Five years ago this month, we were just getting the first rumours and grainy picture of the Traktor Kontrol S4 (and news of what would become Traktor Pro 2, as well), and were busy discussing how digital has changed mixing, and how it was changing the way people DJed in clubs. They say life happens you’re making plans, flying high and shaking hands… what a five years it’s been!
Five years ago…
As I said, the Traktor Kontrol S4 was hitting our radar (truly is amazing to think that was half a decade ago!), and on our New Traktor Controller & DJ Software On The Way… post, we had a video of Dubfire using it in Ibiza, plus the usual “what we can glean” analysis of what it included.
Meanwhile, the debate was raging about the very way DJs play on digital gear, and we coined the term “waveriding” to describe DJing without headphones, using the waveforms to manually beatmatch (see Do Digital DJs Even Need Headphones Any More?, which we published alongside a guide on How to Choose A Pair Of DJ Headphones). We also explored the then-growing trend of taking DJ controllers to clubs, in DJing in Nightclubs with Controllers and Laptops
A couple of big issues that all new DJs faced then and still face now are how to choose a DJ name, and how to get that elusive first booking, and we were busy helpig such DJs out in 7 Secrets To Choosing A Good DJ Name and 7 Easy Steps Towards Your First DJ Booking respectively.
Finally, and most importantly really, we published the first article about what would become a philosophy of how we teach here at Digital DJ Tips (we were just a blog back then, our DJ courses were yet to come…), called Why All Music Is Good Music For The Best DJs, pleading for DJs to open their minds to all types of music, not just their own genres. As I say, it’s something we still hold dear today…
Can I get a rewind?
Click here to see all the articles from Digital DJ Tips five years ago this month.
• Were you with us five years ago? How has your DJing progressed since? Need some help getting where you want to be? Grab How To Digital DJ Fast and sort it out in four weeks flat!
What were you doing five years ago in your DJing? Do these bring back any memories for you? Got fond memories of any of this tech? Let us know your thoughts in the comments…
Phil Morse
