Anyone else just too f***ing stubborn to make the move to CDs?

insafehands

Hey,

Bought a pair of Stanton STR8-150 turntables when I was 16 and loved them for a while... Until I had to play the same records all the time cos I couldn't afford new ones. But following a few years without them I decided to go for it once again.

Now. I understand why people use CD decks. Completely. And my opinion that it is "cheating" (ignorant) has changed and I have more respect and appreciation for CD DJs. But I just can't do it. I bought the same tables I had before and I'm enjoying them as much as ever. Moving to CDs just seems impossible for me...

That said, I think it's quite likely I'll invest in one CD deck within the next months, just for the sake of financials etc. €8 for a record these days, when you can get 8 great tunes online for the same price, at least.

So is anyone else, despite the pretty strong argument in favour of CD decks, just too stubborn to make the move?

Regards,
ish.

NotInventedHere

insafehands wrote: »

Hey,

Bought a pair of Stanton STR8-150 turntables when I was 16 and loved them for a while... Until I had to play the same records all the time cos I couldn't afford new ones. But following a few years without them I decided to go for it once again.

Now. I understand why people use CD decks. Completely. And my opinion that it is "cheating" (ignorant) has changed and I have more respect and appreciation for CD DJs. But I just can't do it. I bought the same tables I had before and I'm enjoying them as much as ever. Moving to CDs just seems impossible for me...

That said, I think it's quite likely I'll invest in one CD deck within the next months, just for the sake of financials etc. €8 for a record these days, when you can get 8 great tunes online for the same price, at least.

So is anyone else, despite the pretty strong argument in favour of CD decks, just too stubborn to make the move?

Regards,
ish.

Never used either. I started with a digital setup. I see it as the way of the future.

insafehands

NotInventedHere wrote: »

Never used either. I started with a digital setup. I see it as the way of the future.

Perhaps my opinion on this will change as my one on CD decks did... But I am completely and absolutely against using solely a laptop and software and calling it "DJing." Although I'm somewhat ignorant on the subject so I'd ask to be educated... I assume a mixer is used at least?

I even have a thing against the term "radio DJ".

francois

insafehands wrote: »

Perhaps my opinion on this will change as my one on CD decks did... But I am completely and absolutely against using solely a laptop and software and calling it "DJing." Although I'm somewhat ignorant on the subject so I'd ask to be educated... I assume a mixer is used at least?

I even have a thing against the term "radio DJ".

maybe not stubborn but I like vinyl, nothing against CD's or digital, just prefer 12" slabs of plastic....a decent record collection on shelves nicely filed looks good as well!

MikeHoncho

Pffft Cd's. Stop living in the past man. Its all about digital controllers now.:D

SteveDon

why dont you check out an mp3 vinyl set up like traktor scratch, that way you will get the look and feel of vinyls as well as the availability and price of mp3s you can use it on any set of vinyl decks so it might be worth taking a look at

Executive Steve

i'm 99.999999% vinyl and i'd rather spend 30 quid cutting a dubplate than use a cd

i do have serato and if i had a laptop that i could trust i'd be using it as often as i could.

i also have a lovely UDG record bag with wheels on it that pretty much invalidates the "vinyl is heavy" argument

the only reason i'd ever leave home without vinyl would be if i was flying somewhere to play, which i generally only really do a few times a year anyway... can't trust your records in the hold of an aircraft and it's no hassle at all to just bring a USB key with your tunes on it (as long as you remember to erase them off the hard drive of the laptop you use to play the gig on...)

Zascar

Definitely go with Serato Scratch or Traktor Scratch... best of both worlds...

seannash

[cm]tyranny wrote: »

i'm 99.999999% vinyl and i'd rather spend 30 quid cutting a dubplate than use a cd

i do have serato and if i had a laptop that i could trust i'd be using it as often as i could.

i also have a lovely UDG record bag with wheels on it that pretty much invalidates the "vinyl is heavy" argument

the only reason i'd ever leave home without vinyl would be if i was flying somewhere to play, which i generally only really do a few times a year anyway... can't trust your records in the hold of an aircraft and it's no hassle at all to just bring a USB key with your tunes on it (as long as you remember to erase them off the hard drive of the laptop you use to play the gig on...)

guess the clubs you play must all have escalators and the dancefloors aint busy for it to be so easy for you to wheel your records through a crowd.:pac:
why would you waste 30 quid to cut a dubplate.it just doesnt make sense
i was really stubborn in the begining but i figured id try everything out once.i played with every medium and finally decided on cds.
never looked back.
yeah yeah the feel of vinyl is great and all that jazz but so what.people on the lfoor dont feel the vinyl.
you simply can t get the tunes on vinyl anymore.there are so many digital only labels out there now you vinyl guys cant keep up.

Zascar

Some people are just stubborn, stuck in the past or even just too stuck up their own ass because they think vinyl is 'cooler'. Get over it lads. Vinly for normal DJing is dead. Digital is the way forward and has been for some time now...

I began mixing on software many years at the very beginning when if I told any other DJ this they would generally laugh and say it was 'not real djing' and that it was 'cheating'. I stuck to my guns, and told them that they would change their mind eventually. They laughed and said "Bullsh1t, I will never leave vinyl". But sure enough, eventually they all ate their words. Some when they gave CDJ's a go realised you can do the same thing without a record box, and made the switch. Others went directly from decks to a laptop and controller setup, using only mp3's.

I think one of the things that hindered it was that in the early days the technology was not very reliable, and so that was the perfect reason for vinyl purists to sh1t all over it. Then there was the mp3 quality debate, which some people will still say they can hear the difference between 320kbs and a record. With Wav files now easily available this is no longer an issue either.

I like the laptop + controller setup cause it suits my needs most. It does everything I need, its simple and compact/portable, and cost effective too. However about a year ago i did go out and buy a set of CDJ's. I absolutely loved them and actually preferred mixing on them when just playing a few tunes... However I sold them after about a month cause p!ssing about with CD's drove me up the wall. I much prefer having a software library of all your tunes to drag and drop etc.

What I think the best setup would be is a set of cdj's and something like M-Audio Connectiv so you have the laptop to choose the music and assign to a deck, but still have a normal pair of decks and the mixer of your choice.

So anyone who still loves vinyl, just get a DVS Like Torq Connectiv, Serato Scratch Live, or Tracktor Scratch... It's the best of both world so to me it should be a no brainer.

jtsuited

If I was a millionaire I'd be all vinyl. Provided a huge number of labels started releasing on vinyl.

Until then I'm gonna be a producer who does livesets and dj sets on ableton.

I love vinyl more than any other format for listening purposes. Cd's are gonna die fairly soon and vinyl will outlast them.

As soon as 24 bit wav becomes the accepted digital format, cd's are gonna still hang around a good bit. but their days are numbered.

For anyone who is curious, there is a huge difference in the sound of vinyl from cd's. Vinyl have a greater dynamic range, greater depth and of course warm harmonic distortion (which is very pleasing to most people's ears).

However 24 bit wav is sonically superior to vinyl but lacks the warm distortion and character.

Those that say they just can't move away from vinyl do have a point in a sonic context. But I think the majority of guys that say it wouldn't be able to tell the difference anywho and are just being cnuts.

BaZmO*

Zascar wrote: »

Serato Scratch Lice

LOL :pac:

electrofilth

interesting study done on the dynamic comparison between lps and cds, heres the link http://www.audioholics.com/education/audio-formats-technology/dynamic-comparison-of-lps-vs-cds-part-

so yer mans saying that there is a dynamic range advantage with vinyl.

it is true that alot of people prefer the sound of vinyl.it would be interesting to have a random number of music lovers do a blind test, and rate cd vs lp vs mp3, just to see which they prefer without actually knowing where its coming from.

alot of people like the "idea" of listening to vinyl whether in a club or at home because vinyl has that tangible, solid character to it.sometimes the idea of listening to it might be "warmer" than the actual warmth in tones that really does set it aside from digital media.

Zascar

That link does not work mate, can you try again I'd love to read it.

They actually did one of those tests on tv a while back, and had a british rock band listen to their own tracks on CD, Mp3 and Vinly. They got it all wrong....

I'd say if you are a real audiophile, listening on proper studio speakers, there may be a slight difference. But in the average club etc or on your stereo at home, the difference really is negligeable. Using it as the basis for an arguement against digital, is really just clutching at straws...

electrofilth

sorry bout that the link is
http://www.audioholics.com/education/audio-formats-technology/dynamic-comparison-of-lps-vs-cds-part-4

Executive Steve

seannash wrote: »

you simply can t get the tunes on vinyl anymore.there are so many digital only labels out there now you vinyl guys cant keep up.

it's the complete reverse in dnb and dubstep mate, most of the bigger labels don't sell digital formats at all - they might do an annual cd compilation or whatever but if you want the tunes when they're fresh you have to either make sure you get sent them by the guy who made them or you have to make sure you get it on white label if you're going to be the first guy in your town to play it

the only reason i'd play a "file" is if someone sends me dubs, in which case i use serato

the cutting of dubplates is a tradition that goes right the way back to the days of jamaican soundsystems in kingston in the 50's and in the pre internet days jungle and drum and bass was pretty much built as a scene by heads queueing up outside Heathmans or Music House in london waiting all day to get their plates cut for the weekend...

i'd only ever cut something if it was a never-to-be-officially-released VIP of something mind you; i really like the idea of having a slab of vinyl that nobody else on the planet has - it's well worth 30-odd quid to me.

Executive Steve

Zascar wrote: »

But in the average club etc or on your stereo at home, the difference really is negligeable. Using it as the basis for an arguement against digital, is really just clutching at straws...

true for most music - the one thing it ISN'T true for is music with big sub bass lines - the frequency response of vinyl blows digital out of the water there

i know a guy over in brighton who does these classic disco nights on a full funktion 1 setup, playing all original back-in-the-day disco that was often quite poorly pressed; loads of the pressings have loads of artefacts and hissing around the bottom end, so when you play it off vinyl you basically get this completely accidental and unintended roar of a sub bass line out of them

you wouldn't get THAT with a cd

Executive Steve

and you don't need to be a millionaire to play vinyl...

i spend maybe €150 a month on records, hardly breaks the bank...

BaZmO*

[cm]tyranny wrote: »

and you don't need to be a millionaire to play vinyl...

i spend maybe €150 a month on records, hardly breaks the bank...

True. Starting off it's expensive but once you've built up a collection it's not that expensive to add a few tunes to your collection each month.


I don't DJ professionally so maybe there's different factors to take into consideration when comparing the Digital/Vinyl differences but as a hobby I still prefer using Vinyl. I just like the old romantic/nostalgic and tactile feel of using vinyl. Although I'd agree that going digital has so many more advantages.

Riesen_Meal

Lets not get into this again!

Music is music whatever the medium Steve, I feel what your saying bout all the Deebee labels going back to vinyl as opposed to using digital distribution on the likes of beatport etc but when it comes to the music I play and listen to generally house/minimal/techno, all their releases (sadly) come out on digital first, might hit vinyl 2 weeks later, its unfortunate but it is a sign of the times!

Ive a nice big UDG bag aswell Steve, and you know what happened me carrying my vinyl?

Minus 2 discs in my back!!!

From religiously doing my radio show twice a week and gigging twice a week, kept me off gigging/radio show for nigh on 2 years, and im still not right!

Dont get me wrong I miss vinyl, but cdj1000s saved my fookin life, and its great when we're in our mates havin a drink or two before a gig and he says "Oh yeah Dave, I finished that track for ya, let me run up and burn ya a copy" I cant "go cut a dubplate for €30" the way you would Steve, I can burn a cd, for 20 cent.....

Funny you mention if your playing abroad you bring a USB key for a laptop, im the opposite, i generally bring vinyl and only a few cds!!!

Get off that vinyl high-horse, or you'll **** up your back!!!

Executive Steve

ah i'm not on my high horse mate - again, music is pretty much the same whatever the medium and it only really matters to nerds and geeks what it gets played off...


i just take pleasure in "owning" great music - call me a vinyl fetishist if you like...

it works for me - your mileage may very well vary.

and this debate is all a bit 2005 anyway...

empirix

fai r play to yee lads, vinyl is old skool and damn cool, as for cd's well theres really no need for them is there, their just not cool so theres no need, the future is passing you by, its laptops and for me this baby - its the dogs: http://www.thomann.de/ie/vestax_vci_100_dj_midi_controller.htm in and setup within 5 minutes, as in regard to the dnb scene and the latest stuff only available on vinyl, are you kidding me ,mp3's can be got, its just a matter of knowing how to get them and with a little research i.e. mailing the respective labels, you can have them within the day. I love the inyl but times a change and this is the future

gsparx

[cm]tyranny wrote: »

the only reason i'd ever leave home without vinyl would be if i was flying somewhere to play, which i generally only really do a few times a year anyway... can't trust your records in the hold of an aircraft and it's no hassle at all to just bring a USB key with your tunes on it (as long as you remember to erase them off the hard drive of the laptop you use to play the gig on...)

i'm curious, do some venues have a laptop where you can load up your tunes? i'm mainly vinyl but i use Live for production and have been messing around with its DJ capabilities. i will probably head down the digital route when necessary.
if a laptop is provided would it usually be hooked up to an analog mixer? and how do you know what software is on there? i would have assumed you'd have to bring your own laptop.

Executive Steve

gsparx wrote: »

i'm curious, do some venues have a laptop where you can load up your tunes? i'm mainly vinyl but i use Live for production and have been messing around with its DJ capabilities. i will probably head down the digital route when necessary.
if a laptop is provided would it usually be hooked up to an analog mixer? and how do you know what software is on there? i would have assumed you'd have to bring your own laptop.

well you'd want to have emailed the promoter in advance and told him or her the equipment specifications etc; a local promoter will probably tell you to go **** yourself but if you're being flown out to a gig it's not exactly an unreasonable request to make. most dj agencies have standard equipment riders in the promoters contracts (not that i have an agent or anything)

bringing your own laptop / serato with you would probably be a wiser move; although what with voltages and currents differing between countries it's not always that simple.

if you're going to be playing

seannash

[cm]tyranny wrote: »

well you'd want to have emailed the promoter in advance and told him or her the equipment specifications etc; a local promoter will probably tell you to go **** yourself but if you're being flown out to a gig it's not exactly an unreasonable request to make. most dj agencies have standard equipment riders in the promoters contracts (not that i have an agent or anything)

bringing your own laptop / serato with you would probably be a wiser move; although what with voltages and currents differing between countries it's not always that simple.

if you're going to be playing

most laptops have converters in the power supply so power shouldnt be an issue

copeyhagen

imo djing is 10% mixing, 90% the tracks you play.

any one can pick up beat matching, that doesnt make u a good dj.

i got sick of payin €11 a tune from the uk so switched to a laptop and controller.

had about 400 records over about 6 years.

now i have about 700 mp3's since xmas..

you do the maths

BaZmO*

copeyhagen wrote: »

any one can pick up beat matching, that doesnt make u a good dj.

I hear this all the time, and in a sense it's true, but it really annoys when a DJ can't even mix properly. I definitely agree that there's no point in being amazing at mixing tracks if what you're mixing is pure cráp, but on the flip side, there's no point in playing one amazing track after another if all you're doing is just banging the x-fader from a to b. A good mix can bring so so much to the tracks being played.

seannash

BaZmO* wrote: »

I hear this all the time, and in a sense it's true, but it really annoys when a DJ can't even mix properly. I definitely agree that there's no point in being amazing at mixes tracks if if what you're mixing is pure cráp, but on the flip side, there's no point in laying one amazing track after another if all you're doing is just banging the x-fader from a to b. A good mix can so so much to the tracks being played.

yeah,people seem to forget how hard it was to beatmatch when you first start out.its easy once you know how but in the begining it takes practice.dont downplay it just because youve figured it out:D