LETTER OF THE MONTH
Apr 1, 2006 12:00 PM
O VINYL, WHERE ART THOU?
With each issue of Remix, I look forward to reading about which DJ/producer is at what record store buying the next great 12-inch to sample. So I gotta ask the question: Where has all the vinyl gone?
It seems we're not seeing the vinyl in the clubs or in the studios anymore. The MP3 craze is stretching the boundaries of DJing with more and more portable devices and software-based tools. Pretty soon we'll see a guy “spinnin'” with ringtones off a cellphone and his buddy's PSP! A guy I DJ with just bought an iPod DJ mixer that looks like it came from Toys “R” Us. What's even scarier is that I find myself researching these products more each day!
I've been DJing with my Technics for over nine years, and I just recently bought a couple of tabletop CD players that I can scratch with and play MP3 CDs. Don't get me wrong, I love my SL1210s and have always considered them to be the Porsches in my collection, but even Porsche advertises now and again. I've had my CD decks for only a little over a month, and I'm already considering trading them in for Rane SSL (Serato Scratch Live) and a Mac PowerBook.
I always thought more gear and crates of records meant keeping the art of DJing true to its roots. But I'm starting to see and read about more high-profile DJs that are making the switch over to software-based tools that allow the turntable and mixer to still be the centerpieces of the DJ's setup.
Sevan Garabettian (aka DJ Omar)
Enfield, Conn.
For sending in this month's winning letter, Sevan Garabettian wins his own DrumCore Deluxe — including DrummerPack expansion packs — ($499) drum-loop software instrument. If you send in the most inspired correspondence next month — or simply the letter we like best — you will also win DrumCore. All you have to do is send an e-mail to remixeditorial@penton.com. Please include your full mailing address.
WE GET YOUR JUICES FLOWIN'
I am a new reader, and I must say that I have finally found my favorite magazine. Of all the music magazines I've read, Remix is by the far the most informative and inspirational.
You see, I'm what you'd call a “gear slut.” I really get off on all types of DJ and performance gear, and your magazine is chock full of material that keeps me revved and hot for more.
Your outstanding product reviews, informative columns and insightful interviews are nothing short of excellent. Even the advertisements provide useful stimuli, becoming the fodder that drives my explicit fantasies of artistic musical expression. You now have another hardcore fan and subscriber. I definitely will recommend your fantastic magazine to my fellow electronic music “perverts.”
Jason Green
Austin, Texas
IT'S A PERSONAL THING
In my opinion, the single best aspect of Remix is the Editor's Note. It's the only portion of the magazine that I never skip over. Although I admit that I do also enjoy reading interviews with top producers, product reviews and DIY studio tips, there is just something about the Editor's Note that strikes a chord.
In many magazines, the Editor's Note is used merely to brag about how good the current issue is and to advertise who they were able to interview that month. But I prefer the more personal approach that Remix has taken. Issues like balancing a full-time job with spending time in the studio, getting along with band members and working to put out a demo with limited resources are much more relevant to novice producers like me.
Brian
DJ, producer and
Remix
subscriber
via e-mail
REVAMPING REAMPING
I just finished reading your review of the Radial DI products (“Tech Sector,” January 2006) and thought I would offer your readers some useful info on reamping. Let me start by saying that I'm all about reamping. Reamping is a lifesaver for the time-crunched recording engineer. But, like a lot of readers, I was reluctant to spend $200 on a reamping device when my audio-toy wish list was so full. Fortunately, there is a solution — a passive DI box.
A passive DI can be used in reverse to work like a reamping device. To do that, simply route the desired track through an aux send on your mixer or DAW to the output of your passive DI via an XLR cable. Then, connect the input of the DI to your amp or stompbox with a guitar (¼-inch TS) cable, and violà! Your impedences are matched, and you're ready to roll. Here are a few tips: Since you're sending a line-level signal to a mic-level device, you're going to want to trim your signal going into the DI to avoid clipping. Also, that technique doesn't work so well (if at all) with an active DI.
Davis Keith
San Francisco, Calif.
DO YOU BELIEVE?
Believing in yourself when no one else does can be one of the most difficult things. My friend Brett Jackson believed in himself even when people told him he was wasting his time playing records and should be studying for a “realistic” career.
Brett waited tables to support himself and pay for vinyl between scarce gigs. Today, at 23, Brett is South Africa's top deep-house DJ, with three albums, two international tours of Europe and internationally signed tracks to his name. He has played at the legendary London club, The End and elsewhere with Kaskade, Lawnchair Generals, Paul Oakenfold, Paul van Dyk, Junior Jack, Kid Crème and many more. He is a living embodiment of who we can be when we truly believe in ourselves.
Greg Youatt
via e-mail
UNHAPPY CAMPER
There's an item that could cause some confusion in “Digital Crunch” in the February 2006 issue of Remix (“Digital DJ”). Ean Golden writes “If you carry CDs, they can usually fit up to 10-15 songs on a single CD,” referring to CD-quality WAV and AIFF formats formats — PCM data. When you burn a CD, the only thing the software notices is the song length. You can actually burn 99 PCM audio tracks to a CD if the tracks are short enough.
I found the article to be very biased and not giving all the facts. So far, the Digital DJ column has been disappointing because the authors seem to be pro digital and anti everything else.
Aaron “DJ” Couch
Chevy Chase, Md.
| Want to use this article? Click here for options! |  |
