Issue 66 / May 2016

Gareth Arrowsmith
SOUND MATTERS
In this monthly column, our friends at DAWSONS give expert tips and advice on how to achieve a
great sound in the studio or in the live environment. Armed with the knowledge to solve any musical
problem, the techy aficionados provide Bido Lito! readers with the benefit of their experience so you
can get the sound you want. Here, Dawsons’ selector sergeant Harry Brown discusses what elements
to consider to get the best out of your disc-jockeying skills.
DJing has changed dramatically since the
concept first hit the mainstream alongside hip hop
in the late 1970s. The practice of beat matching
one record to another, manually changing its
speed and placement in comparison to the record
already playing, has long since become the very
least a DJ is expected to do. Carrying around boxes
and boxes of vinyl, all of which the DJ has carefully
memorised and catalogued, has become a thing
of the past. Technology has significantly reduced
the size of the profession's tools, a memory stick
being all that a DJ might need for several hours'
worth of performance today.
So, by comparison, starting out in the world of
DJing now offers many more options than it used
to in terms of gear or hardware. If you’re steering
clear of the vinyl route, there are broadly two
options when it comes to what type of DJ gear you
can choose from now: self-contained units such
as CDJs/USB players, or a laptop and controller
combination. If you already have a powerful
laptop with most of your music collection loaded
on to it, then getting a controller that comes with
advanced software such as Serato or Traktor might
be a much quicker solution to get started with.
Numark's NS7 controller is a very comprehensive
example of a software controller, with very
extended feature control and an interface vaguely
similar to using CDJs and a mixer.
If you have a CD collection or intend to DJ in clubs
that have their own equipment, it is more likely
that they will have a CDJ and mixer setup such as
Pioneer's infamous Nexus series equipment, as
this doesn't require the kind of organisation and
upkeep that a computer requires. Purchasing a set
of CDJs and a mixer is much more straightforward
and simple than preparing a computer and
software controller. It is also very accessible: all
you need is either CDs or a USB stick loaded with
music, or both.
If you're intending to try your hand at DJing and
don't want to invest a fortune to find out if it’s for
you, then most major manufacturers have entrylevel
equipment available at an affordable price.
Pioneer's SB-2 and Denon's MC2000 controllers
both come with 'light' versions of the most popular
DJ software to install on to your computer, and
feature the same basic tools that the more
expensive controllers do to help you become
familiar with the stuff the pros use.
As is always the case with any software and
controller packages, ensure your computer is
compatible, powerful enough and has enough
memory to run the software before you buy. Some
hardware manufacturers such as Native
Instruments and Pioneer also produce their own
software. Native have been producing the popular
Traktor DJ software and the hardware designed
to control it for many years. Rekordbox is a more
recent creation by Pioneer, however, and works
slightly differently – as in the case of their XDJ-RX,
the software is loaded onto the actual controller
and can be synced to your phone (hosting all your
music) wirelessly. It also profiles all your music for
you, allowing you to sort through it by BPM (beats
per minute, or speed) or by genre.
The features made available by some of the
equipment I've listed would enable even beginner
DJs to take it far beyond simply beat matching one
track into another. Most mixers offer cue buttons or
pads, enabling you to set a point during playback
of the track to which you can return instantly from
anywhere else in the track. They also allow you
to drop in and out points throughout the track
that can be set to loop from point to point. These
features are effectively a way of producing a live
remix of the track playing.
Newer products such as Native's S8 are
designed specifically to be used with elements
of a track as opposed to the complete mix, such
as a cappella vocal tracks and drum loops to
create totally new tracks in the live performance,
as opposed to pre-made mixes. The Dicer,
produced by Novation, is another inventive way
of introducing a remixing tool to your set-up,
allowing you to loop sections of different lengths
and drop back to specific points in the track.
All these products are examples of where newer
technology can help you unlock your creativity
whilst DJing, adding more exciting elements to
your mixing, at home, in the studio and live.
You can find Dawsons at their new home at
14-16 Williamson Square. dawsons.co.uk
wanting more from Blossoms’ next effort, like
you’re begging for another kiss from the pretty
girl next door. With a year until the group’s full
album release, it feels like a heart-breaking
shame to wait so long.
Smoke move the crowd sideways, with
the chilled, hallucinatory mood of lead singer
Tom Ogden taking them on a journey through
the psychedelic underworld, which is almost
reminiscent of cancelled support act The Vryll
Society. The set list at times plays to the passive
listening audience rather than the euphoric
mood set at the beginning: Getaway, a track
from their unreleased LP, sounds amazing but
is far from memorable. Their infamous Radio
1 Live Lounge session is beautifully recreated
towards the end of the set, in the cover of
RnB group WSTRN’s track In2. The band
flaunt their full talent and potential, coming
close to a show-stealing performance as the
crowd bounce to every word. Self-describing
Blossoms (Darren Aston)
themselves to MTV last month as a “pop group”,
it’s obvious to see how the band can easily
open up to a larger demographic after this
track. Blossoms don’t fail to disappoint, with
fan favourites Charlemagne and Blow rubberstamping
their advanced stage on the path to
stardom. The anthem-like status of Blow, as
the diehard fans remember from way back in
2014, has the potential to become a “Yeah, but
I liked them back then” moment if the band are
to become world famous.
It is easy to explode with excitement about
Blossoms, but it will be very interesting to
see how they transition upwards to arena
status from being an Academy band. With the
recent announcement that they are playing
Glastonbury, this could be a huge test of
whether they can become the Blur/Oasis of
this generation, or if they will linger within a
diehard, loyal sub-culture.
Steven Aston / @Gigslutz_steve