs to the next level.

And don’t forget the International DJ Expo, set for August 11-14 at the Trump Taj Mahal H otel & Casino. In addition to the exhibits and seminars, we’ll present the annual DJ of the Year competition at The Casbah. H elmed by MC Mike Walter, the event will bring out North America’s best mobile entertainers. If you’re interested in participating, take a look at the right-hand page for instructions. We sincerely hope that you make it “Back to the Boardwalk” this year, for what will undoubtedly be our best DJ Expo yet.

Cheers,

graphic designer/ar tist Janice Pupelis

chart coordinator Dan Miller

production manager Steve Thorakos

contributor s Jody Amos Joe Bermudez Shawn Christopher Paul Dailey Justin Hampton Josh Harris William Johnson Robert LaFrance Lisa Loco Michelle Loeb Lily Moayeri Phil Moffa Scott Rubin Rahav Segev Jennifer Shapiro Nate Sherwood Jeff Stiles Emily Tan Phil Turnipseed Curtis Zack

promotions/web designer Phillip Taylor

President/Publisher Vincent P. Testa

For cust omer ser vice and t o order subscriptions, call 800-937-7678 visit our website www.djtimes.com

Jim Tremayne, Editor, DJ Times

DJ Times Sound & Communications The Music & Sound Retailer Sound & Communications Blue Book America’s Best DJ Award The Music & Sound Retailer Clubworld International DJ Expo IT/AV Report The Club Show Convention TV News VTTV Studios

advertising manager John Grecco circulation dir ector Linda Emanuele advertising & mark eting assistant Irene Sawyer classified sale Linda Inglima

operations manager Robin Hazan Editorial and Sales Office DJ Times, 25 Willowdale Avenue, Port Washington, New York, USA 11050-3779. (516) 767-2500 • FAX (Editorial): (516) 944-8372 • FAX (Sales/all other business): (516) 767-9335 • DJTIMES@TESTA. COM Editorial contributions should be addressed to The Editor, DJ Times, 25 Willowdale Avenue, Port Washington, NY, USA, 110503779. Unsolicited manuscripts will be treated with care an d should be accompanied by return postage.

DJ Times (ISSN 1045-9693) (USPS 0004-153) is published monthly for $19.40 (US), $39.99 (Canada), and $59.99 (all other countries), by DJ Publishing, Inc., 25 Willowdale Ave., Port Washington, NY 110503779. Periodicals postage paid at Port Washington, NY, and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER: Send address changes to DJ Times, PO BOX 1767, LOWELL MA 01853-1767 Design and contents are copyright © 2008 by DJ Publishing, Inc., and must not be reproduced in any manner except by permission of the publisher. Websites: www. djtimes.com and www.testa.com July 2008

visit our website: www.djtimes.com

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FEEDBACK Monday “Mobile Party” kicks off the Expo every year and it’s chock-full of great routines. Why not get yourself on that stage and show your peers in the industry what you can do? And even if you just want to watch at both events, you’ll be sure to go back to your market with valuable performance ideas. We sincerely hope to see you all in Atlantic City this August.

– Mike Walter, DJ of the Year Host/ Elite Entertainment, Eatontown, N.J.

Don’t Miss the Int’l DJ Expo Aug. 11-14 @

Trump Taj Mahal & Casino For details, visit

www.djtimes.com

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.

DEAR DJ TIMES: How do I participate in the DJ of the Year competition at the International DJ Expo?

DJ TIMES

First off, the Expo is set for August 1114 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City and we’re really excited about it.

For the latest info, please visit www. djtimes.com/djexpo/2008/.

The DJ of the Year Event is set for Wednesday, August 13 at The Casbah club inside the Taj. If you want to compete for one of several prizes—DJ of the Year, Runner Up, Best Game, Best Dance, and Best Use of Choreographed Dancers—reach out to me at elitedj101@aol.com or call me at (732) 935-7500.

Every year we look for new and exciting performances by top mobile entertainers from across the country. If you’ve got a dance or a game that is unique and dynamic, you should seriously consider entering the competition.

Past winners tell us the promotional value of the award is unbelievable. Last year’s winner, Sean “Big Daddy” McKee from Connecticut, has had tons of press coverage about his achievement and his bookings are better than ever.

He’s literally become a household name in the industry.

Also, if you’d like to perform, but don’t want to “compete,” you can contact me about the Monday night event, also set for The Casbah, on August 11. Our

JULY 2008

– Several Email Inquiries

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samplings

Take hardcore-techno pioneer Rob Gee, a metalhead kid from Jersey who turned a love for early-’90s techno into a viciously aggressive sonic soundstorm.

In doing so, it’s earned him an international reputation and fans amongst ravers and rockers like System of a Down bassist (and sometime DJ) Shavo Odadjian and Slipknot’s DJ Starscream.

Those who saw the infamous beatdown video, with him being accosted by an onstage intruder at 2006’s Sensation Black event, would be shocked to nd a thoughtful, level-headed individual who makes admirably measured decisions regarding his music and career. For instance, his recent trilogy of LPs, Rob Gee, Says, and a third, to be released later this year on Rock Ridge Music, was inspired

by System of a Down’s Mesmerize/Hypnotize release strategy.

“They gave you some music, you feed on that for a while and then six months later, boom, you got another one,” he says. “And you actually appreciate the previous record even more, whereas you try dipping into 40 songs at once from the same artist, you can kind of get lost.”

Rob Gee’s current sound splits the difference between a live six-piece metal group and his more standard electronic fare. H e records onto a Digidesign Pro Tools Mix Plus system with a Nord Lead 2, three 888/24s, a Core Card and two

DJ TIMES JULY 2008

Rob Gee’s Hardcore Rules

Farm Cards, USD with an Apogee PSX-100 clock.

For recording live instruments, he often uses a Shure SM-50 microphone and runs them through Marshall or Mesa Boogie amp and a vintage Neve preamp before heading into Pro Tools.

Rob has the Waves Diamond bundle of plug-ins for Pro Tools and he does use them, but cautions, “Try to achieve the best sound possible into Pro Tools before you have to start fucking around with any effects and plug-ins.”

While Rob will never let go of prized hardware such as the Roland Juno 2, Arp Odyssey or the Roland TR-909, he has collected and sampled many sounds over the years that he’s tweaked and databanked. One of these sounds is his infamous fuzzed-out kickdrum, which he created years ago by recording a 909 and turning the gain way up on a Mackie 1604 soundboard.

“It’s really flattering that that particular kick drum sound is used in pretty much every single [hardcore techno track],” he remarks. “I’m not exactly getting credit for it, not that I care, but it’s nice to know.”

Gee is preparing to tour with his band well into 2009, but still DJs wherever the kids like their sound abrasive. H e’s sponsored by Vestax and prefers their PDX-2300 turntables, and also uses Pioneer CDJ-1000s. But he does intend to bring Serato into the mix soon enough, as he ultimately prizes pragmatism over vinyl sentimentalism.

“I really think vinyl will go away eventually,” Gee believes. “You don’t have to worry about [digital files] getting scratched.

You don’t have to worry about [CDs] getting stolen if you back up everything—and why not?”

– Justin Hampton

Rob Gee’s trademark kickdrums dominate hardcore techno.

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JULY 2008

DJ TIMES

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IN THE STUDIO WITH… Usually, a remix album is done as an entire commissioned project, but Miguel Migs wanted something different and more DJ-friendly for the CD based on his 2007 release, Those Things.

Many of the remixes that ended up on Those Things Remixed (Om Records) were made available in the year after the artist album’s initial release and Migs saw that a wide group of DJs gravitated to them. So why not release the best of the lot?

“That’s the whole point of this thing, the variety,” says the San Francisco-based DJ/producer and America’s Best DJ nominee. “It’s always interesting to see what someone else is going to come up with.

Even if you’re a fan of someone’s work, you’re taking a gamble because you don’t know what you’re going to get.”

With Faze Action, Cottonbelly, J-Boogie and others on board, the individual styles of the remixers are divergent and their takes on the original material are unique. But there is a ow and coherence that makes the CD work—at times even better than Those Things, which follows a similar format throughout. “[Those Things] is all in the same vein,” agrees

Migs, “It’s upbeat, on the funk side of electronic house. [Those Things Remixed] goes through the spectrum from Afro to dub-oriented to electronic to old-school to straight-up deep house with in uences of all the vibes that I was going for on the album. Remix albums can be more like a compilation rather than an album-listening experience. But there was enough consistency and quality to put it together in one package because they were all in an album formula.”

DJs get two versions of “Fire” (from Faze Action and Cottonbelly) and two mixes of “So Far” (from Rasmus Faber and Eric Stamile), and the reinterpretations are wildly different from each other. Faze Action approaches “Fire” with its patented Afrodub orchestral style, while Cottonbelly’s Stuart Matthewman deals with it at a midtempo level with hip-hop and dub infusions.

“The way [Matthewman] worked the delays and the dub-edged feel to it, he locks into the grooves and expands on the original version harder with more dance oor,” observes Migs. “Faze Action gave it dance oor playability as well. I’ve been playing it a lot in my sets and it goes down great. It’s one of

MIGUEL MIGS: REMIX REFLECTIONS

those things that has diverse appeal to different styles of DJs, whether you’re into a speci c kind of house music or whether you’re into funk or dub or Afro or broken beat. It de nitely crosses all those styles of music.”

Similarly, “So Far” is given completely different treatments by its remixers, so much so that it is barely recognizable as the same track. “[Rasmus Faber] did more of a full vocal remix, which is Latinesque, more percussive, with acoustic guitars and melody-oriented,” says Migs. “But [Eric Stamile’s mix] is more electronic, has that ’80s feel to it with pads and soft synths and the gritty electronic bassline, and it was a dub rather than a full vocal.

They had come out as singles before the remixalbum concept and had positive feedback from different kinds of people and DJs for both remixes for different reasons.”

Though Migs admits to some anxious moments on the project, he found the process ultimately rewarding. “Lots of times I’ll sit on a remix, then I’ll push myself to go in—even though I think it’s done—and change this and that,” he says. “You change a bassline, and that inspires you to change an element in the drums or one of the keyboard parts. Before you know it, you’ve changed a few little things, but it makes everything come together.

I’m so happy I opened my own mind to go in and sit on it for a minute and try something else before thinking it’s done.”

– Lily Moayeri

DJ TIMES JULY 2008

Migs’ Those Things Remixed includes works from Faze Action & Cottonbelly.

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JULY 2008

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With a Dancefloor-Friendly Release & a Return to the DJ Booth, Moby Rediscovers His Roots

DJ TIMES JULY 2008

By Emily Tan New York City—Whatever your opinion of Moby, his contributions to electronic dance music cannot be easily ignored. And it’s always encouraging for readers of this magazine to realize that Moby’s path to success wasn’t so far out of the ordinary.

Before he went 9X platinum with 1999’s Play, before he took his Area Festival to the masses, Moby (aka Richard Melville Hall, 42) was a Connecticut-based DJ. He played bars and small clubs, taking the odd mobile job, including school dances or weddings. He maintained an intellectual curiosity, so New York called to him. It was there that he found his artistic voice and that began with DJing in the Manhattan clubs. Early productions like “Go” and “Next Is the E” lit up the nascent rave scene and he was on his way to an international recording career.

His latest album, Last Night (Mute), is a paean to the joys of clubbing in New York City, something he’s rediscovered in recent years. The dance oor-friendly CD traces the distinct stages of a typical night out in The Big Apple. Tunes range from Moby’s ecstatic, gospel-infused electronica (“Everyday It’s 1989” and “Disco Lies”) to apocalyptic-sounding hip-hop (“Alice”), the achingly soulful and orchestral (“Live For Tomorrow”) to electro-pop (“Ooh Yeah), plus lush, downtempo moments (“Degenerates”).

He’s even gone back to DJing on a fairly regular basis. His unpretentious “Degenerates” parties at Manhattan’s Hiro Ballroom have brought some of the fun back to NYC nightlife. After upfront jocks like Tommie Sunshine get the oor moving with newer tunes, Moby drops the bombs—material from his new album to everlasting bangers from the Chemical Brothers or Basement Jaxx. And this past Memorial Day Weekend, Moby headlined the rst night of Movement: Detroit’s Electronic Music Festival. Before an evening throng at Hart Plaza’s “amphitheater bowl,” Moby rocked the joint with tasty local avor like Inner City’s “Good Life” and his own classics like “Go.” DJ Times sat down for a one-on-one with Moby to understand how and why he’s rediscovered his dance oor. (Editor’s Note: Clips from the interview are airing on Sirius Satellite Radio’s Area 33.)

DJ Times: Tell me about your early DJing days.

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DJ TIMES

JULY 2008

Michael Luczaj/beachmonkey.com/edgenewyork.com

Movement: Moby dazzles at Detroit’s Electronic Music Festival.

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IN MOBY’S STUDIO Ableton Live 7 Ace Tone organ Akai S-3000 sampler Akai S-3200 sampler Digidesign Pro Tools DAW Gibson SG electric guitar Korg Triton workstation Logic Pro DAW Mac G5 computer Oberheim Matrix 1000 synth Ohmboyz plug-ins Pioneer CDJ-1000 CD player Pioneer DJM-800 mixer Roland Juno 106 synth Roland Jupiter 6 synth Roland TB 303 synth/sequencer

DJ TIMES JULY 2008

Roland TR 606 drum machine Roland TR 909 drum machine Serge Modular synth Technics SL-1200 turntables Yamaha SY85 workstation

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out in Williamsburg [in Brooklyn]. There are lots of venues I’ve been inspired by. I’ve gone out and had really great nights at Studio B in Williamsburg, 205 Club and Nublu. Nublu is my favorite bar in New York, just because you never know what you’re going to get.

DJ Times: How has your booth setup evolved over the years?

Moby: I DJed with vinyl up until a year ago with a Numark mixer and two Technics 1200s. Last year, I was running through the airport carrying two ight cases lled with records, and the records didn’t come off the baggage claim. That’s when I switched over to CDs. Now I DJ with the Pioneer CDJ1000s and a Pioneer mixer. I love vinyl and I like DJing old-school with the rotary dial mixer, but the Pioneer mixers and CD players are great. I use the [Pioneer] mixer with the four-channel effects in it.

DJ Times: What’s your DJ approach?

Moby: I try to help [the track] along. If there’s a breakdown, it’s nice to roll off all the low-end on the breakdown and then bring it back when the song comes back in. It’s like taking what the producer intended and amplifying it. I was a hip-hop DJ for a long time, so I still do a lot of looping. But I don’t know if playing around with a track ever really improves the record. I mainly do it for my own entertainment.

DJ Times: You used to play weddings. You were you a mobile DJ, right?

Moby: I’ve done every type of DJing. When I rst started DJing in 1984-85, I’d play school dances. I remember playing a wedding where they only had cassette players. It was so depressing because the bride walked down the aisle to a cassette of Bon Jovi. I got paid $80 for that gig.

DJ Times: How long were you doing mobiles?

Moby: I did mobile DJing when I could, but mainly I worked in small bars and clubs in Connecticut. I eventually got a job in New York City from 1984’90.

DJ Times: What was the most valuable lesson from your mobile days?

Moby: How to x a sound system very quickly! I cannot count the number of times, even now, you’re playing a big venue and there’s something wrong with the system…it’s nice I know how to x it.

DJ Times: What about performance lessons?

Moby: DJing for such a long time doing mobile DJing or DJing in small bars and clubs with a really diverse clientele teaches you to become very utilitarian and you learn very quickly what records work or don’t work, and why those records work or don’t work. It becomes instinctual after a while.

DJ Times: What’s your approach to your Degenerates parties?

Moby: Degenerates happens every month or every six weeks. It’s just an opportunity for my friends and I to get together and play records. We play house music and disco and electro. I just show up with my records and start playing.

JULY 2008

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DJ TIMES

Moby: It was my lifetime goal to get a job DJing in New York City. My rst job here was playing at Mars on the West Side Highway, which is now a parking lot. At that time, I was an unknown DJ living in an abandoned factory. What was amazing about Mars was that it had six levels and on each level they had a phenomenal sound system. In the basement there’d be deep-house, on the main oor there’d be house and hip-hop on the second oor. House music again on the third oor, and then you’d have reggae and dancehall on the fourth, and disco and funk on the roof! It was an amazing place.

DJ Times: What music do you remember from that time?

Moby: What was remarkable about the dance scene in New York in the 1980s was that it was truly underground. You’d have records like Raze featuring Keith Thompson’s “Break 4 Love,” which would be a huge hit in New York, or Bobby Konders’ “The Poem”—monster hits you could play and every person would rush to the dance oor. Outside the city, no one knew these songs even existed! It was really special.

DJ Times: What was the club scene like?

Moby: New York was being ravaged by the crack epidemic and AIDS. Nightclubs were strange, because there were lots of shootings and all the drug dealers and drag queens would go there. You didn’t know who had died the week before, who was sick with HIV, or who had been shot.

It was also truly multi-racial and multi-cultural. As the rave scene made its way to the States, the dance scene took off and my friend DB started these parties called NASA. DJ Times: What was the rst NASA party you threw?

Moby: We had a Halloween party called NASA Masquerave at Sound Factory and it was me and Altern-8 from [England], a techno group. We expected a couple hundred people to show up. We got to the venue and there were 5,000 people lined up around the block! NASA later moved to Shelter—Timmy Regisford’s place—where it found a home. I used to DJ there all the time, and it was a lot of fun.

DJ Times: You’ve been a DJ for 24 years?

Moby: I went to The University of Connecticut and dropped out sophomore year. I had no way of paying rent, so I got a job at a record store and I started DJing in a tiny club called The Beat in Port Chester, N.Y. I played Joy Division records and punk rock and I got into hip hop.

I played New Order and Dead Or Alive and Nitzer Ebb. When house music started, I’d play Dead Or Alive into Marshall Jefferson into Farley Jackmaster Funk.

DJ Times: Dave Dresden credits you with having taught him to DJ. Is that true?

Moby: I don’t know if I taught him…Dave and I grew up in Connecticut. He was a club promoter and I was a DJ. I remember having to be really sycophantic and doing all I could to get his attention.

DJ Times: So why the return to DJing now?

Moby: In 1992-93, I was putting out my own records and going out and touring. Because I came from a live background, as well as a DJ background, I started playing live. I kept adding more and more musicians onstage and it got to the point in 2000 where I was on tour playing guitar, bass, keyboards and percussion. I’d go out with a string section, background vocalists, drummers and percussionists—so we’d have 10 people onstage. The tours kept getting bigger. I found that the bigger the tours got, the less I enjoyed them. The last tour we did was a very big tour of Europe and I was really unhappy, and I came back to New York…

DJ Times: Why unhappy?

Moby: Because everyday everybody around me was just employees.

They weren’t my friends. When you’re only hanging out with people you pay, it gets kinda lonely. Playing larger venues, you never get to meet people. You’re onstage in front of 10,000 people. You nish, you get on a bus and drive to the next venue, and it’s kind of a lonely existence.

All my life I thought that was what I wanted, but when I actually had it, I didn’t enjoy it. I came back to New York and just for fun started DJing at really small places like Nublu on Avenue C. DJ Times: Was that a revelation?

Moby: I found I was a lot happier DJing and playing house music in front of 100 people than standing onstage in front of 10,000 people playing live. I really feel the dance music scene in the last 10 years has become reinvigorated and a lot more exciting. In the mid-’90s, it seemed like dance music got a little too serious. Everyone was taking themselves too seriously. Towards the end of the ’90s, the era of the “Superstar DJ” became too big. Now, I feel like things are really fun again.

DJ Times: What speci cally made you feel reinvigorated?

Moby: Just the last few years being in the Lower East Side and going

geminidj.com

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DJ TIMES JULY 2008

DJ Times: DJ Times: You don’t program beforehand?

Moby: Every now and then I’ll try and figure out Moby: what I’m gonna play beforehand. I just want people to be happy. I admire esoteric DJs who can play really experimental records…

DJ Times: DJ Times: Like Richie Hawtin…

Moby: Yeah, I toured with Richie and John AcMoby: quaviva and the Plus-8 guys in ’92. I’ll go to these really minimal parties in Brooklyn at The Bunker or the Wolf + Lamb parties and they’re very experimental and minimal and I appreciate it, but unfortunately, you can’t do that if you’re playing to a lot of people in certain environments. I’m a populist and I like records with breakdowns that people can throw their hands in the air to.

DJ Times: Times: What, to you, comprises a great DJ party?

Moby: The last Degenerates we did was with Moby: Tommie Sunshine and DJ Medi from Ed Banger Records, with Spank Rock and Princess Superstar.

We’ve had a lot of really interesting guests. For me, a great party’s really simple: You need attractive people, alcohol [laughs], a loud sound system and fun music.

DJ DJ Times: Times: Last Night is #1 on iTunes charts around the world. Do you read those stats?

Moby: Moby: Because I’ve had such a complicated relationship with the media over the years, I make a huge effort not to read any press or anything about me. I’ve asked all my friends and the people I work with to not send me anything. Sometimes people write nice things about me, but people have written unbelievably nasty things. And you know what? The quality of my life is not improved by being hated by strangers.

DJ Times: Times: You recorded Last Night in your DJ home studio?

Moby: All of my records have been reMoby: corded at home with synthesizers and samplers, but I wanted it to have a really nice, warm sound to it. My friend Dan Grech-Marguerat—he was Radiohead’s engineer—he and I mixed the album together in a beautiful old analog studio because I didn’t want it to sound too slick and high-tech. I wanted it to feel more analog and organic.

DJ Times: Times: Do you have all digital DJ gear in your studio?

Moby: It’s a combination. I have Moby: a lot of old analog synths and drum machines. Still, I have no problem with really good-sounding digital plug-ins. Bob Moog had a very spiritual attachment to analog circuitry, and I understand it, because it actually exists. You’re starting with a pure voltage signal and you’re modifying it. There’s something physical and tangible about that. But at the same time, there are some really great-sounding virtual synths and drum sounds now.

DJ Times: Is there one piece of production equipment you can’t live without?

“I found I was a lot happier DJing in front of 100 people than standing onstage in front of 10,000 people playing live.”

Moby: My Roland Juno 106. It’s a one-and-ahalf oscillator synthesizer. It’s such a workhorse.

I don’t know that I’ve made a record that that hasn’t appeared on. It’s so versatile and userfriendly. I’ve got a lot of the analog synths, especially the German ones, that are so complicated you never wanna turn them on.

DJ Times: And indispensable DJ gear?

Moby: For the longest time , my answer would’ve been the Technics 1200s. Now that I DJ mainly with CDs, I’m gonna have to go with that fantastic Pioneer CDJ turntable. I resisted it for such a long time, but now I’m a convert. The Pioneer [DJM-800 mixer] sonically does sound good, but it’s never gonna sound as good as an old Urei mixer.

DJ Times: How do you view the evolution of DJ technology since you began?

Moby: From my perspective there’s so much good gear out there! I don’t even know how to use a third of it. I still have yet to get into the world of Serato. I’ll show up and see people using it and I know at some point I’ll have to learn it. Now, people can DJ with Reason, Ableton or Logic—it’s limitless. Some of the things, like timestretching, are incredible. Ableton does amaze me. You throw something in at 120 BPM and you want it to be 128 BPM, and instantly it is. The pitch doesn’t change and it sounds perfect—almost like the more you stretch it, the more interesting it gets. I’m stunned at what DJs can do now.

DJ Times: Do you think the DJ will ever become obsolete?

Moby: The DJ has become so egalitarian. It used to be that in order to be a DJ, you had to go to all the obscure record stores and buy vinyl and know how to use the Technics 1200. It was a very speci c and obscure skill. Now, almost anybody can DJ. A lot of my friends who are DJs complain about that and find that to be off-putting. But personally, I love it, because the more egalitarian DJing becomes, the more people get interested in dance music. If you look at James Murphy from LCD Soundsystem, he comes from an alt-rock background. I do like that hybrid of the indie-rock DJs who are playing dance music now.

DJ Times: Which DJs do you admire?

Moby: I don’t remember people’s names. Part of that is because, usually when I go out to DJ, I end up drinking too much. I’ll think I’ve just heard the best DJ in the world, but unfortunately in the morning, I don’t remember who they are.

DJ Times: You’re a vegan, yet you drink!

Moby: I don’t drink bacon. [laughs] DJ Times: What’s next for you?

Moby: I never expected to have a record contract. I never expected to have a career as a musician. I thought I’d probably teach community college and make music in my bedroom that no one would ever listen to…

DJ Times: I’m not sure I believe that.

Moby: Really, that’s what I thought my life would be. All I wanna do for the rest of my life is make music. That’s it! I’m not presumptuous enough to believe that I’ll have a record contract forever.

I’m not presumptuous to believe that people will wanna listen to music that I make, forever, but all I wanna do for the rest of my life is stay home and make music.

■

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BEFORE THEY BEGAN THEIR DJ CAREERS, THESE MOBILES ABSORBED VALUABLE LESSONS FROM OTHER INDUSTRIES —AND YOU CAN, TOO.

BY JEFF STILES

DJ TIMES JULY 2008

While some little boys dream of eventually becoming a reman or a police of cer, Northern California’s Mark Haggerty fantasized as a child about being an astronaut.

Mark says his employment “plan” faded when he realized he’d have to rst join a military service, and working as a roadie for musical stars such as Heart and John Cougar Mellencamp provided much better training for his eventual DJ career than ying among terrestrial stars at zero gravity.

“I met some older guys during those years [and they] showed me how to run cool lighting and sound equipment on some really big shows,” explains the operations manager for Denon & Doyle in Pleasant Hill, Calif. “I worked for practically all of the great bands of

the ’80s—you name them, Foreigner, Loverboy, Night Ranger, The Stray Cats, Katrina & The Waves, Flock Of Seagulls, The Go-Go’s, The Motels, Tom Petty, ZZ Top, Journey, Sammy Hagar, Billy Squire, AC/DC, Police, Santana, Starship, Huey Lewis and others I can’t even remember.”

Because some of those roadie gigs included serving as an MC, Haggerty also gained experience working on a microphone. “Those original jobs helped me to get comfortable on a mic,” he explains, “and I also learned how to plug things in, troubleshoot and really understand technical stuff.”

We asked DJs throughout the country about their original career plans, and how their earlier experiences—both in terms of training and during real-life work experiences—have come in handy in their eventual career as a mobile DJ.

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‘

Russ Harris in Chicago says his DJ career isn’t too far off from his original career plans, since he studied communications in college. “I went to DePaul University in 1991 as a freshman studying communications, with the end goal to be in the broadcasting business,” explains the present-day owner of Show on the Road Entertainment. “My desire to be on a radio station was strong at rst, but over the next three years I found out that the number of good-paying jobs in the radio broadcasting job market versus the actual jobs available was like 99 to one.”

Since Harris already had a mobile DJ company he had started at age 14 that was paying tuition easily, he decided to go full-time with it. He took remaining minor class requirements in business and marketing and was able to graduate on time, yet he’s still a full-time DJ to this day.

Other than regretting not taking some music recording classes during his college years, would Harris do anything different? “I look at that diploma every now and then and say to myself, ‘What a waste of $45,000 that was!’” he says with a chuckle.

When he was in junior high, Jacksonville, Fla.-based DJ David Hanscom always wanted to play professional sports. After all, he excelled at baseball, basketball and soccer, and by high school had focused on playing basketball for a career. College scouts even came to watch him play during his sophomore and junior years, but that’s when a physical condition with the tendons in his ankles caused him to look beyond basketball.

“While working at a CD Warehouse I met a ton of DJs and made some really great friends,” he recalls. “One in particular, a guy named Geoff, started talking to me about DJing, and turned me on to the idea of being a mobile DJ. “I started contacting local DJ companies via the Yellow Pages and doing anything else I could to learn more about this industry, and here I am 10 years later with a thriving multi-op DJ company and a party rental store.”

Some of the things Hanscom says he learned from his earlier experiences that have been applied to his eventual career running Y? Entertainment & Events include lessons in time and money management, along with observations he has made along the way of how not to do things.

“If I ever had to do it again, I would not change a thing,” says Hanscom.

“I truly believe that this is what I was meant to do and now, 10 years later, I am having the time of my life.”

Steve Croce of Silver Sound DJs in Philadelphia says his dream was always to be a teacher, with plans to begin as a high school English instructor and eventually land a position as a college professor. Instead of nishing up his education major at a community college and transferring to Penn State to nish a degree, however, Croce put down his pen and walked away from his longtime career plans.

“When I was in college, I discovered that I really derived a lot of personal satisfaction from the events where I was entertaining,” he recalls of weekend DJ gigs during those early years. “Plus, I only had to wait four hours to know if I had done a good job. I didn’t need to wait 40 years to get a tea party in the elementary school cafeteria.”

Croce says the pay he was making then as a Weekend Warrior was certainly better than a teacher’s salary, though that was not what pulled him away from teaching. “I discovered that I could be just as in uential to the people around me by doing what I was naturally gravitating towards,” he says. “Believe it or not, I realized at a very young age that my inclination to become a teacher was fueled by my desire to help others, to make people feel happy and ful lled, and for the people I encounter to walk away feeling a little better about themselves.”

In fact, whenever meeting with his clients, Croce often catches himself assuming the teacher role. “At the beginning of my presentation, I tell them: “Whether or not you choose to use my service, after my presentation, you will be heavily armed with some great questions to ask other DJs. Ultimately, your ability to hire someone who makes you feel comfortable and con dent about your wedding day is worth more than anything.

“When presenting to my client, I spend less time talking about my service and more time giving advice about the things that a bride and groom don’t often think about until after the day,” he continues. For example, some advice for the bride: “To beat the post-wedding-day blues, try to remember this. When there is one hour left in your reception, take your new husband by the hand and stand on the side of the room for ve minutes. Take in the sights, the smells, the sounds...everything. What usually makes a bride feel bummed out about her wedding day is the feeling that she missed out on all her hard work and planning. The ve minutes you spend together on the side of the dance oor will almost de nitely be the memory you take with you to your rocking chairs.

“At the very least, I feel like I’m forcing the other DJs to ‘raise their game.’ And the way I look at it, the more they improve their own service, the more inspired I am to improve my own.”

Many of us worked in restaurants early in our DJ careers, as a way to help pay the bills and supplement our entertainment income. However, Wisconsin’s Chuck Towns says his original plan was to get into restaurant management.

After nishing high school, Towns went through the usual rigor of technical college, working to earn an associates degree in food preparation management. He worked in the industry a few years, and eventually scored a position as manager of a supper club. That restaurant closed and Towns moved on to a local radio station, where he eventually was promoted to general manager and started doing mobile DJ work on the side.

As a full-time DJ today, Towns says the early years he spent in management allowed him to develop relationships with all aspects of restaurant and banquet management—and that has reaped volumes of bene ts for his mobile career. “All those experiences taught me empathy for what these people are trying to accomplish,” he says. “I realize they are showcasing their facility and services every weekend to potential customers just like I am, and they want to provide comfortable seating and a good-tasting meal.

“I try to accommodate that as best I can by requiring minimal space and keeping things running on time, and they really appreciate it.

I’ve found that when we all work together, we can all accomplish our similar goal—satisfying our common customers.”

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Although he studied psychology in college and eventually received a masters degree in counseling psychology, Colorado’s Scott McKinney decided to DJ full-time rather than continue on with PhD. The biggest use of his psychology background that applies to his DJ career, McKinney says, involves the selling and marketing aspect of his business. “While I do sell and market Solid Sound Entertainment, I do a lot of listening and digesting what people are saying,” he says. “It’s very easy for me or anyone to talk about ourselves and our companies until we are blue in the face, but how do we truly know what the clients, catering hall managers, photographers and event planners really need unless we listen to what they are looking for?”

When McKinney and his wife meet with prospective clients, they always start out by asking a handful of questions about them, how they met, why they chose their site, their caterer, a funny engagement story, where they go to school or what hobbies they like.

This listening process typically lasts a good ve to 10 minutes, and McKinney recalls one meeting where they didn’t start talking about their actual DJ event for over half an hour because they were busy chitchatting about everything else.

“It really loosens the atmosphere up, though, and you can also get a real good sense of your client by watching body language,” he says. “You know the type—sitting upright in chair, arms crossed, all business? My goal is to get them more relaxed, to mirror some of their body positions throughout the course of the meeting.

“While I don’t use any NLP—Neuro Linguistic Programming, watching eye movements, full body language and the like—these strategies have really helped me with my selling.”

JULY 2008

Meanwhile, rather than experiencing the career twists and turns of others, Connecticut’s Mike Fernino says his plan all along was to be a DJ. “Twentyfour years ago, as a 16-year-old high school student, I was infatuated with records, turntables and big speakers,” he recalls. “All I wanted to do was play at school dances, and when my rst event was booked, I borrowed just about everything I needed, brought my cases of 45s along and was hooked for life.”

Of course, during his college years the bills did need to be paid so Fernino landed a full-time job with United Parcel Service that helped subsidize his DJ career, but when he was forced to decide between UPS or taking his part-time DJing full-time, he says the decision was not hard at all.

Today his Music In Motion Entertainment employs 14 DJs, facilitating over 500 events a year throughout southern New England. “I support my family exclusively on my DJ income and we live a very comfortable life,” says Fernino.

“I’m sure glad I didn’t decide to stay on moving boxes for a living.”

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Now That Digital Dominates the DJ Domain, Let’s Take a Look at the Landscape

By Nate Sherwood

Whether you’re a new DJ starting out or a veteran trying to push your sets to the limit, choosing a digital DJing platform can be a grueling decision.

Manufacturers are rolling out new products, and taking different approaches to digital music manipulation with alarming regularity. We’ve broken down the most common approaches to digital DJing and outlined the most common products that we found in club, mobile, and studio applications. First off, let’s break down the four basic digital DJing approaches:

1 CD Players: This is really the most traditional digital approach to DJing. Rather than

DJ TIMES JULY 2008

using turntables and vinyl to manipulate tracks, the player utilizes CDs for the audio and a jog wheel to control the music. All of the CD players listed here have the ability to play audio CDs and data CDs, which can provide over four hours of music on one standard CD.

2 Vinyl Emulation: This is a method where audio is contained on an external computer,

and manipulated via timecoded CDs or vinyl. The advantage is tons of music with the same control and feel of traditional DJing methods. The disadvantage, for some, is the cost. Users must have their own computer, CD players or turntables, and an external mixer.

3 Software Approach: This is a method where music is still accessed off an external computer, but all of the functions (play, pitch, effects, etc.) are controlled via the software itself. When used in conjuncture with a MIDI controller, it can yield the same results as vinyl emulation without the cost of external CD players or turntables.

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JULY 2008

DJ TIMES

mon piece of equipment to be found on any major DJ’s rider. The CDJ-1000MK3 is the Rolls Royce of CD Players. The adjustable jog wheel allows the user to select their own personal preference while features such as Hot Loops and a visual waveform aid in any DJs creativity.

These CD players are solid and are the industry standard in clubs around the world. ($1,099 MAP) Stanton C.324: In 2008, Stanton released its new agship CD player. This tabletop, slot-loading unit functions similarly to the Pioneer CDJ-1000, but with a couple great little features. The unit boasts on-board effects and a real-time sequencer which doubles as a drum machine. The le-browsing function enables quick and easy searching of songs. The price tag makes it a viable option for anyone looking for that industry-standard control without the industry-standard price. ($319 MAP) Numark CDX: The CDX quickly won popularity amongst true turntablists because the unit is actually built from Numark’s top-of-the-line turntable—the TTX. The CDX gives the user the feel of vinyl with a 12-inch spinning vinyl platter and an ultra-high torque direct drive motor. This CD player features plus/minus 100-percent pitch control and a wide range of DSP effects providing the power of digital 4 Harddrive/Media Approach: This approach gives the DJ the advantage media without losing the feel of vinyl under your ngertips. ($699 MAP) Denon DN-S1200: Denon recently released an upgrade to their award-winof not needing an external computer. All music is stored on a harddrive, ning DNS1000 CD player—the DNS1200. This compact CD player has built which is contained within its respective control unit. The user doesn’t need a a reputation for mobility, exibility, and indestructibility. The upgraded 9-inch separate computer; however, they will be required to actually transport each tabletop unit now features a USB input allowing the DJ to play MP3s from Flashunit from gig to gig. drives, iPods, or USB harddrives just as they would an audio CD. The DNS1200 can also be used as a MIDI controller, allowing the user to operate virtually any And then there’s this crossover section: DJ software system without the need for time coded CDs. The effects section MIDI Controllers: Almost every DJ program has a corresponding MIDI allows the DJ to put their own spin on things without having to purchase an controller; however, most MIDI controllers can be used with other DJ software. external effects unit. ($499 MAP) A MIDI controller is a unit used to control the internal functions of that program, so rather than pushing PLAY on a CD player or computer, the DJ would Vinyl Emulation use the PLAY button from the MIDI Controller.

Serato Scratch Live: Since its introduction, Serato Scratch LIVE—licensed exclusively to Rane Corp.—has become the industry standard for And now, let’s take a look at every subset in the digital DJ’s world. Minimum AdDJs who refuse to lug around crates of records, but stay true to their vertised Prices (MAPs) are based on lowest price found on the product. vinyl roots. Serato’s unparalleled responsiveness and highly acclaimed CD Players interface has quickly become the powerhouse in vinyl emulation softPioneer CDJ-1000MK3: Pioneer has built the bridge between analog and digital ware.

DJing, and the CDJ series is responsible. The tactile feel of vinyl has been emulated In fact, it’s very common now to walk into a DJ booth and see a and manufactured into a tabletop CD unit. No wonder the CDJ-1000 is the most comSerato interface already installed. Serato can be used with both time-

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DJ TIMES JULY 2008

program boasts an Auto-Mixing feature, four hot cues/loop points per channel, a solid BPM coded vinyl and CDs. Serato is a rock-solid platform that is engine, and Pioneer’s popular effects (Delay, Echo, Auto Pan,Trans, Filter, Flanger, Reverb, and stable and works awlessly. This gives any DJ piece of mind Pitch Shifter). The graphical interface is intuitive yet powerful. ($199 MAP) that their software is not going to crash in the middle of a MegaSeg: A newer contender to the DJ Software market is the Mac-speci c program, gig. ($539 MAP) MegaSeg. This small and powerful program, now in version 4.1, can accommodate a club Native Instruments Traktor Scratch: It seems that jock or a mobile DJ. One of the best capabilities of this program is the ability to play 2008 is the year of Traktor Scratch. After heavy visibility tracks purchased directly from iTunes. Because the program caters to Mac users, it’s at Winter Music Conference in Miami, more and more DJs guaranteed to be fast and reliable. seem to have switched to Traktor Scratch. Why? Well, the MegaSeg has focused heavily on making music easy to nd. The playlists are highly 24bit/96kHz, low-latency audio interface provides crystalcustomizable and events such as announcements can be scheduled throughout the clear sound and easy connectivity. The timecodes are responevening. This is great for weddings and corporate events. Hot Key sound effects and sive and the software layout is a cinch to learn. ambient videos can also be fed from your Mac to any compatible playback source.

Any old-school turntablist can quickly adjust to Traktor’s ($249 MAP) interface, and an advanced digital jock can spend hours working MixVibes: Through the years, MixVibes has gained a reputation for making userwith advanced features such as effects, lters (based on Allen friendly DJ software with lots of bells and whistles. Its current top-of-the-line soft& Heath’s Xone:92 Club mixer), and loops. DJs using Traktor ware package, DVS Pro 7 (also known as Producer), packs a big punch. The program Scratch are not just playing songs, but actually blurring the lines mixes and manipulates MP3s and can be used as a live sampler, using live music or between DJing and producing live remixes on the y. ($599 MAP) a mic/line-in input. Producer also allows the DJ to play VST instruments over a live Numark Virtual Vinyl: With Numark’s recent upgrades in Vir-

tual Vinyl 5, it seems to be popping up more and more, especially with mobile DJs. set. Packaged with both time-coded CDs and records, the options Virtual Vinyl is a timecode CD/vinyl package that runs off of Numark’s popular are endless. This new version supports video playback, so the DJ can CUE 5 software. The standout feature of this system is the ability to play and maincorporate music videos or ambient images on any video screen. nipulate both audio and video. The program works with MP3, WAV, and AAC audio ($275 MAP) les, but can also be used to control DVD, DIVX, MPEG, and WMA videos on the y.

Mixmeister: For years, Mixmeister has developed basic DJ softAny DJ can expand into video DJing without any additional cost or equipment. ware for novice jocks. But, with the recent announcement of their Virtual Vinyl also allows multiple user interfaces which can be customized for difnew DJ Controller (covered later in this article), the program is ferent DJs or different styles of DJing. Bundled with broadcast functionality (the ability gaining new popularity among professional DJs. Fusion, its newto directly beam your set to your live podcast) and a Karaoke mode, Numark’s softest software, combines live DJing with a full digital audio workware/hardware package provides a lot of bang for your buck. ($499 MAP) station. Users can play up to eight separate tracks at once, using M-Audio Torq: Popular pro-audio manufacturer M-Audio has also rolled out its own the internal processors and effects to create mind-numbing DJ software. Torq is a solid mixing platform with a stable layout and an attractive price sets. ($249 MAP for Fusion, $169 MAP for Studio.) tag of $350. I’ve been using this program for my DJ sets for over a year and I’ve come to PCDJ: With almost a decade of experience designing DJ rely on the looping capabilities and on-board effects. software, PCDJ has released PCDJ-Re ex, an all-encompassTorq also has a fantastic feature which allows the user to switch to traditional audio ing program designed to suit both mobile and club jocks.

CDs or vinyl, without having to physically reroute wires in the middle of a set. With their You can mix, scratch, and use VSP plug-ins. Re ex lets the recent upgrade to Version 1.6, it’s evident that M-Audio will be a major competitor for years DJ utilize timecoded discs, a MIDI controller, or a USB HID to come. Available with Xponent mixer ($599 MAP) or Connectiv controller ($249 MAP). device. The auto beat-sync application allows any newbie to blend tracks like a seasoned pro while the normalization function prevents volume levels from getting out of Software Approach: control. ($279 MAP) Ableton Live 7: When Ableton hit the stores in the early decade, it was a shock to the industry. Producers began to see the program as an integral part of their studio work, and many of them used it for live DJing. Since then, Ableton has rolled out Live 7, a program geared toward Software Controllers live performances. It provides an in nite amount of freedom. The DJ is not just playing music, but Hercules DJ Console RMX (Virtual DJ): There creating live edits by using effects, re-sequencing, and accessing loops. has been a lot of buzz behind the recent release of Although the learning curve is a bit steeper, the result is well worth the effort. Ableton requires the updated Hercules DJ Console. This unit is a fulla fair amount of prep work from the DJ. Each track must be “warped” in order for the program to feature DJ controller with built-in audio. Basically, beatmatch accurately, but the musical possibilities are endless. Now available in an LE version, Live 7 with the Hercules, a laptop, and included Virtual is the perfect program for any producer looking to bridge the gap from studio to DJ booth. It’s also a DJ Software, anyone could rock a party for hours. fantastic tool for DJs trying to get their feet wet in the production world. ($499 MAP for Live 7 box, The new upgrade includes four audio inputs, four $799 MAP for Live 7 Software Suite, $149 MAP for Live 7 LE.) audio outputs, a rugged aluminum faceplate, and a Native Instruments Traktor DJ Studio 3: This popular software has four full-featured playback comfortable new layout. ($349 MAP) decks. Loops, samples and effects are at the ready and DJs can mix up to four tracks at once. External Vestax VCI-300 (Serato ITCH): One of the turntables, CD players and hardware effects can be patched in and it includes integrated access to most intuitive new control surfaces is the VCIBeatport, the popular online music store. ($199 MAP) 300, brought to us in a venture between Vestax Pioneer DJS: Pioneer took its award-winning CDJ CD players and DJM club mixers and recreated and Serato. The MIDI controller is designed to them with an economical little program called DJS. The layout is similar to Pioneer’s products, and the

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Denon DN-HS5500: This unit is a great alternative for any DJ who seeks exibility, true turntable feel, work with the Serato ITCH software. The two in a rock solid package. This tabletop controller boasts a high-torque, direct-drive spinning vinyl platter large jog wheels and assignable buttons eliminate to emulate the feel of a spinning record. The user has the option to use CDs, an internal harddrive, or the need for timecoded vinyls/CDs and their reany u SB-compatible storage device. Denon has also included a few nifty features, including two audio spective players. The VCI-300 is a recent upgrade outputs, which allows two different tracks to play from the same controller, via two separate line outto their previous controller-the VCI-100. The new puts. There are also ve built-in DSp effects and an incredible Mirrormix function, which results in a version sports an elegant black nish, light weight selectable delay between two copies of the same track. ($949 MAp) jog wheels designed for scratching, and one of the Tonium Pacemaker: Swedish manufacturer Tonium is taking an entirely new approach to the digimost clean and straightforward controller layouts tal-DJ market with their pocket-sized DJ system, the pacemaker. This handheld unit uses a 120-gig on the market. ($899 MAp) internal harddrive to play Mp3, M4A, AIFF,WAV, Ogg, and SND les.The face of this compact unit has Numark Mixmeister Control (Mixmeister): a display screen and a touchpad used to navigate music and access features such as looping, pitchNumark just released a new MIDI controller designed bend, EQ, and effects. The crossfade slider blends two tracks together while the audio is routed to to work with Mixmeister software. The Numark headphones for cueing and to a master output for the house sound system. ($944 MAp) Mixmeister control surface layout is identical to the American Audio SDJ1: The SDJ1 is a small piece of gear that packs a big punch. This racksoftware, and browsing music is easy, as everything can mount controller uses Digital SD Cards (similar to the ones used in digital cameras) to access be handled via the controller. There is no need to stress Mp3 les. This controller has an accurate looping option and advanced searching capabilities over using a mouse or trackpad to navigate. There are making prep work a cinch. The unit has become a welcome addition to mobile DJ rigs because four rotary channels, each with a separate gain, EQ and of its responsiveness, ease of use, and pricetag. ($299 MAp) volume selection. Each channel contains Overlay Triggers Cortex dMIX600: Another all-in-one DJ solution that has been making waves with the u SB Mp3 storage demobile community, this full-function controller uses ipods and other uSB vices to access boatloads of music. The unit has an integrated mixer so all the DJ needs to do is plug it into a sound system, hook up their music source, and rock the party. Two big jog wheels allow you to mix and scratch your music, while the looping and effects bring extra spice to the party. ($599 MAp) Gemini CDMP-2600: The New Jersey-based pro audio manufacturer recently rolled out this new hybrid media player/CD player. The rack-mount unit is the perfect addition to any mobile DJ rig. Mp3 files can be played via a thumbdrive, external harddrive, or any u SB storage device. Another nice feature is that it also utilizes regular CDs. The accurate BpM meter keeps everything in check, while the ultra-bright display makes it easy to work with in any environment. ($349 MAp) Aside from the four basic approaches to Digital DJing, there is one other piece of equipment that keeps creeping into the digital world, and that’s the mixer.

Over the last several years, manufactures have been building digital features into their basic DJ mixers. Pioneer’s highly acclaimed DJM-800 mixer ($1,549 MAp) is not only a exible, effects-laden audio controller, but it is also a full-function MIDI controller. Each and every knob and fader can be mapped to different functions, making an attractive purchase for DJs that are looking for additional software control, without paying for another controller. which enable loops and vocals to be triggered at the touch of a butEcler has also recently released the EVO5 ($1,899 MAp), which boasts ton. An advanced Cut and paste option allows the DJ to actually edit a fully assignable MIDI signals, a selectable MIDI clock, and a dramatic color tracks layout, in real time. ($499 MAp) LED screen. The internal 12-channel FireWire soundcard is the crown jewel Stanton SC System: A newer system, planned to hit the market of mixer, and gives the DJ endless audio possibilities. Mackie has also rolled in 2008, is Stanton’s new SC System. This system is an entirely differout its own 4-channel mixer with FireWire audio, the d.4 Pro ($929 MAp). ent approach to digital DJing. It uses Stanton’s SCS.1m digital mixer (continued on page 42) and the SCS.1d deck control surface. The controller sports a 10-inch motorized vinyl planner, assignable encoders, and trigger pads. Basically, the System uses a single controller to manipulate tracks which are accessed via any of the supported software programs which include Traktor Studio, MixVibes, Ableton Live, or Deckadance. (Due in ’08.)

Allen & Heath:2D: England’s Allen & Heath has built a global reputation for stellar sound, and they’ve just found a way to add that sound into a digital audio controller. The 2D is an extensive MIDI controller with a 9-channel u SB 2.0 soundcard built in. The unit complements any analog mixer and the MIDI clock function can synch to any audio signal. The 2D has 44 mapable MIDI control messages available, which is why it is the ideal controller for DJs using Ableton Live or Traktor software. ($649 MAp)

DJ TIMES

Pioneer MEP-7000: This summer, pioneer is set to launch a new media controller, the pioneer MEp-7000 Multi-Entertainment player.

It is a high-end rack mount dual-CD player with the ability to access Mp3s directly from the user’s computer harddrive, or other mass storage device. DJs have the exibility to work with raw audio from standard CDs or they can access Mp3 les directly from an external storage unit. The user can set up pre-programmed sets by using the full color LCD display screen. Features like scratching, looping, and effects let the DJ bring a little avor to the dance oor. ($1,799 MAp) Numark IDJ2: Numark has taken the mobile market by storm with the introduction of the IDJ2 mixing station. It accesses music from an external ipod and allows the DJ to mix, scratch, and loop tracks without having to use an external computer, CD players, or even an external mixer. Everything is built into one rugged control surface.

Other features include key lock, direct video output, and a full-color LED screen, which makes searching for music a breeze. ($599 MAp)

JULY 2008

Harddrive/Media Approach

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6/11/2008 5:17:55 PM

MAKINg TRACKS STu DIO…HARDWARE…SOFTWARE…

By Josh Harris

aBleTon CharGes aheaD—aGain

DJ TIMES JULY 2008

Over the past six years, Germany’s Ableton has become one of the world’s major players in music software for both studio and live applications.

When Ableton’s Live was rst released in 2001, it was an instant hit in the electronic music scene.

Loads of DJ/producers began using it for track production and in creating their mix compilations, plus some of the upper-tier jocks began to use it in performance.

I have been a user since Version 1.5 and, with the release of Version 7, I see that Ableton continues to add on and improve one of my favorite pieces of software.

New Additions & Improvements: Three new instruments have been introduced—Analog, Electric and Tension. All three join Operator and Sampler as premium addons (more on these later in the article). There is a new rack instrument called Drum Racks, an instrument rack that has a drum-machine-type interface. You can drag audio clips or virtual instruments to the Drum Rack pads and trigger them via MIDI. Time signature changes are now possible, as well as video export.

One of the best new features is REX le sup-

port—get your REX file libraries ready! Multiple automation parameters can now be viewed at once and compressor side-chaining is now possible. For those of you who use Live to DJ, there are tempo-nudge buttons, so now you will have an easier time syncing Live to a CD player or turntable. There is improved MIDI timing and the new audio engine uses a 64bit summing algorithm, so you should notice a difference in delity.

In Action: What better way to test out a major update than to use it for a ve-hour DJ gig? I was a little nervous because Live 6 was so stable and I didn’t want any drama with 7. Well, everything went great. I was using an M-Audio Connectiv as my audio interface and an X-Session pro as my controller. The night before the DJ gig, I used it for a keyboard gig with Seal, with an Oxygen8 as my controller. I had several third-party virtual synths setup in one session and there were no hiccups. This program is stable! Now, I must point out that I am running this with OS 10.4.10 on a Macbook (2g B or RAM), so I cannot speak for OS 10.5 and the Windows platforms.

Drum Rack: This is one of the most important instrument updates to Live, so I want to discuss that for a moment.

As I mentioned earlier, you can drag audio clips or third-party instruments to its pads and trigger them via MIDI. There is also a slicing feature that will take all of the individual hits from a sample and map them out. If you are importing a REX le, then it will follow your REX file’s original slicing.

Now, I use Live for the majority of my drum programming and loop treatments and Drum Rack has just brought a whole new dimension to programming drums in Live.

I can take a bunch of my single-shot drums and set up different kits. When a sample is dragged to one of the pads, Simpler inserts itself into the chain, allowing you to edit your samples. When it comes time to mix, you can view your Drum Rack’s hierarchy in the mix window, and have com-

plete control over volume and effects. premium Add-Ons: Tension, Analog and Electric are new additions to the Live library (available as separate purchases).

Tension is a physical modeling synth that’s dedicated to the emulation of string instruments. It was developed in collaboration with AAS (Applied Acoustic Systems). This synth does not play back samples, but instead works by solving mathematical equations that model different qualities of different string instruments.

Analog was also developed in collaboration with AAS, and it is a virtual analog synth. It’s not meant to recreate any one speci c synth, but rather a combination of features from legendary vintage models. Electric is an electric piano based on the popular electric pianos from the 1970s. It was developed with AAS and is also a physical modeling synth.

Conclusion: Live 7 is a serious update and it moves the program closer to Logic and Cubase. Ableton has managed to implement major improvements without gutting the original user interface. In my opinion, Live is a “desert-island” program and anyone at any level in music-making should seriously consider adding it to their studio.

Check the Ableton site (ableton.com) for different pricing and download options for Live 7, Ableton Suite and Live LE. (The new LE is a stripped-down version of Live, which has limitations on audio inputs, effects and doesn’t feature some of the synchronization—like ReWire and MIDI Clock—of the full version.) You can purchase downloads as well as order boxed versions for many applications. Essential Instrument Collections, Session Drums and Drum Machines are add-ons, which are available as part of Ableton Suite.

New Feature: Ableton Live 7 offers REX file support.

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6/11/2008 5:18:00 PM

S I O P X E J D E H T

Network all day and party all night at the World's largest annual gathering of DJ's.

August 11-14, 2008 The 2008 International DJ EXPO goes back to the Boardwalk at the

ARENA Get to the next stage in your career with our ALL-NEW Mobile System Operator and DJ Culture & Music Business panels!

Check out the HOTTEST and LATEST in DJ technology with over 100 booths from the Top Manufacturers in audio, lighting, studio and specialty products.

Presented by

DJ TIMES

JULY 2008

For up-to-the-minute information, online registration, news, and updates log on to www.djtimes.com/djexpo or www.myspace.com/internationaldjexpo

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6/11/2008 5:18:02 PM

SOu NDINg OFF MIXERS…pRO Au DIO…HEADpHONES

CranKinG Cans, DiGiTal heaVen This month we look at a pair of premium products. Paul Dailey tries on Allen & Heath’s XD-53 headphones, while Nate Sherwood tackles Ecler’s EVO5 mixer.

Allen & Heath XD-53

One of the most respected companies in the audio world, England’s Allen & Heath takes its X:one mixer line a step further with the introduction of its rst professional monitoring headphones, the XD-53. Designed as a result of numerous inquires from loyal followers around the world, A&H has given DJs a set of cans that are powerful and well-built.

Out of the box, the XD-53’s look great. They are molded from strong, well-made materials and their silver-and-black design is sharp. They feature a lightly padded headband and ear cups, and a coiled cord that terminates to a 1/8-inch plug—a ¼-inch adapter is also included. They conveniently swivel, fold up for storage in the provided leather pouch, and have enough adjustability to easily accommodate any user. One of my favorite features is the rotating ear piece, which allows for easy one-cup monitoring.

For their size, the XD-53s ($199 MAp) are light and t comfortably and snuggly over your ears. I was able to wear them for extended periods of time, with very little fatigue. The headphones achieve notable isolation from ambient noise, making them perfect for monitoring in loud nightclubs and onstage at larger events.

One place where the XD-53s really stand out is in their bass reproduction. Made with 53mm diameter drivers—the largest drivers currently available, according to the company—and a high-power neodymium magnet design with 1500mW of power handling, they sound truly amazing, and are able to retain their thump, even at lower volume levels.

I got my head around my pair and got down to an initial sound test. Listening to some downtempo beats, I was struck by the accurate sound and separation. Switching to some techno, I heard the cans absolutely come alive, with pulsating bass that

Ecler’s EVO5: Newfound digital versatility.

was tight and correct. Out in the eld, they easily outperformed every other pair if DJ-oriented cans I have ever used, by miles.

As a DJ that likes to wear my headphones around my neck (and not my head), I found the XD-53s were literally perfect. They swivel easily, and were substantial enough to feel great, but noticeably easy on the neck, even after a couple of exhaustive ve-hour-plus gigs.

Overall, the Allen and Heath XD-53 headphones are truly on a higher level than other headphones in their space. They sound better, they’re lighter, they’re stronger, and they’re more robust. They deliver crisp highs, deep bass, and keep you isolated from the unwanted noise in your DJ booth. Next time you are in the market for a pair of DJ headphones, do yourself a favor and add the Allen and Heath XD-53 to the top of your list of contenders.

DJ TIMES JULY 2008

Ecler EVO5

A&h ’s XD-53: Lighter, stronger, better-sounding.

What do you get when you incorporate a four-channel DJ mixer with a 12-channel state-of-the-art soundcard and a fully programmable MIDI controller? You get the EVO5 by Ecler, a Barcelona-based company with a long history of producing some of the world’s most sought-after DJ mixers.

The EVO5 is one of the rst mixers to provide the exibility to work with standard audio (vinyl or CDs), DJing programs (like Serato and Traktor Scratch), and production software such as Ableton Live. I’ve broken down the main functions of the mixer to help you better understand how powerful this unit really is.

DJ Mixer: From the top panel, the EVO5 looks like an unassuming, fourchannel mixer, but with one unmistakable upgrade—a high-resolution, full-color display screen located to the top right-hand corner. The buttons and knobs surrounding the display are used with the internal effects, or for external MIDI control. There are ve vertical faders (four for typical line/phono adjustments and one controlling the mic). Each channel has a fully adjustable three-band EQ as well as a small section used to control the fully assignable effects. There is a traditional crossfader, great for scratching action, and a wet/dry fader used to engage the internal effects.

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048JL08_p001-044.indd 27

assigned with the push of one button.

Watching C-Los playing four tracks all at once, while navigating everything directly from the mixer was quite inspiring and truly amazing.

We then decided to see how well it works with Ableton.You may notice that the physical layout to each fader is identical to the layout of Ableton’s Live software. Ableton users will feel comfortable instantly. And, there is no need to remap the individual functions, just simply select the provided Ableton Live setup (a setting which comes preloaded into the mixer) and you’re off to the races. You can still

make adjustments to the preloaded mapping and save all of your changes.

I’ve found frustrations in the past, trying to incorporate Ableton into DJ sets. In order for it to work properly you need an external MIDI-clock device—not with the EVO5. The customizable MIDI clock provides incredible exibility and works awlessly. All of the user settings are customizable and there are six assignable memory banks where the user can store presets and create their own title such as “Nate’s Ableton” or “Nate’s Serato, Ableton & Traktor,” etc. (continued on page 42)

JULY 2008

CDs, and it was a little tricky to actually engage the mixer to function without my Torq Connectiv interface (the external soundcard). Ecler has included a CD which contains the user manual, so after a quick search, things got squared away.

Being a Traktor Scratch-certified mixer, I was curious to see how the EVO5 worked with Native Instruments powerful software. I called in local New Haven DJ C-Los, an avid user of Traktor for years. After setting the MIDI mapping to the preloaded Traktor Scratch setting, all of the fader and knob settings were

DJ TIMES

The slope of the faders and crossfader is fully adjustable. While using the mixer, I loved the fact that the EQ knobs were big and easy to grip.

The crossfader felt loose but accurate, perfect for precision mixing. The back of the mixer has line and phone inputs for all four channels, two sets of RCA outputs, a pair of balanced XLRs, MIDI input/output, a mic input, and two FireWire inputs. The dual FireWire plugs are extremely useful for someone who wants to use two computers without having to sh around exchanging wires in the middle of a set.

Soundcard: One of the unique features is the 12-channel FireWire soundcard built right into the EVO5.

That’s right—this mixer has six stereo inputs and six stereo outputs.

This gives Traktor Scratch and Serato users the ability to plug their laptops directly into the mixer without having to use that program’s external soundcard. Imagine using Traktor Scratch with four channels and never having to jockey with a bird’s nest of wires—very cool!

MIDI Controller: Another revolutionary feature is the assignable MIDI functions. This is where Ecler separates itself from every other mixer manufacturer. Each and every button and knob on the mixer can be set to be used as a MIDI controller, and each parameter is fully assignable.

There are 69 assignable controllers, six of them are assignable rotary knobs, which are the key for allowing the user to navigate features such as song selection, software effects, and view display options for programs such as Traktor. In fact, the mixer is Traktor Scratch-certified and all of Traktor’s functions can be controlled via the EVO5. The DJ never has to lay a hand on their laptop’s keyboard—it is all handled on the customizable control surface of the mixer.

Ableton users interested in incorporating Live into their sets need look no further. Not only does this mixer have all of the necessary customizable MIDI features to really push Ableton to its limits, it also has MIDI Clock Send/Receive capabilities.

The signal can be set to be used as a slave or master MIDI clock. The user can synch their set to other programs or to live music—incredible!

Being that all knobs/fader are MIDI assignable, even the mic fader can be set to control audio which turns this four-channel audio mixer into a vechannel digital control surface.

Test Drive: Right out of the box this mixer looks sexy. It sports a black-and-silver nish, which is sleek and elegant. When I rst received the mixer, I plugged it in and began using it to mix audio without any problems at all. The next step was to use the internal soundcard. I personally use M-Audio’s Torq with time-coded

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mobile profile careers…innovations…su ccess stories

By Jeff Stiles

DJ TIMES JULY 2008

Cali DJ Learns To Please—Without the Cheese Los Angeles—Lee Dyson likes to describe his mobile entertainment company as “DJs that Please Without the Cheese.” But don’t think for a moment that his business, Hey Mr. DJ, doesn’t like to mix it up a little.

After all, this L.A.-based company’s website features quotations ranging from the wacky children’s character Willy Wonka (“We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of the dreams”) to the wacky 19th-century philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (“Without music, life would be a mistake”).

“I included a philosophy page on our site because I really believe in the concept of putting good energy out into the universe,” says Dyson. “I’m not overboard in the whole spiritual thing, but I do think there is something to the law of attraction, karma or whatever you wish to call it.”

Dyson says that music is one of the world’s only true universal languages, and with his entertainment company he aims to speak to a wide spectrum of people. “From our mother’s heartbeat, we are hardwired to respond to tempo and vibration, so music is something that ties us all together,” he explains.

“Sure, DJing’s a cool job, but it’s also an amazing way to connect with others on such a deep level.”

Dyson recalls being first obsessed with music when he was nine-years old and ordered 30 albums from Columbia Records & Tapes. He got in big trouble with his parents over that one, but continued on in his musical interests and eventually could be found spinning tunes of his own. Hey Mr. DJ was formed after Dyson discovered a niche in the DJ market that he felt wasn’t being properly lled: a network of DJs

Through DJing, Dyson connects “with others on a deep level.”

with the appropriate level of passion, professionalism, diversity and talent.

“I think clients are more knowledgeable then ever, and with the current ow of media content they are also more hip and music a l ly s av v y,” s ay s D y s o n .

“Because of this, some of the mystique of the DJ culture has

eclectic music range of a club DJ, yet still getting the etiquette, professionalism and dependability one would expect from a mobile DJ company.

For example, we might do a very high-end nightclub or Hollywood premiere event one night, and then do a wedding or a backyard birthday party the very next day.”

When he personally entertains, Dyson takes along a Serato Scratch Live digital setup with JBL speakers, Mackie subs, a Pioneer DJM-800 mixer, and a pair of either Technics

“I do think there is something to the law of attraction.” dissipated and clients really expect something special in order to be impressed.

“The vision of my company was to combine the best attributes of the mobile DJ and the club DJ for one exceptional experience. With Hey Mister DJ, clients are getting the presentation, style, mixing ability and

1210s or Pioneer CDJ-1000s. “All our DJs are independent contractors with their own gear and are free to work with other companies,” he says.

“All we ask is that when they work a gig for us, they represent us to the best of their ability and don’t try to siphon off our clients by handing out their own cards.

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record bag is what de ned you as a DJ—because nobody else had those records—but now thanks to MP3s everyone is armed with the same toolbox,” Dyson says. “But it’s what you do with those tools and how well you can read the room to program your set accordingly that sets you apart.

“I also think it’s your ethics, loyalty, con dence, consistency and professionalism that will eventually bring you to the front of the race.

“To quote the one-hit-wonder Timbuk 3,” he says, “The future’s so bright I gotta wear shades.”

DJ CONTROLLER WITH 4-IN/4-OUT AUDIO INTERFACE Accuracy and roomy layout of the controls: 2 jog wheels, 12 rotary buttons, 46 push buttons, 6 faders – including a convenient general volume fader.

Built-in audio interface: 4 inputs including 2 stereo analog inputs and phono/line-level selectors to connect vynile turntables, CD or MP3 players, ryhtm boxes… and 4 audio outputs (+4dBu and -10dBv) Sturdy metal casing.

Delivered with its carrying case.

High end software - VirtualDJ® 5 DJC Edition and flawless drivers.

Compatible with other MIDI controllers.

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JULY 2008

Mix all music files in MP3, AIFF, WAV, WMA, OGG, CD Audio formats, as well as iTunes® library (according to your PC or Mac® OS).

18 years of expertise in digital sound 6 years of experience in computer DJing Creator of the 1st dual-deck DJ controller with computer audio interface in the industry A worldwide leader in this category

DJ TIMES

“I like to consider us a boutique company for the discerning client.

I’m not a fan of the large multi-op DJ companies, because many of them hire very inexperienced DJs and pay them very little while charging the client a lot. That is a good business model for making a pro t, but I think it exploits our fellow DJs and robs our clients of the experience they deserve.”

Even with several years of radio and voiceover work, Dyson says he uses his microphone skills sparingly, and only when it seems absolutely appropriate. “I think a good mic presence is commanding and entertaining without being overbearing or obnoxious,” he explains. “I am spontaneous, though, and will capitalize on a funny moment or break tension when needed.

“Our primary style is based on less interaction and more focused on letting our music and energy do the talking. However, we do have an amazing group of MCs, dancers and other forms of entertainment to meet any client’s needs.”

Dyson says the most important thing to do when determining how much interaction to employ at an event is to read the room properly.

“I’ve had clients book me speci cally because they wanted a very edgy and hip party without any ‘cheesy’ interaction, but then around midnight, after the fourth round of shots, the closet nerd came out of this cool and trendy crowd and they all decided to do the limbo. So you just never know.

“I do think the one of the biggest mistakes rookie DJs and clients make is to make success or failure of an event placed entirely on the level of dancefloor activity. As entertainers we are paid to use our best judgment and meet the needs of our crowd by keeping an eye on the big picture.”

As for his fee schedule, Dyson chooses to keep a cafeteria range of prices to fit the wide variety of clients he encounters. “I’ve purposely kept a sliding scale, as opposed to one set rate, because I work with a lot of event planners and the budget for their clients frequently shifts,” he says. “By keeping a wide ballpark it allows me to pick and choose my events carefully, while never being discounted for consideration of an event based on pricing. However, every one of our clients does get the same level of performance, which is top-notch.”

With the huge number of both fulltime and bedroom DJs in the greater Los Angeles market taking advantage of new digital technology, such as iPods, Dyson says his company focuses on remaining professional in an industry in which sometimes it seems everyone wants to be a DJ entertainer. “It used to be that your

Distributed in North America by : Kaysound

29

© 2008 Guillemot Corporation S.A. Hercules is a registered trademark of Guillemot Corporation S.A. All rights reserved. Microsoft®, Windows® XP and Windows® Vista™ are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. VirtualDJ® is a registered trademark of Atomic Productions. Apple®, the Apple logo, Mac OS® are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. All other trademarks are hereby acknowledged and are property of their respective owners. Photos and illustrations not binding. Contents, design and specifications are subject to change without prior notice and may vary from one country to another.

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6/11/2008 5:18:29 PM

Bu SINESS LINE SALES…MARKETINg …SOLu TIONS…

By Stacy Zemon

ProTeCTion: hoW To shielD Your asseTs

Maybe you’re a part-time mobile operating out of a home office and garage. Perhaps you’ve made it to the big leagues of a multi-system op, conducting business out of a commercial location. In either scenario, does it matter if your business is incorporated?

You bet it does, and here’s why.

Protection from Personal Liability

Incorporating is one of the best ways to protect from personal liability. Shareholders of a corporation are generally not liable for its nancial obligations. What’s more, creditors may seek payment from the assets of a corporation, but not the assets of the shareholders. This means that you can safely engage in your DJ business without fear of risking your home or other personal property.

Conversely, sole proprietors and general partners in a partnership are personally liable for all debts and obligations of the business, such as loans and accounts payable.

DJ TIMES JULY 2008

The Top 5 Benefits to Incorporating

30

1. Limited Liability: Corporations provide owners and directors protection from personal liability. A corporation exists as a separate structure. Shareholders are not personally liable for corporate debt. If you maintain the corporation’s legal status properly, and avoid personally guaranteeing the company’s obligations, your corporation, and not you, is solely responsible for its own obligations.

2. Corporate Identity: “Inc.” promotes a business image with credibility, stability, prestige and permanence. Corporations typically want to do business or collaborate with other corporations.

3. Tax Savings: Corporations are taxed at a lower rate than individuals, and can offer tax-deductible bene ts (e.g., liability, health and life insurance, travel and entertainment deductions). Tax options are also available by setting up pensions and pro t sharing.

4. Raising Capital: Investors are more attracted to investing in corporations and capital is more easily raised through the sale of stock or other equity interests. This may be a more advantageous option than borrowing and making interest payments.

5. Continuous Life: Corporations are the most enduring legal entity and do not terminate on the death of the founder, owner or partner,

048JL08_p001-044.indd 30

provided it complies with ongoing state and federal paperwork and pays the annual ling fees.

Its shares can be transferred. Stock often can be pledged, sold, given away, used as security or given as bonuses.

Forms of Corporations

In most cases, the best form of corporation for a DJ service will be either an LLC (Limited Liability Company) or a Subchapter “S” Corporation. It is advisable to consult with an attorney to determine what form of organization best ts your needs. It is also an option to form a corporation through one of several companies online that offer this service at signi cantly lower rates than attorneys.

Here are all of the options to consider:

Limited Liability Company: This hybrid business structure combines the personal asset protection of a “C” Corporation with a partnership’s tax exibility and ease of operation. A properly managed LLC can protect its owners’ personal assets from business judgments. Owners can still report their share of company pro ts or losses on their personal tax returns.

“S” Corporation: This structure refers to a section of the Internal Revenue Code. This election allows business owners to report company pro ts or losses on their individual tax returns. This business structure also provides owners the opportunity to separate and protect their personal assets from judgments against the business.

“C” Corporation: This structure protects your personal assets from potential judgments against your company; however, the IRS taxes company pro ts twice, once at the corporate level and again at the shareholder level as dividends. Many business owners consider this “double taxation” a disadvantage.

Sole Proprietorship: This structure is one person alone. He or she will have unlimited liability for all debts of the business, and the income or loss from the business will be reported on his or her personal income tax return along with all other income and expense he or she normally reports.

General Partnership: This structure means that each of the two or more partners will have unlimited liability for the debts of the business. The income and expense is reported on a separate return for tax purposes, but each partner then reports his or her pro-rata share of the pro t or loss from the business as one line on his personal tax return.

Limited Partnership: This structure means that each of the general partners has unlimited liability for the debts of the partnership, but the limited partner’s exposure to the debts of the partnership is limited to the contribution each has made to the partnership. With certain minor exceptions, the reporting for tax purposes is the same as for a general partnership.

Further Protection for Your “Ass”ets

It is highly advisable for mobile business owners to carry liability insurance because of the serious potential issues we face arising from accidents. In addition, an increasing number of venues are requiring DJ services to carry such insurance if they want to entertain at their establishment.

Three national trade organizations offer insurance to their members: the National Association of Mobile Entertainers (djkj.com); the American Disc Jockey Association (adja.org); and the g lobal Mobile Entertainers Association (globalmobile.org).

6/11/2008 5:18:37 PM

Y

Your Source for Videos

DJ TIMES

JULY 2008

www.venuevj.com

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6/11/2008 5:18:39 PM

g ear Au dio…lig hting …stu ff

Player Ground Gemini/GCI

1 Mayfield Avenue Edison, NJ 08837-3820 (732) 346-0061

www.gci-technologies.com

The CDMP Series is G emini’s new line of CD/MP3/U SB players. The range’s three models allow users to play and manipulate songs directly from a U SB Key and MP3 player. Models include the CDMP-1300 2U single player, CDMP-2600 2U dual player, and CDMP-5000 dual CD/MP3/U SB mixing console. All three feature BPM read out, Anti-Shock that uses RAM buffer memory, VFD Screen, instant-start and cue with preview, and seamless loop with re-loop.

Carry Us All Gator Cases, Inc. 3421 N. Lakeview Drive Tampa, FL 33618 (813) 221-4191 www.gatorcases.com

Four handheld microphones can fit in G ator’s G -Tour case, along with clips,

body packs, headsets and extra batteries.

The case, called the G TOU R-WIRELES4, has a special cutout section for 16 AA batteries. A sectional foam nest is built in to hold all of the components, and there is also convoluted foam in the lid.

Thump in the Night

DJ TIMES JULY 2008

TAPCO 16220 Wood-Red Road N.E. Woodinville, WA 98072 (800) TAPCO69 www.tapcoworld.com

The Tapco THU MP TH-18s active subwoofer is designed for small clubs and DJ applications.

It offers a low-end response from 35Hz-125Hz, and comes with a 1,000-watt class-D amp and lightweight high-current power supply. Sporting a ported bass re ex enclosure, the unit features a stereo high pass output, polarity switch, built-in handles, and a rear clip LED.

Smooth Operator American Audio 4295 Charter Street Los Angeles, CA 90058 (800) 322-6337 www.americanaudio.us

The Media Operator lets both mobile entertainers and xed installations play and control MP3s with a full playback control the company says is similar to professional CD players. The unit, which features both an SD Card slot and a U SB 2.0 slot, offers tempo lock, seamless loop, pitch control, pitch bend, repeat mode, and an auto BPM counter. With XLR and RCA outputs, users can plus the Media Operator directly into powered speakers, a preamp mixer, or an ampli er.

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6/11/2008 5:18:48 PM

g ear Au dio…lig hting …stu ff

Auntie M1

Micro Manage Shure Incorporated 5800 West Touhy Avenue Niles, IL 60714-4608 (847) 600-2000 www.shure.com

Shure’s U R1M Micro-Bodypack operates with the company’s Shure U R1M Micro-Bodypack, using Shure Wireless Workbench software and Audio Reference Companding technology. It works for up to nine hours within a tuning range of 60-75 MHz, and is tunable in 25 kHz increments, offering up to 3,000 selectable frequencies. Additional features include selectable 10mW or 50mW RF power, audio level metering, and a backlit LCD display.

Alesis 200 Scenic View Drive Cumberland, RI 02864 (401) 658-3131 www.alesis.com

Alesis’ M1 Active 320 U SB speakers let users both play audio from a computer and record audio to a computer thanks to U SB audio playback and U SB audio input, respectively. There are also line input jacks for connecting CD players and other pro audio gear. These speakers have a bass boost switch that helps to “emphasize bass frequencies” during recording and playback.

Analog to Digital Numark Industries 200 Scenic View Dr. Cumberland, RI 02864 (401) 658-3131 www.numark.com

Numark Industries recently released its TTi turntable, which is perfectly suited for transferring vinyl to your iPod. The turntable’s upgraded features include: a U niversal Dock for iPod; U SB audio interface; a metal platter; pitch control; and EZ Vinyl Converter software to help rid the songs of pops and clicks, and transfers them straight into your iPod.

Pros and Trons

DJ TIMES

IK Multimedia expanded its range of Sonik Instruments virtual instruments with SampleTron. It features a library of 17 rare “Tron” instrument sounds—including Mellotrons, Chamberlins, Optigans, and others—as well as the “Powered by SampleTank” engine. SampleTron works as a standalone application on both PC and Mac, or can be used as a plug-in for DAWs. There are more than 50 synth controls included, as well as built-in multieffects with four effects per part selectable on 32 highquality DSP effects.

JULY 2008

IK Multimedia US LLC 1153 Sawgrass Corporate Pkwy Sunrise, Fl. 33323 (954) 846-9101 www.ikmultimedia.com

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Make the Upgrade Chauvet Lighting 3000 N. 29th Court h ollywood, FL 33020 (800) 762-1084 www.chauvetlighting.com

Chauvet upgraded its wireless DMX technology with the D-Fi 2.0. u sers get enough assignable frequencies to run up to six separate universes inside one venue. Multiple units can also be assigned to a single frequency in order to split a signal. LED indicators are included for operating mode, frequency, and DMX signal transmission.

Screen Your Calls MBT Lighting & Sound PO Box 30819 Charleston, SC 29417 (800) 845-1922 www.mbtlighting.com

Double Vision DVJ Vision 55 Washington St., Suite 702 Brooklyn Ny 11201 (917) 570-8320 www.dvjvision.com

DJs who want to add a visual component to their performances can use Club Visuals Vol.2, a new DVD from DVJ Vision. The disc includes six live video and computer animation clips that are seven-minutes long and move at 128 BpM. Major edits occur in these clips at every 16 bars, and all copyrights have been cleared. DJs can utilize the click track to cue the clips into their sets. Both pAL and NTSC versions are available.

MBT Lighting & Sound introduced three new LED flat screens, each measuring 15.5-inches wide and 9.5-inches high, and sporting 192 LEDs. The LEDFSRg B is a color-mixing screen with red, green, and blue LEDs. It has six DMX control channels and eight chase programs plus audio chase. The LEDFSW White Flat Screen has all white LEDs that can also be used as a strobe light. Violet/blacklight LEDs grace the LEDFSu V u V/Blacklight Flat Screen. Both of these models offer three DMX channel control with seven chase programs plus audio chase. Each model comes with DMX in and out connections, DIp switches for DMX addressing and an internal audio microphone.

Sparkle and Fade

DJ TIMES JULY 2008

American DJ 4295 Charter Street Los Angeles, CA 90058 (800) 333-0644 www.americandj.com

The Sparkle LED 3W from American DJ uses one three-watt LED and new lens technology to create multiple white moon ower beams that are projected onto walls and dance oors. It operates in static mode and continuous rotation, with an effects switch to control both options. The company says it can run cool all night without any need for duty cycles, and will last approximately 100,000 hours.

Shirts and GigSkinz GigSkinz USA 12662 Corral Place Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670 (562) 906-6185 www.gigskinz.com

g igskinz bags got a makeover this year.

There is now a “subtle” vintage g igSkinz dragon pattern on the water-repellant fabric the company now uses. In addition, the bags—including those for DJ gear, mixers, speakers, computers and racks—sport acid-washed hardware, zipper pulls and patches.

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6/11/2008 5:18:58 PM

Presented By

2008 NOMINEES FOR

D:Fuse (2007 #33) Dieselboy (2007 #29) DJ Rekha (2008 New Entry) DJ Dan (2007 #24) DJ Irene (2007 #27) DJ Craze (2007 #38) DJ Icey (2007 #14) DJ Shadow (2007 #34) DJ AM (2007 #39) DJ Sneak (2007 # 78) DJ Crème (2007 #73) DJ Theo (2007 #7) Donald Glaude (2007 # 31) Dubfire (2007 #8) Erick Morillo (2007 #16) Felix Da Housecatt (2007 #32) Filo & Peri (2008 New Entry) Francois K (2007 # 69) Frankie Bones (2007 #59) Frankie Knuckles (2007 # 67) Funkmaster Flex (2007 #53) Gabriel & Dresden (2007 #8) Garth (2007 #79) Grandmaster Flash (2007 #43) Green Velvet (2007 # 54)

Hector Romero (2008 New Entry) Ivano Bellini (2007 #48) Jeff Mills (2007 # 56) Joe Bermudez (2007 #20) Johnny Vicious (2007 # 58) Jonathan Peters (Winner, 2006. Re-entry for 2008) Josh Wink (2007 #28) Junior Vasquez (2007 #26) Kaskade (2007 #18) Louie Vega (2007 #64) Mark Farina (2007 #35 ) Markus Schulz (2007 #23) Martinez Bros. (2008 New Entry) Matthew Dear (2007 #70) Micro (2008 New Entry) Miguel Migs (2007 # 51) Mixmaster Mike (2007 #52) Moby (2008 Re-entry) Monk (2007 #6) Nick Terranova aka Starkillers (2008 New Entry) Peanut Butter Wolf (2008 New Entry) Oscar G. (2007 #15) Q Bert (2007 #37) Quentin Harris (2008 New Entry)

?uestlove (2007 #72) Rachael Starr (2007 # 45) Rapture DJ’s (2008 New Entry) Reid Speed (2008 New Entry) Richard Vission (2007 #30) Robbie Rivera (2007 #25) Roger Sanchez (2007 #22) Roonie G. (2008 New Entry) Saeed Younan (2007 #66) Sandra Collins (2007 #36) Satoshi Tomiie (2007 # 40) Scott Henry (2007 #80) Scotty Boy (2008 New Entry) Serge Devant (2008 New Entry) Sharam (2007 #8) Skribble (2007 #5) Stacey Pullen (2007 #65) Steve Aoki (2008 Re-entry) Steve Porter (2007 # 49) Sticky Boots (2008 New Entry, Top Online Votegetter) Three (2007 #19) Tommy Lee & DJ Aero (2008 New Entry) Tommie Sunshine (2007 #63) Tony Touch (2007 #71) Victor Calderone (2007 #17) Z-Trip (2007 #42)

DJ TIMES

JULY 2008

A-Trak (2007 #74) Adultnapper (2008 New Entry) Armand Van Helden (2007 #13) Baby Anne (2008 New Entry) Bad Boy Bill (2007 #3) Bassnectar (2007 # 46) Behrouz (2007 #41) Boris (2007 #4) BT (2007 #2) Carl Craig (2007 #68) Cedric Gervais (2007 #11) Charles Feelgood (2007 #61) Chris Fortier (2008 New Entry) Christopher Lawrence (2007 #9) Claude Von Stroke (2007 #50) Colette (2007 # 57) Crystal Method (2007 #21) Cut Chemist (2007 #62) Danny Tenaglia (2007 #12) Dave Aude (2007 # 60) David Morales (2007 # 47) Dean Coleman (2007 #77) Dennis Ferrer (2007 #75) Derrick Carter (2007 #55) Deepsky (2007 #44)

Presented By

33 2007 Winner George Acosta can not win 2 years in a row.

048JL08_p001-044.indd 35

35 6/11/2008 5:19:00 PM

g rooves tracks…mixes…compilations

“Back To My Roots”

Laurent G arnier  Innervisions House meets techno on this epic, tribal corker with its infectious bassline and seductive keys.

The “Panoramix” brings a harder, darker feel with a gut-wrenching bassline (reminiscent of Yello’s “Bostich”) and some vibrant, uttering keys.

– Shawn Christopher “Purple Diamonds” Fabio Bacchini  Discogalaxy More disco cut-ups from Bacchini and four tracks that work superbly. The strongest is “Shifting G ears,” but all four contain an abundance of funk—you can’t go wrong with this.

– Curtis Zack Five Golden Years in th e Wilderness

Various  Buzzin Fly This brilliant, 3-CD comp from Ben Watt’s label is a collection of hits to date and a look to the future. CD1 relays some of their hottest dance oor tunes (like Watt’s “Lone Cat”), while CD2 represents the deeper recesses of the label’s output. CD3 moves ahead with worthy tracks

Laurent Garnier Buzzin Fly’s Ben Watt

from Justin Martin, Francois A, Abyss, Martin Stimming and Spencer Parker.

– Shawn Christopher Dear Painter, Paint Me Heartthrob  M_nus From the opening notes of “Futures Past” to the deep grooves of “Out of Here” and “Heading For A Heartbreak,” Heartthrob (aka Jesse Siminski) shows a depth of style and understanding of quality production that few of his peers can match.

– Paul Dailey

“Don’t You Wanna Be Mine” Denise Lopez  House Trained Another early ’90s classic gets revisited and, in addition to the original, which is probably still the best version, mixes come from Dennis Christopher and the Soul Avengerz, who provide a solid workout that will have plenty of fans.

– Curtis Zack Sullivan Room, Vol. 2  Bit Crushers  SR Staying true to the vibe that has made Sullivan Room one of the best underground venues in the country, this mix series sees Bit Crushers (aka G aby Dershin and Amos Damon) delivering a gritty, grimy, funky trip through two discs of peak-hour movers and late-night gems.

– Paul Dailey Fabric 40  Mark Farina  Fabric Records Farina fuses the sounds of San Fran and Chicago like no one can, and this comp is more proof.

Check tracks like Chuck Love’s “Yellow Truth” and James Curd’s “Pick U p What I’m Putting Down,” plus some of his own tunes like “Das Shibuya.” The chunky grooves will keep your head bobbing from start to nish.

– Joe Bermudez “Higher”  Torre  SSOH The mix doing the early damage is the “U ptown Mix” with its devastating bassline. But with additional mixes from The U sual Suspects and DJ Spen, this is one heavyweight package.

– Curtis Zack

DJ TIMES JULY 2008

Substance D  Dieselboy  System/Human On this 2-CD comp, Dieselboy pushes dark basslines, kickin’ drums, synths, samples, and an abundance of audio effects. CD1 is a continuous mix, while CD2 has unmixed tracks allowing DJs to play in their sets. Faves include “Spktrm,” “Load Rocket,” and “The Calling.” D-n-B at its best.

– Jen Shapiro “Upside”  Reel People  Papa Mixes for everyone to indulge in, but it’s Karizma who takes the plaudits from the house-music fraternity with a top-notch workout.

Reel People

– Curtis Zack

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6/11/2008 5:19:03 PM

g rooves tracks…mixes…compilations

Mark Farina

H eartthrob

N-Euro

Surviving Freedom (Uncensored Remixes and Naugh ty Bits)

Genji Siraisi  Expansion Team Choice collection of lounge-vibed remixes here. The “No Luck Club Mix” of “Wishing in Solitude” is a cool drum track blanketed with haunting, atmospheric elements. Also, Q-Burns Abstract Message brings us a funky, organic groove with plenty of soul on his interpretation of “Four Letter Scan.”

– Shawn Christopher

production that delivers smooth vibes, while still keeping a bouncy feeling. The pick of the litter: “Dust In Space” with its full-bodied bass, subtle tribal groove and haunting spoken vocals. This EP is for the chill in you.

– Phil Turnipseed “Look at What We’ve Done” Plash & Friends  Archive The ever-reliable Phil Asher produces more deep and soulful gems with no gimmicks. Crisp drums and a soothing vocal make up the title track, while the ip has the wonderfully percussive “Minotaur.”

– Curtis Zack

Lover On The Line  N-Euro  Ram Music Scintillating new club single that takes trance vocals to new heights. Of the seven high-powered mixes, the standouts include “The Love A Dub Edit,” with its heavy progressive house vibe, and “The G roove Coverage Remix,” with its rugged, groove which kicks into a slick breakbeat.

“Better Than Never” Orlando Vaughn  Duffnote Duffnote brings the juice on this soulful vocal jam, which nally gets released. Check Miguel Migs’ “Salted Vocal” and instrumental—both bring a

Dieselboy

tough, muscular groove. Also, Jon Silva’s “Take-APella Remix” impresses with its deep, minimal vibe.

– Phil Turnipseed “The Lover That You Are” Pulse  Jellybean Soul A classic house track gets a very respectful makeover courtesy of Marlon D & G eorge Mena.

The best mix, not surprisingly, is the vocal featuring classic keys and uplifting strings.

– Curtis Zack “Weapon to Destroy” EP  Miniboy  Bralli Check the quirky, electro-funk groove of “I Don’t Believe A House,” and then there’s the tech-house vibe of “Weapon To Destroy.” Finally, “New System” kicks with a heavier, deep-progressive groove.

– Phil Turnipseed

– Phil Turnipseed “Kings And Castles” EP  Deepak Sharma & Dieter Krause  Hidden Recordings Sharma & Krause drop an eccentric underground

JULY 2008

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).

“Swell” (Gianluca Luisi Remix) by Ozgur Can [Audio Therapy]: This is extreme music for an extreme dance oor reaction. Ozgur has a knack for turning strange, aggressive sounds into dance oor gold. A huge two-minute break builds from haunting strings to an explosive groove. Found at beatport.com.

“Miami Push” (Original Mix) by Boris Rush [X List]: Here’s a tribal monster that contains little other than drums and white noise, but its simplicity and dramatic breakdown can sure ll a oor. Found at beatport.com.

“Reach” (TV Rock Mix) by Lil Mo Y in Yang [Strictly Rhythm]: Somewhat typical progressive tribal here, but its familiar old-school house samples, big drums, rolling rhythm, and huge energy make it perfect for peak hour. Found at beatport.com.

—Robert La France

DJ TIMES

Download

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37 048JL08_p001-044.indd 37

6/11/2008 5:19:09 PM

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Contact Linda Inglima at (516) 767-2500 x510

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DJ TIMES JULY 2008

Company

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CHUAVET

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37

DJScreen.com

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MegaSeg

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While every care is taken to ensure that these listings are accurate and complete, DJ Times does not accept responsibility for omissions or errors.

38 048JL08_p001-044.indd 38

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From party to party, city to city, one thing all DJs have in common is that they’re always on the move. To keep pace with our audience, we’ve launched Insider—the interactive arm of DJ Times. Wherever they go, Insider keeps DJs in the know with

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DJ TIMES

Contact Linda Inglima at (516) 767-2500 ext 510 or LInglima@testa.com

Keep a lookout for the DJ Insider online newsletter in your inbox!

JULY 2008 JUNE 2008

The Marketplace Works!

39 048JL08_p001-044.indd 39

6/11/2008 5:19:28 PM

Profile: DJ Dan 6 of 20

Real Name: Daniel Wherrett Alias: DJ Dan Home: Los Angeles Age: Timeless Profession: International Partier of Mystery Affiliations: InStereo Recordings/AM Only/The Ascot Club Hobby: Over-the-top theme parties at my house Last Book Read: “The Power of Intention” by Wayne W. Dyer Last Film Seen: “Juno” Claim To Fame: Being one of the first West Coast DJs to travel internationally, spawning the fusion of funky house and breaks. Favorite Quote: “Your playing small does not serve the world.”

Latest Accomplishment: Starting production on my first artist album, and being able to work with so many other talented producers Greatest Accomplishment: Becoming one of the top DJs in the world and re-launching my record label, “InStereo”.

Why I Do What I Do: I’ve loved music since I was born and I can’t imagine doing anything else. I still have the same fiery obsession to put music together, create energy, and see it light people up on the dancefloor.

MP3, CD, or Vinyl: WAV files on CD and Serato One Tune That Never Leaves Your Record Box: “Disco Muff” by The Dirt Diggers.

My Big Musical Projects For 2008 Are: Aside from releasing new tracks on my InStereo label and my artist album, I’m launching the label’s podcast by re-releasing some of my old classic mixtapes.

Best Gig Moment: The Funky Tekno Tribe reunion party at The Endup in San Francisco this past New Years Day. I wasn’t originally on the line-up, but when I went on at around 7a.m., I surprised the crowd and it was amazing! I had never played at The Endup before and had always wanted to—getting to do it with the Funky Tekno Tribe crew made it extra special.

Worst Gig Moment: Arriving at consecutive gigs in Venezuela and Mexico City that were shut down by police, flying on very little sleep, and then being stranded at the hotel in Mexico City by the promoters with no transportation, no explanation, and no pay. Then arriving back home and getting tons of angry emails from fans in Venezuela and Mexico saying that they’d heard that I’d refused to play.

DJ TIMES JULY 2008

Profile: As one of the first indigenous West Coast DJs to break out from the Pacific Time Zone, Dan’s been called “The People’s DJ” and “America’s Hardest Working DJ.” Over the years, he’s been a member of the legendary Funky Tekno Tribe and his productions like “Needle Damage (The Zipper Track),” “Loose Caboose” and “The Phone Track” have lit up clubs and the rave circuit alike.

I STARTED READING DJ TIMES IN: 1995

DJ Times: Fits every Profile

40 048JL08_p001-044.indd 40

C E L E B R AT I N G 2 0 Y E A R S

6/11/2008 5:19:32 PM

Compiled As Of June 10, 2008

National Crossover Pool Chart 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

National Urban Pool Chart

Madonna 4 Minutes Warner Brothers Mariah Carey Touch My Body Island Seal The Right Life Warner Brothers Janet Feedback Def Jam Snoop Dog Sexual Eruption Geffen Nemesis Rising Fool If You Think Its Ove Curb Tamia Me Plus Velvet Fix Me Robbins Jenna Drey All Out Of Love Robbins A. Spencer & Vamproc Zombie Capp Lenna I Can Hear The Money Dauman Elena Before I Sleep Robbins Rikah Out Of Time Capp Janice Grace Frequency Jaguar Kimberley Locke Fall Curb Jupiter Rising Wicked Chime Lady Gaga Just Dance Interscope Idina Menzel Gorgeous Warner Brothers Octave Kitten Come Back To Me Physical sun Brooklyn Bounce Sex Bass & Rock ‘N” Roll Capp Janet Rock With U Island Blue Man Group Canta Conmingo Blue Man Group Altar F/ Jeanie Trac Everybody Up Tommy Boy Anane’ Shake It Tommy Boy Trip Throttle Future Four EsNtion Stephani Krise Fallin Dauman SK8 Amnesty Tommy Boy Fio Gimme Your Love F-Active Sentenela P/ Lipglos Over The Night Mamahouse George LaMond Don’t Stop Believin’ Robbins Dynamic Destony Kisses In The Evening Dynamic Robyn With Every Heartbeat Interscope Lil Mama Shawty Get Loose Jive MrTimothy F/ Inaya D Stand By Me Tommy Boy Klubjumpers All The Kings Horses Music Avenue Jessi Malay Booty Bangs Re-mixes Warner Brothers Cary August Bizzare Love Triangle Capp Miley Cyrus See You Again Hollywood Barry Love Let The Music Play Capp Raul Hit That Raul Music

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

Janet Lil Mama Mariah Carey Pitbull Janet Alicia Keys Chingy F/Amerie Wiz Khalifa V.I.C. Mistah B Cherish Jordan Sparks Them Concrete Boyz Jay-Z Lil’ Zane Mary J Blige Fabolous Khia Heavy Vee Yo Gotti Shawty Lo Beast The Reverend Ne Yo Usher Khia F/Gucci Mane Cyco Madonna Kc Jockey Lil Haze F/ Ying Yan Moebetta Girlicious Nicole Scherzinger Soulja Boy Sonny Rich Charlie Wilson Erk Tha Jerk Ryp Ryp Hi Stakez Sean Garrett Minati

Most Added Tracks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Robyn Ashley Simpson Kimberley Locke Rihanna Lady Gaga Fans Of Jimmy Centur MrTimothy F/ Inaya D Rah Element Sentenela P/ Lipglos George LaMond

Handle Me Remixes Outta My Head Fall Take A Bow Just Dance Hot Sahara Stand By Me Please Forgive Me Over The Night Don’t Stop Believin’

Feedback Shawty Get Loose Touch My Body The Anthem Rock With U Teenage Love Affair Fly Like Me Say Yeah Get Silly Gurl Amnesia No Air Crank That Roadrunner I Know Like This Work That Baby Don’t Go Be Yo Lady I Don’t Need A Hook Let’s Vibe Dey Know She Lus-cious Go On Girl Here I Stand (LP) What They Do Supa Freak 4 Minutes Talk Of Da Town Whut It Iz I Do It Betta Like Me Baby Love Yahhh!

Stunners Supa Sexxy You Already Know Against All Odds We Can Talk Grippin’ Crazy Goods

Def Jam Jive Island TVT Island J Records Def Jam Warner Brothers Warner Brothers Sincore Pro Capitol Jive 2 Bold Def Jam Hollywood Fame Geffen Def Jam Big Cat Razor & Tie TVT Asylum SOW Def Jam LaFace Big Cat Trackmobb Warner Brothers Sweet Sadies Birmingham Big Cat Geffen Interscope Interscope Keeplock Jive Big Rich Ready Made Actuate Interscope Money Mission

Most Added Tracks Interscope Geffen Curb Def Jam Interscope Ann Margrock Tommy Boy Megablast Mamahouse Robbins

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Pussycat Dolls Jennifer Hudson Rihanna Selena Serrano Usher Girlicious Prodigy J-Peezy KC Jockey DPB

When I Grow Up Spotlight Take A Bow Waiting Here I Stand (LP) Like Me The Life Walk To The Sto Don’t Go Baby Raining Fire

Interscope Arista Def Jam 3music LaFace Geffen Reality APB Sweet Sadies Donna Jean

Reporting Pools ✦ OMAP - Washington, DC; Al Chasen ✦ Central Ohio - Columbus, OH; Fred Dowdy

✦ Hawaii DJ Association - Honolulu, HI; Kevin Okada ✦ Rickett’s Record Pool - Saddle Brook, NJ; Bill Rickett

All Titles Available Through Dixie Sound Works NOW TOLL FREE: (888) MIX-JOCK, On-Line: www.dancekings.com Charts & Picks Compiled by DME Inc. Dan Miller, Chart Coordinator

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DJ TIMES

✦ Pittsburgh DJ - Pittsburgh, PA; Jim Kolich ✦ Long Island - Levittown, NY; Jackie McCloy ✦ Dixie Dance Kings - Alpharetta, GA; Dan Miller

JULY 2008

✦ NW Dance Music - Seattle, WA; John England ✦ Philly Spinners Assoc. - Cherry Hill, NJ; Fred Kolet

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Sounding Off

(continued from page 27) The EVO5 also has a powerful effects processor, which can be used with both audio and digital signals.

The nine primary effects include delay/echo, filter, flanger, phaser, trans, panoramic, pitch, reverse and vocoder.

Each effect’s pattern and parameters is fully adjustable so you can tweak them to your liking. You can also create custom effects by chaining two effects together. If you’d like a Filter that has a bit of Delay, it can be set up to function as one effect, rather than using two individual effects.

Ecler has conveniently built in a Limiter function, which can control the mixer’s output to prohibit DJs

Marya G ullo

(continued from page 3) The Mau5 didn’t disappoint, as he blazed through a set of faves like his edit of Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.”

At the RBMA stage, Newcleus and Egyptian Lover dropped the oldschool electro that launched the tent into a booty-shaking frenzy. Peanut Butter Wolf craftily kept the party going, and then nished by dropping a quick tribute to the late hometown hero, J Dilla. At the “big bowl,” Moby closed out the rst night with a set that mixed reverent cuts with his own evergreen party jams.

On Sunday, the Pioneer tent burst with activity, mostly for storming sets by local prog jock Kenneth Thomas, U .K. fave James Zabiela and Italian G rammy winner Benny Benassi. At the Real Detroit stage, Punisher blasted the underground environment with her set of tough tunes. The Beatport tent took off in a minimal direction

Nicole Chipi

Detroit

Kosmic Messenger: Stacey Pullen in the mix.

Nearly Naked: Mash-up maven G irl Talk gets inspired.

with M_nus label stars Heartthrob, Paco Osuna, Magda and Richie Hawtin.

At the RBMA stage, G irl Talk rocked the crowd with his manic mash-ups, not to mention his stripped-down aerobics. Carl Craig closed the Vitamin Water stage with a stirring live set

that left the locals abuzz.

On Memorial Day, Lee Burridge hammed it up at the Beatport stage, but dropped some tasty aural treats along the way. Josh Wink followed with acid house that dug deeper as he went along. Then Dub re blew the

lid off the tent. But the day’s most memorable set came from local Kevin Saunderson who turned the Real Detroit area into a cauldron of chaos. With each buildup and breakdown, “Reese” offered a big smile, con dent in his business.

from cranking the volume too loud and permanently damaging a club’s sound system.

Another notable component: An included piece of software developed

by Ecler called Librarian. This little program takes this mixer to the next level. It enables the DJ to upload all of their customized settings from the mixer to their personal computer. Then, anytime that computer is plugged into another EVO5, all of the settings are transferred to that mixer.

Librarian saves both MIDI settings and Effects settings.

Conclusion: Over the last three years mixers have evolved to become an all-in-one solution for DJs searching for exibility, a familiar layout, and

usable functions. Ecler is the first company to develop a professional audio mixer which can be completely customized to t the DJ. You should feel confident in spending $1,899 (MAP) on this mixer, one that will grow with you for years to come.

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

Certi ed you know you won’t be left in the dust technologically.

Industry leader Rane has also come out with a mixer which incorporates all of the sonic values of a Rane mixer with the MIDI capabilities which are becoming so popular.The TTM-57SL mixer ($1,449 MAP) was built with Serato Scratch users in mind. This battle mixer can play any combination of digital and analog music. There is a series of programmable buttons and switches to control the advanced features of Serato without ever touching your computer.As Serato continues to incorporate live video into their software, more people are going to reach for a MIDI assignable battle mixer and the TTM-57SL lls that void. n

Takeover

(continued from page 23) When it comes to analog and digital, this is the best of both worlds. The selectable lters bring back that oldschool sound, the In nium contactfree crossfader is great for scratching, and because it’s Traktor Scratch

Ryan Raddon is an OK name.

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But, it just doesn’t have proper star appeal.

Not like…Kaskade!

Photos by Mark Owens

DJ TIMES JULY 2008

What’s In a Name?

Kaskade, next month in DJ Times

6/11/2008 5:19:48 PM

DJ TIMES

JULY 2008

Move your vinyl to iPod.

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6/11/2008 5:19:50 PM

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6/11/2008 5:19:52 PM