Dicas úteis para djs que usam laptop para discotecar

Se você é como eu e já substituiu os cds pelo laptop para discotecar, seguem dicas bem úteis!

Dica para quem quer aumentar a autonomia e a vida útil de sua bateria no notebook

1 Regular o brilho da tela economiza energia.

2 Baterias de notebook (íon-lítio) não viciam, isso é mito.

3 Nunca guardar o notebook com menos de 10% de bateria e mais de 70% por muito tempo, pois o risco de oxidação dela é maior se deixa-la descarregada e se deixa-la muito carregada o risco de perda de autonomia também e grande. O recomendado é guardá-lo em 40%.

4 Se usar o notebook por muito tempo ligado na tomada, não fazer o que muitos pensam de tirar a bateria, pois ela serve como um no-break para o notebook, e alem disso ela serve uma energia limpa ao seu note sem ruídos que provem da rede de energia. Vale mais a pena comprar uma bateria nova do que talvez um notebook novo.

5 A alta temperatura (mais que 35ºC) aumenta a decomposição da bateria, consequentemente sua autonomia e vida útil.

6 A bateria tem uma vida útil de 2 a 3 aos, não evite usar a bateria achando que ela vai durar mais, porque a cada sem que passa ela perde 5% de sua capacidade mesmo não sendo utilizada.

7 Existem alguns softwares gratuitos hoje que mostram a temperatura da bateria, processador, placa mãe, placa de video, velocidade do cooler e fazem até undervolt e overclock diretamente por ele, como também mostram a quantidade de carga que a bateria já perdeu, ano fabricado, informações do fabricante, etc. Isso não vale somente para a vida útil da bateria, como do notebook inteiro.

8 Para aqueles que querem preservar ainda mais, existem softwares que não deixam a bateria chegar aos 100%. Isto é eles limitam a bateria aos 80% como sendo a sua carga máxima, assim não deixando a bateria parada.

9 E por fim, sempre opte por uma tomada por perto, nunca faça carga e descarga da bateria todo dia.

The Real Big Bang...

"In the beginning, there was Jack, and Jack had a groove.
And from this groove came the groove of all grooves.
And while one day viciously throwing down on his box, Jack boldy declared,

"Let there be house!" and house music was born.

I am, you see,
I am the creator, and this is my house!
And, in my house there is only house music. But, I am not so
selfish because once you enter my house it then becomes OUR house and
OUR house music!" And, you see, no one can own house because
house music is a universal language, spoken and understood by all.

You see, house is a feeling that no one can understand really unless
you're deep into the vibe of house. House is an uncontrollable
desire to jack your body. And, as I told you before, this is
our house and our house music. And in every house, you
understand, there is a keeper. And, in this house, the keeper
is Jack. Now some of you who might wonder.

Who is Jack, and what is it that Jack does?

Jack is the one who gives you the power to jack your body!
Jack is the one who gives you the power to do the snake.
Jack is the one who gives you the key to the wiggly worm.
Jack is the one who learns you how to walk your body.
Jack is the one that can bring nations and nations of all
Jackers together under one house.

You may be black, you may be white; you may be Jew or Gentile.
It don't make difference in our House.

And this is fresh! "

Arnold Schwarzenegger: Life's 6 Rules

Rules for life and to become a winner... words from Arnold " The Terminator". Read and reflict...

1. Trust Yourself
Trust yourself no matter what anyone else thinks.
2. Break the Rules
Look for different ways to reach your targets. Break the rules, but don´t break the law...
3. Don’t Be Afraid to Fail
If you are afraid, you were never try. If you never try you won’t ever succeed.
4. Ignore (Don’t Listen to) the Naysayer
Don’t pay attention to naysayer (a very negative person). People will say it can’t be done, people will give 100 reason why this can not be done. Do not take No for an answer.
5. Work Your Butt Off
You never want to fail because you did not work hard enough and don’t leave any stone unturned. There is no escape to hard work. NO PAIN NO GAIN!
6. Giving Something Back
Whatever path you take in life, always find time to give back to the community.

How to Fix Timecode Problems

This article saved my life...

Author: Rainer G. Haselier is the author of the “Traktor Pro Bible“.

Timecode records are an amazing technology but sometimes their performance can be a fickle beast. DVS systems like serato and traktor scratch are subject to a wide number of variables including noise interference, cartridge quality and turntable calibration just to name a few. Its not uncommon to show up to a club and find one turntable is barely working with only a few minutes to trouble shoot before your set. For this reason I personally prefer the reliability of midi but turntable lovers must be able to diagnose timecode problems quickly and accurately. In this article Ranier, the author of the Traktor bible, will show you how to correctly identify almost all possible timecode problems.


TIMECODE BASICS
The magic of using timecode to control Traktor results from the interplay between the timcode decoder inside Traktor and the data format on the timecode media. This article covers the practical aspects and explains how to use the calibration feature to detect, analyze and solve timecode problems. Part 2 (to be published Friday) explains what’s inside the timecode signal and how Traktor extracts the contained information to control the deck playback.

If you are spinning with timecode then you should display the scratch panels for two reasons. One reason is that the scratch panel contains the RST button; this is the button you need to calibrate your decks with. The other reason is that scope view offers valuable information that can help solve timecode related problems.

ACTIVATING SCRATCH PANELS IN TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO
To do this open the dialog Preferences/Deck Details and activate the Scratch Panels with the check box for the decks with which you are using timecode. Scratch panels are always activated for two adjacent decks (i.e. A&B, C&D). The visibility of the scratch panels can only be set in this dialog. Traktor does not provide a MIDI command to do this. The Scratch Panels setting is stored within the layout definitions.

ACTIVATING SCRATCH PANELS IN TRAKTOR SCRATCH DUO
Traktor Scratch Duo offers no direct way to activate the Scratch Panels. This can only be done by using the layout selector in the Traktor header and selecting the appropriate layout. There are two layouts where the scratch panels are enabled.
Those are: Ext. Mixer (Sync) and Ext. Mixer (Scope). If your layout selection list offers different layouts you need to start the Setup Wizard (click its command in menu Help). Select No or Other Controllers in the upper list of the Wizard and Traktor Scratch – A4DJ in the lower list. After clicking Apply the Wizard rebuilds the layouts you need to activate the scratch panels.

Continue reading here

Credits: DJ Techtools

Super Power Your Laptop with a SSD Double Swap!

By Ean Golden

My Dual Core, Dual 2.4 GHZ Macbook is a pretty powerful DJ laptop, but even that powerhouse has started taking a dump over the past 6 months. The problem is caused by 2 main culprits. First, more tracks every week means the 250 gig hard drive is always maxed out. Last, the system drive (that same drive) is dragging its sorry butt and taking forever to process data.

The good news is that a close friend offered a clever way to solve both of those problems with one simple upgrade that costs anywhere from $250-$600. We would replace my CD drive with a 250 Gig SSD hard drive (this would become my super fast system drive) and then swap out the old drive for a 750 gig standard drive (3 X the music space!) which would house all data. In today’s article, Dj TT called up a professional IT specialist to show everyone how to perform the same mod yourself and super power any laptop into the ultimate DJ data machine.




Bring Your Laptop Back to Life
By Brandon Espinoza

The common answer to increasing the speed of your old laptop is to add more RAM. It is a common misconception that adding more RAM will make your computer drastically faster. Although increasing your RAM may help, it still has to receive data from your hard drive.

What is RAM?

RAM (Random Access Memory), simply put, is just a swap between your CPU and hard drive. In other words, the hard drive is sending programs and files to the RAM each time you do something on your computer. Things such as, starting your computer, opening programs or rendering music all heavily impact the RAM. One way of improving your computer memory performance is by installing a SSD hard drive.

What is an SSD?

SSD (Solid State Disk) is a storage drive that uses flash memory instead of disc platters. In the past, flash memory would lose its data once it had lost its power source, very similar to the function of RAM. Today, chip producers use NAND-based flash memory that is non-volatile, meaning that it can retain data even without power.

How do SSD’s differ from HDD’s?

Physically speaking, SSD’s have moved to flash memory as mentioned above. In the past, hard drives functioned much like a record player. There are platters that spin, and a head that reads the data. Solid State Drives use electrical signals to access data, thus very fast compared to Rotary Hard Drives.

What are the Pro’s of SSD?

Energy Efficient. Solid State Drives use less power than traditional Hard Disks. This is a great thing for laptop users as it can slightly increase your battery life.
Durability. Solid State Drives are made to operate in extreme environments. They can withstand degrees up to 70 Celsius and are more impervious to shock and vibration because of their lack of moving parts. With no moving parts, you can rest assured that your music won’t cut out at the club when the bass is shaking your laptop apart!
Speed. The latest Solid State Drives for laptops can push up to 550MB/s read speeds and 500MB/s write speeds. Regular 7200 RPM Rotary Hard Drives push about 60MB/s read and write. As you can see, Solid State Drives offer almost 10x the performance!
What are the Con’s of SSD?

Life Expectancy. Solid States Drives haven’t been around for very long. With that said, it is hard to estimate how long these drives will last. Many Solid State Drive producers say that on average, SSD’s will last around 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 hours. Obviously if there is any accuracy to this claim, you won’t need to swap out your drive for a long time!
Price. As of now, Solid State Drives cost about $2 per GB, where normal Rotary Hard Drives cost about 10 cents per GB. This is the main reason Solid State Drives haven’t made it into the consumer computing market.

How to do that here

Credits : Ean Golden and DJ Tech Tools

The Chopper Tone – Classic Arcade Custom Controller

Amazing DIY!!

Very good example showing that MIDI controls are the future (and we are in a point of no return...)

 

 

 

And, the controller in action!

 

Continue reading here

Credits: http://www.djtechtools.com

Traktor Pro S4 – External Mixing Mode

Traktor Pro S4 is an integrated DJ package that uses the S4 controller and its internal audio device. So in general you will use the internal mixing mode of Traktor where the different audio channels are mixed together inside the software. If you open the Preferences/Output Routing dialog the only mixing option you see is Internal.

There may be situations when you would like to use the Traktor Pro S4 software in External mixing mode, i.e. with an external mixer and another audio device, like the Audio 8 DJ. This posting shows how to enable External mixing mode in Traktor Pro S4.

Edit the Traktor Settings.tsi file

To enable External mixing mode you need to edit the settings file Traktor Settings.tsi. To do this use an XML editor because they are better at dealing with the long text lines that the settings file contains. Furthermore, make a backup copy of your current 'Traktor Settings.tsi' in case something goes wrong.

1. Quit Traktor Pro S4, if it is running.


2. Create a backup copy of the file 'Traktor Settings.tsi'.
   Tip: If you do not know the location of the file 'Traktor Settings.tsi' open the Preferences dialog in Traktor and select the 'File Management' page. Click the browse button next to 'Root Dir' and you will see the folder where 'Traktor Settings.tsi' resides.


3. Load the file 'Traktor Settings.tsi' into an XML editor.


4. Search for an entry named 'Routing.Mixer.External ' in the tsi file. This entry defines which mixing mode is active.
   
   


5. Replace the 0 in the tag 'value' by a 1.


6. Save the file 'Traktor Settings.tsi'.

Configure your Output Routing

1. Restart Traktor.


2. Open the Preferences/Output Routing dialog.
   The Internal option is disabled. The little hack described in the previous section has enabled External mixing mode, even when the External check box is not visible.
   
   


3. Select your audio device on Preferences/Audio Setup.


4. Return to the Preferences/Output Routing dialog and configure your output routing.


5. If you wish to use the Loop Recorder in External mixing mode patch two of the audio device output to Output Send. This is where signal from the Loop Recorder arrives. (Due to the fact that this is a hack only, you should Main as input source in the Loop Recorder, if you wish to record parts of your tracks.)

Written by Rainer G. Haselier
Edited by Karl Yates a.k.a. Karlos Santos on the Native Instruments forum
Last update: November 2, 2010

Credits: http://traktorbible.com

 

The Smallest DJ Mixer In The World?

We’ve all got them: audio devices with headphones outputs. I bet you’ve got one on you this second. If you carry a mobile phone, or an iPod, or an iPad, it’s pretty much certain you’ve got music on you that potentially you could be DJing with, right there in your pocket or bag.

So, what if you bump into another DJ who also has some music on his or her iPhone, iPod or mobile phone, and you fancy an impromptu mix while you sit in the park, wait for a bus or kill a long lunch hour? That’s where the inventors of the Pokket Mixer think they can help.

The Pokket mixer is a tiny hand-made device, from a boutique company in Berlin. The one they sent us for review has serial number 505, so it’s certainly a rare item. It weighs hardly anything, and comes in a small drawstrung velvet case, packed in a tiny cardboard box with two short audio cables for connecting two devices with headphones outputs to it. You’ll need to find something to amplify its output with.

Each channel has hi, mid and lo EQs, and there is a master volume control as well as a pretty good little crossfader. There’s an EQ sensitivity button, a PFL select to decide what come out of your headphones, and a headphones volume.

Mixing by the pool: an impromptu DJ set on the Digital DJ Tips office balcony, with two iPods, some earbuds and a portable speaker.

Finally, there’s a headphones adjust control should your headphones happen to be anything but 30 ohms (it’s explained on the website; you probably wouldn’t need to touch this control, which is why you need a screwdriver to change it and it’s hidden round the back).

The unit is made out of metal, with metal knobs. (They scratch the mixer’s surface a little bit on turning, though you can pull them up their spindles a tiny bit to stop that happening.)

It has sturdy rubber feet on it, so as long as you have a stable surface to use it on, you don’t need to hold it with one hand while you’re operating the controls with the other, despite its size.

What it’s like to use

The thing to remember about this little device is that it is “passive” – there is no power involved in it. It doesn’t “take” power from your iPod, iPhone etc, and it has no battery or power supply of its own.

Thus it is working with whatever input your headphone outputs on your mobile devices can give it. For it to work well, you need to use it with devices that have similar volume outputs, and that “go” reasonably loud.

It isn’t intended for real DJ mixing – you can’t plug record decks into it…

The best way to use it is to plug two similar devices into it, turn them up to full, and make sure you’re playing loud MP3s. If the input devices are at different volumes, it affects the operation, and in strange ways – the EQ won’t work as it should and the volume may alter when you don’t expect it to. This is a product of the fact that it is designed to work without batteries or power from any other source.

It comes with a small drawstrung bag (and connector cables to plug it in to your portable music devices).

As such, it isn’t intended for real DJ mixing – you can’t plug record decks into it, and you can’t plug line inputs into it such as those that come from CD players. It is strictly meant for devices with headphones outputs. If you use it within these limitations, it does the job.

I can see this being great fun if you’re off on holiday and want to pack a DJ mixer “just in case”, so you can have a bit of fun round the pool or at your hotel bar – all you need is this, the music in your collective pockets and a lead to plug it into any available sound system and you can curate an evening’s music in situations where you simply couldn’t otherwise.

Plainly, you are not going to be beatmixing with this, and the passive limitation affects both sound quality (don’t expect dramatic EQ alterations from those hi, mid and lo controls) and what you can plug into it. But equally, you can put it in your bag and forget about it, only to whip it out at an opportune moment and surprise everyone with your resourcefulness.

Conclusion

I don’t know of any other passive DJ mixers, or any other mixer this small. It’s not to be taken too seriously, but at the same time it’s a neat gadget that’s undeniably cool, well-made and pretty unique. It’s certainly not cheap, but nonetheless would make a good gift for the DJ who has everything.

 

Credits: http://www.digitaldjtips.com

 

Super Combos – Controllerism meets Street Fighter

We are always working deep in the DJTT labs on new ideas that push the limits of DJing while staying within the bounds of what might be useful in a live set. Today, I am proud to introduce a new concept that has been in development for several months: super combos. A super combo is just like the Street Fighter game, where you use a few basic controls in a very specific sequence to produce different and remarkable results. Everyone knows that with the right flick of the wrist, a simple punch gets turned in a fireball in the Street Fighter series. It’s also no secret that the Midi-Fighter is inspired by that classic game, so it seemed absolutely natural to build on the concept of using secret combos in the world of DJ controllers. Continue reading for a video demo of the new “Instant Gratification” mapping for the S4, which contains super combos, free Street Fighter sound packs and a new mix contest!



More info here

Credits: http://www.djtechtools.com

Praga do DJ - Coffin Joe rules!!

Esse post é dedicado para todos os tais "sound colocators"  (publicitarios, modelos, jornalistas, ex-bbb, etc), que nunca se dedicaram a pesquisa musical de qualidade (so tocam o que as radios fm  tocam) ,  a aprender a usar o equipamento básico de dj (são daquela filosofia "quanto mais alto melhor"... mixagem então... pra que?)... Enfim, parasitas que estao infelizmente vulgarizando uma profissão bacana, pois muitas vezes tocam de graça e tiram a oportunidade de quem realmente vive de ser DJ.

RESPECT PLEASE! GO HOME! Sound colocators, seu lugar é na pista e não na cabine...

Pioneer Officially Enters Traktor Market with the DDJ-T1 4-Deck Controller

In a pre-NAMM announcement, Pioneer has officially entered the Traktor controller arena and controllerism in general, with its DDJ-T1 4-deck Traktor DJ Controller, as leaked yesterday on Digital DJ Tips.

“The DDJ-T1 controller is designed for the next generation of home and casual DJs who leverage digital music files everywhere they go,” says Pioneer.



Read the full article here

Credits: http://www.digitaldjtips.com

 

Battle of the 1s and 0s. Traktor Vs Ableton Vs Serato

Amazing article to djs that have some doubts to decide which software to choose!

It’s tough to compare digital DJ equipment nowadays – wildly different feature sets, approaches and, of course, price tags, mean that one man’s trash really can be another’s treasure. Let’s take a look at four of the big ones and try to figure out your ideal partner.

Put very simply, Ableton Live is the curveball, Scratch Live (its brother Itch) and Traktor are the major league players caught at loggerheads and Virtual DJ is the everyman underdog. But, of course, nothing’s ever simple nowadays. There are a variety of flavors of each to suit various tastes  and it’s important to get to know what they can each do for you.

BEFORE WE BEGIN…

Continue reading here

Credits: http://www.djtechtools.com

How to start a club night (and make money)

How do you enter the saturated club night market in a global recession and make a success of it? London-based promoter Barry McManus talks us through the factors that make or break a new night.

So you want to run your own club night? Great. Got an idea about the ideal venue and music policy? Even better. Maybe you’ve even spotted a glaring gap in the market. Awesome. Unfortunately they are just the first steps on a long, hard road. Those who think running a successful club night is about printing a few flyers, booking a guest DJ or two and partying hard when the night finally arrives don’t last long in the business. Running a club night requires a delicate blend of business acumen, marketing know-how, organisational skills, a true passion for the music you’re promoting and a hell of a lot of hard work.

Browse the listings of DJ magazines, log on to Resident Advisoror check your event invites on Facebook and it seems as though every man and his dog is starting a club night. With a glut of new parties appearing every week, each claiming to be the hottest ticket in town, it has become increasingly difficult to establish a new club night as a regular fixture in people’s diaries. Add this to the effects of a global recession and it can seem as though running a profitable night is all but impossible. However, if you follow our top tips you might just surprise yourself.

Continue reading here

Credits: http://www.soundstosample.com

In Brazil!

Friends!

I'm in Brazil for one month, still without internet!

So, my apologizes because i won't post so frequently this week... but i have a lot of new stuff to share with you!

So, hold on... very soon a lot of news about the digital techiniques, new equipments and amazing videos here! :-)

Creating a Dual Boot XP Installation

Very useful article for digital djs that use pc and windows XP!

Everyone knows that in order to have low latency and hassle free Audio work, you need to keep your Windows XP install as clean and lean as possible and avoid installing any programs that will take CPU power away from the most important tasks. However, the main problem that a lot of home users experience is the fact that they only have one computer to do their Audio work on, and unfortunately the rest of the family uses it as well resulting in your well groomed XP installation becoming some form of nightmare behemoth XP mess! However, there is another way...

By creating a Dual Boot Windows XP install, you can select between two completely separate operating systems upon boot – one for every day usage (complete with your Internet access settings, Microsoft Office and Monkey Island 4) and one soley for your Digital Audio Work, and nothing else!

*** Please note that this guide is not for the computer novice, be sure to READ through this entire article before embarking upon it – it may also be a good idea to create a print out of this so you have something to follow while you are doing it

Also, please note that neither Home Recording Connection (HRC) nor Jues (J. Reeves) are liable for any damage to your computer or data that may possibly arise whilst undertaking this task – this includes tidal wave or giant monster attack, I'm afraid ***

Continue reading here

Credits: http://www.homerecordingconnection.com

Streamline Your Laptop (Windows)

Good tips for Digital DJ's (like me)!



By Monika.mhz

DJs who use PCs know that sometimes all the other software we use on our laptops gets in the way of what really matters, the Music!

I’m a laptop guru by trade and I get asked all the time by fellow DJs and performers alike, “Monika, how can I make my laptop better suited for DJing?”  Here are a few short tricks and tweaks that can speed up your performance and optimize your machine for performance!  Most of these have been floating around for a while, but I thought it would be a great idea to go over this again since the question is always on the lips of learning Digital Djs.

WARNING: Perform all these tweaks at your own risk!  And remember to backup everything (including your registry) before playing with fire!

Read the article here

Credits: http://www.djtechtools.com

How The Stock Market Influences The Hot 100 Billboard Charts

First and foremost, a special thanks to those who have helped me researching this topic for the past 16 months.

Dr. Robert J. Brym at the University of Toronto & Dr. Gabriel Rossman at UCLA

INTRODUCTION

There are many theories that explain why we listen to music. From an evolutionary biological perspective, in order for it to have evolved, it must have provided a distinct advantage for survival. Those that were involved with music lived to pass on their genes, while others perished. Music has existed in every single human culture today and in the past.

There is much theorizing about  why we listen to music. Some believe it is a reflection of our inner selves. It’s also believed to be closely related to language. Both lyrical and instrumental music are categorized into different semi-tones, and affect similar neurological systems.

Read the article here:

Credits: http://www.darwinversusthemachine.com