Thread: How to make a mix, times change!

Well, let's start,
First I'm not continious DJ-ing 41 years.
All started at my 12th year. Teacher of my school asked me and my m8 (we both where alway's busy with music and talking music) to arange a schoolparty.
We speak about around 1968, the start of the 45-singles, the mono Philips pickup's, the upcoming music-stores (hardware), times of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. My m8 was handy with electronics and... mixers... there where no mixers for common use as we have now. We made our own mixer. A switch between the 2 Telefunke Radio's and the 2 pickup's. My carreer as DJ started.
We were Diskjockey's, no DJ's! DJ's are mix-ppl. After we left school at age of 21, my m8 and me started a Drive-in-Discoshow and on that time, there was better hardware (thanks to movies like: Grease & Saterday Night Fever) equipment where more available to all with lower budget. First we went on tour in an old Ford Transit from city to city playing Disco, Soul and Groove.

For selecting ppl I had a special equipment of HiFi-Quality for Underground & Electronic parties. Electronic parties, where the first illegal drugs-scene parties with music of Jean Michel Jarre, Mike Oldfield, Yes, Pink Floyd. We had Mixers!! and colour light's, smoke canon etc.. but also 2 Trucks to carry all the hardware, no DJ-íng with only your vinyl-bag, these times did comes later.
Times where differend! (1984) A party started opendoor at 7.30 pm and at 8.pm it was sold-out and ends at 0.30.am, local police chief spoke at that time: "last Record! " and we used the longest vinyl in length time

In 1988 Times did change, experience with the first computers the XT-8088 made it possible to make MOD-files to make electronic music. As DJ I started my home-made modfiles, recorded on cassette to play it in local clubs. It was new and a lot of club-owners shut the door for us, they didn't like the music, they wanted the disco, so we went ilegal, members-only parties, outdoor under bridges or night on open field or old factory's. The drug-scene did follow us automatic... Dance was started but was called: House!

In 1993 don't sure it was Jimmy van M, but the sound was Progressive and there was no Trance. Uplifting Progressive (up pitched) with my Sony Turntables (used them till 2002!!) with Mellow, you got the Trance Sound of these day's. Trance had a break thrue at 1998 with the Innercity parties of ID&T, the discovery of Tiësto (He was hardcore DJ, before). I never left Progressive and Trance started for me at 1999, DJ-ing at 2003.

No EL-Jay these day's, got other nicks; DJ Black, DJ DeepUnder, DJ TYP and since 2005: EL-Jay till now. Got my residentcy at the Fetish Kinky Members-Only Scene in UK and Germany. Closed for outside ppl, only for the captains of industry and their females from 2001 - 2005.

Mixing with the Technics SL-1200's, the Numark Mixers, perfect organisations, hightech club's, amazing sound equipment, what did it grow in 25-30 years, DJ-ing began a proffesional issue. The DJ's became gods, heroes.. (not me), PvD, Tiësto, John Digweed...

DJ-ing prepairing with vimyl was time-spending, no onlinestores as now. I listen to special radioshow, had the luck to live in the Netherlands, to listen to danceshows on 3FM with JayDee Albers, van Diepens DanceDepartment on Radio538 to learn the new releases. On monday to the recordshop to order the (expensive vinyl).. one vinyl costs in euro: 7 - 11. (now at online stores.. 1.5 euro for 192 and 2.1 euro for 320 kbps for new releases.) After recieving the vinyl you start to learn the tracks, no samples, just vinyl. I recorded the vinyl with Sonic SoundForge to see quick the cue points.. it was the pre-phase what is now Ableton, MixMeister or DJ Tracktor. Its handsome and I recorded to make my own remixes, for transitions same sound. Used a DAT-recorder to replay them live in the mix, same as we do now with the sample buttons on the CDJ players.

To learn the vinyl, you had to replay the vinyl, 10- 20 times to learn the in- and outro points, these cue points I used a Edding Marker on the vinyl, a black stripe, it was handy but not so handy in dark clubs..

With the mixing software you see in 2 seconds on screen, the points..damn!
To find out on vinyl the Keyaccords was just experience and small study of music lessons, and now on the software it goes automatic. Just select by Keycode.
Starting a mix with vinyl was practising many hours a day...you dreamed it in your sleep.
The CDJ players did come, first the simple players without a jogwheel, I never believed in it.. It was not DJ-ing.. It's not vinyl,.... Laugh about it, because the CDJ - DJ's shout now the same about software DJ-ing, same as I did as vinyl-DJ about the CDJ players.. LOL

Sold last summer my Technics and continous with 2 years before bought Stanton c.303 CDJ players, simple CDJ players but very nice one. Same size as the expensive Pioneers, Jogwheel feels the same.

I bought 3 month ago the Numark MixMeister Fusion MidiControler. Its like the same as the vinyl, the CDJ's...You have to learn DJ-ing again! It looks simple, but when understand all, its amazing. With the Numark midicontroler its like mixing on hightech level. You can do more than CDJ, more effect, live-mixing aswell with ASIO-compatible soundcard and laptop.

So TRANCESONIC members, ask me what your problems are with Mixing with Vinyl, CDJ or with Midicontroler & Software, maybe I can help you further

Pictures (@ 2008) Where my radioshows are made)

Thank you for show us some of your "DJ history" and your supports offer

Originally Posted by Andy D

Thank you for show us some of your "DJ history" and your supports offer

Thanks Andy! I'm a granny DJ but full with experience. I like to help everybody, who like to start DJ-ing. I'm producing aswell, but learning it with FL-Studio. Never to be old to learn!...and... The Eguipment does not make the DJ, its the time you spend to learn it and earn experience.
Also sharing to other DJ's, there are to much selfish DJ's, I met enough of them in the scene, they come and go (fast).
Guest DJ-ing at your own show is very importand to break through to get invited for other shows on other streams, also good for the streams to have an invited guest DJ, it brings new listeners to the stream.