DJ Simple

Major changes in Buffalo’s Nightlife since the “days of old” but is it for the better?

DJ Simple — Fri, 25 May 2012 21:07:17 +0000

During a recent meeting between some local Buffalo DJs there was quite a bit of talk about the current state of Buffalo nightlife. The interesting thing about this particular group of DJs in attendance was the range of experience. While it was mostly DJs that had been in the scene for anywhere from 5 to 15 years there were also DJs that had been in the scene since the 80s! This depth of experience brought about the comparison of the present state of Buffalo nightlife to that of Buffalo nightlife from the days of old! It was great to have people who were there and lived in those times because they were able to show some of us younger DJs in the scene (relatively speaking) just how much things have changed. One difference that was pointed out is the lack of “hot spots” from night-to-night. It used to be that you would know what place would be the guaranteed party spot if you couldn’t find anywhere else or didn’t feel like looking for a new spot on any given night of the week. It wouldn’t just be one place that was jumping every night of the week either. Monday’s would be great for one particular spot while Tuesday’s were another spot and so on throughout the week. I have a couple of choice spots for myself to go hangout if I’m not working but I honestly find myself wondering what the “hot spot” is most nights of the week. Can you name the hot spot in Buffalo for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or even Sunday nights? In my opinion there are too many places competing to bring in the same kind of crowd on the same nights of the week, Thursday/Friday/Saturday in particular. I was going to say that the Buffalo nightlife scene needs more diversity, however there is a good bit of diversity in the area. You can find DJs trying to play different kinds of music in different places around the city however I’ve noticed a lack of support for anything outside of the mainstream club culture. It could be a lack of promotion for those nights at those places or it could be a general lack of interest from Buffalonians for anything outside of mainstream club music. Could it be only one of those two things, a combination of both, or something completely different keeping these other nights off the chip strip mildly successful if at all? Also, do you think the Chippewa strip is diverse musically or is it a lot of the same music from one club to another? The other major change, and most important to DJs in the scene, is the shift from owners or promoters bringing in a crowd for the DJs to entertain to owners expecting the DJs to bring their own crowd along with entertaining them. DJs are being tasked with the job of a promoter as well as trying to stay on top of all the latest music being released daily! They are also expected to do all of this for LESS MONEY!! If you have never tried being a promoter or a DJ I’ll give you an idea of what is involved in both jobs. Imagine trying to put together something for yourself, let’s say a birthday party. You have to find a place to have your party, find something to entertain your guests for the party and then invite your guests. Sounds easy enough right? Well if you have ever tried to throw a party of any kind before, then you know that getting the place and the entertainment are not nearly as difficult as getting the guests to actually show up. You may invite all 50 or 60 people who you personally know to show up for your birthday party but chances are that only 5-10 people will actually show up. Now imagine trying to fill a club with 200-300 people on a weekly basis. This can be a full-time job in and of itself. Then add to that practicing your craft as a DJ and searching for the latest and greatest dance/club music to entertain your guests at the party. Searching for good music can take quite a bit of time unless you are content with only playing all of the music from the Billboard charts but even that music can take time to gather especially if you want to find some cool remixes of those songs people know and love. Do you think the DJ should be tasked with being the promoter as well? If so, should they get more money for having to do more work? With the explosion of social media and online networking sites it HAS given DJs the ability to keep fans informed of when and where they will be playing. It has also given anyone with a social media/networking account the ability to keep in touch with large numbers of people, so does that mean that anyone with 2, 3, 4, or even 10 thousand friends and a hard drive with all the latest music can be a club DJ? It almost seems to be the case because there are clubs allowing people with no skills but who have a large Facebook friends list and a hard drive full of Billboard hits to be their resident DJ. Mainly because owners know that they can take advantage of these young naive kids who don’t know that playing music for 5 or 6 hours for $50-$75 and a bar tab isn’t going to make you a famous DJ. The only thing it is doing is putting money into the pockets of the bar owner which is money that could be going into you’re pocket as a DJ if you REALLY knew what you were doing. Your friends are supposed to be coming out to YOUR NIGHT to support YOU THE DJ but they are really ONLY SUPPORTING THE BAR/CLUB! The owners are not idiots, if they know they can get more for less than they will do just that if you allow it. If you want to be a dope DJ and spin at the “hot spot” then you have to find a place that is willing to work with you to either build a night up and make it the “hot spot” or find somewhere that is already considered to be the “hot spot” and see if that DJ will let you jump on with them. The latter of the two is HIGHLY unlikely as it took that DJ and that promoter or club/bar owner time and money to get that night to where it is.

Battle @ Buffalo THIS SATURDAY MAY 26th 7pm at Verve Dance Studio 80′s Theme!!

DJ Simple — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:17:00 +0000

Hello B@B Fans!

This month’s battle is changin’ the game. For the first time in B@B history we are having an 80′s themed battle!

That’s right, bust out your spandex and head bands and get ready to bust a move to your favorite songs from the 80′s.

To set the atmosphere we will kick off the night with hip hop and dance tunes from the glam decade brought to you by Dj Trev Thorn, as the night continues and the battles begin, D.J. Simple is going to keep the classics coming.

Costumes are a must! No’s 80′s battle would be complete without them. We will have an audience judged best costume contest for all battle participants so start planning now and make sure you’ve got the look!

All battle entries are first come, first to sign up at the door so be there on time to get your spot. All Styles Battle and B-boy/B-girl Battle will be a lottery 2 vs 2 this month. We will take up to 16 individual dancers for All Styles and 32 individual dancers for B-boy/B-girl battles.

Post up to 3 song requests on the battle page for a chance to win a New Era gift card. Remember – it’s an 80′s battle so all song requests have to be from the 80′s.

Entrance fee is $5, $6 to battle.

For those of you that are new to Battle @ Buffalo, this is a family friendly event and open to all ages. Everyone is welcome to watch as local dancers compete for the win. The All Styles battle will kick off around 8:15pm and after a short intermission and a kids showcase we will begin the B-boy/B-girl battle. It is best to arrive as close to 7pm as possible for the best parking and seating.

Please email us at Vervedancestudio@gmail.com for more information about Battle @ Buffalo.

See you there!

DJ SIMPLE WILL COMPETE IN THE DJ BATTLE FINALS AT THE VAULT NIGHTCLUB FRIDAY MAY 18TH!!!

DJ Simple — Mon, 07 May 2012 01:24:06 +0000

I NEED YOUR SUPPORT!!!!!! HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP ME WIN!!!!

1. GO TO THE BATTLE FRIDAY MAY 18TH AT THE VAULT NIGHT CLUB IN NIAGARA FALLS, NY AND CAST YOUR VOTE!! WITH EVERY DRINK YOU PURCHASE YOU WILL GET A BALLOT TO CAST A VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE DJ AND YOU CAN VOTE AS MANY TIMES AS YOU LIKE!! MORE DRINKS = MORE VOTES. BATTLES START AT 11PM SO BE THERE EARLY BECAUSE I COULD BE 1ST UP!!!!

2. GO TO THE VAULT NIGHT CLUB’S FACEBOOK PAGE AND VOTE FOR DJ SIMPLE AFTER THE BATTLE MAY 18TH. VOTE FOR DJ SIMPLE HERE AFTER THE BATTLE!!!

I’ve even made a short Dance Mix to get things warmed up before the battle and to give you a taste of what is to come. click on this link to listen and you can even DOWNLOAD THIS MIX (and my other mixes) FOR FREE!!!

Dance Mix1 (click here to listen to the new mix or “right click (PC)/control click (mac)” and “save as” to download the new mix)

DETAILS ON THE BATTLE

Nine DJ’s will compete each week until only THREE are left to compete in the finals on May 18th 2012 for $500 in prizes and a paid DJ residency at the new Vault NightClub. Friday May 11th with be the last preliminary round before the final round May 18th.

DJs will be judged using the following three criteria.

1) NightClub response
a) Patrons at the NightClub on the night of the event will be able to vote for the DJ that they want to win the competition. Each time a patron purchases a drink they will be given a ballot to cast a vote for their favorite DJ. Patrons are allowed to vote as many times as they like. The DJ with the most votes wins this part of the competition.

2) Facebook response
All DJs should encourage their supporters to go to The Vault NightClub’s Facebook page and “like” the page and then cast a ballot for their favorite DJ. The DJ with the most votes on the page wins this part of the competition.

3) A Panel of three Judges
Judges will pick one of the three DJ’s from each of the three nights of competition that they feel is the best DJ based on the following criteria:
A) Originality
B) Mix quality
C) Song selection

Own your music! DJ Simple’s opinion on the state of music purchasing today.

DJ Simple — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:22:58 +0000

I was at the Leonard Post V.F.W. yesterday for the Record & Compact Disc Sale to do some digging. It was a good day of digging with my friend Manny (DJ Sike) and other local DJs. We came across some good finds while we were digging in the $1 bin of 45s. Also managed to snag some good 12″ records. I got home to listen to all of the goodies I had purchased and while I was listening to the records, I had a feeling of accomplishment from sifting through countless records to find the tracks I picked up. I do a good amount of “digital digging” as well but I can’t say that I get the same feeling after. That got me to thinking a bit and I realized that there is a lot more effort involved in traveling to the store and searching through dusty, musty records to find dope music than there when searching for mp3s or records online. I understand that this realization is quite obvious to most people but there was also a feeling of ownership attached to these records I’ve found. This sense of ownership from physically holding the music in my hands that the artists have put so much of their own time and effort into producing is the true realization and good feeling that I think most people don’t get from buying music on iTunes or any other online source. I understand that people selling music want to make finding and buying music easy and accessible enough that anyone can buy music whenever and where ever they would like. However, I think the whole process of buying music has become so easy that it diminishes the value people place on music they find. I feel as though people take music for granted so much more these days than they have in the past. You used to have to make a serious effort to find an album from an artist or go to their show and get their music from their merchandise table. I sometimes wonder if the next generation will have some sort of musical identity as other generations have in the past. There was a swing era, a disco era, a funk & Soul era, a rock era, a hip hop era and these days it seems as though it is just a digital era full of electronic music and covers/remixes of old songs. People have so much music thrown at them these days it’s no wonder why songs don’t stay on the charts for very long anymore. People don’t have long enough to decide whether or not they like something because by the time they hear one song, there are multiple remixes of the same song or songs sounding just like it being shoved in their face. I think the ease of which music is able to be produced and marketed to consumers is part of the problem, as well. There are so many independent artists able to produce music on a small budget of their own saturating the market with mediocre music that it’s easy to overlook someone with real talent putting out amazing music. Besides that, just look at all the reality shows involving music. These shows are setting a bad example for consumers. They are so quick to look for the newest, biggest craze that they don’t take time to appreciate or even develop the amazing artists that they are kicking to the side on these shows and consumers tend to do the same. Which has translated from the consumer market into the clubs now. Party-goers want immediate gratification and they almost look at clubs like a musical Burger King. They want it their way right away! They think that a DJ with a laptop will automatically have every song in the world ever made and if you don’t have it they assume you can get it at no cost because they can find and download everything for free these days. Which leads me to another point, QUALITY!!!! People buy records for the quality of sound that it has over digital music. Listen to a record that was recorded using live instruments and then listen to some digital music made on a computer program. Better yet, listen to your digital download from whatever torrent you stole your music from and then listen to that same recording on a vinyl record. THERE IS A DIFFERENCE! What’s more important than just the quality of sound is the quality of the music on the record! Just like there are bad DJ’s that spin wax and even worse DJs that only spin mp3s, there are bad artists that put out bad music on vinyl too. The quality of sound is better on vinyl than mp3 but you have to take the time to find HIGH QUALITY ARTISTS that make HIGH QUALITY MUSIC NO MATTER THE MEDIUM IT’S BEING DELIVERED ON!!! So in conclusion to this whole rant, take the time to go out to your local record/music store and find some new music on a CD, tape, or vinyl. You will feel the difference if you haven’t done it before or maybe you just haven’t done it in a long time. You may even find you like more than just the one or two songs you would have downloaded off of iTunes or you may find that the artist isn’t as good as all the hype surrounding their one “amazing” song……Personally I have albums that I haven’t listened to in years and after going back to listen to them again I find that I like different songs on the album than I did when I initially bought it because my tastes have changed over the years. But the nice thing is that, years later, I still have the record to listen too. It wasn’t wiped out with some mysterious computer virus or lost in some horrible hard drive crash. It is still sitting in the crate with all of my other records because I OWN IT!! OWN YOUR MUSIC!!

DJ SIMPLE COMPETING IN A DJ BATTLE AT VAULT NIGHT CLUB IN NIAGARA FALLS APRIL 27TH!!

DJ Simple — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 18:14:46 +0000

I NEED YOUR SUPPORT!!!!!! HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP ME WIN!!!!

1. GO TO THE VAULT NIGHT CLUB’S FACEBOOK PAGE AND VOTE FOR DJ SIMPLE AFTER THE BATTLE APRIL 27TH. VOTE FOR DJ SIMPLE HERE!!!

2. GO TO THE BATTLE FRIDAY APRIL 27TH AT THE VAULT NIGHT CLUB IN NIAGARA FALLS, NY AND CAST YOUR VOTE!! WITH EVERY DRINK YOU PURCHASE YOU WILL GET A BALLOT TO CAST A VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE DJ AND YOU CAN VOTE AS MANY TIMES AS YOU LIKE!! MORE DRINKS = MORE VOTES.

Dance Mix1 (click here to listen to the new mix or “right click (PC)/control click (mac)” and “save as” to download the new mix)

DETAILS ON THE BATTLE

Nine DJ’s will compete on April 27 & May 4, 11, and 18th 2012 for $500 in prizes and a paid DJ residency at the new Vault NightClub

One winner will be selected from each of the three nights of competition. Each nightly winner(3) will advance to the Championship Battle where he/she will battle with the two other nightly winners for the Championship. DJs will be judged using the following three criteria.

A Small List of Websites Keeping Vinyl Alive!!

DJ Simple — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 18:13:31 +0000

I was waiting for the keyless entry to get installed on my car and what better way to spend time than to go online and do some research from my phone…..I came across this amazing site while doing some “digital digging”……lots of great info on this site for all the funk/breaks/hip hop heads out there! Check it out!

www.DailyDiggers.com

Also, if you would like to continue to support vinyl and artists that put out vinyl. Here are some websites for you to check out and you can also look for local records shops in your area. I surprised to see vinyl in Best Buy today while doing some shopping. The following are websites that I have personally used to buy vinyl from.

www.discogs.com

www.undergroundhiphop.com

www.turntablelab.com

www.jazzmanrecords.co.uk

www.dustygroove.com

There are many other online sites and I will share more later. You can always look on Ebay to find vinyl as well.

Would you dance to this music?

DJ Simple — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 19:56:27 +0000

I made a short mix of new songs that I found and would like to share with you. My question to you is, would you dance to this mix in the club or would you walk up to the DJ and ask for some different music? Click the link below to listen to the mix and please leave feedback! Thanks

Funky Mix1

It has been my experience that people in Buffalo and the surrounding areas, generally see DJs as a human Juke Box. Maybe it’s because there are an overwhelming number of bars, clubs, and DJs that cater to the “Request Crowd” or it could be a general misunderstanding by the audience of why the DJ is there playing music. Yes, the DJ is there to be the life of the party and play music for you to enjoy and so you may have a good time. HOWEVER, if every DJ plays the same music at every venue, what separates one place from another and makes it somewhere that you want to go with your friends? DJs gather music that they like to listen to, which is also the music they choose to play for you when they spin. Take a moment to open your mind and your musical horizon to new possibilities. Too many Bars, Clubs, and DJs are always promoting that they play hip hop, house, top 40, reggae, dance music, and any other genre……you name it, they will play it. If you don’t like what they are playing, simply make a request and the DJ will gladly play it to keep you in the bar spending money. They would play folk music if it would get you to spend your entire pay check at the bar. It’s sad that if you want to hear something other than top 40 and request mixes you are limited to Allentown and few other places. I’m thankful that we at least have that but it would be nice to see a more diverse music scene throughout Buffalo, not just Allentown and parts of Elmwood.

When I go out to a club or even a bar where there is a DJ playing music, I like to go and listen to what the DJ is playing, not request music that I want to hear or that I think everyone else wants to here. The reason being that I would like to hear what music that DJ has taken the time and effort to find and play for me. I may not always like the music but at least I will listen to what they have to offer. I like to be surprised with a remix of a song that I haven’t heard before or a new track that I have not yet heard. Have some respect for the DJs and just listen to what they will play. Anyone can play songs off of the Billboard Charts all night long and it’s fine to play music people know and love but there is plenty of good music in the world that hasn’t and probably never will make it onto any of the billboard lists.

This new mix (Funky Mix1) can also be found and is available for free download on my Music Page with all of my other mixes.

Who is really a DJ these days and is the art of DJing being lost in the technological era of controllers?

DJ Simple — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:43:13 +0000

I recently heard a song titled “Everyone’s a DJ” by the Spankers in which they make references to everyone from their mother to the plumber being a DJ. With advances in technology, more affordable DJ products, internet, streamlined processes for getting music to consumers (i.e.-iTunes, amazon, and other digital media file sharing sites), and even games such as DJ Hero, it’s no wonder why it seems as though EVERYONE is a DJ or wants to be a DJ nowadays. In this blog, I will break down what it is to be a DJ by traditional standards while attempting to un-blur the lines of a DJ versus a controller (or in my opinion a performing artist).

Some things for DJs have not changed from when DJing began, nearly all the way back to the beginning of the 20th century, up until present day. DJs find music and then play that music for an audience. Although, over time, both of those aspects of DJing have evolved. First lets take a look at how DJ’s find their music. Back before CDs, MP3s, or even the internet DJ’s had to scour music stores to find music, which is also known as digging. Typically, DJs would find music on analog mediums such as vinyl records, however there were other mediums such as 8 tracks followed by cassettes. Then came the digital age with CDs followed by MP3s and now many, many, other file formats other than MP3. No matter the medium though, DJs have always had to take the time and effort to find music to present to their audience. Before the digital era, it took a good deal of effort to find music. You couldn’t simply google the song lyrics to find a song. You had to at least know the Artist or song title if you wanted any chance of finding what you were looking for. If you didn’t have any information to go off of, it made the search nearly impossible. Plus you had to take the time and effort to physically go to a music store to find the music. Due in part to the level of difficulty involved in locating music, some DJs took the extra effort to cover the labels on their records in order to keep people from finding out what they were playing. This allowed those DJs to separate themselves from other DJs by having a unique sound. However, these days its near impossible to keep anything hidden in a DJ set with tools like Shazaam and other music recognition software applications. Some DJs will go as far as to post a set list of the songs they used. There are also online streams of DJ sets that list the title and artist of every song being played as it is played.

Not only have digital applications changed how DJs locate music, it has also changed how they acquire music. Aside from purchasing music on your own from music stores, record pools have been a great source for DJs to attain music. For a monthly fee, record pools gather music from multiple record labels and bring the latest and greatest music right to you, as well as music from decades past. Record pools have also adapted to the changing times and now offer digital downloads, along with and in most cases instead of, physical copies of music. The biggest game changer to acquiring music for DJs, in my opinion, has been file sharing. It’s easier than ever for people to amass a collection of music that would easily dwarf some DJs entire record collections. Peer-to-peer file sharing became popular near the turn of the century with sites like Napster and Kazaa. But then instead of being able to find and download individual songs from other users, websites such as Megaupload (which has been shut down) and web applications called BitTorrents such as Vuze, came along that would allow for multiple albums, entire discographies or even hundreds of songs to be shared in a single download. If that didn’t make acquiring music easy enough, there is always the option of buying a portable hard drive and pooling all of your friend’s music onto that drive. One other option is to convert videos posted online into MP3 format for download, so even videos are subject to being pirated for sounds. As the war on piracy continues to rage on, people continue to share files and find new ways to acquire music for free.

What does this easy search and seize method of finding music mean for DJing in the present day and age?

DJs in the past used to guard their music, as some DJs still do but not many, in order to maintain a unique sound which would keep their audience listening. It seems as though, with all of this file sharing going on, everyone would be playing the same music because everyone has or is able to get any music that any other DJ has. If that were the case, then the music alone would not be enough to maintain a unique sound. Fortunately, not every DJ sounds exactly the same, although it can also be said that some DJs are not sounding much different from one another these days. There are still remixes and tracks that are only released on vinyl, as well as artists and tracks that are still undiscovered. There are also a wide variety of music genres from which you may choose to play. You can stick to one specific genre of music or dabble in multiple genres. Also, while everyone has their own opinion on what is and is not good music, there will still be tracks that DJs choose to play or not to play which can separate them from sounding like other DJs that play the same genres of music. I would also like to add that while you may have all the right tracks to play with all of this file sharing, that alone does not make you a great DJ. Being able to read a crowd, knowing what to play, when to play it and even how to mix it are all skills that you WILL NOT ACQUIRE through file sharing. Ultimately, track selection is one key ingredient to becoming a great DJ while the other ingredient is how you deliver that music to your audience.

This brings us to the other part of being a DJ in the traditional sense, playing music to an audience. With out getting too detailed I will bring you up to date with the evolution of DJing. When DJing began, there was a long period in which DJs were only on the radio and would simply wait to play a track once the other one was finished. Once discos and dance clubs started to become popular, beat matching was created and became the standard way to play music at parties. DJs would keep the music flowing by mixing from one track to the next instead of waiting for the track to finish playing. Eventually, scratching was invented which brought about Turntablism. This is where things get more complicated. In the traditional sense, DJs would mix songs in an effort to keep a steady beat going for party goers to dance to for the length of the party. Turntablism brought about a new way of mixing while maintaining that steady beat for the audience. This was a new way in which DJs could maintain a unique sound and separate themselves further from other DJs. By scratching a sample in a unique and interesting way on one record while the music played on another record. Once beat juggling was invented, Turntablists began to do what is known as live remixes. This is where they would take two records of the same song (it can also be done with two different songs) and edit the song live by manipulating the records in a way that would change the song from how it sounded originally, to something completely new, while still maintaining that steady beat for people to dance to. This style of live remixing and manipulating music is not a new concept and has been going on since the early 1990s (possibly earlier). Then in the 90′s, once CDs became the popular medium for playing music, CD turntables were created. However, with the onset of the internet and new compressed MP3 format files, playing vinyl was in a sense re-born with the creation of DVS or Digital Vinyl Systems (Serato, Traktor, etc.). Nowadays, there seem to be all sorts of digital DJ controllers that do not require any sort of disc, as CDs or vinyl do. Controllers are the hardware used to operate software programs on your computer through midi. Some have what are called jog wheels while others just have lots of buttons and knobs. DJ Controllers are used in much the same way as old school setups mixing from one track to the next. However, the new controllers have also brought about what is known as Controllerism. Controllerism, in my opinion, is much like Turntablism in the sense that people use their controller to create a live remix of a song, as Turntablists would do with two records, while maintaining that steady beat for party goers to dance to. The big difference between the two being the medium used to create the remix. Controllerists, as well as Turntablists, have also used groups of individual sounds to create entirely new music compositions. Controller DJs have an abundance of options when it comes to choosing a controller with the help of midi-mapping for many software programs that are currently on the market. Not to say that there were any less “toys” on the market for CD or vinyl DJs in the past. What is concerning is how cheaply you can buy decent equipment for becoming a DJ or a controller.

Becoming a DJ seems to have always come at a high price in the past and to some degree it still is rather pricey. My first setup cost me nearly $2000 for a used setup with home stereo speakers, crappy speaker wire and a worse mixer. But believe me when I say I made the most out of it! I can proudly say that over 10 years after that initial purchase I am still using those same USED turntables because they still work like the first day I got them with only very minor repairs. I have since invested (a lot more money) in a lot more equipment (much better speakers, cables, and mixers). I eventually spent another $550 to get Serato Scratch Live which is the Digital Vinyl Software (DVS) I mentioned earlier. I also purchased some new toys to enhance my set up like effects processors and midi controllers but this blog isn’t about me now is it. Previously, it was necessary to buy, at a minimum, a pair of turntables (CD or vinyl) along with a mixer, headphones, and cartridges if you bought vinyl turntables. This could cost anywhere from as low as $1000 for a used set up of questionable quality to as much as $3000 (and higher in some cases) for all brand new equipment. This doesn’t include audio equipment like a microphone, speakers, cables, or lights (if you chose to be a mobile DJ). Currently, you could buy a laptop, a cheap DJ software and be able to play and mix songs just from your laptop. Although, mixing with these programs and your mouse alone can be difficult even for experienced DJs. Which is why it is recommended to buy a controller of some sort at least to accompany your DJ software. With advances in technology, new cheaper DJ controllers are being developed and marketed on the regular. You can buy a laptop for under $500. I’ve seen a DJ controller as cheap as $120 and you can buy some cheap headphones or even ear buds for probably $20 or less. DJ Controllers usually come bundled with some sort of DJ software as well, which can save you some more money. Although the better controllers on the market can cost as much as $500-$1000 but compared to spending the same amount on just one new CD/vinyl turntable, it’s easy to see why laptops and controllers are becoming so popular. As you can see, it is a considerably cheaper investment to get started into DJing today than it has been in the past which is just more ammunition for the argument that ANYONE can be a DJ these days.

What does all of this mean for the present day DJ and where do we draw the line between a DJ and a Controller?

Fortunately for present day DJs that have been in this game for a while, the skills required to be a great DJ do not come boxed up in the new DJ controllers or bundled with the included software. These skills are studied, practiced, and sharpened over the course of your career and only get better as you continue to practice and learn. That isn’t meant to discourage new and aspiring DJs from following their dreams. It is meant to educate you and make you aware of the work that you will have to put in depending on the level of success you desire to reach. The best suggestion I have for new and aspiring DJs is to find a DJ that does what you want to be able to do and try to become their student. You can buy the most expensive equipment on the market that all of the best DJs are using but it will not make you one of the best DJs. It has been my experience that a dope DJ will be a dope DJ no matter what medium they are using (vinyl, CD, DVS, or controller).

As far as the DJs vs Controllers, I have a great deal of respect for the creativity involved in Controllerism but in my opinion they are not DJs either fundamentally or in the traditional sense of what it means to be a DJ. I think it is easy to draw the line between the two but the line is blurred by Controllerists that promote themselves as DJs or a lack of awareness by the general public in knowing the difference between the two. Controllerists from my own experience and research generally aim to manipulate sound and songs using their controllers to create completely new musical compositions and remix other people’s music. People that use controllers to simply play music and mix from one track to the next are DJs and not controllers. I also want to take a moment to re-visit my previous statement that Controllerists are similar to Turntablists. I personally love to scratch and beat juggle, however I would not qualify myself as a Turntablist (just yet) as I have not put together or performed too many of my own Turntablist sets. I am more of a DJ and less of a Turntablist because I incorporate Turntablist techniques into my DJ sets. I enjoy the creativity and have a lot of respect for the skill involved in Turntablism and Controllerism. Allow me to further explain the fundamental differences between being a DJ and being a Turntablist/Controllerist though. True, all three essentially are performers and entertain a crowd of people, however the main difference lies in the fact that DJs simply mix two songs together (sometimes three or for songs depending on the setup but they are still mixing and blending pre-recorded songs) while Turntablists/Controllerists are making entirely new compositions of music much like a producer would do. I think it is safe to say that music producers are not considered to be DJs but there are music producers that also DJ. Therefore, Turntablists/Controllerists are performers that perform their own musical creation much like a producer but they do it live on stage in front of an audience. DJs on the other hand generally mix together other people’s pre-recorded music. Yes there are some instances in which DJs will play their own music in a mix as well but they are still “DJing” when they do so. Additionally, I feel as though the line between the DJs and Turntablists gets blurred easier than that between DJs and Controllerists simply because a Turntablist can jump back and forth between performing their own live music composition to simply mixing pre-recorded tracks. If a Turntablist performs an original music composition of their own though, I would consider them to be only a Turntablist for the performance and not DJ. That is not to say they are not a DJ and this can be confusing which I think is why people generally just think of Turntablists as DJs because I still have yet to meet a Turntablist that is ONLY a Turntablist and not a DJ. Controllerists on the other hand (from my own observations) tend to stick to trying to make live remixes and original music compositions much like producers. If anything I would say true Turntablists and Controllerists are on a level above the DJ because of the higher level of skill involved for both.

What all of this boils down to is that a “real” DJ is a person that finds music and plays that music for an audience. There are many different types of DJs, as well as, many different mediums on the market these days for DJs to present music to their audience, however it is the DJ’s discretion as to which medium to use. If you just enjoy sharing music with people and want to go the cheap route, you can be another laptop DJ just playing one song after another without trying to mix them together. Just be aware that you probably won’t be considered a very good DJ and don’t expect to be a superstar. If you desire turntable trickery, you could be a Turntablist rocking all sorts of scratching and beat juggling techniques to create live mash-ups and remixes. If your more of a tech head or gamer, you may choose to be a Controllerist mashing all kinds of buttons and tweaking knobs to making amazingly creative remixes and live music compositions. You could also choose to be an Electronic Dance Music DJ which requires a finely tuned ear for mastery of beat matching. Expect to put in a lot of time practicing your craft for things like Turntablism and Controllerism but even beat matching can take a good deal of time to master. Keep in mind, the genre of music you wish to play, the style in which you choose to play the music, the amount of time and effort you are willing to put in, and your bank account balance will generally dictate what kind of setup you will end up with. Although with all of the new products hitting the market these days you are not as limited in your selection as you would have been 5 or 10 years ago. Additionally, the art of DJing has not been lost, it has evolved and in some ways it has been redefined. Essentially, DJing is still no different today than it was over a century ago. It is one person’s desire to play what they consider good music for other people who share the same taste in music. I have seen DJs play hour-long pre-recorded mixes with the press of a button, Turntablist style DJ sets performed on controllers with jog wheels, and controllers made of lunch boxes and arcade game buttons so you’re only limited to your own ambition, imagination, and funds when it comes to what you can do with music these days. DJing can still be an art if you choose to make it an art but don’t carry yourself like your DJ Shadow, Q-Bert, David Guetta, Paul Oakenfold, or Ean Golden if you are only using a laptop and not using any sort of skill in presenting the music to your audience besides pressing the play button. Yes you are still a DJ and ultimately how you obtain your music and how you play that music is your choice to make, just keep it in perspective, stay humble, and continue to learn and grow.

Buffalo Sabres and Unyts Host Community Blood Drive at First Niagara Center with DJ Simple February 20th

DJ Simple — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:24:45 +0000

Buffalo Sabres and Unyts Present:

Community Blood Drive

First Niagara Center

Monday, February 20, 2012, 10 am–5 pm

1 Seymour Knox Plaza
Buffalo, 14203

The first 200 people to present to donate

will receive an Exclusive Donate Life Sabres Cap donated by New Era

There will also be Sabres give-a-ways, autograph signings from Sabres Alumni,

Kid’s Zone Activity Table, Food Trucks, & DJ Simple providing music!

Follow #SabresBloodDrive

Being more ambitious in 2012

DJ Simple — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:04:35 +0000

With the new year comes new resolutions for most people. I am not one to normally make a resolution just because it is the new year. I like to continuously evaluate things and try to make improvements as necessary for growth and improvement. However, I took time at the end of 2011 to reflect on the year as a whole and while hard work and dedication were not lacking I realized one thing I could improve on is ambition. I may have worked hard on raising my skill level as both a dancer and a DJ but what I did not put enough effort into was grabbing every available opportunity to show off these skills. So, in 2012, I have set new goals that will push me to not only continue to strive for new levels of skill as a DJ, as well as a dancer, but to share those skills with the world by putting out new mixes, making videos, entering more competitions, and traveling to new places. When I say I want to be more ambitious in 2012, it could also be said that I want to be more adventurous. I have already been to many places and done many things but if you do not continue to try new things, go to new places, or meet new people, then you will eventually lose motivation, lack inspiration, and ultimately become stagnant as an artist. I would also like to add that being more ambitious (or adventurous) does not only have to apply to artists looking to grow. I think that most people making a resolution at the onset of a new year are simply trying to do the same, be more ambitious by doing things like getting to the gym more often to loose those extra pounds, trying to find a new job, or getting back to school. If you are one of those people like myself trying to be more ambitious in 2012, let me offer a little bit of advice, find ways to renew that ambition throughout the year so that way when 2013 rolls around you won’t find yourself making the same resolution all over again because by definition insanity is doing the same thing over and over and over again, but expecting different results! Stay motivated, stay inspired, and keep growing so you can find new things to over come and make a new resolution for the next new year! KEEP IT SIMPLE!!!!