DJ Roonie G w/Serato Video SL (Footage from NAMM 2011)

As a follow-up to the last post on Karaoke, here's some video footage from the NAMM 2011 show of a VJ doing some nice mixes with videos!


DJ/VJ Roonie G is doing some pretty impressive stuff here using the the "Serato Video Scratch Live" which I wasn't even aware of until now. I especially like the way he has the teletubbies doing the "Stanky Leg" and the pinguins and Charlie Brown's crew dancing to "Walk It Out" As you can see from this demostration, some innovative stuff can derive from using video with your mix! So even if I'm not hosting karaoke, this type of mix can become a real crowd pleaser!

I'm going to have to dig a little bit deeper to find out what type of mixer or controller is needed for this but as you probably all ready guessed, that'll be another post. In the meantime, I think I'm going to research the "Serato Video SL" software first since I didn't know about it I feel a bit left out. I hope it doesn't run as much as the Serato I already have! That took a nice chunk out of the ole budget. (Ouch!)

So that's it for now but as soon as I find the SeratoVideo SL I'll post it along with the price it's running. Take care of your homework people and as always!..... "Stay In The Mix!"

PCDJ Karaoki Software (More Control,Less Work)

Something that I haven't done a blog on yet, and I should have by now is Karaoke. Seeing as how this is one of the services I provide I suppose a post about it would be in order. As you can probably tell I mostly prefer playing music mixes as a DJ, but as I said Karaoke is a part of the services I do and I must say that I haven't been really keeping up with the changes that this medium has undergone over the past few years. Here we have a new software for your computer called "PCDJ Karaoki" and it's got a lot of functions that my old CDJ Karaoke machine doesn't, plus it's a lot simpler to use.

To be honest, I really thought that Karaoke was something that wouldn't last for very long and I didn't invest a whole lot into it because there wasn't much of a demand for it from the clientele I've been working with (Still isn't when it comes right down to it) but for the cost of just $90.00 for software that can do all this, I think the upgrade is well worth the investment. Of course, I know I would also have to invest in some newer TV monitors and perhaps some projection equipment to go along with this enhancement but hey, I'll worry about that when some request start coming in again for this type of service.

I'm already using my laptop along with Serato Scratch Live software for my music so why not just add another software program for the Karaoke........Brilliant!! I just need to load up my Karaoke library to it ( I hope I can do it from my old machine) and I'll be ready to go when someone wants this service. After all, Karaoke is a lot of fun, it's just not as much fun for me as DJaying and making people dance. In my experience with Karaoke, people usually don't get up enough nerve to try it until after they've had a few drinks! Sometimes....quite a few! and then it just turns out to be a joke (smh) but oh well, my job is to just provide a professional service to my customers.

I know there are a lot of separate controllers used just for running software like this, and after I add the software to my computer, the controller will be the next thing I buy so be looking for some future post on video controllers coming real soon. I watched a couple videos on them already, but it's too early for me to decide on one yet, When you watch the video above, you'll probably want to switch to a full screen view of it to see what he's doing.

Well that's it for this post, but as always............Stay In The Mix!

The Art of Making Beats (Using the Akai Pro MPK 49)

For those of you who follow my blogs, you may remember a post I did on the Akai XR20 where I mentioned that my newest endeavor was to begin making beats. I also mentioned in that post that Akai also makes a keyboard called the MPK49 and that I intended to add it to my studio of beat making devices. Well I've been doing a little research on the MPK49 before I buy it and I ran across this video on youtube of a producer using this very product for one of his projects.

I've also seen several other videos of the MPK49 in action including one that gave the complete overview of the products features. Now I'm totally convinced that I will be adding this to my studio. From watching all the videos though I'm still not sure how well this will work with the XR20 but I chose this particular video from the rest because I like what the end result was better than some of the other videos. I saw a few videos with the XR20 being used also, but I think I'll wait and make my own video of myself using that!

The producer in the video above is a guy that goes by the name "Timepiece" and he has a website where he lets other producers showcase their talent. I don't think you'll be finding me on there anytime soon but I just wanted to give my man his props by saying his video was really inspirational for me! I like what he did in a short period of time on the MPK49! Watch it all the way to the end and you will hear the completely finished product! and it's like Wow!!!
             
So that's it for now and As Always......"Stay In The Mix"

The iDJ Live by Numark (Follow-up to the DJ Mixer for iPad)

This is of cource the follow-up to my previous post on the DJ Mixer for iPad by Algoriddim. Now Numark has come up with a controller to run the Algoriddim software directly while using your iPad. This gives you all the control built into the software without using the touch screen of your iPad! So what's the advantage to having this? Well 1. you don't have to work with the smaller surface space of the iPad and 2. you get actual knobs and jog wheels to move with your hands for a more realistic feel of DJing and of cource, your not touching your screen.

This small and extremely portable unit checks in at a remarkably low price of  $99.00 US and as mentioned earlier, the Algoriddim software is only about $49.00 US. The most expensive part of this set up is the iPad itself and if you already  have one you're more than halfway there. I mentioned in the previous post that a time would come when a DJ could show up at a gig with just an iPad and it looks like Numark is trying to draw us closer to that time. I can't wait to see what else is coming out that's gonna piggy back off this idea.

After you watch the video, you'll see that there are several other video demonstrations for this product and you can best believe that if they're show casing this at Winter Namm 2011 it's about to take off big time! So that's all I have for you so far, but I know this will be followed up by some more stories on products that are expanding on this concept!

So as always............"Stay In The Mix"

DJ mixing for the iPad (Now this is a Sophistocated app)

A while back I did a post on iPad DJing where a guy was using two iPads like two turntables, well this is not the same thing. This app takes that concept to a whole nother level and it only requires one iPad! I've mentioned before how technology has moved beyond the CD to the MP3 and now it appears that it may just take over and eliminate the use of controllers too! I think this concept is going to open the door to fewer and fewer hardware components for DJs in the years to come. Introducing a new way for anyone to DJ ( if they have a mind to do so)  the Algoriddim DJ Mixer for iPad!

It's a new day and a new beginning! This is my first post for the New Year and I wanted it to be my last for the prior year. But as fate would have it, I couldn't get my images and links to come out the way I had intended so I scratched this for being my final post and decided to try again later.

This is a new app for the iPad called DJ Mixer by Algoriddim as you will see in the video link it can do some pretty amazing things. Many of the bells and whistles found on your digital controllers can be found in this app, and even a few tricks that I haven't even seen in "Serato" are on here for your edification. This may seem like a toy to the untrained eye and as much fun as there is built into playing with it it could easily be mistaken for one. But I see this as an opportunity for DJs to create and record their sets in a way that was never made possible before. This is the dawning of a new day! and it won't be long before DJs will be able to arrive at a gig carrying just an iPad (provided the rest of the sound equippment is already there.)

Be sure to check out all the videos attached with this link and you'll see different facets of what this thing can do. Personally, I'm impressed with it and Algoriddim didn't pull any punches when it came to competing with the higher priced controllers on the market today! So here's the link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KARq9YU1_B8&feature=player_detailpage  I know you'll be amazed as I was with this! Stay tuned as we're sure to get further developements on this.  That's it for now, but as always......."Stay In The Mix!"

The Next Level In Beat Production (NI Does It Again!)

I haven't written a post on beat production centers since my post on the Akai XR20. This is Native Instruments latest MPC beat production unit "Maschine" which I believe is the next level to MPC because it combines both hardware and software in one unit. The link below offers some further samples of how this works and there are a few nice demo videos on there too. 

Beat production is still kind of new to me and I'm still working on putting my own studio together for that purpose but I like when products like this one comes along to help point the way to some outstanding music. Go to this link and you'll see what I mean.   

                                                                                              Maschine 

 For now I'm still working with the Akai products which are also pretty good for someone starting out like myself and the more I use it the better I get at this. The NI Maschine is of course more expensive than the Akai XR20 (about $699.00 retail) but this is still priced lower than the Akai MPC-3000 and it does even more! Talk about bang for your buck!? this is it!

So Happy New Year fans, followers, and fellow DJs let's bring the new year in with a Bangin Beat! and  As Always................"Stay In The Mix"

Here's an Article From Gibson Lifestyle (That I Liked)

Napster, iPods and Rock and Roll: 5 Ways the Internet Changed the Music Business

We can all remember putting on a record. Or popping in a cassette tape. Or inserting a CD. But, for most people, these things aren’t second nature anymore. More likely, you go to your computer when you’re in the mood for music. But how did this happen? And when exactly?

It all really took off in the early 1990s. That was back when “you’ve got mail” may have been the sweetest words you heard all day, when logging into a chatroom was still a thrill. This was before Kurt Cobain died or you’d ever heard of an iPod. Now, with the IFPI’s (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) reporting that more than a quarter of the world’s music is solid digitally, it’s hard to believe that iTunes hasn’t even been around for 10 years yet.

Here’s how, for better or worse, the Internet changed everything about music – and fast.

1. We meet the MP3.

While the rest of us were still stockpiling CDs during the late ’80s, several groups of engineers were hammering out what would become the most important audio format of the 21st century – the MP3. The MP3 went public during the mid-’90s and over the next few years began to spread like wildfire across the Internet. The magic of the MP3 lay in its ability to compress audio into a smaller format while nearly retaining the sound of the original uncompressed audio. Its popularity was spurred especially by the introduction of Winamp in 1997. This Windows-based media player – designed by then-19-year-old college dropout Justin Frankel – allowed MP3s to be stored in a playlist and played on PCs. That same year, MP3.com launched; it featured thousands of free, legal MP3s provided by independent artists.

2. Napster reminds us that nothing in life is truly free.

Napster.com was founded in 1999 by yet another computer-savvy college dropout – Shawn Fanning – and quickly became an enormously popular peer-to-peer file-sharing service. But it lasted only two years before the record industry succeeded in shutting it down by court order in July 2001, at which time it had more than 25 million users. The most famous lawsuit against Napster was filed by Metallica, which discovered that its song “I Disappear” had leaked to Napster prior to its official release date. Stars like Madonna and Dr. Dre also joined the fight against Napster, while others – Radiohead and Public Enemy’s Chuck D, for instance – actively supported it. Napster’s service was fleeting, and too good to be true, but it whet a global appetite for – and an understanding of – MP3s. Napster declared bankruptcy in 2002, but is today owned by Best Buy and is up and running as a paid site.

3. Apple takes over our personal music collection.

Introduced in 2003, Apple’s iTunes store presented us with copious legal digital downloads and quickly dominated all other online music stores. As of February 2010, more than 10 billion songs had been purchased directly from the iTunes store, helping to bring CD sales down 50 percent from their peak in 2000. Over the past nine years, Apple has continued to build on the success of their iTunes store with a series of high-demand products – most especially the iPod but also the iPhone and the iPad – that depend on the player. This past October, Apple reintroduced its Apple TV; among other feats, the device allows users to access iTunes through their televisions. And just last month the entire Beatles catalog was made available on the store.

4. Audio blogs remind us that there is music beyond the Top 40.

Hand in hand with the MP3 came trailblazing audio blog sites and websites like Buzzgrinder.com and Stereogum.com that introduced large audiences to little-known artists. Many times these sites offered up free MP3 downloads (sometimes legal, sometimes not). In particular, indie musicians got a boost from the trend, with bands like LCD Soundsystem, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Cold War Kids breaking into the mainstream as a result of enthusiastic blogger endorsements. Today, blogs and music sites like Gibson.com’s Lifestyle are the way many of us find new music when our radio stations just aren’t cutting it. It’s a win-win situation for music fans, as many popular artists now give blogs free MP3s because of the enormous increase in attention it can bring. By the way, help yourself to free music on http://gibson.com/.

5. Radiohead tells you to go right ahead and download their new album for free.

In October 2007, Radiohead urged their fans to just pick a price, any price, when downloading their highly anticipated seventh studio album, In Rainbows. Many people scratched their heads quite hard over this one. Why would one of the most popular rock bands in the world essentially give their album away? For several reasons: They thought they’d beat the Internet to the punch by going ahead and leaking their own album; they wanted to flip off their former record label; and they wanted to rethink the antiquated model for releasing a record. Turns out, it was a smart move. The band reported that most people paid a normal retail price for the album, and upon its retail release in January 2008, In Rainbows went #1 in both the U.K. and the United States. Nine Inch Nails, Ryan Adams and others have since followed suit.

It just goes to show you how the music industry is forever changing and how this is making DJs have to change along with it. (As I've said in so many other post) 

So that's it for now but as always............"Stay In The Mix"