Laptop Djing

Hello All,

Anyone out there know of a good freeware download to use to DJ with my OS X Powerbook?

Thanks!

well i can't make any specific recommendations, it really is more which sw works best for you… a couple of starting points.

http://www.nativeinstruments.de/index.php?id=traktorplayer_us

http://www.sonophile.com/

I thought you needed turntables to be a DJ? ;)

stumbled across this thread on engadget, haven't waded all the way through yet, but looks like a good overview

http://ask.engadget.com/entry/1234000577045447/

vinyl purists,

what's your take on this? does this make you angry? i'm curious… does using a laptop make one any less of a dj(lj?)?

or as long as the song selection is good and the house is proverbially "rocked"…it doesn't matter?

if you walk into a bar and dude at the booth is pushing buttons on his G4 iBook… do they get automatic "inferior dj" status in your eyes?

(root, hope you don't mind me hijacking your post for a bit)

I thought this was going to be one of Rhett's masturbation topics….."laptop DJ'ing!"

Originally posted by SalParadise:
vinyl purists,

what's your take on this? does this make you angry? i'm curious… does using a laptop make one any less of a dj(lj?)?

or as long as the song selection is good and the house is proverbially "rocked"…it doesn't matter?

Bob Mould DJs on his Mac. Though he also messes with the songs, "DJ-iffying" them in advance….

Originally posted by SalParadise:
vinyl purists,

what's your take on this? does this make you angry? i'm curious… does using a laptop make one any less of a dj(lj?)?

or as long as the song selection is good and the house is proverbially "rocked"…it doesn't matter?

if you walk into a bar and dude at the booth is pushing buttons on his G4 iBook… do they get automatic "inferior dj" status in your eyes?

(root, hope you don't mind me hijacking your post for a bit)

Well I'm considering buying a laptop to DJ with in order to carry around less CDs. It would be nice to create a core library on a laptop thast always ready to go.

If the DJ is creating the right flow it should not matter if he's pushing buttons on the CD player, Laptop, etc. Besides some vinyl DJs are using the Final Scratch product on thier turntables in order to control digital files stored on a laptop.

It's really only bogus if you are faking it with a premixed cdr

Originally posted by root:
Hello All,

Anyone out there know of a good freeware download to use to DJ with my OS X Powerbook?

Thanks!

No Mac suggestions but I'm curious: are you looking to be a "laptop" musician type DJ or a Davis DJ, or something in between?

Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:

Originally posted by SalParadise:
vinyl purists,

what's your take on this? does this make you angry? i'm curious… does using a laptop make one any less of a dj(lj?)?

or as long as the song selection is good and the house is proverbially "rocked"…it doesn't matter?

if you walk into a bar and dude at the booth is pushing buttons on his G4 iBook… do they get automatic "inferior dj" status in your eyes?

(root, hope you don't mind me hijacking your post for a bit)

Well I'm considering buying a laptop to DJ with in order to carry around less CDs. It would be nice to create a core library on a laptop thast always ready to go.

If the DJ is creating the right flow it should not matter if he's pushing buttons on the CD player, Laptop, etc. Besides some vinyl DJs are using the Final Scratch product on thier turntables in order to control digital files stored on a laptop.

It's really only bogus if you are faking it with a premixed cdr

i agree. there's no stopping technology. even dj jazzy jeff made the switch to Final Scratch a while ago. supposedly vinyl will no longer be made after 2009.

i did have one incident (with modern, in g'town) where the guy heard a mix i made, told me he wanted to book me….and then changed his mind when he found out i was blending CDs.

people play premixed cdrs??

I been a professional Progressive / Tech house DJ for over 10 years (just ask Sonicteam, he was @ my first gig and one of the last). Over time I have gotten tired of typical dance music and have gotten really into indie rock and stuff like that. I was interested in doing patries lately, but more like shows with bands and such. So it's much easier to DJ indie rock and the like with a laptop as opposed to CD mixers or hunting down expensive vinyl.

When I was DJing house and techno I was a vinyl purist in the highest regard! But there is not much beat matching when spinning indie rock, so why bother! (and LP pressings blow for the most part).

dig?
;)

i can vouch for root! he's djed around the world too!! and he knows Scott Henry :)

well, I agree, I could be construed as a vinyl guy myself, but its damn expensive and if you can use computers to manipulate music in a cool way, then its a DJ nonetheless.

besides, by 1997 or so, most of the DJs spinning at clubs and raves were simply beat matching records and i dont see much difference between beat matching records or CDs.

was i really at your first gig? shit! when was that?

Originally posted by root:
I been a professional Progressive / Tech house DJ for over 10 years (just ask Sonicteam, he was @ my first gig and one of the last). Over time I have gotten tired of typical dance music and have gotten really into indie rock and stuff like that. I was interested in doing patries lately, but more like shows with bands and such. So it's much easier to DJ indie rock and the like with a laptop as opposed to CD mixers or hunting down expensive vinyl.

When I was DJing house and techno I was a vinyl purist in the highest regard! But there is not much beat matching when spinning indie rock, so why bother! (and LP pressings blow for the most part).

dig?
;)

nice…an open-minded vinyl purist. warms my heart.

5th Dimension 1994 (westminny!) hahaha…

Originally posted by root:
5th Dimension 1994 (westminny!) hahaha…

HOLY CRAP!! hahaha, thats crazy. i do remember that. i think i have a flyer for it actually. maybe.

interesting that you abandoning your vinyl… with the arrival back on the scene of Kraftwerk and growing popularity of LCD Soundsystem, i've been tempted to blow the dust of my collection of non white label Detroit Techno 12"s.

and i've heard rumours of djs faking it to CDRs…

Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
i've been tempted to blow the dust of my collection of non white label Detroit Techno 12"s.

cause you wanna make something real?

Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
interesting that you abandoning your vinyl… with the arrival back on the scene of Kraftwerk and growing popularity of LCD Soundsystem, i've been tempted to blow the dust of my collection of non white label Detroit Techno 12"s.

and i've heard rumours of djs faking it to CDRs…

Thats the thing, i have never been a fan of Kraftwerk, although i respect thier pioneering and the new stuff like LCD dosent do it for me either… the wheel keeps being re-invented :confused:

Originally posted by sonickteam4:

Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
i've been tempted to blow the dust of my collection of non white label Detroit Techno 12"s.

cause you wanna make something real?

he wants to make a Yaz record.

as long as you can play a selection of music thats suitable and enjoyable for the setting, then you're a good DJ in my book.

whether its scratching and cutting up some vinyl, just beat matching techno 12"s or picking out a handy selection of songs in between bands at a concert.