Category: DJ 101

TESTING?ONE?TWO

After you’ve ripped your content, you should spend some time testing and practicing. Time is always an issue, so first make sure to time yourself putting together and tearing down the system. Run it live at home and practice using it live. Make some mix CDs to hear how it sounds. Are there glitches and skips? Refer back to message boards for optimal settings (especially for latency).

Like the first time you used CDs, it will take time to get used to and feel comfortable spinning in this new way. Laptop DJing offers many additional options and features, so take the time to dive deep into it. Get to know your controller intimately ? it’s your connection to the crowd because it will allow you to perform all the tricks and techniques that make you unique.

If you are spinning music videos, you need to master mixing not only the music but also the video. Alternating between different transitions/wipes will keep your performance fresh; don’t use the same one each time. Another consideration is whether or not the software automatically triggers visuals for songs that don’t have videos. Will you handle that by switching to a separate visual source?

While you are testing, set up a playlist to run for several hours; if you are going to spin a six-hour set, then have the system run to ensure its stability. See what happens if a piece of gear gets unplugged. Test if or for how long the system can run without power. Get to know your entire system like a single piece of gear; there will always be some unique things that happen that you’ll have to figure out on the fly. Also, other DJs, club staff and interested spectators will ask all kinds of questions about your setup.

Going live

When it’s time to finally gig, arrive early for a complete soundcheck. The first time you set up, you’ll run into some hitches, so allow a lot of time to work through them. Carry a list of all the gear in the bag to ensure that what comes out also goes back in.

For backup, cue up an emergency CD or iPod to go at a second’s notice. Scotty B from Promo Only uses an iPod with a preprogrammed set in case of emergencies. The fear of dead air scares many DJs from going laptop, and after six years of laptop DJing I still carry a backup CD. There have been three times when the power cables came out or the power went down.

The most cutting-edge technology will not make you a great performer, but the power of computer DJing gives you more tools to put on a great show. If you just stand there pressing the Sync key between loading tracks, that’s not really a show. Practice your skills, read the audience, program the best content and have fun. Remember, as the entertainer, it’s your responsibility to bring the party.

CONNECTING THE DOTS

Before buying a laptop, think about the external hardware you’ll use. External ports can be a deciding factor; the correct amount and type of connectivity may affect which laptop you purchase. You will need a USB 2.0 port for the controller, a USB 2.0 or an FW400 port for the soundcard (this depends on if your controller has a soundcard), an FW800/E-Sata/USB 3.0 port for the external hard drive and possibly additional ports for powering other external devices or simply for a travel mouse. Whatever minimum memory and storage specifications are given for the software you choose, double it ? especially if you plan to mix music videos.

You should use your performance laptop only for performance because once you’ve got it running and stabilized, there is no need to mess things up with outside programs, new untested configurations and so on. Programs don’t always play nicely together, and spinning at a club isn’t the best time to discover that.
IT’S ALL ABOUT ACCESSORIES

The right accessories will ensure that your laptop setup runs flawlessly. A solid surge-protector strip should be in your bag because many DJ booths don’t have enough free outlets. Ground-lift adapters (outlet converters) are also necessary to have on hand in case a mysterious power hum appears ? you never know how a club is wired. And carry gaffer tape to secure your cables that could be knocked out during an absentminded moment or by an overenthusiastic fan.

The right laptop stand will save space and your back from continuous hunching-over. The Stanton Uberstand ($100; www.stantondj.com) folds up to the size of a record and flips into a three-tier stand to either slide over unmovable turntables or provide three levels (controller, soundcard, laptop) to make efficient use of space. A padded laptop bag big enough to hold everything is also essential. Manufacturers are tailoring bags to hardware/software setups.? If you fly, double-check the size restrictions for carry-ons; you surely do not want to check your laptop. When flying, be prepared to take out the laptop, controller and hard drive for separate scanning. Large electronic devices often trigger TSA scrutiny.

CAPACITY CROWD

With large laptop internal hard drives, you can store thousands of 320-bit MP3s (though many DJs use only larger-size CD-quality WAV or AIFF files). Video files take up much more space (normally 50 MB per minute for usable quality), so an external hard drive is essential. Sending video signals also takes more bandwidth than audio, so while a USB 2.0 drive is good for audio; FireWire 800, E-Sata and USB3 are better connections for video. For video drives, pay attention to drive speed (7200 RPM is essential), chip set (Oxford allows for quick read/write and multistreams) and buffer (bigger is better ? go for 16 MB or 32 MB). The 2TB external drives have fallen to low prices now, and 3TB are becoming reasonably priced.

SIGHT FOR THE SOUND

Every club has a different video system, so having multiple video-output options is important. DVI can be converted to HDMI for a solid digital signal. VGA is the best of the analog video signals, looks fine on most systems and can easily be down-converted to S-Video or composite video for older setups. It’s a good idea to have all conversion plugs on hand ? DVI, VGA, S-Video and composite ? so you’re ready for whatever the club has.

If you’re VJing for the first time, the important topic of content always comes up. This is a question of style, as well as availability. While some VJs use music videos, others prefer to play visualizations to accompany their track. You can find video content anywhere, and there are legal issues with usage and re-editing that I don’t have the room to go into here. Finding music videos is often a challenge, especially for current releases. The best place to start is with video pool subscription services ? most notably Promo Only which offers DVDs as well as the online POOL service. Check back on those message boards for the many different ways to rip files for use on a computer system.

Regarding video content, the primary concern should be quality, not quantity. Yes, YouTube has lots of great videos, but the compression on some clips and audio quality doesn’t sound great in a club. Depending on the software that you use, MP4 compression has become a standard though many DJs use Mpeg-2 compression as well. VJs also talk about pushing things to the HD level, as well. While that’s definitely on the way, I don’t see many clubs jumping on the HD bandwagon right away, due not only to expense but also to lack of content and usable equipment.
Lastly, keep in mind the brightness of videos. Videos that are excessively bright or set on a white background might make the club too bright and will upset the lighting technician.