DJ Times DJ EXPO ISSUE 2018, Vol 31 No 7 by DJ Times Magazine

AMERICA’S FIRST MAGAZINE FOR PROFESSIONAL DJs

EXPO ISSUE 2018

EST. 1988

VOLUME 31 NUMBER 7

ISSUE

GHASTLY

EDM’s Com e b a c k K i d

Online Production Classes Making Tracks & More The Art of the Upsell Bringing in the Bucks PLUS: Jazzanova • Bose S1 Pro Tech Toys That Wow Clients Output Analog Strings Fred Everything ROAD REPORT

NOTABLES…MILESTONES NEWS

DJ EXPO: GREAT VENUE, NEW TOPICS, FRESH IDEAS

Legend: Grand Wizzard Theodore.

Skribble: Afterparty show-closer.

industry’s longest-running conference/exhibition. Accounting for years that featured two shows – one East Coast, one West Coast – the 2018 event marks the 33rd DJ Expo that DJ Times and Testa Communications have produced since 1990. Onto the Show: As always, DJ Expo will present: over 100 exhibition booths, showing the latest DJ-related products; over 30 seminars, sessions and keynotes, discussing the mostpressing topics for mobile, club and studio jocks; and evening entertainment that’ll keep Expo attendees partying deep into the night. Seminars & Keynotes: Each year, DJ Expo presents inspiring keynote speakers for its attendees and, with three unique topics on tap, this year’s event is no different – “Keynote Q&A” sessions will offer tips and allow question time from the audience. On Tuesday, Aug. 13, Expo will offer “The DJ Website Is Not Dead – How to Make Yours Work for You,” the first of two keynotes presented by Digital DJ Tips’ founder Phil Morse. Then on Wednesday, Aug. 14 will offer the second Morse-led keynote, “The Pivot to Streaming: How DJs Can Capitalize on New Music Services.” Also, on Aug. 14, DJ Expo will present Rob Swift and Mista Sinista of The X-Ecutioners, plus Grand Wizzard Theodore to discuss “Real DJs & The State of Turntablism.” While Theodore

tackle a challenging topic. From Aug. 13 to 16, they include: “Intro to SEO: How to Rank Your DJ Services on Google”; “Intro to Socials: How to Use Social Media to Generate Qualified Leads”; “Intro to Paid Digital Ads: How to Best Use Facebook & Google Paid-Ads Products”; and “Bitcoin & More: How to Earn More Per Gig by Taking Cryptocurrency as Payment.” Additionally, the slate of 31 sessions will include mobile topics like weddings and marketing, club topics like programming and gear, and studio topics like remixing/producing and making mash-ups. Parties: Of course, when the sun goes down, DJ Expo attendees like to let loose and Atlantic City—a 24-hour town, seven-days a week—is a perfect spot for evening events. First up, “Pre-2K Kick-Off Party” at The Pool at Harrah’s. Set for Expo’s opening night, Aug. 13, this retro-flavored throwdown at Harrah’s indoor topical oasis will feature the best music from a bygone era – ’90s hip-hop, ’80s dance, ’70s disco and Prince! Sponsored by RCF, hosted by Jake Jacobsen and featuring a “Purple Megamix” by Mike Walter, the event will launch Expo week in a big way. Tuesday night, Aug. 14, will feature two sponsored events at Eden Lounge in Harrah’s. Running 6:30 to 8:30, Peavey and Technics will team up for a two-hour, open-bar party that’ll feature some top talents and DJ legends. In addition to industry pioneers like Grand Wizzard Theodore, Jazzy Jay and Keith Shocklee of Public Enemy, the event

will also feature sets from Mel Starr, As-One, DJ Dvyne, DJ Jess and Elikisol. Then, the Bose Club B Sessions at the Eden Lounge will run later into the evening. Featuring the Bose F1 Flexible Array System and the new Bose S1 Pro portable speaker, this event will present a slate of top mobile and club jocks. They include major Latin-American DJ/producer Alex

Keynoters: Mista Sinista & Rob Swift.

MIDI, plus Kharisma, Oscar Troya, RevoDJ, Chris Atwood and Shani Barnett. Bose will also offer exclusive giveaways at this event. On Aug. 15 at Haven Nightclub in the Golden Nugget, DJ Expo will present its “Entertainer of the Year” competition. Sponsored by Chauvet DJ, the annual event will bestow awards to the Best of the Best of America’s Mobile-DJ Nation. Hosted by Jake Jacobsen, this year’s show will feature new, exciting routines, games and dances. With exacting new judging criteria, expect competitors to ramp up their games in an evening that’s sure to raise the roof. Later that night at Eden Lounge, Bassboss will present “Skribble & Friends Afterparty.” The Austin-based loudspeaker company will show off its considerable wares as legendary New York DJ Skribble will take Expo partiers late into the evening. Opening act Maro Music will spin a trap/ hip-hop/dance set. Giveaways: In addition to daily giveaways on the show floor, DJ Expo’s sponsored seminars from Pioneer DJ and Roland will offer gear prizes. (For the latest on sponsored seminars and giveaway details, please see Page 9.) Of course, at show’s end on Aug. 16, attendees will gather in the Expo’s exhibit hall to hear the winner of the annual Ultimate DJ Giveaway. One lucky attendee will win a package of prizes from ADJ Lighting, Bose, Global Truss America, Pioneer DJ and Technics. And yes, you must be present in the exhibit hall to win.

DJ EXPO 2018

is credited for inventing the popular scratching technique for the turntable, Rob Swift and Mista Sinista comprised half of the seminal New Yorkbased turntable quartet. Expect sparks to fly. Also new to Expo this year, digital-marketing maven Jordan St. Jacques will present a unique four-part series of Digital Seminars. Each day at Expo ’18, the founder of Canada’s Digitera will

DJ TIMES

By Jim Tremayne Atlantic City, N.J. – In moving to a newer venue in Atlantic City’s Marina District and unveiling several new events for its 2018 edition, DJ Expo will again take over the New Jersey Shore’s top tourist town. Yes, the 2018 DJ Expo will run Aug. 13-16 at Harrah’s Resort and thousands of jocks of all stripes will be there to participate in the

DEPARTMENTS 9 Feedback

VOLUME 31 NUMBER 7

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

26 Making Tracks Output’s Analog Strings

27 Mainstage

New-Technology Showcase

28 Sounding Off Bose S1 Pro

30 Mobile Profile Jersey Jock Keeps Expo Rockin’

32 Business Line

Tech Toys That Wow Clients

34 Gear

New Products from Pioneer DJ, Reloop & More

38 Grooves

Phat Tracks from Hybrid, Andrew Rayel & More

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

SAMPLINGS 10 Fred Everything Balearic Beats

16 Comeback Kid

12 In the Studio With…

DJ TIMES

DJ EXPO 2018

After Taking Some Life & Career Bumps, Ghastly Rebounded to Become One of EDM’s Rising Stars BY BRIAN BONAVOGLIA

20 Studio Lessons Online Instruction by MasterClass & FaderPro Offer Decidedly Different, Yet Effective Approaches to Music Production BY MIKE GWERTZMAN

22 Road Report

Summer Festivals Featured America’s Best DJ Events & More BY DJ TIMES PHOTOGRAPHERS

24 Upsell This

The Art of the Upsell Is More Important Now Than Ever. Here’s How Some DJs Are Breaking from the Usual. BY JEFF STILES

Cover Image by ArtChick Photography

Jazzanova

FROM THE EDITOR

Welcome to Atlantic City! If you’re reading this issue, chances are better than decent that you’re at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City – and you’re there for DJ Expo, produced by DJ Times. Welcome. This end-of-summer DJ Expo Issue brings you a balanced diet of success stories, news, tips, reviews and more. Our cover subject, Ghastly, is a DJ/producer that’s risen in the ranks at a rather dramatic clip. In the youthful world of bass music, the L.A.-based talent has become a mainstay at some of the bigger festivals and he recently completed a large portion of a North American tour that supports his impressive debut album, The Mystifying Oracle. I caught his act at a packed District N9ne club in Philadelphia, as part of America’s Best DJ Summer Tour. Then, our Brian Bonavoglia grabbed an interview with him to discuss his album, but also his unique ascension in the scene. Raised on an Arizona goat farm, Ghastly (aka David Lee Crow) left to seek his musical fortune in L.A., but become homeless and disillusioned. Feeling failure, he returned to the farm, re-calibrated his approach, and ultimately returned to the City of Angels – but only then did he succeed in a big way. The moral? Stick to it, folks, and you can achieve your dreams. Ghastly is just another example. For the Samplings department, our longtime L.A. correspondent Lily Moayeri connects with Berlin’s Jazzanova – or at least two of the collective’s five DJ/producers, Alexander Barck and Stefan Leisering – for some studio talk about their process on The Pool, the group’s latest full-length. Also, I interview veteran Canadian DJ/producer Fred Everything. After sharing the dais on a West Coast Weekender seminar panel and then seeing him spin at that San Diego event this past May, I was impressed with his versatile approach, so we discussed his recent full-length – the Balearic Long Way Home. Nice album, terrific DJ. In a photo spread from a variety of contributors, we offer several looks from a trio of major U.S. cities. Earlier this summer, we hit the road for America’s Best DJ Summer Tour, which included dates at Brooklyn’s Schimanski club (for Markus Schulz) and Philadelphia’s District N9ne venue (for Ghastly). Additionally, for the spread, we threw in a visit to Chicago’s Spring Awakening Music Festival, which boasted 21 ABDJ nominees. And yes, thanks to our talented photographers, we managed to get some terrific pics. In our previous issue, we detailed “Intro to DJing,” a 10-lesson web course from Musicians Institute Online. This month, Mike Gwertzman takes on a pair of online, music-production classes – from MasterClass.com and FaderPro.com. Featuring global superstars like Armin van Buuren and deadmau5 (MasterClass) or prolific mainstays like Harry Romero and Mark Knight (FaderPro), the classes show online students how the pros create music, plus they reveal some useful shortcuts. In our tech reviews, the Jersey City-based Gwertzman takes on Output’s robust Analog Strings virtual instrument for the Making Tracks department. In Sounding Off, our Denver-based scribe Wesley Bryant-King puts Bose’s unique S1 Pro l loudspeaker thru its paces. On the mobile-entertainer front, Iowa-based writer Jeff Stiles asks a panel of jocks for their best tips on upselling clients. In Business Line, Pennsylvania mobile Mick Uranko reveals some tech toys that always wow his clients. For Mobile Profile, we visit with Jersey jock Jake Jacobsen, who will helm DJ Expo’s “Entertainer of the Year” competition for the second consecutive year. Speaking of Expo… again, if you’re here in Atlantic City for the events running Aug. 13-16, we hope you make the most of it and leave the show richer for the experience. Don’t forget to give the exhibits quality time and to pop in for the seminars that might help your business. Good luck!

editor-in-chief Jim Tremayne jtremayne@testa.com editor-at-large Brian O’Connor boconnor@testa.com assistant editor Brian Bonavoglia bbonavoglia@testa.com chart coordinator Dan Miller dmiller@testa.com contributors Kat Bein Wesley Bryant-King Chris Caruso Amanda Chavez Shawn Christopher Paul Dailey Reed Dailey Chris Davis DJ Deets Tony Fernandez Tommy D Funk Michelle Fetky Mike Gwertzman Jennifer Harmon Josh Harris Ryan Hayes Greg Hollmann Mike Klasco Michelle Loeb Lily Moayeri Jeff Stiles Bruce Tantum Phil Turnipseed Curtis Zack President/Publisher Vincent P. Testa FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND TO ORDER SUBSCRIPTIONS, CALL 800-937-7678 VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.djtimes.com

DJ TIMES

DJ EXPO 2018

Cheers,

Jim Tremayne Editor, DJ Times

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

director of integrated advertising Paul Bozikis pbozikis@testa.com art director Janice Pupelis jpupelis@testa.com production manager Steve Thorakos sthorakos@testa.com digital art director Fred Gumm fgumm@testa.com social media coordinator Amanda Mullen amullen@testa.com marketplace advertising sales manager Ricky Pimentel rpimentel@testa.com art/production assistant Ricky Pimentel rpimentel@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) is published monthly except for February, July, September and December for $19.40 (US), $39.99 (Canada), and $59.99 (all other countries), by DJ Publishing, Inc., 25 Willowdale Ave., Port Washington, NY 11050-3779. 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 © 2018 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 Expo Issue 2018

visit our website: www.djtimes.com

FEEDBACK UPDATE RETURNS

AMERICA’S FIRST MAGAZINE FOR PROFESSIONAL DJs ESTABLISHED 1988

SUMMER ISSUE 2018

VOLUME 31 NUMBER 6

NEW SPECIAL SECTION

LESSONS LEARNED: ONLINE DJ COURSES DO TRUMP POLICIES IMPACT DJs? AMERICA’S BEST DJ LAUNCHES IN MOTOWN

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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. DJ Expo: Sponsored Seminars DJ Expo is set to run Aug. 13-16 at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. As always, sponsored seminars will spice up DJ Expo’s slate of educational sessions. In addition to its tutorials, panels and keynotes, the Expo’s sem‑ inar schedule will include the latest technological information from some of the show’s main exhibitors and the industry’s top names. Aug. 13 – Pioneer DJ Seminar: rekordbox dj Lighting mode & rekordbox lyric. Want to spend less time running your lights and more time being a DJ? Pio‑ neer DJ brings you the newest ver‑ sion of rekordbox, now with rekord‑ box Lighting mode and rekordbox lyric. rekordbox Lighting creates light show patterns from your tracks, while rekordbox lyric plays the lyrics of a song on a monitor or through a projec‑ tor. Giveaways include one DDJ-1000 rekordbox DJ controller, one RB-DMX1 interface, and rekordbox licenses. Aug. 14 – Chauvet DJ Presents Lighting Strategies for Winning Events – Moderated by Jeremy Brech In this informative seminar, Jeremy Brech (Owner of DJ Jer Lighting and Events) helps you understand light‑ ing concepts – from simple events to some of the most over-the-top lighting designs. Learn how to paint with light, create design concepts, and produce breathtaking events with your lighting. Brech will share ideas on how to get the best bang for your buck when it

comes to lighting and building a light‑ ing business at any level. Aug. 14 – Roland DJ Workshop: DJ202, DJ-505 & DJ-808 Controllers Join Roland for an in-depth workshop on the DJ-202, DJ-505, and DJ-808 – the first controllers to incorporate a TR-drum machine and sequencer – and supporting platforms like the new-look Serato DJ Pro. OP Miller & Matthew “Recloose” Chicoine will show how this potent combination can be used for a variety of creative

and functional applications – from live performances to studio creation, to corporate and social events. All workshop attendees will be in the draw for Roland/Serato swag and giveaways! Aug. 15 – ADJ Seminar: Raise Your Profile with Video Panel Systems YouTube sensation DJ Barr will join ADJ’s Edgar Bernal in a Q&A/demo session on how to integrate Video Panel Systems with current light shows – for temporary use by mo‑ bile entertainers or for installations

into nightclubs. Bernal will explain indoor and outdoor use, video-system terminology and equipment needed, setting-up a video system, how to configure it with software and a video processor, and discuss different uses such as: integrating as an added effect with lighting, live feeds, television broadcasts and corporate power point presentations. Bernal will also discuss the benefits of video-panel systems by bringing added business to your com‑ pany and raising your profile.

SAMPLINGS

FRED EVERYTHING: ALL-IN

Fred Everything: Canadian house export.

Fave Gigs/Venues

It’ll Do [Dallas]: “I played there only twice, but both times were memorable experiences. The last time, the whole crowd sang happy birthday to me at the end, and then I closed with Herbie Hancock’s ‘Stars in Your Eyes.’” Fabric [London]: “This is one of the clubs that really solidified my faith in the culture. I’m so glad they were able to re-open. They brought so much to London’s culture.” Piknic Électronik [Montreal]: “I’ve been playing for that event since the second one, when there was barely 70 people there. Fast-forward 15 years, and there’s often up to 10,000 people dancing in the sun on Sundays on an island off Montreal. Always good to play at home.”

DJ TIMES

DJ EXPO 2018

Top 5 Tracks

Jimpster – “Lightshine” (SUOL): “Jimpster is one of my favorite producers. I’m always looking forward to hear what he has in store next. This one works a treat on the dancefloor.” Tony Allen & Oumou Sangaré – “Fadjamou” [St Germain Remix] (No Format): “This one has been a bit of a secret tool for me. The best Afro-house track of the year for me.” Ron Basejam – “After The Sun” (Futureboogie): “A member of Crazy P, Ron Basejam brought his A-game on this new EP with a clever sample of Jakki’s ‘Sun Sun.’ The whole EP is great.” Llorca – “Wonder Why” [Hot Toddy Remix] (Lazy Days): “Another member of Crazy P, this time reworking a track that we licensed for Lazy Days. Hot Toddy kept the Curtis Mayfield vibe of the original, while raising the tempo to fit the modern dancefloors.” Fred Everything feat. Sio – “By Day” (Lazy Days): “Had to put one of mine, didn’t I? One of the anchor songs from my album. The original borrows from early-2000 Broken Beat era, while the remixes by Andre Lodemann and Fabian Dikof, and my own ReVersion, bring this one to the floor.” House Royalty: Larry Heard aka Mr. Fingers.

When it comes to spinning and producing electronic music, Canada’s Frédéric Blais is a full-on O.G. He began his career three decades ago in his native Quebec and was considered so musically diverse that he acquired the stage name, Fred Everything. Over time, he’s become a successful global DJ, specializing in various house-related subgenres – from acid house to Afro-house – and he’s been releasing music for more than 20 years on a variety of notable labels – 20:20 Vision, OM, Defected and Lazy Days, his own imprint. Now he’s released his fourth artist album, the Balearic-leaning, groove-rich Long Way Home, which delivers pleasures both for relaxed listening or dancefloor moves. After catching his gig at West Coast Weekender in San Diego this past May, we caught up with the Montreal-based Fred Everything to discuss the album and much more. DJ Times: What pushed you toward music? Fred Everything: It was always there as a driving force in my life. For as long as I can remember, there was nothing else that fascinated me as much and, still to this day, it’s not only my job, but first and foremost, my passion. DJ Times: What motivated you to DJ? Everything: I was greatly informed by going to clubs. First, I have to give credit to local DJs in Quebec City and Montreal, then I was quickly drawn to the whole San Francisco/Chicago connection. I was underage at clubs in Quebec City. I was friends with the DJs and had a fake ID, so they let it slide. Then we started to do rave events in Quebec and I was organizing buses to go to the early, iconic raves in Montreal like Solstice and H2O. DJ Times: As a producer, how has your music progressed? Everything: I bought my first synth and sequencer in the late ’80s. I was first influenced by the dance explosion of the early ’90s, especially the whole Detroit/U.K. connection. Then later on, my sound found roots in house music and disco. In general, I’ve always been interested by a lot of musical genres and how to integrate them in my work. DJ Times: Your new album has that very Mediterranean vibe – explain your inspiration.

Everything: In a way, it’s a little bit back to my roots of the early ’90s. But I think it’s also been influenced by my time spent in Europe every August. I’ve been spending time in Croatia, Mallorca and Ibiza, and been interested in the roots of the Balearic sound, which is an undefined genre that I was always drawn to. DJ Times: What are your main studio choices? Everything: I use Logic X mainly and sometimes Ableton Live. Most of my sound sources are analog – synths, drum machines, effects, pre-amps. In a way, it’s the best of both worlds for me, coming from an analog background. I’m a big fan of Moog, Dave Smith Instruments, Oberheim and, of course, vintage Roland. I have a very good workflow with Logic. It’s the DAW that gets me quicker from point A to B. DJ Times: What’s your process? Everything: I have moved on from starting with the beats a few years ago, so I usually start with a melodic element. It could be a sequence, a chord progression or a bassline. I’m trying to make the musical part the focal point; whereas in house music, the beat is often the leader. DJ Times: Your DJ set-up? Everything: In clubs, it’s basically three Pioneer CDJs linked and Pioneer mixer. At home, I have two Technics SL-1200 turntables and a Pioneer XDJ-RX, which is an all-in-one version of what I use in clubs. DJ Times: How has the audience changed over the years? Ever ything: It’s either gotten younger or I’ve gotten older – probably the latter! I think it’s easy to dismiss the young crowd, but they know a lot more than we knew at that age. I sometimes feel like the crowd is more educated than some DJs, because of the infinite access to information. DJ Times: What do you think a DJ’s job is? Everything: First and foremost, I think it’s to entertain. I’m not talking about a “Jesus pose” or stage-diving entertainment, but creating, through your own selection, an environment for people to have a great time. DJ Times: Has the DJ’s mission changed over the years? Everything: I can’t speak for others. For me, it’s always been and will always be a labor of love. I enjoy sharing music with people. – Jim Tremayne (continued on page 40)

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JAZZANOVA: THE POOL

Studio 5: Berliners mix sampling & live approaches. Georg Roske

DJ EXPO 2018

IN THE STUDIO

It’s is 8 p.m. Berlin time, but the sun is still shining brightly into an open window in the Jazzanova studio’s lounge and kitchen area. A dog barks persistently in the background and intermittent whooshes are heard as vehicles zoom by outside. “The sun doesn’t go down here until 9 p.m.,” says Alexander Barck, who’s hanging in the studio with Stefan Leisering, who parrots that sentiment. The pair comprises two-fifths of the German DJ/producer collective – the others being Claas Brieler, Axel Reinemer and Jürgen von Knoblauch. In this idyllic place, Barck and Leisering sit shoulder-to-shoulder, filling in the gaps in each other’s sentences. After working together for more than 20 years, this is to be expected. Even when the collective first emerged in 1995, with the members in their early to mid-20s, what they produced – DJ sets, original music, or remixes – was always appealing to the developed tastes of a 30-plus age group. According to Leisering, that number hasn’t changed much—even if they are gaining some young fans on the festival front, while their original fans remain loyal. Still, Jazzanova has evolved musically. Its early productions were on the Brazilian/Latin/house-y tip, with its first album, 2002’s In Between having a strong R&B and hip-hop influence. Its second album, 2008’s Of All The Things, veered toward classic soul. On the group’s new album, The Pool, Jazzanova turns its focus to songwriting, with every tune featuring a strong vocalist. For the album, the on-mic talent includes Jamie Cullum, Ben Westbeech, Paul Randolph, Rachel Sermanni and Charlotte OC. The Pool has connections with the two previous albums, as well as Jazzanova’s 2012 hybrid live/compilation album, Funkhaus Studio Sessions. While In Between relied on samples, programming and electronics, Of All The Things pushed live instrumentation. The Pool fuses those approaches, but to a lesser degree with the samples, as they were created by Jazzanova themselves this time around. “If you take ‘Now (L.O.V.E. And You & I – Part 2)’ with Oddisee, I am playing drums, but we moved them to the computer, like drum programming,” explains Leisering who, along with Reinemer, provides the group’s sharpest studio expertise. “It has some organic, dynamic texture, but the DNA of the groove is from the computer.” Then Barck chimes in. “Sampling also means a feeling,” he says. “I would describe it as a DJ who learned with vinyl, but now plays with digital. That DJ sounds different compared to somebody who started with digital music as a DJ. It’s the same with our

music. The sample feeling will always be there and play an important role.” As Jazzanova’s sound evolves, their Jazzanova Recording Studio (or JRS) morphs right along with it. In its current iteration, JRS has four recording rooms and a control room, plus a lounge. Purposely set up so it can meet the group’s needs, as well as be rented out to a variety of artists, the control room revolves around a 32-channel Neumann console and Pro Tools HDX2 rig. It features both virtual and outboard gear from top manufacturers like Neve, SSL, Lexicon and Unfairchild. JRS also offers an astounding vintage and modern microphone collection. These came in handy with the large range of vocalists on The Pool, who were able to test out a number of combinations at JSR before, in order to find the perfect unit for their voice. “We place ourselves between DJs and musicians,” says Leisering. “I DJ and I’m not a classical musician, but I am self-taught on keyboards and percussion. Musicians have their own language. It’s like theater. If you don’t have a director, everybody is doing a different thing and you can’t make music happen. Ten years down the line, I can much better communicate to a musician what I like and what they can do and ask what they think. The gap between us is closing.” Barck functions in somewhat of a reconnaissance capacity for Jazzanova, both with his DJing in clubs and festivals and with the weekly radio show, Kaleideskop, which he has been maintaining for 20 years. As such, he has constant exposure to new music and various scenes. He knows where Jazzanova, does or, purposely doesn’t, fit. “There’s so much good music around, much better than when I started,” he says. “When I started, I had difficulties playing two hours of songs I really liked. Now, it’s so easy. It’s an interesting time because it seems like another 20-year circle in music is closing because everything is coming back so heavily. I’m not a nostalgic person. I like to look back and find things out, but I don’t necessarily need to do them over and over again. A DJ set should be balanced out with the past, the future, and the present. As an artist, you owe it to yourself or develop yourself. “Our audience’s expectations of us are so strong,” Barck continues. “We have to get it out of our head that people expect so much. There is a lot based on these expectations and misunderstandings, and we have to find our way in it.You have to stay true to yourself and your original ideas. That’s how we survive – not running after trends, but creating our own little trend.” – Lily Moayeri

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DJ TIMES

DJ EXPO 2018

comeback

kid By Brian Bonavoglia

Cliché as it may sound, there’s certainly some truth to the maxim: “Nothing worth having comes easy.” And in the world of electronic music, few know that aphorism better than David Lee Crow, better known by his stage name, Ghastly. There are plenty of success stories about DJ/ producers keeping their noses to the grindstone and making significant sacrifices to get to where they are today. But, not many can say their journey starting on a goat farm in the Arizona desert, followed by a homeless stint living out of a van in Venice Beach, Calif. But Ghastly can. Indeed, he overcame all these odds to become the globetrotting artist he is today, playing at the biggest festivals across the globe, including appearances at Electric Zoo in New York, EDC in Las Vegas, Lollapalooza in Chicago, and Parookaville in Weeze, Germany. Currently, he’s in the midst of a headlining tour across North America, supporting his debut album, The Mystifying Oracle. At 28 years old, he finally seems to be gaining a genuine payoff for his efforts. Crow grew up on his family’s large Arizona farm in Buckeye, about 45 minutes west of downtown Phoenix – lots of goats, lots of cows, lots of physical labor. Concurrently, on the musical side, Crow was partial to hard rock, and he served as vocalist of a metal band called The Irish Front. Eventually, he discovered electronic music, fell in love with seminal acts like Aphex Twin, and dove headfirst into digital production platforms like Propellerhead Reason and Ableton Live. Entirely self-taught, the budding producer made the decision to venture away from the family farm to pursue his career in electronic music. So, as soon as he felt confident enough in his music-making abilities, he packed his bags and headed to Los Angeles to seek his fortune. Once there, he bounced from job to job, living out of his van, doing whatever he could to stay afloat in his attempt to gain notice in the music industry. However, at a certain point, Crow believed he had completely failed, as a handful of record-label opportunities fell through. Plus, his employment opportunities began to dry up. It was time to head back home. Instead of calling it quits on his dream, how-

After Taking Some Life & Career Bumps, Ghastly Rebounded to Become One of EDM’s Rising Stars

DJ EXPO 2018

DJ TIMES 18

ever, Crow remained determined. So, he headed back to square one. And just what did that mean? It was back to the Arizona farm, with long days milking goats, making cheese and doing odd jobs – yet saving up for another journey back to Los Angeles. Of course, he did all this while using any spare time to hone his craft as a producer. In the end, of course, Ghastly would prove to be the ghost with the most. By regrouping like this and dedicating himself to a second chance, Crow became completely detached from his social life and, in doing so, put forth monastic devotion to making music. Once he returned to the City of Angels, he had a whole new work ethic and level of drive. Ultimately, these newfound qualities allowed him to land a job as a promoter at local hotspot, Exchange LA – eventually, the club hired him as a resident DJ. Back in the studio, Crow began pushing boundaries on more traditional electronic genres, creating hybrids, as he fused elements of house, trap and dubstep. By 2014, he made his first break, as his “Crank It” collaboration with Mija, a fellow Arizonan, was signed to Skrillex’s OWSLA imprint. It propelled him into the EDM spotlight. Ghastly would soon become a fan favorite, as he

Spotlight: Ghastly’s Top 3 Tracks “Crank It” with Mija feat. Lil Jon [OWSLA, 2014]: Well before bass-house took the electronic landscape by storm with his undeniable energy, Ghastly connected with Mija on “Crank It” for an explosive head-banging house weapon featuring the ultimate hype man, Lil Jon. “Ghosts n’ Sharks” with Jauz [Free Download, 2016]: Partnering with longtime friend and management mate Jauz, this colossal collaboration served notice. Two the hottest names in the bass scene put their creative minds together for an electrifying tune referencing deadmau5’s 2009 scorcher, “Ghosts N Stuff.” “LSD” [Self-Released, 2018]: One of the standout singles from his debut album, “LSD” is a vibrant, melodic brainteaser – a majestic soundscape that’s somehow both punchy and tranquil. – B.B.

began to produce some of the scene’s most forwardhitting bass tracks. In addition to serving up scorching-hot collaborations with Brillz (2015’s “Hawt”), Getter (2016’s “666!”) and Jauz ( 2 0 1 4 ’s “ M i a m i C o n n e c tion” and 2016’s “Ghosts n’ Sharks”), he dropped a number of high-octane originals (2016’s “Fuk Watchu Think” feat. Jameston Thievers and 2017’s “I’ll Wait” and “We Might Fall” feat. Matthew Koma). Then, this past May, he unveiled The Mystifying Oracle – a bass-heavy, beat-crushing org y of disparate soundscapes and raw emotions. A 25-date headlining tour in support of the album would feature his own awe-inspiring Oracle Stage production with custom-designed, retro-horror film visuals. Right now, it seems as if the sky’s the limit for him. We recently caught up with Ghastly, an America’s Best DJ nominee, following his packed show at Philadelphia’s District N9NE venue to discuss the production of his debut album and much more. DJ Times: Not too many DJ/producers can say they were raised on a goat farm – you’ve come a long way. So, how were you first introduced to the world of electronic music? Ghastly: To be honest, I think the first time I heard

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DJ EXPO 2018

“A Ghastly studio session? Fail, repeat, fail, repeat, fail, repeat, fail, repeat, get it right – cool! Fail, repeat, fail, repeat, get it right – dope!”

DJ TIMES

an electronic beat and knew that it was different from what I heard on the radio was the “Mortal Kombat” theme song. Then came a sliver of bouncy house music that was very pop-oriented like Vengaboys and Eiffel 65 – and, of course, the almighty “Sandstorm” by Darude. But what really caught my ear was when Aphex Twin and The Prodigy were prevalent on MTV. It was the most bizarre and unique sounds I’d ever heard before, and they were dark and eerie. They really resonated with me. DJ Times: You really roughed it before your career began to take off. You were homeless, but you remained committed. What lesson did that teach you? Ghastly: Darkness before dawn translates into nobody owes you shit – you have to earn everything in life. DJ Times: What was so appealing about bass music that you wanted to produce it yourself? Ghastly: The same reason any musician wants to make music… there’s a calling inside of you that tells you that you need to do this. You don’t really have control over it. You, more or less, get to tell it where to go as it guides you through life. DJ Times: DJing or production – which came first? Ghastly: Production – I was always making music before I was DJing it. In fact, I had been producing music for about five years before I even touched a pair of CDJs. DJ Times: How has the bass music scene, specifically, changed since you first emerged onto the scene? Ghastly: It’s more diverse in literally every single way shape and form – from the musical composition to who is composing it. There are no boundaries in place anymore. Anything goes in today’s music industry. DJ Times: You’re currently on the road as part of your tour, supporting The Mystifying Oracle album. But before you were headlining this nationwide tour, you were a resident DJ. How did that experience of your career mold you into the DJ that you are today? Ghastly: I feel that starting from the ground up is a crucial part of growing as an artist. When you go straight to the top, a lot of people find themselves falling faster than the pace they grew, and you also miss out on the journey of getting there. I’ve gone through so many different evolutions in my life that could not have taken place without having started from the bottom, and I don’t think that I would have the creative capacity that I have now if I hadn’t gone through them. DJ Times: Speaking of the tour, it features new Oracle Stage production. How did this stage design come together? Ghastly: I was really stoned in Australia watching the moon rise out of the ocean one night and it tripped me out. I started thinking about weird ways that I could make a stage that could trip me out the way the moon did that night. DJ Times: How does it feel to see your vision come full circle, giving fans that cinematic retro-horror experience? Ghastly: It’s amazing, but to be honest with you, I’m really not 100-percent sure what the experience is like. I have to go off of what everyone else tells me because I can’t experience it from my position. I am merely orchestrating it. Don’t get me wrong… it’s an amazing experience to be at the helm, but I still wonder what it’s like to participate in the experience as a listener and viewer. DJ Times: Your debut, full-length album, The Mystifying Oracle, is quite an effort, some really big sounds there. So, why an album now? Ghastly: Because I was tired of releasing a single song at a time and wanted to make a full expression of what I’m about as an artist. DJ Times: When it came to creating the album, did you feel there was any pressure to deliver, with it being your debut album? Ghastly: Of course! There’s always a dash of pressure and, of course, there’s always going to be that dash of doubt. But no great piece of art ever came without a dash of worry on how it will be received. But it’s also an artist’s job to not give a fuck what anyone thinks and just create for themselves – and I think that’s when I really started to make my album as good as it became. DJ Times: What was the process like in putting a 13-track album together? Ghastly: The approach was always just… write what entertains me and let that resonate with everyone else. It was definitely a rush and a thrill-ride of very-high ups and very-down lows. All of the emotions I had experienced through the last yearand-a-half were conveyed throughout it. It was essentially me doing an “audiotistic” representation of what my life has been like for the last year. DJ Times: What would you say is your favorite track of the album? Ghastly: I don’t think I could ever name a favorite song off of the album, simply because of the fact that each song took on a unique time, course and drive to be created. They are all so special to me. D J T i m e s : Yo u r a l b u m f e a t u r e s t h e h i g h - o c t a n e c o l l a b o r a t i o n , “ L e m m e S e e U,” w i t h C r a n k d a t , w h o yo u d i d a n u n a n n o u n c e d b a c k t o - b a c k s e t w i t h a t E D C L a s Ve g a s . H ow d i d yo u t wo f i r s t c o n n e c t ? Ghastly: Crankdat has been in the scene for a long time now and I had always been a fan of his work. Everything he’s done has been really high-quality, and it was merely a matter of time before we worked on a song together. DJ Times: You seem as if you’re never one to shy away from a collaboration – you’ve had several. Why do you choose to go that route as a producer? Ghastly: That’s actually quite far from the truth now. Lately, I’ve had to turn down dozens of collaborations. I used to do a lot of collaborations in the beginning because I wanted to put my name out there and have my name associated with a lot of the great artists that I always wanted to work with. But as of late, I’m pretty much just been making my own work, even though the album has four collaborations. That’s still nine original songs that were all me, and everything I’ve been working on lately is a solo project. DJ Times: Is there anyone you hope to work with in the near future? Ghastly: Not particularly. If something good is going to come from a collabo-

Online Instruction by MasterClass & FaderPro Offer Decidedly Different, Yet Effective Approaches to Music Production

studio Lessons By MIKE GWERTZMAN

DJ TIMES

DJ EXPO 2018

Editor’s Note: In our previous issue, Jennifer Harmon reported on Musicians Institute Online’s “Intro to DJing,” a 10-lesson internet class for upstart jocks. In this issue, Mike Gwertzman examines online classes from MasterClass.com and FaderPro.com, both of which concentrate on music production.

I’m only five minutes into Armin van Buuren’s first lesson in his MasterClass on dance-music production, and the Dutch trance megastar has already tossed a bucket of cold water onto most aspiring artists’ aspirations. “I know there’s a lot of people out there who may dream about private jets and Vegas residencies and playing mainstages on all the big festivals around the world,” he says directly to the camera. “And yes, you can do it. But there’s a bigger chance that you won’t.” It was somewhat of a surprise to hear this piece of raw honesty so early into his class, which spans 33 separate video topics. But this bit of Dutch directness is a great lead- in to understanding one of the fundamental truths about making music: There’s many people doing it, there’s a lot to learn, and if you don’t love the process of making music itself, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. That said, producing electronic music has never been more accessible than it is right now. Gone are the days when bulky mixing boards and real-deal recording studios were necessary to make tracks. Nowadays, you don’t even need expensive synthesizers or obscure pieces of discontinued gear. Today, anyone with a laptop and a simple piece of software can come up with a club-ready track. But with that accessibility has come

ubiquity – digital labels have proliferated, thousands of tracks are released every month, and platforms abound where would-be artists can post their work. Sites like Splice give producers access to unlimited amounts of samples and loops via the Internet. Labels are deluged with demos. So, what can an artist do to perfect their sound, and stand out from the pack? The natural answer is to seek help from those who have succeeded. And there’s an increasing number of avenues where artists can learn from top-name stars via online instruction. MasterClass.com – the online education platform that offers classes covering everything from playing basketball (taught by Steph Curry) to fashion design (with Marc Jacobs) – offers two separate classes on dance-music production. FaderPro.com offers up dozens of classes on electronic-music production, with prominent partnerships with Toolroom, Armada and Hospital Records, taught by well-known artists like Mark Knight, Umek, Harry Romero and more. These paid platforms represent a step-up from free sites like YouTube, where you can spend hours sifting through the hundreds of user-uploaded freebie tutorials. And at the same time, they don’t require the same dedication as enrolling in an online-production class like you might at Point Blank Studio. In exchange for your cash, you’re getting access to the knowledge, tips and tricks from successful and experienced artists. These platforms have done the curating for you. But are they your best resource for learning how to produce electronic music online? What do they offer that’s any different from all the other production content that’s out on the Internet?

Getting Ready to Learn Before digging in, it’s best to prepare yourself on how to optimize your learning experience. These courses offer video content, with the instructor dropping knowledge and tips while working in their DAW and studio. It’s helpful to prepare yourself and know what you’ll be seeing – if you’re an Ableton Live user for example, you’ll get more out of the class if the teacher is also working with the same software. If you’re a complete novice when it comes to production, you’d probably want to familiarize yourself with navigating the software and understanding the basics first. The artists running these courses are not here to teach introductory lessons. If you don’t have that fundamental knowledge as a foundation, you might find yourself struggling to keep up with all the information coming your way. I’d suggest keeping a notepad open and accessible, either digitally or with old-fashioned pen and paper. As you watch, you’ll want to jot down some of the concepts, suggestions or tools that the artist recommends. And with so much content to watch, all these tips can quickly pile up. Writing down the ones that resonate most with you – if you’re struggling with arrangement, or how can’t seem to structure chord progressions for example – will help you make the most of these classes. Give yourself time. These courses can run several hours, and even if some of the tips don’t make sense for you, the ones that do can likely result in big improvements in your production technique and results. That means you’ll want to watch each video in its entirety – and be prepared to then practice what you’ve seen in your own projects. Sometimes you’ll want to re-watch some particularly insightful lessons. Don’t rush and try to absorb everything you see, because you never know when something you’ve seen will be relevant to your own work. MasterClass: Armin van Buuren & deadmau5 If you’ve used YouTube to search for production tutorials, you’ve probably seen a commercial for MasterClass’ electronic music lessons. The ads are slick, exciting and star-driven: “Meet your new instructor.” And who wouldn’t get excited about learning how to make music directly from superstars like deadmau5 and Armin van Buuren? MasterClass separates itself from other learning platforms by focusing on celebrities and stars as its hook. Can you learn more about making music from someone other than a proven hit-maker and top-tier artist? Perhaps. But MasterClass is betting that you’re more inclined to spend $90 per class (or $180 for an annual unlimited pass – giving you access to every class on MasterClass) to hear what the luminaries have to say. David Rogier, the co-founder and CEO of Masterclass, explains the site’s approach. “There are lots of places to learn how to use the tools,” he says. “But what we wanted to do was figure out how masters approach their craft and make it so everyone could get in their heads [e.g., how they approach arranging, payoffs, vocals, sets, synths, crowds and building a career].” Rogier also told me that he believes electronic music is an “underappreciated art form,” and promised there will be more classes coming down the line. If the word “class” conjures up memories of high-school misery or stressful deadlines in college, fear not: The MasterClass format is fairly casual and a lot of fun. Instead of being given curriculum, or assignments, you’re presented with a series of lessons. Each lesson is a video – with both of the classes discussed here shot in the artists’ respective studios. Each lesson comes with an accompanying workbook, summarizing the ideas conveyed in the lesson, and offering tips for the student so they can put these concepts into practice. There’s also a comment board attached to each lesson so viewers can exchange their thoughts with their peers. A good way to describe the MasterClass experience is intimate. Shot from multiple camera angles, with top-shelf production (Hollywood-style lighting, snappy editing), the MasterClass videos primarily feature the instructor talking to the viewer directly. Both begin with a bit of insight into the artists’ history and

No Team Player: deadmau5 doesn’t like collaborations.

Anton Corbijn

FaderPro MasterClass teaches you music production alongside lessons on cooking and screenwriting. But FaderPro has one focus: producing electronic dance music, with an emphasis on the underground style of tech-house, as well as drum-n-bass and progressive. The site has been around for several years and has an impressive pedigree. One of the site’s founders is veteran DJ and producer Steven Lee (the co-producer of the Lee-Cabrera classic “Shake It”), and their

Rukes.com

personal philosophies about music. The MasterClass courses are as much an MasterClass: extended interview, or stream-of-consciousness discussion about producArmin van tion, as they are straightforward classes and lessons. Buuren manages For a genre of music that can often times feel formulaic, it’s interesting to expectations. see the vastly different approaches and production philosophies that these artists bring to the studio. Armin van Buuren begins his MasterClass by personally playing the beginning of Erik Satie’s “Gymnopedie No. 1” on the piano. On the other hand, deadmau5 builds a chord progression by drawing in individual notes on Ableton Live and dragging them around until he comes upon a few chords that sound good; he acknowledges he simply cannot play a keyboard. Similarly, van Buuren suggests creating a nice environment in which creativity can flourish – he offers candles as an option – and notes he likes to work in the morning. Meanwhile, deadmau5 says some of his best moments of musical inspiration happen as a result of sleep deprivation, preferring to be in the studio from 9 p.m. until the early a.m. hours. One of the biggest differences between the two courses is that van Buuren works closely with his studio partner Benno de Goeij throughout his course, often standing up and trading chairs and taking turns at the computer, constantly bouncing musical ideas back and forth. For his part, deadmau5 is rather dismissive on collaborations – he bluntly says, “I’m not a team player.” Watching the interplay between Benno and Armin is a nice way to highlight that even some of the biggest names in the business need help with production sometimes. Each class is very much a personal reflection of the artist who is teaching it. The courses are not so much step-by-step lessons on how to create a track, operate a specific DAW, or dig into some of the nitty-gritty, nuts-and-bolts of production. Rather, you get the opportunity to observe the artists at work and pick up whatever concepts and ideas they introduce along the way. The things that are important to the individuals shine, through – deadmau5, for example, devotes an entire lesson to modular synthesizers. Obviously, those are a key part of his studio, but not something most MasterClass viewers are likely to have access to. The further you go into the courses, the more focused the content becomes. Armin van Buuren’s class especially follows a fairly linear path as the trance icon develops his initial idea into a full-blown arrangement and production. Once you get up to Lesson 17, van Buuren leads the viewer through a step-by-step breakdown of the arrangement of his club remix of “Sunny Days,” detailing how different studio techniques combine to deliver the euphoric trance “payoff” that is the trademark of his sets. Past the production classes, both artists delve into tangential topics. For example, deadmau5 discusses marketing, puts on FaderPro: his label-head hat and talks about what he looks for in signHarry Romero offers time-saving DAW tricks. ing artists, and spends an entire lesson navigating through the pitfalls of working with major labels, not a surprise since he has publicly slammed some of his past labels. Any producer would say that next to practice and first-hand experience, the most valuable resource on the path towards improving your music is learning from someone with more experience. And that’s really what MasterClass is best at. You’re getting hours of exclusive video with two top artists, where the focus is almost entirely on music production. While you can’t ask questions, or choose what topics the instructor is focusing on, you’re going to get a much better understanding of what goes into producing a track, and you’ll certainly pick up some tips that will be useful in your own creations. At the end of both courses, I felt like I had gotten a much better sense of both artists’ personalities, and how those traits are represented in their music.

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ROAD Summer Festivals Featured America’s Best DJ Events & More

Chi-Town: Spring Awakening blasts off. aLIVE Coverage

Philadelphia Freedom: Ghastly at District N9ne. ArtChick Photography

Disco Ball: Markus Schulz at Schimanski. Chris Chin/C Squared

As the America’s Best DJ Summer Tour rolled on, DJ Times visited big events in three club-crazy towns – Chicago, Brooklyn and Philadelphia. First up, Spring Awakening Music Festival at Chicago’s Addams-Medill Park on June 8-10 presented 21 America’s Best DJ candidates. They included ATrak, Baauer, 3lau, Carnage, Cash Cash, Deorro, Destructo, Dubfire, Getter, Josh Wink, Joyrde, Kaskade, Lee Foss, Markus Schulz, NGHTMRE, Porter Robinson, Seven Lions, Slander, Slushii, Steve Aoki and Tritonal. At Brooklyn’s Schimanski club on June 16, Markus Schulz played an open-toclose set. Then at Philly’s District N9ne on June 22, Ghastly headlined a bill of four DJs. At the latter two club dates, DJ Times maintained an ABDJ voting booth, allowing fans to support their favorite DJs. It all looked like this:

SAMF Scene: Deorro drops a beat. Don Idio

Full House: Spring Awakening tent goes off. Don Idio

REPORT Brooklyn Beats: Markus Schulz in control. Chris Chin/C Squared

Spread Out: 3lau poses before SAMF throng. aLIVE Coverage

Back Onstage: Mija moves Spring Awakening. aLIVE Coverage

Unicorn Slayer: Markus voter at Schimanski. DJ Times

Philly Fan: Ghastly ABDJ voter at District N9ne. ArtChick Photography

Worlds Apart: Seven Lions in Chicago. aLIVE Coverage

Madness: Ghastly fans at District N9ne. ArtChick Photography

BY JEFF STILES

DJ TIMES

DJ EXPO 2018

It was a typical wedding-receptionplanning scenario. During a consultation, DJ Jeff Jones in Gilbert, Ariz., learned that the bride’s family wanted to party it up, while the groom’s family wasn’t into dancing at all. That’s when Jones, a DJ instructor at Mesa Community College and owner of Direct Sounds DJs, decided this would be the perfect opportunity to suggest an upsell that would help move things at a perfect pace. “I offered them one of our photobooths, which would help keep guests who weren’t big dancers entertained for the whole evening,” he says. “They loved the idea and added it to their package. “The real key to upsells is solving a problem or adding true value to an event. If it’s something that’s truly beneficial and you recognize when and where to insert it into the conversation, then those extra services should sell themselves most of the time.” A couple decades ago, probably the only upsell most mobile DJs offered was karaoke. No uplighting. No video screens. No extra lighting. And no, not even photo-booths. We asked DJs around the nation which upsells are the hottest in their markets nowadays. What’s the best way we can psychologically convince our clients to include one or more upsells in their packages, and how do we know when a client is ready to purchase? Over in Arizona, Jones says he mostly just provides two extras – photobooths and lighting packages, the latter of which includes either uplighting or extra dancefloor lighting. “The best way for me to sell a client on an item is by talking from experience,” he says. “It’s really just storytelling about how the item can have the greatest impact on their event. If you can get the client to envision your upsell at their event, then chances are they’ll buy it from you. “It’s all in the description and the way we tell the story of how much greater their event will be because of that particular item.” But how do we really know when a new client is ready to go all-in with an upsell?

“The number-one key is to be a genuine person who has good intentions and wants what’s best for the event – not just chasing numbers for yourself,” says Jones. “People pick up on that stuff. Just speak from experience, and let the client themselves pick up on the idea of the upsell. I find the less pressure I put on clients for upsells, the more I sell.” Similar to Jones in Arizona, Blake “DJ Sticky Boots” Eckelbarger of the Music Place in South Bend, Ind., offers upsells that are simple—uplighting and remote speakers for cocktail hours “We don’t offer monograms, photo-booths, pin lighting, clouds, video, dancers, musicians or anything like that,” says Sticky Boots. “For us, it’s about sticking with our core competencies, and keeping our staff and setup lean and efficient. “That said, uplighting still kills it for us, with a high profit margin. In fact, nearly 80-percent of our wedding clients book some level of uplighting. And having high-quality pictures of the effect in the venue they’ve booked is my key to selling it. Once they see the room with the lighting, it basically sells itself.” Mark Brenneisen in Queensbury, N.Y., says the biggest two upsells Adirondack Weddings & Events offers clients are honeymoon services and instant memories. “The honeymoon service is available to ADJA members only as part of their membership, and I’ve sold three in the last two days, plus one destination wedding package, too. This is huge and outside-the-box thinking. I’ve been doing this since 2012 and have had great success. “Our instant memories package is like a photo-booth – with a backdrop and props – and includes a photographer taking pics and candids through-

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out the entire event. Those images are then displayed on a flat screen for all the guests to see.” And what’s the best way Brenneisen has found to sell these extras? “The best way to sell them is to have the imagery available in our office – flat screen displays and pictures on walls – and then send our clients reminders via the online planner most DJs use. “My truck is also wrapped with honeymoon stuff so everyone sees it all over town, and when they come in for appointments—it’s awesome.” Over on the West Coast, the Bay Area’s Denon & Doyle Entertainment likewise promotes its upsells by bringing clients into their offices, and has indeed found great success that way. “We have mitzvah packages, extras for school dances and proms, wedding packages and corporate specials,” explains D&D operations manager Mark Haggerty. “We bring clients into our showroom, so they can see the differences between each package, which of course is much better than providing them with a written list – or even viewing it on our website. They’ll usually upgrade themselves after they see their choices. “For mitzvahs, for example, we recommend they think of how many kids will be attending, so we can gauge how many dancers to upsell. Many times, clients will add another dancer, even on the lower packages.” Understandably, wedding receptions are where Denon & Doyle of-

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TRUE VALUE TO AN EVENT.” —JEFF JONES, GILBERT, ARIZ.

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IS AN H T E S W P U NO ME E TH NT SO OM R OF RTA OW G F T O H N R A I M P E’S K I E E R EA H E T R O R R. H E B . M E R AL V A U E S S emonies are usually two hours, so we J can get into some pretty long days D EU when we do both of these events. So H T we need to price them accordingly, LL

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fers the most upsells. Their clients can add a photo-booth, lighting, video (TV screens or projectors), Silent Disco, Virtual Reality, a light-up dancefloor, stock gobo wash, custom gobo or motion gobo, and market lighting. “With weddings these days, it does come down to budget, but clients really value having an entertainment vendor as a one-stop-shop for everything, including decor lighting,” says Haggerty. “And we even put on a monthly showcase to invite all our prospective clients to see our wares. “We’ve also found a nice niche market with lighting. Most lightingonly companies offer their customers a minimum $1,000 to $1,500 per job, just to make it worth their time. We have the advantage of already having our labor there, so we can do a small job [i.e., eight uplights for $280]. “A lighting company wouldn’t even bother with a job that small.” Up in Roxbury, N.J., Artem Lomaz says that his NinetyThree Entertainment is able to offer a number of additional event options for their clients. Lomaz reports that photo-booths continue to be popular in his section of the upper Northeast, and especially when it comes to his corporate clients.

“Yet, the I’ve-seen-that-before options are also essential in our market,” he adds. “It’s important to keep in mind that, once you begin offering additional elements to complement your entertainment, you’re providing event production. And it’s therefore imperative that you have someone who is aware of how each element works and is qualified to maximize each element’s production, performance and potential.” Over in the Upper Midwest, Corey Rusch of Rusch Entertainment Agency says his Freeland, Mich.-based company doesn’t provide tons of upsells. And that makes sense considering that most of his customers learned about his services through seeing him at another event where he performed… and then decided that’s exactly the sort of thing they want for their own party. “Typically, our couples kinda know what they want/need coming into it,” he explains, “though we do send out some emails with lighting ideas or photo-booths leading up to the event, if they haven’t reserved this stuff at the initial consultation. “And sometimes they’ll reach out and add those on down the road.” Rusch says that in his area they’re also doing a lot of sound reinforcement and music for on-site ceremonies. “This is a nice add-on because clients realize they need music and sound for this part of the day, and it’s easy to explain to them that it requires extra time, gear, details to justify that add-on. “In our market, receptions are typically eight-hours long and cer-

and when we mention this fact to the couples they usually end up booking us for both because it’s definitely something they need to have.” Although he’s a single-op, DJ Mike Melice in Ithaca, N.Y., offers his clients plenty of enhancements. His most popular upsells of late have been uplighting, multimedia, Dancing On Clouds and photo-booths. But other novelty extras he offers include Marquee LOVE letters, confetti cannons, CO2 cannons, monograms and indoor fireworks/sparkler fountains. “I try my best to stay on top of the latest trends by offering features that most wedding guests have never before seen,” he explains, “and being in a smaller market I’m very successful with these items.” Melice says many DJs make the big mistake of trying to upsell an item based only on what it is or what it does. “I go a different route by trying to get an emotional reaction out of my clients, so I let them envision the benefits of enhancement on their wedding day. For example, anyone can offer a photo-booth and sell it as such. But I let my clients know that I’ll be taking the time to design a custom postcard with their name, wedding date and design that matches their theme, colors and fonts.” Melice’s team will then take things up a notch by creating an actual scrapbook for their clients, providing them with gold, silver and bronze “magic markers” so guests can make comments and tell the new couple how much they care about them. “At the end of the night, they’ll be left with an amazing scrapbook filled with goofy pictures and comments from all the people they love,” he says. “After all, we’re not really selling enhancements—we’re selling a n memory.”

DJ EXPO 2018

SOLVING A PROBLEM OR ADDING

DJ TIMES

“THE REAL KEY TO UPSELLS IS

MAKING TRACKS STUDIO…HARDWARE…SOFTWARE…

CUTTING-EDGE:

OUTPUT’S ANALOG

DJ TIMES

DJ EXPO 2018

STRINGS

Analog Strings: A 39-GB sound library has 500 presets.

By Mike Gwertzman Analog Strings is an outstanding virtual-instrument offering from the Los Angeles-based software designer Output, and its rather simplistic product title doesn’t quite do this impressive piece of technology justice. Yes, Analog Strings does – as you might have imagined – give you analog strings. But that’s just scratching the surface of this engaging and immersive piece of software and vast sound library that is likely to be embraced by a wide-range of artists – dance-music producers, new-wave retroists, cinematic score writers, and everyone in between. Output has quickly emerged as one of the more innovative producers of music production software. Its plug-ins offer up vast libraries of contemporary cutting-edge sounds and unique interfaces to manipulate them, with each program focusing on a different musical element. Just as Exhale focused on vocals, or Substance handles basslines, Analog Strings is Output’s entry into the world of strings. Analog Strings uses Native Instruments Kontakt as its host, and it’s quite beefy. It requires at least 22GB of space to install (you can use an external drive), and at $199, the price tag is relatively high. Output doesn’t offer demo versions, but it does refund your complete purchase after 14 days. And it offers bundled discounts if you already own other Output products. Installing was very easy. You’ll first need to download Output’s own hub software to manage installation. The Analog Strings download itself can take some time, depending on your Internet connection. But once you’ve got everything on your machine, all you need to do is open up Native Instrument’s Kontakt and follow Output’s simple instructions for installation. You can start exploring the software on Kontakt’s standalone application – or get right into it with your DAW. The best way to get acquainted with Analog Strings is by browsing the 500 presets that sit at its heart. You’ll quickly hear that you’ve got a huge range of sounds and atmospheres to work with. Grand, orchestral string sections; sharp, tense plucks; classic lush synth pads; dark, sci-fi soundscapes; climactic rises and swells. All the presets have been tagged with some fairly familiar categories – i.e., “orchestral,” “pad” and “lead.” So right off the bat, you’ve got a massive assortment of timbres and styles you can incorporate into your productions. The design aesthetic of Output’s software is cool and modern. They use a very limited color palette for Analog Strings: dark grays and matte finishes, white for text, and turquoise for almost everything else. The sound style is also very consistent with this look and feel. You’ll hear a lot of sounds that would fit perfectly in some of Hans Zimmer’s score. Preset titles reference classic science fiction cinema like Bladerunner. Ominous, haunting, epic, emotive – these were some of the feelings that jumped out at me as I auditioned various presets. As you browse, you’ll see one of Analog Strings most prominent features: the four macro sliders that you can drag from left to right, each resembling a cable, each manipulating different elements of the sound being played: “filter,” “pulse,” “reverb” and so on. These macros can dramatically change what you’re hearing, giving you as an artist a huge creative palette to work with. I enjoyed quickly assigning the macros to knobs on my MIDI controller and recording some nice filter sweeps on the “So Vintage” preset. Where are these sounds coming from? Analog Strings sits atop a massive library of samples, divided into three sources: orchestral, synths, and creative. For each source, there are three types of samples – one shots, pads, and tape loops, with both “close” and far” microphone settings. The orchestral sounds were sampled by recording 60-piece and 22-piece string orchestras at BMC Hall in Budapest, Hungary, as well as soloists – and these all sound pristine. The synths have a sweet vintage and true analog sound, great for deep pads and rumbling low-ends. The “creative” sounds go for a bit more of an avant-garde feel – prepared pianos, field recordings, percussive one-shots, and so on. (continued on page 40)

Denon DJ Prime Series: The Future of Professional DJ

Denon DJ’s Prime Series delivers unprecedented performance, ease of use, music organization and system synergy for professional DJs. Receiving unexcelled acclaim since its introduction, the Prime Series represents the future of the professional DJ experience. www.denondj.com/prime-series

XTRAX STEMS Windows® Pre-Sale

Audionamix announces the Windows® version of XTRAX STEMS will be available for pre-sale starting May 22, for a special rate of $79. This provides a $20 savings off the regular price. www.audionamix.com

Bose S1 Pro Multi-position PA

Sound great anywhere with the ultra-portable Bose S1 Pro Multiposition PA. Designed for musicians, DJs and general PA use, the S1 Pro is the ultimate all-in-one PA, floor monitor and practice amplifier that’s ready to be your go-anywhere Bluetooth® music system.

Are you equal to the challenge of using the best? The SeventyTwo mixer and Twelve motorized controller are not for pretenders. Built like tanks with all-steel construction you’ll mix, scratch and fade like never before. www.dj.rane.com

DJ TIMES

Rane Seventy-Two + Twelve = The Best

MARCH 2018

www.professional.bose.com

SOUNDING OFF PLAYBACK…PRO AUDIO…PROCESSING S1 Pro: Multi-position, multi-purpose unit.

BOSE S1 PRO: ALL-IN-ONE PA

DJ TIMES

DJ EXPO 2018

By Wesley Bryant-King

When one thinks of professional audio and leaders in the field, one of the names that inevitably comes to the surface is Bose. The Framingham, Mass.based firm is one of the rare companies (these days, anyway) that still carries its field expertise (in Bose’s case, obviously, audio) across a wide and diverse range of markets. The company has strong brand recognition (and respect) across consumer goods like Bluetooth speakers, to car audio, noisecancelling headphones (that seem to be on the ears of frequent flyers everywhere), and — of interest to us here — professional sound support. On the pro front, Bose manufactures sound support products for everyone from mobile DJs to installers of high-end solutions for stadiums, nightclubs, houses or worship, and the like. If there’s a need for sound reproduction, chances are Bose has you covered. Within the portablesound segment, however,

there often seems to be a gap in the market at the smaller end – those applications where the venue is too small to justify “big-iron” gear, but that nevertheless still demands quality sound reproduction in a suitable, compact package. Apparently, the folks at Bose saw that gap as an opportunity, and they’ve chosen to fill it with the introduction of the new S1 Pro powered loudspeaker. Introduction: I got my first taste of the S1 Pro at the Winter NAMM Show this past January. There it was, with its exceptionally diminutive stature, begging me to see what it could do. With this year’s NAMM Show being policed much more heavily for sound-level violations, there was only so much I could actually do with it on the floor, but I recently had the chance to give it a spin myself, outside of that lessthan-ideal environment. You’ll want to read the details below, but I can cut to the chase: It’s a lot of awesomeness, in a very small package. Details: How small? Well,

Versatile: S1 Pro runs via AC or battery power. the S1 Pro stands just over 13-inches tall, 11-inches deep, and under 10-inches wide. Inside that tiny package are no less than four drivers: A main 6-inch driver, and an array of three 2-¼-inch drivers, of which one is directed straight ahead, and the other two at angles up and down along the same axis. Bose is aiming the S1 Pro at a number of different segments. Given the fact it can operate for hours off its included battery pack, it’s a great choice of street busk-

ing musicians, for instance. But powered with AC , it ser ves multiple purposes as varied as self-powered wedge monitor for stage use, tabletop use for a café singer/songwriter performance, and stand-mounted PA for DJ applications. A Quick Charge feature allows users to recharge their S1 Battery Pack in a hurry (when in use in standard mode and plugged into AC power, the S1 Pro is trickle-charged). Additional S1 Battery Packs are avail-

able to purchase separately for users looking for a backup or extended-play option. The S1 Pro is also compatible with the Bose Connect app (iOS and Android), for streaming Bluetooth audio to two S1 units. (New accessories include the S1 Pro Backpack, the S1 Slip Cover for protection of the system, and, coming soon, premium covers available in a variety of colors.) Reflective of its potential for guitar-playing musicians, (continued on page 40)

“Get Together”

SIR IVAN wants everyone to “Get Together” his new smash single produced by Chris Cox! www.sirivan.com

Altea-715A

Ever wanted to have wireless audio and DSP control in a speaker that actually sounds good? Stop by Booth #501 and test drive the Altea-715A. You’ll be amazed at the sound, build quality and the price! www.dasaudio.com/en/

XPRS Series Active Speakers

Combining Pioneer Pro Audio sound engineering heritage with the reliable, energy-efficient power of Powersoft amp modules, the compact, portable wooden-enclosure XPRS Series offers a plug-andplay system that fills the room with a natural sound.

Now entering its 13th year, America’s Best DJ fosters the growth of US DJ & nightlife culture by encouraging dance-music fans to support their favorite US-based DJs in a quest to crown the USA’s top jock. At the end of each summer, one DJ will be voted America’s Best DJ. www.americasbestdj.us/vote

DJ TIMES

America's Best DJ Presented by DJ Times

MARCH 2018

www.pioneerproaudio.com/en

MOBILE PROFILE CAREERS…INNOVATIONS…SUCCESS STORIES

help have an extraordinary event. To blow people’s minds at every event is the best way to stay ahead of the competition. Stay fresh and current, think outside the box for ways to be better and always make sure your clients are happy from the first phone call to the end of their party.

JERSEY JOCK KEEPS EXPO ROCKIN’

The best feedback I ever got wasn’t about my performance, specifically, but the performance of the first DJ I ever trained to do a wedding for my company. I realized I really needed to change my training style when I got a survey back and the first paragraph said the guests had an amazing time and everyone was dancing all night. Then there was a page-and-a-half of complaints about how my DJ ignored their playlist and seemed to do whatever he wanted. Basically, he did a cookie cutter of all the songs he knew worked well at weddings. I impress upon my staff the importance of making sure the party feels like it could be no other event – only that particular client’s event. Sometimes you have to play the wrong song for the right reason and that reason is making your clients happy. Affair 2 Remember: Jacobsen hosts Expo’s “EOTY” event.

to help. This included going to many conferences and basically immersing myself in our wonderful industry.

I am a multi-op — not a big one. I have found employees at parties I’ve entertained, friends of friends, and even people calling up looking for a job. I always try to get a feel for the kind of person they are and if they are fun and outgoing. I can teach everything else, but I can’t teach a person to fundamentally change their personality.

New Jersey isn’t just a tough market. I believe it is the toughest market in the country by a wide margin. It’s not easy to differentiate yourself from the great entertainers we have around here.

The biggest challenge is keeping up with the new technology and social media.You really need to be on top of everything happening out there or you can easily get left behind.

I do have a particular style of humor, and a heartfelt sentiment that goes along with my other performance skills that has helped me greatly. Also, the fact that I am also a working musician gives me another unique ability to come at a party a different way.

Audio and lighting gear for a typical Affair 2 Remember event? A typical gig will include a pair of QSC Audio K12 12-inch, active speakers and KW181 18-inch, active subwoofers. For playback, we have a Denon DJ MC7000 controller with VirtualDJ 8 software. We also use Pioneer DJ HDJ2000 headphones, Global Trussing, Gator stands for audio and lighting apps, and a range of Chauvet DJ lighting units, including the Intimidator Spot LED 350.

By Stu Kearns Hazlet, N.J. – Darryl “Jake” Jacobsen is familiar to DJ Expo attendees. He’s been presenting the “Games Games Games” workshop for more than a decade. He also produces the show’s popular “Entertainer of the Year” competition. When he’s not busy organizing these events, he runs his multi-op, Affair 2 Remember Entertainment, out of the Jersey Shore town of Hazlet. After working for another DJ company for many years, he started his own outfit in 2003. We spoke to Jacobsen about vision, training, and how to rise above the most competitive market in the country. These are his words: I had always wondered what it would be like to go out on my own and start a company that had my vision behind its success.

DJ TIMES

DJ EXPO 2018

I still think the best pure mobile entertainer I’ve seen is a guy named John Arcara – sadly, he passed away in 2008. He taught me to be creative and to always give it my very best from the beginning of the event until the end.

I knew squat about business. That’s where DJ Times comes in. After I left my old company, I decided I needed to meet new people in the industry and I went to my very first DJ Expo the same year I started my business. That first Expo I made a ton of new friends. They helped fill in a lot of the information I needed about sales, marketing and just good business practices. I reached out and tried to learn as much as I could from anyone who was willing

Our highest priority is on the interpersonal connections we make with our clients and our commitment to making sure they leave their events exhausted and euphoric. There’s nothing better than thinking the best party you ever attended was your own. Staying ahead of the competition begins with the first phone call. Putting a smile in your voice and giving them honest, non-salesman answers to their questions. Clients tell me that I’m totally different on the phone from every other company they called. I don’t want to book every single person who calls. I want to book the people who we can

In five years, I hope Affair 2 Remember Entertainment is still going strong, possibly expanding to other states, but carrying on the mission of excellence I set out for it when I started. Being the host and producer of the DJ Expo’s Entertainer of the Year Competition is quite a thrill and an honor to be picked among so many worthy candidates from across the country. To be responsible for an event that is the most important single night in the mobile entertainment industry is a challenge, but it sure is fun making the magic happen. (continued on page 40)

BUSINESS LINE

SALES… MARKETING…SOLUTIONS…

By Mick Uranko At DJ Expo, DJ Mick Uranko of Uranko Productions in Pottsville, Pa., will lead a seminar (“Tech Innovations for Mobiles”) that discusses how DJs can use cutting-edge tech to sell to their clients and establish valuable relations with vendors. In his words, here are some samples of content from his seminar:

THESE TECH TOYS MAKE CLIENTS GO,

“WOW!”

DJ TIMES

DJ EXPO 2018

Drone Photography & Videography

I have been using drones for the last three years and have not only been able to make all the money back from my initial investment, but I have been able to build relationships with wedding venues. Back in 2015, I purchased my first drone for $1,500 and never thought about how I could use this new technology to make my business more successful. I joined a Facebook group and started learning more about how to make the drone safer, more reliable, and most importantly become certified to fly for money. The old drone law required a Sports Pilots License to be able to charge people money for your services. This changed in 2016, and I was one of the first Remote Pilots certified by the FAA for Northeastern Pennsylvania. The new law requires passing a knowledge-based test every two years. Drone technology has changed and improved since I first bought my drone. You can now buy my drone for $700 brand new! I always have my drone bag packed and ready to go on new adventures, trips, or wedding site visits. There are some areas that you cannot fly and I always check an App called “Hover” that will show if the destination is in a No Fly Zone. Before leaving my office I also take a quick look on social media to see if the venue has any drone photos or videos. After going over the logistics with the wedding coordinator and the future bride and groom, I grab my drone bag and prepare to fly. Everyone seems very interested in this technology — especially if they’ve never experienced a drone first-hand. After launching the drone, I show everyone on my screen exactly what I am looking for and we capture the photos together. The battery life on the drone is pretty limited to about 12 to 15 minutes of flight time. When I return back to my office I pick three to five images that I love and showcase the venue. I’ll tag these photos on social media and then follow up with the venue, especially if they do not have any coverage. This is a great way to start a relationship with a new venue before you work on their grounds. If you are helping them sell and you have a solid history of wedding performances, you will definitely be on their preferred-vendors list. Another advantage to flying your drone is you are developing trust with the coordinator. This will help you when it comes time to performing different services at their venue that are outside of the box.

Video Voiceovers Video Voiceovers are the most powerful additional service that I can offer to my brides and grooms. This service creates a very special moment and makes the first dance experience unforgettable. In order to pull this off, you will need to purchase a DSLR or mirrorless camera, at least one 55-inch or larger HDTV, eight-foot section of truss, 30- by -30-inch base plate with a truss, CAT5 or HDMI cables and, most importantly, proper lighting. This service is broken into two parts: The first part is what you will be doing before the wedding reception and the second is how to present the video the day of the wedding. I have a designated place in my office where couples will come in and I will film their answers to the same questions. While one of them is filming, I invite the other to leave the room so they don’t hear the questions I am asking. Once I have filmed both sides, I invite them back into the room where I use Adobe Premiere Pro to edit their responses. I show them how I am able to do this and give them a quick 15-second preview. Other than recording the video, I also will ask for photos to make a slide show that will be shown on the TV before it switches over to the video responses. The second part has to do with day of coordination.You want to make sure the location you select for your TV or multiple TVs is visible for all of the guests. You want to let other vendors, including the venue coordinator, be aware that you will be surprising all of their guests with this video. If the photographer has an additional shooter, this coordination is very valuable because they will be able to capture the reactions of their friends and family. Chances are the coordinator has never seen a video voiceover, so making sure she is in the room is the key to make your company stand out. As this service has an extensive amount of prep work, I charge an additional $795. When producing this video for my brides and grooms, I am able to make strong connections months before the wedding starts. This is of great value and will help you further connect on their wedding day.

Smartphone Trivia Every week, my company hosts four smartphone trivia events at local restaurants and sports bars. This is great midweek money and also you are able to work on your microphone skills on a weekly basis. I started integrated smartphone trivia into weddings that have buffets. Smartphone trivia is a free to play game that uses one smartphone per team and is similar to the Trivia HQ app. There is an initial cost to pull this service off which pays for the software and dedicated WiFi router than you need in order to play the game. The WiFi router is able to block the internet so no one can cheat. Instead of announcing random tables to be dismissed for the buffet, I use this game to increase the excitement level and turn a boring dinner into a more interactive experience. Other than the initial cost of the game, each time you host, you do have to pay to unlock the game. The cost per game is typically $15. At his Expo session, Uranko also will discuss SoundSwitch and JAMMText, as well as how to sell these to millennials. Check out his “Tech Innovations for Mobiles” seminar at the DJ Expo – on Aug. 15 at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City.

2018 AMERICA’S BEST DJ NOMINEES A-TRAK CO M I N G TO A C IT Y N E AR AMTRAC VOT E & WIN ST U F F ! ANTHONY PARASOLE AUDIEN BAAUER BASSNECTAR 3LAU BT CARL CRAIG CARNAGE CASH CASH CEDRIC GERVAIS CHRISTOPHER LAWRENCE CLAUDE VONSTROKE CRANKDAT DANNY TENAGLIA DAVID MORALES DENNIS FERRER DEORRO DERRICK CARTER DESTRUCTO DIESELBOY DILLON FRANCIS DIPLO DJ BORIS DJ CRAZE DJ CREME DJ DAN DJ GODFATHER DJ SKRIBBLE DR. FRESCH DUBFIRE ENFERNO ERICK MORILLO FLOSSTRADAMUS 4B FRANÇOIS K GABRIEL & DRESDEN GETTER GHASTLY GRANDMASTER FLASH GREEN VELVET GRIZ GRYFFIN P RE S E NT E D B Y HEROBUST HONEY DIJON HONEY SOUNDSYSTEM J.PHLIP JAZZY JEFF JEFF MILLS

YOU

JOSH WINK JUSTIN MARTIN KASKADE KAYZO KERRI CHANDLER KEVIN SAUNDERSON K?D KILL THE NOISE KING BRITT KREWELLA LEE FOSS LOUIE VEGA LOUIS THE CHILD MANIK MANUFACTURED SUPERSTARS MARK FARINA MARKUS SCHULZ MARSHMELLO MARTINEZ BROTHERS MATTHEW DEAR MIJA MK MORGAN PAGE NGHTMRE PORTER ROBINSON QBERT QUESTLOVE REID SPEED RL GRIME ROBBIE RIVERA ROGER SANCHEZ ROONIE G SEVEN LIONS SHARAM SKRILLEX SLANDER SLEEPY & BOO SLUSHII SOUL CLAP STACEY PULLEN STEVE AOKI THE BLACK MADONNA THE CHAINSMOKERS TOMMIE SUNSHINE TRITONAL 12TH PLANET VICE VICTOR CALDERONE WOLFGANG GARTNER Z-TRIP

VOTE & WIN A TRIP FOR 2 TO THE CLOSING PARTY /AMERICASBESTDJ

AMERICASBESTDJ.US

/DJTIMESMAG

GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF

Complete Control

Human Touch

Pioneer DJ Americas 2050 W. 190th Street Suite 109 Torrance, CA 90504 (424) 488-0480 www.pioneerdj.com

Reloop/American Music & Sound 925 Broadbeck Dr. #220 Newbury Park, CA 91320 (800) 431-2609 www.AmericanMusicAndSound.com

DJ TIMES DJ EXPO 2018

Pioneer DJ has introduced the DDJ-400, a controller designed for use by upstart DJs. Made for dedicated use with the company’s rekordbox dj performance app (free license key included), the 2-channel DDJ-400 is designed to help DJs get the most from newer features coming to the software with the release of rekordbox ver. 5.3. Key features of the DDJ-400 include: club-style layout – buttons and knobs are arranged similarly to Pioneer DJ’s club-standard CDJ-2000NXS2 and DJM-900NXS2 units; built-in sound card; mic input circuit; USB bus power; grab handles on both sides; and class compliance.

The Reloop Premium Touch Case sports a hand-crafted wood and aluminum construction and comes in black. There is a carrying handle and butterfly locks, as well as modern front and rear blind cuts. Features include a protecting PVC surface and soft foam that fixes the device while protecting against scratches. The case can be customized to completely match the user’s device, leaving space for cables, according to the company.

Thrill Seeker

D.A.S. Boot

Martin/Harman International 400 Atlantic Street Stamford, CT 06901 (203) 328-3500 www.harmon.com

D.A.S. Audio of America 6816 NW 77th Court Miami, FL 33166 (305) 436-0521 www.dasaudio.com

The THRILL Multi-FX LED from Martin Professional is a 3-in-1 LED light fixture that comes equipped with five three-watt RGBWA rotating multibeam effects, 50 mW green and 100 mW red lasers, and eight one-watt white LEDs for strobe effects. The unit comes with eight professionally pre-programmed shows. It can be operated standalone via sound-activated and master/slave control methods, as well as in DMX. An adjustable bracket for hanging or surface mount is included.

D.A.S. Audio has expanded its Vantec Series lineup of portable systems to include the Vantec-20A active curved source line array and the Vantec-118A active front-loaded bass system. Designed for use in arrays of up to five units, the Vantec-20A features a DAScontrol interface that allows for quick setup and easy alignment. The Vantec-118A includes a 2000W peak Class D amplifier, 24-bit high-end DSP, and a continually variable low-pass filter that ranges from 80 Hz to 125 Hz. D.A.S. Click-Lock rigging hardware enables the Vantec-20A to be securely stacked on, or flown from, the Vantec-118A.

AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF

PA On-the-Go

Phone It In

Adam Hall North America 1 S. Corporate Drive Riverdale NJ 07457 (973) 335-7888 www.adamhall.com

Audio-Technica US 1221 Commerce Dr Stow, Ohio 44224 www.Audio-Technica.com

Germany’s LD Systems, distributed Stateside by Adam Hall Group, has released the MAUI 5 GO battery-powered version of the ultra-portable MAUI 5 PA system. The all-in-one system combines sound quality with a compact design. Its patented Quick-Swap technology means battery life is virtually unlimited. Designed for DJs, event-service providers and traditional musicians, the lightweight (28 pounds) MAUI 5 GO is a flexible, portable and expandable PA and stage monitoring solution with Bluetooth.

GEAR

Audio-Technica has released a pair of DJ-specific headphone models: the over-ear ATH-PRO5X (available in black and white) and the on-ear ATHPRO7X (available in black). The PRO5X models are equipped with 40 mm drivers and offer 1,500 mW max input power. They feature rotating earpieces for one-ear monitoring and detachable locking cables (3.9 – 9.8-foot coiled and 3.9-foot straight). The PRO7X models are equipped with 45 mm drivers and offer 2,000 mW max input power. They also include detachable locking cables and premium, soft, durable earpads.

Cover Me Verifly 174 West 4th St., Ste 204 New York, NY, 10014 (800) 362-7535 www.verifly.com With Verifly, whose new app is available on Android and iOS, DJs can purchase general liability insurance for up to $2 million – in under 30 seconds, starting at $5. Coverage can last as short as an hour or up to one month. Liability insurance protects DJs against legal liability for injury to other people (like people attending your show) or damage to property (like the stage at a venue). Verifly’s policies are underwritten by a Fortune 500 company (Markel).

Bro & SYS

Four new models were added to Roland’s SYSTEM-500 modular synthesizer series. The SYS-510 Synth features three oscillator waveforms, a VCA with multiple outputs, and internal normalling for cable-free operation. The SYS-555 LAG/S&H features include ring modulation, pink and white noise modes, LFO with internal ENV and VCA, and two CV-controlled portamento circuits. The SYS-531 MIX comes equipped with six input channels, each with their own level slider, CV-controlled pan knob, and performance-friendly mute button. Finally, the SYS-505 VCF combines a multi-mode filter with a band-pass filter, and features switchable outputs, built-in VCAs, and CV control of cutoff and resonance.

DJ TIMES DJ EXPO 2018

Roland Corporation 5100 S. Eastern Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90040 (323) 890-3700 www.roland.com

GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF

Case in Point

All Around the Laserworld

My Aim Is Truesonic

Odyssey Innovative Designs 809 W. Santa Anita St. San Gabriel, CA 91776 (626) 588-2528 www.odysseygear.com

Laserworld USA Inc. 41 Skyline Drive, Suite 1017 Lake Mary, FL 32746 (407) 915-5577 www.laserworld.us

Alto Professional 200 Scenic View Drive Suite 201 Cumberland, RI 02864 (401) 658-5765 www.altoprofessional.com

Odyssey has released two new cases specifically designed to fit Rane products. The FRANE12 fits the Rane Twelve Motorized DJ Battle Controller with extra room for cable connectivity, while the FRANE72 holds the Rane Seventy-Two Serato DJ Mixer with additional rear space for dual player and laptop connectivity. Both models are made in the USA by BC Cases and feature heavy-duty ball corners, high-density protective foam padding, a recessed handle and latches, and a bottom interior ventilation pit. In addition, the FRANE72 sports an extra-wide removable front access panel.

Laserworld updated their Purelight Series, adding enhanced laser sources while making the units lighter and smaller. The Purelight Series units are available in 6W, 10W and 20W power and have graphics capable scanners at 30kpps 8° ILDA. The projectors are built with Sealed Housing Technology and come with an internal PSU for easy travelling. They are equipped with diodes with good beam specifications and precise linear color fading behavior. The optics section of the laser systems has no air circulation, which the company says “significantly reduces maintenance efforts.”

Alto Professional’s Truesonic TS3 series of powered loudspeakers includes four models, each offering 1000W continuous and 2000W peak Class D power. The TS308, TS310, TS312 and TS315 come with eight-, 10-, 12-and 15-inch woofers, respectively. The new speakers feature new low-frequency and high-frequency drivers, as well as an updated control panel with clearer control indications and rotary detent positions. They also have a new horn-loaded high-frequency driver that sports a new heat-sink design for greater heat dissipation.

Do You Believe in MAGIX MAGIX Software GmbH Quedlinburger Strasse 1 10589 Berlin Germany +49 30 293 92 -200 www.magix.net MAGIX Software had released the latest version of its Sound Forge Pro audio editing and mastering program, Sound Forge Pro 12, on the occasion of the original’s 25th anniversary. The latest version has a new 64-bit architecture and a large suite of additional plug-in effects with VST3 compatibility. Four tools from MAGIX’s broadcasting software SEQUOIA were also added in the new version, including the Wave Hammer 2.0 tool, which “offers automatic mastering options while still giving users total control over their sound,” according to the company. In addition, the SpectraLayers Pro 5 spectrum analysis tool is also included.

TRACKS…MIXES…COMPILATIONS

Hybrid

“THE MUSIC” u HiFi Sean feat. Celeda

u Classic Music Company On this massively funky track, we’re graced with Celeda’s fierce vocals and a pair of tough mixes – a righteous, booty-shaking, hands-in-the-air burner. – Tommy D Funk “HALLELUJAH ANYWAY” (REMIX)

u Candi Staton u Glitterbox

Alan Junior

Check this amazing throwback mix from Italian producer Moplen, which breathes new life into the plenty deep-and-groovy classic cut.

– Curtis Zack “LIGHT UP” (REMIXES)

u Hybrid u Distinctive Loadstar’s mix is a juiced-up, drum-n-bass revamp, highlighting the track’s beautiful refrain, while offering a more dancefloor-friendly BPM than the shimmering, cinematic version on the new Light of the Fearless album. Then, Matt Lange’s take showcases its beautiful strings and vocal, by pairing with a subtle jungle breakbeat.

Celeda

– Jennifer Harmon

“GET TOGETHER”

u Sir Ivan u Peaceman Music Rocking another club version of a hippie-era classic – this time, The Youngbloods’ 1967 hit – Ivan offers up a dozen remixes here. Check Christian Poow’s tough, progressive club mix and Chris Cox’s psychedelic, peak-hour slammer.

Che Crozz

– Phil Turnipseed “SQUEEZER” u Che Crozz u Freeway Manic, wild, all over the place, this track’s a scorcher. It’s part twisted-synth, electro-house, another part slowed-down melodic trap, and yet another is classic house, sprinkled with bellowing hype – “Let’s get down!” – Jennifer Harmon “WE SALUTE THE PHUNK”

u Block & Crown u Enormous Tunes This rollicking peak-hour cut delivers a funky, rugged groove with lots of builds and stimulating sample hits. The guitar-styled rhythm just compels you to dance – and we love the spoken-word vocal stabs.

Christian B & Lavvy Levan

GUEST REVIEWER: DOM SCOTT

DJ TIMES

DJ EXPO 2018

“BEFORE”

Alan Junior Blacksoul Music When I spin, I like to swing the vibe from deep to Afro to tech in a splish-splash, and this sweet track really allows me to do that – it’s a little bit of everything. With its swaying African percussion, Afro-instrumental elements and playful brass bassline, this one stands out. Sporting a tight and clean production, “Before” will easily fit on a dancefloor or any summer terrace.

– Phil Turnipseed “FLY AWAY”

u Kevin Sylvester feat. Natasha Watts u Vibe Boutique Dom Scott

On this mega-groover, top mixes come courtesy Josh Milan, Mr. Eclectic and, my fave from the current funk-king, Opolopo.

– Curtis Zack

TRACKS…MIXES…COMPILATIONS

“FIVE REASONS REMIX” EP

u Christian B & Lavvy Levan u Friday Fox On this superb remix EP, we get all the tasty ingredients – jazzy, soulful, deep disco, spacey, trippy, groovy. And check the moving, soulful mixes from Groove Assassin (“Your Light”), Booker T (“Sunshine in My Mind”) and Rapson (“Mystery”). – Tommy D Funk “CALL TO ARMS”

u Gareth Emery feat. Evan Henzi u Garuda Starting out with a beautifully simple, but profound piano accompaniment, this emotive trance track soon becomes a showcase for Henzi and his haunting vocals. Powerful. – Jennifer Harmon

Andrew Rayel

“ROCK THE DISCOTHEQUE”

u Ruff Diamond u Supaearth A stripped-back, classic-disco, percussive number that wouldn’t be out of place in a Larry Levan set. On the remixes, 80’s Child funks it up, while Lempo goes four-to-the-floor.

– Curtis Zack “NEW DAWN”

u Andrew Rayel & Corti Organ & Max Cameron u inHarmony Music Although the first bars recall opening credits at the cinema, the bridge to a tougher dance track comes quickly. With drilling synths and operatic vocals, the buildup is explosive and unrelenting. Another bomb track from Rayel and crew.

– Jennifer Harmon “LET ME TRY” u Kry Wolf & DJ Rae u Toolroom This monster house track delivers a serious 4/4 beat, a pounding bassline, Rae’s sexy vocals and some quality saxophone –peak-time.

– Tommy D Funk

Gareth Emery

“TILL THE MORNING” u Katrella u Sirup This mid-tempo house cut drops a cool vocal and sexy synth work. Deep and bouncy, we love the horn-synth hook and the simple, but effective production. – Phil Turnipseed

DJ EXPO 2018

“WE CAN FLY” u Niteshifters u DeliMusic Laden with funk and deep soul, this one recalls vintage Brand New Heavies. If that’s not enough, mixes from Dr Packer and Simon Tellier are top-notch. – Curtis Zack

Katrella

Making Tracks

(continued from page 26)

Mixing these sounds together is what really drives the Analog Strings experience. Its engine seamlessly fuses two sound layers together – each layer containing one of the samples – and gives you dozens of options for processing and tweaking the sounds. You can tune the samples plus/minus 36 semitones, reverse the samples, drag loop regions and change loop rates (for the tape loop samples) and adjust volume. Then there are standard, adjustable effects banks for each sample layer – delay, reverb, filter, EQ, compression and distortion; you can also apply global effects to Analog Strings full output. Each layer also has ADSR envelopes, stereo spreads and pan, velocity sensitivity knobs and more options for sound shaping and performance. From there, you can get really deep into the settings. The rhythm and arp tabs especially give you lots of control over playback, with multiple preset patterns and options to apply. Again, you can turn these on and off for each sound layer. Taken altogether, you can spend a huge amount of time tinkering and

crafting your sounds just within the Analog Sounds interface, before you even need to apply other effects or plug-ins in your DAW. There are some areas in which I thought Analog Strings could use some improvement. The navigation, in particular, could be improved. I find myself constantly looking for some kind of standardized “back” button, as much of the editing required clicking into new menus. Once there, I found it a little challenging to get back to where I was and continue whatever I had set out to do. I also thought it would be useful to be able to browse through the presets on the layer source screen; this would allow you to quickly customize the presets without having to switch back and forth between different pages. Since the macros are such a significant part of the Analog Strings interface, I also felt the customization functionality could be improved here. While it’s easy to swap in and out different macros, none of these have any preset assignments; for example, if you replace the filter macro with

the pulse macro on a preset, the pulse slider would still be modifying the “filter” effects. I found it confusing to customize these macros, and the navigation challenges proved particularly frustrating here. All in all, it seemed a bit out of sync with Analog Strings’ noteworthy ease-of-use interface. Analog Strings is not for everyone. Producers in search of screaming EDM leads or rattling, wobbling dubstep basslines would probably not

say that I particularly enjoyed simply being able to pair the S1 Pro to my iPhone, and listen to music — whether at home, in the garage, or during gig set-up, as the case may be. And for that application, without exaggeration, it was the best darned Bluetooth speaker I’ve ever had the privilege of using. Sound quality was superb — something Bluetooth isn’t particularly known for — and Bose even ensured that the infamous interference and chuffing sound of smartphones on GSM cellular networks (e.g., AT&T, TMobile) doesn’t make it into the audio stream. Nice. So casual uses aside, back to business here. The S1 Pro can be used in a number of different configurations, although only a couple might be of interest to mobile DJs. For a start, as mentioned in passing earlier, you can set it on its side, tilted upward, in a wedge configuration. You can stand

it upright, straight up. You can stand it upright, tilted back, for use when placed on the ground (busker-style). Or, with its integrated 35-mm speaker-stand pole port on the bottom, you can mount it atop standard speaker stands and elevate the unit where you need to, in order to get sound into a room. Bose specs claim a frequency response of 70 Hz to 16 kHz, but quite honestly, the perceived performance seems better than the spec sheet would suggest. In my own testing, the low-end was quite solid, although sure, you’re obviously not going to get that glorious sub-audible thump for your EDM material – for that, you’ll need a decent subwoofer inline, too. (Bose has you covered there as well, with the F1 Subwoofer.) Bose doesn’t publish amplifier specs for the S1 Pro, but they do say that the unit delivers 103 dB of sound,

max, at 1 meter – a pretty significant punch. That being said, the S1 Pro isn’t going to replace your primary, “bigiron,” mobile-DJ loudspeaker set-up. But for use in smaller venues, or as a booth monitor, it has its applications, and I’d posit that Bose has indeed carved out an interesting niche for this new offering. Perhaps the unit’s only drawback is, for some, the price point; quality doesn’t come cheap, and neither, typically, does the Bose brand. The S1 Pro clocks in at $599 a pop (street price). But for the versatility it provides, one might say that the S1 Pro is really not a bad value. To be honest, I wish I could find as much value in all of my DJ gear while kicking around in my garage, working on one of my MINI Coopers. Alas, only the S1 Pro gets to come out and play on my off hours. Now that’s versatility.

jn, Ilyus & Barrientos, Josh Butler and more. FaderPro pricing varies depends on which course you choose. A-la-carte prices range from $19.99 to $59.99. With most classes, you’re getting from 10 to 20 “chapters,” and with many of the projects you get extras –including audio files to download, sample libraries, and DAW project files. After spending a lot of time with the two MasterClass courses, Fader-

Pro felt quite different at first. There’s no uniform production style here. Gone are the splashy animated bumpers and stylish studio lighting. But essentially, you’re getting the same sort of content: an extended studio session with a dance-music producer at work, explaining the what and why they are doing things as they go along. I checked out a few of the courses available on FaderPro and I was very satisfied with the experience. Once

again, the course flow is very much dependent on the instructor’s personality and personal habits – there’s no set curriculum or structure in place here. And it reinforces once again, that there’s no single way of skinning the cat when it comes to approaching dance music production. FaderPro is recommended if you want to stay focused on production. The classes I viewed were entirely based on studio work – there’s no ex-

be interested in the sound options available here. But for anyone who wants to quickly ramp up the strings in their productions, and have a lot of fun doing so, I think Analog Strings is a worthwhile purchase. And for those who are really enthusiastic about strings, Output has really done a great job with this release. It’ll be fun to keep an eye on Output for years to come as they continue to raise the bar with each new product.

Mobile

(continued from page 30) My co-host is Mike Alevras from HVE Associates in New York. He was incredibly helpful with making last year’s competition the success that it was. He’s a wonderful entertainer and incredibly talented. I’m really lucky to have him.

The biggest change for this year’s competition is the addition of what we call a “shot clock.” Competitors have one minute to introduce themselves and their routine.

If they go over, they are penalized a few points from their total. In the actual performance, they have eight minutes and 30 seconds to complete their routine. They are not penalized for going over, but receive bonus points for staying under time. DJ Expo’s Entertainer of the Year competition will take place Aug. 15 at Haven Nightclub in the Golden Nugget Atlantic City. For the latest on DJ Expo, please visit www.thedjexpo.com.

Sounding Off

(continued from page 28) the unit sports three different inputs, two of which can be specifically set for either microphone or instrument use. Each offers inline reverb, as well as separate bass and treble EQ controls, and, of course, separate gain controls letting you mix as needed. For mobile DJs, of course, the mic/ guitar switch would be set in the third (“off”) position, along with the reverb. You can still avail yourself of dual ¼-inch/XLR connectors on both of those two channels. It’s worth noting here, too, that there’s a ¼-inch line output (TS/TRS balanced) for daisy-chaining speakers together, if desired. There is a third channel available on the S1 Pro as well, which can be used with either an 1/8-inch wired aux input, or Bluetooth. I suppose there might be some legitimate applications for Bluetooth input that perhaps I’m overlooking, but I have to

DJ TIMES

DJ EXPO 2018

Lessons Learned

(continued from page 21) partners include label heavyweights like Toolroom, Armada and Hospital Records. Like MasterClass, FaderPro is celebrity-driven… only in this case, the celebrities are probably best known to other DJs and seasoned clubbers. Veteran artists like Roger Sanchez, Harry Romero, Mark Knight and Sander Kleinenberg are featured alongside up-and-comers Eelke Klei-

MP3s in 6

Compiled As July 24, 2018

NATIONAL CROSSOVER POOL CHART

NATIONAL URBAN POOL CHART

1 Calvin Harris F/ Dua Lipa 2 Ariana Grande 3 Cardi B / Bad Bunny & J. Balvin 4 Halsey F/ Big Sean & Stefflon Don 5 Zedd F/ Maren Morris 6 Marshmello & Anne-Marie 7 Manuel Riva FT/ Alexandra Stan 8 Maroon 5 F/ Cardi B 9 Celine Dion 10 Bazzi 11 U2 12 Enrique Iglesias F/ PitBull 13 Dennis Lloyd 14 Donna Summer 15 Backstreet Boys 16 Camila Cabello 17 Shawn Mendes 18 Selena Gomez 19 Riat Ora F/ Cardi B, Bebe & Charli XCX 20 Tiesto & Dzeko F/ Preme 21 Charlie Puth F/ Kehlani 22 Metro F/ Nelly Furtado 23 Diana Ross 24 Troy Sivan 25 Arlissa & Jonas Blue 26 Craig David 27 DJs From Mars 28 Brice Vine 29 Emily Perry 30 Enrique Iglesias / F Bad Bunny 31 Odella F/ Ivory Lee 32 Cara Alessia 33 Camille 34 Chris Cox & Lee Dagger 35 Kygo 36 Sir Ivan 37 Dark Intensity F/ Angelica Joni 38 Paris Hilton 39 Foster The People 40 Jennifer Lopez F/ DJ Khaled, Cardi B

Most Added Tracks

1 Sir Ivan 2 Metro F/ Nelly Furtado 3 Tiesto & Dzeko F/ Preme & Post Malone 4 Jonas Blue F/ Jack & Jack 5 Djs From Mars 6 Emily Perry 7 Chris Cox & Lee Dagger 8 Christina Aguilera 9 BTS 10 Diana Ross

One Kiss Columbia No Tears Left To Cry Republic I Like It Atlantic Alone Capitol The Middle Interscope Friends Warner Brothers Miami Radikal Girls Like You Interscope Ashes Columbia Mine Atlantic Love Is Bigger Than Anything Island Move To Miami RCA Nevermind Warner Brothers Hot Stuff 2018 Universal Don’t Go Breaking My Heart RCA Never Be The Same Epic In My Blood Republic Back To You Interscope Girls Roc Nation Jackie Chan Republic Done For Me Atlantic Sticks & Stones Radikal I’m Coming Out-Upside Down Motown My My My! Capitol Hearts Ain’t Gonna Lie Def Jam I Know You RCA Somewhere Above The Clouds Radikal Drew Barrymore Warner Brothers Summer On Lock Dauman El Baño Sony Shine Global Groove Growing Pains Def Jam Choose Hope Zarion Messin’ With My Mind Carrillo Remind Me To Forget Ultra Get Together Peaceman I’m Still Alive 418 Music I Need You Warner Brothers Sit Next To Me Columbia Dinero Epic Get Together Peaceman Sticks & Stones Radikal Jackie Chan Republic Rise Capitol Somewhere Above The Clouds Radikal Summer On Lock Dauman Messin’ With My Mind Carrillo Accelerate RCA Fake Love Columbia I’m Coming Out-Upside Down Motown

REPORTING POOLS n Peter

K. Productions Peter K n OMAP - Washington, DC; Al Chasen n Carlos Cabrera Nashville,TN n Gary Canavo Masspool Saugus,MA n Blake Eckelbarger Dj Stickyboots Goshen,NJ n Chris Egner Victors Milwaukee,WI n The Dance Environment Retail Radio Powered By Spectrio n Manny Esparza Nexus Radio Chicago,IL n Ilan Fong Kahoots Columbus,OH n Howard HK Kessler In The Mix With HK Minneapolis,MN n Sam Labelle Soundworks San Francisco,CA n Dan Mathews Klubjumpers / RHYTHM 105.9 FM KRYC Sacramento, CA n Randy Schlager Music Manager NA / Soundtrack Your Band Seattle,WA n Brian Stephens Mixxmasters Lithonia,GA n Steve Tsepelis Pacific Coast DJs Long Beach,CA n Gary Canavo Masspool Revere,MA

LOOKING FOR THESE TITLES? YOU CAN HEAR THEM AND BUY THEM AT WWW.DANCEKINGS. COM. JUST CLICK ON THE LINKS IN THE CHART. DDK HAS LIMITED MEMBERSHIPS AVAILABLE

One Kiss No Tears Left To Cry I Like It Alone The Middle Friends Miami Girls Like You Ashes Mine Love Is Bigger Than Anything Move To Miami Nevermind Hot Stuff 2018 Don’t Go Breaking My Heart Never Be The Same In My Blood Back To You Girls Jackie Chan

Columbia Republic Atlantic Capitol Interscope Warner Brothers Radikal Interscope Columbia Atlantic Island RCA Warner Brothers Universal RCA Epic Republic Interscope Roc Nation Republic

Most Added Tracks 1 2 3 4 5

The Carters Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin Tyga F/ Offset Lil Baby & Drake 2 Chainz F/ Quavo & Drake

Apes**t I Like It Taste Yes Indeed Bigger Than You

Roc Nation Atlantic Empire Capitol Def Jam

NATIONAL LATIN DANCE POOL CHART 1. Ely Holguin 2. Tony Marino 3. Bori 4. Fherramy 5. Daddy Yankee 6. Soleil J feat Maffio 7. Tito Rojas 8. William Melendez 9. Choco Orta 10. Charlie Aponte 11. Pabanor featt Bianca 12. Karol G & Shaggy feat El Capitan 13. Rolf Sanchez feat Farruko 14. Maluma - El Prestamo 15 Zion & Lennox 16. Justin Quiles feat Zion & Lennox 17. Romeo 18. Maelo Ruiz 19. Karol G 20. Juanes

Aventura Medley I Can’t Stop Loving You Saborearte De Nuevo Al Diablo Lo Que Diga La Gente Dura No Me Arrepiento El Doctor Boogaloo Baby Mi Buenaventura Mi Salsa Se Hizo Para Bailar Tu Me Pones Mal Tu Pum Pum Te Va a Doler Sony La Playera No quiero Amarte Centavito Por Volver a Amarte Mi Cama Pa’ Dentro

Cookies Empire Enforce Hot Song Music Hi Song Music El Cartel Crossover TR Cookita prod. co CA Pegasus Afterclub Latin Hits Ent. Summa Ent. Warner Sony MR Universal Universal

Most Added Tracks 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Pabanor feat U4ria Maluma feat Nego Do Borel Willie Gonzalez Jennifer Lopez feat DJ Khaled & Cardi B. Ala Haza

So Sexy/Tan Sexy Corazon Cuando Estoy Con Ella Dinero Mi Forma De Ser

Pegassus Sony I.M. Epic Carbon

REPORTING LATIN POOLS n Latinos Unidos Record Pool n Salsamania Latin Record Pool n Lobo/Bass

Record Pool n Urban Tropics Music Pool n North East Record Pool n Mixx Hitts Record Pool n Ritmo Camacho Record Pool n Ritmo Internacional Record Pool n DJ Latinos Record Pool n Mass Pool n Record Pool Latino n V.I.P. Chicago Record Pool. ATTENTION DJ TIMES READERS: DJ Times is currently looking for DJs that are interested in reporting to the DJ National Dance/Crossover chart and the DJ Times National Urban Dance chart. Reporterships are open to Record Pools and individual DJs. For more information contact: Dan Miller, dmiller@testa.com

tra discussion about DJing technique or music industry advice. This to-thepoint approach is ideal if you don’t have a lot of time to spend watching extraneous material. Instead of going for the one-sizefits-all approach that MasterClass uses, FaderPro offers up a wider range of dance genres. While it’s true that techno producers could glean valuable advice from an Armin van Buuren class, it may be hard to sit through an entire course if you personally have no affection for the music style. Plus, different genres focus on different techniques: trance favors bombastic chord progressions and epic breakdowns, while the underground sounds are more about subtle changes and hypnotic grooves. One of the most important things producers can learn are some of the time-saving DAW tricks that veterans have accumulated. While you’re watching these lessons, you’ll come across a number of these. Harry Romero’s FaderPro “Finish My Record” lesson was particularly useful. In Logic Pro X, I learned how to loop an element of his track from the start

Ghastly

(continued from page 19) ration, it will happen naturally and organically. DJ Times: Which DJ/producers are you really feeling now? Ghastly: Nitti Gritti, DMVU, Kompany, and Space Laces. DJ Times: Where do you find inspiration? Ghastly: Memories. DJ Times: When it comes to production, can you walk us through a studio session with Ghastly? Ghastly: A Ghastly studio session? Fail, repeat, fail, repeat, fail, repeat, fail, repeat, get it right – cool! Fail, repeat,

Conclusions With the limitless combination of tools producers have at their disposal these days, it’s true that there’s no singular approach to making music. That can be a bit disorienting at first. But the advantage of watching multiple artist videos is that you’ll discover there is some consensus on certain production techniques. Almost every artist video I watched featured the producer layering multiple kick drums, and EQing and compressing them together in order to shape their final kick. Also, using Ableton Live’s envelope tool as a way to chop up drum loops was a technique both deadmau5 and Funkagenda used in their videos. Similarly, both Harry Romero

and Funkagenda used Ableton Live’s Simpler plug-in to audition multiple drum samples and shape the sound while building their tracks. And the LFO Tool by XFer Records was used in almost all of the courses I saw. And finally, everyone stressed the importance of using EQ to roll off low-end frequencies, so your kick drums can shine through in the mix. For dance-music producers, especially those who are just getting started, there’s a tendency to feel like you’re always needing “something else” to get you where you want to be. There’s always another synth, another plug-in, that newest drum machine – the idea being that once you’ve got that, you’re finally on the road to production perfection. Or you might find yourself thinking that experts have access to a totally different set of tools than you do. But what was really refreshing from watching these courses is realizing how much I had in common with the pros. All the teachers spent a lot of time on their videos scrolling through sample loops, or auditioning presets, or searching through libraries of kicks and hats

to find sounds they liked. So much of production is trial-and-error, no matter who is in control. What I realized is that accessing these platforms can be a convenient way to download a lot of useful information. In the end, the best way to learn how to produce music is to do it yourself and spend the time in the studio to master your tools you have. Being a successful artist comes down to creativity and individuality in the end, attributes that cannot necessarily be taught or imparted to you. But learning from established producers is an efficient way to make the most of the time you do have to spend in the studio. Top-notch artists don’t have a lot of spare time to spend with fans discussing studio stuff. And access that they give to their knowledge, thought process and vault of tricks and techniques is something you can only get from those artists directly. Technology has enabled sites like MasterClass.com and FaderPro.com to provide up-and-coming artists with that access – what you do with it is still very much up to the producers themselves. n

fail, repeat, get it right – dope! DJ Times: What are some highlights of your studio arsenal? Ghastly: Native Instruments’ MASSIVE [soft-synth plug-in], Xfer Records’ Serum [wavetable synth], iZotope Ozone, and Ableton Live 10 [DAW]. DJ Times: How do you like to organize your workflow? Ghastly: I don’t. I am the most scatterbrained individual you will ever meet. I can hardly keep track of my own feet. DJ Times: It seems metal/dubstep hybrid tracks are becoming quite the

fan-favorite throughout the bass community. What is your opinion on this fusion of genres? A long time coming? Ghastly: Everything comes in phases and everything grows and falls in popularity. Nothing that is popular now will be popular next year, and what’s popular right now will have some type of growth in the next year. Mixing genres is crucial to discover new sounds and I’m glad that everything comes in phases and everything grows and falls in popularity. I’m glad that metal is more prevalent in bass music, but it has been for quite some time now – only difference is people aren’t afraid to scream with the

song any more. DJ Times: After a debut album release, then a successful headlining tour, what’s next for you? Ghastly: Well, we are barely starting the second leg of the tour next week, but I’m also already writing a new EP and doing some remixes. I’m also filming some music videos – some short films – while also creating a new live-streaming show and continuing my YouTube episodes. I’m doing all this while trying to balance a healthy family and social life. I’m busy as fuck, but I couldn’t be happier. n

of an arrangement to the end, and then convert those loops into separate regions. This lets you map out an entire arrangement quickly – then you can adjust and subtract the sections you want to keep or remove. Getting tracks finished and moving a project along is one of the best practices for new producers.

DJ Expo’s “Entertainer of the Year” Event I’m proof that, with talent & drive…

You can make your dreams come true.

DJ TIMES

Photos by MetroMix Media

DJ EXPO 2018

I’m Ricardo Medrano & I won the ’17 title.

DJ Expo Wrap-Up, Next Month in DJ Times

DJ Times DJ EXPO ISSUE 2018, Vol 31 No 7

Articles inside

Studio Lessons

Comeback Kid