DJ

The sync button: every DJ controller, tabletop controller and DJ software programme has one these days, but does it spell the death of manual beat-matching and the art of DJ-ing as we know it? The discussion within the DJ-verse is currently hot, to the point where, on one side, it means the end of DJ-ing and on the other side, the sync button gives DJs even more room to play. In this blog, we take a look at both sides of the argument and offer a little advice on how to get the best out of this seemingly harmless little button.

“The mp3 era is over! Streaming is the future!” Is that right? While it is kind of right, and while a lot of beginner DJs can fall into the trap of believing that they can use their DJ controller with Spotify, unfortunately that might not be true because, a couple of years ago, Spotify stopped working with any DJ apps.

Our guestblogger, Menno leads a double life as DJ Supa-Dupa Rental and, over the last ten years, has racked up plenty of experience playing wedding parties that have ranged from the dramatic to the unbelievable. Back when he was still learning the ropes, wedding gigs would prove stressful undertakings but they were always well worth the hassle. In this blog, he passes his hard-earned tips and tricks on to the less experienced wedding DJ.

Dance music relies on rhythm, contrast and… tension. If your listener is just hearing the same thing again and again, they can quickly drift off, so any good EDM producer wants to keep things interesting and keep the tension building. The break is a great opportunity to build tension, since it gives your listener a chance to catch their breath before you shift things up a gear with the build-up and smack them with the inevitable drop. Here, Guestblogger and DJ/producer Rutger Steenbergen offers up seven tips for building up to the ultimate drop.

Booth monitors – also called booth monitor speakers – are speakers set up in the DJ booth so the artist is actually able to hear the sound that’s being sent out to the crowd. Here, Guestblogger, Amar Amlani (DiceDJ) explains why booth monitors are so essential and what you need to look out for when setting them up and using them.

Amsterdam Dance Event, known as ADE, is one of the busiest and most interesting weeks of the year for dance music industry professionals. People from all over the world gather in Amsterdam for one week to discuss the upcoming year and to make their upcoming plans. It’s a true spectacle and celebration of dance music, and one of the most important weeks of the year for our community. The conference is a lot of fun, but it’s also a very valuable way of growing your network.

If you want to make a living from music – partly or entirely – then it’s worth having a good think about where exactly the money is going to come from. Almost every professional musician and music-maker has multiple sources of income, which in business-speak is referred to as a ‘revenue model’. To help you build yours, Guestblogger, Maaike lines up ten possible money-making options for your consideration.

Unfortunately, there comes a time when everything breaks, and the same is definitely true of music gear, whether it’s speakers, valve amplifiers, or your electric guitar or bass. In the worst case, you’ll need to get it fixed by a professional, but there are some smaller, more simple repairs that you can actually carry out yourself. With a voltmeter, a soldering iron and a little solder on your side, you can get more done than you might think.

Already put in the hours honing your skills on your DJ controller, turntable, or full DJ-set-up and built yourself a massive collection of floor-fillers and bangers? Then it’s about time you booked your first gig and took your set into the booth. Courtesy of our in-house DJ-specialist, Matt (AKA DJ Konna), we kit you out with some tips and tricks for booking your first gigs.

We wouldn’t be surprised if it’s one of the most frequently googled questions: “What are the differences between the various Sennheiser HD 25 headphones?” Sennheiser cleaned up the series a while ago, so it’s about time we put together a clear overview of the differences and similarities between the older and newer versions of this iconic range of headphones.

Music production is a long and tedious process. Writing a song can take anywhere between two weeks to two months. But while artists aren’t releasing music, keeping fans’ interest engaged can sometimes be difficult. However, as a music producer, your music isn’t the only content you can offer your fans. With the ability to create mashups, mixes and various other forms of media, it’s important that you use all your resources to give fans incentive to persistently keep up with all things, you.

The stylus (or needle) is a crucial component of a turntable. It picks up the texture of a groove, which causes it to vibrate, and this it’s this that translates into sound. When it comes to the part that’s barely visible to the naked eye, only one distinction really matters: the shape. In this blog, we’ll tell you what the perfect needle is for you; spherical or elliptical.