Acapellas4U.co.uk

Let me tell what I do.

I have Virtual DJ.

All i do is make mashups'. I grab a instrumental grab a acapella.

I love VDJ.

My question is this.... AM i missing something by not using tables??
I am clueless . I see myself spending at least 800 for what i would like to have, So clue me in .. What are the ups to having the tables?

HELP PLEASE!

Well this question has been asked time and time again. it's down to you.

You will get Vinyl purists telling you it's the way to go. But they forget that now a days buying a record with one track and a few remixes on it, is (unfortunately) a false economy.

And as i'd imagine you're within the younger spectrum of this forum, having oodles of money at your disposal to buy copious amounts of vinyl isn't something you have or will have for a while.

Obviously there's things like serato and final scratch which use timecoded vinyl records to give you the control of a vinyl tuntable but with your collection of MP3's from your computer. Many people go down this route and if you can bother taking a laptop or desktop to venues (if this is what you're aiming at doing in the future) and spending 20 mins setting it all up every time, then go for it.

The other option is to get CDJ's but then it kinda throws out your using Virtual DJ anyway.

I'd probably upgrade my djing software...have you thought of traktor DJ? or indeed PCDJ. I have limited knowledge of them and i'm sure other people will testify to their good and bad points.

Anyway, my personal opinion is getting turntables and forking loads out on vinyl for the sake of "the art" is nonsense...."the art" has evlolved and people need to get wise or get left behind. Obviously if you want to learn how to scratch and understand the fundamentals of beatmatching, you will get a solid and undestructable foundation to your djing no matter the format.

The Serato/Final Scratch option is definately a good one but if you're looking to do the club circuit once you get good enough...this is going to be something you'll have to sacrifice upon.

Also, get "How To DJ (Properly)" i like to call it my own personal bible as it covers everything you'd possibly want to know and has a lot of really helpful website links.

The days of vinyl are slowly coming to an end... I've realized you have to embrace technology.

I've actually used virtual dj as it comes and with the timecoded vinyls and to tell you the truth .. its a hudred times better. if you plan to be a bedrrom dj forever then i wouldnt recommend getting the tables but if you ever plan on going out and doing parties then go for it. I personally didnt like the vinyls.... to me serato has a much better feel, but virtual dj is def a start. oh and if all you're ever going to do is use instrumentals and acapellas.. try acid. combined with other programs.. acid is a magic maker.......

it depends on how far u wanna go with it like if u wanted 2 b serious doin sets in different clubs how many of them have virtual dj, not ia lot i guess so then u would need 2 b able to mix with decks. if u jus like doin it as a hobby then u may aswel stick with your virtual dj and save your self muni.

If you are serious and want to learn all the basic principles of djing and take yourself to another level then forget computer software that does it for you. You should either by yourself a set ot turn tables or cdjs and a mixer. Up to you how serious you are

rcarbone wrote:Let me tell what I do.

I have Virtual DJ.

All i do is make mashups'. I grab a instrumental grab a acapella.

I love VDJ.

My question is this.... AM i missing something by not using tables??
I am clueless . I see myself spending at least 800 for what i would like to have, So clue me in .. What are the ups to having the tables?

HELP PLEASE!

For what you are doing I don't think you need them. If you are happy with what you are doing and how you are doing it, keep on keeping on, there's absolutely no need to change things.

The day that you have a desire to scratch and start doing things that require turntables is the day that you should seriously consider getting turntables.

Real djs play vinyl, does my head in when people call themselves djs when they have never even mixed on a pair of turntables!!!

Yes the times have changed and in most scenes vinyl is dieing out and yes technology is moving forward all the time BUT the real art of dj-ing comes from the turntables!!!

Robert Evans wrote:Real djs play vinyl, does my head in when people call themselves djs when they have never even mixed on a pair of turntables!!!
Yes the times have changed and in most scenes vinyl is dieing out and yes technology is moving forward all the time BUT the real art of dj-ing comes from the turntables!!!

The real "art of DJing" is to make the crowd happy!At the end of the night or the next day,I want people to say "Wow,that DJ was great,He played the best music!"
Now I've been beat mixing since the late 80's and anything that makes it easier for to me to mix I'm all for it.I like to talk to the crowd,try to get vibe on what everyone wants to hear.If A request comes up and I can fit it in to that beat range I'm mixing at then I'll do it.About the only thing you only do with turntables is scratch.Anything digital is a major plus in my book because I can edit in the breaks and make just about any song mixable(even live drummer stuff).Just remember what I learned over the last 20 years,you were hired to rock the crowd and make them dance!About 1% of your crowd understands mixing.I beat mix for the flow,not for my ego.I remember back in the early '90s they said vinyl wouldn't be around,but over 15 years later it still has it's uses.

Well said!

We've actually recieved dozens of inqiries at PWMN about vinyl. Unfortunately, only one of our artists actually recorded on vinyl and his batch of inventory was sold out in less than a month. If all our artists cut vinyl versions, I could afford a new porsche every other month.

But ... that's off-topic and to get back on topic, I just want to ditto your comment that a good dj works for the crowd and its their opinion that determines how successful you are at being a dj.

Ego is a killer in any artform, djing is not immune to that rule.

Juggernaut wrote:The other option is to get CDJ's but then it kinda throws out your using Virtual DJ anyway.

Nopes, you can use timecoded CDs with Virtual DJ. Hot cues, looping, reverse and scratching still work although sampling and effects (if your CDJ has them) can no longer be used.

Back when I was DJing three or four nights a week, up to 8 hours a set (none of this turn up, play 10 records, trouser the cash and scarper for me), vinyl was the main option, many clubs didn't have CDJs, if you were lucky they had a standard CD player. I used the original version of Final Scratch with a laptop (the laptop paid for itself with the volume of records I didn't have to buy), and the number of people who didn't believe I was actually DJing was phenomenal. At that time, however, all a DJ was expected to do was beatmatch, perhaps with the occasional bit of scratching.

Nowadays, with software such as Ableton auto-beatmatching, DJs turning up with a laptop (and perhaps an external controller) is perfectly acceptible. However, simply mixing one tune into the next is no longer considered a challenge - the traditional basic skill of the DJ has been superseded. If I go to a club and the DJ is using software, I expect live edits, looping and other wizardry that's not possible with two turntables and a mixer.

vinyl is the way to go in my opinion..

it smells better than cd's as well :p

i think it depends your style to djing i preferably like vynyl because i like the feeling and i can scratch it at anytime and the sound quality to me is good

I miss the days of buying records, and I still love my turntables. I love the "smell" comment! Vinyl was so much fun.

But in reality, it doesn't matter what you play on--if you're a good DJ you can move the crowd with the music and the mixing. how you do it just doesn't matter.

I use Serato now, but I've often said I could play a good set with two ipods and a microphone. Couldn't actually mix that way, but it would matter--it's the music you pick that runs the show.

Vinyl is good but as said before, its your choice. I personally use a mixer an equalizer and a a dual-cd player which works perfectly for me.

Many Dj's now use their computers but if you don't have a backup and your hardware fails during a gig.

well.. lets just say you won't be the most popular guy in the room.

i recently bought one turntable, to be able to mix with vinyl,
there are still records that only come on vinyl out here...

TDWIGG wrote:As much as I love tables I would have to say No... The technogology is going forward. If you are just starting go with whats hot now. This too will be gone one day to something else..... Tell you what Put a couple of bricks in a few crates and carry them around for a few weeks....... Then ask yourself again.

Bricks...love it...LMAO..that's what bouncers are for!

in my eyes there is a world of difference between virtual dj and the real thing. virtual dj hands everything on a plate, half the time people just synchronise the beats n e way! i like it when its linked up to a mixer and the mixing is being done on cd decks or vinyl. u are definitely missing out i think there is nothing like the real thing, sack all this laptop djing its boring.

Look, everyone like to dj their own way. One way is not better than the other. No matter what you use, turntables, CDs, or a computer, are you getting the job done? I once new a guy who beat mixed cassettes! And he rocked the crowd. He had some European decks with pitch control.

Juggernaut wrote:Also, get "How To DJ (Properly)" i like to call it my own personal bible as it covers everything you'd possibly want to know and has a lot of really helpful website links.

mate this book u mention, i've heard loads about it. is it this one?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-DJ-Properly ... 0593058119

cus i wanna buy it but im not sure if its the right one