dj's, turntablism, and scratching

brycimus · Post by **brycimus** » 14 Jan 2007 14:11

anybody else here into listening to dj's that scratch. i have really gotten into scratching lately, my favorite artists right now are dj q-bert, mix master mike, kid koala, dj logic, i got some stuff from d-styles and flare, ztrip and radar, cut chemist and some others. i also downloaded some invisibl skratch piklz and return of the dj series. if you're into scratching, who do you listen to, or other different types of dj's like rjd2 or dj food.

also does anyone here actually scratch? i'm really considering getting some turntables and learning to scratch, but not sure how to go about the whole thing

QuantumBalance · Post by **QuantumBalance** » 14 Jan 2007 15:09

Just Watch the MOVIE:

Wave Twisters

WATCH IT NOW!

hacksterbator · Post by **hacksterbator** » 14 Jan 2007 19:00

i was really into turntablism in the late 90's. i have all of the shiggar fraggar show cd's up to like volume 5 or 6. Wave twister is sooooo good. i got it right when it came out and i watch it alot. Scratch is cooler though because it tells you about the scene, instead about crazy adventures in outerspace dentistry.
i used to do some turntablism stuff, and i really wanted to get into beat juggling, but mostly i just wanted the skill so i could do better drop-cuts and to scratch for shocks and so on. i scratch on occasion simply to add something to a track i'm playing. turntablist mixing for the most part is pretty awkward, and i'm not really a fan, mostly because i like to dance and that's not what it's designed for, but those guys have fast hands and are juming all over a record and they have alot of talent for wwhat they do.

here's now to get into scratching:
Buy techniques 1200's, NOTHING ELSE WILL DO!!!
try to get 'em used, they are sturdy and likely will work just fine, but best to have some oone who know's a thing about decks to come with you to check them out. new will cost you ~$1800
get needles.
get a mixer with a strong cross fader. Check some mag's. find out what brands pro's are using.
get vinal. buy lots of battle breaks, sound effects, and root through garage sales, thrift shops, etc. for crazy stuff to sample. i know i guy who scratches the hell outta kid's books on vinal that has cool voices and effects and such. this is also the hardest part, because turntablist need good samples to manipulate if they want to really stand out.
lock your self in the basement and practice like fuck. there used to be an online directory of scratch technique videos that show the hand movements for flares and chirps and crabs and stuff but i can't remember it at the moment. any way, practice like crazy and get good.

edit: check Brace, Skratch Bastid, Hunny Cut, Co-op, res one

BenRea · Post by **BenRea** » 14 Jan 2007 19:51

Turntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating music using phonograph turntables and an audio mixer.

brian relly · Post by **brian relly** » 14 Jan 2007 20:12

-everything Andrew said, basically. hunt around for 1200's on Craigslist. I found mine for $150 with everything but the cartridge. Get a Shure m44-7 cartridge. pricey but worth it.
I don't actually "DJ" but I sample records for/add scratches to my beats.

Also DJ Shadow isn't too bad. Q-Bert is probably my favorite scratcher. Check out the Brainfreeze Breaks/Product Placement mixes by Cut Chemist & Shadow. Lots of old funk 45's. Great stuff. They made a pretty cool DVD out of it too.

i'm really tired and can't think of much more to add to the situation. Oh yeah I use a Vestax PCM Pro II mixer, which seems alright. But then I pretty much suck at everything.

Again Andy has good advice. Good luck in your pursuits. Peace.

hacksterbator · Post by **hacksterbator** » 14 Jan 2007 20:16

BenRea wrote:Turntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating music using phonograph turntables and an audio mixer.

...thank you Ben, for that stunning and accurate description.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6tUHQtPxRM

sb wrote: Get a Shure m44-7 cartridge. pricey but worth it

fuck man. i'm envious of turntablists because M44/N44's are pretty cheap at $60 each. My Ortofons ran me around $450. Mind you, turntablists go through needles alot quicker... upsides, downsides eh?

edit: Diggable Planets are awesome!!!

quadgun · Post by **quadgun** » 14 Jan 2007 21:43

Dj Freaky Flow is a cool jungle and D&B dj that does some scratching in his music.

like it was mentioned before ... scratch is a good movie about the history of turntabalism ... and the music is good in it too

I was wondering ... when someone is getting into dj-ing ... do you guys recommend 1200's right off the bat .... since theyre not all that much on the cheapside

hacksterbator · Post by **hacksterbator** » 14 Jan 2007 22:17

quadgun wrote:Dj Freaky Flow is a cool jungle and D&B dj that does some scratching in his music.

For sure! Freaky Flow started out as a turtablist and has wicked skills. His volume of obscene underground was what really got me into electronica as a genre, and into jungle. it's still probably my favorite album. infact i listened to it today at work

quadgun wrote:I was wondering ... when someone is getting into dj-ing ... do you guys recommend 1200's right off the bat .... since theyre not all that much on the cheapside

i'd say yes, if you're serious about dj'ing. it's the industry standard, and the resale value on them is quite high. if you eventually start booking gigs and playing out you'll know exactly what to expect, since 99.9% of clubs have tech's for vinal support.
if you think it would be "neat to try" then look at something cheaper, like Stanton 80's.
also consider what you plan to spin. if you jant to spin a variety of stuff, maybe look into cd decks. When playing out though, you'll find a variety of different equipment at clubs, some better than others, and some really shit, so it can make life more difficult in that aspect. but when you can download an mp3 for $0.99 or buy a record with 2 tracks on it for $10.00, cdj's start to look pretty appealing. you can also do a full set on 2 cd's, with one in each tray. i like vinal though, because you can visually scan and drop, but on cd's you have to scan through and place markers and cue points in advance. also, you get cool cover art, and something you can actually hold. you can also invest in programs like final scratch for techs and spin mp3's that way. CDJ's are a really poor choice for turntablism though, you just cant manipulate as well. you can do baby scratches and stuff, but you don't get quite the same sound, and more complex techniques are lost to technology.

brycimus · Post by **brycimus** » 15 Jan 2007 11:41

thanks for the replies so far, this is helping, i've searched around for buying tips, but really can't decide on what to get seeing as how i'm new to this, and i don't know anyone that scratches so i'm gonna be on my own. i've been looking on djdeals.com and they have a good selection of stuff, maybe anyone that scratches could reccomend me something from there, but i'll look for the stuff you guys reccomended as well. so it's not a good idea to buy a package type thing that has the turntables, mixer, and needles all in one, if i'm serious about it? also what do i do about speakers?

thanks again, if you have any other info then please post i need all the advice i can get

quadgun · Post by **quadgun** » 15 Jan 2007 12:10

About speakers ... it can kind of depend on the mixer that you get.

Say with me ... being poor and all ... i couldn't get some bad ass speakers hooked up. So I used a (home audio) receiver and some bookshelf speakers from an old radio that I used to have. I mean it wasn't bumpin' like it should be, but it sure was an upgrade from using just headphones.

Then I believe some better mixers might have XLR outputs. And if you have the money you can get a nice amp and some 15inch speakers ... or you can also find speakers that have an amp built in already. sometimes hooking up through quarter inch cables.

I'll look around and post some links a little later.

::edit::
I think if you got two of these then you would be pretty good. But they are a bit pricey.

hacksterbator · Post by **hacksterbator** » 15 Jan 2007 13:24

brycimus wrote: so it's not a good idea to buy a package type thing that has the turntables, mixer, and needles all in one, if i'm serious about it?

though it may be tempting to buy the cheaper all-in-one package, often it's not as great a deal as you might think it is. the decks are often belt driven, which instantly makes them pretty useless for scratching. if you are going to go with a package deal make ABSOLUTLY CERTAIN that the decks have a direct-drive motor. if you are unsure about it, ask, don't assume. if you get belt driven decks here's what happens: the motor runs in one direction. when you pull the record backwards the belt is attached to the platter and you are working against the motor, wrecking it and slowing it down. at the same time, the belt is spinning one way and you are pulling in another, so the belt will strech a bit. in the end you will end up snapping your belt, wrecking the motor, and having very large, heavy, expensive paper weights. even if you don't ruine the motor completely or snap your belts, the platter will take longer to get up to speed, which is not good when you keep stopping it and starting it. i reccomend panasonic technique 1200 turntables. vestax also makes some very good turntables specifically marketed to turntablists, with straight tone arms and such, but i don't really know about quality. check them out as well. bottom of the line would be stanton's. they are cheap and will get the job done.
i'd say go to your local music equipment stores and talk to a rep about turntables. he should be able to give you some more info and answer any questions you have. they may also know about people selling used equipment in your area, so you can have a look at them before you buy them, vs crappy pictures on e-bay.

side note: every dj i know who started with stanton's, neumarks, vestax, etc. are now spinning on tech's. it really is a one time investment.

HooD · Post by **HooD** » 16 Jan 2007 23:39

Andrew, didn't you post that vid a while back ? That and like...Frank sinatra or someone of that era dancing in the rain with a lil pop'lock. Definitely one of my favorite vids around

Anyways, on subject I don't have a lot of say. I listen to various artists and enjoy them when I hear them, but I've never really looked into it much. Almost bought a turntabalism dvd at circuit city, but instead prolly wasted my $25 on... beer and food, just a guess.

brycimus · Post by **brycimus** » 17 Jan 2007 13:44

i'm looking into getting some technic 1200's as was reccomended and probably a vestax mixer. i have around $700 right now, so i might need to save up some more, i'm planning on buying my stuff off ebay as long as its still in good condition and from trusty sellers, needles/carts i've been looking on some sites i found and it looks like i should either get shure m447's or some ortofons. i also got some sites to buy vinyl's from

thats where i'm at right now, still looking though, probably will need to get more money

brian relly · Post by **brian relly** » 17 Jan 2007 13:59

Hey I would look into buying locally. Most people don't know how to ship audio stuff and it often shows up fucked up. I would look on Craigslist, or on eBay there's an option to find local dealers or stuff in your area or something to that effect.

hacksterbator · Post by **hacksterbator** » 21 Jan 2007 21:36

so... have you made any descisions?

brycimus · Post by **brycimus** » 22 Jan 2007 04:46

well i know what i need to get technics 1200 table, vestax pmc05 pro (or something in that series), and shure m44-7's. but i think i'm gonna wait a little before buying, to make sure that i really want to get into this, plus i need more money, don't have enough right now