gmanz73 Posted March 17 Report Share Posted March 17 Hey guys its me again i bought a American Audio DCD PRO300 MKII Dual CD Player can you tell me is its good? i noe that there arent any special effects but i could buy that later. i am learning how to be a DJ and this is my first buy so any comments will be apreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eKiTeL Posted March 18 Report Share Posted March 18 I know that brand is on the cheap side, as long as there is no delay when you hit the start button then you should be fine, that's the biggest headache with cheap CD decks...it will be alot harder to beatmatch with that deck as compared to the much more expensive Pioneers or Technics 1200 vinyl turntables, but for a beginner this is actually a good thing because once you master that one you have you'll be able to mix on anything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guidew Posted March 18 Report Share Posted March 18 Ahh yes I am where you are a begineer except with a few more months behind my belt..lol I was using gemini crap but i couldnt take the delay..not to mention there was no BPM counter. Although after doing this for a few months and watching pro's you kinda learn techniques to get past this. Make sure it also has a pich increase or decrease but doesnt allow the lyrics to become micky mouse. I picked up the Pioneer CDJ 800, which is great. But remeber dont get to familiar with it becuase when and if u want to DJ in clubs sometimes ya gotta use what they have. But for right now get something with a near instant play, a pitch, and a BPM counter, or at least make sure the mixer has it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdeelite Posted March 18 Report Share Posted March 18 Ahh yes I am where you are a begineer except with a few more months behind my belt..lol I was using gemini crap but i couldnt take the delay..not to mention there was no BPM counter. Although after doing this for a few months and watching pro's you kinda learn techniques to get past this. Make sure it also has a pich increase or decrease but doesnt allow the lyrics to become micky mouse. I picked up the Pioneer CDJ 800, which is great. But remeber dont get to familiar with it becuase when and if u want to DJ in clubs sometimes ya gotta use what they have. But for right now get something with a near instant play, a pitch, and a BPM counter, or at least make sure the mixer has it.I know the beat counter helps, but you (or anyone learning) should really learn to spin without it. Hone your ears. Not every club you'll play in will have a mixer with that included. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepspell Posted March 18 Report Share Posted March 18 oh man dont use BPM counters dude......what are u going to do when the mixer doesnt have one?use your ears.....what are u doing???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guidew Posted March 18 Report Share Posted March 18 I know the beat counter helps, but you (or anyone learning) should really learn to spin without it. Hone your ears. Not every club you'll play in will have a mixer with that included.Oh word, but a beg. needs it, I know i did and now i memorized most songs BPM from playing them. Its very important I found to KNOW the songs backwards and fowards when playing it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clubbingirl Posted March 18 Report Share Posted March 18 I know that brand is on the cheap side, as long as there is no delay when you hit the start button then you should be fine, that's the biggest headache with cheap CD decks...it will be alot harder to beatmatch with that deck as compared to the much more expensive Pioneers or Technics 1200 vinyl turntables, but for a beginner this is actually a good thing because once you master that one you have you'll be able to mix on anything agreed. pioneer is a great brand. the other widely used brand is denon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdeelite Posted March 18 Report Share Posted March 18 Oh word, but a beg. needs it, I know i did and now i memorized most songs BPM from playing them. Its very important I found to KNOW the songs backwards and fowards when playing it!!I personally learned without one, cuz when I started the counters didn't come with the mixers. Sure it was harder at first, but I can tell you this, I absolutely NEVER need one now. Even if one is there, I hardly look at it. Knowing songs well from repeated play or practice of course always helps (intros, outros, how long, etc), but memorizing bpm's? Too much thinking going on there IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepspell Posted March 18 Report Share Posted March 18 Oh word, but a beg. needs it absolutely not! i never learned with a BPM counter, and no other dj's i know have....a beg. needs practice, not a device to do the work for him.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdeelite Posted March 18 Report Share Posted March 18 absolutely not! i never learned with a BPM counter, and no other dj's i know have....a beg. needs practice, not a device to do the work for him....I was just going to add something like that to my post...There are soo many people who learned without the counter. It's definitely not a necessity for a beginners.Relying too much on the beat counter suggests lack of ability and an easy way out. If that becomes your focus, you'll be up shit's creek when you start to play out b/c most places don't have it...even places you think would. If you can't use your ears, you're screwed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guidew Posted March 18 Report Share Posted March 18 I personally learned without one, cuz when I started the counters didn't come with the mixers. Sure it was harder at first, but I can tell you this, I absolutely NEVER need one now. Even if one is there, I hardly look at it. Knowing songs well from repeated play or practice of course always helps (intros, outros, how long, etc), but memorizing bpm's? Too much thinking going on there IMO.No deff not the more u know about a song the better, this way I know what will work together or blend. I am not here to start a fight everyone has there own way of learning, mine was with a BPM counter, sure now i hardly look at it since the songs I play I know. My other way was going to watch DJ's in action one of which I watch a lot cuz i like his style and hes doing very well. but to say i am wrong is not right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepspell Posted March 18 Report Share Posted March 18 i have never played anywhere with a mixer that has a bpm counter....the pioneers have it but i will be darned if i know how to use it trust your ear bro.......it never lies....yea u matched up the beats...but what if the song has other elements that dont match up??? like snares, synths or high hats?? thats why u gotta use your ears to see what song goes with what and what sounds go with what....its the only way to fly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepspell Posted March 18 Report Share Posted March 18 No deff not the more u know about a song the better, this way I know what will work together or blend. I am not here to start a fight everyone has there own way of learning, mine was with a BPM counter, sure now i hardly look at it since the songs I play I know. My other way was going to watch DJ's in action one of which I watch a lot cuz i like his style and hes doing very well. but to say i am wrong is not right.aight kid do your thing...dont say we didnt warn you lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guidew Posted March 18 Report Share Posted March 18 aight kid do your thing...dont say we didnt warn you lolNo the problem is I do know but he is a begineer, if u throw all this at him now he will get confused and he will not be calm. You have to take things slow when you 1st begin, me listening to you advice when i posted this question made me a nervous reck. Me going to see this guy and asking questions and watching him and others really helped. Sure songs have elements but matching a beat when the drum hits is VERY important, if thats off then well it sucks. Once he picks up on that he is good to learn more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepspell Posted March 18 Report Share Posted March 18 but why train his ear later when he can start training it now?i never told him anything that he never needed to know...if u look up those old posts it was all there in plain english...not looking to fight man, im just telling u how things work, i personally think that its best not to learn with a beat counter...and i would be 80% of the djs on here would agree with me.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdeelite Posted March 18 Report Share Posted March 18 No the problem is I do know but he is a begineer, if u throw all this at him now he will get confused and he will not be calm. You have to take things slow when you 1st begin, me listening to you advice when i posted this question made me a nervous reck. Me going to see this guy and asking questions and watching him and others really helped. Sure songs have elements but matching a beat when the drum hits is VERY important, if thats off then well it sucks. Once he picks up on that he is good to learn more.There's actually nothing to be confused about...in fact, you take the counter out of the mix and there is less to worry about and look at while you're mixing.Nobody said he shouldn't take things slow...and sure, he can use a beat counter if he wants. Just saying it's not always going to be there to save the mix--plus, they are not always accurate.Obviously learning from a seasoned DJ and watching others do their thing is going to be the best thing to do if you want to learn technique. As far as being off beat matching-wise? In the beginning, it happens waaay more often than not. It's very frustrating for sure. But that's part of learning how to get it right on in the first place, and that's what's going to help train your ear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guidew Posted March 19 Report Share Posted March 19 if u say its not always going to be there, its funny how you guys always say to go with Pioneer cuz most places I have been to use Numark or Denon. My point is in order to train your ear, you have to know about the music, if you learn how to train them with what song is so many BPM you can learn how to count beats and see if your counting right. Most people a good 90% think only a drum hit is a beat, they dont understand that even when there is no drum or any noise for that matter it counts as a beat.So in order to help him train his ear sure he can thorw on a song but if he doesnt know how to count, or if he thinks he does but counts wrong it can create issues. That is why a BPM counter is pretty important for a begineer. I am also helping someone else learn and with this way there picking it up pretty quick.Like i said how u learned doesnt mean its the best way, or how we DJ in general. How we do makes us our own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdeelite Posted March 19 Report Share Posted March 19 if u say its not always going to be there, its funny how you guys always say to go with Pioneer cuz most places I have been to use Numark or Denon. Pioneer tends to be the best quality wise, that is why people are suggesting it (but Numark and Denon are just fine too IMO). Really you can learn on anything, it's all the same concept when it comes down to it. A mixer is a mixer (so long as it's not a Gemini or something ). All you have to do is be able to use whatever mixer or crap equipment is thrown your way at a gig. As long as you can do that, you're set.My point is in order to train your ear, you have to know about the music, if you learn how to train them with what song is so many BPM you can learn how to count beats and see if your counting right. Most people a good 90% think only a drum hit is a beat, they dont understand that even when there is no drum or any noise for that matter it counts as a beat. If this is true I feel sorry for the musically illiterate 90% you speak of. Anybody going into DJ-ing should know a little something about musical theory or at least have a natural knack for it. Otherwise it's only gonna be that much harder.So in order to help him train his ear sure he can thorw on a song but if he doesnt know how to count, or if he thinks he does but counts wrong it can create issues. That is why a BPM counter is pretty important for a begineer. I am also helping someone else learn and with this way there picking it up pretty quick.Like i said how u learned doesnt mean its the best way, or how we DJ in general. How we do makes us our own. We were just bringing up that learning without the BPM help is something that we see as being more beneficial. I don't think it's a right or wrong issue, we were just giving advice out of experience. But hey, if it's working for you, go with it, different strokes for different folks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eKiTeL Posted March 19 Report Share Posted March 19 when I started I wrote the bpm's for every record on the sleeves which helped alot, but then after a while some of them would end up in the wrong sleeves and soon I learned to recognize this pretty quickly at which point I stopped writing bpmsit's also good to use only the pitch slider to match beats, and not touch the record or platter/spindle, etc... a lot of people believe this is an advanced technique but beginners can do it too, I did, I think it's best to start out doing things the right way from the beginning, try to avoid anything that's like a crutch or cheat (like bpm counters) and force yourself to do things the hard way, it may take a little longer to get started but after a year or two you'll be way ahead of the cheaters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guidew Posted March 19 Report Share Posted March 19 Pioneer tends to be the best quality wise, that is why people are suggesting it (but Numark and Denon are just fine too IMO). Really you can learn on anything, it's all the same concept when it comes down to it. A mixer is a mixer (so long as it's not a Gemini or something ). All you have to do is be able to use whatever mixer or crap equipment is thrown your way at a gig. As long as you can do that, you're set.If this is true I feel sorry for the musically illiterate 90% you speak of. Anybody going into DJ-ing should know a little something about musical theory or at least have a natural knack for it. Otherwise it's only gonna be that much harder.We were just bringing up that learning without the BPM help is something that we see as being more beneficial. I don't think it's a right or wrong issue, we were just giving advice out of experience. But hey, if it's working for you, go with it, different strokes for different folks.Unless your a music fanatic you cant tell anything from a Pioneer, Denon, or a numark, its hard but there. And I am not talking about mixers, I am talking about the actual functions on the CD player itself, yea they all have cue, play and eject but there are certain tricks to using them.Have u ever asked someone that listens to music how to count BPM or what a BPM is? Look at the responce you getIf you can DJ with out BPM more power to ya, but if a song is at 80BPM like a Hip-hop track and you want to throw a song next thats at 90BPM and dont know it, a 80BPM song is very hard to increase by 10 beats and have it sond ok, true there are some song yes you can but there are some songs you can push 5 extra bpm. If your talking about house music thats diffrent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmanz73 Posted March 19 Author Report Share Posted March 19 guys i want to thank u, u informed me very much! what i want to noe is how do DJs make remixes, like lets say for example: they can cut out the backround and only have the vocals playing, or they can have only vocals and a different backround. how do they do that?i thought Numark was garbage now i read what you had wrote and your sayng that its good? i went to guitar center and they said stay away from Gemini and Numark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudeboyyouth Posted March 19 Report Share Posted March 19 agreed. pioneer is a great brand. the other widely used brand is denon.I love the Denon DNS-5000's. I've used the Pioneer CDJ 800s and 1000s, but for some reason, I really like (and prefer) using the Denons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassboy Posted March 20 Report Share Posted March 20 I don't think the BPM counters even help that much really, sometimes they are off, and even if you have them both at the same speed, there is a lot of room w/in one beat to be off if you are trying to mix for more than 10 seconds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guidew Posted March 20 Report Share Posted March 20 guys i want to thank u, u informed me very much! what i want to noe is how do DJs make remixes, like lets say for example: they can cut out the backround and only have the vocals playing, or they can have only vocals and a different backround. how do they do that?i thought Numark was garbage now i read what you had wrote and your sayng that its good? i went to guitar center and they said stay away from Gemini and Numark.Well i dont personally cut out the lyrics or the what have you when you are able to get the promo only Cd's they will have just the acapella on the CD or just the instrumental. Sound Forge will do it if you wanted it to as far as software is concerened.Gemeni is a POS, numark the top of the line aint bad at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmanz73 Posted March 20 Author Report Share Posted March 20 Well i dont personally cut out the lyrics or the what have you when you are able to get the promo only Cd's they will have just the acapella on the CD or just the instrumental. Sound Forge will do it if you wanted it to as far as software is concerened.Gemeni is a POS, numark the top of the line aint bad at all. so your saying that if you buy a promotional CD from a store they will have the instrumental and vocals seperately?and i do have sound forge but dont know how to use it. lol how can i seperate the vocals from the backround?thanx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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