How To Become A Better DJ (6 Month Anniversary Episode) - Ep #26

Ever wondered how to truly captivate a crowd with your DJ skills? Celebrate our six-month anniversary with us as we pop open a special bottle of sparkling wine, gifted by our wonderful client Francesca Di Lorenzo, and share our journey of growth and reflection. We'll discuss the importance of consistent practice and setting clear objectives, especially when it comes to refining your mixing, scratching, or crafting routines. You'll hear our insights on the often-overlooked art of reading a crowd and why real-world experience is essential to mastering this crucial skill.

Struggling with beat matching or phrase mixing? This episode is packed with practical advice on fundamental DJ skills and how to elevate your performance. From tackling the trickiest hip-hop tracks to choosing the right beginner tools like the Hercules Impulse series, we've got you covered. We'll also weigh in on the age-old debate between Serato and Rekordbox, and share our thoughts on advanced gear like the Pioneer XZ and Opus Quad. Plus, get ready for some laughs as we recount the classic DJ blunders we've all experienced, like forgetting to turn off the high-pass filter!

Professionalism in the DJ world goes beyond just technical skills. We'll address the serious issue of substance dependency among DJs, advocating for healthier alternatives like therapy. Discover the importance of nurturing connections within the DJ community, supporting fellow artists, and the unwritten rules that keep creativity and originality alive. As we toast to our progress, we'll also touch on handling mistakes during live sets to enhance authenticity and share exciting plans for future content, including a special episode on Canada Day. Cheers to continued learning and growth!

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Transcript

Ilia: 0:12

Welcome. Welcome to another episode of the Clever DJ with Ilya and Nino.

Nino: 0:18

This one's a special one, right?

Ilia: 0:20

Yes, it's always special, it's very special, though, because it is our six month anniversary episode.

Nino: 0:27

Technically, it was on the 1st of June but if we're counting with the episodes, the weeks exactly, this is exactly in the middle.

Ilia: 0:35

Yes, right, cause we started January 1st 2024. Yeah, so June 1st would make sense, but the number of the episode? This is episode number 26. 26., 26. And we have. We just want to make it special. We have a bottle received from a gig. It's a sparkling wine bottle from Francesca Di Lorenzo, she retired.

Nino: 1:01

She's a very good teacher, she retired and she just gave us a bottle One of my old clients that retired.

Ilia: 1:06

It was your. Your like your client, yeah yeah, yeah, yeah.

Nino: 1:09

Thank you, francesca, we're balling because of you.

Ilia: 1:12

Yes, but uh, honestly, this was in my fridge for like a year. A year. It was like in the very back. Wow, you're right, I should have opened it before you should have opened it.

Nino: 1:23

I told you come on, man, you can do it, you can right, I should have opened it before we started. You should have opened it. I told you Come on, man, you can do it, you can do it, I can do it. Wow, it's really.

Ilia: 1:29

It's really on there. There's a knot. There's a knot on here. Just rip it open. I don't know if I can Come on there. We Did, I, you got it. Tell them jokes while I'm doing this Jokes, well, okay. So for the ones who are wondering what's happening right now, I'm trying to unwrap the bottle and the knot is real, so it won't let me do that, yeah.

Nino: 1:58

I told you to do it before you told me I should.

Ilia: 2:00

Apparently, this guy's always right. I'm always right, if you listen to previous episodes.

Nino: 2:06

Am I ever wrong? Am I?

Ilia: 2:07

ever wrong, tell me that. So today's episode is actually, uh, gonna be about again stuff we did speak about before. It's not because we are running out of things to talk about we really aren't at all, no, we really aren't but some things we did kind of kind of like just touch up on for like a little bit or you know, medium, and we really wanted to give you a better episode, and some things are really important. I got it open. There you go. Some things are really important and this is one of those important episodes. And since we have a milestone here right now, we know Six months, we got better over time, right, like it was quite the you let us know.

Ilia: 2:48

Yeah Well, the analytics, the statistics show us that you guys are watching more episodes we're now.

Nino: 2:56

I guess we're doing something right yeah.

Ilia: 2:58

And we're releasing all the episodes on YouTube now, and we're on social media. We have all this stuff going on on, so over time you get better. Now, keeping it within that theme, can you just drink? Okay, yeah, let's go, yeah all over our roadcaster pro too.

Ilia: 3:19

Um yeah, so this one is about how to become oh yeah for that right over the roadcaster right over the roadcaster okay this is about how to become a better dj over time, why I got some more for you, buddy oh no, I got some more for you, yeah, okay, hey, that's good, that's good. So oh, I got some more for you.

Nino: 3:43

It's okay, there we go. Oh wow, that's a good amount.

Ilia: 3:47

It is man, it's perfect, perfect right yes, so let's cheer for our six months. All right, cheers, cheers, cheers guys, cheers everyone.

Nino: 4:00

Wow that's pretty good sweet thank you now.

Ilia: 4:05

So how to become a better dj over time, which is very important because a lot of people and myself included at some point you reach like a plateau, yeah, where you're like you're just comfortable, because some people are, they have other things going and they're like you know what, I'm just to keep it at this level so I can do other things, and they just don't care to improve. And some people have so much going on that they don't really invest time in the most balanced way, maybe don't practice as much because they don't have to. Technically. They're already like at a level where they can do things at a certain level. That's acceptable.

Nino: 4:51

So this list is for the ones that want to take it seriously.

Ilia: 4:53

Yes, want to get better, like much. This is methodically. Now this list, it's a very good list to improve yourself.

Nino: 4:56

So the first one makes a lot of sense, yeah, and it's, it goes without saying always practice, and the way to do that is to actually practice with the intent of what you want to learn like. If you want, if you're lacking in in mixing, practice that, right if you, if you're lacking in scratching, practice that. And if you want to be a red bull three style champion, practice your routines right. So there's, there's certain things you need to practice. You can't just practice just to practice right and you have it. You should have like a goal that you want to achieve. I have a question. Yeah, put me putting up your hand. Okay, thanks, teacher, okay, yes so, uh, yes, student.

Ilia: 5:40

So what if you are lacking in the skill of reading a crowd? How do you practice that? Do you just like crash weddings?

Nino: 5:50

yeah, well, the only is getting in front of a crowd and actually doing it. That's the only way to learn it, which is why you said, which is why you have to get out there as soon as you can, and get gigs as much as you can, as as soon as you can.

Ilia: 6:03

Is this on the list, by the way?

Nino: 6:05

No, it's not.

Ilia: 6:05

Okay. So I'm glad I said that Get gigs, Go and get gigs. Yes, yes Okay.

Nino: 6:10

And that should be the first one. But I guess, yes, it's just a no-brainer sort of thing, but always practice with the intent. It will help you kind of reach your goals a lot faster. Yeah, you kind of reach your goals a lot faster.

Ilia: 6:24

Yeah, what does it mean? Learn to listen. Learn to listen. Yes, oh, we can actually skip. Yeah, I was going to cover that later, but fine, we'll do that first. I like, I like how you're, I'm in tune, man. I made this list, so learn your music. That's extremely important. Yes, and that is going hand in hand with reading the crowd, because if you read the crowd very well, you know the music. If you know the music, you know the crowd.

Nino: 6:52

Yes, you have to learn your music. You have to know your music in and out so you can be able to mix it seamlessly. And, yeah, there's just so many things that you need to know about the music that you're playing to right, playing for for the crowd.

Ilia: 7:13

Yeah, I um. I'll give you some examples. I moved here 18 years ago soon, in july, it's going to be 18 years. I moved to canada now. I was born in one country, I was raised in another country and then I was, and then I was, uh, we moved here. Now, obviously, american, canadian, english music is all over the world most countries, right, so, um, the countries I was at was also very influenced by that. But you know, you look at the, you know charts in the UK and Australia, canada, all those countries that are English speaking countries, right, us, some songs are very different. So so for us, you know, you know a more European country that was very different, but still I listened to like, for example, like, over there, robbie Williams was huge, huge Robbie Williams man Back in the 90s, early 2000s.

Nino: 8:11

Isn't he from the UK?

Ilia: 8:12

Yes, yes, right. So a lot of UK artists, a lot of Latin artists, huge right. But everything, everyone got a chance there. Everything popular that was popular in the US and in and in Canada and Australia and UK especially US and the UK got a chance. But here's the thing I did not always listen to that music. So I come here you know I have different gaps in my knowledge and Nino starts teaching me and he says you don't know this song, you want to be a DJ and you don't know this song. I'm like I, I just don't. You know, I heard of it, I don't listen to it, I don't know the lyrics, I don't know who's a buy Like I don't remember. You have to learn there's. No, I don't care if you want to be a mobile DJ.

Nino: 9:07

No ends, ifs or buts, because you're going to, you're a crowd. That was the first thing I pointed out to you. I see you're going to have trouble with the music selection and just choosing or knowing what to play for the crowds.

Ilia: 9:13

And now, like what? A year and a half, two years later, much easier, it's getting better.

Nino: 9:17

Yeah, of course.

Ilia: 9:18

Yeah, definitely not on your level yet, but much better. But yeah, learn your music, even if you're like a club DJ, right EDM. Edm is also very versatile. There's also a lot to know Know your genre well. Yes, you need to.

Nino: 9:35

It doesn't matter how many songs you have 100,000, 500,000. If you don't know your music, usually the music that you're playing is stuff that you're familiar with, right you? You rarely play stuff that you're not familiar with. So, yeah, that goes in hand in hand with learning and music.

Ilia: 9:53

It's funny, I'm talking about it like I'm the pro, like, oh, you gotta, you gotta do this, but this, this, this has been ingrained in me, so I'm speaking from experience. Um, next, okay, can I say it now? Yes, you can say it now. Learn to listen, take it so I really like this. This is really good it is. I like the champagne so you can.

Nino: 10:11

You can drink when I talk. So learning to listen is just. In general, djing is all about the the sense hearing right. So you need to use your ears predominantly right, like a lot of new school djs will be looking at the screen and looking at the waveforms. It's not the way to go. You cannot count on that. There's going to be times where you need to use your ears, so learn to listen. You can listen to your mistakes, you'll. You'll be able to hear little nuances of your, of your mixes, right. So that's what I mean by that. Can I say, yeah, you can. Yes, you can.

Ilia: 10:54

You can answer uh sensei, um, dj sensei, uh can. Honestly, one of the coolest things I I heard while listening and I know that's not all you're talking about, you just gave examples. But one of the coolest things I heard while listening and I know that's not all you're talking about, you just gave examples but one of the coolest things was when you notice over the loud music the crowd is singing. It's such a weird frequency that's added. You can tell they're singing. At first you're like what is this? Oh, are they singing along?

Ilia: 11:21

Yeah, yeah, and it's so nice, it like fills the frequencies. It's so nice, it like fills the frequencies. It just it's so nice.

Nino: 11:24

And you can tell when you actually, when a DJ turns off down the volume, right, that's when they know like okay, they're singing along, they start turning it down so it lets the crowd like engage with you. Such a high.

Ilia: 11:37

such a feeling yeah.

Nino: 11:46

Especially for a new DJ. I was like what am I? Did I just create that moment? Yeah, um, yeah. So another thing with listening to, about listening to music um, when you listen to music, a lot of DJs will know when something doesn't sound right. Right, they won't know exactly what's wrong, but it just doesn't sound right. It could be melodically off and that's, that's probably what. What it is right. So listen, you need to use your ears. When it comes to djing, it's all about, uh, listening, yeah, listen yeah, um, this is extremely important, so important.

Ilia: 12:22

Everything is special and important on this podcast. If you didn't notice by now, uh, learn, learn how to beat match by ear. It's my turn to drink. Yes, so ever since we started, um, uh, you know, learn like I started learning with nino here. Uh, he would ingrain me and like in my within his teachings that I have to stop looking at the screen. I remember one of the first lessons you turned off my screen. Yeah, I had to like black, you covered it yeah.

Ilia: 12:53

And he said, just figure it out. And you mixed up the BPMs. If I knew the song, you mixed it up.

Nino: 12:58

Match it with. I played a song on my controller and then I said okay on my controller, and then I say okay, match it with yours, that song that you're it was a roller coaster, I got it.

Ilia: 13:05

Wait, I got it, cause you always get it for the first few seconds. Yeah, it's wrong.

Nino: 13:10

And then it goes off Right. That's why you had you need to get be very precise and to hear it Be matching by ear. It's almost kind of have to match it.

Ilia: 13:25

Put it together so confusing because is this beat from this song or that song? And that's when you need to know your music. Yes, exactly, You're like oh yeah, that's the percussion from this song.

Nino: 13:36

You have to know the sound, the synth from that song. Yeah, sounds of the synth songs, right.

Ilia: 13:43

And it's so confusing because you're hearing an 808 it could be from this one or that one, so you got to know the song very well and whether it's because the glare is real and you can't see anything on your screen and you just have to mostly rely on your ears, or whether it's because something else went wrong with the gear or whatever it is. Uh, or you're using cdj cdj's right, am I right? Like you, you, it's not as easy to follow what you're looking at because it's separated with the screens Am.

Ilia: 14:08

I right about that, yeah, separate too, so more doing stuff by ear. So, yeah, that's an extremely important one.

Nino: 14:16

That's an old school fundamental learning tool that most DJs will learn. That's the first thing you learn when you DJ. Yes, student yes.

Ilia: 14:26

I have another question, teacher. Can you tell me I hope this question makes sense Can you tell me if you can scratch but not have the skill of beat matching by ear? If you don't have good listening, does it have to do?

Nino: 14:42

anything with each other? Yes, it does. It has to do with timing. Other, yes, it does, it has to do with timing. So if you can't uh, if you can't beat match properly, you're gonna be, you're gonna have a hard time scratching it on the right beat I thought it was more visual because you have that tape and it tells you where to, yeah, no, how far you can go.

Ilia: 15:00

Yeah, it doesn't work that way. I mean, I know it has to do with listening, but it's a lot more than I think it's a lot more.

Nino: 15:06

It's it's listening and the feel too right. That's why djs like to um scratch. Learn how to scratch on turntables, because it's all about the feel, the pullback, the, the torque or your uh motorized controllers.

Ilia: 15:19

Yes, exactly same thing. Did you get that impulse? Uh, which one is it?

Nino: 15:23

t7, pulse, t7 no, I got it but I returned it and it just wasn't. It was in my cup of tea. I had the rain one already, so it doesn't make any sense would you recommend that for a beginner? Um yeah, cheaper, yeah yeah, it has a lot of good, like um learning tools, right, it beat mat. The beat match function is is pretty cool, so it'll actually tell you when to speed up and turn.

Ilia: 15:45

Uh oh, it has that right, because it's by hercules, they have a little light.

Nino: 15:49

Yeah, with a little light, so it'll tell you when you're on and when you're off how much you need. Okay, yeah, so it'll tell you when you're on and you're off and how, when to nudge it and stuff yeah, I saw that actually because I was looking into the impulse 200.

Ilia: 16:03

Uh, because I'm actually going on vacation for almost a month and I have a bunch of gigs coming up and I haven't been doing this for 20 years, like you, so I need some some practice time.

Ilia: 16:14

So I'm gonna get, uh, it's good man, you're practicing overseas yeah, I'm gonna get a light laptop, a small light laptop, and, um, a small controller or maybe a micro, the very small controllers, and I saw that on the impulse. I was like that seems like a very I'm not sure how to look at that feature, but you tried it it's very beginner, uh sort of feature you needed it, right, yeah, yeah, yeah, I needed it.

Nino: 16:39

No, but yeah, it's good. I can see how beginners would flock to that controller Not just the controller, but the Hercules line itself. Right, nice.

Ilia: 16:51

Learn how to phrase mix.

Nino: 16:55

Phrase mixing is very important. It goes hand in hand with beat matching too as well. Now, if you can phrase mix, it'll just bring you up to that next level. It's you can literally start mixing acapellas and instrumentals together, doing cool uh mashups and stuff, right. So it'll, if you use that in your performances, it just, you know, it raises that bar and it just makes you a better dj overall I got much better with phrase mixing, obviously because I'm I've already had my own gigs.

Ilia: 17:29

But one of the toughest phrase mix related things for me is I don't even know how to categorize it. But you know, some songs you're like it's tough to find. The one or the one doesn't work. It's not the one Like, and you just got to like, drop it, like in the middle, for example, um, the routine I really like I came up with it. So no, I didn't. So when you play Calabria and then uh, temperature, um, and there's a special part where it just goes in, you just drop it on that part, right, like. You know what I'm talking about. That's not a very regular way to mix it. You know, you came up with a really cool routine there. It's still on the one, though technically, yeah, I don't know why I said not on the one. That that's, that's the, the, the contrast beginner versus pro. I'm trying to find a way to explain it yeah well, you know what I'm talking about.

Ilia: 18:26

Yeah, you've seen the special track, especially the hip-hop tracks, yes, where you showed me you gotta figure out where to find that spot and just kind of drop it on that spot, because if, if, if you don't drop it, if you don't have an intro, that's the exact spot that it's supposed to.

Nino: 18:40

Like phrased it, it's almost jarring to the to the audience, because they don't they, it comes at a different time, right, and if you don't mix it at the right point as well, yeah, like after the chorus what I find really tough.

Ilia: 18:56

Lots of tracks, especially hip-hop, they start by like talking or or some sort of like like intro that you you need to have in the in the mix, because that's where people are going to be like, oh yeah, that that track, yeah, but then you can't because it just doesn't go with anything.

Nino: 19:15

So then you find all those like really cool mixing techniques and stuff yeah, yeah, you can also use stems yes, you can stems it, or you can just drop it at right, at the beginning, where those, if it's a really popular track and people know it by the oh, he's talking, whatever right. So there's certain points that you need to drop it as well, that you should know when to drop it.

Ilia: 19:39

I love my laptop, but I wouldn't trust it too much with stems right now. It's not fast enough.

Nino: 19:45

Yes, yes, yes, you have to get a strong, strong laptop, but you can handle it. But there's a limit, you know. You know it'll. Usually it will start to slow down and start the fan will start kicking in and start getting warmer, getting hotter, especially if you're outdoors. Yes, and that's dangerous. Right there you're, you're gambling, you're a gig um.

Ilia: 20:06

Record your mixes, learn why it sucks or sounds good and go from there.

Nino: 20:11

Yeah and and it doesn't mean if you're a beginner to just record your mixes you can record your mixes when you're even like professional, right it'll. There's no, there's no time time frame for this. Um, there's. There's always room for improvement. You can always hear something if it sounds proper, right? I'm sure you guys are listening to other djs mixes and what sounds good and you're like, wow, I'm sure they didn't come up with that on the spot. Well, sometimes they do, right, but a lot of times it's pre-planned already. So, yeah, so just record your mixes and know when it sounds good and when it doesn't right, so you can fix it.

Ilia: 20:51

All right, music selection is the most important factor in a set and you would say 80%, that's how important that is, and 20% is just mixing. Exactly, do you agree, especially after I made a recent contact in the last? Funny enough, I've known her for almost two years or more. Like I met her about two years ago and then through speaking and also when my girlfriend went, uh kind of did a meet and greet introduced between them. Um, she said, wait, is that the same DJ who was pregnant? The other, like when we were I was bartending and uh, I think I, I've already, yeah, I already met you. Oh, you did. Yeah, I was still trying to juggle, bartending and djing before I left bartending.

Nino: 21:35

This was a bit like in the beginning yeah, okay, in the beginning.

Ilia: 21:39

In the beginning, uh, so, yes, so what? What I? What I noticed was when she was talking about certain things I'm like she sounds familiar. And then my girlfriend said that was the one who we met a while back. Uh, and she was pregnant and we spoke to her and I remember trying to kind of befriend her but she was just not having it back then. And now lately we became like we reconnected through another DJ over a gig that she needed covered last minute, and I learned what type of DJ she is and I was mesmerized because I don't have that much experience.

Ilia: 22:27

What type of DJ was she? I don't know exactly what it's called, but she's using very old school like kind of like mixer, like a cabin, looking like mixer, almost like the ones you use the phone operator trying to connect each other. I've seen those in live gigs a lot like band live bands, but she doesn't use a controller or or turntables or Does she just use like laptops?

Nino: 22:54

She has a laptop. She has one laptop only. She has.

Ilia: 22:57

I think she has one, potentially Maybe she has two.

Nino: 22:59

I think she has two. Why would she? She can't, she can't switch over songs on just one.

Ilia: 23:05

No Cause. The thing is she uses I don't know how she does it A software, a mouse or something, something. Yeah, so she has a. So she is a karaoke. Uh, she has a karaoke business, but she's also a dj. She does weddings. She's very, very well known in the industry, like I've now that I started, like you know, reading her reviews and asking people about her. Like, a lot of people know her and um, and one of your contacts knows her too. He also does karaoke, but her entire business is based on an incredible music selection, musical knowledge and reading the crowd very well, along with incredible, astounding MC skills. Yeah, but she doesn't mix. She doesn't mix. She doesn't do all the flashy mixes that you do. She doesn't do that doesn't mix. I don't like I she just she doesn't do you know all the like flashy mixes.

Nino: 23:51

She doesn't do that but she reads the crowd. That's the most important thing she finds a way to, obviously the transition of songs nicely, of course, you know like basics, but there are ways to do it and I know lots of djs who do that just to play it. But smoothly mix it, so it sounds.

Ilia: 24:05

It doesn't sound jarring and that was by far. I always knew that, that that exists and that's true. You don't. You know, transitions are not the most important part, but that when I met her and when, when I kind of got like a little refresher on who she was oh yeah, we met in the past. Reading her, like her reviews, uh, hearing from her clients, I realized like there was no better proof than this person. Right there, right, that's all she does. She doesn't even use a controller, yeah, right. So she's incredible. She's very, very good at what she does. Yeah, and there is very minimal transitioning, mixing all that stuff, right, there's a lot of DJs like that.

Nino: 24:44

There's a lot of DJs, especially karaoke, uh, jock djs. Um yeah, they have to dj in between their sets too, so it's it's just practice for them, and they've been doing it for a long time, so of course they know what the crowd likes. Yeah, according to what they sing too, right?

Ilia: 25:01

so and and again. Like you can transition lots of songs by emceeing yeah, like saying what's coming up exactly. Doing like fun skits in between, if that's your thing in the wedding multitude ways of transitioning the songs.

Nino: 25:13

There's not just one way. It's incredible. Yeah, absolutely so. Yes, 80 percent, um, I'd say, is the most important. Just knowing what to play, and then 20 is mixing. Now, if you can do both, you know, hey, it's a bonus amazing.

Ilia: 25:26

Yeah, it's a bonus it's like icing on the cake, sort of thing, when you when you squeeze every bit of energy out of the people, when you do, uh, quick mixing, yeah, like, literally, like every 30 seconds to 45 seconds, you transition the track, boom, yeah, you go from the best part to the best part. Chorus to chorus, chorus to chorus. Yeah, like I, I'm, I'm looking at the people chorus to chorus. Yeah, like I, I'm, I'm looking at the people dissipating from my just like melting, like while being happy. They're just I've never seen a person squeezed out of their energy at that level you're very good at it.

Ilia: 26:01

All right, so yeah yeah, so that's that. Keep yourself updated with new old record labels, records to dig into. There's so much great music out there, and if you look hard enough, you'll find that, even certain gems. Yeah, of course, especially on like record pools too. If you have record pools, you can find some things that won't be available forever.

Nino: 26:26

Yeah, and there's different avenues too. You can use Spotify to find new music, because spotify has ai and it'll help you find music that you're not familiar with, but it kind of is relates to what you like, so it's amazing for that.

Ilia: 26:42

We spoke about it. Episode 23 yes, yeah, about spotify and how they improved their algorithms and now it's using AI. Yeah, spotify DJ.

Nino: 26:51

Yeah, and how DJs? As DJs, we have to keep up with the times, right, because you never know who you're going to play for or if you're going to play for like someone like five years old to 60, 70 years old. So you have to be, you have to have that wide range of music and knowledge to be able to play to them.

Ilia: 27:10

Yes. Next point is club standard gear doesn't necessarily make you a better DJ. So and you wrote in parentheses the above points make you a better DJ. Everything we spoke about until now and it just helps you be more prepared for the inevitable when you're faced with unfamiliar gear. I I want to say something about that right away. When I started, I have the sb2 right there, sitting there right. Other than the fact that there's a known bug, that past version, what is it? 1.6 or something? It's just it spins like crazy, like on the software. So you just use an older version other than that, like it's, this controller works. I didn't technically need to get another controller, but I told you I wanted to but of course, yeah, the one that was teaching me way before I met you.

Ilia: 28:05

Uh, he had the sx2, so so I got like the, like the mini version of it, which is the SR2. Sr2, yes, yeah. So honestly, I love that controller, but it's time to upgrade, soon, I think. Just because of stamps, man, I want to start using that.

Nino: 28:20

But it's not even the controller, though it's your laptop that you have to upgrade.

Ilia: 28:25

I got to upgrade both Because I like. I like how the fx10 has that specific stem control, but also that's record box. I prefer serato, uh stop making faces.

Nino: 28:37

You know what I say about that man, if you don't outgrow your gear and uh saying you don't really technically need to, but yeah but.

Ilia: 28:44

But that's the thing. Like even today, I still want to get new gear and I'm like, well, you know what, I'll get CDJs or help me with clubs and stuff to get into it. While that's true it will help, it's not absolutely necessary, it's not a must. Very far from a must, right? Yeah, not at all, and I'll probably get the XZ. That's the closest like controller wise.

Nino: 29:09

Too bad it's so outdated in terms of the screen and stuff. There's always new controllers coming out, so just wait.

Ilia: 29:14

A couple of months I've been waiting. They keep on like releasing stuff like what is it called? Quad, something, what was it? Oh okay, opus quad, opus quad. What is that? It's a refrigerator, it's a. It's a refrigerator, it's a spaceship. It's a spaceship. It's huge. Yeah, it's huge, it's huge. It's like you're not carrying that anywhere.

Nino: 29:32

It's a luxury controller. It's like the Ferrari of controllers.

Ilia: 29:38

Yeah, I saw some of the features, it's very nice. But like, if they could only make I don't know, maybe I'm just not very aware, but I'm pretty sure I am If they could because me and technology, I know technology pretty well If they could only make the XZ like the copy of the XZ, just like way better, better screen, better everything. That's what I want, that's exactly what I want. There's nothing like that yet, and I want it for Serato as well. Yeah, tell Pioneer they're not going to do it for Serato, it's going to be, it's going to be a record box for sure. Maybe it'll be like compatible with Serato, but not all the features. I wish FLX 10 was like that. I would get it tomorrow. If it was, I'd actually get it right now. I'd pause the podcast and go get it right now. Yeah, do you have anything to say about that? I kind of took over.

Nino: 30:30

I already said what I need to say. Okay, like you don't need club club gear, but it's nice to know, especially if you're gonna get into clubs. Right, that's, how much gear do you have too much?

Ilia: 30:36

yeah, I've been collecting for the past 10 15 years so you're saying you don't need it, but you have a ton of gear.

Nino: 30:44

Yeah, I guess. Well, as a dj, it's nice to have gear, but you know, don't, don't, do as I say, say as I do, do as I say.

Ilia: 30:56

Do as I say. Say as I do.

Nino: 30:59

Okay, did you get it right? I confused myself. Don't do as I say, do as I do. Is that it?

Ilia: 31:05

Don't do as I do. You confused me. Now Say as I do. I'm pretty sure that's not it. Okay, try again, try again.

Nino: 31:19

Don't do as I do, say as I do, do as I say, not as I do. I think that's it. Yeah, do as I say, there we go, not as I do. Okay, makes sense All right.

Ilia: 31:26

What'd you write here, man? You write a lot you learned from me. Uh, what'd you write here, man? You write a lot you learned from me. Most of the booth monitors in clubs bars suck uh. Rely on your own headphones for monitoring, but you should not be locked into your headphones too much.

Nino: 31:42

My right, yeah, there you go. You don't know. You want to know what what's, what's coming out of the main PA, because you never know. You know. Sometimes I catch you with the high-pass filter up and you're still mixing it in. Why is it so thin?

Ilia: 31:56

That happened to me. Yes, In the very beginning.

Nino: 32:01

Especially because you're too focused on what's coming out of your headphones.

Ilia: 32:06

The worst part was I was practicing before a gig. Wow, it's so good. It happened during practice and not during the actual gig. I transitioned the song but in both my headphones are on like this, and I somehow didn't notice that the HPF was all the way up and there was zero sound coming out. It's not that it was a little up, there was just no sound. And I'm like, wait, oh, imagine during a gig. And you're like it happens still.

Nino: 32:36

You know, mistakes happen during a gig, and so sometimes it happens to me too.

Ilia: 32:40

I'm like oh, actually I'm so focused. My new contact now. She stressed how, at the bar where she wants me to become like one of the regulars there, she wants me to bring my own gear. I told her don't worry, you don't have to tell me that I was going to bring my own gear anyway. And sure enough, one of their speakers just busted.

Nino: 33:03

Oh, so you have to bring the speakers too. They have.

Ilia: 33:05

They have. It works. But even the guy who was there the other night, he has the two speakers above right they're, they're like lower quality Edison something, Uh, and then, and then he has two of his own speakers. So he has one for monitor behind them and like an eight inch I think, and then one in front of him, kind of to to create that sound. The sound is lacking. It's because there's no subwoofer. Yeah, I'm going to get a subwoofer.

Nino: 33:36

It's always better to have low end than not. 90% of times you want that low end DJs. As DJs, we want that sub, that sub frequency. Yeah, it just makes it fuller. Right, it's better to have it than not.

Ilia: 33:50

And then you don't push your speakers too much, exactly.

Ilia: 34:00

So warming up the room is an important skill. Learn to build your collection of music and to organize it for your gig. And I remember one of the gigs were uh, it's not the only one, but one of the main kind of times where I, where I felt it was, where I used to bartend and sometimes waiter, but mostly I was. I was the head bartender there and you were, you came to DJ and I really wanted to do that gig too with you. Remember, um, where I used to bartend, yeah, so the way you were building it up, you know like from you know know you had different names for like your music. Right, you had different like uh categories and you start all the way from like the lesser known music and then you go and you build it up towards the bangers. Yes, and you said it's not only knowing 500 songs that you should play, you should know them in the right order.

Nino: 34:52

Yeah, and when to play them and everything. Right. Yeah, for a lot of stuff like this, like warming up a room, like for certain events, you need to actually put together warmup sets for specific events, like, if you know that it's going to be an ED edm night or a hip-hop night, you, you pick the lesser banger songs right, the more warm-up stuff, not the really hardcore stuff, because you don't want to touch, uh, step on the toes of the, the headliner and that way yeah, that's actually the next point.

Ilia: 35:30

So the first one is for just the crowd, to warm them up and maybe it's for yourself, right, maybe it's, it's just the start of the night. But the next point is, um, knowing your place in a time slot, don't bang out and tire out people before peak hours or the headliner plays. Now this goes hand in hand with volume control and it says that you've seen promoters and sound techs gossip, argue over opening DJs who ruined the night because of this. Yeah, yeah, tell me about that, tell us about that.

Nino: 36:07

Literally One of the opening DJs would just play everything We'd. The promoters would tell them okay, stick to this type of music and type of theme. Right, he just played what he, what he wanted to play. So it really put a damper on the whole night. And the the, the headlining dj, was really really mad and it's like he wasn't, he wasn't following it. He played a lot of the songs that he was gonna play.

Ilia: 36:36

So it just doesn't go well over with with with promoters and just the club owners if you do that really reminds me of what happened at the other place, uh, where I told you there was a dj and a band. Yeah, same thing the dj just plays whatever he wants, even though, even though the band was like, here's a list of songs we're gonna play tonight yeah, because you think about it, the band is very limited.

Nino: 36:57

They can only play so much, right, but the dj can play anything and everything. So, yeah, he has more choices.

Ilia: 37:04

So it's just really bad, looks really bad on you if you don't follow it and it's not just like you know, it's live music and it's kind of requires a different kind of skill. Sometimes the bride and groom only want to hear certain songs live. Even though the band can play 20 times, 20 times, 50 more tracks, more songs, they want this one live. So they're kind of also ruining it for the bride and groom or whoever else is there.

Nino: 37:26

Because sometimes they have a special rendition that the bride and groom wants to as well. Yeah, so that's why.

Ilia: 37:32

Yeah, that guy lasted a while. Who wants to as well? Yeah, so that's why, yeah, that guy lasted a while. I don't know how he lasted so long, but uh, yeah, that's also. That's also the event. Uh, managers, owners issue like problem too. They need to understand that that's not okay. Yeah, and I believe I believe the the band complained several times but nothing was really done about that until he left. He was pretty much pretty much let go off, but he, he did get better opportunities. So, oh, yeah, good for him. Yeah, he was. He was pretty much pretty much let go off, but he, he did get better opportunities. So, yeah, good for him?

Ilia: 37:56

yeah, he was. He was well connected, but has a really bad attitude.

Nino: 38:01

Yeah, opinion, and when you when you literally play the bangers right at the beginning, you tend to tire out, like the people, like on the dance floor too, and I've learned this very, very early in my career that, um, when I like to start off uh, weddings like really high energy, like I, I want to like start off like right out of the gates blowing them away, right, but then in the middle you want to slow it down. Right, you can't just keep it up the whole time, otherwise you're gonna have a dance floor and then you're not gonna have a dance floor, and then you're not gonna have a dance floor.

Ilia: 38:35

They're all gonna be tired, right, and they're gonna leave, leave early, and there's no way to really know, uh, in the beginning, how like what's gonna be, kind of like b-side songs and like which ones are gonna be less popular. You kind of play something that's less popular, something they're. They're like jamming to you, like, okay, you know what these five songs I was gonna play to warm them up. I'm gonna leave them for later.

Nino: 38:58

It looks like they're loving it, it all depends, there's no way to like really prepare all the time uh, yeah, yeah, that's right because it's gonna.

Ilia: 39:06

So it goes hand in hand. Be professional, show up early uh, if you can stay, if you can, don't. Be that person who takes, takes a time slot and leaves right after to go to another party or for whatever reason they're leaving. Most industry Sorry, more more most times than not the party is made out of, made up of friends in the industry who all work together one way or another, and it doesn't look too good to leave right after you're set unless you actually have to. Or you're an international dj who needs to go, needs to leave right after to catch the next flight.

Nino: 39:48

Yeah, that's, yeah, that's a big you know and we touched on this already before, uh, in another episode right, just just leaving right after the party, after you're set, that's a big you know and we touched on this already before in another episode right, just leaving right after the party, after you're set, it's just, it makes you look antisocial and you know there's so many connections in that party. That's one of the reasons why you got that gig in the first place, right, because you play the same music. You know the DJs and stuff.

Ilia: 40:18

So mingle, stick around um, support, right, that's part of our jobs. One of the uh places I was telling you about, this bar, uh, that just has uh cdjs and people go in and practice. Well, it's, it's not absolute beginners. Usually they just go into practice their set before their bigger gig, usually, um, a lot of it's. It's not absolute beginners. Usually they just go into practice their set before their bigger gig, usually, um, a lot of it's. A lot of underground djs, a lot of people who kind of like, no one will really be there to watch unless it's the other dj who's like, who just played or is going to play next. So you see a lot of them kind of like jamming with them and, and they might not even like the music, they're just creating that crowd feel for them and they might not even like the music. They're just creating that crowd feel for them, that vibe, yeah, because they know that you need a crowd to play for. So that's where you see that camaraderie in a place like that, for example. And you also see the opposite, people who play and just disappear and you're like, yeah, so that's a big one. You said more number 14. Which one's number 14? Oh, yeah, don't show up trashed, take any gig, small gig or big, as a blessing of an opportunity, humble and remind yourself why you started this venture in the first place.

Ilia: 41:32

If you require alcohol or drugs to perform uh, due to social stress, stresses, anxiety then you should seek therapy to help overcome. Does that make sense? Rather than substances that make sense. It does, it does I, just I'm reading it for the first time, but it does because, okay, like we're not oblivious, especially this guy, like a lot of DJs, are intoxicated and or on drugs, right, alcohol or drugs and or drugs. I personally don't know how you do that Like I just I cannot focus, yeah, I can't. Like you know, like I not even alcohol. And like I'll just come out like right here and say I don't do any hard drugs, I never tried anything like that. I just like I'll just come out like right here and say I don't do any hard drugs, I never tried anything like that. I just like, I don't want to do that to my brain. I only have one of them, I don't want to have to replace it or need to replace it. And you can't, I just don't, I just don't, don't go for that stuff.

Nino: 42:25

It doesn't go hand in hand.

Ilia: 42:36

And for those that have to rely on alcohol or drugs to to dj, you have a problem. You have a more underlying problem. So much fun, the music, the actual craft, yeah, that you don't need anything. I'm not oblivious, obviously. I'm sure it makes it better when you're on drugs, like in some way yeah, but it impairs you in a way.

Nino: 42:46

You can't say it doesn't. Yes, there's no way.

Ilia: 42:50

I mean, I've seen some people who actually become better almost, but imagine how much better they would have been if they could like if they concentrated.

Nino: 42:57

Yeah, right, and they need, they feel they need to be on something to do this.

Ilia: 43:01

It's just there's some people also that smoke, you know, marijuana, yeah, and they work construction. Yeah, bro, if I, if I did, if I smoked marijuana and I had to work construction, there'll be a very bad accident to myself and someone else. I just I can't't focus when I'm like that, right, or drinking. It's just just not just not me, right. So definitely don't have that image. If you, if you are a normal person in a normal situation, most people won't appreciate that. Um, what's the next one? Do your research on people. Um, you're on on the lineup bill with um.

Nino: 43:39

It doesn't hurt to know more about them of course you're playing with them side by side. You might as well, um, uh, know what they're all about, what music they play. Obviously you guys probably play same kind of music, right? So you guys probably vibe in that way, so just, and you probably want to get more gigs like with them. So it just makes sense to do that.

Ilia: 44:03

Yeah, lots of lots of times. And the bar that I told you about, um, people would add each other when they see each other on on the lineup on Instagram and and sometimes they'll be like, oh, I think I saw you, were you the one like last week and you played this and that, or like you have like the long hair or whatever, and they'll say, hey, you want to go to this other spot and practice together, let's do a back to back, and you make friends like that too. That's how you make friends, lifelong friends. And then, hey, you know what, like, I liked your set when, when, you know when, we went and played that that same day. Do you want to? My buddy has a gig, do you?

Nino: 44:38

want. I like that remix that you played. When I can do, you think I can get a copy of that or whatever. We can maybe switch songs. That's when you trade, you know, that's when you trade stuff. That's awesome. So you become good friends that way, uh yes number.

Ilia: 44:51

I don't know which one because there's so many uh. Go out to other people's events, get to know people, join local collective uh groups, collectives or groups. Um, do your best to be a part of the community. Supporting others will usually follow with support. Support for you.

Nino: 45:08

Yeah, if you scratch someone's back, they'll scratch yours sort of thing, right? It's the same thing that we just talked about, but one very big thing to say.

Ilia: 45:19

Actually, I heard this on the. I believe it was on the Passionate DJ podcast. So shout out to you guys Very good podcast. I started listening to them when I just started DJing a couple of years ago. I believe it was on that one. Yes, and either or you should listen to them. They said don't burn yourself out If you're DJing the whole week or like the whole weekend every weekend, and then people expect you to go to their gigs too. Sometimes you got to think about yourself, your family, your personal connections, like you know your personal life. But if you can afford it, don't be lazy. Go and support someone.

Nino: 45:58

You'll want someone to support you.

Ilia: 45:59

Yeah, eventually you're gonna, you're gonna need to have somebody to support too as well.

Nino: 46:01

Right, so yes you take that one, I'm talking all the time, yeah mistakes you can drink. Mistakes happen and how you fix the mistake really measures how skillful you are. In my opinion, hearing tracks go slightly off beat, then go back on beat, or even better than when, even better when the needle skips mid mix. It reminds people that you're actually doing something. So it's the live aspect right that people are. People will be drawn to. They know you're doing stuff live, especially when they're up close, intimate and seeing what you're doing live.

Ilia: 46:32

That's that's the best.

Nino: 46:34

There's nothing you cannot hide. You're not. You cannot hide like if you're just playing a a track and playing a mix. No man there, I can see what you're doing and a lot of times there's djs watching you, right?

Ilia: 46:48

so the pressure is on yeah, actually, uh, we went to see Andrew Riel, an incredible guy, very good producer, dj and you know that was towards, like when we just started, you know, hanging out together like the first six to eight, nine months at least, maybe a year, I don't know, but it was a long time ago and I remember that there were some quote-unquote mistakes. I heard, like what is it called? Like, uh, when it's like the beat matching was not the horse.

Ilia: 47:23

Yes, the laundry, the shoes in the laundry sort of yeah, exactly, and, and I'm like, and I wasn't, I wasn't like, oh, how could he make such a mistake? And instead I was like bro, he's, he's doing it live, doing it live, because he did some really impressive things, and I was like that's a recording, that's like that's a mix for sure. I'm like, no, it's not. I can hear, and there weren't like big mistakes people appreciated more if you do it live right so much better mistakes are.

Nino: 47:51

Oh, it's fine, everybody's a human there were barely mistakes like it.

Ilia: 47:54

Just you noticed that that was like, maybe you did it on purpose, I don't know.

Nino: 47:58

Maybe when you think about it because it was fixed within like millisecond right, like half a bar like it was fixed right away. Yeah, right, it's great to do it live man, so mistakes are not really a bad thing, yeah it shows it shows the crowd that you're you're doing.

Nino: 48:16

Remember, remember the I know let's. Let's not bring that back, okay? So, uh, here's another one. Djing for a crowd of 15 people is a lot harder than djing for 100 plus people. I can attest to this. That is very true because, um, when you have numbers in your favor, there's more chances of of them dancing and liking the song that you're playing now when, when you have only 15 people or a handful of people, it's it's a lot harder to to please them.

Ilia: 48:49

It's like a mini house party yeah, yeah, yeah.

Nino: 48:52

So if you want to keep the dance floor going, you gotta be good at reading what they want Exactly. It helps if they're your friends, right, you know exactly what they want, but it is, it is very true, definitely. But whether or not it's 10, 15 people or a thousand people, you're still keeping it your best, that it your best. That's all that matters. What's the last point here? Last one, guys, last one learn to find inspiration from other djs and artists, but don't bite their routines, styles and pawn it off, as general does that. You know, honestly, a lot of djs do it and you know what I did that I like your routine.

Ilia: 49:29

I know you do that one. You showed it to me and you told me I could use it, so it's okay.

Nino: 49:34

You know what? It's? A form of flattery if you copy a dj, um it's. It's cool if you, if you ask them, if you're can, I can.

Ilia: 49:43

I use this, but sometimes it's it's it's almost like copyrighted, even though it's not.

Nino: 49:49

It's, it's a yeah, it's an unwritten rule. It is. It's like a rule for a dj. It's like don't bite it, like you can do something similar and put your own twist to it. But if you bite it totally, it's like oh yeah yeah it's. It's a form of flattery, but at the same time, it can bite you in the butt, exactly. All right, guys, that's it then for this episode. All right, that's it.

Ilia: 50:11

We are celebrating our six month anniversary to the podcast. Yeah, thank you very much, and join another Clever DJ episode on our podcast next week, canada Day. Yeah, yeah, wow.