So You Wanna Be A DJ?

So You Wanna Be A DJ? You think you've got what it takes to be the next Sasha, Tiesto, Deep Dish or maybe Me, DJ Rap? Only problem is, you don't know where to begin. You've come to the right blog.

For those of you who know me, I always have plenty to say. For those of you who don't you'll probably be sick of me soon, so I'll talk about something interesting rather than the boring blog shit you see all over the place. The idea came to me because I've started teaching this very thing at Hollywood Arts. [hollywood-arts.org] I was first told about this organization by my mate, BT. It's wonderful helping out the new blood and seeing how they light up when they scratch the decks.

"So you wanna be a DJ?" will be the beginning of a series of blogs explaining the basic beginning to becoming a DJ, learning to produce, and hopefully help guide you on your path to becoming an underground superstar. [who really wants to be famous, it sucks. this is way cooler] Let's start off by talking about equipment so you'll know what to use before we get into techniques.

Part 1: DJ Equipment.

There are many types of equipment, so it really is a matter of personal taste. What I talk about here is just what I happen to believe in and this stuff works for me. It is by no means a disrespect to the other brands and versions out there. [so if anyone else wants to sponsor me, feel free, haha!] 

Decks: Although I still own the one and only pair of turntables I've ever bought, SL-1200's the Pioneer CDJ-1000 or DVJ-1000 is my weapon of choice. I simply LOVE Pioneer. [yes I love vinyl, no I haven't abandoned it. but you try carrying 20 20lb. crates to Ibiza only to find the crates nicked when you get there!] So CD's are what I spin. 

Mixer: Now, I'm really fussy about this shit. It HAS to be a Pioneer-800 for me.  I don't care what anyone else says, it's the best. For me the effects, are stellar. The Pioneer-600 sounded a little too woody and muffled, if you like, often there were feedback problems. But the 800 is crystal clear. I love the fact that you can mix and blend effortlessly without too much tuning concerns due to the filter effect. As I travel with a VJ, if you ever get the chance, check out Pioneer's new SVM-1000. [pioneerdj.com] I went to the warehouse and they let me at it, needless to say I got a little excited and wet my pants. I feel visuals are very important to a DJ show, but let's take it one step at a time... we'll get into that a bit later.

Monitors: In my home studio I use the M-Audio BX5's and the 10-inch sub that goes with it.[m-audio.com] I find they are incredibly accurate and really translate well to the dancefloor. I also use a pair of NS-10's which help me with what I call the "car radio mix test." In other words, if it sounds good in my car, it sounds good anywhere. For my mains, when I'm writing and producing I just got a hold of a pair of VXT-8's which have a MASSIVE sound. [krksys.com]

Headphones: I only ever use Sony-MDRV700DJ's. They're solid. And I haven't gone deaf yet. [sonystyle.com]

Of course you don't need these items exactly to start with as I realize we're all on our own budgets, however, you'll only need it once and you get what you pay for. In the long run you'll pay more to replace things if you're buying shit equipment. Trust me, been there, done that. 

This is Propa Advice from yours truly, DJ RAP. Tune in on the 1st and 14th of each month for new entries. For my next blog I'll let you in on my production tools in the studio.

luv n bass, DJ RAP.

-by the way, all the people on my mailing list get free tracks on the first of every month as well as goodies in their inboxes. so head over to my website [djrap.com] and sign up today.