Answers to a Select Number of Letters I

June 2001

Question:

What's the single-one indicator of a good dance floor?

Answer:

The "single-one indicator" of a good dance floor is the number of people on the floor relative to the amount of people in the club. If the club has 1,000 patrons and there are only 5 people dancing, then something's wrong. On the other hand, if a lot of people are dancing (i.e., several hundred), then you're doing a good job! The time of night is also relevant. You shouldn't expect a lot of dancers early in the evening. Conversely, you should expect a lot of dancers towards the end of the night.

While I'm unfamiliar with your club, I would suggest rating your floor in relation to the other DJ's that work there (or worked there in the past).

Question:

I just read through your website and it made me realize a lot of things about DJ'ing. I'm currently a mobile DJ and have been for three years now. I would like to be a club DJ, but I have a question, will a nightclub owner reject a DJ who is female?

Answer:

I've always been a big proponent of female DJ's (it seems to be a male dominated profession). In fact, I've noticed that female "club" DJ's receive a great amount of customer support. A club owner would be foolish to not hire you because of your gender. I think you're on the right track! You may want to check out Femme-Bots.

Question:

I want to scratch rap and other kinds of music but I have a low-budget. Is a belt-driven turntable that bad?

Answer:

I don't recommend belt-drive turntables because the belt breaks (direct-drive uses magnets) and you will need to eventually get used to the feel of a direct-drive turntable (because that's what the pros use). The extra money is worth the difference, especially for scratching.

I asked Mickey "Mixin" Oliver about belt-drive turntables (since he mixed with them live on the radio before direct-drives emerged). According to Mickey, a DJ should get used to direct-drive turntables. He said that, while he is unfamiliar with recent belt-drive models, the belt-drive turntables he worked with had several problems: (1) Because of the belt, there was always a little variable with the turntable speed; (2) A DJ would have problems finding replacement belts; (3) A DJ would have to constantly clean the belt (with rubbing alcohol) to keep dirt off the belt so that it wouldn't slip. In sum, Mickey doesn't recommend belt-drive turntables.

Question:

Hey, I'm new to mixing but want to know if I could scratch and mix on Pioneer CDJ players or do I need a turntable for records. Thanks!

Answer:

You can scratch with CDJ's (only differently). For example, you can play a constant note on the CDJ and transform on your mixer. You can also burn scratches from vinyl on to a CD and just play the samples of the scratches on the CDJ (making sure you adjust for bpm). I suggest reading DigitalScratch.com for more info. You may also want to check out Pioneer's Pro DJ Support Forum.

Question:

Where can I get DJ lessons? Is there a college that you can recommend?

Answer:

I get this question often (usually from the UK).

I would first suggest getting some DMC battle videos. They are fun to watch and you're sure to pick up something new. In addition, Jam Master Jay of Run DMC is releasing a how-to-DJ video. It's roughly one hour long and retails for $18.99. It's currently featured on the Disc Jockey 101 First Step Page.

Second, I point out a few suggestions to get started on the Mixing page.

Third, unfortunately, I'm not familiar with DJ colleges in Europe. However, you don't need to attend college to be a DJ (unless you want to become a radio broadcaster). You should still consider college since you will need something to fall back on when you get older.

I would also suggest getting a job at a "DJ friendly" record store. It will give you the opportunity to meet successful DJ's, learn tips, pick-up the latest music, and get leads on jobs!