A few days ago I had to spin on turntables which are on a swinging platter, god that was so awful :-( It tooks some time to accomodate, and even than, I think without relative mode this would have been horrible. Scratching with my left hand, which is my weak hand anyway, was a nightmare. I started holding the TT with one hand and scratching with the other. Right, I missed a third hand for moving the crossfader ;)

Anyway... echo echo echo makes me lazy. So to answer your question... yes and no.

Word up, i remember when I first got into the club scene, it took me a while to get adjusted to using other equipment than my own. Now a days nothin phases me. Although I really hate when turntables are NOT set up Battle Style. To answer the question in the topic, give me 1200's and a 56/57, i will shut it down

never put much thought to it... Gear is gear to me, I think running in to new/unknown mixers is about my biggest worry. Finding all the little buttons to make it work. Turntable differences do not phase me. I think the 1200 is lesser than other decks anyway. My very first time was my worst. Was in the main room of a club, I was forced to play on a Rane 2016 w/ expander.. I felt F'n lost for 15 minutes on that big rotary... and then I settled down - mixed safe for a bit and was back on pace. (I know, rotary should be a house dj's pal - but no.)

I agree with Dj KaGeN on this one. I'd like to bring my own mixer and set it up as much as possible.

I love this debate. Here's a good read... www.djforums.com

Do you like playing on crap or broken gear? Would you rather not play a gig than play on crap/broken gear? What if you play on crap/broken gear and mess up a lot and make a fool out of yourself? Was it because of the gear, or because you have no "skill." Should you be able to "rock it" on any gear that's put in front of you? Does that statement only go so far? I mean, surely you can't expect a carpenter to build a house with bent nails and a broken hammer now, can you?

I know many people that would rather not play than play a gig with/on sub-par gear. If there's not Technics and Pionner CDJ-1000s or a TTM56 or DJM-800 or Xone:92 they won't even step into the booth.

you mean like this
www.slappy.net

When I do a gig at a club that I've never been to, and get there and see that they have crappy gear, I get kinda depressed.
Then I go ahead and suck it up and think to myself, that this is how it's gonna be, and I have a job to do. The first few minutes I get to know the crappy A$$ mixer and CD players and adapt to them. It's not a totally fun night, but I make it through it without too many hiccups. A good tip....be prepared, expect the unexpected.

I've learned to take my turntables and mixer wherever I go JUST IN CASE... :)

Lol... I like this one... here let me put some of my money in this!

I had a DJ come up to me and says fuck you got the 57sl how do you use it? Plays for an hr. and says... I like my ( not going to say any namez but under $250) mixer better!

I had to play on some shit ass mixers cuz DJ's don't want to buy better gear. I've seen radio DJ's with shit for equipment. I would turn a gig down if it's just to low end! ( Fuck the money!) ( Or bring my own shit, if they let me!)

If you don't have the money get notthing less then the Pioneer djm 707 ($300)( It kicks ass I wish I still had one just to have it!)

i'll say this. mobiles suck ass, but at least i get to play on my own shit. that almost makes it worth it. oh yeah, they pay more too.

word this shit happened two weeks ago, good thing i was only opening up for someone cuase i would have fucked up alot....but anyway yea yea yea DJ's should be able to rock it regardless...BUT!! skratch DJ's and mash up DJ's dont just sit there and mix song after song...alot of touching and using of gadgets...most clubs have broken ass gear so fuck that...as long as i have my one and only love (TTM 56) im all good...the next day after this gig i went to the G center and bought every addapter possable for it...if clubs want you to put on a show then you should be able to use ur own shit if wanted

Nah it's not the equipment, it's the DJ!!!!

U should be able to play on anything and everything......Cuz if a clubs equipment starts to f*ck up, you better handle that sh*t cuz when the music f*cks up, the crowd see's it as the DJ's FAULT, PERIOD!!!

I agree with DLO on being able to bring your own sh*t to a club, hell Sixxx brings his own 1200's sometimes.....which to me is NUTS.

My equip never steps foot out of the studio, with the exception of my Mac w/SSL etc.

if i go to an unfamiliar club, i bring my 12's and ttm-56. it has saved me before.

i can do the basics on shitty gear...but in order to rock out to my full potential in need the right gear and i need it set up the right way...when you're trying to quick mix and keep it movin the last think you need to worry about is where the fuckin headphone cue button is.

I can bust on any set up but in order to cut it up how I like I need a mixer that has a good cut.

Shitty equipment sucks but a good DJ steps up and makes it all work.

OH SO F*CKING TRUE, Rock on REFRESH

I don't think it's a question of making it all work. Of course if you're a good DJ you'll make it work... but I'm sure you would do better on 2 1200's... (if you're a turntablist) than a pair of CDJ's.

Agreed, that's why I rock turntables and not CD turntables

However I am not a turntablist........I just like the feel of vinyl as I scratch compared to touching a jogwheel knowing a cd is scratching instead of a piece of vinyl

I've dj'ed with 2 cd players with no pitch control at all... Oh wait. Maybe this goes in the confesion thread. :P

hahaha sixxx, what no gig tonite??

Hell no... I got so much shit to do this weekend and if I don't get some rest I won't be able to make it to the mini jam.

i hate that rane club mixer.....it seems to follow me where ever i go.....i just wanna cut shit up like a butcher....and be able to control my gain...thats all i ask its not to much? LOL

I think that there is a point where the gear becomes too shitty to expect a great set, but a little preparation goes a long way.

I feel that, as a professional, performing artist, it only makes sense that you have access to professional equipment. This isn't always the case, but there are certain things that you do have control over regardless of where you are playing.

For instance, I always bring my own carts (2 pairs of Shure M44-7's, already mounted on headshells and ready to go) because the ones at a lot of clubs are truly shit, as no one ever changes out the styli on them. You would be surprised at the number of DJ's that don't bring their own carts (hip hop/turntablist guys usually do, but A LOT of house, dnb, breaks dj's don't...). Also, I always bring my own slipmats. It seems like such a mundane thing, but I like the thickness and slickness of my mats, and they only weigh a few ounces and can fit in your record bag, so why not bring them? A smart DJ also brings the appropriate adapters/connecters for any extraneous gear that they may bring (such as the SL1) as there is no guaranty that the club/venue will have their own cables/adapters organized enough to find what you need. Again, these adapters are small, light, and cheap, but can save a show.

I do try to bring at least some of my own equipment to every gig (I have used my own mixer, either the 909 that I used to have, or the 57 that I have now, at every gig I have done in the past 2 years with the exception of 2 times, and I knew in advance what gear was going to be available). If needed, I will bring my own decks, and I am not afraid to ask the venue to email me some pictures of their DJ booth prior to hopping in my car and driving 2 and a half to 4 hours for a gig. The venues' crappy gear is only an excuse in court in terms of a breach of contract (and the hassle over doing this for a few hundred dollars from a gig is really not worth it), but our reputation with the club-goers is priceless. They don't care about the gear in the booth, they just want to have a good time, so it is up to us to deliver.

(that said, I would still walk out on a gig with belt-drive Geminis...)

i played on some gemini's not too long ago. some xl 2000s or something. pieces of shit, weight was too heavy and they were plastic. good thing i brought my 56 that night, because the other mixer was a huge beringer jawn. ef that.

you guys don't know pain until you try and cut on a rotary with no crossfader. i hear what all of you are saying,.. "the dj steps up and rocks it no matter what",... yeah yeah yeah. i can't wait until some of you come across some of the shit i've seen. mixers with no crossfaders, mixers with no headphone output (happened to me once at basque, hollywood),.. mixers with rotary only and setups with no monitors.

2 weeks ago, i was at sachi in the lbc (i know a few of you were there too). the dudes mixer had the line faders removed and the metal stubs were grinded down to about a mm above the faceplate. the only way to slide them was with the very tip of your fingers. he was obviously an expert at this and could rock line fader cuts with his fingertips all day long. i just could not get the hang of it. i'm just used to line faders with an actual fader cap.

and no, using my mixer was not an option. my set was only an hour and it was his show, his equipment.

equipment like that - you're bound to have some sort of a degraded set. Shaved up-fades - well that's about bullshit.

(steals more fader caps from guitar center and adds them to gig bad - for the 'just in case')

Your that reason I always cut my shit playing at GC... lol

Let's try buying them if your not poor, I would hate to see you on the news and kill you rep. over some fader caps.

I always roll in there with my chic - she puts them in her bra boosting up the cleavage... As the receipt nazi is busy fuggin me up over a $15 dollar cable, she smiles and walks out.

GC will never have fader caps as long as they have a receipt nazi at the door.

lol

oh shit. don't even get DUB started on fader caps.

The better the equipment the better you play its simple, unless of course you drop a sick set because you ended up overcompensating for said crap equipment.

I find what makes me play really well is when the promoter pays me when i walk in the door and also when they bring drinks to the booth ... it really is that simple!

I think Spinz, guerillatactics and I all agree that equipment matters, since weve played numerous raves and we know how extremely shitty both mixing equipment, monitors and esp. sound can be, for drum&bass DJ's... Sure, Give the trance guys all the good shit and leave us with the wack mixer with no EQ's and shitty bass bins!

So true. Back room status, back room gear...

You know, in all the dnb events I've been involved in, the only guy that brought his own carts and matts was Bukem (well, and Craze, of course, but he also brings his own mixer, too).

Y'all are some thievin mofo's. Damn funny though! GC deserves that shit!

BEEN THERE a-swift!! Except for the Basque Hollywood part.......

I actually don't mind the rotary mixers if I'm doing a house set, but I feel you with the rotary knobs and NO CROSSFADER...... But if there's no crossfader on a reg mixer(which is kinda bad), then it's time to rock the channel knobs as if they were crossfaders, str8 cut and scratch that way as well....

I don't think I would know what to do if I walked in and there was good equipment.

I've played on the worst equipment imaginable for the majority of my career, what some of you are calling horror stories I call "not bad a-talllll"


If there's no monitors, I hang my head out of the booth window. If the fader bleeds, give me a screw driver and two seconds in the bathroom. And if that ain't an option, take a deep breath and blow harder than your mother when the mailman "delivers". No headphone jack? That's how I learned anyway. 7 band EQ that controls everything on the 1983 Pyramid they have for the set, fade with one hand, and drop out the low on the EQ with the other 'til the mix comes in. No mint condition 12's turned "battle style"? put on a Justin Timberlake and cry me a river.


Denon 3500's or 2000 F's.... Technic 1200's or 202's...If I walk in and see a RANE mixer regardless of the model, I'm happier than a pig in shit...the rest is extra gravy.

Sounds like d*ck lube ;)

LOL@nik


He he he

Snot is nature's rubber cement..... nature's fader cleaner however, is something else....

Yes.

I had that experience at Club Legacy, in Stone Mountain, GA. It's a Reggae club, but we were doing a Hip-Hop "D--e Night".

I heard many Reggae clubs have fader-less mixers, just like many EDM clubs.

i think it all depends on what you feel comfortable with

and what you're used to

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