Does anyone know any good books/guides or any guides online about Dj, and terminology and usage of equiment? that would be helpful, cause i'm lookin' at a shot to start djin', but i need some info first.

Thx,

Laterzzzzz

Dj_Crooks

Yes there is a book, which you can order from Waterstones, W H Smiths etc.
called Freelance Dee-jaying by my good friend John Clancy, it was published in 1996, and the ISBN is 1-85703-402-3.
The book covers everything from wiring a plug to sales and marketing your services, and to my mind the most important thing, a check list to see if you are the right type of person to suceed as a DJ.

Books are good. Some better, more up to date than others.

However, I think that a UK based, DJ forum, such as ....ohhh ummmm THIS ONE !!! would be a fanastic place to get all the info you need.

It's more "interactive". I know that's a cliché buzzword of the "today" so, I'll clarify that point.

In a book/magazine, you might read something that "sorta" makes sense, but might not go into enough depth for you. Similarly, books may devote entire chapters about specific topics, which you feel are not related to the way that you see yourself DJ'ing.

On a forum however, if you ask a question such as "I've got £1000, want to do disco's in pubs and small village halls, what gear should I buy? you should start to get quite a few different replies. However, where forums get really fun, and useful, is when other members expand on whats already been said, or recommend their own (possibly contrasting) idea's also. And if theres any ideas suggested that whet your appertite for even more info, you can simply reply with "Can you elaborate on that thing you mentioned about the..."

So, ask away...

Your loyalty to the forum Gary has been noted - however it won't get you £300 off a laser!.

I thought for a while before answering on this thread, since promoting this Forum, would obviously make me biased, and I am!. Of course I want it to do well!. However Gary has made some interesting comments.

Firstly, a book is going to get older (like all D.J's!), and what you read in an older publication may not be current or valid "x" years down the line. Secondly - technology also changes, and at a frightening rate, and like it or not peoples attitudes also change.

When you read information, in a book - you are reading the biased, personal opinion of that individual. True you are also gaining the experience of that person's chosen trade, but you are also sharing any negative attitudes as well

On a forum such as this, you can read the weekly, often daily experiences and opinions of people, of all ages all at various stages of their D.J'ing career. The idea being, of course that you learn from other people's mistakes before making them yourself!.

Which parts of the information you choose to use from this forum, or how you use it is down to you!, however the opportunity exists.

The danger however of relying on one publication, or one source of information for advice, is that it is esy to feel patronised or alienated by what you read - D.J's do not automatically make excellent Authors and the "You'll never be as good as me" attitude does tend to make itself known and this applies to any industry!

I stand by my own philosophy - You can read all the books and forums that you want, but NOTHING makes up for a year or so "on the road" with a D.J - willing to share the tricks of his trade.

The technology may change, but the basics stay the same

Hmm not when nowadays you can get a computer program to do all your sound for you.
But the whole getting up and running is

The computer can only play what you tell it to, it can just as easily kill a dancefloor if you're too lazy to read the mood right.

Apart from which downloading, cleaning up tracks, tag editing, transferring to CD or to laptop all take up quite a lot of my time too......... thats the stuff punters don't see.

that helps, but anyone have any conveter thingy for money?
i use $ (yes, i live in canada), but w/e, same equipment. Anyone wanna start teachin'g me some dj terminology?

Here's a few jargon words....

A Drop Mix........when a new tune or track is literally dropped (beat) over the current tune, which is either playing out, fading out or dropped out.

A Double drop mix .... as before but with either 2 tunes already playing and 1 coming in, or 1 tune playing and 2 dropped in over the top.....yeah

A banging tune
A fat tune
tuuunnne........................all mean a very nice tune, indeed

A stab........normally associated with vinyl but also with CD. Teasing the listener with a 'Stab' of a beat or vocal line from a tune....yeah

This is nuts!!!!

I have posted links to usefull sites in other parts of this forum, go look.

Look for my terminology guide

where? :S

Not exactly a long way away