CDJing, a forgotten art.

[HarryStottle]

Well, 

Saw this topic and thought I’d post.

There’s a story here so bear with me.
If like me you’ve DJed RL at any point, and of course DJing in the virtual world, if you take requests you do your utmost to fulfil them.

In the digital age it’s easy. You look up the artist and title from available sources and download. Even before the days of decks and software with subscription options, you burned MP3s (other formats of you used them) on to optical media and used them as your mobile library. 

As technology has progressed, optical media for all media formats has been handed its long service award, its handshake from the powers that be and put out to pasture and almost confined to history.

Or so we thought. 

I’m a few days away from DJing a private event. I’ve consulted with the hosts, got a set list prepared and made sure I’ve allowed for requests. I’ve been asked to play an school remix of dance tracks that only ever made it to white label for a guest. I think “no problem! I’ll wait for the discs to turn up and convert to MP3.

Nope.

Somehow, there’s a lock protocol on the discs that prevents them being read like data by a computer! (If any “The Darkness” fans are reading this, think back to the first issue of “Permission to land” and you’ll know what I mean!)

Panic stations!

I don’t have any Audio CD players in my possession! As to finding one? A good one? In stock? Delivered next day?

Stores were as bare as Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard! 

I call a friend who laughs at, then with me as we reminisce over old times, long nights, airport boredom, clubs that on occasion we thought we’d never get out of alive, how fit flight cases of vinyl and CDs kept us.

He meets me for coffee and offers me a solution. A colleague of his had bought just what I was looking for but had decided it wasn’t for them. A twin deck CD player with jog wheels, basic BPM and pitch controls. He offers to me at a nearly new price. I give him that plus a bit for transport, I pay for the drinks too. Only fair! 

Perfect! I’m saved! 

(pic will need an edit as it’s upside down!)

The Numark CDN-77!

If CDJing is where you want to be? This is a great piece of kit that allows you to Mix DJ with CDs and USB stick based music. 

I never thought I’d never have to use audio CDs again and I was scared to go back to old school  mixing but, with a bit of guidance and patience, a crash course on the morning of the gig, it all came back to me. 

All I needed was my existing PA and mic pre amp and I was DJing like it was the 2000s again! For storage and transport to and from gifs? A 19” rack mount case I had from a previous venture. 

Easy to set up and use, mixing took practice but if you can do it digitally without relying on a synch button then this will be easy for you.

 

 

[HarryStottle]