by Downlow and Double-S

As a first time NAMM visitor, I was shocked at the immensity of the show. Personally, I walk the fence between DJing and IT guy, but IT shows are much smaller and more specialized by comparison. There is definitely something for every musician at this show, and surprisingly lots of celebrity musicians roaming around (we saw Malcolm Jamal Warner as soon as we walked in).  Despite the immensity of the show, we'll focus on whats there for aspiring and pro DJs everywhere. Many vendors that develop products for DJs these days are focused on the same basic things: digital DJing, video DJing and control surfaces. First, I was stunned at how many digital solutions are out there these days. Every manufacturer seems to have their own digital system, although many such as Vestax and Staton are joining forces with Serato and its open "plug-in" architecture. For the most part, other systems seem to be Serato look alikes made by long standing equipment vendors such as Numark and Native Instruments. Next, I feel that video DJing is going to be a huge revolution that changes the DJ game for good, and obviously vendors agree. I go into further detail on some of the cooler solutions I saw by Pioneer and Serato below. Finally, vendors seem to have realized the need to make controlling these digital systems easier for DJs with cool and intuitive control surfaces. I go into further detail on the Stanton provided solution below.

by Downlow and Double-S

What was the first genre of music (if anything specific) that you remember being exposed to?  How did what you grew up listening to ultimately affect your life as a DJ? Early memories include my mom's Beatles and Neil Diamond records, in addition to the popular disco songs on the radio in her 1969 VW Bug. The first few tapes I was personally in possession of were ABBA's Greatest Hits, "Purple Rain" by Prince, "Ice Cream Castles" by The Time, and, like every kid in the mid-1980s, the behemoth known as Michael Jackson's "Thriller." I'm pretty sure the first vinyl I purchased was "Golden Shower of Hits" by The Circle Jerks, though I clearly remember the first song I ever spun as a disc jockey was "Party Train" by the Gap Band. At the time, I thought that long dramatic train station intro was really setting things off! At any rate, I still play cuts from every artist I've mentioned above; Yes, including Neil Diamond, the Jewish Elvis. The goal is to transcend genres, but seamlessly and cohesively. Every song is related; pinpoint what they have in common, and mix accordingly. Also, ackrite.