DJ Times September 2014, Vol 27 No 9

AMERICA’S FIRST MAGAZINE FOR PROFESSIONAL DJs ESTABLISHED 1988

SEPTEMBER 2014

www.djtimes.com

$4.95 US $6.95 CANADA

2014 DJ Expo Issue S N A I O N WI T

DE

G

OE

AMERICA’S FIRST MAGAZINE FOR PROFESSIONAL DJs ESTABLISHED 1988

SEPTEMBER 2014

$4.95 US $6.95 CANADA

MIKE

Huckaby MOTOWN VINYLIST, MENTOR & MORE

MOBILES & VENDORS: A LOVE STORY? MASTERING THE SAME-SEX WEDDING MARKET

www.djtimes.com

PLUS: n ADVENTURE CLUB n DBX DRIVERACK PA2 n RCF ACTIVE SYSTEM n COLE PLANTE n J.PHLIP n SAMSON GRAPHITE CONTROLLERS

PERFORMS UNDER PRESSURE

REMIX-STATION 500 The REMIX-STATION 500 features a diverse range of effects to change the development of music and produce new rhythms by adding sound sources, etc. It also features a “PRESSURE Controller” with knobs that can be operated not only by rotation but also, in an industry-first, by intuitively pressing to change effects parameters, enabling various musical arrangements to be made with a single knob. The device can also be used for music production and as a plug-in controller when connected to your PC/Mac, allowing you to produce music with the same effects and feeling of control you get when using the device for DJ play. It’s official...the Remix-Station 500 Performs Under Pressure.

Remix music with Rhythm FX, Scene FX, Release FX, and intuitive control thanks to the “PRESSURE Controller”

Can be used as a MIDI controller with support for USB-MIDI standard, and can be mounted on the Pioneer DJ X-Stand

QUANTIZE function analyzes music in real time and synchronizes effects

Soundcard enables connection to headphones or speakers directly

AUTO BPM function automatically measures and follows music tempo

Bundled with VST/AU/RTAS plug-in and builtin soundcard for intuitive music creation

REMIX STATION 500

INDUSTRY EVENTS…NOTABLES…MILESTONES

NEWS

DJ EXPO: EXHIBITS, PARTIES & SEMINARS APLENTY Atlantic City, N.J. – If you’re reading this story, there’s a very good chance you’re at the South End of the Jersey Shore, already encamped at the Trump Taj Mahal. If you are, then welcome to the 2014 DJ Expo.

Yes, the DJ industry’s longest-running show—24 years worth—runs Aug. 11-14 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J. Produced by DJ Times and its publisher Testa Communications, DJ Expo presents three days of DJ-related exhibits, four days of educational seminars and panels, and three nights of sponsored evening entertainment.

On the sponsored party front, Monday’s “Mobile Kick-Off Party,” hosted by Elite Entertainment’s Mike Walter in the Black Box Cabaret at Scores Atlantic City, will present Pretty Poison hitmaker Jade Starling, who will debut material from her solo album, Captive. Wednesday’s “DJ of the Year” Competition—again, helmed by Walter at Scores—will bestow awards to the best of the best from America’s Mobile Nation.

Then later Wednesday night, Expo favorite DJ Skribble will rock the Ego Lounge during his annual afterparty. This year, “DJ Skribble & Friends” will welcome New York City DJ Nutritious, who will spin his deep array of tasty house tunes.

Also, on August 12, the Tuesdaynight “Summer Sessions Finale Presented by Beatgasm” at the Borgata’s Mixx club will present Adventure Club, 3lau, Cash Cash, Syn Cole, GTA and Cole Plante. (Editor’s Note: Please see stories on Cole Plante on Page 12 and Adventure Club on Page 26.)

This year’s DJ Expo will present 30 panels, sessions and keynotes for mobile, club and studio interests. Additionally, several Expo exhibitors will

conduct sponsored seminars that will offer up-close looks at specific products or topics.

Mobile-Oriented Seminars: Steve Moody’s “All-Star MCs” will share unique performance tips that’ll take your parties to the next level.

KC Kokoruz’s “The Science of Marketing” will offer insight into why customers might buy your DJ ser vices.

Jerry Bazata’s “Business All-Star Panel” will help mobiles build additional core business in corporate events, private functions, collegiate and sporting events.

Mike Kindlick’s “The C.S.I. of Customers: Customer.

S e r v i c e . I n t e l l i - DJ Skribble: Will rock Ego Lounge. gence” will teach DJs how to profile your potential top in an exclusive DJ Expo “Keynote customers. Doug Sandler’s “Spinning Q&A.” Beginning as an Atlanta party Connections into Lifelong RelationDJ, Lil Jon has gone on to a career full ships” will show DJs the difference of highlights, including “Turn Down between how to close a deal and how For What,” his recent smash colto build a business relationship. laboration with DJ Snake. Also, Scott Elite Entertainment’s Mike Walter Binder, the author of “Make Some will present a pair of panels: “Let the Noise: Become the Ultimate DJ,” Music Play, Pt. 2” will offer fascinating will present “The DJ Vision,” a goalstories about the songs and artists centric keynote.

DJs spin on a regular basis, while At show’s end, DJ Expo will con“Maximizing the Marketing Opportunities of Social Media” will show DJs how to gain followers and fans, then effectively market to them. Also, other popular sessions—like Sean McKee’s “Mitzvah Massive” and “Party Games with Jake Jacobsen”—will return to DJ Expo.

On the Keynote Front: On Aug. 12, Lil Jon, one of America’s hottest hitmakers, will discuss his rise to the

Lil Jon: Ready for Keynote Q&A.

3lau: Set to play Borgata’s Mixx.

duct its annual “Ultimate DJ System Giveaway.” One lucky attendee will take home a slew of gear from sponsors, including: ADJ (Mega Flat TRI Pak lighting system); Global Truss (America Arch System); Mackie (Thump Active Speaker system); Pioneer DJ (HDJ-2000 headphones, DJM-900SRT mixer and two CDJ-2000 Nexus players); and VirtualDJ (DJ software for PC and Mac).

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Denver – America’s Best DJ nominee Wo l f g a n g G a r t n e r lords over a throng 8,000 fans at Red Rocks Amphitheatre during Global Dance Festival this past July 18-20. It was part of the America’s Best DJ Summer Tour Presented by Pioneer DJ & DJ Times. For more on the tour, please see Page 24.

SEPTEMBER 2014

Photo: Simon Alexander

This Is Red Rocks

SIXTY-FOUR

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SOUND BETTER. SAVE MONEY. SOUND PRODUCTIONS

VOLUME 27

NUMBER 9

16 The Mentor & More

24 Nationwide

All-Vinyl Detroit DJ Mike Huckaby Wears Many Hats—Spinner, Producer & Educator

BY ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY

Highlights from America’s Best DJ Summer Tour Presented by Pioneer DJ & DJ Times

BY DJ TIMES PHOTOGRAPHERS

26 Calling All Heroes

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

32 Making Tracks

DJ TIMES

SEPTEMBER 2014

6

Samson Graphite Controllers

34 Sounding Off

RCF Active System & dbx DriveRack PA2

36 Mobile Profile

DJ Jodi Masters Same-Sex Wedding Market

38 Business Line

Kids Parties Are Not What You Think They Are

How Can DJs Handle Problematic Fellow Vendors? A Wedding Planner Offers a Battle Plan.

BY JEFF STILES

Canada’s Adventure Club Breaks Out Big, Hits DJ Expo

BY ALLY BYERS

SAMPLINGS

DEPARTMENTS 9 Feedback

28 Chaos Theory

40 Gear

New Products from Pioneer DJ, ADJ & More

46 Grooves

Phat Tracks from Above & Beyond, Martin Garrix & More

48 DJ Times Marketplace

Shop Here for All Your DJ-Related Supplies

49 Club Play Chart

The Hottest Records, As Reported

by Our Top U.S. Record Pools

10 J.Phlip

Doing the Dirtybird

12 In the Studio With…

Cole Plante

FROM THE EDITOR

DJ Mentor & DJ Expo Detroit’s Mike Huckaby is a rarity. An all-vinyl jock, he delivers deeply felt sets of technotinged house with tasteful jazzy flourishes; he produces and remixes with a similarly thoughtful approach; he helps develop software for prominent European brands; and, perhaps most importantly, he gives back to his community. How’s that? Via YouthVille, Huckaby teaches music-production techniques to inner-city youth and, in doing so, maintains Detroit’s rich musical heritage.

This past April, I caught Huckaby spinning a two-hour set at Moogfest in Asheville, N.C.—he was playing with Underground Resistance Presents Timeline—and the evening was sublime.

Fast-forward a month to the Movement festival and I found myself grooving to Huckaby’s rich textures again in Motown’s Hart Plaza—I was sold. Luckily, I connected with Detroit-based scribe Ashley Zlatopolsky, who scored the cover story on Huckaby and she presents it here.

We hope you like it.

If it’s early August, then this is our issue dedicated to DJ Expo, which runs Aug. 11-14 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J. In addition to detailing some of the show’s doings—seminars, parties and exhibits—we also meet with a pair of talents set to play the event. In one feature, U.K. correspondent Ally Byers meets with Canada’s Adventure Club, while in a Samplings entry our Chris Caruso connects with upstart DJ/producer Cole Plante. In our other Sampling, Caruso catches up with J.Phlip, who dishes on dirtybird, her label.

From gear-review columns: In Making Tracks, Denver’s Wesley Bryant-King takes Samson’s Graphite USB controllers out for a spin; In Sounding Off, Boston’s Paul Dailey cranks up RCF’s active speaker combo, while the Bay Area’s Mike Klasco and Tony Russell test the dbx DriveRack PA2 processor.

In the world of mobile entertainment, Iowa’s Jeff Stiles investigates the relationship between DJs and vendors—it’s not always pretty. In Business Line, we connect with Massachusetts DJ Rob Peters who extols the virtues and explains the benefits of doing parties for kids. And staying in New England, our Mobile Profile centers on New Hampshire’s DJ Jodi who has mastered the same-sex wedding market.

Of course, we also take a look at the latest images from the America’s Best DJ Summer Tour Presented by Pioneer DJ & DJ Times. It’s getting deep into the summer, so get your vote in by Labor Day so that you can get a chance to win gear from Pioneer DJ, watches from G-Shock or our grand prize—a trip for two to the America’s Best DJ Award Ceremony/Closing Party at Las Vegas’ Marquee Nightclub on Oct. 12. Trust me: It’s going to be a blast.

Cheers,

editor-in-chief Jim Tremayne jtremayne@testa.com

art director Janice Pupelis jpupelis@testa.com

editor-at-large Brian O’Connor boconnor@testa.com

production manager Steve Thorakos sthorakos@testa.com

chart coordinator Dan Miller dmiller@testa.com contributors Jody Amos Tom Banham Joe Bermudez Wesley Bryant-King Ally Byers Chris Caruso Shawn Christopher Paul Dailey Reed Dailey Chris Davis Josh Harris Robert LaFrance Michelle Loeb Lily Moayeri Phil Moffa Natalie Raben Scott Rubin Julia Sachs Jennifer Shapiro Jeff Stiles Emily Tan Phil Turnipseed Curtis Zack Ashley Zlatopolsky President/Publisher Vincent P. Testa FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND TO ORDER SUBSCRIPTIONS, CALL 800-937-7678 VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.djtimes.com

DJ TIMES

SEPTEMBER 2014

Jim Tremayne Editor, DJ Times

8

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

brand design & web development manager Fred Gumm fgumm@testa.com digital media manager Chris Davis cdavis@testa.com advertising manager Jon Rayvid jrayvid@testa.com art/production assistant Vito Gelo vgelo@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 © 2014 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 September 2014

visit our website: www.djtimes.com

FEEDBACK PLUS: DJs & WEDDING PLANNERS DJ DAN n DJ DAY-NA SÉBASTIEN LÉGER ABCs OF MOBILE SALES

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AMERICA’S FIRST MAGAZINE FOR PROFESSIONAL DJs ESTABLISHED 1988

AUGUST 2014

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DJ EXPO SHOW PREVIEW DJ QBERT TESTS NEW TURNTABLES

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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.

Set for Aug. 11-14 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J., DJ Expo will present three days of exhibits, three nights of sponsored events and 30 educational seminars. The event has been produced by DJ Times and its publisher Testa Communications since 1990, and remains the longestrunning, most-successful DJ confer‑ ence/exhibition in the Americas.

This year, we find an unprecedented number of seminars sponsored by DJ Expo exhibitors – seven companies presenting eight seminars over three days. With these sponsored Expo sessions, DJ Expo attendees will get an up-close, more hands-on look at a variety of DJ-related goods and services. Here’s what Expo attendees should expect from presentations by exhibitors ADJ, Chauvet DJ, Eternal Lighting, Event Chit Chat, Mackie, Pioneer DJ and the United States Disc Jockey Association.

On Monday, Aug. 11: in Diamond Room A at 1:30 p.m., The United States Disc Jockey Association will present “What Makes a Professional DJ & How Do the Best Get Better?”; in Diamond Rooms B&C at 3:30 p.m., Mackie will pres‑ ent “Choosing the Right Powered Loudspeaker Solution for Your DJ Business”; and in Diamond Room A at 5 p.m., Eternal Lighting will present “Light Up Your Bottom Line: A Simple & Easy $1,000 Raise Per

Event With Lighting!”

On Tuesday, Aug. 12: In Diamond Room A at 12:30, Event Chit Chat will present its “Networking Seminar”; and in Diamond Room A at 4 p.m., Pioneer DJ will present “rekordbox 3.0 Product Seminar.”

On Wednesday, Aug. 13: In Di‑ amond Rooms B&C at 11 a.m.,

Chauvet DJ will present “Creative Lighting, Creating Profits with Jeremy Brech & Jamie Bodie”; in Diamond Room A at 1:30, Event Chit Chat will present its “Sales & Technology Seminar”; and in Diamond Room A at 3:30, ADJ will present “Moving Heads: Choosing The Right Fixture For Your Event.”

America’s Best DJ Award Ceremony/Closing Party

Marquee Las Vegas Oct. 12

SAMPLINGS

DJ TIMES

SEPTEMBER 2014

J.PHLIP: DOING THE DIRTYBIRD

10

J.Phlip: Quickly becoming a club & festival fave.

Acid techno, booty shaking, and filthy basslines: these are just a few of the things that anyone catching J.Phlip’s live sets is sure to experience.

As part of Claude VonStroke’s dirtybird label, J.Phlip (aka Jessica Phillippe) has emerged as a dark horse of sorts with a white-hot heat streak of demolishing festival stages and clubs over the past year. She’s applied that same energy to her productions as well, including the high-energy Euro-techno of 2013’s “Coefficient” and the commanding tech-bass of this year’s “Say My Name.”

We caught up with the San Franciscan ahead of her show at Brooklyn’s Verboten to talk about her huge surprise set at Detroit’s Movement Electronic festival, as well as her upcoming projects and vinyl sets.

DJ Times: You closed out the Beatport stage at Detroit’s Movement fest after Boys Noize had to cancel at the last minute. What was that experience like?

J.Phlip: From what I understand, Paxahau got a list of DJs who were in town, but weren’t booked at the festival this year. I guess after going through it, they choose me! Pretty freaking unreal when I got the call about it just a few hours before the set. It was literally the best day of my entire life. I still get a mix of goosebumps and a hint of sappy teary eyes when I think about it. The experience was, well, the most fun ever! An absolute dream come true.

DJ Times: How was playing that set different from playing sets you’ve been billed in advance for?

J.Phlip: I’m used to more intimate clubs and underground parties. But I still felt very comfortable when I was playing. The cheering and chanting that went on for minutes afterwards was something I have never experienced quite like that. I’ve seen some videos and I look totally confused [laughs]. For the actual set, I didn’t have much time to plan. I was feeling pretty confident in a lot of the music I had dug up recently.

I used that material and filled it in with some of my favorite tracks/blends and some of my favorite nasty techno and acid bangers and it worked out! It was really fun actually to not have the time to freak out about the set—I really needed that. I’ve been planning a little too much with my sets lately. That’s why I miss vinyl sometimes. It’s so much more random.

DJ Times: Are you working on any new productions at the moment?

J.Phlip: Yes, 809 and 909 techno and electro on my new Roland [AIRA] TR-8, some trippy, acid-bass stuff. I’m taking a month off to make music. I’m really excited to just get my head into tracks and not have to think about gigs. Also, my remix of GusGus’ “Obnoxiously Sexual” just came out on Kompakt.

DJ Times: You still play vinyl occasionally, correct?

J.Phlip: Yeah, but I’m on a break from traveling with it again at the moment, mainly because I’m playing mostly in the U.S. and the decks over here are rarely working right. I had a weekend of three shows where the turntables weren’t set up right or something was wrong with them at all three venues, and I got frustrated with carrying the wax. Lately I’m ripping a lot of my wax to digital— both old stuff from my collection and stuff I’ve been buying recently.

There’s so much cool stuff out there on vinyl that you can’t even find on sites like What.cd. It’s one of the ways I try to keep my sets unique from other DJs that ignore vinyl.

DJ Times: What’s your preferred live setup?

J.Phlip: I like to play on CDJ-2000s, Technics, and an Allen & Heath Xone:92 mixer.

DJ Times: Do you prefer DJing or producing?

J.Phlip: I love DJing—mixing is my true passion. I’m better at it than producing and it’s how I started in this whole music thing. I love being in that grimy club environment—that’s like home to me. And it’s the only thing I enjoy doing in front of a crowd. I love digging and everything that goes along with DJing.

Producing is a love-hate. It can be really fun and really tough at moments. I love nerding out about production stuff—learning about gear and making noises and messing about with drums. I can get lost in it for hours and hours, but the actual aspect of finishing a song—especially a song that I like and I will play out—doesn’t always come natural.

– Chris Caruso

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IN THE STUDIO WITH

DJ TIMES

SEPTEMBER 2014

COLE PLANTE: SONIC YOUTH

12

New York City – It’s a Friday afternoon in Chelsea, and Cole Plante is at his hotel preparing for his performance later that night up the road at Pacha NYC. For most in the dance world, this scene is a standard scenario. However, the situation becomes far more interesting when you take into account his age: At just 17-years-old, he wouldn’t be old enough to make it past the club’s bouncer at the front door as a patron.

It’s nothing new for the California-born DJ/producer, who first made his DJing debut when he was 14 at Las Vegas’ Rain nightclub opening for Paul Oakenfold. This year alone, he’s copped an opening slot for pop star Demi Lovato’s nationwide arena tour and collaborated with Jane’s Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell and The Summer Set’s Brian Logan Dales. We connected with Plante amidst his tour dates, studio work, and high-school marchingband meets to talk about his production origins and techniques.

(Editor’s Note: And make sure you check out his set at DJ Expo. Cole Plante will play the Summer Sessions Finale event at Borgata’s Mixx nightclub on August 12.)

DJ Times: Which came first, DJing or production?

Cole Plante: DJing came first, but music is what really came first. I’ve been playing classical instruments since I was really young, so I’ve always had that in me. But in terms of profession, it was DJing because that was a way I wanted to make money for my family. Production was something that I knew I was able to do anyways, and obviously it helps DJing, so I wanted to go into that.

DJ Times: How’s work coming on your debut album for Hollywood Records?

Plante: I’m trying to not come out too fast with it because some electronic albums you see and just feel that they were rushed. I don’t want this album to be a rushed project, and the record label knows that. We’re definitely putting a lot of time in it, with a lot of vocal-driven tracks and instrumentals. Some of it’s stuff that’s out-there and not the norm in terms of EDM. Looking at a release around the end of next year.

DJ Times: What’s your preferred live setup?

Plante: Well, tonight I’ll be using two Pioneer CDJ-2000nexus units and a mixer, but sometimes I use an APC-40 because I can have about 20 channels running left and right and about 100 running down and up. You can throw in beats, a cappellas, rises, builds, and more, all of which you can’t really do with four CDJs. I use that normally when it’s a longer set and I want to build it out to be a journey.

DJ Times: And in the studio?

Plante: My home studio’s pretty simple—just Cubase and Ableton Live.

Both of those programs are my favorites. I have the other ones—I sometimes use Pro Tools and Logic—because it’s important to have all of them and be well-versed in them. Besides that, I’ve just got a simple Novation keyboard.

DJ Times: Technological innovation has really taken the DJ and EDM scenes to new places.

Plante: Innovation is so important in terms of live performance and music in general. Live setups went from turntables to CDJs, and now you’ll see people using Novation Launchpads, APCs, and sample-based performances.

In terms of production, you used to have so much analog gear that was very expensive, and now you can have some grab a laptop, open up a DAW and some VSTs, and just start making music. That helps a younger generation of kids to express their imaginations in music.

– Chris Caruso

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All-Vinyl Detroit DJ Mike Huckaby Wears Many Hats: Spinner,

By Ashley Zlatopolsky

DJ TIMES

SEPTEMBER 2014

Detroit – Longtime Motown DJ/producer Mike Huckaby wears many hats. The skilled artisan, a master of his trade behind the decks where he develops a smooth blend of deep house and techno fused with jazz elements, is a forward-thinking proponent of Motor City dance music culture whose influence is recognized both locally and overseas.

His sound is melodic, but not in terms of vocals. Huckaby’s style is warm, emotional and welcoming; it creates an enticing feeling that hooks listeners from the very beginning, when the first deep grooves are absorbed and processed. Like Huckaby himself, his music is soulful and innovative.

Always one step ahead of the game, the revolutionary DJ is one of the first to not only embrace new technology, but also share it with future generations of music. Huckaby is an educator, teacher and mentor for YouthVille, a program based out of Detroit designed to teach music production to inner-city children between the ages of 11 to 19. He uses Native Instruments and Ableton software to help YouthVille children under-

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Producer & Educator

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DJ TIMES

SEPTEMBER 2014

SEPTEMBER 2014

DJ TIMES 18

stand how their favorite beats are made, and how they can create those beats themselves. Huckaby understands the importance of continuing Detroit’s renowned musical heritage, but he also teaches REAKTOR and Live production globally. His work with Native Instruments goes even further, however, as Huckaby is a sound designer for the software.

His love for music is deep. Huckaby is a major proponent of vinyl records and embracing the sound preserved within. It’s a passion that developed after a lengthy career at Record Time, a now-defunct mainstay in the avid Detroit-area record-store scene, as well as Buy-Rite Music.

He spins only vinyl, a characteristic that draws people to his strong live performances, where viewers are captivated by Huckaby’s precision at digging deep into his collection and selecting the perfect record to get his audience dancing.

Looking past the multiple genres of electronic music, Huckaby is a rare example of a musician who can get down to the bottom of any element and bring forward the core sound and beat. He is expert at uncovering the foundational quality of any track and remixing it to create one of two outstanding results: a profound departure from the original or an enhancement of the original. Regardless of which remix path Huckaby

25th Anniversary Moments

decides to embark upon, the results have lifted him to his rightful place in a select category of DJs who are apt at bridging soulful deep-house with thumping techno, while still maintaining their own twist and sense of originality.

Huckaby has remixed everyone from Juan Atkins to Deepchord to Loco Dice. He has his own platform for releasing music, Deep Transportation, and his work with Rick Wade’s Harmonie Park collection is internationally recognized. Huckaby is also credited with linking Detroit and Berlin, broadening the Detroit/Berlin connection through his European travels and extensive use of German software like Native Instruments and Ableton in homebred Detroit music.

DJ Times caught up with Huckaby as he returned to Detroit following several weeks overseas in Europe, where he was DJing and teaching production to children, to talk about his multiple roles in the dance music industry.

DJ Times: So you just came back from a European tour. How did that go?

Mike Huckaby: I don’t even remember where I played, but it was quite a good time and quite exhausting.

DJ Times: Sounds like it! Let’s start off by talking about Deep Transportation. When did that start?

Huckaby: I started Deep Transportation in 1995 in Detroit.

DJ Times: And what was the reason behind it?

Huckaby: I wanted to create my own brand of house, which was uniquely personal to me. I had a lot of ideas in my head and I thought I could create a platform to release my own music.

DJ Times: How would you describe that brand of house?

Huckaby: Deep, melodic and jazzy. A lot of rich tones, colorful palettes and real emotional core progressions.

DJ Times: Are you happy with where Deep Transportation is today?

Huckaby: Well, I mean… I have to be. But there were a lot of delays in releases over the years and I kind of stumbled in terms of some technical handicaps that I had later championed, but earlier on, I just was kind of just stumped by technical difficulties, which then became ironed out and mastered over the latter years.

DJ Times: What were the difficulties?

Huckaby: Working with analog equipment, fusing samples. A lot of the samples were drifting and I didn’t know how to quite honestly truncate the sample properly, and I ran into a lot of tracks jumping or skipping in various locations of the track. So later on in my career, I learned how that was done and I overcame that difficulty.

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“So it’s no wonder that a new product announcement always garners a lot of attention, and its DJM-900nexus is no exception. This hotly anticipated 4-channel DJ mixer with integrated, multichannel computer audio interface continues that tradition, with its polished layout, high-end features, and incredible performance.”

– Wesley Bryant-King, Sounding Off, August 2011

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Going Global: Huck’s Favorite Gigs

Panarama Bar in Berlin, Germany. “It’s just a DJ thing.

It’s an institution, of its own. It’s definitely one of the best clubs in the world.”

Klub 20/44 in Belgrade, Serbia. “It’s just a boat, but the vibe in there is unbelievable.”

Pure Soul in Skopje, Macedonia. “It has been packed for me both times I played there and the sound system was insane both times.”

DJ Times: Do you think the advance of technology helped improve those difficulties as well?

Huckaby: Absolutely. Certain things technically couldn’t even be done if it weren’t for advances in technology and equipment.

DJ Times: What are some of the things you can do today that you couldn’t do 10 years ago?

Huckaby: Time stretching, and to the extent of quality concern in time stretching, that’s, like, number one. Working in small and limited places. Actually, that’s number one—time stretching would

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be number two. The ability to work on the road, the ability to work in limited places in terms of space and time. Working in the car, working in line, working in an office or restaurant or coffee shop. Not having to be at home in order to finish a product or project.

DJ Times: How often do you work in line or in a car?

Huckaby: All the time! Working in an airport—I work in the airport all the time.

DJ Times: So how did you get involved with YouthVille?

Huckaby: I was doing Native Instruments demonstrations. Alvin Hill was the director and we both worked at Record Time, and I inquired about doing a one-time [Native Instruments] REAKTOR demonstration. That became a conversation about doing a class down there, so they [YouthVille] gave me a tour. And I just bypassed a one-time demonstration and asked, “How can I teach a class down there?” And they said, “Well, that’s even better! Come down here and we’ll give you a tour.” I came down there and right in the middle of the tour, I said, “When can I start?”

DJ Times: How have the YouthVille kids responded?

Huckaby: Well, I’ve met some great kids coming out of the class. It’s interesting—they get the chance to see the process in making some of their favorite beats by their favorite producers and how that process is deciphered. I try to break that down to them. But I’m also doing a workshop at the Detroit Public Library right now, as well as YouthVille… and that’s picking up a lot of momentum.

DJ Times: Is the Detroit Public Library workshop for kids, too, or everyone?

Huckaby: Yeah, it’s for kids—it’s a youth program.

DJ Times: Are the kids willing to learn [the trade]?

Huckaby: There’s a handful of them that are and a handful of them that aren’t. For the most part, they are. You get some that just want to sit in for a day and some that want to sit in for the whole six sessions of the series. Some of them

have some interesting concerns and questions, so they keep coming back.

DJ Times: What kind of music do the kids want to produce most?

Huckaby: It varies. Mostly it’s hiphop, but the thing that’s interesting about it is if their parents were into house music, then they often want to make house music. So there has to be almost a primary influence of house for them to want to make house.

DJ Times: Do you try to show the kids more interested in hip-hop some house production as well?

Huckaby: Honestly, no, because I don’t try and push any particular direction or influence on them. I try to just be there for what they indicate to me. I think it would be a hindrance to try and push house on them when they haven’t indicated any interest in it or even know what it is. But now if they come from a house [music] background, and house has been played in their house, there’s something I can do. I have equal satisfaction trying to show them [the kids] house as well as hip-hop, ’cause I try to show them the rules and I also try to show them some of the famous producers from here and their methods of sampling and creating beats. I try to show them J. Dilla’s style of beat-making or something and how that plays into the Detroit heritage.

DJ Times: Have you had any standout success stories teaching these kids music?

Huckaby: Well, there’s been a kid who was suffering academically and I wound up mentoring him and he ended up on the honor roll. There was Kyle Hall, and then there are a couple other students that are well on their way. We had a student who had Facebook friends donate a brand-new Mac to. We’ve had tons of donations due to the popularity of a “Real Scenes” video shot by Resident Advisor and then a Thump documentary shot by VICE. So there’s been a tremendous amount of love and support, and the global community, worldwide, is so influenced by this project.

DJ Times: What effect do you think people like yourself who educate children in music will have on (continued on page 50)

5

The next leg of America’s Best DJ Summer Tour Presented by Pioneer DJ & DJ Times saw us hit five major U.S. cities—Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Denver.

The events included: Avalon in L.A. with Roger Sanchez; Marquee in NYC with Cedric Gervais; Marquee in Las Vegas with Carnage and Kaskade (ABDJ champ in 2013 and 2011); Ruby Skye in San Francisco with Robbie Rivera; and Global Dance Festival at Red Rocks in Denver with four America’s Best DJ Nominees, including Alvin Risk, Carnage, Gabriel & Dresden and Wolfgang Gartner.

As always, DJ Times was there, collecting ballots for the DJs and giving fans chances to win plenty of prizes—like Pioneer gear and a trip for two to Las Vegas for the ABDJ Closing Party/Award Ceremony at Marquee Nightclub on Oct. 12. It all looked like this:

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Marquee Vegas: A Dayclub scene.

Karl Larson

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A Scene: This Is Red Rocks.

Simon Alexander

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Avalon: Roger Sanchez in LA.

Avalon

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At Red Rocks:Yes, a penguin.

DJ Times

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Ruby Skye: Voters in SF.

Javier Ovalles

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Gabriel & Dresden: Top of Red Rocks.

Simon Alexander

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At Ruby Skye: Robbie Rivera

Javier Ovalles

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Big Screen: Wolfgang Gartner in Denver.

Simon Alexander

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Vegas: Carnage at Marquee.

Karl Larson

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Red Rocks: Who gets my vote?

Simon Alexander

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LA Scene: Roger S with DJ Lupe Fuentes Avalon

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The Champ: Kaskade at Marquee.

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Powers Imagery 1

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Posing: Vegas Voter at Marquee

DJ Times

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In Da Club: Frisco Scene

Javier Ovalles

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Highlights From America’s Best DJ Summer

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SEPTEMBER 2014

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r Tour Presented by Pioneer DJ & DJ Times

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By Ally Byers Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – “Is this for print?

Shoot, we better sit really still.” says Christian Srigley, one half of Canadian EDM duo Adventure Club.

Not that other member L e i g h t o n J a m e s t a ke s much notice. He’s caught sight of a video recorder on the desk between us, and is busy trying to work out how to film his nostrils to maximum effect.

And sitting still isn’t really what Adventure Club does. Since the duo’s breakout remix of Brand New’s “Daisy” in 2011 and continuing with the 2012 remix of Lips’ “Everything to Me,” the punk-rockers-turned-DJs have blown up online and onstage, playing European and U.S. tours, as well as creating mass hysteria with their uploaded sets and on-the-fly remixes. Its 2014 EP, Calling All Heroes,

Canada’s Adventure Club Breaks Out Big, Hits DJ Expo

is loaded with all the hooks, beats and drops that EDM-lovers have come to adore.

DJ Times caught up with the Montreal-based act some 40 minutes before they would go on to play a massive, drop-and-strobe-and-stage-dive-filled set to an arena of several thousand amazed Malaysians at Future Music Festival Asia this past Spring.

(Editor’s Note: And make sure you check out their set at DJ Expo. Adventure Club will play the Summer Sessions Finale event at Borgata’s Mixx nightclub on August 12.)

DJ Times: You’re the latest in a growing list of North American acts that has its roots in hardcore and punk rock before you made the jump into EDM. Where do you think this crossover comes from?

Srigley: It started as a just for fun side-hobby, because we had a studio set up already to track our own band with. We didn’t take it seriously at all, so we had no problems about putting material out on the internet under the name Adventure Club.

James: Musically, we kind of felt that the drops in dubstep felt similar to the breakdowns in hardcore rock tracks that we were playing at the time.

Srigley: There are a lot of similarities with the writing process, too, things like the drum patterns…

James: And the guitars, too, the big chugging guitar riffs—you can switch that into a bassline for electronic music.

DJ Times: So when did the side-hobby become serious?

Srigley: The defining moment, I guess, would have been our 2011 remix of Brand New’s “Daisy.” We shopped it out to a couple of blogs really casually, and it landed near the top of the charts for a couple of the top blogs. It blew our minds because it was for fun, and none of our other tracks ever got that kind of attention.

James: There’s a bit of background there, too. I started working for a tiny electronic music label called Turbo when I was 18, and they had Brodinski, Chromeo—a lot of those kinds of acts. So I had an awareness of the electronic sound. Then, Christian brought the hardcore dubstep remix angle to the table.

DJ Times: Previously, you were used to standing onstage with guitars and mics. How does the experience of being on stage as DJs differ?

Srigley: We definitely try and crossover the dance moves, if you will, from like hardcore bands that can’t really translate the movement into words alone, so you kinda go wide stance. [He assumes a wide stance posture, while Leighton scratches chin thoughtfully.]

Adventure Club: (from left) James & Srigley.

James: Now, it’s real a challenge. You don’t have a guitar to hide behind anymore, so if you don’t get that stance n a i l e d p ro p e r ly yo u look like a huge asshole.

DJ Times: So, other than footwork, how does the experience compare?

Srigley: We jump a lot, perhaps more than we did before.

James: Yeah, I’d say so.

DJ Times: Guys, I mean…

Srigley: You’re less preoccupied with playing your instrument, so you have more opportunity to perform, if you follow. It’s easier to focus on other aspects of the performance, interacting with the crowd being the big one. We also tr y to—just for our own sanity—put as much small detail into our mixes as possible, little effects, little tweaks, stuff the crowd wouldn’t necessarily notice, to keep our DJ performance feeling that bit more musical to us, personally.

DJ Times: How do you approach your DJing, setup-wise?

James: It’s usually three Pioneer CDJs, and one of us will also be on a laptop with a N a t i ve I n s t r u m e n t s controller sampling.

DJ Times: What’s the studio of a rockact-turned-EDM-duo like?

Srigley: We use Cakewalk Sonar—I know, right? When I was about 11-years-old I was learning to play blues guitar.

My parents got me Cakewalk Home Studio. I’d layer my guitar tracks to practice my blues improvisation, and… well I just never stopped using Cakewalk products. It’s not as big of a difference to other software as you might think.

James: We have access to all the same plug-ins anyone else does, so it’s actually more or less the same.

Srigley: And we’ve used it for so long, we’re able to move within it pretty easily, which is the important part.

DJ Times: A number of former rock-turned-EDM-acts talk about returning to playing live on stage with instruments, albeit with their electronic sound. Will you guys head down that path?

Srigley: We’ve spoken about it... a lot, actually.

James: I don’t know if we’ll go fully live, but we’re definitely going to bring live aspects and elements into the show.

Srigley: Guitars, drums, those kind of aspects. We start planning, but pretty soon there’s a lot of overhead and logistics involved, and when you’ve grown used to travelling with just a backpack, it becomes harder to justify.

DJ Times: How does the Canadian EDM community compare to the U.S. EDM equivalent?

Srigley: I’d say it’s a middle point between the U.K. and the U.S. scene, especially Montreal. People there are a bit more advanced in their knowledge—they have more refined tastes.

James: Yeah, it’s almost like there’s Quebec, then there’s the rest of North America because Quebec’s got a much more European feel to it.

Srigley: The West Coasts of Canada and the U.S. feel similar to themselves, but different to the East Coasts of Canada and the U.S. Really, it’s more of an East-West thing than a U.S.-vs.-Canada thing.

DJ Times: How about Europe? You’ve played there— what was that like for you?

Srigley: The U.K. was a strange one. We thought the U.K. crowd was going to be discerning, picky…

James: We made a conscious effort to prepare sets with different stuff. We were thinking, “Yeah, I listen to this in my spare time, but it wouldn’t work in the U.S.—it’ll be cool for Britain, though.” Then, when we played the more thoughtful stuff in these quote-unquote underground parties, it didn’t go off like we hoped. Then, when we moved onto the big U.S. bangers later on, people went wild and were like, “Oh, my God, finally!”

DJ Times: You’ve quickly become main-stage names— case in point, being here, where you’re about to play the main stage at Future Music Festival Asia. Has playing main stages impacted your sound?

James: Yeah, festivals are a different experience than playing clubs, especially if it’s the main stage, as it’s always going to be a more mainstream crowd and you need to appeal to that. You can’t just play big grimy dubstep.

Srigley: But festivals are still more fun to perform at.

It’s just this feeling of energy all around you that you don’t necessarily get elsewhere.

DJ Times: What are Adventure Club’s plans for the rest of 2014?

James: Album.

Srigley: Album. Yeah, we moved out to Los Angeles some months ago and spent the majority of time out there just working on content, trying to get an album out this year, hopefully. We have our own personal time frames for it.

James: Yup, It’s pretty specific. It’s kind of like, whenever we want—hopefully at the end of the year.

Srigley: We’ve not hit up any labels yet. We’re just going at our own pace.

DJ Times: If Adventure Club weren’t a DJ duo, or a rock group, what would it be?

Srigley: I would be 100-percent be on a sailing boat, fishing, and Leighton would be a lumberjack. n James: Yep, with a tartan shirt.

DJ TIMES

SEPTEMBER 2014

By Jeff Stiles

28

Mike Mahoney has become accustomed to photographers who are not quite up-to-par (which he says can be either funny or sad), but one fellow vendor he once worked with actually was so bad it actually caused him to alter his contract.

This owner of M&M Entertainment in South Portland, Maine, has it in his company’s contract that his crew is allowed to have full access to the venue one hour prior to—and one hour after—any event.

But when Mahoney once went to the bathroom after the guests had left a reception, he returned to find that the venue’s staff had taken all his gear back to his van... and not in the most orderly fashion.

“This woman was terrible,” he recalls. “The bride and groom that night also had three guests show up who were not thought to have been able to make it, and they had to pay a triple-plate charge for each extra guest.

“And that wouldn’t have been so bad if she didn’t make a scene in front of their guests. I felt so bad for this couple, because they were so sweet. This venue also charged extra for every portion of the property, meaning there was an extra charge for any space outside the main function room—including the porch.”

We recently asked mobile DJs about vendors that have been a challenge.

Have they ever had a photographer get in the way, or a caterer who wasn’t cooperative with the requirements of a planned-ahead event schedule? How were we able to work things out, and did everything turn out just fine in the end?

Bob Carpenter, of Main Street Weddings in Greenville, R.I., once had a fellow vendor set up a Photobooth on his dancefloor, while K.C. Kokoruz of Spinnin Discs in Arlington Heights, Ill., actually had a photographer at a wedding reception announce that he had to leave the event early due to a babysitting dilemma.

Over in New York City, Carl Williams (aka DJ Carl) says he has been fortunate to not typically work with event vendors who have been too much of a challenge.

“In many cases, my challenges are with decor designers/wedding stylists because they don’t design for entertainment,” says DJ Carl. “Designing for entertainment means having the band or DJ front-and-center, next to the dancefloor.

Having a DJ or band in the corner of a room—with tables between them and the dancefloor—is the worst set-up imagined and doesn’t allow the entertainers to read the body language of the guests.

“When I explain these scenarios, many of the designers realize that floor plan changes need to occur to best entertain the guests for the better part of the event. In some circumstances, however, there’s not enough time to move platforms from the corner of a room to front-and-center next to the dancefloor, so we just have to make do.

“Hopefully, decor designers are reading this article and will make a conscience effort to design for entertainers for their future events. DJs and bands need to feel and see the emotions of their guests, in order to provide the best possible experience for all those invited.”

For Steve Croce of Silver Sound Disc Jockeys in Philadelphia, one particular venue in his market apparently likes to usurp control of every nuance of every wedding reception, well beyond what would normally be expected.

“This venue is also notorious for abusively treating vendors like a redheaded step-child,” he says. “Of course, if I go into too much detail I’d be exposing a well-known micromanager and that would be bad for our company, but I can safely safe they care a little too much about the dessert presentation and demand that the DJ play Kenny G-type music whenever the demitasse is presented.”

Croce says he was recently entertaining for a jam-packed dancefloor at this venue, with people of all ages dancing to A-Trak and Tommy Trash’s “Tuna Melt” under a blazing light show and pounding bass, when the banquet manager gruffly charged up to his DJ area and (coincidentally) barked, “Turn off this trash and announce dessert, idiot!”

He says the manager’s demand was immediately followed with, “Any DJ who wants to set foot in this room again must ask my permission to use the bathroom, because we can’t have you wandering around the halls unescorted.”

Croce next slam-mixed into Tony Orlando & Dawn’s “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree” and announced dessert, at which point the man-

ager smirked at the entertainer and said, “Bye bye, dancefloor,” under his breath.

“The crowd immediately knew exactly what had happened and what the manager was doing,” he says. “He was following procedure, but was completely ignoring the tempo of the party and the overall satisfaction of the client. He only cared about doing his job and the rest of the room could be damned. He smugly grinned at the crowd as they looked back at him, waving again to the dessert

H O W C A N D J S H A N D L E P R O B L E M AT I C F E L L O W V E ND O R S ? table as though they missed it the first time.”

Turns out, a grandmother suddenly began leading the crowd of 300 in booing the manager, who suddenly realized that everyone in the audience had become aware that he was deliberately sabotaging their party.

“In all my years of DJing, I’ve never swelled with pride so much when boos were hurled toward the stage,” he says. “I let the banquet director sizzle and smoke onstage for the entire length of the evening, and sure enough—on the Monday following the wedding, he was fired.”

Meanwhile, Croce says he was tipped $250 after the gig and received a glowing thank-you note that even today hangs on the wall of his office in a frame.

Of course, Croce’s experience is fortunately a rare occasion in which a vendor’s representative came off his hinges.

Over in Seattle, Wash., Adam Tiegs of Adam’s DJ Service admits there are certain things vendors do (or don’t do) that drive him nuts, but says there’s never been anything too crazy that he wasn’t able to adapt and work something out.

“Let’s just say communication is

key when it comes to dealing with other professionals,” he says. “If you’re able to connect prior to the event, that’s great. Sometimes, though, you don’t connect with people until the day of the event, and then you’re left scrambling at the last minute trying to change things around and make everyone happy.”

Pet peeves for Tiegs include when a bride and groom kiss at the altar, but the officiant is standing behind them, photo-bombing the entire event. Or bartenders who amazingly are not prepared for an initial rush, resulting in long lines for the entire cocktail hour. Or when photographers would rather eat their meal than do their job of capturing memories and moments.

“I don’t like the photographers who charge for a wedding by time either, because many times they miss important things because they were only contracted for a certain amount of time,” he says. “It’s a wedding day and sometimes the timeline slips a little for certain reasons out of our control. Just stick around and at least capture that first dance!

“I don’t want to tell these people how to do their job, just as I wouldn’t want them telling me how to do mine, but these are things that I will look at

“The wedding coordinator should be looked at as the general manager of the other vendors at an event,” she says. “Not in power or authority, of course, but as in having the last word.

“Why? Because the coordinator has worked with the bride and groom for close to a year on their wedding.

She’s aware of every last detail, including why she is having a couple do their first dance in the middle of the room instead of the dancefloor. Or why she wants the ‘toasters’ to stand near the bride and groom, instead of wherever they’re sitting. There really is a method to our madness (so to speak), because a good planner has spent endless hours thinking of every last detail and how it will affect the bride and groom and their guests.”

Brenneman says it’s important for all vendors, from officiates to photographers to caterers to DJs to wedding planners, to remain flexible.

“One thing DJs and other vendors seem to appreciate about me is that I’ll listen to their ideas or suggestions about a schedule change or anything else, and most of the time I’m more than happy to make the change,” she says. “However, there may be a reason why I have the schedule the way I do, and in some circumstances things

SEPTEMBER 2014

A WEDDI NG PLAN N ER OFFERS A BATTL E P L A N .

cannot be changed. The DJ needs to accept that.”

Brenneman recalls a recent wedding reception where a well-known (and well-respected) DJ in their area wasn’t at all friendly and even treated her like the enemy.

“I had told this DJ I was getting ready to line the wedding party up for the processional, so we’re all lined up and I signaled for him to start the music,” she says. “That’s when he said, ‘The officiant still needs to be mic’d up, and you never told me who he is.’

“I’m thinking, ‘Dude, that’s your job to find him and, if you don’t know who he is, you come and find me!’ I’d never had a DJ not be responsible for finding the officiant.

“He then started the music without telling me, so I didn’t know he had switched from the prelude music to the processional music and it threw the whole processional off.

“Then we couldn’t hear the bride and groom say their vows, and this is a pet peeve of mine. I don’t know what the answer is, but DJs need to make sure the bride and groom know that they will not be heard (especially at an outdoor wedding), if there isn’t an additional microphone.

“What happened to the old-fashioned mics, after all? This is another one of those details that I wish all DJs would be aware of and nail down in their DJ/client meetings. After all, the guests are supposed to be witnesses to the couple’s vows.”

Brenneman says that those were just some of the things that went wrong because of lack of communication and power struggles at this particular event, though she’s quick to add that this DJ was actually the first one in 18 years with whom she’s had such a struggle.

In the end, this wedding planner agrees that teamwork is essential.

“All vendors should work together for the best of the couple and the event they’re working on, and check their ego at the door,” she says. “The event is not about them—it’s about the couple and what they want, no matter how much we know it would be better if they would just do suchand-such.

“Without communication of a lastminute addition or subtraction by the bride or groom or even a parent, much confusion and chaos can happen quickly.” n

DJ TIMES

and observe, to decide whether or not I want to recommend them to future clients. But for the most part I love working with people at events and, if there’s a situation, I love when we can all come together to make it right so the result can be a successful event and happy clients.”

Lisa Brenneman is the general manager of Sanders Estates, a venue in the Seattle area. With 18 years of experience working as a wedding planner, she has an interesting perspective when it comes to viewing DJs from the outside.

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MAKING TRACKS STUDIO…HARDWARE…SOFTWARE… M25: A terrific mobile solution.

MD13: For quick note input.

ON THE GO: SAMSON GRAPHITE CONTROLLERS

DJ TIMES

SEPTEMBER 2014

By Wesley Bryant-King

32

With the increasing popularity of both tablets (such as the iPad) and super-light notebooks (like the MacBook Air), music creation has become less and less bound to a studio, and more oriented to something done when and where inspiration happens.

It’s precisely that realization that seems to have led Hauppauge, N.Y.based Samson Technologies to introduce recently a quartet of mini USB controllers, tailor-made for musicians and producers on-the-go. Known by the family name of “Graphite,” the new line offers-up a pair of keyboard controllers, plus a pad controller, and what’s best defined, perhaps, as a mix/ transport controller.

The whole family is USB-based, and works easily and in the usual way with Windows and Macs. Samson claims compatibility with the iPad, but the proviso is that the support is not exactly direct—when coupled with Apple’s Camera Connection Kit, you can merely plug one of the controllers into the USB port of one of the kit’s adapters otherwise intended for a camera connection.

On the plus side, Samson offers the Graphite Editor Software for free download from their web site. The software provides preset editing for all four products, allowing you to create and save presets for rapid recall on the device. The software is available in versions for both Windows and Mac users.

M25: The M25 is a keyboard controller with (as its name suggests) 25 keys. In addition, it sports transport controls, four pads, eight rotary encoders, and pitch bend and modulation both as touch-sensitive strips, among others.

Measuring roughly 6-by-14-inches, it is perhaps one of the most compact MIDI keyboards I’ve used. The rotary encoders and transport controls can easily be mapped to functions in

MF8: Innovative, multi-purpose control.

M32: Few frills & 32 keys.

your DAW via MIDI Learn, of course.

The M25 has no support for external “stuff ” like a sustain pedal (perhaps not something you’d want in a truly mobile set-up), but it does offer a sustain button which will get the job done in a pinch.

The overall feel of the controls is more or less what one might expect, and is much like any type of controller in this price range. The rotary controls have a nice feel, and the rubberized pads and transport buttons have a typical somewhat mushy, but fully expected and satisfactory tactile response.

What might leave a bit to be desired is the feel of the keys on the keyboard itself—they’re a bit mushy feeling. Each key, however, is only about 3-inches deep, vs. roughly double that of a full size keyboard. That limits travel, of course, and consequently the play feel as well.

An octave on the M25 is just under 5.5-inches wide (it’s closer to 6.5-inches on a standard keyboard). I found that it took some getting used to, but for the sorts of use cases for which you might employ the M25, two-handed conventional piano-style playing isn’t likely to be the goal; it’s more about pecking-out single notes or perhaps dyads, rather than complex chords.

Finally, the pitch bend and modulation “wheels” are touch-sensitive strips. I certainly understand the simplicity of the choice, but not being able to see, visually, the position of the

mod “wheel” might introduce some challenges in some situations.

Despite some usability quibbles on my part, I can easily see the M25 being a “throw-in-the-backpack” solution for playing with musical concepts anytime, anywhere. And for right around $80 (street price), it’s sitting on my “must-buy” list as we speak.

M32. The M32 is much like the M25—minus some of the extras. It has no pads, no transport controls, no rotary encoders… just keys (32 of them, as you might guess), some programming buttons, plus octave and sustain buttons.

My observations about the M32 are quite similar to the M25 across the board. At $70 (street price), it’d be a logical choice for anyone who simply wants a wider range of notes to work with, and who doesn’t need the extra control capabilities of the M25.

MD13. Samson departs from the usual with the MD13. This controller sports 13 backlit, rubberized pads, arranged chromatically in the physical pattern of an entire octave (plus a note)—eight of them along the bottom, and five above them in the positioning of the black keys of a keyboard. On the left side, six rotary knobs are included for extra mappable control, and on the right, basic transport buttons and octave buttons.

Also included are customization buttons and a DJ-like crossfader.

The use cases for the MD13 are probably not wholly different than for

the M25 and M32—it’s really geared for note input on-the-go. However, I can imagine a lot of users—especially consumers who are not trained keyboardists—finding the pad design approach less intimidating than a conventional keyboard. I also think there’s a potential usability benefit here; the large, rubberized pads seems to beg for one-handed, free-form musical experimentation. The MD13 comes at a street price of roughly $60.

MF8. Perhaps the most unusual and most innovative controller of the quartet is the MF8. Designed for mix control clearly in mind, it sports a total of eight groups of mix controls, each with a knob, a slider, and a pair of buttons (one designed for mute, one designed for record arming)—enough to support the control of eight tracks.

There’s a full set of transport controls, and five function buttons. In the middle, there’s a crossfader, plus a set of customization controls.

When testing on my Mac with Ableton Live, I found the MF8 easy to program via MIDI Learn to do what you might naturally expect (namely, track-by-track mix control). The MF8 is available for $60 (street price).

Conclusion. The Graphite family of mini-USB controllers from Samson offers a lot of bang for the buck.

All four controllers deliver on their promise to free the musician and producer from the confines of the usual four studio walls, and introduce an “anytime, anywhere” approach to music-making.

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IT’S GONNA REMIND YOU OF ANOTHER TURNTABLE… IT’S OK, WE DON’T MIND.

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SOUNDING OFF PLAYBACK…PRO AUDIO…PROCESSING

ACTIVE PA & UNIQUE PROCESSOR

By Paul Dailey, Mike Klasco & Tony Russell

This month’s pro-audio column entry comes courtesy of Boston-based DJ Paul Dailey, who cranks up the powered RCF combo—HD 32-A speaker and the Sub 8004-AS— and our Bay Area duo of Mike Klasco and Tony Russell, who test the dbx DriveRack PA2 loudspeakermanagement processor.

DJ TIMES

SEPTEMBER 2014

RCF Active System

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Founded more than 60 years ago in the Northern Italian city of Reggio Emilia, RCF is renowned for its transducer technology, supplying woofers, mid-range units and compression drivers to some of the bestknown and prestigious loudspeaker brands in the world.

The RCF brand has less name recognition here in the United States than many others, but those in the know (particularly those in the world of pro audio and sound rental) regularly sing its praises. When I mentioned I was reviewing the new RCF speakers to my buddy who owns a big sound-reinforcement company here in Boston, his first words were: “Buy them.”

With that in mind, the newest offering from RCF is the HD 32-A 12-inch, two-way powered speaker that builds upon its long history of product innovation with a number of very impressive features at a reasonable price point ($1,249 MAP).

At the core of the HD 32-A design is a large-format neodymium compression driver with 3-inch voice coil that allows the speaker to reproduce nearly the entire audible vocal range with better coverage, better dispersion and amazing clarity. It may not seem like an impressive selling point on paper, but let me tell you, in the real world the execution here will blow you away (more on this later.)

Built with a 700-watt RMS Class-D power amplifier that delivers ultra-fast attack, realistic transient response and its aluminium design not only stabilizes the amp during transportation, but assists in heat dissipation—packing huge, high-efficiency performance into a lightweight solution.

Because the HD32-A is designed from the inside out and begins with some of the best transducers in the industry, RCF can apply less internal processing in the crossover network, resulting in more efficiency and a box with considerably less coloring of the sound, while still producing high SPLs. The back panel features Powercon connectors that add to its appeal in the rental world, XLR in and thru, ¼-inch input, which can be set to receive a line or mic level, and a bass-boost switch to add a bit more low end when using the 32-A without a sub.

Manufactured with three well-placed handles, a steel pole mount and special, reinforced polypropylene composite material designed to dampen down vibrations, even at maximum volume settings, the RCF HD 32-A is an extremely well-made speaker. But how does it perform in the real world?

The Test: In comparing the HD 32-A to several other highly regarded powered speakers, I found that the sound quality, clarity and smoothness of the RCF put it on an entirely different level—the sound was truly breathtaking. And this transparency and efficiency allows the HD 32-A to not only hold the sound together at higher volumes, but also make for an entirely different listening experi-

A Perfect Match: RCF Sub 8004-AS.

ence. You can literally turn these all the way up, and stand in front of them without having to shout.

RCF got me a pair of the 32-A units and its brand new Sub 8004-AS—and the partnership was one made in heaven. The 8004-AS is an 18-inch, 1,250-RMS/2,400-watt peak beast that just blows the doors off most other powered subs on the market. The combination knocked it out of the park for me and left me with more headroom than I knew what to do with— even with 200 people on a packed dancefloor.

In the end, the RCF HD 32-A surpassed even the lofty reputation that RCF has set for th through decades of excellence. These speakers look good, sound better and constitute a paradigm shift, in my opinion. You can have loud music and not have it sound harsh. You can give your crowd SPL levels it needs without sending them home in search of a headache remedy. For my money, the RCF HD 32-A is a game-changer.

HD 32-A: Great coverage, amazing clarity.

dbx DriveRack PA2

The DriveRack PA2 loudspeaker-management system from dbx Professional Audio is a signal processor for your speakers. Priced around $500, its main functions include electronic crossover (full-range, 2-way, and 3-way), equalizer, and speaker protection. But like the TV commercial for the Chop-O-Matic…

Wait! There’s more!

The Harman brand dbx has also included another half-dozen functions, of which at least a few will be of great value to DJs. When I reviewed the earlier generation of the DriveRack a couple of years ago, I wondered how many of the functions would actually be used

by DJs, due to their relative complexity. Today’s DriveRack functions not only are “best-of-class,” but painless to get to work, with a setup wizard that requires minimal brain activity and only one functional finger. It’s a big improvement in letting the DJ get the most out of the DriveRack without making his setup an enormous project.

So what else is in this box of goodies? The AutoEQ function enables the DJ to both get a balanced sound and put on a show for the boss and customers. You will need the dbx calibrated mic (about $100) and set this up in the most important area (the dancefloor). If you have an extra few minutes, you can select multiple locations for a wider sweet spot. When the mic is positioned, press the button for automatic EQ. Shock and Awe! The DJ is doing system calibration! Wear a white lab coat when you do this for full effect.

Of course, the AutoEQ results will be dramatically different for a bar or club compared to a lawn party even with the same speakers—but that is an easy job of optimization in seconds for the DriveRack.The PA2 offers numerous additional system-tuning and sonic optimization capabilities, including dbx compression, graphic and 8-band parametric EQ. The electronic crossover function includes time-alignment between the woofer and tweeter (or horn) and this is only needed once—unless you change your speaker component arrangement.

A time-aligned speaker system enables audibly superior vocal clarity, truly letting you deliver the best sound pos-

DriveRack PA2: Set-up made easy from dbx. sible from what you have. Essentially, time-alignment gets the combined acoustic center’s contributions from the speakers “in-focus.”

The new dbx DriveRack PA2 can be controlled on the fly with mobile devices or laptop using Ethernet control via an Android, iOS, Mac, or Windows device. The Wizard utility provides users with access to a host of configuration menus and on their mobile device, with full-color graphical displays that give ready visual indications of the parameters being adjusted. The DriveRack PA2 can also be operated via its front-panel controls and has its own LCD display. But the front panel is a 1-rack mount space (1-¾-inches), so not everything can be shown, compared to using your laptop.

The company’s Subharmonic Synthesis goes back decades to when vinyl records lacked deep bass due to the record groove being too wide and hard to track for the phonograph cartridge. DJs and (sound installers) would use a dbx Subharmonic Synthesizer to put back the extreme low energy into the bassline. Today, bassheads continue to love this effect, but make sure your bass speakers are up for this!

Finally, there is the AFS feedback elimination, which is intended for suppressing mic/speaker feedback. For DJs that yak it up over the music, this should provide some extra headroom before acoustic feedback—but I think this should also work for DJs that still use turntables.

Bottom Line: The DriveRack PA2 enables the DJ to optimize his sound system better and do it easier. That makes this a useful and meaningful device and it should be an integral part of better mobile and permanent install club systems.When it came to packing it up, I thought twice and decided to make the PA2 a permanent part of our reference test system—and adding more “stuff” is not a common event here!

Congratulations to dbx for adding more features, making them better, and making set-up a no-brainer. Mobile DJs, especially, should love dbx for it.

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MOBILE PROFILE CAREERS…INNOVATIONS…SUCCESS STORIES

By Cap Hanrahan says. “About five years after I started working for him, he decided to retire. I bought a set of his equipment and went out on my own. I found jobs mostly through word-of-mouth over the next 10 years. Between being so well-connected in the area by my family business, gaining popularity in the gay community and referrals, I stayed pretty busy.”

Duston attended her first same-sex wedding in 1995. “The DJ was a woman—a first on both for me!” says Duston. “She noticed me peering over her shoulder and very kindly struck up a conversation with me. It resulted in an audition at the local lesbian bar that she managed. Her willingness to take me under her wing changed the whole course of my life.”

She learned early on how to cater to the same-sex crowd by using

To DJ Jodi, same-sex weddings “aren’t as different as you think. Some of the traditions may have a twist,” she says. “Gender terminology, as far as the introductions go, is, usually, the most different or challenging aspects.

But you can get really creative and have fun with it!”

A recurring source of income in the gay community has been T-dances (or tea dances as they are also called),

DJ JODI EMBRACES SAME-SEX WEDDING MARKET Duston: “Same-sex weddings aren’t so different.”

place, a certain product or a great experience they had, he would get this great smile on his face... proud, but humble. Maybe even more important, I witnessed his sincere disappointment over complaints. Looking up to him the way I did ingrained those

DJ TIMES

SEPTEMBER 2014

“They didn’t seem to care about beats matching,

36

feelings in me.”

Driven by a “desire to get that positive feedback,” Duston strives for perfection not in a deli, but as the owner of DJ Jodi Entertainment, a single-system DJ specializing in samesex weddings, a market that is no longer on the cultural margins, and is certainly emerging as an opportunity for DJs looking to maximize their wedding gig skills.

It was through the family business that Duston first met a local DJ, a multi-system entrepreneur who was looking to add more DJs to the lineup. “I learned a lot from him,” she

an event held in the gay culture that represents “the exact opposite of the English having tea in the late afternoon,” says Jodi. “They are lateafternoon dances, usually 4 to 8 p.m.

I first heard of them in Provincetown, Mass., at a place called the Boatslip with DJ extended versions or brand-new songs they hadn’t heard yet, so I played what they wanted.” M a r y Alice. The music is a mix of Top 40 and classic DJ’s job to get people dancing. I also have a very approachable person’70s-’90s. Some are themed and the ality. I am not a closed-door DJ. I love talking to people and listening music reflects that.” to their requests. Through music selection and personality, I created a When I ask DJ Jodi where she large fanbase, and I am so grateful for them!” sees the company in two years, she This fanbase hires DJ Jodi for their weddings, parties, parents annisays unhesitatingly, “I would love to versaries, and company Christmas parties, among other events. “They see a few more DJs in the company. tell their friends about me,” she says. “They go to other bars and tell Right now, I am in still in a position them they ‘need to get DJ Jodi in here.’” of having to take a few lower-paying Like any DJ, Duston has experienced bumps in the road. At the secclub jobs to keep the income stream ond wedding she ever performed, she called the father and daughter steady.” up for the father/daughter dance.The father, however, was out smoking And if she weren’t DJing, what a cigarette. “I now make sure as I’m lining up the wedding party for introductions, that I go over each person’s ‘duties’ and times... dances, would she be doing? “Traveling the world with my wife—enjoying the toasts etc.,” she says. “I called the couple up once for the cake-cutting different cultures, food and, of course, and the photographer was off eating their meal. I now ask in my quesmusic!” tionnaire who the photographer is.’ one simple time-tested technique: watching them. “They didn’t seem to care about beats matching, extended versions or brand-new songs they hadn’t heard yet, so I played what they wanted,” she says. “About two years into my first club job at the women’s bar, the men’s bar lost their lease and we decided to merge. The new DJ and I were talking about our very different music selections. He told me it was the DJ’s job to bring the new music to the people. I told him I thought it was a

Seth Kaye Photography

Dover, N.H.—“I idolized my dad,” says Jodi Duston when I ask her how working at her family’s deli influenced her career decision.

“I would work my summers and weekends at the store just to spend time with him. From Day 1, about 43 years ago, you could find my dad behind the counter interacting with customers. When they would tell him about how much they loved his

BUSINESS LINE SALES…MARKETING…SOLUTIONS…

“Kid-friendly music is more than

Tunes for Tots

“Happy” by Pharrell Williams “Best Day of My Life” by American Authors “Cha Cha Slide” by DJ Casper

just the radio edits we get from our music-subscription services. It’s songs they know.”

– Rob Peters

KID-PARTY PRIMER

By Stu Silver Rob Peters from Braintree, Mass.-based Rob Peters Entertainment brands himself as the Bubble Music Man—and for a good reason. Peters books more than 150 children’s gigs annually, mostly weekdays, and we asked him how other DJs can fill their calendars in this way.

DJ TIMES

SEPTEMBER 2014

DJ Times: If I’m a DJ business owner, why should I be thinking about booking children’s entertainment?

Rob Peters: Children’s Entertainment can be a profitable addition to your DJ business. Most DJs tend to focus on weddings, corporate events, bar/bat mitzvahs and schools. The typical age group for kid’s entertainment is ages 3 to 7, and can create additional revenue, including weekday work. Plus, in certain cases, when you perform for this age group, their parents are also there, and parents talk, which can equal more referrals for your services. In addition, adding kid’s entertainment for your DJ business can open doors for additional business. We have a very strong presence in the kid’s entertainment market, and demand has allowed us to add additional services and performers to book and generate revenue from, including balloon twisters, clowns, magicians and more!

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What are some great ways I can generate these gigs?

You need to have a concept and a good marketing sense.Your entertainment concept can be as simple as “Kiddie Karaoke” to DJing with “kid-friendly” music. Our Bubble Parties Business program provides a concept that introduced me to booking these kinds of shows.

Has social media made it any easier to book these gigs?

In some cases, yes. In most cases, no. Every now and then, we receive an inquiry from someone who knows someone who is linked to us on Facebook.

But the more traditional methods of marketing (direct mail, website, etc.) seem to work better. I am a big fan of guerrilla marketing, and find that I have booked many gigs from just hanging business cards on a bulletin board at my local YMCA.

What are some things I should be aware of, from a performance side, about these gigs?

Bear in mind what I just said: Parents talk, and the word-of-mouth from doing these shows is huge. Also, you cannot just show up and play music. Your personality plays an important part in being successful in this market. You’re entertaining kids, and they have short attention spans. If they see you having fun, it becomes contagious. But you need to give them constant direction and instruction in an entertaining manner, plus have the ability to act silly and be a “big kid!”

In the last couple of years, have there been any changes, maturation, of this market?

This market is gaining popularity. Two years ago, TLC featured a reality show called “Outrageous Kid Parties” where they featured kid birthday parties.

Parents will spend money on their kids’ birthday parties. Clowns and ponies are still popular, but parents are looking for something different for their kids.

If you have it, they will buy it.

When selling this service, who’s buying? Moms? Dads? How do we best sell to them?

Having good marketing is a good start, including a demo video of what you do and testimonials. Selling to moms and dads is generally easy when they can see what you do. Explain your program or service and how the kids will benefit. If your program or show includes kid-friendly music and interactivity, explain the interactivity. Kid-friendly music, by the way, is more than just the radio edits we get from our music subscription services. It’s songs they know.

If your show includes tricks or demonstrations, explain them to the parents when selling.

And it’s not just about moms and dads. I have been fortunate enough to work with party planners, resort activity directors at campgrounds and resorts, park and rec departments, day cares, public libraries, sporting teams, shopping malls and more with my kid’s entertainment program.

What is a mom’s biggest concern?

Parents usually want to know what you will do to entertain the kids in a safe manner. They also want to make sure that what you are doing is appropriate and that their kids will not become bored with your show.

How can you build trustworthiness, if they’ve never booked you before?

The majority of my kid’s entertainment business is word-of-mouth, so usually there’s an aspect of trust when a new mom or company calls for my services. In today’s world, having strong testimonials is important. Putting on a great show is usually the best way to create that you are the “real deal.”

What percentage of your business are these gigs?

We average 125 to 150 events where our kids entertainment services are booked. The majority of these events are also weekday work. Where we are based in New England, our booking cycle is limited because we provide a service that is generally performed outdoors. So the majority of our kid’s entertainment services are for dates between April 1 and November 30.

GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF

On All Q4s ADJ Products 6122 S. Eastern Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90040 (323) 582-2650 www.americandj.com The Event Bar Q4 from ADJ is a four-head X-Y bar pin-spot system featuring 10W CREE quad-color LEDs and four moving heads that work independently. The LEDs can pan and tilt independently, as well as create beams of light at a five-degree angle. The flicker-free fixture is fully controllable via DMX and a four-button DMX LCD display lets users choose between the four different DMX channel modes: 2, 32, 33, or 37. It also runs in a variety of operational modes, including auto, sound active and RGBW dimmer.

Turn, Turn, Turn Pioneer DJ 1925 E. Dominguez Street Long Beach, CA 90810 (310) 952-2000 www.pioneerdjusa.com Pioneer DJ has released the PLX-1000 professional, direct-drive, analog turntable. The model offers a highly familiar, user-friendly control layout, high-torque direct-drive mechanism, and exceptional audio playback quality. The turntable can achieve a starting torque of at least 4.5 kg-cm and can reach its fixed rotation speed within 0.3 seconds (at 33-1/3 RPM). The player provides a range of tempo adjustments from ±8% and ±16% to ±50%, giving users a range of pitch speeds. A “RESET” button for tempo sits next to the tempo slider for instant ±0% fixed rotation speed.

All in the SRM Family

DJ TIMES

SEPTEMBER 2014

LOUD Technologies 16220 Wood-Red Road NE Woodinville, WA 98072 (425) 892-6500 www.loudtechinc.com

40

Mackie’s SRM family of powered loudspeakers has expanded to include the SRM750 1600W dual 15-inch high-definition powered loudspeaker and the SRM2850 1600W dual 18-inch powered subwoofer. The SRM750 features Mackie HD Audio Processing, as well as an integrated two-channel mixer with Mackie Wide-Z inputs. The SRM2850 offers 1600 watts of power and is designed for “bass-hungry applications,” according to the company. Both are housed in internally-braced all-wood cabinets.

Head to Serato Serato Private Bag 92015, AMSC Auckland 1142 New Zealand +64 9 379 4944 www.serato.com Serato announced updates for Serato DJ 1.6.2 and Serato DJ Intro 1.2. The former now includes accessory support for the Reloop RP-8000 turntable, while the latter now offers 4-deck mixing support for Reloop Beatmix 4 and Numark Mixtrack Quad, as well as hardware support for four new controllers— Numark Mixtrack Edge, Numark Mixtrack Quad and the Reloop Beatmix 2 and Reloop Beatmix 4. Both updates feature what the company describes as “a healthy dose of maintenance and bug fixes for continued stability and performance.”

GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF

25th Anniversary Moments

EZMin-i Me Chauvet 5200 NW 108th Ave. Sunrise, FL 33351 (800) 762-1084 www.chauvetlighting.com Chauvet’s EZMin Lasers operate on their own internal lithium battery and can run up to six hours on a single charge. The hand-sized unit comes in two models—the EZMin Laser FX, which produces red and green beams, and the EZMin Laser RBX, which produces red and blue beams. Both models produce beams at a 100-degree angle. They are variance-free and come with both a tripod and an infrared wireless remote control.

Armin van Buuren: The Path to the Top “There are two very important bits of advice that I always give to DJs. Firstly, your quickest way to the top is to make a track that other DJs play because that’s how you’ll get noticed. Make something that other people want to play. Secondly, make something that sounds current, but is unique. Don’t just copy stuff that’s already out there.

“If you’re going to make another ‘Animals’

by Martin Garrix or another Deadmau5 track, remember, it’s already been done. It’s fine if you like that, but try not to sit on that wave and [instead] look for the next wave that will come. It’s difficult to predict, but it’s hard to make it to the top by copying what other people are already doing.”

– Armin van Buuren, April 2014

Rise & Hit to the Occasion Native Instruments North America 6725 Sunset Boulevard, 5th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90028 (866) 556-6487 www.native-instruments.com Native Instruments’ Rise & Hit uses more than 8GB of exclusively recorded and studio-produced sounds to create “thrilling tension and suspense with build-ups and climactic hits,” according to the company. The library includes more than 4,000 samples used in 700 single-layer and 250 multi-layer pre-designed sounds. Each sound comes in four separate lengths and up to four sounds can be layered at a time. Rise & Hit features an integrated modulation engine, as well as 26 custom filters and 29 spatial, dynamic, and distortion effects. Rise & Hit runs in KONTAKT 5 or the free KONTAKT 5 player.

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GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF

All Your Base II Are Belong to Us Livid Instruments 3108 Industrial Terrace Austin, TX 78758 (512) 582-7272 www.lividinstruments.com Livid Instruments announced an updated version of its flagship Base controller, Base II. The new model sports thicker, softer drum pads and brighter multi-color LEDs that the company says help users to “arrange your set, indicate effects, or organize the pads for different scales and modes.” Base II controls are housed in a sleek and solid aluminum chassis and the unit also features on-board banking to save programs and update MIDI messages.

Keep Me in the LoopArtists LoopArtists 4811 Newcome San Antonio, TX 78229 www.loopartists.com Uplifting Trance Volumes 1-3 from LoopArtists include an expanded selection of percussion and synth loops from trance veteran Derek Palmer. Volume 1 comes with 31 loops in 138 BPM. Volume 2 offers 25 loops in 132 BPM. Volume 3’s 38 loops come in 126 BPM. Loops in all three packs are custom-made and royaltyfree and they come in WAV format. All three packs can be downloaded from the company’s website.

DJ TIMES

SEPTEMBER 2014

Focal Singer

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Audio Plus Services 156 Lawrence Paquette Industrial Drive Champlain, NY 12919 (800) 663-9352 www.audioplusservices.com Focal Professional’s line of Alpha monitors includes three sizes— Alpha 50, Alpha 65, and Alpha 80— with 5-, 6.5- and 8-inch woofers respectively. All three models feature custom-made Focal inverted dome tweeters, which are made out of rigid aluminum for lower distortion. Features include auto standby mode, balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA inputs, 6dB of gain sensitivity and a built-in limiter and compressor. According to the company, bass-reflex front-ported cabinet allows Alpha monitors to be placed “nearer to walls while still projecting correct imaging and low-end.”

GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF

Give Me a BeatStep Arturia US 5776-D Lindero Cyn Rd #239 Westlake Village, CA 91362 www.arturia.com BeatStep, a MIDI controller and step sequencer from Arturia, is designed to work with DAWs, loop triggering software, VST instruments or effects, MIDI hardware, and CV/Gate-equipped analog instruments. The MIDI controller and step sequencer modes can be used together or separately. The unit features 16 velocity- and pressure-sensitive pads, which are backlit with LEDs that turn red in CONTRL mode and blue in SEQ mode. Built-in Gate Out and CV Out connections are also included.

Perfect Fit JBL Cases 18922 N. Dale Mabry Hwy Lutz, FL 33548 (813) 995-6030 www.jblbags.com JBL Cases’ line of JBL Flight Cases now includes custom-fit models for the PRX700 series. Available in three sizes, the PRX700 Series Flight Cases are designed for use with the PRX712, PRX715, and PRX718XLF speakers. The bags feature PVC laminated ½-inch thick plywood, four orange 4-inch diameter swivel casters, and a high-density diamondembossed EVA foam lining on the inside. Its handles and latches are built on an aluminum valance.

Dawn of a New Era Dawn Pro Audio 3015 Kustom Drive Hebron, KY 41048 (800) 524-0441 www.dawnproaudio.com

DJ TIMES

SEPTEMBER 2014

The 200-watt T100BT and 100-watt T50BT tower speakers from Dawn Pro Audio are the company’s first powered speakers to incorporate a Bluetooth input into the speakers’ built-in threechannel mixer. Both models are available with a powered subwoofer and each features a separate master volume control for each loudspeaker. High and low EQ adjustment and volume control are provided on each channel. Both models come equipped with System Link technology, which allows multiple T-series towers to be daisy-chained together with a standard XLR cable.

44

GROOVES TRACKS…MIXES…COMPILATIONS WORLDS u Porter Robinson u Astralwerks

Above & Beyond

“SATELLITE (ILAN BLUESTONE REMIX)

Robinson eschews club fodder for moody electronic works tinged with ambient influences.

Sweepingly cinematic tracks like “Natural Light” and “Fellow Feeling” paint grand soundscapes, while an electro-house edge is still present on the battle cry of “Lionhearted.”

– Chris Caruso

u Above & Beyond pres. Oceanlab u Anjunabeats Bluestone’s bombastic electro-infused style meshed with the delicate vocals of Justine Suissa at first seem an ill fit, but once the remixer abruptly comes to the breakdown it all makes sense. This remake brings an old classic into the modern era and should be a prominent feature in many DJ sets this year.

“GOLD SKIES” EP

– Evan Maag

u Martin Garrix u Casablanca Records The Dutch teen’s debut compiles a year’s worth of festival smashes. “Animals”—the track that launched 1,000 percussion-heavy drops—still proves its mettle a year later, while the similarly successful “Wizard” shows Garrix’s progression toward a heavier sound. The collection’s sole unheard track—the titular “Gold Skies”—features delicate female vocals and an anthemic progressive house drop.

P.U.M.P. u Ali Love u Crosstown Rebels Hot Natured and Infinity Ink member Ali Love steps out onto his own with this new solo LP. The spacey disco-goes-tech aesthetic is best showcased by “Dirty Stories” and lead single “Deep Into The Night.” The unabashed camp of the samples used throughout the trippy “Jesusonacid” and raunchy funk of “P.U.S.S.Y.” provides the most unforgettable moments of the album.

– Chris Caruso “YOUR LOVE” u Moko u MTA Records

– Chris Caruso “SHALL OCIN VS. FIBERROOT” EP

Moko’s rich, soulful vocals glide over Chase & Status’ sparse, house production, combining glacial chimes and underground basslines. The single is a rare meeting of pop and dance that’s built both club-ready and radio-friendly.

– Chris Caruso SHAKEDOWN 3 u Freemasons u Freemaison On this three-CD affair, the first two discs provide full-length DJ mixes: the melodic Poolside Mix and the club-ready Night Mix. CD3 offers unmixed hits including both recent singles and new material.

Opening track “In The Blue” is a show-stopping house diva moment featuring Emma Rohan.

– Chris Caruso “DEEP SWAGGER” u Ian Rubert u Green Mono Deep house at its finest.Texturally superb, melodically interesting and variant, and with a bassline that gets to your soul, Rubert has conjured a master groove here.

Remixer Sure-I-Can comes in with more focus on the melody, which really screams, “Ibiza!”

u Shall Ocin & FiberRoot u Ellum Audio

Both producers delve into hauntingly dark realms of techno, delivering two solo singles on one monstrous EP. Ocin’s offering tromps its way into a massive climax of synthesizers, sucking you up into a vacuum cleaner before spitting you out, while FiberRoot brings a more danceable lowend punctuated by the terrifying clack of unseen creatures in the dark.

– Chris Davis BALEARICA 2014

u Chus & Ceballos u Stereo Productions A house fan’s dream. The included DJ mix is a bit more subdued and tech-house-centric than the pair’s wild tribal live sets, but it’s perfect for both summer days and nights. The unmixed tracks are a collection of originals, remixes and favorites, with C&C’s remix of GotSome’s “Bassline” ready to start dancefloor fires.

– Chris Caruso

– Evan Maag

46

Rachel Epstein

DJ TIMES

SEPTEMBER 2014

Freemasons

Moko

Chus & Ceballos

Porter Robinson

Martin Garrix

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NATIONAL CROSSOVER POOL CHART

NATIONAL URBAN POOL CHART

1 Bimbo Jones And Beverly Knight 2 Calvin Harris 3 Iggy Azalea F/ Charli XCX 4 DJ Cassidy F/ Robin Thicke & Jessie J 5 Coldplay F/ Avicii 6 Janine Berenson 7 Rita Ora 8 Katy Perry 9 Beyonce 10 Bello Boys F/ Kat DeLuna 11 Jennifer Lopez 12 Duke Dumont 13 Ariana And The Rose 14 Anything But Monday 15 Kylie Minogue 16 Neon Trees 17 Beyonce 18 Kiesza 19 SilverLand And Stix F/ Lankee 20 Ariana Grande/ Iggy Azalea 21 Cher 22 Diva Demolition 23 Lady Gaga 24 Amy Grant F/ Dave Aude 25 Chromeo 26 Afrojack F/ Wrabel 27 Chron 28 Bingo Players 29 Dave Aude F/ Andy Bell 30 Shakira 31 RPM Project F/ Eva Solas 32 Paramore 33 Aiden Jude F/ Nafsica 34 Carmen Electra 35 Idina Menzel 36 Josh Harris F/ Kristin Dennis 37 Cascada 38 Tiesto F/ Matthew Koma 39 Nadia Forde 40 Foxes

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

I Found Out Summer Fancy Calling All Hearts Sky Full Of Stars Strong I Will Never Let You Down Birthday Partition Last Call I Luh Ya Papi I Got You In Your Bed Sweat I Was Gonna Cancel Sleeping With A Friend Pretty Hurts Hideaway Golden Problem I Walk Alone Can’t Wait G.U.Y. Baby Baby Jealous (I Ain’t With It) Ten Feet Tall Bass In Me Knock You Out Aftermath Dare (La La) Sara Ain’t It Fun Tonight WERQ Let It Go You Make Me Dance Blink Wasted Love Is In The Air Holding On To Heaven

Radikal Columbia 19 Recordings Columbia Parlophone Global Groove Sony Capitol Columbia Radikal Capitol Astralwerks Pookiebird ABM Warner Brothers Island/Def Jam Columbia Island Ryal Republic Warner Brothers Spitfire Interscope Capitol Warner Brothers Def Jam Global Groove Priority Audacious RCA Panache Fueled By Ramen Crowd Citrusonic Hollywood Amathus Robbins Casablanca Fayden RCA

Most Added Tracks 1 Kim Cameron 2 Chron 3 London Rose 4 Dave Aude F/ Andy Bell 5 Bingo Players 6 Ann Nesby 7 Kiesza 8 Kylie Minogue 9 Tiesto F/ Matthew Koma 10 Josh Harris F/ Kristin Dennis

REPORTING POOLS

Let’s Fall In Love Bass In Me Kick Drum Aftermath Knock You Out Living My Life Hideaway I Was Gonna Cancel Wasted You Make Me Dance

Side FX Global Groove Eleventh Audacious Priority Arrow Island Warner Brothers Casablanca Amathus

n Dixie Dance Kings - Alpharetta, GA; Dan Miller n Next Music Pool - Los Angeles, CA; Bob Ketchter n Masspool - Saugus, MA; Gary Canavo n OMAP - Washington, DC; Al Chasen n Dj Stickyboots - Goshen, NJ; Blake Eckelbarger n Pittsburgh DJ - Pittsburgh, PA; Jim Kolich n Soundworks - San Francisco, CA; Sam Labelle n New York Music Pool - Levittown, NY; Jackie McCloyn Dirty Pop Productions - San Diego, CA; Drew Montalvo n DJ Rafy Nieves - San Juan, PR; Rafy Nieves n Fusion Radio - Chicago, IL; Kyle Popek n WPTV-Prty 105FM Frd MdMx - New York, NY; Mike Rizzo n MOOD Spins - Seattle, WA; Randy Schlager n DeeJay Creativity - Austin, TX; Scott Smith n DJ Laszlo - Las Vegas, NV; Laszlo Szenasi n Northeast Record Pool - Revere, MA; Justin Testa n Pacific Coast - Long Beach, CA; Steve Tsepelis n Party 105 - NEw York, NY; Mike Rizzo Looking for these titles? You can hear them and buy them at www.dancekings.com. Just click on the links in the chart.

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Lil Wayne F/ Drake Usher Iggy Azalea F/ Charli XCX Young Money F/ Drake Wiz Khalifa Schoolboy Q F/ BJ The Chicago Kid Tinashe F/ Schoolboy Q Ca$h Out Dj Snake & Lil’ John KCamp F/ 2 Chains Ty Dolla $ign F/ Wiz Khalifa Jeremih F/ YG Ne-YO F/ JEEZY Jhene Aiko Kid Ink F/ Chris Brown T.I. F/ Iggy Azalea Nicki Minaj Rae Sremmurd Chris Brown F/Usher & Rick Ross Yo Gotti F/ Rich Homie Quan

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Most Added Tracks 1 2 3 4 5

T.I. F/ Iggy Azalea Jeezy F/ Jay Z Rae Sremmurd Chris Brown F/Usher Adrian Marcel F/ Sage The Gemini

No Mediocre Seen It All No Flex Zone New Flame 2AM

Columbia Def Jam Interscope RCA Republic

NEW NATIONAL LATIN DANCE POOL CHART 1. Adassa Vs Don Candiani 2. Don Omar 3. Enrique Iglesias feat Gente de Zona 4. David Bisbal 5. DJ Cubanito feat Oba Frank lords 6. Gabriel Coronel 7. J Martin 8. Angelucho Copacabana 9. Toby Love 10. Johnny Sky 11. Benavides 12. Gallardo & Falcon 13. Ruina Nueva 14. Froilan Jay 15. Romeo Santos feat Drake 16. Magic Juan 17. Zawezo 18. El Melon 19. Chan Junior 20. Gretchen feat Gocho

Young Love Pura Vida Bailando No Amanece (Remix) La Casa De Pepe Yo Te Ame (Remix) Ni Una Lagrima Mas Soy Latino El Aire Que REspiro One More Night Tu principe Azul Pegao’ (Remix) Salsa Coño La Suegra Odio Embrujado Dirnk Up Lentejuelas Margarita Tu Princesa

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Huckaby

(continued from page 20) future generations of music [producers]?

Huckaby: I think I helped some kids demystify the whole baffling aspect of making music and answered a lot of their questions. And I showed them and kind of identified to them which way to go next in the pursuit of electronic music.

DJ Times: Did anyone teach you music when you were a kid?

Huckaby: Nope, I learned it all by myself. There was nothing [back then] necessarily like YouthVille when I was growing up.

DJ Times: You teach music production with Native Instruments and Ableton. What do you like most about those brands?

Huckaby: With Native Instruments, I like Maschine and REAKTOR. Maschine is an intuitive way of making beats and REAKTOR teaches the students a lot about synthesis and how the perimeter zone of a Native Instrument works. Ableton is just essential for intuitive song development and song creation, and it’s probably the most cutting-edge software available to young electronic music producers.

DJ Times: What other equipment do you like?

Huckaby: The Waldorf Wave—the synthesizer that I have. And I rely a lot on the things I’ve learned outside of that synthesizer to have a reciprocal relationship in terms of teaching more about it itself. I have a SP-12 and [Roland] S-770 sampler; that’s a sampler I used in my Deep Transportation [material] that I still use to this day.

Those three pieces I’m really heavily active with.

DJ Times: Out of those three, which do you use most?

Huckaby: I would say the Waldorf Wave.

DJ Times: I know you like vinyl, too.You used to work at [the Detroitarea vinyl store] Record Time. What was your experience like there?

Huckaby: Well, it was a chance to learn a lot about what was going on in the foundation of house. I got a chance to pretty much define my style and develop my ear [for music].

I also worked at Buy-Rite [Music] in Detroit and that was pretty much the foundational record store in Detroit, which preceded Record Time.

DJ Times: And you spin all-vinyl, right?

Huckaby: Only vinyl.

DJ Times: Do you think working at the record stores influenced this preference?

Huckaby: Absolutely. After working in a record store for 14 years, [digital] files just don’t seem natural to me and I just like the human interaction with vinyl, being able to sell vinyl, talk to people in public about different things [vinyl-related]. I just like the interaction in a record store and possibly meeting up with somebody to discuss music in an open environment of other people.

DJ Times: So vinyl is more personal.

Huckaby: Yes. DJ Times: What else makes vinyl different from digital files?

Huckaby: It’s more of a hands-on thing.You can actually touch and bond with an album or the album artwork.

It’s more of a stimulation of the mind when you’re dealing with vinyl. Not only can you appreciate the record, but you can also have just a strong sense of fondness for the artwork or the album cover as well, or even the label graphics.

DJ Times: Who are your favorite artists?

Huckaby: Ron Trent, Glenn Underground and Kerri Chandler— these guys just do it for me.

DJ Times: You also do a lot of remixes. What sound do you bring these remixes that make them different than the originals?

Huckaby: I kind of just try to identify direction that I can take the track in. I might want to just complement [the sound] or complement the artist, or I might want to make a radical departure where I imprint or import my own influences over the source material. Each track is different and each direction is different, and I kind of look at each artist in a way where I ask myself beforehand, “How can I make a contribution to this artist? Would that be in making a radical departure or would that be working with something that is a part of his or her original idea or original stems in the recording, or do I just discard that all together?”

DJ Times: What are some of the most radical remix departures you’ve made?

Huckaby: There was a remix I did that was really just a live-band mix and I slowed it down and made a jazz, deep-house vibe out of a lounge track. And then I did an up-tempo deep-house track, so I actually got to do two remixes of the same track with two different ideas for both of them.

DJ Times: In your mind, what was the most important remix you’ve ever done?

Huckaby: Hmmm, I can’t really say, but it’s interesting because I’m really critical of the remixes I do in the first place. That’s kind of like an embedded requirement in the selection process. I pick remixes that will amount to something. If it’s just good

for the artist themself, then it’s really not a good deal for me.

DJ Times: Are you currently working on any remixes?

Huckaby: I just finished up two tracks—I can’t even keep up with them with the amount of stuff I’m doing… sound design all the time, remixes, teaching, my own projects.

Anyways, I’m working for Sounds of the Universe right now, which is a subsidiary of Soul Jazz. Not a remix, but my own tracks. I just finished up a track for Kai Alce’s label and I also did a remix for Motor City Drum Ensemble. Those are things that I’ve immediately been involved in.

DJ Times: Where do you find the time to do all of that?

Huckaby: Because I get to work in the airport! So I’m on an eight-hour flight and I utilize that eight-hour flight. That’s one way technology has really helped, because otherwise I’d have to be home or going back home to even initiate or start the process of finishing a project. I no longer have to do that. I mean, I was checking my email a few minutes ago and I’m just finishing up the presets on a software device and I already got an email to do another one.

DJ Times: You have so much going on, with DJing and remixing and teaching kids music. How do you balance all of that?

Huckaby: It’s really important to know that I’m a DJ first, a producer second and an educator third, and I wear all three of those hats in that order. Because if you don’t know what hats you wear, and when to wear them, there’s somebody else who will tell you when you wear them and that might not be fitting for you. You may have considered something completely different. n

Seven Lions: His Heavy History I was really into metal.

I mean, can’t you tell?

DJ TIMES

SEPTEMBER 2014

Before I ever made EDM…

50

Seven Lions, Next Month in DJ Times