Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Serato DJ 1.7 First Test Drive



I did a test drive with Serato DJ 1.7.

Hardware:
-Rane SL3
-Late 2013 Macbook Pro Retina 2.3ghz with 16GB RAM

 Serato drivers for Pioneer DJM-900SRT, Rane SL3 and Rane 62 installed.

So far, so good. I listed my computer type because there are isolated issues with the Retina MBPs compared to previous generation MBPs.

Improvements I noticed:
 - Latency issues with timecode are gone, and timecode responds just like SSL which I can now scratch properly.

- Left deck does not start a milisecond off from the cue like it did with 1.6.

A few things I also noticed:
-SL3 driver for Mac no longer has the buffer control. I don't know if this is a good thing or not, but I will say the buffer did very weird things with 1.6...like setting it lower and the latency would increase, and setting it higher, would make the latency go way off the charts, like 1 to 2 seconds off. Whatever the case is, timecode is responsive now.

-Recording channel is default to Channel 1, when I think it should be default to Channel 3 since it is the aux. Nothing more embarrassing than have a timecode signal recorded as opposed to your set. I did that when I made this video.

-When the line/phono switch is set to phono and you input it with a line timecode signal, unlike SSL where it gives you a red signal but will still play, Serato DJ will play at +230% forcing the DJ to check for something wrong. I think this is awesome because many DJs forget to switch back to line from phono simply because it "works" in SSL. It's not good to load your inputs with a line level signal. From what I read, the overload could actually destroy your channel inputs to your interface or mixer.

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Still have to do further long term tests to see if it can be used live. Will also try HID mode with Pioneer CDJs to see if they improved the known latency issue with HID. Will be doing further tests with a Rane 62 real soon, and the 900SRT sometime this month.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Quincy Jones Cries About EDM

I may agree, I'm not a fan of Lil Wayne. But for a person who is a big icon in music history, this was a boldly ignorant statement. If you read it, he calls it "techno" which reveals he knows nothing of the music. I have no problem with some one not liking something. Individual tastes makes us unique. But I would expect more from an iconic musician than to be a bitter old man being a  cry baby about the money others make doing what they love; and furthermore being bitter because people like something different from what they used to do.

Do typist cry because computer word processors replaced the typewriter? Maybe they did, but in the overall spectrum, being a good writer doesn't mean you have to be a good typist. Just like being a good song writer or producer no longer means you have to be a good musician. There's new things that one can work hard on and what's important is more people can express music from the heart, rather than being limited by their tools.

Sorry Quincy, you have an awesome history, and you're a legend, but once a tomato decides he is ripe, the only thing left is to rot. And I'm sure for one not going to join the bandwagon who's backing you up on this.




Original Article
http://blog.djcity.com/2014/04/quincy-jones-criticizes-lil-wayne-and.html

Monday, March 10, 2014

Thought's on the movie, "Rush"

I was really inspired by the movie, "Rush". It had an awesome motif of the two types of champions, a technically disciplined champion versus a confident instinctive champion. Knowledge versus Confidence, Fear versus Ego. My favorite quote is Niki Lauda's line to James Hunt, "You should try [flying]. It's good for discipline. You have to stay within the rules, stick with regulations, suppress the ego. It helps with the racing." I feel more relatable to Lauda's character, but can't deny the temptations of a suppressed persona like Hunt's. I think this motif in the movie isn't about two types of people, but more of the dual personas a single individual can take. Both aren't necessarily wrong and the truth is, there is a balance to be discovered from recognizing how to accept characteristics of both.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Serato DJ 1.6 DVS Report



After using Serato DJ Thursday night, I report that the software is still buggy. I used it in timecode mode, with 1 MIDI controller. Here's my current analysis.

Computer specs:
Mid 2011 Apple MacBook Pro 15 inch
2.4 Ghz Quad Core
16 GB RAM
Mavericks OSX
750 GB 7200rpm HHD (200 GB used)
1 TB Lacie Thunderbolt HHD (for Serato Library)

Hardware tested on:
Rane SL3
Rane 62

Pros:
Tenth of a decimal BPM read out. Awesome for blends and quick mixing without headphones. Awesome for digitally accurate CDJ's but I would imagine it being jumpy on turntables.

8 hot cues.

Bigger color code section. No more color confusion.

4 deck use; awesome for 3 decks using SL3.

The purchasable Pitch n Time DJ is much more awesome sounding than the standard key lock. So much cleaner.

I thought the Base Pack effects was limited compared to SSL effects but I found almost everything I needed in the free Wolf Pack. Still looking for a Roll Out type effect.

Cons:
Rane 62 does not BPM sync effects to track. Must constantly use tap which takes too much time to get accurately.

Loop roll is not MIDI mappable. Go around is to use Serato Remote on the iPhone for loop rolls. Seems like loop roll is exclusive for purchased accessory hardware like the Pioneer DDJ-SP1.

Some BPM analysis off by 0.1

A few USB drop outs, but fixed when buffer moved from 2ms to 5ms.

Use of deck 1, deck 2, recorder, and sampler stuttered the buffer. Fixed when buffer moved from 2ms to 5ms.

MIDI settings did not save properly. All though I loaded the settings file, had to remap all the settings when going from an SL3 to a 62.

It may be a hardware issue but using Serato DJ seemingly robs more power from USB. I don't know how this is possible but my MIDI controller which is USB powered kept restarting, which never happened before.

Maximum pitch range limited to 50% as opposed to 100%. This may no affect practical mixing but limits my ability to do my MIDI drum pad scratch technique. I don't know how this affects HID mode. I speculate 100 is available in HID mode. Will do further testing.

Notes:
Have not tried HID mode with Pioneer CDJ-2000Nexus since there were too many reports of bugs.

Have not listened to the recording files to see if the limiter problem in the Rane 62 has been solved that was present when recording on Scratch Live on a Rane 62.





Conclusion:
Serato DJ still too buggy to be used. I would consider version 1.6 as to be treated as Beta. Serato seems to have neglected to fine tune important operational features. However, my understanding is Serato is low in engineering resources, hence why development can be slow and sometimes late. Which is why I believe Serato DJ was created as a more profitable system. Used TTM57's and SL1 boxes sold second hand do not make the company money for software use; so now they created DJ where not only does it support new hardware, but also has purchasable plugin upgrades. Serato has made a more efficient money making machine but has some bugs to work out for the program to be reliable.

I will be doing further testing in HID mode. I was supposed to do so last night but after all the bugs Thursday, I did not want to take a risk.

Currently I do not recommend Serato DJ for use, I tested it only in an opening slot situation and will not use it live until the next update.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Interpreting a Dream



So I have this reoccurring dream. For the majority of my life, I never had a dream happen so many times that it was clearly something to it. The dream is always either me in elementary, high school, or college. I'll be sitting in a class or walking in a hallway stressed because I skipped to many classes or failed some and didn't graduate.

Now on the surface, I was beginning to wonder if subconsciously regret not finishing college. Mind you, I never once regret leaving, or ever wondered if my life would be better if I submitted to the exact wishes of my parents and became an engineer as they wanted. I never looked back at that day with any remorse. So I investigated it further because I read once, dreams are messages from your subconscious that are not literally what they appear, but more symbolic about a current event in your life. So I had my friend's mom who was an expert on the subject help me interpret it.

From everything I told her, about how for the past year or two I have been experiencing this dream reoccurring to me and the specifics of the most recent one. Mind you, up until now, I looked at dreams as random thoughts in my head going off while I slept. Almost all the time they never make any sense. It's almost like ADHD isn't gone while you sleep. However, as vague as the interpretation was I felt like it hit the spot on something I was consciously dealing with in reality. She said, "your a prisoner of yourself. You have unfinished business. You're keeping yourself busy with things that seem important at the time but really lead to nothing. You're holding yourself back from doing what you need to do to achieve your bigger goal. You have to step by step set goals.

Might sound like a fortune cookie, and maybe it's just a coincidence, and maybe whether destiny is telling me so, or random chance just made me aware of it, there is something lingering in reality that I feel I have been holding myself on. Lately, my DJ/mix artistry career has been doing well. I can relax a bit, pick and choose when I work, and get to travel and explore cities. I don't have a weekly residency and for the past 6 months, I haven't needed it. Bookings throughout the month seem to be abundant enough that I can share them. My workload has been based on maintaining that consistency of gigs. Promotional video, recaps, and ads, as well as downloading tracks and keeping social media content fresh. However, what got me to this point was never because of how well I DJed or how my personality impressed upon people. My DJing can be good to some, and not to all, and my personality is not exactly the party animal.

At the very core of things, I got here because at some point, someone listened to music I made, actually liked it, and brought me over. Every successful DJ/mix artist/producer got to where they are because of the music they made. They have said that in interviews, and proved it on Forbes. A great night at the club is not a tangible item people become fans for. But a song is. It's something they can play over and over beyond the dancefloor. It's the extension of your brand.

This core principle about success in the DJ/producer/mix artist world is something I have been neglecting. I found excuses like, "my PC crashed and I don't know how to use the new programs on the Mac". I have no excuse, I have made my bedroom production ready with all the toys in the house interconnected with two USB hubs and 5 MIDI controllers. I learned how to use Adobe Premiere for my videos at satisfaction level in the span of 3 months. But for some reason, I have been laying off on learning Ableton Live. Deep down inside, it's already proven to me that this is the real key to my long term success and that I have been dabbling in trailer videos and keeping myself relevant for immediate reward in the nightlife; totally neglecting the one thing that would grow and secure long term success.

I think it's time I stop fooling myself. All the eggs are in place. Been eat healthier, cut back on bad habits, and improving relationships around me. While the immediate things are important, I can no longer be using them as an excuse. Like Will Smith said, "it's easier to be ready than to get ready." Here we go Ableton, for the next two months, let's sound like crap until I get it right.

Monday, November 11, 2013

My thoughts on Reloop's newest turntable, the RP-8000 with MIDI functionality.


I am a bit pleased to see someone is taking charge of the turntable market. Sure Vestax, Stanton, and Numark were good competitors to Technics, and still are competing despite the discontinuation of the SL-1200, but I feel like the whole turntable market hasn't really innovated anything new.

Looking at how "standard equipment" evolved in the past 10 years, I saw the birth of the CDJ, that for a while, actually affected the sales of the Technics to the point that they came down in price as far as $399 when I worked at Guitar Center in 2006. The M5G's were $699 during this time as well, the price you can buy used ones for today. However, with DVS software like Serato and Traktor on the rise, I don't think the turntable, even though I am not a user myself, ever left the circle. It seems like it's more the choice by the open format, hoip hop, and showcase DJ's; while the EDM guys are on CDJ's or controllers.

Up until now, the only turntables designed for DJ use with midi functionality has been custom 1200's with built in dicers. I know Vestax developed a turntable that was an all out midi controller, but that was meant to be more of an instrument, that a DJ tool to trigger hot cues, loops and samples. What I like about this new RP-8000, is that it's the first turntable to take cues from the Technics, the innovations of Stanton, innovations from Numark, AND innovations from custom modified 1200's.

To explain, the aluminum finish, rectangular start/stop buttons, S tone arm, and overall look and feel (at least on photo) is made to make a Technics user feel comfortable and at home. Of course, like most newer turntables, they gave it a second start/stop button on the lower left corner. Since this is a Super OEM turntable, it's likely to be built in the same factory as some of Stanton models as well as other brands. In fact, it's using the exact same tone arm as a Stanton ST-150, which was Stanton's best S-arm turntable. The digital pitch read out is reminiscent of the Numark TTX's pitch control. If that wasn't Numark-like enough, they even included a feature that people didn't realize that the second generation of TTX's actually had; the torque strength adjustment. Many DJ's don't realize, that from all "pro" turntables, the 1200 actually had the weakest torque. Stanton, Vestax, and Numark all head a bigger stronger motor that Technics, which was why those turntables were always heavier. Some DJ's and turntablist found the strong motor a little too strong. Numark developed selectable torque strength, and Reloop seems to be the first manufacturer to follow that idea. And up until now, the only way to get midi trigger buttons on the top of your turntable was to either place in some dicers, or have them custom meshed into the body. It looks like Reloop answered that demand.

Now I have only seen this turntable in the DJBooth.com article, but a few things I could think to improve it would be, a vertical pitch fader including it's display; and a tonearm as advanced as Vestax's A.S.T.S. tonearms. Let's be real for a second, if you are using DVS software to DJ with, sound quality is not an issue from record to needle. What is more important is stability and gain from the timecode records. A straight arm would have been a better choice here, especially one like Vestax that canhave the turntable positioned up to a 45 degree angle. Maybe that would be overkill, but I don't think it would cost more to have the Stanton STR8 tonearm in place of the ST-type ones.

Now this is totally my own speculation, and I could totally be proven wrong depending how well Reloop markets these tables, but even if these decks are everything they promise to be in reality as they are on paper, I have a doubt in my mind that they will take off. I think one of the main reasons companies like Stanton, Numark, and Vestax never really put much effort in creating new products for the turntable market lately, is because turntable users, specifically Technics users, will always be loyal to Technics. Don't get me wrong, I give a lot of credit to Technics build quality with the SL-1200 but let's be honest, they weren't exactly a great DJ gear company. They just made a good turntable, that's it. Technics was known for two epic fails, their DJ CD player that was supposed to compete with the Pioneer CDJ's, and the mixer that went along with it. Despite companies making higher torque motors, digitally accurate pitch adjustment, turntable alternatives like the Pioneer CDJ and all the media players that followed it including motorized platter players like on the Numark CDX as well as newer Numarks and Denon decks and controllers; the Technics users, whether they scratched, juggled, or not, remained loyal to their Technics. A few moved over, but it seems like the common rider request for open format DJ's across America are still Technics SL-1200MK2's or higher. It doesn't matter if you give them more torque, less skipping, or make the turntable look and feel like a 1200, I think the loyalist are wired to choose the Technics. My speculation for that reason is simply because, there is no other DJ product in history, that lasted over 30 years, unchanged. Nobody can argue that the 1200 gained a lot of trust.

Working DJ's tend to be conservative, and want to make sure they have a product they can rely on and know they can get help with. Despite dealing with skipping when someone walks across a flimsy stage, or getting subharmonic feedback from the subwoofers to the needles, there's more people that can help you repair an SL-1200 than let's say, a Pioneer CDJ, or a Numark TTX. There's only two products I see that work in the DJ world, either a product that completely moves away from the classic turntable, like controllers and arguably the CDJ; or a product that preserves the 1200, like all DVS software and the accesories that go with it, like Novation Dicers. Anything that tries to mimic a turntable, doesn't seem to have a long shelf life. The Numark CDX was a pretty cool invention for the time but many of it's users reverted back to turntables when DVS software was on it's rise. Denon had many fumbled attempts which included the DN-S5000 and 3500 until they got something right. Turns out flanger and echo effects are as important as stability.

On a side note, what I don't understand is when DJ's, especially younger DJ's, use turntables, don't scratch, but insist on using turntables. Some admit it, some don't, but for the ones that do, they say they want to maintain a certain respectable image. For some it's the acceptance of older DJ's, for others, it's being an accepted image in a market you're trying to be a part of. My question has always been, if you're in a market trying to conform and preserve an image, how exactly do you expect to stand out? I understand if you're an older DJ, and turntables are something you are comfortable with. But the on going rhetoric of "I'm upgrading my controller to Technics". Technologically it's not even an upgrade. Now if you're studying or are capable of turntablism, I definitely respect that. But when I see other DJ's with booking power judging other DJ's and not booking them because they use a controller, I find that kind of silly. I mean, how about we judge them for how they sound, isn't that what matters? The value of any artist isn't about what he uses, more so how well he uses it. To what F** does it matter, what he's using, if he sounds just like you when he uses it? If the guy with the controller sounds like you, he doesn't have a problem; however, you might when he tries to take your job, possibly for less money (undercutters). So unless you an make yourself sound better on turntables, are just both guys who beatmatch and pick songs. There's nothing about having a controller that says a guy can't read a crowd or program his set, nor is there is anything about DJing on Technics that makes you more creative. There should have been a label on every Technics SL-1200 box that says, "talent not included". Anyways, I've rambled away from the subject, I think Reloop is on to something with this new deck of theirs, we'll see if the Technics users bite on this one.
My response to the article "'Ghost-Producing' is EDM's Dirty Little Secret"
Original Article: http://blogs.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/2013/07/edm_ghostproducing_david_guetta_ghostwriting.php



Something to think about. Now while "production" is what makes DJ's famous, at least in the EDM world, as oppose to "performance", is having a few tracks produced by someone else entirely wrong? Now maybe leaving the impression that the given famous DJ made the track when he didn't can be a dishonest practice, let's think about it from an artist and performer point of view.

When you think of all Michael Jackson songs, you don't think about every writer, composer, perhaps even the dance choreographer that developed or assisted in the music video as well as the live shows. You don't think about the lighting guys on the stage, the pyros, the camera work, or the musicians that recorded the instruments. You think of the "experience" as Michael Jackson (the show).

Now let's bring it to something more familiar. Hip Hop music has been notorious as being a sample based form of music; many times not giving credit to the original sample's owner. Despite the controversy, the tweaking and editing of samples is accepted as an artform and part of the music's history.

Has the current world of EDM made us forget what a DJ really does? Isn't a DJ a person who plays "other people's" music? It's silly that people just don't know the difference between a DJ and a producer, and that when a DJ actually does a few things to be a DJ, people get all riled up.

So in a nutshell, I don't find it wrong if a superstar DJ has a team of ghost producers. People came to see a "show". I do would wish they would be more honest and crediting of it; at least say it was a collaboration with a new artist. In reality, what they do behind closed doors is really their business. I find it funny that if an artist is caught in one instance where they had to "lip sync" a set or had a ghost producer, produce a song, people act like this superstar was never capable of DJing or producing. I would even argue that some of the superstar's best work, was BEFORE THEY BECAME SUPERSTARS. Let's be fair, we really don't know the responsibilities behind the work it takes to set these shows up and make music, when you are that big, famous, and busy. Before they were superstars, they had more time in the world to concentrate on their music. I'm not defending poor work or lazy work when it comes to being an established artist. But I will say, from experience, that when you're busy traveling, your mind is not all there to sit down and make music.

And really, the people getting screwed are not the people buying the record or going to the show. They paid for a song and show and they got a song and a show. It doesn't change the quality of the song, whether the track was good or bad. The only person truly getting screwed is the ghost producer himself, who sold his song to a superstar for easy cash. But even then, let's be smart. Corporations have employees that develop innovations all the time that the corporation takes the credit for. Music is a money generating industry, and every superstar artist is just another franchise. And to call it a "dirty secret", really? Any ounce of common sense would have let you figure this out a long time ago.