sbangs
Turntablism
Hip Hop has four elements: rapping/emceeing, breakdancing, graffiti art, and turntablism. Scratching records is a form of turntablism, which is the manipulation of a turntable, pre-recorded music, and mixer in a "free-form" manner (i.e., like jazz musicians that improvise). A turntablist not only scratches, but may also use the crossfader or upfader to add or subtract beats (i.e., beat juggling) and to transform (see below). Battle DJ's are the best example of turntablists. Often playing hip hop (it makes little sense for a trance DJ to be a turntablist), these DJ's have turned a consumer playback device (i.e., the turntable) into a percussion instrument.Bringing these techniques to the next level, disc jockey's such as DJ Radar (see photo at right) are introducing turntablism to other musical traditions such as classical music. Radar and partner -- composer Raul Yanez -- are challenging the free-form nature of turntablism by writing musical scores for the turntable. To facilitate his work, he employs a Vestax PDX2000 Pro Direct-Drive Turntable because its pitch adjust has greater range than other turntables. As Radar puts it, "if you are using a tone in D on 33 rpm, the range (by using the pitch adjust) would then be from C# to G# of the next octave." As you can see, Radar is also challenging other turntablists to learn music composition and structure (which is a shift away from the free-form tradition). To read a Disc Jockey 101 interview with DJ Radar, please click here.CueingBefore you start scratching, you must know how to cue a record. There are two ways to cue a record: (1) the old-style back-spin (radio station) method; and (2) the "slip-cue" method used by beat mixers and scratchers.Method OneEven though this section is about scratching, you should familiarize yourself with the old style "back-spin" method of cueing a record. During the radio days, when jocks used vinyl, this is how DJ's cued records:
1. Listening through your headphones (the song you're cueing can't be heard on the radio or dance floor), place the needle on the record at the spot where you want to start the song (usually the first note of the song).
2. With the turntable's start/stop button on STOP, move the record back and fourth with your hand so that the needle is located exactly on the first note.
3. Once the needle is located above the first note, move the record about 4 inches before that note.4. When it's time to play the song, hit the start button on the turntable -- making sure you time the start accounting for the one or two seconds that it will take for the needle to move across the 4 inches (thereby starting the song). At the same time, with the other hand, slide the cross-fader over so that the volume of the new song is up and the old song is down. The reason you start at four inches before the song is because if you were to start exactly on top of the note, the gradual acceleration of the turntable is heard (changing the pitch of the song for the first second).Method TwoThe "slip-cue" method (pioneered by DJ Francis Grasso) eliminated the problem of the delay, making it possible for a DJ to start a song exactly on the first note (without having to mentally calculate when the song would start).
1. First, remove the rubber piece that comes with your turntable and replace it with a slipmat.2. Listen to the song through your headphones only (the song you're cueing can't be heard on the dance floor). With the start/stop button on the turntable on START, move the record back-and-fourth with your hand so that the needle is located exactly on the first note. However, because of the slipmat, you can leave the turntable in the "on" position and just hold the vinyl in place (making sure the needle remains slightly before the first note or beat, usually the downbeat -- i.e., bass drum).
The slipmat will allow the turntable to continue rotating as you hold the recordAs long as the turntable is a direct-drive, you don't have to worry about damaging the drive when you slip-cue. In contrast, the belt on a belt-drive turntable may eventually break because the belt builds friction and stretches over time.
3. Be sure your needle is weighed down properly. Before Ortofons, DJ's placed pennies on the cartridge shell to ensure that the needle stayed in place. However, too much weight will damage the needles and burn the vinyl (called "cue burn").
4. When it's time to start the song, just release the vinyl and the song should start exactly on the first note. At the same time, with the other hand, quickly slide the cross-fader over so that the volume of the new song is up and the old song is down. To be precise, you may have to slightly push the record (as you release it) to get the beat to speed. This requires practice because you may have to slightly "back-cue" when you push the needle into the beat. In order to mix, you must drop the first beat exactly on the beat of the song that's ending and then adjust the speed with the turntable's pitch adjust (and bring the cross-fader over gradually). Basic scratching is therefore, slip-cueing back and fourth over a note (i.e., bass drum/snare drum) or sample with the volume turned up (i.e., the "baby scratch"). However, as you move the needle back and fourth, you create patterns (like a drummer) that compliments the song(s) you're scratching over.Scratching TipsBut there is much more to scratching than simply slip-cueing over a note or beat while using the other hand to manipulate the volume. At the time of this writing, there are over 60 different scratch techniques (i.e., the "chirp," the "crab," the "flare," the "orbit," etc.). Unless you're an aspiring turntablist, it's not important to know these different scratch techniques (especially if you're not playing hip hop).
Here are five general scratch tips:
1. Do not scratch over the words/lyrics of songs (particularly songs with female vocals). Instead, you should consider scratching over instrumental portions of tracks;
2. Loud & excessive low-end scratching can damage the woofers and is annoying (especially in nightclubs);
3. Don't play the scratch louder than the song you're scratching over;
4. Unless it's expected by the crowd (i.e., you're a turntablist), don't over-scratch (it wears out the effect's novelty and you may appear to be showing off);
5. For new jocks, utilize 12" records that are designed for scratching (i.e., lots of samples). Scratch records are usually made with a better grade of vinyl (such as "regrind") and are less likely to become damaged.
Hip Hop has four elements: rapping/emceeing, breakdancing, graffiti art, and turntablism. Scratching records is a form of turntablism, which is the manipulation of a turntable, pre-recorded music, and mixer in a "free-form" manner (i.e., like jazz musicians that improvise). A turntablist not only scratches, but may also use the crossfader or upfader to add or subtract beats (i.e., beat juggling) and to transform (see below). Battle DJ's are the best example of turntablists. Often playing hip hop (it makes little sense for a trance DJ to be a turntablist), these DJ's have turned a consumer playback device (i.e., the turntable) into a percussion instrument.Bringing these techniques to the next level, disc jockey's such as DJ Radar (see photo at right) are introducing turntablism to other musical traditions such as classical music. Radar and partner -- composer Raul Yanez -- are challenging the free-form nature of turntablism by writing musical scores for the turntable. To facilitate his work, he employs a Vestax PDX2000 Pro Direct-Drive Turntable because its pitch adjust has greater range than other turntables. As Radar puts it, "if you are using a tone in D on 33 rpm, the range (by using the pitch adjust) would then be from C# to G# of the next octave." As you can see, Radar is also challenging other turntablists to learn music composition and structure (which is a shift away from the free-form tradition). To read a Disc Jockey 101 interview with DJ Radar, please click here.CueingBefore you start scratching, you must know how to cue a record. There are two ways to cue a record: (1) the old-style back-spin (radio station) method; and (2) the "slip-cue" method used by beat mixers and scratchers.Method OneEven though this section is about scratching, you should familiarize yourself with the old style "back-spin" method of cueing a record. During the radio days, when jocks used vinyl, this is how DJ's cued records:
1. Listening through your headphones (the song you're cueing can't be heard on the radio or dance floor), place the needle on the record at the spot where you want to start the song (usually the first note of the song).
2. With the turntable's start/stop button on STOP, move the record back and fourth with your hand so that the needle is located exactly on the first note.
3. Once the needle is located above the first note, move the record about 4 inches before that note.4. When it's time to play the song, hit the start button on the turntable -- making sure you time the start accounting for the one or two seconds that it will take for the needle to move across the 4 inches (thereby starting the song). At the same time, with the other hand, slide the cross-fader over so that the volume of the new song is up and the old song is down. The reason you start at four inches before the song is because if you were to start exactly on top of the note, the gradual acceleration of the turntable is heard (changing the pitch of the song for the first second).Method TwoThe "slip-cue" method (pioneered by DJ Francis Grasso) eliminated the problem of the delay, making it possible for a DJ to start a song exactly on the first note (without having to mentally calculate when the song would start).
1. First, remove the rubber piece that comes with your turntable and replace it with a slipmat.2. Listen to the song through your headphones only (the song you're cueing can't be heard on the dance floor). With the start/stop button on the turntable on START, move the record back-and-fourth with your hand so that the needle is located exactly on the first note. However, because of the slipmat, you can leave the turntable in the "on" position and just hold the vinyl in place (making sure the needle remains slightly before the first note or beat, usually the downbeat -- i.e., bass drum).
The slipmat will allow the turntable to continue rotating as you hold the recordAs long as the turntable is a direct-drive, you don't have to worry about damaging the drive when you slip-cue. In contrast, the belt on a belt-drive turntable may eventually break because the belt builds friction and stretches over time.
3. Be sure your needle is weighed down properly. Before Ortofons, DJ's placed pennies on the cartridge shell to ensure that the needle stayed in place. However, too much weight will damage the needles and burn the vinyl (called "cue burn").
4. When it's time to start the song, just release the vinyl and the song should start exactly on the first note. At the same time, with the other hand, quickly slide the cross-fader over so that the volume of the new song is up and the old song is down. To be precise, you may have to slightly push the record (as you release it) to get the beat to speed. This requires practice because you may have to slightly "back-cue" when you push the needle into the beat. In order to mix, you must drop the first beat exactly on the beat of the song that's ending and then adjust the speed with the turntable's pitch adjust (and bring the cross-fader over gradually). Basic scratching is therefore, slip-cueing back and fourth over a note (i.e., bass drum/snare drum) or sample with the volume turned up (i.e., the "baby scratch"). However, as you move the needle back and fourth, you create patterns (like a drummer) that compliments the song(s) you're scratching over.Scratching TipsBut there is much more to scratching than simply slip-cueing over a note or beat while using the other hand to manipulate the volume. At the time of this writing, there are over 60 different scratch techniques (i.e., the "chirp," the "crab," the "flare," the "orbit," etc.). Unless you're an aspiring turntablist, it's not important to know these different scratch techniques (especially if you're not playing hip hop).
Here are five general scratch tips:
1. Do not scratch over the words/lyrics of songs (particularly songs with female vocals). Instead, you should consider scratching over instrumental portions of tracks;
2. Loud & excessive low-end scratching can damage the woofers and is annoying (especially in nightclubs);
3. Don't play the scratch louder than the song you're scratching over;
4. Unless it's expected by the crowd (i.e., you're a turntablist), don't over-scratch (it wears out the effect's novelty and you may appear to be showing off);
5. For new jocks, utilize 12" records that are designed for scratching (i.e., lots of samples). Scratch records are usually made with a better grade of vinyl (such as "regrind") and are less likely to become damaged.
Mensajes Tue 02 Jan 07 @ 10:48 pm
sbangs
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Mensajes Tue 02 Jan 07 @ 10:51 pm
Hi
I downloaded a plug in called turntablist but have no idea how to get it working in Logic. I have a dfx component and the source codes any clues as to what I should do?
OC
I downloaded a plug in called turntablist but have no idea how to get it working in Logic. I have a dfx component and the source codes any clues as to what I should do?
OC
Mensajes Mon 27 Mar 17 @ 10:54 am
groovindj
This is the Virtual DJ forum. For help with Logic, try Apple.
By the way, thanks very much for digging up a ten year old corpse of a thread.
By the way, thanks very much for digging up a ten year old corpse of a thread.
Mensajes Mon 27 Mar 17 @ 4:48 pm