How to start DJing

August 8 2021

Review of Rock the dancefloor – Phil Morse’s book

Benoit Dervieux How to DJ, How to start DJing, Review book, How to start DJing, review 0

A review of “Rock the Dancefloor” from Phil Morse

Hi everyone,

In this article, I will make a review of “Rock the Dancefloor: The proven five-step formula for total DJing success” that I read in about one week with more or less intensity.

This book is, in my opinion, addressed from beginner DJs with no experience to average DJs who would like to recalibrate their knowledge. It gives the big picture about DJing in general and helps understand it.

Let’s dig in.

"Rock the Dancefloor" from Phil Morse

The author

Phil Morse is the founder of Digital DJ Tips. It is a website for DJs that offers many services. There we can find courses, articles, affiliated products, etc. Their approach, even if it’s not the one I prefer, is very good. They also offer a lot of content and a lot of advices for free. One can only be thankful for that.

Under his hat, Phil seems to have quite a strong experience of gigging and mixing. And even if no music comes out when taping his name on Youtube, I guess that his advice will one day register him in the domain of the ultra-known DJs.

One last thing that I would add, is that Phil seems to be a technology optimist. Which makes him being pretty open-minded on new gears. While we are more of a movement open-minded here in Lesk. We mostly mix for dancing, for the sensations, and less for the technology.

This is notoriety that pushed us to make a review of “Rock the Dancefloor”.

That said, let’s continue to the book’s review.

Phil Morse, Dj who wrote the book "Rock the dancefloor"

The structure of the book

To start the review of “Rock the Dancefloor”, let’s analyze the structure of the book. Here are the chapters in order:

1- The gear

2- The music

3- The techniques

4- Playing out

5- Promoting yourself

The advantage that it offers is that it gives the big picture of DJing. From buying the first piece of gear to market yourself. It can even be too generalist for someone that has already started. But still, it’s good to know to at least have generic knowledge. It is also useful to trace a virtual path on where one would like to go.

It helps to situate oneself on the path of DJing and where to get orientated.

Ok now, let’s review the different parts.

The gear

In this part, the author reviews which different types of gear it exists to DJ. Without entering into deep details, Phil dresses the portrait of what is existing. From controller to vinyl passing by tools few people use, everything is more or less mentioned.

The important aspect I am taking out of this chapter is that, as long as you have the essentials, don’t bother buying more. Follow your budget and your heart, and don’t try to reach too high. In other terms, if your budget is 100$, you better buy something second-hand and use it, than dreaming about something which costs 1000$. And he is right. Djing money will come after (and we explain how to do it on this website), but before you need to practice.

For instance, I have a Traktor S2 MK3, and I think it’s way enough. I could have an S2 MK2 bought second-hand (around 200$), and I would be as happy. I know I still have to practice, and that’s ok. Yes, I dream about CDJs, but if I want to play on CDJs, I can go somewhere else to use them, so that’s ok.

He also explains that as long as you have two tracks of audio, a mixer, and something to hear music, you’re good to go. So DJing doesn’t need to be that advanced. Even if we see the contrary on videos and so on. This is the most important stuff I remembered for the review of “Rock the dancefloor”.

If you are new on the world of DJing and want to know how to start DJing, we have made some articles about it. Here on turntables, here on vinyls and here on the controller.

The music

In this chapter, Phil explains how you should approach your music gathering process. In other terms, how can you create a system where you automatically gather music?

As DJ, you need to listen to more music than the average to filter them and create a DJ set. So you need to automatize it. From listening to the gathering to the filtering and your playlist.

What I think is interesting to add in the review of “Rock the Dancefloor”, is this state of mind that you have to have. You need to create your own system for gathering music. For me, the system is a bit messy, but I shazam as much as I can, I save on Youtube playlist, and I take a screenshot of Spotify. But sometimes it’s not enough. So it showed me that I needed to be more systematic.

The techniques

In this chapter, the author describes what DJs do. How do they mix, and what is their job. Again, you have learned those principles you can find that it’s a bit boring to go through it again. But for a beginner that is very passionate about mixing and has never touched a mix table, this is the right step.

Going through my notes again, I have a hard time figuring out what is essential to know. However, I have found this note which was:

“you need to fade it good to people to not understand that it’s faded”

To do so, you should analyze your music and do the job. Don’t hesitate to use pieces of paper to do the job, it’s ok. The important is that your analysis skills would develop to be accurate during the mix. You need to know the bars and how the music structure works. Or that one can call the phrases in a music.

Also, in the book we have five types of transition that I guess are worth training. Even if one might do them instinctively, it’s always good to have them in mind when trying to improve.

To finish, Phil advises you to record yourself. The goal of it is to understand how you’re mixing and how you can improve yourself. As you can’t judge yourself when you’re mixing, you need to have a trace of it. Recording your mixes will provide you this trace. I did it, and I have to admit that he was right. I saw that I rushed too much into changing my music while if I took my time, I could have something cleaner and less stressful. For my review of “Rock the Dancefloor”, I thought this advice was the best one could receive.

Ok, so that’s everything I took from this section, let’s move on.

Playing out

In this chapter the author emphasize on the need for any DJ to play out and confront himself with the crowd. So the objective of getting a public gig is what can help you improve as a DJ. Also, you need to see how people react to your songs and how you can manage to entertain them. In other terms, when you’re a DJ, you need to get out of your comfort zone and play publicly.

I agree with him on the fact that playing publicly is a life-changing experience. Quitting your bedroom for something more real-life is what you need. So get yourself ready and go hunt gigs. Yes, you might fear being rejected. We all have this fear. But that’s also the process. Not everything can be easy, and not everything can be accessible.

Another subject that the author is speaking about is how to behave in terms of music and attitude. Musically speaking, you will have to please 3 types of people: You, the manager and the crowd. You should be aware of that. In terms of conduct, Phil advises that you should be easy and respectful. You should be the person that doesn’t cause any problems and mind his own business. Be polite and respectful to all the other staff members. Also, don’t get taken away by drugs and alcohol, it’s never good.

For the author, the more experience you’ll get from there, the better your DJ journey will be. We agree with him in this article that dresses the review of “rock the dancefloor” by Phil Morse.

Promoting yourself

In this section, Phil Morse gives several tracks to follow to help people getting to know you simpler and faster. Without going deep into the details, let’s list some steps that are, in my eyes, pretty important:

Make a good online profile

You will have to get an internet presence if you want to get known. Not something perfect, but still. To do so, you’ll have to create a website and make all of your social profiles. You’ll have to put up mixes, be able to gather email addresses and be contacted.

Be implied in your local scene

It will help you to network and create a base of people following/knowing you. Being active in your local scene is the best one can do. You will interact with people and see more opportunities. Either get invited to some parties, small festivals, bars and so on. People who DJ just for pleasure will share tips with you, and everything will make your routine better.

Making your events

That is what we are prone to here at Lesk. Like Phil, we believe that making your event will give you credit and bring you enough money to pay back at least your material.

We will speak more about this chapter in another article.

Becoming a producer

It’s not something you have to. But still. Becoming a producer will help to extend the frontiers of your music if you’re good enough. You don’t need to be the next David Guetta, but sharing your music with the world will have more impact than playing locally.

my critic on the book rock the dancefllor

My critics

Here are my thoughts about this book to finish with this review of “Rock the dancefloor” by Phil Morse.

The book gives the big picture of DJing. I think it’s convenient if you’re starting as well as if you have been DJing for some time. If you’re a professional, however, you might think it’s not worth the time spent. However, it can also be a great tool to recalibrate his skills and reorganize our way of approaching DJing.

The book explains the different types of DJing that exist and doesn’t prioritize one type over another. We then get a realistic overview of the work that I believe is also great. The author shows a lot of modesty and respect towards all types of DJing. One great thing is that Phil Morse is enthusiastic and speaks to and for anyone.

This book confirmed what I learned about DJing as I mostly did it on the go. Reading this confronted me with my habits, and it helped me improve my workflow. I was also able to take a step back and look at my position to figure out how I was acting and what I should correct. The ability to change perspective because of this book is what makes it worth buying.

For instance, after buying, I changed this:

How I was gathering music
How I was analyzing my sets
Why I should get gigs soon
How I should market myself
and a lot of other small details

Now, as it is a critic, I feel forced to address some negative comments.

I would say that you won’t find a revelation in this book, mostly if you have experience. That can be frustrating if you’re expecting this. I know few DJ evolve reading books and might think that if they do the effort, they should find the magic formula. This won’t be the case here. Instead, you’ll have small little advice that you should apply.

Another critic I would address is the lack of stories. I love to learn through stories, and it felt as if the book lacked them. Maybe it could be a suggestion for the future, for another book, But for now, it seems like it wasn’t enough.

Otherwise, I recommend this book for sure. It’s easy to read and can always help you.

I hope you like this article. Don’t hesitate to comment and tell me if you would like more of those in the future.

The author

Benoit Dervieux is the initiator of Lesk. He started DJing around 14 years old, bought his first pair of vinyls at 22 and started organizing parties at 25. He has a master in entrepreneurship and is developing Lesk hoping the product will enter the market. You can contact him directly on instagram @lesklights.

May 24 2021

How to start DJing – The controller

Benoit Dervieux How to start DJing How to start DJing 2

Hi and welcome to this second series of: How to start DJing? The controller. Today we’ll talk about the controller, and you can find the vinyls and the CDJs there.

The controller, best toy ever. Did I say toy? Yes, and you will see why. But don’t worry, a toy can be good. Look at the sex toys, those are great isn’t it? The more important thing is to not feel shame and the rest is details.

What is a controller?

Well, a controller is a mix station that englobes several elements that you would have bought separately several years ago. This mix station regroups a mix table and two turntables mostly. Of course, it can vary depending on the model. But let’s say that’s our starting point.

The controller needs a computer and dedicated software to work. The most famous software are Serato or Traktor if we take some serious ones. Another one you might have heard of is Virtual DJ. It’s the most accessible one and a good base to start.

The controller aims to simplify mixing. While you needed huge equipment to mix before, now you only need a computer and a controller. Some can think it’s not mixing. Others can feel it’s very practical. Let me give my opinion and help you to decide right after.

But first, let’s see which kind of controller we are speaking about in this guide: How to start DJing – The controller.

The different types of controller

There are different types of controllers out there. And it can be very confusing to choose the right one. So how do you make the difference between a toy and something professional?

Well, that’s the thing.

A controller aims to try to make you feel you’re a professional. That’s what’s going to determine the price. From the toy to the almost pro version, their goal is to develop a feeling and you will pay for that.

This feeling is blended with their utility. In itself, you only need a mix table and 2 turntables to mix. Maybe the buttons for filters to control the high, mid, and low frequency but that’s it. Programmers can get those effects fingers in the nose. So the primary goal of a controller is further than that. It’s to allow you to make crazy mixes with no effort.

The least expensive controller I can think of is the Hercules DJ control inpulse 200. Around 100$, this controller is the perfect tool to understand what mixing is about. The problem is, once you know how to mix with it, it becomes boring.

At the top of the price range, you have the DDJ SZ2 from Pioneer. Well, of course, I haven’t used it. I used something a little less pricey. But look at all those buttons they have. It can make you feel that you have the last turntables but you don’t. Is it something bad? Well, it’s up to you. We’ll talk about that later.

What I have: The Kontrol S2 Mk3. Perfect for throwing parties. Still ok to be used, but of course not the best. But again we’ll dig deeper in this article on how to start DJing? The controller.

Controllers can be good for DJing like a pro

Should you spend a lot?

Before answering this question, I need to ask you one question. Are you the type of person using objects 100% until they die? Do you use your bike even if it’s a bit small for you? Do you prefer the results or the feelings?

If you have an answer yes, yes, and results, then you don’t have to spend a lot of money.

Expensive controllers give you the feeling of mixing on professional turntables. You have to choose what suits you. Other than that, you will have to trick your brain to believe you’re mixing professionally.

Let me take an example. When I mix on CDJs, I don’t look at the bpm and waves don’t make sense for me. But when I am on a controller, I have to trick the software to get the same result. It’s a trick that helps me get better, but not happier.

I can make amazing effects with my controllers by just pushing one button. But it doesn’t mean I am at the same level as all my favorite DJs. Now, after 30 minutes of mixing, I feel bored. Because when it’s too easy it’s annoying. It’s like biking with some small wheels for a baby. Would you be proud?

Well then, the less expensive controller, the bigger the wheel. Now you know. At least this is what we advise on this article on how to start DJing? The controller.

Are you gonna be a real DJ with a controller?

Well, let me be honest, if you’re only using a controller and refuse to use others, then no.

If you can’t get access to other types of material, that’s ok, I am not blaming you. But the real problem with controllers is that they are too easy to use. Let’s face it.

They are good to start, I will not lie, but they are not challenging. Yet, some advanced Pioneer are almost like CDJs. Then you will know how to use CDJs. But you still have to invest a good amount of money before. Others might want to learn how to mix before.

So the problem is not the controller, it’s how you learn.

I saw so many DJs being ok by just doing a simple transition. First track running, BPM synchronization. Then change and that’s it. All night long.

Mixing is way more than that. But how can you know if nothing challenges you?

To become a good DJ on a controller, you will have to challenge yourself. Hide BPM, scratch, mix with ears, and so on and so on. Even I haven’t made those exercises. But I know it’s what you, or even we, should do. Because that’s what can make us better DJs.

So if you want to be a great DJ with a controller, be ready to challenge yourself. Be careful, it might just hurt your ego. But it’s definitely possible according this article on how to start DJing? The controller.

Use controller to mix at a party like a real DJ

The difference between a controller and real turntables

I never really understand why people thought being DJ was so cool. Seeing from the inside, it’s pretty simple. But some people think it’s the coolest thing to do.

On a technical side, using the tools we have, djing is the most overrated activity on earth. On paper, it’s pretty inefficient. But in real life, that’s the opposite. People don’t care if it’s efficient or not, they care about the overall vibe. The reason to dance. The reason to let their body move on the music. That’s a pure ritual and that’s what makes it so valuable.

So I understand why you want to take part in this ritual. And like in every culture, there are codes for every ritual. One of the biggest codes is that you need to use pioneer turntables. You might not agree, but that’s the truth. It’s due to the huge amount in marketing that Pioneer spent into being present under our eyes.

From this angle, here is the difference between a controller and turntables. It will make you less professional and less following the ritual.

Does it matter when you have a house party? No. Does it matter when you’re mixing in front of Boiler Room’s camera? Maybe. Does it matter for your ego? If it doesn’t you’re lucky and you should go for a controller. Other than that, you’ll have to mix harder to pay those real turntables.

The advantages of a controller

I am not going to lie, controllers have a lot of advantages. First, their size and their weight.

You can take it anywhere you want. it’s compact and not heavy. I mean, between a 5000$ set that weighs a lot of kilos and a 350$ controller that weighs nothing. One should know where to balance the risks. There, you won’t need cases for your equipment. The original one is enough. I still have mine even.

I used it to throw any types of parties that weren’t too serious. When I say serious I mean festival, so any type of parties. Like house parties or parties up to 300 people. That made the job and it was easy to carry. One just needs a pair of cables, a PC and that’s it. I had the controller in one hand while biking. The PC in the backpack and that was it.

Also, I already said that but it’s really easy to plug. I felt dumb sometimes when we were done setting up in 10 minutes. Because I needed one cable. It helps you avoiding stress and preparation.

Also, it’s cheap. Not everybody can afford several thousand in CDJs or vinyl. Me the first. And I know how important it is to have equipment close to you when starting. So for me, controllers are the perfect tool to start with.

The disadvantages

Controllers feel like toys. Most of the time in plastic, we don’t feel we have a professional tool. It can give professional results, don’t get me wrong. And as long as your crew dance it’s great. But come on, you want something special. Something that says you’re the master.

CDJs or turntables feel like engines. Like spaceships. They are big and intimidating. Knowing how to control them gives you the flow. This is why people respect the DJ. Again, it’s a ritual and you’re the shaman.

Controllers on the contrary are not. They are smaller and the effect can be dissipated. That’s a matter of feeling I know, but it matters a lot.

Another thing is that you might only look at your PC. As a DJ, when you have a computer with you, you’ll only look at it. It’s a bit of a shame. It feels as if you’re isolated from the crowd. DJs are in general isolated from the crowd, they are in the future, but still. With a computer, you might cut yourself from it.

Learn how to mix on a controller and become a real DJ

What do I advice

Of course, I advise you to have a controller. Just in case.

They are small and don’t take too much space. They are good tools, from practicing to playing. For me, they are the perfect tool to start with mostly if you do not have the budget.

Of course, getting more serious equipment is always better. But not everybody is a pro and if you don’t earn money with it, well go for something easy.

I would however advise you to take something in the middle range, around 300$ at least. They are solids and professional enough. You can go upper in price but the minimum for me would be a Traktor or a pioneer. It’s qualitative and you can have fun with it. It’s not that much of a toy and you can still feel like a real DJ with it.

Final words

I like discussing good and bad things about DJ equipment. It’s a matter of knowledge, not truths. If you like using a controller or not, do what you like. As long as you take pleasure in DJing, everything is good.

The author

May 18 2021

How to start DJing – The vinyl

Benoit Dervieux How to start DJing How to start DJing 0

Have you ever wondered what it is like to play on 2 (or 3) old turntables like in the old (good) time? That’s what we are going to dig into in this article. I hope you’re ready and you’ll be convinced to buy some old 33 ⅓ after that. You will see that mixing is more with less. Welcome to our guide How to start Djing, today we’ll talk about vinyls.

Is it hard to mix with vinyl?

Mixing with vinyl is the hardest way to mix. Other tools such as controllers and players have as aim to make beautiful transitions and beautiful mix. IT can be harmonic, you can have a lot of effects and everything is made for you to have it easy. Vinyl instead is focusing on the transition only. Anyway, you can’t really do more than transitions. (Yes you can scratch but we’re not speaking of that RN). That’s the essence of the art of mixing. Forget about fancy softwares that make everything for you. With vinyls, you go back to the basics with two turntables, a mix table and your ears.

The goal of mixing with vinyl is to have two LPs that can run at the same tempo to make your transition. To do so, you need to feel the tempo of your first track, and adjust the tempo of the other with your ears using the pitch. Does it seem hard to you? That’s however the basics that number of DJs can’t achieve. Nowadays, not being able to transition with the ears is not a sin anymore. I understand, but if you want to be a complete DJ, that’s a must. People who refuse to learn this skill can’t be called DJ as it is the base of everything. It’s like driving a formula one and not being able to drive a normal car.

In a world where everything’s made easy, vinyls bring back a bit of difficulty that will let you understand why people have put so much heart into this art. It will challenge you in your How to start DJing journey. Because when you struggle for making your transitions, I can promise you that you celebrate it like a small achievement.

So if you ever wonder if you should learn to mix with vinyls, I would ask you this: are you ready to put your blood, your sweat and tears?

If not, you can stop here and read another article here. There are others ways to learn How to start DJing. And that’s chill, you do not need to set up a limit that high if you’re djing just for hobbies.

If yes, you can keep reading the article as it will give you some valuable insights.

Is mixing with vinyl expensive?

Expensive is a pretty relative point of view according to me. It will depend on how you use it. In other terms, which frequency and what journey do you expect?

Let’s say that you already have a sound system. The entry turntable you can find is the RP-1000 mk2 that seems to have a great rating and costs a little bit more than 200$. All in all, the entire set will cost more than a controller for sure. But you can also find great deals in second hand materials. I remember buying my gear for around $ 250 (2 turntables and 1 mix table). At this price, buying a new controller or a pair of turntables can be discussed. Also, I would less buy a second hand controller than second hand vinyls, but that’s personal.

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After that, you will need to check if your turntables have proper cartridges. If you managed to get some, that’s great, if not, this can be another cost. This is also important to check if you’re buying in second hand.

Then comes the vinyls. Where costs will be relative depending on the places you find. As advice, I would suggest you to start looking for places where they sell cheap vinyls already.

Nowadays, selecting music is so easy that it doesn’t even make sense. I can go to Youtube, find some special channels and have access to the best tracks I ever wanted. I can go to some Cercles or Boiler room, shazam any song, download them and that’s it. That’s so easy to do than digging is not an art anymore. It’s more of a habit one should take. A newbie can definitely find better tunes than someone with 40 years of activity.

But with vinyls that’s the contrary. Depending if you buy in first hand or second hand, vinyls can be more or less expensive. It starts at 1$ and can go up a lot, knowing that the average is around 10 to 15$ per LP.

Also vinyls take space, so you buy them carefully. It’s useful to know before answering the question how to start DJing. And because they are more expensive, you listen to them previously and reflect before buying them. You do not just store them in a random Youtube playlist. Buying vinyls becomes a journey and a passion. Sometimes some passions can be expensive, but they are worth it. I used to spend entire afternoons at the vinyl store to find only one LP, but I loved it. I loved taking my bike on a saturday afternoon and looking around.

So yes, vinyls are a bit more expensive, but they make you spend time on your passion. Up to you to choose what you prefer. If you think that’s a great way to spend your time and that it’s worth it why not. If you are not ready to do those or spend 15$ per LP, well I understand.

I wasn’t really a huge fan of spending 15$ per vinyl too, but I have to admit it was fun when I think about it.

How to mix with vinyls?

Mixing with vinyls is simple like saying hello… on paper.

As you can see on this picture, you only have few buttons. It seems easy for those who wonder how to start Djing:

The pitch, that will accelerate the tempo of the music. Faster or slower.
The button for 33 or 45 rpm. Well you have either or so it’s not that complexe, and you might not touch them during your set.
The button play. To start or stop the music

(There are other buttons but at this point they aren’t that important)

But Ben, if the turntable is that simple, why is vinyl so hard to mix with?

Well because nothing tells you which BPM is your track. Maybe it’s written on your LPs, but it won’t really help you. You will need to develop your ear and to practice. Because you will need to make transitions by ear. Which means adapting the BPM of the second depending on the BPM of the first one. AND THAT’S FUCKING HARD!!!!

It’s not that hard, it just asks for practice, a lot of practice. And if you’re not that hyped by DJing you shouldn’t bother. But if you want to challenge yourself, let’s go!

The hard thing with vinyl is to know your songs. Nowadays with the software, you have the waves which tell you when the drop is, when the beat starts and everything. Nothing is said on vinyl. You need to do your homework and become a real passionate.

What do you need to know before buying?

You need to be passionate or be ready to become passionate. As I said, you will need to know your songs and their structure. You will need to do 1000 bad transitions before making one which can sound like something. You will need to go into some strange shops to avoid paying 12$ to LPs that you might not like once coming back home.

If you are ready to take some steps. Here is what is waiting for you.

You will increase your knowledge of music because you will select it actively. You will start appreciating music more. When others will see only sound, you will see art. You will spend hours in vinyl shops just to find the perfect tune. You will connect with people that you wouldn’t even talk to. Your city will reveal new original places because of music, and you will like never.

Also, I have to warn you that it takes place also and that might be very very heavy.

Is it going to make you a real DJ?

Mixing on vinyl will not transform you into the best form of DJ that exists on earth. You will need to also discover other types of DJing, mostly on controllers and players. However, it will be easier for you to 1) take control of those 2) take pleasure mixing on those.

It’s easier for people who have known hard times to enjoy good times. It’s harder for people who have known only good times to survive hard times. Well that’s the same with mixing on vinyls. After learning with turntables, everything will seem so easy. Compared to people who have never challenged themselves, you will have an advantage.

For instance, I am often bored on the controller as I think it’s too easy when you have the normal setup. For someone that never challenged himself, that’s already too much. So yeah, you will become a good DJ. Because once you have mastered this, you will focus on different details and this is where we recognize the great DJs than the normal.

Our advice on mixing with vinyls

It all depends on what you intend to do.

If your goal is to learn mixing for the state of art, I would recommend it.

You will start to change inside you. You will forge your tastes. Be more picky. You will appreciate music for what it is, not for the hype. Mixing will make more sense also. It will be a hobby, a passion, something that will eat you alive.

If you have space in your home and no one to tell you that your vinyl collection is too much, go for it. Because that’s really great.

Just, understand that it takes space and time and that results might show off in a long time.

On the contrary, if you want to start DJing without complications, I would advise you to go for something else. Turntables are hard to move. Building your first set takes time, energy and money. Before being able to perform a decent set with turntables, it will take some time that you might want to waste something else.

I hope you liked this article.

Do not hesitate to ask any question if you want to start DJing but you hesitate with vinyl turntables.

See you !

The author