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Re: Re: [microsound] Make your own vinyl



There are a couple items at work here. First off, issues of sound quality
and "pre-laid" DJ sets, both these items are not items that should be held
against the concept of digital medium, as they are nearly the result of
choices made by the "DJ". All it takes is for someone to put wavs/aiffs or
even 320kbps mp3 into their libraries instead of low grade audio, and for
someone to play the tracks off the cuff, like a regular ol' DJ - using Final
Scratch or Traktor does not mean, in any shape or form, that someone has
prepared things before hand.

The problem with vinyl is that it's so limiting in terms of what source
material is available and the fact that creativity can only go so far
without a digital backbone - you can only play a record in so many ways.
There isn't a damned thing you can do with vinyl that you can't with these
new technologies ("scratch artists" and phonographic experimentalists - go
home, I'm not talking to you, just DJ's ;) ) Plus, you have all the extras:

With outboard fx and the new looping tools, for example, found in Traktor DJ
Studio (compatible with Final Scratch 2 now),  there are many more ways in
which you can play your tracks. (building interesting remixes and climatic
builds and things on the fly, for eg). Also, technologies that automatically
synchronize tempos and things (which I don't like to use because they take
some of the fun away from it) should not be viewed as some sort of
work-around for folks without skills or something... IMHO, the simple act of
beatmatching, although crucial to the game and culture of it, has almost
become redundant - a DJ set is about so much more than how well you make two
tracks match up. It's about building structures that not only work well
together, but compliment each other and unlock new context. Beatmatching is
only the beginning and while it is 100% essential that it exists to make the
"DJ thing" work, it has always been the first basic stepping stone in Djing
and now... The methods no longer matter. It's slightly silly how DJ culture
has continued on for the last few years, and it seems more and more that
people are becoming defensive of the "old way" as these new technologies
emerge, and trying to strike down any sort of validity of the new forms
whenever given the chance. Simple facts: If you do things the "old way" and
are good at it.. You're good at being a vinyl DJ. If you know the new
technology but suck, well, you still suck. But if you are a masterful DJ
with an expertise in these "new forms", you'll feel a lot more gratified
(and be a lot more successful) as you delve deeper and deeper.
-adam


On 5/31/05 8:39 PM, "microsound-digest-help@xxxxxxxxxxxxx"
<microsound-digest-help@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Date: Tue, 31 May 2005 16:29:31 -0700 (PDT)
> To: microsound <microsound@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> From: tasty radish <tastyradish@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: [microsound] Make your own vinyl
> Message-ID: <20050531232931.51367.qmail@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> 
> yeah, aside from the sheer pain of lugging heavy
> records around, it is still the best dj medium, by
> far. even the little things -- like searching thru
> records for the right song/groove are far more
> exciting/fun & rewarding then having your eyes glued
> to the screen, scrolling thru lists for a passable
> (sound quality-wise) mp3... (i am endlessly surprised
> that people think mp3's sound ok over a serious sound
> system.. to me it they sound sub-standard most often
> -> the highs are off, the low end is shyte, etc. etc.
> No? I mean come on.. mp3's, aside from their
> portability are crap...)
> 
> 
> But, the dream of digital is exciting (modular,
> sleekly portable, endlessly flexible, huge storage,
> etc.). And it will come one way or the other...
> 
> right now, you can spend a whole lot of time neatly
> organizing your laptop dj thang to be some kind of
> incredible set, with all kinds of segueys etc.
> 
> but to me, this doesn't seem like dj'ing, as much as a
> kind of presentation.
> 
> To me, what makes dj'ing take off is a certain direct
> instrumental spontaneoity, that goes on live, not
> fixed sets, or limited range of physical change you
> can make to the sound (i.e. the ridiculous scratching
> on Traktor or Mixx, etc.).   At present, records are
> essential -- for the real dj set...
> 
> -Andrew


adam young
519.331.6095
tractile.net | direwires.com | adyo.info



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