D.J.’s do more than just D.J. They record tracks and produce music as well. D.J.’s also get jobs with record companies to be resident D.J.’s meaning they do all of the in house D.J. music for artists on their records or they produce records for artists.
D.J.’s who produce their own music also have built a following meaning they have been able to create a name for themselves and their fans will go to see them D.J. at a club or a show. When D.J.’s produce records for artists they make a name for themselves that way also. Building your talent and not being afraid to showcase it and take criticism will only enhance your skills.
So now that you know what it takes to be a D.J. and produce records how do you get started?
For a D.J., the natural progression after learning how to D.J., is to produce music. With the digital age well upon us the price of music production software is coming down and the flexibility and quality going up you can literally create radio ready music in your bedroom and executives from the record companies will never even know it.
Here is a list of the things you need for your home recording equipment.
1. Master Software Program – Depending on your choice this is what all of your other hardware and software components will be based on. I have put some recommendations of programs further down the page. Example of a type of master software program is Pro Tools. Pro Tools allows you to record multiple tracks, mix your song and master your final mix using the suite of plug-ins that come with Pro Tools so there is no need to buy additional gear to do this.
2. Audio Card – This card is a crucial piece of hardware because you can not get audio into computer without it. A good audio card to consider is one that has a processor on it like the kind of processor found on your computers motherboard only smaller. One that I like is the ST Audio 2496 PCI Audio Card. It uses very little of your computer’s CPU (Central processing Unit).
3. Mixer – If you have D.J. equipment then you have a mixer. Use your mixer or multi-track to plug into your audio card.
It can be an analog or digital mixer but preferably a digital mixer. For my home recording I use the Roland VS880. It is old but still very effective. You can also plug directly into your audio card from a source such as a CD player. Break Out Boxes are your best bet if you only a have a few inputs. What ever your source is they should run through a mixer or breakout box first. A breakout box is essentially a way to connect multiple sources into a single source that you would feed your audio card then to the input of your audio card. Whatever your source is they should run through a mixer or breakout box first and then to the input of your audio card.
4. CD Burner – What is the point of recording to your computer if you cannot burn the final product to CD? Just about every computer comes with one nowadays. Even some of the newer D.J. equipment comes with a CD burner. Most computers come with a CD burner but if you want an external CD burner you should get Plextor PX-740UF which doubles as a DVD burner.
5. Midi Card – If you use Musical Instrument Digital Interface or MIDI for short then you will most definitely need a midi interface card for your computer or an external MIDI interface. This is an essential part of your recording process because it allows you to sync many different instruments that use Time Code or The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE for short).
Time code or SMPTE is basically a hidden track that records the beats per minute (BPM). When this time code is recorded with the BPM then other devices such as beat machines or keyboards are able to read the time code and play back in sync with each other without getting off beat. Time code helps keep all of your musical devices in sync for recording. SMPTE is really used in the movie industry to sync music tracks to video.
By having this capability you can compose and arrange you music using several different instruments and have them play in time with one another while being controlled the multi-track machine’s MIDI. A good midi card to get is the Echo Mia Midi Digital Audio and Midi Card.
6. Drums Sounds – In the past drum sounds have been the hardest part to create for tracks. Drum loops have come a long way and for home recording it has been simplified to a few clicks of the mouse.
Now with pre-made drum loops and samples it is just a matter of inserting it where you want it and the recording software will line them up so it sounds perfect. Soon D.J. equipment will have MIDI.
7. Main Software Program – With the main software program you want to get it right the first time because this will be the mother program. Some of the programs can be a bit pricey but you will not be changing to any other programs for a few years. Just like you made the investment in your D.J. equipment do the same with your recording software.
These programs come highly recommended.
o Image Line FLStudio Producer Edition Windows (Remix / Looping) for recording
o Propellerhead ReBirth for recording
o Sony Media Sound Forge 8.0 for recording
o Stanton Final Scratch for your D.J. software
o Steinberg CubaseSX3 MAC/PC (Multi-Track Recording Software) for recording
o Serato Scratch Live from Rane for your D.J. software
o Pro Tools for recording Music123.com is a great place to pick up any one of these products.
Now to be honest you probably will not learn these software programs overnight. But as you learn to drop tracks and do different mixes of the same songs you will grasp a good understanding of the programs. Read up on the message boards for tips. They are a great source of information.
8. Studio Monitors – You need at least a 500 watt amp and studio monitors.
Studio monitors are speakers specifically designed for professional recording studios in order for the studio’s audio engineer to mix the music that you eventually hear on your CD or iPod. But these are not your normal speakers they are especially designed to give a flat response, meaning the dynamic range is zero. Normal speakers will give that rich sound you are used to hearing. A good pair of studio monitor are TANNOY I own myself) and a good pair of speakers for normal use are Yamaha C115V 15 2 Way Club Concert Series Speaker.
Another thing about monitors and mixing is that it will take several months to get used to mixing music using these monitors because what you hear is different from what will play back in a normal speaker. Every time you do a mix play it back on a normal stereo system and you will be able to tell what parts of a mix need to be adjusted.
To me being able to mix is a highly developed skill more so than being a D.J. Having a critical ear is precious and being able to bring that together with your D.J. creativity only makes you stand out all the more.
Finally in the process is mastering which involves taking the final mix and tweaking it by a means of compression and EQ or balance to give it full dynamic range with the highest output without distortion. You may have noticed that your homemade CD sounds nothing like your favorite CD. That’s because it has not gone through the mastering process.
This is a skill that only a few people in the recording industry have. But thanks to the power of the computer you can achieve the same level of a final master as the big boys. So get your D.J. equipment out, drop a track and start mastering.
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