MIME-Version: 1.0 Server: CERN/3.0 Date: Sunday, 01-Dec-96 20:17:21 GMT Content-Type: text/html Content-Length: 6349 Last-Modified: Monday, 25-Nov-96 05:41:46 GMT DeeJayer's Guide for ISDN Record Hops

DeeJayer's Guide for ISDN Record Hops

by Aswin

Introduction

Being a DJ is a position of power. You are in charge of what songs are being played. However, it also bears a heavy responsibility. What you are doing should be what the people want. So, for me, being a DJ means to always play `better' music. To push my limits so to speak. That is the attractive thing about being a DJ. In plain words: `I like to play hot music'.

So much for the blabla let's see how it works.

How to Use Our Equipment

Now we play some music.

How to program CD2

This is the 5-disc player. Put in 5 cd's. Close the slide. When programming a track make sure you know the disc # and the track # in advance. Press program, then press one of the disc buttons on the left, then press the track number on the right (if # > 10 then press >10 and the two digits. This should all happen in quick order.

How to change cd's and program when music is playing

Press exchange to open the slide. Put in the cd you want. Press exchange again. Then program as before.

How to program TAPE

Will be put in a later version.

What to Play

We have three sorts of music we mainly dance to:

Almost all cd's are marked with the speed (100-220), kind (J/WC/LH) and quality (-, +, ++). CDs are also marked by color (J is blue, WC is red, LH is yellow (orange means Carolina Shag(CS)).

When you start DJ-ing you can never do wrong by playing songs that are marked ++. So play those a lot.

When you start picking more of your own music, be aware of the following. It is the style of the rhythm section that determines the dance style, not just the speed. A faster tune might feel more like R&B and feel like WCS and a slower tune might have an older style bouncy beat and feel more like a slow Lindy.

Only when you get more experienced you should bring more and more of your own music. I hope I do not sound to rigid since every DJ has a different taste and style. It often happened to me that a song that I liked very much at home did not work at all on the dance floor. Music for dancing is pretty specific. So get some experience first before you start experimenting.

As the ratio I use the following guideline:

2 Jitterbug : 3 Lindy Hop : 4 West Coast Swing .

For example I could play:

1J : 1LH : 1WC : 1J : 1LH : 1WC : 1LH : 1WC : ... etc

Play for the People Try to play what people like. If hardly anybody is dancing to a song it is probably not a good tune.

Do not tire people to play fast songs in a row Also there are a lot of beginners at the dances (especially early in the evening). I normally play only a few songs over 200 a night. This is als the case for WC. Play a slow one (110) and then a faster one (130). Variation is the key to your success!

Length of Songs Five minute songs are too long. If a song is very long (over 4 minutes) try to fade it out. If there is a great song that you would like in it entire length then consider having people change partners several times so people do not have to dance with the same partner for a long time. This is called a {\em mixer}. Mixers are done as follows: \begin{quote} Announce at the beginning that it is a mixer. Then, when you want people to change partners lower the music and announce the change (make sure that people are really changing partners; they normally do not hear you). \end{quote}

Sound Level Every song is recorded at a different sound level. Therefore a DJ should always monitor the sound level at the start of each song. Sometimes it is also desirable to adjust the treble and bass using the equalizer.

for further reading see here
By Aswin