Live DJ'ing - what do you think about?

[Purple Sunray]

Hey all.

 

Inspired out of an other thread, I'm starting this one - it's about playing DJ-sets in the same way most Live acts perform.

First to give an overview about what it actually is:

It's basically using the Ableton Live Clip-mode to play DJ sets.

You can think of it like being a big sampler you pre-load with tracks, cuts or even midi to control a synth.

During performing you start those clips, mix it, overlay it or simply use to skip or re-order pieces of a track.

Just to give an example - typical psytrance track has an intro, 1# buildup, #1 clipmax, break, 2# buildup, #2 clipmax, outro. You import and wrap this track on Ableton Live, cut it in pieces that match the pattern above and create single clips out of it. So if you are going to play that track you can decide how you want to play it, you can control the order and number of clips played. E.g. you feel like that break shouldn't play now, but you want to continue with #2 buildup right after the #1 clipmax.

Doing so is possible, you just need to trigger the #2 buildup clip as the #1 climax ends, instead of the break clip.

That's the basic setup, ofc possibilities are endless as you are within a DAW, so doing custom edits of the tracks, overlay it with own synths, fx or whatever is pretty straight forward if you have some idea about audio production already.

 

I will post a video guide on how to do that in detail for ppl interested as soon as I get my mic working with the screen capturing software... <.< (any recommendations? freeware pls.. )

 

For now I would be just curios to hear your opinion about this kind of DJ'ing.

I personally must say that I really started to love it. A DJ interacts with the crowd by selecting the right tracks, although with this method you can also decide about story of the track itself. Often had the problem with traditional DJ tools that there is a track I want to mix - transition fits perfectly mixing during first buildup, but the climax that comes after just doesn't really fit the "flow" of the previous sound, too dark, melodic, glitchy, whatever, but the second climax would fit perfectly. On normal tools you have to play that piece if you didn't prepared a DJ-edit beforehand or move the cue the second buildup. With the Live method you can change it as you want.

 

I know there are mixed feelings about.. ranging from "wtf.. why the hell are you cutting around in some other artists work??? keep the tracks like they are and just mix it ffs, they are not yours!" up to "really like that kind of setup, just has a more consistent flow / you notice kind of the same style/pattern from beginning to the end, also if the sound itself completely differs"

 

So.. what's your opinion?

[Purple Sunray]

oh.. erm.. can some admin move this to the music production section pls? selected wrong forum <.<