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How long and what have you been spinning?


therunner

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For those of us that spin (or try to) How long have you been doing it and what is your favorite to spin?

Me, only since late Jan and I am attempting to spin progressive but my very small record collection has a couple of just about everything cause at first (hell I am still in the first) I didn't know what I liked to spin most. But I think progressive has really taken me in, there is just something about the groove to it.

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Hey, man, keep it up!

I got tables and bought some records last month, but I still can't even beatmatch. I don't have very good records to practice on and I'm at my girlfriend's house in DC 3 days a week. The days I AM home, I wash my truck and go to the gym, and last week I just bought an 1800 processor for my computer and a new game.

So my spinning career has been highly neglected during it's infancy. :mad:

I haven't decided what genre to spin yet, but it's between Progressive House, Tribal House, 2 Step Garage, Jump Up, Jungle, or Techno. That's what I've narrowed it down to so far. :roll:

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I spin mostly progressive - although I've started to buy a little more tech house and techno. I also have some jungle and break beat in my collection.

I bought my tables last November, but I've just recently been getting the beat matching down. I went to see Juliette at Metatrack back in February and it made a world of difference! I sooo wish I had done that a lot earlier!

Anyway - I'm finding it hard to get time to practice. Lately I've been aiming for 4 hours a week - even if on some days I just do 1/2 hour. I'm seeing improvements - but it is slow going!

I love my tables to death, though! I'm so glad I bought them! They make me VERY happy! :D

What kind of equipment do you guys have?

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What kind of equipment do you guys have?

I bought the funk master flex set up so I can spin like a REAL DJ, it's great cause it also came with Darrin Darrin's dance grooves.

darrins1.jpg

But seriously, I have Numark TT-100's and a gemini 626 mixer. The turntables aren't that bad but they aint that great eiter. The pitch is really difficult to get set when trying to beat match. I don't know if it's me or the turntables (proably me) nut I figure it a good excuse to upgrade to something that starts with a T.

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For those of us that are just starting out, what would you guys say about a group lesson at metatracks? Or a get together somewhere so we can kinda help each other out and maybe someone that has some experience could also show up to help out.

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Originally posted by therunner

For those of us that are just starting out, what would you guys say about a group lesson at metatracks? Or a get together somewhere so we can kinda help each other out and maybe someone that has some experience could also show up to help out.

I've been spinning for a little over two years, I think. I like the tribal and progressive stuff, with deep tech house for earlier in the night.

You gotta learn to beatmatch before anything else. That really just comes with practice. I guess you can get taught the basics, but if you can't pick up the beat, then it doesn't matter what anyone teaches you. I was actually lucky cause I've been playing musical instruments since I was 4, so things like catching a beat and rhythm, I didn't have to learn. I just had to apply it to a different instrument (the turntables).

When I first got my decks, I was on them four, five hours a day, everyday. On weekends, I would be on them for six, seven hours. I think it took about two months to just get beatmatching down. I've heard people say it takes anywhere from a few months to a year to get it down. Dunno what the average is.

If you want to get together and hit the decks, I can show you basics like phrasing and the technical stuff. Sometimes it just helps to watch someone up close as well. So I'm up for it if you want.

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Originally posted by shadygroovedc

When I first got my decks, I was on them four, five hours a day, everyday. On weekends, I would be on them for six, seven hours. I think it took about two months to just get beatmatching down. I've heard people say it takes anywhere from a few months to a year to get it down. Dunno what the average is.

If you want to get together and hit the decks, I can show you basics like phrasing and the technical stuff. Sometimes it just helps to watch someone up close as well. So I'm up for it if you want.

I usually spinned (ha) about two hours a day on my decks. It maybe 4 hours on one day and 30 min the next or whatever but I would say I average about 2 hours. The hardest thing I have found about beat matching is finding out which beat is going faster/slower once i finally figure it out getting the matched up isn't that hard but keeping them matched is difficult but I think that is because the pitch on my turntables aren't very stable. I don't have a BPM counter on my mixer and have even been told that I shouldn't cause you don't want to rely on them because it will become nothing but a crutch and you will become dependant on one. I know there are times that i wish i had one but once I get that perfect match and start to mix between the two records it's great to know that I did it all by myself without the help of a BPM counter.

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i started in september of last year, 3 days after 9.11 :( and it took me all that time up until about 2 months ago to learn how to beatmatch...now im spending more time on when i want to bring and take tracks out. beatmatch is fun now though, i can cue up a record in usually less then like 30 secs....from before i had to restart the record like 30 times lol...oh yah, i spin trance/progressive/progressive trance? i guess epic trance too?

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Originally posted by amit614

i have been spinning for about 1 year now...dont take any of those classes. they are just waste of money. just practice. i had my decks since last year in march...i learned how to beatmatch by june.

Well, I have already taken one class from metatracks and I think it was well worth it because I had absolutly now idea of the proper method to beat match. But after they showed me how I think in a month or so of hard practice I will be doing ok. And I firmly believe in the old saying "practice makes permanent" not perfect. So if you are practicing the wrong method you will permanetly instill bad habits into your beat matching and mixing. I think it is best to listen to someone who has been doing it for years. And for 35 bucks an hour that turned into an hour and a half, to me it was well worth the money and will pay it again if I need further help.

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Originally posted by amit614

i have been spinning for about 1 year now...dont take any of those classes. they are just waste of money. just practice. i had my decks since last year in march...i learned how to beatmatch by june.

In addition, would you take sex tips from a virgin or a hooker?

Investment advise from a banker or a bum?

DJing techniques from a DJ or a dancer?

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Originally posted by amit614

i have been spinning for about 1 year now...dont take any of those classes. they are just waste of money. just practice. i had my decks since last year in march...i learned how to beatmatch by june.

In the absence of being able to get pointers from a DJ'ing buddy, Metatracks is the next best thing.

There was no Metatracks when I started, but I had a buddy who had been DJ'ing for a few years, and he showed me a couple things to get started. It helps a lot to get pointed in the right direction.

But after you get the initial basics down, practice is about all that'll do you good.

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Originally posted by shadygroovedc

In the absence of being able to get pointers from a DJ'ing buddy, Metatracks is the next best thing.

There was no Metatracks when I started, but I had a buddy who had been DJ'ing for a few years, and he showed me a couple things to get started. It helps a lot to get pointed in the right direction.

But after you get the initial basics down, practice is about all that'll do you good.

Werd!!

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