Tag Archives: Music Pool

Music and DJs – Finding the Sweet Stuff

By Tony Fernandez

 

When I began DJing, I used cassette tapes. Don’t ask me how I did it, but I did. A lot of the tracks were bootlegged off the radio in NYC and then I’d bring these gems to VA, where I was in school (I was 14 at the time; I know better now). I quickly moved up to vinyl, eventually stepped up to CDs around ’89 and have been hustling for new tunes ever since.

Back then, I had established a network of people that knew me and knew what I liked. There were record stores. I knew the people in those stores and they knew me. There was mail order. I used to call 12” Dance in Washington DC, or Dancetraxx/Vinylmania in NYC more often than I’d like to admit. And there were record pools. Pools would have advanced copies and promo-only mixes that weren’t accessible to the public. Naturally I wanted those the most.

Having that new release or remix and dropping that track in your set is an awesome feeling.

It’s even a little sweeter, if you have that mix that no one else has.

I was fortunate to become a Billboard Reporting DJ for a time, which led to even more music that was not readily available to the public. Then the Internet happened. Napster happened. Limewire happened. WinMX happened. Audio Galaxy happened. The Internet became the great equalizer. Through legit (and sometimes not so legit) means, anyone could get almost any song created by any one.

And everything changed.

Music can now be streamed or downloaded at your desire: remixes, unreleased mixes, bootlegs, white labels, promo only releases, etc. — literally millions of songs and remixes await the click of a mouse. With a little effort you can find foreign edits and mixes done by DJs in the UK, France, South Africa, Germany, and more. That crazy version you heard at your club, concert, festival, radio, car, store, gas station, TV commercial, streaming service? Your chances of finding that version now are pretty high.

So if we ALL have the access, by and large, to the music being cranked out for public consumption, how do you find that unique banger that’s going to make you stand out? Trust me, it’s out there. There is new music to be found and new music to be had…

You just have to be proactive and find it.

 

  • If you just wait for your monthly subscription to feed you tunes, you’re not being proactive.
  • If you just echo what’s on radio, you’re not being proactive.
  • If you’re bemoaning the “fact” that there’s no “good” music, you’re not bring proactive.

 

Some would say (me included) that it’s part of your job as a DJ to seek, find, and play new tunes.

They’re right.

Be proactive in your approach. Be the proactive DJ you can be. Find those new tunes. Your crowds, your floors and your clients will thank you.

 

Based out of Richmond, VA, DJ Tony Fernandez has been a DJ, Remixer, Producer, Musical Soothsayer and Audio Gear Oracle since 1980. Find him on facebook. Email djtonytf@gmail.com

Music and DJs – Finding the Sweet Stuff

By Tony Fernandez:

When I began DJing, I used cassette tapes. Don’t ask me how I did it, but I did. A lot of the tracks were bootlegged off the radio in NYC and then I’d bring these gems to VA, where I was in school (I was 14 at the time; I know better now). I quickly moved up to vinyl, eventually stepped up to CDs around ’89 and have been hustling for new tunes ever since.

Back then, I had established a network of people that knew me and knew what I liked. There were record stores. I knew the people in those stores and they knew me. There was mail order. I used to call 12” Dance in Washington DC, or Dancetraxx/Vinylmania in NYC more often than I’d like to admit. And there were record pools. Pools would have advanced copies and promo-only mixes that weren’t accessible to the public. Naturally I wanted those the most.

Having that new release or remix and dropping that track in your set is an awesome feeling.

It’s even a little sweeter, if you have that mix that no one else has.

I was fortunate to become a Billboard Reporting DJ for a time, which led to even more music that was not readily available to the public. Then the Internet happened. Napster happened. Limewire happened. WinMX happened. Audio Galaxy happened. The Internet became the great equalizer. Through legit (and sometimes not so legit) means, anyone could get almost any song created by any one.

And everything changed.

Music can now be streamed or downloaded at your desire: remixes, unreleased mixes, bootlegs, white labels, promo only releases, etc. — literally millions of songs and remixes await the click of a mouse. With a little effort you can find foreign edits and mixes done by DJs in the UK, France, South Africa, Germany, and more. That crazy version you heard at your club, concert, festival, radio, car, store, gas station, TV commercial, streaming service? Your chances of finding that version now are pretty high.

So if we ALL have the access, by and large, to the music being cranked out for public consumption, how do you find that unique banger that’s going to make you stand out? Trust me, it’s out there. There is new music to be found and new music to be had…

You just have to be proactive and find it.

  • If you just wait for your monthly subscription to feed you tunes, you’re not being proactive.
  • If you just echo what’s on radio, you’re not being proactive.
  • If you’re bemoaning the “fact” that there’s no “good” music, you’re not bring proactive.

Some would say (me included) that it’s part of your job as a DJ to seek, find, and play new tunes.

They’re right.

Be proactive in your approach. Be the proactive DJ you can be. Find those new tunes. Your crowds, your floors and your clients will thank you.

Based out of Richmond, VA, DJ Tony Fernandez has been a DJ, Remixer, Producer, Musical Soothsayer and Audio Gear Oracle since 1980. Find him on facebook. Email djtonytf@gmail.com

Pioneer Pro DJ Announces the New DDJ-SZ2

Pioneer DJ has upgraded their flagship Serato DJ controller to create the DDJ-SZ2. Use the new DDJ-SZ2 4-channel controller to get hands-on with the latest additions to Serato DJ, including key shift, key sync, pitch play and Serato Flip. The multi-colored Performance Pads give you instant feedback on pad modes and playing statuses, and thanks to the improved jog wheel latency, scratching is more responsive and precise than ever.

To help you get the most out of the controller, the DDJ-SZ2 comes bundled with the latest version of Serato DJ. The Pitch ‘n Time DJ and Serato Flip expansion packs are also included so you can use several new features including pitch play and key sync.

The DDJ-SZ2 will be available in the U.S.A. and Canada in January 2017, with a retail price of $1,999.00.

Watch the DDJ-SZ2 introduction video.

Learn more about the DDJ-SZ2 controller for Serato DJ.

FREE SERATO VIDEO EXPANSION PACK PROMOTION

Pioneer is putting a voucher for a free Serato Video expansion pack in the boxes of the first 3,000 DDJ-SZ2 controllers that they ship worldwide. This comes along with the Serato DJ, Pitch ‘n Time DJ and Serato Flip expansion packs bundled with the controller as standard, so if you’re one of the first DJs to buy the DDJ-SZ2, you’ll have full control of audio and video performances.

KEY FEATURES OF THE DDJ-SZ2

 

  1. Layout mirrors CDJ-style set-up

Mix and scratch instinctively on the controller, which looks and feels similar to a full professional CDJ + DJM set-up.

  • Big Jogs: Scratching feels natural on the big jog wheels taken from the CDJ-2000NXS2, and the illuminating On-Jog Display gives you information about the current playback status and position for more precise performances. Jog Feeling Adjust, also from the CDJ series, lets you customize the resistance and backspin time.
  • Multi-colored Performance Pads: Use the large, multi-colored tactile Performance Pads to trigger Hot Cues, samples and FX. Hit the pads harder to increase the volume of samples and watch their colors change as they indicate the selected pad mode and playing status.
  • DJM-style mixer section: Stay in control at all times thanks to the simple layout of the mixer section which mirrors the design of the DJM series.

 

  1. Dual USB port for smooth DJ changeovers

Dual USB ports lets you hookup two computers at the same time and use the top-loaded A/B switch for seamless DJ transitions.

 

  1. Native support and dedicated controls for new Serato DJ features
  • Key shift, key sync and pitch play: Use dedicated controls to trigger the new key shift and key sync functions in Serato DJ, which let you adjust the key of tracks and sync the keys of tracks during mixes. Pitch play lets you play your Hot Cues across a range of different keys and assign them to the controller’s Performance Pads.
  • Serato Flip: Create and save Hot Cue sequences to make custom edits of your tracks and use the dedicated Serato Flip controls to play them back at the touch of a button. Get even more creative by skipping or repeating track sections on the fly.

 

  1. Professional performance features and FX
  • Sound Color FX: Spice up your sets with the four popular Sound Color FX from our DJM series; Echo, Jet, Pitch and Filter. You can sync Echo with the BPM of the track that’s playing.
  • Oscillator: Add texture and tension to your tracks with the four oscillator sounds; Noise, Drop, Laser and Siren. Turn the oscillator parameter knob to create new tones.

 

  1. Magvel crossfader

The Magvel crossfader – taken from the club standard DJM-900NXS2 – is the ultimate to mix and scratch with. Accurate and smooth, it’s durable for more than 10 million movements and is liquid and dust resistant.

 

  1. High-quality sound

Hear your tracks loud and clear thanks to the audio circuit inherited from professional Pioneer DJ gear. Contact resistance is reduced by the AC inlet, and the high-performance D/A converter made by Cirrus Logic, Inc., and low jitter oscillator mean the DDJ-SZ2 reproduces clear and powerful sound that’s faithful to its source.

 

  1. Other features
  • Plug and play: Simply connect your laptop and start mixing via Serato DJ. All buttons and controls, as well as the built-in sound card, are Serato DJ-ready.
  • Aluminium-finished top panel and jog wheels: For a quality look and feel.
  • Slip Mode: Silently keeps a track playing during a loop, scratch or Hot Cue. Release the jog wheel and the track comes back at exactly the right place.
  • Needle search pad: Instantly jump to a specific part of a track with a simple touch of the pad.
  • Peak limiter: Controls clipping of the master output.
  • P-Lock Fader Cap: Locks all fader knobs to prevent dropping

 

 DDJ-SZ2 SPECIFICATIONS

 

  DDJ-SZ2
Software Serato DJ
Input ports CD/Line x 4 (RCA)
Phono x 2 (RCA)

MIC x 2

(XLR & ¼-inch TRS Jack x 1, ¼-inch TRS Jack x 1)
Output ports Master Out x 2
(RCA x 1, XLR x 1),
Booth Out x 1 (¼-inch Stereo Phone Jack)

Headphone Monitor Out x 2
(Front ¼-inch TRS Jack,

3.5 mm Stereo Mini Jack)
Other ports USB (Type B) x 2
Sampling Rate 44.1 kHz
D/A Converter 24-bit
A/D Converter 24-bit
Frequency response 20Hz ～ 20kHz (LINE)
Total Harmonic Distortion ratio 0.002% or less (USB)

0.004% or less (LINE)
S/N ratio 111 dB or above (USB)
Headroom 19 dB
Maximum dimensions

（W×H×D）

 870 x 98.4 x 419.5 mm (34.3 x 3.9 x 16.5 in)
Unit weight 10.7 kg (23.6 lbs)

 SERATO DJ SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Compatible OS
（Windows®）		 Windows® 10, 8.1, 7 (The latest service pack)
Compatible OS
（Mac）		 macOS Sierra 10.12, OS X 10.11, 10.10, 10.9 (Updated to the latest version)
CPU (32/64 bit) Intel® processer CoreTM i7, i5 or above
Memory 4GB or more of RAM

Serato Video requires a graphics card with 384MB of dedicated video memory
Display resolution Resolution of 1280 x 720 or greater

* Serato DJ is a registered trademark of Serato Audio Research Ltd.

* Windows is a registered trademark or a trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

* Mac and Mac OS are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

* Intel and Intel Core are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other countries.

* The names of companies, product names, and technology names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.

 About Pioneer DJ

Pioneer DJ Americas, Inc. is the subsidiary of Pioneer DJ Corporation responsible for sales and marketing in North, Central, and South America. For more than 20 years, Pioneer DJ has been a market leader in the design and production of innovative DJ equipment and software. The company works closely with DJs and clubs to deliver next generation products that inspire and shape the global dance music community. Its portfolio includes brands such as Pioneer Professional Audio and Pioneer DJ Radio, rekordbox dj software, as well as social platforms KUVO and DJsounds. Pioneer DJ Corporation is a privately held company headquartered in Yokohama, Japan.

Is Facebook Live the end of the DJ Mix Tape? Part 1

By Tony Fernandez

Mix tapes and DJs go together like peanut butter and jelly. The mix tape is a DJ’s calling card. A DJ’s sonic resume. Personally, I come from a point in time when you actually used tape to do a mix tape. But we’ve all made mix CDs… for our girlfriends, boyfriends, travel tunes, business cards, promotional showcases — the uses are endless.

Fast forward to our current state of affairs: SoundCloud, Mixcloud, Facebook, Facebook Live are all great vehicles that allow DJs to share their talent with the world. However, there is conflict in the air. The waters are churning. There is strife between the DJ world and the digital world. The same vehicle(s) that have allowed DJs to share their vision and skills with the world are now clamping down on the sharing and showcasing of those skills.

I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV, but I did have the following facts checked by a lawyer (who is also a DJ, producer, and copyright holder), so as to simply and correctly explain why mix tapes and the streaming of those mixes are being removed.

Let’s dig in….

DJs need to realize that the music they mix, play, use, and purchase is not “your” music. It’s natural to draw the conclusion that because you have purchased a song you’re allowed to play it publicly in a DJ set. Well, according to U.S. copyright law, this is incorrect.

There are several types of rights copyright owners must obtain under the law to distribute musical works, all of which are exclusive, including:

  • Public Performance (transmitting or performing the work in public)
  • Reproduction (copying/duplicating)
  • Digital Performance (internet streaming)

With that information in hand, we can move forward and explain why DJs aren’t allowed to post, stream, or share their mixes.

When a DJ spins at a nightclub, it’s incumbent on the venue to make sure they have a license for public performance. This license is acquired from the PROs (performance rights organizations). When the venue has a public performance license, it means that DJs can play recorded music registered with the PRO.

Radio stations pretty much work the same way. The difference is the radio stations license is for broadcast. Their license authorizes the radio station to play music on public airwaves.

Streaming services do not have a clear relationship with PROs. When a DJ creates a live stream and starts broadcasting music on the internet, that DJ becomes, in effect, a radio station. As such, he or she needs to have the appropriate licenses.

No licenses, no stream.

This is, unfortunately, where we find ourselves today – at the crossroads of artistic expression and the rights of copyright holders.

It’s apparent that copyright laws are falling behind: DJ sets are not a protected form of free speech. Our sets don’t generally fall under “fair use”.

As such, copyright takedowns happen.

What can you do about it?

Stay tuned for Part 2…

Based out of Richmond, VA, DJ Tony Fernandez has been a DJ, Remixer, Producer, Musical Soothsayer and Audio Gear Oracle since 1980. Find him on facebook. Email djtonytf@gmail.com

5 Must-Have Apps That Have Made Me More Money

By Brian Buonassissi:

As a small business owner, I’m all about finding the best way to maximize my time and my revenue. Thanks to ever-evolving technology, I’ve come across a few things that have allowed me to both gain some “time back,” without having to hire someone, and make more money along the way.

In no particular order:

TINY CALENDAR

This is an app that syncs with Google Calendar. Google’s calendar app is not user-friendly so I prefer this app instead. I have all of our employees on it and we share our calendars with one another so when we need to schedule meetings, etc., we can manage it all very easily without having to e‐mail, call or text repeatedly. It also keeps me personally organized. With everything being stored online, I never have to worry about losing a paper calendar, journal, etc. I use the free version and it suits my needs perfectly. They have a pro version that you can get if you need it.

WUNDERLIST

This free app is amazing! It’s a to-do list. You can have as many to-do’s as you want and since I have 30 or so employees, I can easily assign tasks, etc. You can also use this online from a computer rather than your phone, if need be. I have multiple lists going and it is a perfect complement to Tiny Calendar.

SLACK

I wanted to find a communication tool that allowed my team and I to communicate easily without having to do so through e‐mail on everything. Enter Slack. I use the free version and it was a game changer for my business. The standalone app is fantastic but also has a desktop app for those who stare at a computer screen all day. If you are a multi‐op, this is a MUST for you and my #1 recommendation.

HOOTSUITE

Wanna be a social media ninja without having to stay online all day? This will manage all of your social media content and will allow you to pre‐schedule posts on all the major social networks. I usually schedule all of mine for a week prior. If something needs to be added last minute, I can jump in and post via the social network of choice. I use the free plan with this as well. To date, this has saved me from having to find a social media person and makes it appear as if I post regularly.

LIVECHAT

This is one the paid service I use. This is a stand‐alone app and works with just about every website type out there. It’s a sales tool and you can capture leads immediately. If you aren’t using this, you need to start. You can turn it on/off at any time. I’ve booked too many shows to count with this service.

These are my Top 5. What about you? Are you using something not on this list?

 

Based out of NYC, DJ Brian B is a successful internationally traveling private event DJ/MC. He runs a multi‐city mobile DJ/event business with offices in Orange County, Calif, Destin, FL and New York City. You can check him out at djbrianbofficial.com or bboyproductions.com

There’s An Edit For Every Event

By: Glen Ervin

If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail: We’ve all seen that DJ who keeps it real by playing unedited hip-hop at all his events — including your college roommate’s daughter’s Quinceanera (true story).

Don’t be that guy.

You can break the habit of over relying on the same tired tool today with the variety of event-specific edits you’ll find available from licensed services such as Promo Only / POOL.

The Tools that Rule:

 Radio Edits – The Swiss Army knife of edits, radio edits check all the boxes for FCC-compliant play, but can include words that while not obscene aren’t suitable for “polite” play. Recommended for mainstream clubs and adult-driven events

Clean Edits – If words that rhyme with “itch,” “pass,” “well,” and “yo” might get your “putt” in a sling, you’ll want to lean on the family-safe play you’ll find via clean edits. Recommended for family events, mainstream venues & middle- and high-school dances

Intro Edits – Need a few extra beats to nail that next mix? You’ll find 32 of them attached front and back to the original version of all tracks that bear the Intro Edit tag.

Recommended for anywhere mad-mixing skills are required

Quick Edits – Featuring the same 32-beat intros and outros found in POOL Intro Edits, Quick Edits are designed to provide rapid-fire delivery for today’s “don’t bore us, get to the chorus” crowds. Recommended for teen events, early night play, and anytime nothing less than a mega-mix will do

Explicit – Unfiltered and unedited, these are the versions your parents didn’t want you listening to, even on your headphones. P.S. Your mom knew. She always knew. She just pretended she didn’t and hoped you’d grow up to be a doctor. Recommended for mature audiences only

Success is all about having the right tool for the right job.

 Be successful.

After being turned out to pasture following a 16-year club residency, Glen Ervin finds himself gainfully employed as Promo Only sales manager, media consultant and staff writer.

Record Pools: What they were and what they are now

By: Tony Fernandez 

What is a record pool?

A record pool is an association of regional, local, and industry leading DJs in their respective markets. Members are: Club DJs, Mixshow DJs, Radio DJs, Program Directors, Music Directors, and highly influential Mobile DJs. A Record pool could have 10, 100, or + 1,000 members. Some Record Pools today, have members in the +10,000 range. The MAIN qualification was that you were a WORKING DJ in your area / market.

The concept of a record pool was started in the mid 1970s by the illustrious David Mancuso in NYC. The purpose of which was to establish a grassroots pipeline of communication between the record labels and the working DJs in high profile clubs that were playing to a lot of people and breaking music.

Record labels agreed to supply Record Pools with promotional (advance release) music and, in return, the record pools would provide feedback to the record labels that was derived from the pool’s membership of working DJs.

Back in the day of 12” records and remixes, a member would, generally speaking, pay a monthly fee; in return, the DJ would receive 1-2 packages a month. That could be 40-60 pieces of music a month. In addition, the DJ would have to submit back to the pool director a chart of what they are playing and feedback on the pieces of music they received.

The feedback would be collected by the director and passed along to the record labels. This information would be used to gauge the popularity of potential singles to be released and worked to radio.

Where we’re at now…

With the development of the MP3 and the ability to download music anywhere, anytime on almost anything, the “true” purpose of a record pool has become blurred. While there are still traditional pools that are viable and performing a service, it seems like with the ushering in of the digital age coupled with the attitude of “I want ALL the music…” pools have become a centralized clearing house of distribution for tons of music. People’s (DJ’s) expectations have risen to the level of entitlement and guaranteed expectancy of having every/any track they want.

We see online a plethora of “record pools” that offer DJs “unlimited” content for a measly monthly fee. These aren’t pools. These are distribution centers that collect a fee from any “DJ” willing to pay.

Allow me make a stipulation…

There are record pools and there are remix services. These two things are NOT the same. Record pools provide music to their membership for feedback. Remix services take popular songs, or soon to be popular songs, and edit, remix, and make them more “DJ friendly”. These are two entirely different things. Legitimate remix services have permission from the record labels to remix the songs on their issues. We’ll cover remixes / bootlegs another time…

DJs are always looking for an edge. Something different. Something to distinguish themselves from the herd. It’s the nature of the beast. DJs embody an “alpha” mindset and want to be unique. Nothing wrong with that at all. Just be mindful that there’s a business side to the music business and getting your music from a proper source is a good thing.

Also know, there isn’t going to be ONE record pool or ONE remix

service that will have EVERY song you desire. That pool doesn’t exist. If you do “belong” to that pool, it’s probably not 100% kosher.

Happy music hunting.

Based out of Richmond, VA, DJ Tony Fernandez, has been DJaying, Remixing, Producing, a Musical Soothsayer and Audio Gear Oracle since 1980. Find him on facebook. Email djtonytf@gmail.com