If you love music, but hate the idea of making music, chances are you’ve thought about becoming a DJ at one point in your life. DJing is a venerable career with a rich and storied history; a portal to unique and obscure sounds and the path by which many of us have discovered our favourite artists. If you want to be a part of that tradition, look no further than this quick guide to starting out as a DJ.
Exploring Software
Before you commit to spending serious money on DJing hardware, you’ll want to get to grips with the basic principles – and you can do that for much less money, or even for free, by working with the software first. Apart from the vinyl-only DJs, the majority of contemporary DJs use software to do the hard work, with hardware controlling said software digitally. However, the software can be used standalone, and is a great way to understanding the ins and outs of the DJing process; the app layout contains all the elements of a DJ’s setup, from twin decks to EQ knobs, cue controls, faders and more.
Basic DJ Skills
With this software, you can start to build on the basics of DJing: beat-matching, cueing, looping, effects and, of course, transitions. Beat-matching is the most important thing to get under your belt for smooth mixes, wherein you line up a song with the next song for a seamless transition from one to the other. Software makes this far easier than with vinyl, as it can tell you tempos, show you waveforms and give you more control over changing tempos to match. This is more than half the battle when it comes to a seamless mix. Of course, for difficult transitions you might want to employ the use of effects like echoes or filter sweeps – incredibly gratifying things to play around with.
Investing in Hardware
After some time spent getting accustomed to the workflow of DJ software, you might finally be ready to invest in some DJ gear of your own. There are myriad different ways to go as far as hardware is concerned, with popular brands from Jico to Nagaoka, depending on your wants and needs. CDJs are standalone “decks” onto which you can load music and effect – but in some cases they can also operate as interfaces for software. If you go down this route, you’ll also want a DJ mixer, which contains the crossfader and EQs for each deck. Alternatively, for a more portable solution there are all-in-one DJ controllers with two jog-wheels, mixer in the centre and, for higher-end models, a built-in screen and software for the complete set.
Getting a Following
Being a DJ is about more than getting the gear and knowing your way around a crossfader. Garnering support for your work is difficult, and sometimes poorly rewarded, but well worth it. Whether you want to try your hand at DJing live or you want to build mixes for radio, your first port of call should be putting a mix together and recording it. This way, you can showcase your talents as well as your music taste and crate-digging chops. Sending this mix to venue promoters and radio producers could be the first step in a lucrative career.
