Re: [TANGO-L] DJ advice required

["Kohlhaas, Bernhard" <bernhard.kohlhaas @SAP.COM>]

Hello Bob,

I'm not entirely sure, what you all want to know, but your question touches
several areas, so let me try to cover a few of them:

1. The most important thing is to know the music, how to build tandas (sets of music)
   and how to combine them in the flow of the evening and of good have lots of good
   music available.
   If you're new to this then Stephen Brown's website has an excellent introduction
   to DJing as well as a list of tandas you can use.
   See http://www.tejastango.com/milongas_djsrole.html


2. As far as playing equipment goes, most people I know either use burned CDs with
   pre-compiled tandas or a laptop (or a combination of both).
   If you only use CDs you'll probably need two CD players and a mixer that allows to
   to play trough one CD player (and use the other CD player during that time to monitor
   something you're considering to play).

   If you go use a laptop, you should also have a set of backup CDs and a CD player
   with you (What if the computer crashes and is not reviveable?)
   I use a laptop under Windows with a USB soundcard that feeds the amplifier. I still can
   use the headphone jack to monitor something I'm considering to play.

   For me the Winamp software works best as the main player for DJing. Here's why:
   - I can choose which soundcard to play through (no all players allow this)
     My default soundcard in Windows is still the internal one (to use for monitoring), so
     I just set Winamp to use the USB sound card. This way all the annoying Windows sounds won't
     go through the main speakers.
   - There are several good plugins (either free or cheap) for Winamp that I find very valuable,
     such as a sound enhancer and (most important) an automatic gain controller to level the volume.
     Without the latter you'll have to adjust the main volume much too often (I'd rather dance
     than babysit the volume knob).

   Beware of other "computer issues" that could be embarrasing.
   I.e. if you double click on a sound file it shouln't use the main player, but the
   secondary player (the one you use for monitoring).
   Otherwise an accidental double click on a sound file will interrupt the current tanda and
   start playing that file for all to hear.

3. And of course you need amplifying equipment of a resonable quality for the room you want to
   DJ in (if it isn't build in already).

Once again, before you worry about all the equipment details, get to know the music.
The dancers don't care what equipment you use to produce the sound.
They only care about getting beautiful music at a pleasant volume in a well
designed sequence that inspires them to dance. The choice of playing equipment is to a
great degree about making the DJ's life easier and thus secondary.

Good luck,
Bernhard
Mountain View, CA

> -----Original Message-----
> From: bob.ramsey-turner [mailto:bob.ramsey-turner @QUICKSILVER.NET.NZ]
> Sent: DWed, Jun 04, 2003 1:05 AM
> To: TANGO-L @MITVMA.MIT.EDU
> Subject: [TANGO-L] DJ advice required
>
>
> Could someone help with some DJ advise?
>
> I need to understand:
> 1 Basic typical set up to be used both with and without a computer.
> 2 The actual procedure for the activity
> thanks Bob
>