How easy is CD mixing.

[oneleggedpunk]

How much easier is it to mix with CD's compared with Vinyl? It looks like with some of the more upmarket CD Decks they almost mix everything for you. I have never tried CD mixing and probably never will(unless i win the Lottery) but i am curious to know just in case.

[Arctic]

I haven't mixed with cds, but i hate the idea really.

Mixing should be vinyl or nothing, theres not as much skill in cd mixing, most software and hardware beat locks tracks so its like a robot doing the job for you. Wheres the fun in that?

[Transient Motion]

Not quite true Artic, with Ableton you have to warp your tracks before hand, so I still have to adjust the beats so they beat match properly. And it gives me time to play with effects, or add live bits to tracks! I can mix with vinyl, but unfortunatly I only have one deck at the moment and I couldn't afford to buy all the vinyl I wanted (Or have the space to keep it all! lol)

[electronomist]

Cds dont beatlock tracks.
The same beatmatching skills are required as with vinyl. The only real difference with them and vinyl is that you dont have to drop the needle back and find the first beat again. Just press a button and its there so does make things easier that way.
They are a lot easier to mix with though i find, just because you can do certain things a bit quicker.

[Arctic]

Meh its not for me sorry! I love the 'hands on' of vinyl, you cant beat it!

[Arctic]

Originally Posted by Transient Motion

Not quite true Artic, with Ableton you have to warp your tracks before hand, so I still have to adjust the beats so they beat match properly. And it gives me time to play with effects, or add live bits to tracks! I can mix with vinyl, but unfortunatly I only have one deck at the moment and I couldn't afford to buy all the vinyl I wanted (Or have the space to keep it all! lol)

Yeah vinyl takes up a hell of a lot of room, and its not cheap at all! I stopped buying vinyl in favour on mp3s as id much rather pay 79p for the track i want than £6.99 for the whole vinyl.

[electronomist]

same here on the mp3 front, as they are cheaper and you can just buy the mixes you want. Arctic, you tried the denon cd decks with the revolving vinyl on? just like vinyl mixing as the platter rotates. may tempt you over to the dark side lol.

Also vinyl has the best sound quality, don't forget that.

It's all a matter of preference though, all the different ways of mixing have their merits and flaws. I use both cd and vinyl, and would be great to include software into the same system on top.
I would like to get a digital vinyl system, best of both worlds, using vinyl to control my mp3s, i'll be happy then i reckon!

[ScatCat]

Mixing should be vinyl or nothing

Mixing should be whatever you want to use, I don't think I'd ever buy vinyl or CDs ever again, digital downloads all the way.

[Arctic]

Originally Posted by electronomist

same here on the mp3 front, as they are cheaper and you can just buy the mixes you want. Arctic, you tried the denon cd decks with the revolving vinyl on?

No, they look interesting though. I havent mixed in years, lack of room really. I will get some decks again one day, as i still have a vast vinyl collection. Indeed, vinyl sound quality is the best :)

[CHRIS]

Originally Posted by oneleggedpunk

How much easier is it to mix with CD's compared with Vinyl? It looks like with some of the more upmarket CD Decks they almost mix everything for you. I have never tried CD mixing and probably never will(unless i win the Lottery) but i am curious to know just in case.

hopefully one day theyll get cheap enough for the non lotto winners to buy[thumbsup]

[oneleggedpunk]

Don't a lot of CD decks have BPM counters which must make life a lot easier, i know you still have to mix the tracks but being able to see the BPM of each track must make it easier to get the tracks in time.

I do agree with Artic Moon, i do enjoy the hands on feel of vinyl there is something almost sexual about it. Also going record buying was a ____ing buzz, especially when you went into a shop and found that track you'd heard months before in a club. I can't see MP3 buying being even a fraction of the fun, technology might have it's advantages but it does take some of the fun out of life.

And lastly and probably controversially, can you really call yourself a DJ without being able to mix with vinyl? or am i just an old bastard who needs to get with the times?

[electronomist]

Get with the times you old twat ha ha. Only messin. I learnt to mix on vinyl and get where your coming from completely and yes it takes some fun out of it especially the vinyl shopping side. Used to love going through random records and finding gems in a shop with like minded people and pumping tunes. Dont get much of that these days. It is a shame. But there are some djs from various genres these days that can create some really innovative sets with technology so it is a step forward. But like i said for all us vinyl junkies there is the possibility of things like traktor and serato that let you mix with 'vinyl' yet control your mp3s with it. Thats where its at for me. Might be my next big purchase

[oneleggedpunk]

I think i'm only moaning because i can't afford any new equipment, but i do still miss the good old days going to Choci's Chewns and spending more money than i should. Then rushing home to play with the new sounds, ____ing hell now i am sounding like a reminiscing old twat.

[electronomist]

No thats exactly how i started out mixing, so if you sound like a moaning old twat then i am ha ha. I have a vinyl from choci's that i 'ahem acquired' lol. otherwise i'd never been there

[oneleggedpunk]

I used to use Choci's before it was Choci's, it used to be a Metal shop and i spent a fortune in there to on records to. Choci's was a blinding shop for those of us who liked the harder side of House and Trance.

[electronomist]

Was it based in london? I'm a northern monkey so bit ignorant on that lol.

[LCBrown]

There are no CD decks that I know of that can actually beatmatch for you with any precision. I've played around with some and they all fail miserably. The BPM counter is the only real assistance. I like CDs because they give me a good sample to mess with. It's not some giant ass playlist with a thousand songs and not like 1-3 or so with vynil. Currently, all the top DJs use CDs.

[oneleggedpunk]

Originally Posted by electronomist

Was it based in london? I'm a northern monkey so bit ignorant on that lol.

Yes it was in Soho, Central London.

[The Ghost]

This is a question I asked myself many times and that I asked personally at some italians dj with whom I had the pleasure of speaking.
All they told me that the CD is a bit easier to use than the vinyl, if he combines the pc and the cd then everything becomes much easier.
Personally I do not know because I never mixed, but if I had a lot of money and had to choose between CD and vinyl, go for vinyl.
As stated in my signature... GOD SAVE THE VINYL!!!

[oneleggedpunk]

God told me "only Satan uses CD's", so if you want to go to Hell.