Highlights from America’s Best DJ Summer Tour Presented by DJ Times & Pioneer DJ
AMERICA’S FIRST MAGAZINE FOR PROFESSIONAL DJs ESTABLISHED 1988
OCTOBER 2012
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FERRY CORSTEN’S BIG CONCEPT
WINNING BUSINESS WITH SOCIAL MEDIA 2012 DJ EXPO: Hot Market, Record Numbers
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n TRITONAL n EROL
ALKAN n IZOTOPE’S IRIS n ELECTRO-VOICE ACTIVE SPEAKERS n WEDDING DJS & THEIR WEBSITES
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“HOUSTON, WE HAVE A REMIX.” The RMX-1000 Remix Station gives every DJ the ability to personalize their mix by creating and adding multiple remix effects. Along with the onboard multi-bank rhythmic sampler, the RMX-1000 has four remixing functions: Isolate FX, Scene FX, X-Pad FX and Release FX. Also included is Pioneer’s Remixbox and RMX-1000Plugin VST/AU plug-in software. The RMX-1000... Taking your mix, where no mix has gone before.
RMX-1000 REMIX STATION Scene FX allows users to choose 5 build up or break down effects Isolate FX focuses on HI/LOW/MID frequency bands X-Pad FX enables users to develop and add new sounds Release FX: re-set and override current effets with ECHO, Break, or Back-spin effect Remixbox software & RMX-1000Plugin VST/AU plug-in software included
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INDUSTRY EVENTS…NOTABLES…MILESTONES
NEWS
Game; and Adam J. Hirschhorn of AJH Entertainment from Marlboro, N.J., for Best Dance—he also took the DJ of the Year Runner-Up. At Expo’s end, Matt Pellettiere of East Hanover, N.J., had his name picked from the thousands of entries and won the annual Ultimate DJ Giveaway. His newfound treasure
Superstar DJ: Paul van Dyk at his keynote.
Scratchin’: Craze at Pioneer’s closing party.
included: American DJ lights (Double Phase LED and Galaxian Gem LED); Beamz gear (Beamz Pro Interactive Laser Controller); Pioneer gear (CDJ-2000 players, DJM-900nexus mixer, RMX-1000 remix station, and HDJ-200-K headphones) and Promo Only subscription (to either Express Audio or Express Video via POOL, Promo Only’s digital delivery system). “We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for helping make this the biggest and best DJ Expo—ever!” says Vinny Testa, Publisher/President of Testa Communications. “As publishers of DJ Times magazine for almost 25 years, we have seen DJs become mainstays at a variety of venues and events—clubs, weddings, business gatherings, parties and festivals. “None of us could have foreseen, however, the continuing excitement and ever-increasing growth in this market for dance music and the DJs themselves as ‘megastar performers and music trendsetters.’ We are so very proud to be able to successfully deliver this market to you year after year. And you can count on an even bigger show in 2013!” Stay tuned for announcements about DJ Expo 2013. For the very latest, please visit www.thedjexpo.com.
MetroMixMedia
Jeff Heart
Atlantic City, N.J.—With another sold-out exhibit hall and a 20-percent rise in attendance from the previous year’s event, the 2012 DJ Expo set new standards the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J., this past Aug. 13-16. Produced by DJ Times magazine and its publisher Testa Communications, the Expo drew over 6,200 attendees and offered more than 200 exhibitor booths from nearly 100 companies. With its 27th show in 22 years, DJ Expo presented a DJ-friendly schedule of exhibits, seminars and parties that saw participation from exhibitors and sponsors like Pioneer DJ, Rane, American DJ, Denon DJ, and Chauvet, among many others. In the Expo seminar rooms, DJ legends Paul van Dyk and John “Jellybean” Benitez presented “Keynote Q&A” sessions, which offered up history, anecdotes and inspiration. Also, sales coach Carolyn Herfurth delivered a solution-filled session for mobile entertainers looking to sharpen their own sales chops. Over its four days, DJ Expo presented 27 sessions delving deeply into club, mobile and studio topics. At area venues, Expo evening events included exciting DJ sets from America’s Best DJ nominees Craze, Skribble, Roonie G and Fei-Fei (all at Pioneer’s Official DJ Expo Closing Party at Casbah), plus Enferno (onstage in the exhibit hall and at Moodswing’s afterparty at mur.mur). Expo attendees were additionally treated to live stage performances from chart-toppers like Sean Paul, JES, Taylor Dayne, Shannon and Paul van Dyk at House of Blues during Promo Only’s showcase and from Pretty Poison’s Jade Starling at Casbah during the Expo kick-off party. The showfloor even offered a few surprises, like an impromptu set at the Denon booth from hip-hop pioneer Biz Markie. Additionally, for the second year in a row, Jack Bermeo of LJ Productions in Belleville, N.J., took the “DJ of the Year” competition. Hosted by Elite Entertainment’s Mike Walter at Casbah, the event bestowed awards to the best of America’s mobile entertainers. Other winners included: H.Y.P.E Productions from Lynwood, Ill., for Best Choreography; Derek Heckler of Dance Masters Entertainment from Baltimore, Md., for Best
Jeff Heart
THESE ARE DJ TIMES: EXPO ’12 SETS NEW STANDARDS
Showfloor: Attendees sample the gear.
watch it in action
play the light® Control virtually any DJ application and/or lighting control application via MIDI and keystroke mapping.
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VOLUME 25 NUMBER 10
18 Highlights from 2012 DJ Expo
Thousands of DJs Came to Atlantic City for DJ Expo—Here’s What It Looked Like… BY JOHN HOHMAN/METROMIXMEDIA, JEFF HEART/WIGGLE PRODUCTIONS & RONALD MUNGO
12 Full On!
In EDM’s New Era of Massive Stage Shows, Ferry Corsten Steps Up His Game BY JIM TREMAYNE
22 Living Social
Social Media Options Abound, But How Do DJs Determine Which One Suits Their Needs—And Wins Business? BY JEFF STILES
24 The Road Goes On Forever
Highlights from America’s Best DJ Summer Tour Presented by Pioneer DJ & DJ Times BY DJ TIMES PHOTOGRAPHERS
DEPARTMENTS 6 Feedback
As Always, the Answers to All Your DJ-Related Questions
26 Making Tracks
iZotope Iris
28 Sounding Off
Electro-Voice’s Powered Pair
30 Mobile Profile
DJ Carl Stays Ahead of Internet Wave
32 Business Line
How to Bring the Brides to Your Website
34 Gear
New Products from Stanton, Hercules & More
38 Grooves
Phat Tracks from Boyz Noize, ATB & More
40 DJ Times Marketplace
Shop Here for All Your DJ-Related Supplies
The Hottest Records, As Reported by Our Top U.S. Record Pools
SAMPLINGS
DJ TIMES
OCTOBER 2012
8 Erol Alkan
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Bugged Out/Bugged In
10 In the Studio With… Tritonal
Cover Photo By Ash Goldie & Contents Photo By Dance Therapy
41 Club Play Chart
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FROM THE EDITOR
On DJ Expo—And Onto ABDJ & ADE Before I dive into the particulars of this issue, I must devote a moment to DJ Expo… Now that we’ve chalked up our biggest numbers in the show’s 22-year history—please see Page 3 for details—I have to thank attendees, exhibitors, event sponsors and the staff of the Trump Taj Mahal for making it such a rousing success. When we launched this show in 1990, it was done for the purpose of defining the DJ market and creating an annual event that could help foster its growth. I’m pretty sure we’ve done that, but we didn’t do it alone. So, we send a massive shout-out to all the Expo participants for their efforts and their support of the DJ market—you’ve all helped make DJ Expo America’s longest-running and most-successful DJ show. Onto the October issue, and once again we look at the ramifications of America’s expanding EDM culture. At a moment when fans want more from their DJ-stars, what does it mean for the DJ-performers looking to keep up with the demand? We posed that question for perennial global favorite Ferry Corsten and we were plenty pleased to get such a detailed response. Simply put, the Dutch DJ/producer felt the need to raise his game in the live arena and with his “Full On” show—complete with massive visuals and a unique approach to music programing—he’s done it. Details and pictures inside. In our gear-review columns, we take a detailed look at a pair of products. In Sounding Off, Bay Area mobile Jody Amos puts an Electro-Voice active-speaker system—the ZXA-1-90 and ZXA1Sub—through its paces. In Making Tracks, New England DJ/producer Josh Harris handles iZotope’s Iris, which offers up some otherworldly studio sounds. In our Sampling section, Justin Hampton takes on Texas trance duo Tritonal, while Lily Moayeri connects with eclectic London jock Erol Alkan. On the mobile-marketing front, our Jeff Stiles surveys a handful of successful entertainers, looking to find out which social-media options best suit their needs and help win the most business. In Business Line, The Knot’s Laura Cave offers money-making tips to wedding jocks on how to bring brides to their websites. In Mobile Profile, we connect with DJ Carl Williams who explains how he’s succeeded through branding, digital marketing and SEO optimization. As America’s Best DJ Summer Tour Presented by Pioneer DJ & DJ Times winds down, we take you to a variety of exciting locales. This month, we offer you a photo spread from—here we go— Camp Bisco in Mariaville, N.Y. (with ABDJ nominees A-Trak, Bassnectar, DJ Craze, Kill the Noise, MiMOSA, Porter Robinson, Skrillex and Star Eyes of Trouble & Bass); Rumor in Philadelphia (Saeed Younan); Global Dance Festival at Red Rocks in Morrison, Col. (12th Planet, Dillon Francis, Kill the Noise, Manufactured Superstars, Morgan Page and Wolfgang Gartner); Don Coqui in Astoria, N.Y. (DJ Creme); Mix Ultra Lounge in Columbus, Ga. (DJ Roonie G); Cielo in New York City (Sleepy & Boo); and Marquee Dayclub in Las Vegas (Gabriel & Dresden). Thanks to our intrepid photographers (Ashley Suszczynski, Simon Alexander, Chad Carl, Wiggle Productions and Fred Gumm) for their efforts. Also, if it’s October, we must be prepping for Amsterdam Dance Event, one of the DJ/dancemusic industry’s great gatherings. We hope to see you at the Felix Meritis Centre, the Dylan Hotel or one of Amsterdam’s many late-night venues the week of Oct. 17-21. ADE—looking forward to it.
DJ TIMES
OCTOBER 2012
Cheers,
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editor-in-chief Jim Tremayne jtremayne@testa.com
graphic designer/artist Janice Pupelis jpupelis@testa.com
editor-at-large Brian O’Connor boconnor@testa.com
production manager Steve Thorakos sthorakos@testa.com
chart coordinator Dan Miller dmiller@testa.com contributors Jody Amos Joe Bermudez Angela Bray Wesley Bryant-King Shawn Christopher Paul Dailey Chris Davis Justin Hampton Josh Harris Russ Harris Robert LaFrance Polly Lavin Michelle Loeb Lily Moayeri Phil Moffa Natalie Raben Scott Rubin Jennifer Shapiro Nate Sherwood Jeff Stiles Emily Tan Phil Turnipseed Curtis Zack President/Publisher Vincent P. Testa
FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND TO ORDER SUBSCRIPTIONS, CALL 800-937-7678 VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.djtimes.com
DJ Times Sound & Communications The Music & Sound Retailer Sound & Communications Blue Book America’s Best DJ The DJ Expo IT/AV Report Convention TV News VTTV Studios
promotions/web designer Fred Gumm fgumm@testa.com digital media manager Chris Davis cdavis@testa.com advertising manager Jon Rayvid jrayvid@testa.com art/production assistant Douglas Yelin dyelin@testa.com Circulation circulation@testa.com Classifieds classifiedsales@testa.com operations manager Robin Hazan rhazan@testa.com Editorial and Sales Office: DJ Times, 25 Willowdale Avenue, Port Washington, New York, USA 11050-3779. (516) 767-2500 • FAX (Editorial): (516) 944-8372 • FAX (Sales/all other business): (516) 767-9335 • DJTIMES@TESTA. COM Editorial contributions should be addressed to The Editor, DJ Times, 25 Willowdale Avenue, Port Washington, NY, USA, 110503779. Unsolicited manuscripts will be treated with care an d should be accompanied by return postage. DJ Times (ISSN 1045-9693) (USPS 0004-153) is published monthly for $19.40 (US), $39.99 (Canada), and $59.99 (all other countries), by DJ Publishing, Inc., 25 Willowdale Ave., Port Washington, NY 110503779. Periodicals postage paid at Port Washington, NY, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to DJ Times, PO BOX 1767, LOWELL MA 01853-1767 Design and contents are copyright © 2012 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 October 2012
Jim Tremayne Editor, DJ Times
visit our website: www.djtimes.com
FEEDBACK are meeting up with old friends and coming home with great new ideas. Al‑ ready planning for 2013! – Helen Viva, Professional Entertainment Group, Ottawa
Thanks to DJ Times for making DJ Expo 2012 such a success for Chauvet. We have never been so pleased with the execution and success of a show as we are with Expo. The staff was on top of everything and making sure everything ran smoothly. I spoke to many exhibitors and all spoke highly of how well this was organized—can’t say as much for the other shows we do. Looking forward to knocking DJ Expo out of the park again in 2013.
www.djtimes.com
– Karl Detken, Chauvet Lighting, Sunrise, Fla.
This is Feedback, a monthly feature that fields questions from you, our readers, and funnels them out to in‑ dustry professionals. If you have any questions about DJing – marketing, mixing, equipment or insurance, any at all – drop us a letter at DJ Times, 25 Willowdale Ave, Port Washington, NY 11050, fax us at (516) 944‑8372 or e‑mail us at djtimes@testa.com. If we do use your question, you’ll receive a free DJ Times T‑shirt. And remember, the only dumb question is the ques‑ tion that is not asked.
www.djtimes.com/blog
2000W TruSource™ Technology DL2 Integrated Digital Mixer
Correction: In the September 2012 issue’s Sounding Off column, our suggestion near the end of the review of Rane’s Sixty-One and Sixty-Two mixers “to just label one of the inputs as ‘Digital’ or ‘Time‑ code’” could be misleading and confusing. According to Rane, nei‑ ther mixer has a “timecode” input and cannot be used with any other company’s “timecode” control vi‑ nyl. The mixers only work with the included Serato proprietaryencoded noise map control vinyl. The following are emails we received from exhibitors and attendees of DJ Expo, which ran this past Aug. 13-16 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J.: DJ Expo 2012 was one of the best shows that we have ever participated in—period! You could feel the ener‑ gy level everywhere. It was non-stop excitement for us. Our booths were packed, our PizzaFest on Aug. 14 was a big hit and it gave us chance to party with a lot of good people. As a “busi‑ ness” event, of course, the show was great, but it was also a whole lot of fun.
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– Brian Dowdle, American DJ, Los Angeles
Wow—another great year with DJ Times in Atlantic City! The DJ Expo was worth traveling from Canada for. There’s always something to keep us busy and interested—the best parts
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SAMPLINGS
EROL ALKAN: BUGGED OUT/ BUGGED IN
DJ TIMES
OCTOBER 2012
Live Mixer: Alkan’s latest doesn’t get fussy with technology.
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When working in the studio, Erol Alkan is a hoarder—in the best possible way. The trailblazing DJ/ producer never throws away any piece of music he creates. In fact, the identifiable synth riff from “Lemonade”—his 2010 collaboration with Boys Noize—was fished out of the trash and slapped onto another piece of music Alkan was working on. Two hours later, a stomping club hit was born. Considering that the London-based Alkan became known as a DJ in the early days of the mash-up craze, it shouldn’t be surprising that he excels at marrying two different musical entities. But when making a DJ-mix compilation these days, he simply prefers a level of authenticity—with few technological tricks. On Another “Bugged Out” Mix/Another “Bugged In” Selection—his second installation for the Bugged Out brand—he went for it live, using the same set-up he would in a club setting—four linked Pioneer CDJ2000 players and a DJM-900nexus mixer, plus his music on a 32G USB stick with all his “recordboxes” visible on the screen. The mix was completed in a couple of “live” takes, without any Ableton alterations. “I use Ableton for pre-production, if I want to change the speed of a sample or jam a remix, but then I take it out,” explains Alkan, over a frosty glass of watermelon juice at a trendy L.A. hotel. “The cool thing about a 900 mixer is it also acts like a soundcard. You can plug a USB out of it straight into your computer, into Pro Tools or Logic—all digital, no conversion, totally pure sound.” The Bugged Out Mix disc (CD1) spans 30 years of music, but it maintains a modern pulse. You have versions of ’80s cuts like Mike “Hitman” Wilson’s Psychedelic Remix of Children of the Night’s “It’s a Trip,” Model 500’s “No UFOs (D-Mix)” and the Obi Blanche Edit of Ron Hardy’s “Sensation, but also Alkan’s relatively recent mixes of Connan Mockasin’s “Forever Dolphin Love” and Spandex’s “The Bull.” “The connection,” he says, “is how the records run into each other. The pace of it, bringing the fader, making sure this track is bubbling underneath this one, as records take each other over slightly or as elements take each other over—that’s the connection. I want to judge it on, ‘That felt right! That’s it! That’s the one that’s going to stick!’ That’s when you know you’ve got what you need.
“It shouldn’t be, ‘This is how I want it to sound and now I’m going to spend an hour cutting each beat to the other beat.’ That sounds right, but it doesn’t connect with me. Sometimes the presence of imperfection is the thing that turns the ear on. For me, it’s far more important to connect than to be correct.” Meanwhile, the Bugged In Selection on CD2 goes the more back-to-mine route, with cuts from Jan Hammer, Robert Wyatt and Buffalo Springfield. Dancefloor fodder, it’s not. “I’m a great believer in moments rather than artists,” says Alkan of Bugged In. “Much of it is about understanding what each song plays in a big picture. You don’t want songs to be fighting for the same position. I wanted [the mix compilation] to have the best record that you could start a record with and end a record with, and what separated it to be something that by the time you reached the middle, you would be completely transfixed. “I don’t want my DJ existence to be based around high-BPM, high-energy music. It’s important to me to be able to put this other side of myself out there.” – Lily Moayeri
IN THE STUDIO WITH
Tritonal: (from left) Dave Reed & Chad Cisneros
DJ TIMES
OCTOBER 2012
TRITONAL: PIERCING THE QUIET
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If you want to gauge the sheer enthusiasm of trance music’s global fanbase, you’ve got to check the Twitter reactions to the genre’s well-known podcasts. Following Armin Van Buuren’s “A State of Trance” and Above & Beyond’s “Trance Around the World,” for example, the popular insta-platform buzzes with praise or broods with disappointment over the new tunes featured on that week’s show. And it’s from these broadcasts that the guys from Tritonal have distinguished themselves, attracting significant positive response from the genre’s ultraloyal legions. So much so, that they’ve even coined a term for their own devotees—Tritonians. So now, with winning tracks like “Piercing Quiet,” “Everafter” and “Still With Me”—plus serious consideration in popular DJ polls (like DJ Times’ America’s Best DJ)—the Austin, Texas-based DJ/ production duo has been assured of racking up frequent-flier miles to markets like Ibiza, the Russian Federation and anywhere Insomniac hosts a party for the foreseeable future.
In the rare moments when Tritonal’s Chad Cisneros and Dave Reed enjoy some we-time in their home studio, both of them rev up on a system amplified by the combined use of separate workstations. “I own Dynaudio AIR15s as my nearfield monitors, a 30-inch display, a PowerMac, Virus TI, [Native Instruments] KORE 2 and an M-Audio 61-key controller,” says Cisneros. “However, the muscle really comes from the software, which includes the UAD-2 QUAD Omni bundle with an extra PCI Processing card, [Native Instruments] KOMPLETE 8, and a gazillion others.” As for Reed, he says that he splits the difference between both Mac and PC work environments. “I'm in a professionally treated room with all Auralex pro-sound paneling, a vocal booth with a soon-tobe-upgraded Neumann condenser,” he says. “The studio is running on a JBL Pro series monitoring system fused with the Mackie Big Knob, which makes it really handy to A-B a record by switch-
ing between monitors. There's also an Apogee Ensemble [multi-channel interface] and Pro Tools setup for the main outputs. I really like my PCs, so I have both a Mac and a PC setup here, running most DAWs such as FL Studio, Logic, Abelton Live and even Cubase—you never know, we like to get crazy sometimes. I also have the Virus TI, KORE 2, KOMPLETE 8, an M-Audio controller and lots of AU/VST instruments/FX.” T h e g ro u p ’s e n e r g e t i c D J s e t s a re c o ordinated on CDJ-2000 players with the mus i c s t o re d o n S D c a r d s w i t h i n P i o n e e r ' s rekordbox music-management system. Some tranceheads may be surprised to know the duo works with MASSIVE—a mainstay for dubstep producers—for pad sounds, leads and effects. “It has some wicked analog modeled filters,” says Cisneros, “plus excellent feedback algorithms, overdrive effects, and wicked modulation tools like the Stepper and Performer.” Vocals from pet performers like Cristina Soto are put through a customized battery of compression, EQ, harmonic exciters, de-essers, and defined reverb. “We work in ‘sections,’ meaning that we work on various segments of a track before starting to tackle arrangement,” says Reed of the group’s creative process. “Some days are spent on designing weird sounds, percussive elements and effects. Others are strictly spent on chords and melodies.” As Tritonal’s latest Enhanced Recordings release (Piercing the Quiet: Remixed) features versions of the duo’s five Beatport chart-toppers among other gems on its two discs, Tritonians now have plenty more to dig into. – Justin Hampton
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DJ TIMES
OCTOBER 2012
FULL
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As Electronic Dance Music continues to grow and its events become larger spectacles, for good or ill, it’s not just about DJs mixing two records anymore. Nonetheless, fans—especially newer ones more accustomed to festivals than clubs—have come to expect more for their entertainment dollar. They want compelling music, sure, but they also want to see a slam-bang show with any or all of the following add-ons: dazzling lights, exclusive video, and intricate staging, plus the requisite smoke and lasers. So, DJs—especially those not wearing LED-enhanced mouseheads—are stepping up their collective game. Look around EDM’s live landscape and you’ll see performers
like Skrillex raising the bar with his “Mothership Tour,” which includes the “Skrillex Cube,” an eye-popping, video-enhanced booth. Check out one of Amon Tobin’s mind-melting “ISAM” shows—that is, if your brain can handle it. Both tours use variations of the latest 3D-mapping technology—courtesy Vello Virkhaus and V Squared Labs—so the pivot toward immersive and downright psychedelic live experiences seems complete at this point. With all that in mind, relative oldschool jocks—you know, DJs who
actually did begin by spinning two slabs of vinyl—have been put on notice. Adapt or die, right? Well, Ferry Corsten is one who has adapted just fine. The Dutch DJ/producer has been in the game for more than two decades and his popularity, especially in the States, has only increased. Spinning trance and the more melodic flavors of EDM, Corsten continues to play major global festivals and clubs, so expanding and enhancing his stage show became a priority. In time, the “Full On” concept was born. Working from a scalable DJ booth/stage that includes its own exclusive 3D visuals, the “Full On” shows offer a solo set from Corsten, plus back-to-back sets with guest
jocks—like Gabriel & Dresden and Michael Woods in the recent New York show—and performances from live artists—like Betsie Larkin in NYC. (For playback, Corsten and friends use Pioneer’s DJM-2000 mixer and four Pioneer CDJ-2000 players.) Filling up Roseland’s massive floor for an Electric Zoo afterparty this past Aug. 31, New York’s “Full On” event carried delirious Ferry fans deep into the night and early morning. In a year that saw him release WKND (his fourth artist album), hit massive festivals like Electric Zoo, and complete his Ibiza residency at Eden, we caught up with Ferry Corsten to discuss his hands-on approach to “Full On,” his big-stage
is that the stage setup is fully scalable, and it’s set up in such a way as to have a much bigger—“expensive looking”—impact than it actually costs the promoter. That makes it worthwhile for the promoter to book these shows, and everybody wins in the end. DJ Times: So, what makes these events different from the other big, technology-driven DJ tours? Corsten: What are my “Full On” shows about? It’s a concert show, basically, where I invite guest DJs to play with me in various back-toback sets and where everyone gets their own set time, as well. I’m sort of the host of the night. It’s not just DJs playing tracks at a festival, but a family that enjoys what it’s really all
about—having fun! DJ Times: So it seems that, for the fans, you want to create a sense of familiarity, then? Corsten: Yes, when you go to see a Madonna or U2 concert, you see the same concept around the world. What we try to do with the “Full On” shows is to give you the same experience and the same production everywhere you go. Wherever the “Full On” logo shows up, you’ll know what to expect. DJ Times: How are you getting the word out? Corsten: I produce bi-weekly “WKNDR” movies on my YouTube channel, and each episode is professionally filmed at a different location around the world based on where I
am every few weeks. You can search several episodes shot at “Full On” live shows to see what a “Full On” show looks like. DJ Times: Did you do rehearsals for a show like this? Corsten: The first “Full On” show was basically when we did a tryout show in Moscow when it was still called WKND—the title of my current studio album—in November of last 2011. It was a tryout for 13,000 people, kind of a big rehearsal. [laughs] That was the biggest it can get production-wise. What we did was make it affordable for promoters where we can have the same look, but we can resize it to suit 2,000 people to 10,000 people. We really found that to be important,
DJ TIMES
concept. DJ Times: Tell us about your new live-show approach. Ferry Corsten: I have a liveshow concept that’s been called “Full On Ferry,” which has been re-branded as “Full On”—“hosted by Ferry Corsten.” What I wanted to do with this “Full On” live show concept is give audiences a fully immersive experience that’s unlike the typical club fare. DJ Times: Why the change? What does it entail? Corsten: DJ shows have gotten incredibly more complex with today’s technology and this has allowed me to give fans an experience that’s completely unique. One important aspect of “Full On” shows
OCTOBER 2012
Photos By Dance Therapy
L ON!
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DJ TIMES
OCTOBER 2012
“Full On” Ferry & More: Amsterdam Dance Event 2012
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Amsterdam—Each fall, DJ Times joins much of the DJ and dance-music industry in The Netherlands for the Amsterdam Dance Event—and the magazine will cross the pond again this year for the show’s 17 th annual incarnation. With its conference (seminars, keynotes and meetings) running Oct. 17-21 this year at Amsterdam’s Felix Meritis Centre and the nearby Dylan Hotel, ADE will also present five nights of entertainment that includes nearly 800 DJs and artists performing at over 60 area venues. Top Dutch DJ/producer Ferry Corsten has been there since ADE’s 1996 launch and, on Oct. 18 at Undercurrent, he’ll present his “Full On” show, which will include sets from Corsten, Giuseppe Ottaviani, John “00” Fleming, Aly & Fila, among others. Here, he shares a few thoughts about ADE, his homeland’s top industry gathering. “Amsterdam Dance Event has grown so
much over the years to be a key worldwide networking event,” he says. “Through all the various seminars and panels it offers, you can get inside information on current trends and updates pertinent to our industry—it's really invaluable to be there. The conference is a perfect place for people in the music industry to exchange ideas and thoughts, as well as meet new business prospects and/or close deals. “Our label, Flashover Recordings, and management company, Dance Therapy Productions, have been a part of A.D.E. for over a decade,” he continues. “We see it as a great way to meet with potential and current business partners in a confined, yet relaxed setting in the center of Amsterdam. There is always a great buzz and vibe during the conference. We have closed many deals and partnerships there throughout the years, and I would say to aspiring and current industry peeps, 'You definitely should be there!’”
because not every promoter can sell out a venue for 5,000 people. DJ Times: Why is that important? Corsten: When your production costs are that high, nobody will book you. Or it will be charged to the customers through the ticket price—and that’s not what I want. So, that’s basically the main idea behind the “Full On” design, which is that it should be resizable and doable in any club that has a stage. So, every club that has a normal, small stage, that’s a location where a “Full On” show can be given. DJ Times: What’s the need for a stage? Corsten: Well, I’m playing in a huge cube built with LEDs, so every club with a regular DJ booth—like Pacha in New York City, which has a fixed DJ booth—that’s not possible. But if you look at Ruby Skye in San Francisco, a club that has a small stage, that’s got the perfect setup. DJ Times: Tell me about the cube. Corsten: It’s actually a very simple “diamond-shaped cube” set-up, which allows me to stand in the middle of the video and not just have a screen behind me. The screen is behind me and in front of me at the same time. For the bigger shows, like Moscow, you can sometimes not see me onstage, but you can see me through the screen. It’s more like the video will take over the show and I’m playing from behind the screen. DJ Times: How do you stay connected with the crowd? Corsten: I can still see the audience through the screen because we use a see-through screen. I can also look into the camera and it projects my face onto the screen. So, the audience sees me through silhouette, like 50-percent. For the bigger shows, the top part of the screen is moving; the LED comes down and moves up above me for the bigger shows. That’s not possible for all of the venues because there are weight restrictions. We try to do that as much as possible, though. The show doesn’t suffer when the screen is not moving, but it’s a cool extra element. It’s not just the structure of the cube or the production of the show that makes the show so cool. It’s the marriage between the production and the video content projected onto it that makes it such a cool experience. DJ Times: Tell me about your visual content—things like lights, video, lasers and pyro. Corsten: My lighting and video tech, Bert Kelchtermans, is not standing next to me during shows. Most DJs, they have a video guy and a lighting guy. I decided in 2009 when I started working with Unlimited Productions and video director, Bart Roelen, that I wanted one guy to
control everything: the lights, the visuals, lasers, pyro. This way, the whole look will be better in combination. It’s more integrated and everything fits better. Otherwise, the video would be green and the lights could be red and it would be a blurry mess. [laughs] So, I give all the non-audio controls to one person to get the most out of the show. Bert is standing in the front-of-house in the middle of the audience, facing me, controlling the lights, video, visuals, viral and whatever else is happening during the shows except the music. DJ Times: How did the “Full On” show go from concept to reality? Corsten: I met with Unlimited Productions and they made me a sketch after I told them my concept for the shows—I liked what I saw. From there, we got all of the video content built to fit on those screens. Nothing is “off-the-rack” generic content. Everything is really built to make the DJ booth set-up pop! It’s totally custom-made. I got the idea in February 2011 and the first “Full On Ferry” show was November 2011, before everything was finished actually. We had to fine-tune after the first tryout. It took a couple of months to get the concept just right. DJ Times: How has the show
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evolved? Corsten: Well, I’m very happy with it right now. It works out better and better because, first, we made all the video content for one size setup, but with the software we’re using, we made it possible to resize the images to fit the screens and basically any screen, no matter the shape or size. The cube can be as large and as high as promoters want it. It’s really good for promoters because it’s very adaptable to varying locations with different specs. The smallest we can do for the screens—as we did in Jakarta and Bangkok—is 3.5-metershigh by 5-meters-wide. It can go as big as in Moscow, which was the biggest on the mainstage because we had wings and stuff on it. That set-up was 10-meters-high by 12-meterswide. This is very unique because most DJ shows only have one size and you have to do it like that. If you change the size [of the “Full On” set-up], everything still looks in proportion. The proportions don’t get all messed up. DJ Times: What video software are you using? Corsten: I’m using all software that you can buy. In the beginning, we used ArKaos GrandVJ software (continued on page 42)
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Highlights From
2012 DJ EXPO
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From Aug. 13-16, Thousands of DJs Came to Atlantic City for DJ Expo—Here’s What It Looked Like…
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OCTOBER 2012
Pictures from John Hohman/MetromixMedia, Jeff Heart/Wiggle Productions & Ronald Mungo.
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Mirth & Merriment at the American Audio booth.
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In the House: Biz Markie rocks the Denon booth.
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DJ Times Square: Casio-sponsored DJ Enferno.
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Who Wants It? Craze gives away a Pioneer mixer.
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Dinner Music: Etronik rocks American DJ’s pizza party.
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Jumpin’: A dancer gets wild at Casbah.
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Put Up Your Dukes: Electro-Voice booth packs punch.
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Get Lifted: Mobile madness at Casbah.
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Go Braves! Atlanta Photo Booth gets busy.
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10 Like Frampton: Pioneer booth comes alive. 11 Jim Wolf, a DJ from Allentown, Pa., hits the showfloor. 12 Lights Up: Chauvet’s multi-colored exhibit stand. 13 Casbah Party: Jade Starling reaches out to a fan. 14 Mixer Talk: Rane’s Mike May (right) with a customer.
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13 15 Multi-Op Mobile: Mike Walter pushes profitability. 16 SmithsonMartin Stand: Behold… The Emulator! 17 Fans rock The Casbah at Denon’s Kick-Off party.
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OCTOBER 2012
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18 Crankin’ at Casbah: DJ Skribble in the mix.
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19 What Size? Stevie makes a sale at the Expo Store. 20 Pioneer Party MC: WKTU’s Sean “Hollywood” Hamilton & wife, Marina. 21 Feided: DJ Fei-Fei drops the bass at Casbah. 22 Keynoter: The legendary Jellybean Benitez reminisces. 23 Mixing: Melissa Nikita at the Denon booth. 24 Sales Coach: Carolyn Herfurth makes a point. 25 Ultimate DJ Giveaway Winner Matt Pellettier with Pioneer’s mascot.
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26 Legal Eagle: Coe Ramsey explains copyright law. 27 In the Xone: Allen & Heath’s mixer arsenal. 25
28 Bus Pass: The UniqueSquared Mobile Studio.
DJ TIMES
OCTOBER 2012
29 Dynamic Duo: Stanton’s B-Side & DJ Spark.
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30 DJ of the Year: Jack Bermeo with MCs Mike Walter & Marshall Moore.
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OCTOBER 2012
LIVING SOCIAL
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Because Steve Croce, the wedding entertainment director for Silver Sound DJs, had operated an event blog for years, he says that moving to the social-media site Facebook was a pretty easy transition. “At first, posting seemed like a monumental waste of time and energy, but our company never stopped plugging away,” says the Philadelphia-based Croce. “And finally, we are now beginning to see traffic coming from Facebook. It's not just from our pages, but also from the pages of our friends in the industry, such as banquet halls, hotels, photographers, limo services, caterers, etc.” Seems like those endless FB “likes” can come in handy after all. “Just today,” Croce relates, “we saw an employee-appreciation party for 400 people come through our system with the note: 'Saw you on my sister's wedding photographer's Facebook page,' and they booked her corporate event in a matter of minutes. “We've researched Twitter, Pinterest and Google+, but it seems like currently our core demographic is still primarily using Facebook.” We polled a number of mobile DJs from across the nation, asking about the social media tolls they’re currently using. Twitter? Pinterest? Goggle +? Is all the current talk about social-media tools
BY JEFF STILES just hype, or is it actually gaining more business? According to Mike Fernino of Music in Motion Entertainment in Seymour, Conn., a Facebook page can serve as important a role as a company website. “We use Facebook as an extension to our website, and post welcomes to every new client that comes on board,” says Fernino. “We stress how important it is for our clients to 'like' our page so they can keep in contact with what we're doing. We offer monthly promotions and specials that keep the clients coming back and, most importantly, we keep in contact and often find people calling us to add services because they've seen our postings on Facebook.” As an example, Fernino says their company will regularly do a monthly special, during which they'll highlight their PhotoBooth, or architectural lighting, or maybe even the opportunity to promote live music for a client's ceremony. “Using Facebook to get out the message is effective,” he says. “Sometimes we'll do a 24-hour sale, and this certainly puts a time limit that make brides think seriously about a deal. In
fact, Facebook can be your own personal Groupon channel, if used correctly.” Fernino says his company's online video gallery is another great web-based tool, as they can add photos more easily than using their website. “One thing that's very effective with this is time-sensitive material, such as when a bride can be home on a Saturday night and literally see a live video of a packed dancefloor that we just posted,” he explains. “She's not only gonna see right into our world, but probably know we're right on top of the social media trend. “In many cases, we'll get calls on a Monday right after the weekend, with already-booked clients wanting to upgrade because they saw what it looked like by surfing Facebook over the weekend.” Over at The Music Place, operated by Blake Eckelbarger (aka DJ Sticky Boots) in South Bend, Ind., all the social-media efforts can be tied together for maximum benefit—based, in their case, on the large number of fans for Sticky Boots' many followers, plus the growing fans of The Music Place. “The key we’ve found is involving as many other vendors or individuals as possible, and always tagging those pages in our individual posts across all social media platforms,” says Sticky Boots. “Often this is a means of discov-
ery for other people, that there’s more to us than just one page and allows us to cross-pollinate the pages. “For instance, if I’m doing a big Sweet 16 for The Music Place and the kids attending are big fans of DJ Sticky Boots, then we’ll post about the event on the DJ Sticky Boots pages, but tag the venue, plus The Music Place, plus the birthday girl herself, so that post appears on all the respective pages—and often in friends’ feeds. “We actually often pick up new followers this way. It also shows the other vendors that we're proactive about mentioning their businesses and brands, and makes them more likely to tag us in their own posts. The same applies to weddings where The Music Place page is generally the driver, with DJ Sticky Boots—or our other DJs—mentioned in the post or tweet.” Eckelbarger claims he also maintains accounts with Twitter, Google+, Instagram, and both personal and “like” pages under DJ Sticky Boots—not to mention SoundCloud, MixCloud and, yes, even MySpace. For example, Eckelbarger can be found on Facebook at “djstickyboots,” at “stickybootsnews” and at “musicplacedj,” while on Twitter his services can be easily located at “DJStickyBoots.” “I find that different types of
our way. “Social media in general is definitely not hype—it’s the future. I’m sure it won’t always be Facebook or Twitter specifically, but some sort of social media is going to be the way people get their information for a long time to come.” Back up in East Windsor, N.J., Gregg Hollmann of Ambient DJ Service says his company primarily utilizes Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest to maintain their social media presence. “I believe strongly that every business should have a social media presence and that these efforts will be rewarded with increased business over time,” says Hollmann. “Collectively, these social-media tools are a great way to deepen relationships with clients, networking partners and referral sources. They also promote top-of-mind awareness, which is critical when a need for a DJ service arises.” Still, when it comes to the hype factor of maximizing social media in place of traditional media purchases, Hollmann admits that fatigue has set in as the initial novelty has gradually worn off—at least in his local market. “People seem to be spending less time on Facebook and using that time more selectively,” he says. “At Ambient DJ, rather than growing and growing our network, we've
opted to focus on deepening relationships with our existing followers. There are only so many wedding professionals out there who we can network with before it begins to cannibalize our existing partners. “It's important to be selective, and to parlay online relationships into real-life business relationships.” For example, Ambient DJs started using Pinterest earlier in 2012, creating a series of boards with topics such as “Recommended Wedding First Dance Songs” and “Favorite Wedding Videos.” “I use these boards as both sales and support tools,” Hollmann explains. “For example, a groom needed ideas for his mother/son dance, so I sent him the link to our Pinterest board of '20 Recommended Mother-Son Dances'—all with links to the related YouTube videos. “When selling a new job, I sometimes provide links to our pin boards. A favorite Board to send a prospect is the 'Ambient DJ Blog Topics' board, with the 60 pins all linked back to the actual blog articles (i.e. http://pinterest. com/greggambient/ambient-djblog-topics/) —so that brides can quickly gain a visual appreciation for our work.” Indeed, social media is working—and so are the DJs who use it.
OCTOBER 2012
once we’ve started communicating, but social media seems to be the preferred method of communication for this generation, so we have to go with what works—and, of course, back up all the correspondences with hard copies.” Sticky Boots also chooses to run a lot of promotions and discounts via social media and that seems helpful in engaging new fans and customers. “It could be a one-week discount program, or free upgrade option, or even a tie-in to a bridal show offering tickets or coupons,” he says. “This year I’m also running a monthly headphone giveaway promotion for fans of DJ Sticky Boots, which encourages people to interact with my pages for a chance to win free headphones. I give several pairs away every month, and it’s very effective in engaging people and getting them to share my pages and those of my brand partners. “Facebook and Instagram, in particular, are great supplements to our website and blog, to allow people to get to know us better and see what other people are saying. I always encourage prospects to check out our Facebook pages to see more pictures and read more information about our services. I also continue to network with clients after the event to ensure that we keep a steady stream of referrals coming
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people seem to use the different services, but many use several of them,” says Eckelbarger. “So I want to not only have a presence there, but always post different items on the different sites and at different times, rather than just the same content on every place all at once. That encourages people to link up with me in many different places, and also helps me reach people in at least some way, especially in the era now where Facebook has limited how many people actually see your posts and not everything you post will be seen by all the people you want it to be—at least not for free.” Even with the new limitations to Facebook, however, Eckelbarger says that that platform still continues to be his most active gig sources, and is giving The Music Place the highest return on their social-media efforts. “We're crediting more and more business directly from Facebook now than ever before, especially for weddings and birthday parties,” he says, “and the requests for information almost always come directly via Facebook. In fact, I have a lot of prospects who basically refuse to use regular email or the phone to communicate during the sales process, in favor of Facebook messages instead. “I try to encourage them as much as possible to not do this
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The Road Goes On
FO REVER
The last batch of dates of America’s Best DJ Summer Tour Presented by Pioneer DJ & DJ Times hit a slew of exciting spots with plenty of talented ABDJ nominees. They included: Camp Bisco in Mariaville, N.Y. (A-Trak, Bassnectar, DJ Craze, Kill the Noise, MiMOSA, Porter Robinson, Skrillex and Star Eyes of Trouble & Bass); Rumor in Philadelphia (Saeed Younan); Global Dance Festival in Morrison, Col. (12th Planet, Dillon Francis, Kill the Noise, Manufactured Superstars, Morgan Page and Wolfgang Gartner); Don Coqui in Astoria, N.Y. (DJ Creme); Mix Ultra Lounge in Columbus, Ga. (DJ Roonie G); Cielo in NYC (Sleepy & Boo); and Marquee Dayclub in Las Vegas (Gabriel & Dresden). As always, DJ Times was there, collecting ballots for DJs and giving fans chances to win prizes. It all looked like this:
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OCTOBER 2012
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More Highlights from America’s Best DJ Summer Tour Presented by Pioneer DJ & DJ Times
1 Glorious: Global Dance Fest at Red Rocks. Simon Alexander 2 Bring the Bass: MiMOSA at Camp Bisco. Ashley Suszczynski 3 Mix Ultra Lounge: Roonie G flanked by friends. 4 Mirrors: Disco Ball Man at Red Rocks. Simon Alexander 5 In the Cosmos: Manufactured Superstars at Red Rocks. Simon Alexander 6 GDF Trio: Red Rocks gals pose with DJ Times. Simon Alexander 7 Thank You: Morgan Page closes at Red Rocks. Simon Alexander 8 Upstate Grooves: Bassnectar brings it at Bisco. Ashley Suszczynski 9 Philly Beats: Saeed Younan rocks Rumor. Wiggle Productions 4
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10 Balloting: A Camp Bisco voter gets counted.Ashley Suszczynski OCTOBER 2012
11 Massive: Wolfgang Gartner at Red Rocks. Simon Alexander 12 Freestylin’: DJ Creme at Don Coqui. Fred Gumm 13 Rockin’ the A: Kill the Noise at Global Dance Fest. Simon Alexander 14 Vegas, Baby: Gabriel & Dresden at Marquee Dayclub.
Chad Carl
DJ TIMES
15 In the Mix: A-Trak bangs Camp Bisco.Ashley Suszczynski 16 Basic Beats: DJ Boo at Cielo. Fred Gumm 17 Dubsteppin’: 12th Planet at Red Rocks. Simon Alexander 18 Moombahton Man: Dillon Francis at Camp Bisco.
Ashley Suszczynski 18
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MAKING TRACKS STUDIO…HARDWARE…SOFTWARE…
Iris: iZotope’s new spin on sound design.
IZOTOPE IRIS: UNIQUE SOUNDS
DJ TIMES
OCTOBER 2012
If you want to create a difference for yourself, away from the rest of the production world, iZotope’s Iris offers many opportunities.
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By Josh Harris Many of you may remember my review of iZotope’s Ozone 5 mastering system a few months back (February 2012 issue), and I’m sure that most of you studio hounds are familiar with the name iZotope. It’s been my experience that the Boston-based company has always been at the front of the line when it comes to creating sonic manipulation and treatment plug-ins. So when new iZotope products arrive, I’m always ready to dig in. This review focuses on a new and extremely innovative sampling re-synthesizer called Iris—a first of its kind, from what I can tell. If you’re into sculpting sounds and tweaking them for days, then you certainly want to give Iris a test drive. Iris is fueled by iZotope’s visual selection technology, and it’s aimed at bringing your eyes and ears together for a unique sound-sculpting experience. It’s as much a visual instrument as it is an auditory one. The premise is fairly basic: load in your audio samples and explore the details of your audio samples in ways that a regular waveform display won’t provide you. Iris comes with over 4GB of content, and 500 patches created by a handful of extremely talented and world-class sound designers. Installation was easy, and you will need to go through the Challenge/Response code process via the iZotope website to unlock Iris and start creating! I opened an empty Logic session, loaded up Iris, and I was pleasantly surprised that it looks like a virtual synth. Prior to writing this review, I had not seen any screen shots or pictures of it. There is a virtual keyboard at the bottom of the window, with most of the editing parameters in a nicely sized column on the right side. Iris includes iZotope’s great-sounding effects like reverb, delay, distortion, filters and chorus, plus synth editing parameters like LFO’s and Amp Envelopes (ADSR). One of the most important features within in Iris is the ability to bring in outside samples. This is not a synth that is bound by a preset library or extra sound banks. As the user, you are encouraged to import them and experiment. And, layering different samples together is when the magic starts to happen. Experiment by combining different and unrelated sound sources to created completely new and unique sounds. Use the spectrogram to draw shapes, or even zero in on certain frequencies during your editing and experimenting. Sounds can be triggered via an external MIDI keyboard, or from within Iris’ virtual keyboard. In fact, some of Iris’ visual editing tools include a brush, a
lasso and a magic wand. As I scrolled through some of the 500 patches, I was amazed at the uniqueness of the sounds. They are categorized by type into eight different groups: bass, experimental, keys, leads, pads, percussive, retro and vocal. And I can tell you that I don’t have anything that sounds like Iris in my collection of virtual synths. Keep in mind that Iris’ 4GB of content is based around sampling sounds of the world around us: bees, birds, metal drones and machinery, as well as wind, rain, and lawn care tools. In addition to the 500 presets, iZotope included the wood and glass sound libraries, which are incredible. All of the actual samples came from—you guessed it—either wood or glass. Many of the sounds have a wonderful ambient quality to them. So, how would remixers and producers use Iris in their daily productions? Good question. I feel that Iris can provide that unique sonic texture or that part in a track that can make listeners stop in their tracks and ask, “What is that?” If you want to create a difference for yourself, away from the rest of the production world, iZotope’s Iris offers many opportunities. There are endless options here for sound design and sonic experimentation. Iris is one of those virtual synths that you have to dive into and play with for hours to really appreciate all that it can do. Iris can also run in standalone mode. It sells for $249, with the wood and glass libraries selling for $49. If you would like to buy both Iris and the wood and glass libraries together, they cost $299. When it comes to adding unique sonic treatments to your productions, it’s nice to have a “go to” synth, and it’s a huge time-saver to have a patch library to scroll through as a starting point. Hats off to iZotope for creating a special and exciting virtual synth that will find a new home in my productions. Operating system requirements: Windows (XP Service Pack 2 or later, x64, Vista, 7) Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later (Intel-based Macs only) Plug-in formats: Pro Tools 7.4+ (RTAS/AudioSuite),VST and VST 3, Audio Unit Plug-in host compatibility: Pro Tools, Cubase, Nuendo, GarageBand, Logic, SONAR, ACID, REAPER, Sound Forge, Peak, Ableton Live, Digital Performer, and many more If you have any questions for Josh Harris or Making Tracks, please send them to djtimes@testa.com.
T-shirts FOR SALE $20.00
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SOUNDING OFF PLAYBACK…PRO AUDIO…PROCESSING
By Jody Amos
DJ TIMES
OCTOBER 2012
ELECTRO-VOICE’S POWERED PAIR
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Double-Trouble: ZXA systems in combo.
For super-portable applications, Electro-Voice has given us a pair of terrific activeloudspeaker solutions this year—the ZXA1-90 8-inch 2-way speaker and ZXA1-Sub compact 12-inch subwoofer. This powered series is derived from Electro-Voice’s bestselling ZX1 passive speakers. Weighing in at just 19 pounds for the main and 46 pounds for the sub, the new ZXA1 series probably packs more punch per pound, than any other speaker on the market. And don’t let their sizes fool you. With a clean 128 dB maximum SPL, these are well-built speakers that (according to the company) will out-perform just about any other speaker in its class (and maybe a class above). If portability and quality is of value to you for small-format performances, head to your local retailer and check these babies out. The ZXA1-90 is a 2-way active speaker sporting the EV8L 12-inch woofer and a 1-inch DH205 titanium diaphragm true compression driver. The ZXA190 loudspeaker is powered by an integrated 800-watt, class-D, lightweight amplifier giving you 60Hz-20kHz frequency response at -3dB. The amp has quality Neutrik jacks, including an XLR microphone-level input with independent volume control, a combo XLR/TRS line-level input, and an XLR line-level output for daisy-chaining other speakers or adding a sub. The bi-amplified design features steep crossover slopes and woofer excursion protection for maximum output and reliability. A switchable high-pass filter allows for use with the ZXA1-SUB. The injection-molded enclosure, on the ZXA1-90, is made from high-impact ABS for durability and it’s lightweight.
Big Punch: E-V’s ZXA1-90 top.
ZXA1-Sub: E-V’s big bottom.
The small handle pocket on the upper back side keeps the unit compact, which makes it ideal for many portable applications. Electro-Voice gives users three convenient ways to use this speaker: a standard pole socket on the bottom for speaker stands; a 45-degree side to use as a stage-wedge monitor; or four #8-32 suspension points on the bottom for permanent installations. The ZXA1-90 gives you a 90-degree horizontal by 50-degree vertical coverage pattern and a rotatable horn. The speaker is complemented by an all-black aluminum grill and the iconic “E-V” logo. ElectroVoice offers a variety of optional accessories to go with the ZXA1-90, including slip covers for protection during transportation, a mounting-plate kit and a truss-clamp adapter. The ZXA1-Sub is also a size-defying, high-performance machine. With just an 18- by18-inch footprint, this powerful 12-inch subwoofer and 700-watt Class D (lightweight) amplifier won’t leave you disappointed. The lows are incredible and something you would expect from a bigger sub. Unlike the mains, this cabinet is made from plywood and is internally braced and texture
painted with a black aluminum grill on the front. On the back panel, it offers a master volume control, two Neutrik XLR inputs, two XLR outputs for multi-speaker connections, a bass-boost switch, and a switch for normal or polarity reverse, along with your power. It also has clever foot-pockets on top for stacking multiple ZXA1Subs. Electro-Voice is giving DJs all its quality components from its touring systems and has packaged them into its portable systems, giving you the reliability and quality you would expect from the Burnsville, Minn.-based company. Also, for mobile entertainers wanting real bang for the buck, the units are competitively priced—the ZXA1-90 at $499 MAP and ZXA1-Sub at $599 MAP. On a personal note, I should mention that it’s been my experience that Electro-Voice gives you about 30-percent worth of headroom in its amps and speakers, so you really don’t have to worry when you are pushing them hard. ElectroVoice has definitely raised the bar for compact, portable, active speakers. Excellent job E-V! If you have any questions for Sounding Off, please send them to djtimes@testa.com.
VCI-380 - The besT seraTo ConTroller on The planeT!!
VCI-380 PERFORMANCE CONTROLLER
Mix, scratch, cue, effect, sample, trigger, loop and slice. Every feature of the VCI-380 is optimized to enhance a DJs performance, taking a new approach in manipulating music. Designed hand-in-hand with Serato, VCI-380 is bundled with ITCH, providing an arsenal of musical craft tools with perfect integrity, straight out of the box.
- 2 Channel USB MIDI controller for Serato ITCH - Built-in 24Bit/48kHz audio interface - 2 x 8 Performance Pads with Velocity & Aftertouch - 5 performance modes (Hot Cue, Auto Loop, Slicer, Roll, Sampler) For more information on getting your fingers on the new VCI-380 email or call: info@AmericanMusicAndSound.com 800.431.2609
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MOBILE PROFILE CAREERS…INNOVATIONS…SUCCESS STORIES
By Stu Wade
A DECADE ON, DJ STAYS AHEAD OF THE INTERNET WAVE
Orlando, Fla.—The last time we heard from DJ Carl Williams in these pages, it was more than 10 years ago, before DJs were using nearly all of the tools they’re currently using to get—and perform—gigs. “The DJ industry has gotten more ‘complicated’ today because I have more music in my library for one event,” says DJ Carl of DJ Carl Entertainment. “So I have to really understand the impact of different types of music on a complex crowd to keep people dancing and entertained throughout that event. Also, with t h e p ro l i fe r a t i o n o f software programs and hardware today, I can do more tasks [like effects] with my DJ equipment.” And that’s not all. As business owners have come to rely more and more on the Internet to generate bookings, DJ Carl has stayed in front of the wave—by learning how to implement both front-end design and back-end coding on websites, in addition to using blogging and SEO strategies
DJ TIMES
OCTOBER 2012
“I love it
30
Dual DJ: Williams has offices in Orlando & NYC.
digital space from leaders such as Google.” And DJ Carl doesn’t stop there. He uses podcasts—available in iTunes—to position himself as not only a thought leader, but as a music programmer whose eye is on the ever-changing cultural meter. “Many of the pundits talk about YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and they are great platforms,” he says. “But I’ve focused my energies on my two iTunes podcasts—my preferred social-media platform. It's a platform that I can reach an international audience with and showcase that a primarily ‘wedding DJ’ can technically mix when people tell me the impact my podcast mixes had on and communicate on the them to work at their desk job, road trips or to exercise.” mic for all types of people. Quite frankly, it is my to keep his name afloat, a formula that has proof to not stereotype me. I can mix all types of music. The podcasts also optimize helped his business tremendously. “Being able to add rich-media, relevant my website because of the online relationcontent and the capability to optimize my ship [backlinking] it has with iTunes, and website have enabled me to market to the it does help me book more DJ gigs. Many right niche,” says Williams, who operates of my high-profile clients [including some out of Orlando and New York City. “Blogging celebrities] love how I can mix all types of does help. SEO helps, too. These are two music. It was so cool when Kevin Martin of things that will help a DJ brand themselves as the NBA Houston Rockets said to me on an expert if they blog and apply SEO rules to the phone. ‘I'm booking you mainly because their websites. The biggest hurdle for most of your online mixes.’ The mixes show my small businesses in general is setting up an theme programming, music and technical editorial calendar where they can produce skills. I love when people donate money content on a regular basis that will tell a towards the mixes and send me personal story, provide useful information and provide messages of the impact the mixes had on them to work at their desk job, road trips a takeaway value for later reference. “When it’s done right, I like it when I get or to exercise. I just love it!” Speaking of celebrity, one glance at DJ professional, educated and high-profile clients contact me. My web skills provide me Carl’s website (djcarl.com) reveals a cewith opportunities to make necessary fast lebrity-driven reputation, with photos of changes to my website based on my web Williams with Hollywood eye-candy and data information and changes made in the sports stars. How does he do it?
“The celebrity gigs comes from my general message that you'll always get ‘me’ as your DJ, MC and event expert,” he says. “I convey the message that one can trust me and when I speak to high-profile clients I communicate about the dynamics of an event in great detail. There will be professionalism, excellent song selections, no profane music, communications to the guests and vendors and no silly dance routines. There was a time when I used to show folks how to do a slide. I don't do that anymore. Additionally, the most effective way that I get celebrity gigs is networking with their managers and presenting myself positively to them in 30 seconds or less.” Of course, DJ Carl hasn’t abandoned more “classic” ways of generating bookings. He’s still active in NACE, for example. “I can honestly say that NACE helped by introducing me to managers with MTV and I got a chance to meet and work with my first celebrity—Justin Timberlake with ’N Sync in his younger years. NACE taught me to always have business cards on me because you never know who you will meet and you have to always provide them with a takeaway, so if they choose, they can follow up with you or vice versa.” Maybe we’ll hear from DJ Carl in another 10 years. Who knows where the industry will be then? “I can see myself in 10 years doing more select high-profile events all over the world because of the increased distribution of my podcast mixes on iTunes and other social media platforms,” says Williams. “I see myself educating diverse people about how they can impact a niche through branding, digital marketing and SEO optimization—and simply playing great music.”
DJ Times ad - Trusst TUV Logo.indd 1
8/7/2012 10:02:26 AM
BUSINESS LINE SALES…MARKETING…SOLUTIONS…
“Only use photos taken by a professional and update every year—women can tell how old your photos are by how out-dated the wedding guests' shoes and hairstyles become. Keep it fresh!”
By Laura Cave
DJ TIMES
OCTOBER 2012
HOW TO BRING THE BRIDES TO YOUR WEBSITE—AND CONVERT!
32
Today's millennial brides and grooms come from the most educated generation ever—nearly 75-percent have four-year degrees. Most of them work full-time, and they are super tech-savvy because they grew up with the Internet. So when it comes to hiring entertainment for their wedding, it's no wonder they'll start their research online before they ever reach out for a quote. Does your website have the information they are looking for? Does it compel them to pick up the phone or send them on to your competitors? If you have far more unique visitors than new customer inquiries, you could probably stand to up your game online. How? Before you start implementing changes, it's a good idea to give yourself a benchmark so that you can measure your improvement over time. Make a note of how many unique visitors come to your website per month for the last few months, and compare that to the number of inquiries you receive per month. This will tell you how effective your website is at inspiring the potential customer to contact you. Keep track of this information each month so you can measure your success. Here are some tips to get started: * Update your photos. Brides love photos. In fact, photo galleries get about 35 million page views per month on TheKnot.com. So photos not only determine what kind of first impression you'll make, they’re also a great way to get customers to stay longer on your site. * Brides and grooms want to see your product (a jam-packed dancefloor, a romantic first dance) more than they want to see you or your equipment, so make sure she can see herself in your photos. * Only use photos taken by a professional and update every year—women can tell how old your photos are by how out-dated the wedding guests' shoes and hairstyles become. Keep it fresh! * What makes a good photo? Choose photos that have natural lighting, that tell a story and that have sharp details. * Context is everything. When choosing images for an online ad, consider the size and whether or not it will stand out in the context of the page where it will be displayed. If you're not sure, mock up an example and show it to a friend or employee to get their impression. * Make your site user-friendly. Why play hard-to-get? Brides and grooms don't have time to hunt for your contact information, so include it at the top right corner and/or in the footer on every page. Include a phone number and an email address. * Also, make sure your website is mobile-friendly. Brides and grooms are often planning on the go. * Skip animated intro pages, which can be a barrier to entry,
and eliminate flash because it's not compatible with most mobile platforms. * Make all sound and video user-initiated. Many brides research during the day at work, so your website's blaring soundtrack is the fastest way to get her to leave your site. Let her listen and watch your videos when it's convenient for her. * Also, make sure to include testimonials—brides trust peer reviews and they want to know others have had a good experience working with you! * Invest in high-quality materials. Enlist a professional if you can, and if you DIY, make sure you do it well! Cheap-looking marketing materials will make your business look cheap. Spend on the most important pieces. * Check out Squareapace.com and Wordpress.com for great platforms to host your website. * Dropbox.com is ideal for file sharing, storage and syncing, and it's accessible from anywhere. * Moo.com makes super-cool business cards, posters, stickers, and more. Another great source for printed items is 4by6.com, which has a great education section on art and image production. * Lastly, don't forget to create an asset library that includes a Vector art (.ai file extension) version of your logo, some basic marketing copy about you and your business, and high-resolution photos for marketing materials. This way, any time you place a new ad or get some press coverage you'll have everything at your fingertips to make a great impression on potential customers. Laura Cave is the Director of Education for The Knot Wedding Network. She provides education and market research to wedding professionals, helping them with everything from how to improve their marketing materials to social-media best practices and more. For more education and ideas, visit her blog at www.theknot.com/b2b. You can also follow Laura on Twitter @theknotb2b.
Amsterdam Dance Event The Electronic Music Platform 17/18/19/20/21 October 2012 An initiative of Buma
GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF
Phase as You Go
Virtual DJ Reality
American DJ 6122 S. Eastern Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90040 (800) 322-6337 www.americandj.com
Gibson Corporate 309 Plus Park Blvd. Nashville, TN 37217 (800) 444-2766 www.stantondj.com
DJ TIMES
OCTOBER 2012
American DJ’s Double Phase LED is a dual-barrel, mirrored effect with two CREE 10-watt Quad Color LED sources that include four different color LEDs—red, green, blue and white. All color mixing is done within each LED lamp prior to output, according to the company. Features include 0-100-percent dimming, 150-degree beam angle, LED strobe, four-button DMX LED display and a variety of built-in programs. Up to nine Double Phase LED units can be linked together via IEC AC in/out connectors.
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The DJC.4 Virtual DJ Digital Workstation from Stanton comes bundled with a four-deck version of Virtual DJ LE, which lets users scratch and mix four decks of audio, as well as control video. It comes with a USB cable, as well as two stereo line/phono inputs for connecting to a turntable or CD player. The unit features an FX section that provides direct access to three FX per deck, as well as touch-sensitive jog wheels and shift functionality on all buttons and encoders.
Modular Citizen
BASSBOOST-er Seat
Livid Instruments 3108 Industrial Terrace Austin, TX 78758 (512) 582-7272 www.lividinstruments.com
Guillemot Corporation BP 2 56204 La Gacilly Cedex France +33 (0) 2 99 08 08 80 www.hercules.com The Hercules XPS 2.1 BASSBOOST speaker system is designed for use in electronic music and other multimedia applications. It comes with a wooden subwoofer and metallic grills that are inspired by PA system speakers. The unit offers a frequency response of 40 Hz – 20 kHz and RMS power of 32 watts. Additional features include volume and bass control knobs, a stereo headphones connector and a 3.5 mm line input.
The Elements modular controller platform from Livid Instruments comes housed in Eurorack cases. The modules are inspired by analog modular synths and work with such programs as Ableton Live, Cell DNA and Traktor. They come in a variety of configurations that can be connected to the Elements Brain “for easy plug-and-play configuration and setup,” according to the company. These modules come equipped with a USB port, MIDI in and out jacks, and an optional 5v power supply.
GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF
Line 6 of One Line 6, Inc. 26580 Agoura Road Calabasas, CA 91302 (818) 575-3600 www.Line6.com Line 6’s XD-V75 digital microphones come housed in a heavy-duty metal chassis and feature 14 channels, a 300-foot range, and a 1/2U rack receiver with built-in antenna distribution system. The line includes handheld, lavalier, headset and bodypack digital wireless systems that offer 24-bit sound, signal encr yption, dynamic filters, gain control, channel
TRUSST Issues Chauvet 5200 NW 108th Ave. Sunrise, FL 33351 (800) 762-1084 www.chauvetlighting.com TRUSST, a division of Chauvet,
offers aluminum truss systems designed for exhibitions, entertainment, production and retail applications. The company recently released a 12-inch square truss that comes in six different lengths and seven types of corners. Base plates are also available in four sizes. The truss utilizes a conical connector system, which the company says “easily mates with other major brands of truss of the same size and connector style.”
scanning and more. XD-V35 handheld and lavalier models are housed in a metal and polycarbonate chassis. They feature a 275-foot range, six channels and desktop receiver with internally mounted antennas.
GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF
TRAKTOR Beam
Lead a Horse to Waterproof Gator Cases 18922 N. Dale Mabry Hwy Lutz, FL 33548 (813) 221-4191 www.gatorcases.com Gator Cases released a new line of waterproof injection-molded utility cases designed to protect audio/video equipment and various electronic components. NF models have a hard plastic interior with no lining, while DF models include a diced cube foam interior and DV models have an adjustable divider system insert for smaller items. All models are made from impact-proof lightweight NK-7 resin material and come with an ATA-300 flight safe rating. Additional features include the Powerclaw latching system, a soft-grip carry handle and padlocking on the exterior.
Native Instruments North America 6725 Sunset Boulevard, 5th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90028 (866) 556-6487 www.native-instruments.com Native Instruments’ TRAKTOR KONTROL F1 is a pad-based, USBpowered hardware controller designed to offer full and tactile control over the Remix Deck technology that is included in TRAKTOR PRO 2.5 software. Users can switch between up to 64 tracks, loops and one-shot samples on each deck. The controller features 16 multi-colored LED pads, as well as four volume faders and dedicated filter knobs in the mixer section. Registered TRAKTOR KONTROL F1 users get a download of the full version of TRAKTOR PRO 2.5 software.
DJ TIMES
OCTOBER 2012
Knock Me for a Reloop
36
Mixware LLC 7421 Laurel Canyon Blvd. Unit 14 North Hollywood, CA 91605 (786) 362-5757 www.reloopdj.com The Reloop Terminal Mix 4 is the company’s first digital mixing controller designed especially for Serato. The unit features a comprehensive performance section that includes eight dual-layer buttons to control hot cues and samples; four buttons, three knobs and an endless encoder for FX control; and four independent controls to set and adjust beatprecise loops. Terminal Mix 4 comes with six-inch aluminum platters with non-slip vinyl coating, a 100mm pitch fader and three-band EQ.
GROOVES TRACKS…MIXES…COMPILATIONS
Festa Bros.
“REBUILD 3.0” EP ATB
Norman Nodge
French house. DJs looking for a peak-time electro track need to look no further than “Rocky 2”, or if they’re feeling bass-heavy, “Circus Full Of Clowns.” “Got It,” a snarling head bobber featuring Snoop Dogg, rounds out the album.
u Extravagance SL u Fenology Records Extravagance SL are doing something right, as their last single reached the top 15 of Beatport’s trance chart after being selected as “Tune of the Week” by Armin van Buuren. “Rebuild 3.0” picks up right where they left off, in the form of a gargantuan tune sized for only the largest arenas and festivals. Robert Mint’s remix is especially gritty.
– Chris Davis – Chris Davis
BERGHAIN 06 u Norman Nodge u Ostgut Ton
ATB
Minimal and atmospheric, then darkly exhilarating and more than occasionally stupefying, Nodge’s live techno set from Berlin’s legendary den of iniquity will work your hips and massage your mind with equal aplomb. Key tracks: Jeff Mills’ foreboding “Keeping of the Kept,” Charlton’s bewildering “Black Slong” and Xosar’s climactic “Rainy Day Juno Jam” (Legowelt Remix).”
– Jim Tremayne ABOVE THE CITY 2 u Various Artists u Culprit
Boys Noize
With this release, Culprit attempts to replicate their famous LA-rooftop parties. “On The Way (feat. Rosina),” “Rock Tonight,” and “58 Years,” which samples Danny Tenaglia’s famous “Elements,” are unconditionally funky house gems. The rest of the release is a bit more chilled-out, with several sunset-ready records.
– Chris Davis OUT OF THE BLACK
This double-disc compilation starts off with an immediate bang with the sweet "In and Out of Love" and maintains its pace with its continuous mix of uplifting trance, striking an ideal balance between vocal to non-vocal cuts. CD2 adds a classy complement of un-mixed, downtempo chill numbers.
– Natalie Raben “CRAYMAL” EP u Beckwith u Anjunadeep Here, Beckwith provides an expressively funky and celestial sound. The title track is an invigorating, poolside disco tune that is sure to bring a warm smile to your face. Check the standout “Birds” for its growling, funky bassline and “All I Need” for the classic-house allusions.
– Chris Davis “KANGAROO” u Sander van Doorn u Doorn Records Veteran van Doorn teams up with 16-year-old Julian Jordan for this electro-house floor-stomper. Maintaining Sander’s signature big-room sound up until the complextro drop, this one is sure to become a staple peak-time track in many electro-house DJs sets.
– Chris Davis NEUKÖLLN BURNING u Deepchild u Thoughtless Music On his first full-length since 2008’s Departure, Rick Bull (aka Deepchild), employs an eerie, dub-nuanced techno sound that’s both seductive and hair-raising.
– Chris Davis
Corner
Download
Deepchild
u Boys Noize u Boysnoize Records Blippy ’80s synths married with heavy modern electro-house make “This Is What You Want” a powerful opening track, outdone only by the melodies of “Reality.” His first single in three years, “XTC,” is an MDMA rollercoaster, while “Missile,” “Touch It,” and “Ich R U” are reminiscent of funky
SUNSET BEACH DJ SESSION 2 u ATB u Kontor
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.). “Time Is Now” by Anëk [Chronovision]: With its penchant for stripped-down, house grooves, this brand-new label seems poised for underground success. Plenty of assorted acoustic percussion and layered vocal snippets drive this effortless and unpredictable track. And check the short break, filled with dubby echoes, which cap things off. Found at beatport.com. “It’s Time” (wednesday take 2) by Ripperton & Agnès [Sthlmaudio Recordings]: I don’t use the term “epic” lightly, but clocking in at over 11 minutes with Eastern-style melodies, swirling minor-key chords, and tricked-out soulful vocals, this one fits the bill. Just try not to listen to the whole track. Found at beatport.com. “Done” (Original Club Mix) by Festa Bros [CR2 Records]: Nothing fancy here – just a loopy, groovy, tech-house beat with heart-pounding low bass and a drop that builds with a vocal sample, snare rolls, echoes, and a clever little fill. Simple, effective, dancefloor-focused house! Found at beatport.com. – Robert LaFrance
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Brand recognition with DJs of all kinds. Equipment & supplies to an audience that is ready to buy.
Compiled As Of September 4, 2012
National Crossover Pool Chart 1 Kylie 2 Madonna 3 Rita Ora 4 Kelly Clarkson 5 David Guetta F/ C Brown 6 Katy Perry 7 Florence And The Machine 8 Bimbo Jones F/ Ida Corr 9 Caroline Lund 10 Emeli Sande 11 Nervo 12 Toni Braxton 13 Katharine McPhee 14 Rihanna 15 Carly Rae Jepsen 16 Gotye F Kimbra 17 Chris Brown 18 Swedish House Mafia 19 Alex Clare 20 Sir Ivan 21 Afro Jack And Shermanology 22 Chris Brown 23 Gossip 24 Scissor Sisters 25 Nicki Minaj 26 Lauren Hildebrandt F/ Basstoy 27 Kimberley Locke 28 Nire AllDai 29 France Joli 30 Speakers 31 Adam Lambert 32 Bohannon 33 Jenna Drey 34 Blush 35 Pet Shop Boys 36 Rita Ora 37 Sergio Galoyan F/Tamra Keenan 38 Gravitonas 39 Connor Maynard 40 Elena Vogt
Timebomb Turn Up The Radio How We Do (Party) Dark Side I Can Only Imagine Wide Awake Spectrum(Say My Name) See You Later Come With Me Daddy You’re Going To Love Again I Heart You Touch Me Where Have You Been Call Me Maybe Somebody That I Used ... Turn Up The Music Don’t You Worry Child Too Close La La Land Cant Stop Me Dont Wake Me Up Perfect World Only The Horses Pound The Alarm Devil Finally Free Hella Bad Hallelujah And Her Too Never Close Our Eyes Bohannon’s Barefoot Party Summer Night In Seattle All Stars Winner R.I.P. Knowing You Call Your Name Vegas Girl Breathe
National Urban Pool Chart
Astralwerks Interscope Columbia RCA Astralwerks Capitol Universal Republic Robbins Lund Capitol Capitol Inot Columbia Def Jam Interscope Universal Republic Jive Capitol Universal Peaceman Robbins RCA Sony Universal Universal Republic Blue Plate I Am Capitol Sobel Capitol RCA Phase 3 Audio 1 Farwest Astralwerks Columbia Robbins SoFo Capitol Dauman
1 Kanye West F/ Big Sean & Pusha 2 2 Chainz F/ Drake 3 Beyonce 4 Chris Brown 5 Usher 6 Ca$h Out 7 Jennifer Hudson F/ Rick Ross & Ne-Yo 8 Trey Songz 9 Future 10 Usher F/ Rick Ross 11 Toni Braxton 12 Brandy & Monica 13 Brandy F/ Chris Brown 14 Fatman 15 J. Cole & Missy Elliott 16 LoveRance F/ 50 Cent 17 Travis Porter 18 Dj Khaled F/C. Brown, Rick Ross N Minaj 19 T.I. 20 Kendrick Lamar F/ Dr. Dre 21 Nicki Minaj F/ 2 Chainz 22 Kanye West 23 Melanie Fiona F/ J. Cole 24 Superstar 9000 Ft. Ka’Leo 25 Jill Scott 26 John Legend F/ Ludacris 27 Crooked I F/ B.O.B. 28 Flo-Rida F/ Sia 29 Wale F/ Rick Ross & Meek Mill & T-Pain 30 Rihanna 31 Nas 32 Ne-Yo 33 Anthony Hamilton 34 Leah LaBelle 35 2 Chainz F/ Kanye West 36 Ludacris 37 Young Jeezy 38 Robin Thicke 39 Akon F/ French Montana 40 Dj Khaled F/Kanye West & Rick Ross
Most Added Tracks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Kimberley Locke Rita Ora NiRe AllDai Adam F Swedish House Mafia Elena Vogt Diamond Rings Connor Maynard Cerrone F/ Adjana Ruff Loaderz & The Hayman
Finally Free R.I.P. Hella Bad When The Rain Is Gone Don’t You Worry Child Breathe I’m Just Me Vegas Girl Good Times I’m In Love Anthem
Mercy Def Jam No Lie Def Jam Dance For You Columbia Turn Up The Music Jive Climax RCA Cashin Out Epic Think Like A Man Epic Heart Attack Atlantic Same Damn Time Epic Lemme See RCA I Heart You Inot It All Belongs To Me RCA Put It Down RCA Can’t Get It Right SOW Nobody’s Perfect Columbia Up Interscope Aww Yea RCA Take It To The Head Universal Love This Life Atlantic The Recipe Interscope Beez In The Trap Universal Cold Island/Def Jam This Time Universal Republic Turn The Lights Off Super Ent. Blessed Warner Brothers Tonight(Best You Ever Had) Epic Every City Treacherous Wild Ones Atlantic Bag Of Money Warner Brothers Where Have You Been Def Jam Daughters Island/Def Jam Lazy Love Island/Def Jam Pray For Me RCA Sexify Epic Birthday Song Island/Def Jam Jingalin Island/Def Jam Way To Gone Island/Def Jam All Tied Up Geffen Hurt Somebody Universal Republic I Wish You Would Cash Money
Most Added Tracks I Am Ent. Columbia Capitol Robbins Capitol Dauman Astralwerks Capitol Malligator France Radikal
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Mariah Carey F/Rick Ross 50 Cent F/ Dr. Dre & Alicia KEys T.I. Birdman F/ Rock Ross Marcus Canty F/ Wale Ne-Yo R. Kelly Whitney Houston & Jordin Sparks Ludacris Rick Ross F/ Usher Raymond
Triumphant (Get ‘Em) New Day Go Get It Born Stunna In & Out Lazy Love Feelin’ Single Celebrate Jingalin Touch’N You
Island/Def Jam Interscope Atlantic Universal Republic Epic Island/Def Jam RCA RCA Island/Def Jam Island/Def Jam
Reporting Pools ✦ Dixie Dance Kings - Alpharetta, GA; Dan Miller ✦ Flamingo R - Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Julio ✦ Lets Dance / IRS - Chicago, IL; Lorri Annarella ✦
Next Music Pool - Los Angeles, CA; Bob Ketchter ✦ Masspool - Saugus, MA; Gary Canavo ✦ OMAP - Washington, DC; Al Chasen ✦ NW Dance Music - Shoreline, WA; John England ✦ Pittsburgh DJ - Pittsburgh, PA; Jim Kolich ✦ Soundworks - San Francisco, CA; Sam Labelle ✦ NE Record Pool - Boston; Justin Testa ✦ Rickett’s Record Pool - Saddle Brook, NJ; Bill Rickett ✦ Pacific Coast - Long Beach, CA; Steve Tsepelis ✦ NYMP - Long Island, NY; Jackie McCloy
Looking for these titles? You can hear them and buy them at www.dancekings.com. Just click on the links in the chart. DDK has limited memberships available for qualified DJs in the US. We service CDs and MP3s in dance and urban formats. Feedback and membership dues required. 770-740-0356
45791
Corsten
(continued from page 16) and we combined that with MadMapper video-mapping software. In the beginning, those two software packages didn’t work together, so the company, Prismax, came up with a solution to make them work together. Now, it’s fully integrated software, but when we started trying out the show, we had to do that ourselves. It’s very experimental to get it all working correctly. Prismax made all the content with me and my visuals designers to link all of the software together. DJ Times: Sounds like a big endeavor. Corsten: During the show, Bert, my VJ, is busy with lights and video, and it’s a lot to do. Prismax is an indie company that Unlimited Productions works with that creates visual content. I sat down with Bert and the guys at Unlimited Productions in the beginning of the concept phase to explain what I wanted, what I envisioned. Should it be three-dimensional? Colorful? Whatever else? We agreed that I needed something basic, but something that would not look cheap—basic, but elegant. So, Bert contacted Prismax and had them make a couple of proposals. With Bert touring with me all the time, Prismax started making stuff and putting it into Dropbox so I could see it while on tour and I could tell them via Skype, “Hey, this is too nerdy; that is too complicated, etc.” For everything, we had instant communication with Prismax on Skype. They made a database for us to use with around 300 different video clips! DJ Times: Are you doing any live feeds with audience projections during the shows?
Corsten: The only live feeds we use would be with one or two cameras for the biggest shows—one on the top view on the decks, and one on the front view on me. That’s the only live video we do for the biggest shows. We use synchronized videos, as well. We looked at that a different way from most DJs. Like, when Betsie Larkin sings on our song “Not Coming Down,” we used a synchronized video with lyrics on the screen. The words float around the screen, and we try to keep it different for every track. “Not Coming Down” is a very intimate track. The Ben Hague track [“Ain’t No Stoppin’”] is more active, so the words look and feel different. The Aruna track [“Live Forever”] is also with a synched video. They’re all different and allow the shows to be a little bit more interactive. DJ Times: How did you translate this approach into your Ibiza residency? Corsten: My Ibiza residency, Full On at Judgement Sundays at Eden in San Antonio, is a great, club-sized concept. Eden is a club and not a concert hall venue, so we are limited to what can be built. However, I was there during the set-up of the show on the first day, and it was fantastic! The reviews from clubbers and promoters alike have been amazing. DJ Times: What’s the process like for setting up the shows? Corsten: Well, Bert has to be there 10 hours beforehand for setup and to check the production. The promoter will build the production and Bert will follow up via email, and we have a very long discussion with the promoter. We have a very detailed tech rider that shows the promoter how to do the setup. The
promoter loads in and breaks down the set—we don’t do that. DJ Times: Sounds like a lotta pressure on the promoter. Corsten: All the materials used in the show have to be available locally, so all the promoters can already have it built and done, and then we just make sure it’s built correctly. Bert will go in early that day and double-check everything. We have a tech rider where we suggest different screens that are locally available to promoters, for example. Then, the promoter comes back to us with, “I don’t have those lights. Can I use this one?” and things like that. Then my production team will see if that’s a good substitute to use and we give them suggestions in this or that direction. It’s about 100 emails backand-forth with each promoter to get each show done. DJ Times: And the reaction from the promoters so far? Corsten: Very good, actually, because promoters like the idea that we don’t have one-size-only, so they can basically fit the setup into any venue! Promoters like this so they can see how a show performs before committing to a bigger room, for instance, or how many tickets they can sell on a given night, how big the venue has got to be, etc. Again, it’s a very affodable, efficient thing for promoters, something that still looks very cool and expensive. We’ve gotten a lot of feedback from technology companies, too – we did a show in Poland a while ago – and people came back saying it was the coolest production they had seen in that venue, ever. And that’s a venue that’s had Tiësto years ago… DJ Times: So why don’t other DJs—those at or near your popular-
ity, anyway—use this approach, if it’s so efficient, high-impact and scalable? Corsten: Well, it depends on how much the DJ wants to invest. I have to bring my whole production crew and VJ, and there are concept costs, as well. Bert flies with a Macbook Pro and an Akai APC40 MIDI controller, and I think that’s it for him at the moment. You have to understand that I’ve invested a huge amount of money into creating the visuals. Every visual is unique to my show; they’re not used for anyone else’s shows. I paid for those visuals and nobody else in the world has these specific visuals. I invested a lot of time and money and everything you see on the screen is mine, so to speak. DJ Times: Seems like you set the bar high for yourself. Corsten: Yeah, definitely. As a touring DJ, you do a lot more than what DJs did before. Today, you’re promoting yourself as an artist, which is an extra thing. The “Full On” shows are spectacular shows, but the price is very doable for promoters. DJ Times: How much video content have you accumulated? Corsten: By the start of the summer, we had 300 video clips. Over the summer, Prismax made some new stuff, so we have a huge amount of visual content to last us through the summer and beyond. It’s all new to the U.S. market. I wanna make sure the crowds are really, really entertained and that the promoters are happy. I’m working hard to deliver the most high-impact show possible. We want audiences to feel like they’re getting the best possible show for their dollar and we want to exceed the crowd’s expectations. n
DatsiK & The Dubstep Virus Da name’s DatsiK!
DJ TIMES
OCTOBER 2012
As in, “that’s sick”?
42
Dat’s rite.
DatsiK, Next Month in DJ Times
KEITH SHOCKLEE As a founding member of Public Enemy Keith Shocklee has been defining and defying musical genres for over 30 years. “The future is the past! We’re taking new music to the streets in New York… it’s how we did it before Public Enemy and it’s happening again today - very organic and powerful.” Keith and his mobile DJ’s, Power5, trust their PRX600 speakers to deliver devastating grooves night after night. “PRX’s bang hard! We record on JBL LSR4300 monitors and when we perform live our PRX’s sound identical, just ten times louder. And, at 3:00 am after the smoke clears, their lightweight is heaven. JBL is the bomb!”
Photos by: James DeMaria
Learn more at jblpro.com/prx600 Check out Keith at keithshocklee.com
POWERFUL. RUGGED. VERSATILE.
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