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Real DJs Use Vinyl |
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Written by DJ Buddy
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Real Djs Use Vinyl. That has been the Golden Rule to all OG trendsetting Djs of today, but with the advent of new technologies, and the growing popularity of the Dj culture, this rule has been bent and mangled out of shape. CD players with mixing technologies have birthed a whole new era of Djs that have the capability to own every song for free, and acqure them from the comfort of their own home. And now a new monster has come from its sleep and changed the game forever. Its scientific name, Serato Scratch Live.
The first challenge I faced as a Dj was acquiring the proper equipment. It was all about the Technics 1200s, and a brand new pair costs around $1200. Scrimping and saving was the only way. I partenered up with with my cousin, and we found a used pair from the 80s for $200. It was a great deal no doubt, but the price we paid was that the turntables werent in the best condition. My mixer was second hand, and a Gemini. The standard at the time was made by Vestax, which was far to expensive for two jobless seventeen-year-olds. The final piece of equipment needed was a sound system, which was very expensive. We had no connects, so we had to pay full price. I grinded at McDonalds for months to raise the $1400 it costed to get the two speakers and amplifier.
After getting over that hump, I realized equipment was the smallest problem I had to face. The music was the hardest thing to get. $5.99 a single, plus the drive to the record store. I didnt drive at the time, and it was difficult to get a friend or my parents to drive me to L.A. to the mecca called Fat Beats, so I had to settle for local stores and Tower Records. It was very difficult to cop the Hot Shit at these stores because they were at the bottom of the vinyl distribution lists. I had to settle for lesser records and white labels, which were vinyl copies off of vinyl, so the quality was horrible. CD players with mixing capabilities and music downloading was around at the time, but very fopau, since you couldnt scratch or backspin. Basically, CDs arent vinyl, and Real Djs Use Vinyl.
After a couple years of Djing and doing gigs with other local Djs, I found out about a thing called a Record Pool. A Record Pool is a group of Djs who get serviced Vinyl straight from the record labels through the Record Pools director. It was very difficult to join one for three reasons; no job, my inexperience as a Dj, and no connection to one. I found out a family friend new someone that was running a record pool. It was $75 a month, he gave me his business card, and I had to figure out how to get $75 a month. So with the need to join the record pool and a sound system, I applied for my first job. It was a grind at McDonalds to pay that monthly fee and save for the sound at minimum wage, but it was my first step at paying dues.
During my learning phase of Djing, the popular music was House, Hip Hop, and Old Skool (Booty & Freestyle). Though Hip Hop was difficult to acquire, it was the current music at the time, so it was easier to acqure than most. You could find out the newest songs by listening to the radio. House was current as well, but not played on the radio as much, and you couldnt figure out who made the song by listening to the vocals. Old Skool was my first lesson in Crate Digging.
Milk crates, used to carry multiple gallons of milk for distribution to stores, is the most common way to carry your vinyl. Crate digging is the hunt for old and rare vinyl at various locations such as thrift shops, record conventions, and record stores. Trading for vinyl with peers was an option as well. So Old Skool music was recorded and distributed in the 80s and early 90s. I wasnt Djing at the time, so I never had a reason to buy these records. So to cop songs like Funky Little Beat, and Billie Jean, I had to crate dig. Im still building the collection to this very day, ten years after I first started Djing. Having the rare pieces of vinyl is what kept you ahead of the other Djs. Getting Lookout Weekend, by Debbie Deb, would earn you the chance to spin that records at the party, plus bragging rights.
Each piece of vinyl you acquire equals more respect from the Dj community. Being a member of a Record Pool showed you had what it takes to run with the most elite, having a wide variety of music showed your versatility, hustling for each song shows your willingness to grind, and all these put together prove that you are worthy and made to be a Dj. The CD-J, the term for Djs that use compact discs, has always been looked down upon because they are able to get the music you have worked so hard to get by a simple click of the mouse. They have not worked as hard on their collections as a Crate Digger, but are still able to play the same music plus more. With that, I introduce to you all, Serato Scratch Live.
Fighting the human instinct for advancement is impossible. Humans will always try to find the faster and most convenient ways to accomplish a task. But does this always make it right? The answer is no, not if it affects the whole ethic and moral code of said task. Serato Scratch Live has created a new era in Djing, one that has not been matched since the creation of the crossfader. Djs can now download and share mp3 files, and scratch and mix on vinyl. In some senses it is just like real vinyl, it takes the same physical skills to use Serato as it does vinyl in the sense of playing the music, but it takes away from the skill and art of Crate Digging, and the struggle to find and pay for the real record. This tool enables Djs to download the music for free without ever paying the dues that the original DJs had to, which was collecting and gathering the records.
Before Serato, Djs had to have the record to play it on record, simple as that. Now, things have dramatically changed. Djs sharing mp3s files, downloading songs the they never had or planned to get, Djs stealing hard drives; some form of ethic code has to be set into place. I have discussed this issue with many Djs from different circles and skools, and I have come up with these basic ethic codes for the use of Serato Scratch Live.
PAY YOUR DUES
Buy the Vinyl
i. Every successful Dj before you uses vinyl. It is very important that we keep this ritual alive to keep the strength and integrity of Djing. It is a culture, not a paycheck, and as soon as we change this ideal, we destroy everything Djing stands for. It will turn into another job, instead of a way of life.
Work your way to the top, do not take short cuts.
i. You must gain the respect of your peers and higher ups to get the hot gigs. Having all the music without Crate Digging and the hustle to acquire records only hinders your skill. Start with house parties, then move up to local clubs, then to the hot clubs. As a young Dj, you do not deserve the best spots because you have not grinded like the older Djs. It takes work to get to the top, and you are only as valueable as your respect for those who lay the blueprint for DJing in front of you. Do your homework
i. First, study what, where, and how djing came to be.
1. Your first assignment
a. Who is John Cage?
b. Who is Kool Herc?
c. Who is Grandmaster Flash?
d. Who is Afrika Bambaataa?
e. Who are the invisibl skratch piklz?
Go Crate Digging
i. This is a difficult task
1. djs spend years finding the best stores to find old, classic vinyl for sale. You have to build relationships with the owners of these stores as well to gain access to the best music.
2. nothing is easy. You must work to get the best.
3. this excersize will teach you the real value of a song, and in turn it will make you cherish each song you own. Music is taken for granted nowadays. Its all about a quit hit and making a few bucks. The first recording artists were not concerned with making a buck, they were more interested in having people hear what they have to say. That is why Michael Jackson songs are still played today, while Montell Jordan is not, the music was still from the heart and not the pocket.
Sharing mp3s with your crew and peers
i. You must be equals/peers
1. you must be in the same stage of djing as the people you share your music with. Only share mp3s with people you are willing to share your vinyl with. The music should be intrusted only to people that cherish the music as much as you do.
2. the people you share with should only share music that they own, and not mp3s they acquired from another peer. Only YOUR music should be traded. When I say YOUR music, this means songs you have paid for. Anything shared should be kept between you and who you shared it with.
3. sharing mp3s should only be for the strength for you and your crew. If sharing will make your team stronger, and not just the individual stronger, then do it.
4. above all, mp3s must be taken only by consent.
Downloading mp3s
i. Downloading from free/illegal sites and programs
1. this is stealing. It takes money out of the pockets of the artists and record labels that work hard to make these songs.
2. Stealing destroys any integrity that DJs have, we become thieves instead of artisans.
ii. Downloading from I tunes and other pay for mp3 sites
1. this is ok. I have to agree that it is impossible to get every song. You may need to do a Spanish gig, or a gig that wants all current rock. These songs are rarely, almost never pressed on vinyl. If you need these songs, it should be alright to download them, but please keep paying dues, pay for the music.
iii. the music loses quality if you go from vinyl and record it to mp3
1. this statement may be very true. Although vinyl carries a broader range of wavelength than mp3 or cds, you can lose quality through your needle, the wires, the mixer, etc. But you must only download songs that you own.
2. But to be a stronger Dj, learn how to record from vinyl to mp3 and not lose quality. Pick the right gear. And spending the time to transfer all your music will make you cherish your collection more, this, in turn, will keep djs from sharing music. You worked hard to transfer your music, you will not share it with just anyone. This will keep the Dj culture strong.
Keep the Golden Rule Alive Real Djs Use Vinyl
I have a true passion for music, Hip Hop to be exact. Hip Hop Djs have always abided by this rule. Keep Vinyl Alive. Its the truest form for music. When the first song was pressed on vinyl, it was a persons hopes and dreams carved into a piece of wax. Its the only way to keep a Dj honest.
You can buy ikea furniture, mass produced by machine, made inexpensive, and serves its purpose; but a hand carved chair made by a person passionate for the art of furniture making adds that touch which makes that piece of furniture a part of history.
A big complaint that many OG Djs have today is that theres no real good music coming out. This is because of the growing numbers of us that dont respect the music. We play only the Hot Shit, and our crowds buy into it. They do not understand the value of real good music. Its not their fault, as they are not conosours of the art. We Djs are the ones that pay attention to each lyric, each snare, each kick, each hi-hat, so it is our responsibility as professionals to push for the right music. If we keep serving up the Hot Generic Shit, then that is what the labels will be making and distributing. If we push for true music, boycott this Hot Shit, and serve up Real Shit, then they will be forced to comply. We cheapen the art by playing what they want instead of what they should hear, and if we as the professionals, the ones that the masses look to for the truth, then they, in turn, will serve up that ikea-like music, cheap and masproduced.
Teach the Youth
As the forerunners in this art of Djing, we must not give up on this new generation of Djs. They dont understand what they are doing when they are starting up, and they need someone to teach them. My neighbor started Djing about a year ago. He was asking me tons of questions like You get all the girls, huh? and How much do you make?
In response I asked him, Do you know DJ Q-Bert?
He said, No.
I told him that DJing is not about making money or picking up on
Chicks, its a way of life, and if you are in it for those wrong reasons, then
I cant talk to you about this art anymore. He never asked me a question
about DJing again. He realized it wasnt for him.
Dont blame Serato or Downloading when these young DJs take your spot at your gig because they are charging less; It is your fault.
i. Remember: They dont know any better
ii. Teach them to value the art, teach them about vinyl and the struggles you had getting it.
iii. Teach them how much they should be charging to DJ
iv. Make sure they uphold everything you have taught them.
Proper uses for Serato Scratch Live
i. Traveling DJs
1. its dangerous to check your records in at the airport. They may get lost or stolen.
2. a laptop is a carry-on, so you can protect your music wherever you go.
ii. Live Show DJs
1. it is very expensive for an independent act to have vinyl for every one of their songs, put them on Serato, and you can have all your joints on vinyl.
2. Having all the tracks on Serato will free the DJ up to Rock the mic more instead of searching through scratch samples or cueing cds.
iii. DJing a whole club, party or event on your own.
1. its very difficult to do a whole night on your own, you have to bring at least 6 crates, and with no help, it may hinder your performance.
2. always remember, the music you play should be YOURS.Only registered users can write comments.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 30 June 2006 )
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