raverpup (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} raverpup) wrote,@ 2006-08-18 12:07:00 |
|
"Program" at G3 - the Pup Spins
For a couple months now my friends Raphael and Anne (aka Saturnia) have been running a downtempo/progressive trance night at a bar called G3 waaaaaaay out on Geary at 3rd (like, it was a $20 cab ride when I went to check out their opening night). Last night Kitty and I got to spin, and, while there were (as usual) some technical difficulties, it went extremely well.
To quickly get the technical difficulties out of the way: there was no booth monitor to speak of, and I don't know what Allan and Heath had in mind when they designed the Xone:64 mixer, but it doesn't seem to have much to with DJing as I know it. Because I was having to listen to the mixes based on what was coming off the dance floor I wasn't able to do as much with the measure-matchng and subtle mixing as I might like, but it still came out all matched and not too shabby. As for that mixer, all I can say is "urgh." I'm not sure what the problem was (on reflection is may have had something to do with the channel inputs), but I I had the gain on the channels turned up all the way and could barely get any signal out of some of my tracks (not that I could really tell the amplitude, since the channel meters only had four bars, two green, one orange, and one red). And I totally don't get the point of having two mid EQs. There are some interesting filter effects built into the box, but I didn't really play with them. I dunno, I think the Xone mixers are built with more of an electronic performance/all digital setup in mind, but the Pioneer DJMs remain the gold standard for DJ mixers in my mind.
The good bit was that I played tracks that got two well-known locals (one of whom manages the Psytrance section of Beatport) to come up and trainspot (I had great pleasure in teling the Beatport guy that the Analog Pussy track I played was, so far as I knew, a vinyl-only release)- one advantage of being a vinyl DJ among people who only spin CDs is that you don't have all the same crap as everyone else. On the other hand, after my set Saturnia played some excellent tracks that have me thinking that I need to branch out a bit more. I dislike playing on CD players because each deck has a different feel to it, and I have a hard time making small, in-play adjustments to the tracks, but so little progressive psy is released on vinyl these days that if I want to continue playing it, I'm going to have to eventually incorporate CDs.
I was also happy that I got people dancing, and among the psytrancers, that's no small trick. This was a preview of the set I have planned for BM, and I was very pleased with the overall sounds and vibe. One of the great things about DJing in a bar or club is getting to REALLY hear the stuff you practice with at home played at the intended volume, and getting to feel the impact of the bass. I think I shall rock the playa with these tracks.
Afterwards Jeremy told me that I did a great job and that my mixing was "flawless," which was the best thing I could have heard all night.
For a couple months now my friends Raphael and Anne (aka Saturnia) have been running a downtempo/progressive trance night at a bar called G3 waaaaaaay out on Geary at 3rd (like, it was a $20 cab ride when I went to check out their opening night). Last night Kitty and I got to spin, and, while there were (as usual) some technical difficulties, it went extremely well.
To quickly get the technical difficulties out of the way: there was no booth monitor to speak of, and I don't know what Allan and Heath had in mind when they designed the Xone:64 mixer, but it doesn't seem to have much to with DJing as I know it. Because I was having to listen to the mixes based on what was coming off the dance floor I wasn't able to do as much with the measure-matchng and subtle mixing as I might like, but it still came out all matched and not too shabby. As for that mixer, all I can say is "urgh." I'm not sure what the problem was (on reflection is may have had something to do with the channel inputs), but I I had the gain on the channels turned up all the way and could barely get any signal out of some of my tracks (not that I could really tell the amplitude, since the channel meters only had four bars, two green, one orange, and one red). And I totally don't get the point of having two mid EQs. There are some interesting filter effects built into the box, but I didn't really play with them. I dunno, I think the Xone mixers are built with more of an electronic performance/all digital setup in mind, but the Pioneer DJMs remain the gold standard for DJ mixers in my mind.
The good bit was that I played tracks that got two well-known locals (one of whom manages the Psytrance section of Beatport) to come up and trainspot (I had great pleasure in teling the Beatport guy that the Analog Pussy track I played was, so far as I knew, a vinyl-only release)- one advantage of being a vinyl DJ among people who only spin CDs is that you don't have all the same crap as everyone else. On the other hand, after my set Saturnia played some excellent tracks that have me thinking that I need to branch out a bit more. I dislike playing on CD players because each deck has a different feel to it, and I have a hard time making small, in-play adjustments to the tracks, but so little progressive psy is released on vinyl these days that if I want to continue playing it, I'm going to have to eventually incorporate CDs.
I was also happy that I got people dancing, and among the psytrancers, that's no small trick. This was a preview of the set I have planned for BM, and I was very pleased with the overall sounds and vibe. One of the great things about DJing in a bar or club is getting to REALLY hear the stuff you practice with at home played at the intended volume, and getting to feel the impact of the bass. I think I shall rock the playa with these tracks.
Afterwards Jeremy told me that I did a great job and that my mixing was "flawless," which was the best thing I could have heard all night.
