What amazes you about how things are done today as a DJ?

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MIXMASTERMACHOM

DJ Extraordinaire
ODJT Supporter
Oct 16, 2011
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I first started in 81. That was 40 years ago. At that time the internet barely existed. No DJ had a website or advertised online. No FB, Twitter, Instagram or Craigslist. My how things have changed over the years.

When I first came back I saw that you could use CDs to DJ with, which helped me out a whole lot! I used to carry several CD books to gigs. My first setup back was me using a Numark CDN 88 dual CD player. Numark mixer, 2 Peavey SP 2-G speakers, QSC 2450 amp, (that I still have today), corded mic, all wires to connect everything. Also a case to hold the equipment in. I had 2 speaker stands to put the speakers on. No sub at that time. Active speakers weren't a big thing in the early 2,000's.

Now some DJs have websites. Today I use a laptop with a software on it to use to DJ with. Also a backup laptop just in case if needed. 2 controllers. One for backup. I use active speakers today for most of the events I do. All my music is on 2 portable HDs. Again one for backup that I connect to my laptop. One controller is in a case that has a shelf to put the laptop on. When I first started the only light that DJ had back then was the 3 signal lights. Red, yellow and green. Now some DJs use moving heads that cost over $1,000. I now have 2 subs to add to our setup if need be. I have a dual wireless mic system and if needed a corded mic as well to use. Just some of the things that I use today to do events with.

When I first started cellphones weren't heard of. Now most people can't do without a cellphone. It was 40 years when I first got started. Some of you weren't even born yet. Not a put down at all. Today people will go crazy if they lost their cellphone. Back in the day if you were outside and needed to use a phone, you needed to find a pay phone to use. Now you rarely see one if at all. At the end of the street my best friend lives on is the pole that used to have pay phone on it. Now don't turn this into a beat up session. Let's just have some fun.
 
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Nothing.

I've seen absolute brilliance and indisputable stupidity, true art and pure crap, highest professionalism and rank amateurishness, and all in enough quantities and for over 30 years, to serve as reliable evidence. I can honestly say, nothing about people, especially Deeeejays, amazes me.
 
I have to agree with @djrox... Not much DJ’s are doing today amazes me. I’m much more amazed at how DJ’s were able to perform 30-40 years ago with such primitive technology. Today, it has become so easy, EVEN I can do it.😂 Seriously, I would never have attempted to become a DJ if not for the computer, controller, and active speakers.😊 I guess the technology is amazing compared to what DJ’s had in 1975, but nothing they do now is all that amazing.
 
Mix, your memory isn't serving you well. However, I do know you had some struggles back then. The internet as we know it, was created in 1989 (although TCP/IP dates to '82). By 2000, less than half of homes had internet access. By 2007 though, half of homes had "broadband" access which was still slow by today's standards. The CDN-88 came out in the mid-2000s. I was an early adopter. It was the second CD player (after Pioneer) to offer key-lock. The first portable powered speaker for DJs was the original JBL EON 15 that was introduced in 1995. It was light but ugly and a bit under-powered. The Mackie SRM-450, which debuted in 1999, was the first powered speaker to make a huge impact on DJs. It had a lot more power and much better looks. Within two years, it was over 50% of Mackie's business. Interestingly, one of the amp engineers was the same for both speakers.

As Rox and Bob point out, I am more amazed at what we did before we had all of today's technology at our disposal.
 
I got to tell the truth. I stopped DJing for 7 years and then came back after having a little over 3 years of being clean. I'm talking about how things have evolved over the years. Some changes have been good for the business and some bad for business. The way a lot of DJs do things today makes it look like what we do anybody can easily do it. What they don't realize is not everything is as easy as it looks. Several things need to make an event successful from the DJs part is 1 make sure you have the right music for the event, using good professional gear to do the event, 3 knowing how to read the crowd, 4 knowing how to trouble shoot things right away if something happens and for me a very important part is making sure you the right DJ to do the event. Also something that you learn over time is how to quickly recover the dance floor once you play a song that clears the dance floor. Now to be fair that doesn't mean it's your fault all the time. Sometimes a client or guest will insist you play a certain song that you know will kill the dance floor and yet it's out of your control.
 
As Rox and Bob point out, I am more amazed at what we did before we had all of today's technology at our disposal.

Agreed. I still wonder how I used CD's (or even mini discs or cassette singles!!!)....the time it took to look for the song, put it into the CD player, take the other one out....how did we have time to talk to any guests or read the floor...much less take a pee break??:pilllaugh:

Nowadays you have so much more time at your disposal!
 
Agreed. I still wonder how I used CD's (or even mini discs or cassette singles!!!)....the time it took to look for the song, put it into the CD player, take the other one out....how did we have time to talk to any guests or read the floor...much less take a pee break??:pilllaugh:

Nowadays you have so much more time at your disposal!
It was very easy for me. I had none of those issues because a lot of songs I played where songs that were long enough to allow me to go wiz and reading the crowd for most events was very easy for me.
 
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