After winning the 2012 DMC US National DJ Battle in New York City in August, DJ Precision traveled to London where he competed in the 2012 DMC World DJ Championship and landed in second place, just behind winner DJ Izoh of Japan. As Precision states, second place is decent but for a competitive turntablist champion, not good enough…!

In this video, DJ Precision demonstrates and showcases his extraordinary skills behind the decks by performing part of his routine from the 2012 DMC World Championship, and encourages DJs to learn fundamental DJ concepts and techniques, hone their craft, cultivate their talents, and strive to take their music one step beyond.

DJ Precision is one of the most respected and talented turntablists in the world. He is the youngest member of the internationally acclaimed X-Ecutioners and an original founding member of Ill Insanity and the Lo-Livez crew.  Keep up with him on Facebook and Twitter.

Precision is a four-time DMC national champion, including the 2007 DMC USA “Six Minute Showcase” title. He has toured the globe opening for acts such as Ludacris, the Roots, and the Black Eyed Peas.

Turntablism Extensive Program

Turntablism is the art of manipulating turntables like an instrument. Starting with the fundamentals of scratching and beat juggling, the program focuses on developing proper technique, optimal practice habits, creative exploration, group DJ performance and performing full-blown turntablist sets.

What’s Included

• Turntablism Level 1: Spice Foundations
• Turntablism Level 2: Boot Camp & Tasty Combos
• Turntablism Level 3: Mild | Improvisation & Teamwork
• Turntablism Level 4: Medium | The Next Level
• Turntablism Level 5: Hot | Building Routines
• Turntablism Level 6: Mucho Caliente | The Modern Turntablist

Dubspot Turntablism Program in New York City; sign up today!

February 13, 2013  in NYC – Wednesdays, 9:15-11pm
April 18, 2013 in NYC – Thursdays, 9:15-11pm
August 7, 2013 in NYC – Wednesdays, 9:15-11pm

DJ Extensive Program

Immerse yourself in the complete art of DJing: from the fundamentals of beatmatching and mixing to using effects and programming extended club sets. Whether you’re a beginner wanting to learn fundamentals or a seasoned pro looking to take your talent to the next level, our curriculum is designed to accommodate all skill levels and styles of music. This comprehensive DJ program covers everything from basic mixing to advanced digital DJing with both Serato and Traktor.

What’s Included

• DJ Level 1: Rookie Sessions | Essentials I
• DJ Level 2: Phrase Mixing | Essentials II
• DJ Level 3: Beyond The Blend | Intermediate Skills
• DJ Level 4: Preparation | DJ Psychology
• DJ Level 5: Classroom to the Club | Advanced Techniques I
• DJ Level 6: Club to the World | Advanced Techniques II

Dubspot DJ Extensive Starting in New York City:

February 13, 2013  in NYC – Wednesdays & Fridays, 7:15-9pm
February 26, 2013 in NYC – Tuesdays & Thursdays, 3:15-5pm
March 6, 2013 in NYC – Wednesdays & Fridays, 5:15-7pm

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Program

The definition of DJing has changed dramatically in the last decade. Laptops, controllers, and software have emerged alongside more traditional turntables and CDJ’s, smashing the barrier to entry. In today’s digital age, anyone can become a DJ. To reflect this renaissance, Dubspot has created the Digital DJing with Traktor program. In both our physical and online schools, students will learn how to DJ entirely with Traktor’s cutting-edge technology. An emphasis will be placed on the concepts of DJing rather than simply learning how to use the software.

What’s Included

• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 1: Introduction to DJing
• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 2: Phrase Mixing
• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 3: Beyond The Beatmatch

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Program

The week of April 7, 2013  ONLINE
The week of June 2, 2013 ONLINE
The week of August 4, 2013 ONLINE

“I love the class, and the content! Shiftee and Endo are very funny, and very clear, so the material is easy and fun to follow! I wish my college teachers were more like these two!” – Leandro Martinez, Chicago IL

More start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

If you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

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Marley Marl is unquestionably one of the greatest producers and DJs in hip hop history. His influence and importance to hip hop are undeniable, and his innovative productions and pioneering use of sampling helped define the genre. Marley Marl has produced beats for some of the music’s finest MCs including Big Daddy Kane, MC Shan, LL Cool J, Biz Markie, Roxanne Shante, Kool G Rap, Nas, Rakim, and Masta Ace.

In the second installment of Marley Marl ‘Classic Recipes,’ he shows you how he produced “Eric B. Is President” in 1986, the debut single for legendary hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim. Marl talks about meeting Rakim for the first time and discusses the collaborative process with Eric B. that would yield one of the most influential hip hop tracks ever. “Eric B. Is President” combines a bassline from Fonda Rae’s bonafide 1982 club hit “Over Like a Fat Rat” and a beat from James Brown’s 1974 hit “Funky President.” Putting these two parts together was a bit tricky due to differences in tempo, but Marley resolved this problem by replaying the bassline with his trusty Casio CZ-101 keyboard instead of just sampling it.

In this video, Marley Marl recreates the bassline to “Eric B. Is President” using his Akai MPC Renaissance playing a bass sound similar to the original, and using kick and snare samples from The Honey Drippers’ track “Impeach The President.” As always, Marley Marl drops priceless nuggets of wisdom and tips for young producers, including a beat programming technique he picked up from the original funky drummer Clyde Stubblefield and knowledge and words to live by from Rakim: “It ain’t where you from, it’s where you’re at.”

“Eric B. Is President” showcases the duo’s individual talents and skills: DJ Eric B.’s prowess behind the wheels of steel (scratching “The Champ” by The Mohawks, “Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved” by James Brown, and “Long Red (Live)” by Mountain) and MC Rakim’s extraordinary lyrical ability and effortless flow.

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We have courses coming up in our DJ Extensive Program with openings available in NYC and online. Students will be taught fundamental DJ techniques with the latest technology by our talented staff of professional DJ instructors. Our DJ curriculum was designed by DMC world champion and globetrotting DJ/producer Shiftee along with Native Instruments DJ product specialist and Traktor guru DJ Endo. Below, we’ve compiled the entire video tutorial series “DJ Shiftee’s Salsa School of Scratch” as a way to introduce you to fundamental DJ tips and techniques.

Chops & Stabs | DJ Shiftee’s Salsa SOS @ Dubspot | ‘Mild’

Crab Scratch | Shiftee’s Salsa SOS @ Dubspot DJ School | ‘Medium’

The Orbit | DJ Shiftee’s Salsa SOS @ Dubspot DJ School | ‘Hot’

Swing Flare | Shiftee’s Salsa SOS @ Dubspot | ‘Mucho Caliente’

DJ Extensive Program

Immerse yourself in the complete art of DJing: from the fundamentals of beatmatching and mixing to using effects and programming extended club sets. Whether you’re a beginner wanting to learn fundamentals or a seasoned pro looking to take your talent to the next level, our curriculum is designed to accommodate all skill levels and styles of music. This comprehensive DJ program covers everything from basic mixing to advanced digital DJing with both Serato and Traktor.

Students in Level 6 of our DJ Extensive Program talk about their experience at Dubspot NYC and how they’ve developed as DJs and performers ahead of their graduation party at Lower Manhattan’s White Rabbit.

What’s Included

• DJ Level 1: Rookie Sessions | Essentials I
• DJ Level 2: Phrase Mixing | Essentials II
• DJ Level 3: Beyond The Blend | Intermediate Skills
• DJ Level 4: Preparation | DJ Psychology
• DJ Level 5: Classroom to the Club | Advanced Techniques I
• DJ Level 6: Club to the World | Advanced Techniques II

Dubspot DJ Courses Starting New York City:

September 24th in NYC – Mondays, 9:15-11pm
October 2nd in NYC – Tuesday and Thursday 5:15-7pm
October 10 in NYC – Wednesdays and Fridays 3:15-5pm
October 13th in NYC – Saturdays 3:15-6:45

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro

The definition of DJing has changed dramatically in the last decade. Laptops, controllers, and software have emerged alongside more traditional turntables and CDJ’s, smashing the barrier to entry. In today’s digital age, anyone can become a DJ. To reflect this renaissance, Dubspot has created the Digital DJing with Traktor program. In both our physical and online schools, students will learn how to DJ entirely with Traktor’s cutting-edge technology. An emphasis will be placed on the concepts of DJing rather than simply learning how to use the software.

Shiftee and Endo offer a preview of our Digital DJing with Traktor Pro 2 Program.

What’s Included

• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 1: Introduction to DJing
• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 2: Phrase Mixing
• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 3: Beyond The Beatmatch

DJ Online Courses:

October 7th – Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Program
December 2nd – Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Program

“I love the class, and the content! Shiftee and Endo are very funny, and very clear, so the material is easy and fun to follow! I wish my college teachers  were more like these two!” – Leandro Martinez, Chicago IL

More start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

If you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

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FREE to attend | RSVP on Facebook

Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom
2637 Welton Street
Denver, CO 80205

Respected across the globe, Truth (Andre Fernandez and Tristan Roake) have cut a clear pathway through the international dubstep scene as both world-class producers and party-rocking DJs. On the nightclub and festival circuits, the fruits of their labor have included three European tours, three American tours, countless Australian and Asian spot dates and a loyal following across New Zealand. They have built this performance presence through DJ support from Mala, Skream, Joe Nice, Youngsta, Hatcha and N-Type, giving their music an advance presence at key club nights like DMZ in London, Club Love in New York and through seminal radio stations such as BBC Radio One, Kiss Fm and Rinse FM.

Dubspot Instructor Shiftee unveils Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol F1 with Greg Nice.

2x DMC World Champ + Dancefloor Destroyer + Harvard Math Grad + Top 10 Producer =

New York City’s Shiftee has translated his intuitive math geek mentality into far-reaching success on the turntables, electrifying crowds from NYC to London to Hong Kong. With a degree from Harvard, 2 unique DMC World Champion titles, a NYU adjunct professorship, a top 10 debut release on Beatport’s Dubstep charts, a membership in the supergroup Mostly Robot, a finger on the pulse of bass music, and an ongoing international tour schedule, this overachiever can do it all. [head over to Shiftee's Palace to read more]

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Ultimate DJ battle weekend is here as the US finals of the DMC DJ World Championships are held in New York City! The first turntablism event of the weekend will get underway at Dubspot NYC tonight, with numerous ex-DMC champs and competitors showcasing their skills at the second installment of our Stylus Sessions. This series of workshops is meant to serve as an open lab for new millennium turntablists to show off their latest tricks and techniques and collaborate in a creative noncompetitive environment; this year’s sessions will include DJ Excess (Rock Hard Bastards), DJ Shiftee (2x DMC World Champ), DJ Precision (X-Ecutioners, 2007 DMC US Champ) and DJ Spictakular (The Allies) as well as guest appearances from DJ Cheese, Cutmaster DC, Johnny Juice, and other ex-DMC USA champs. This event begins tonight at 7PM EST. You can stream the experimental scratch session right here on the Dubspot blog and see for yourself that at least some contemporary DJs are doing more behind the decks than just pressing “play” at the beginning of their set…

Following the Stylus Sessions webcast, the DMC is hosting the US Finals DJ Battle at Le Poisson Rouge on Saturday August 4th starting at 2pm. The winner of this battle will represent the United States in London at the DMC World Championships and will have a chance to be listed among scratch royalty and receive a golden Rane 68 DJ mixer. Our very own DJ Shiftee took the world title in 2009. Dubspot DJ instructor DJ Precision is representing New York on Saturday and could very well represent our country in the world championships! For those who are not aware of what the DMCs are about, it is the longest-running, most prestigious turntablist battle in the world. From DMC battles, legends are made. In fact, the event was not originally supposed to be solely a turntablism battle, but after DJ Cheese showcased scratching in his set in 1985, turntable tricks became a major aspect of the competition. (Note: DJ Cheese will be at Stylus Sessions tonight too!) Now in their 29^th year, the DMCs are still going strong in 2012. Be sure to attend this amazing DJ event and experience something far beyond the norm.

DJ Precision for Rocawear

Lastly, the Grand Master Roc Raida Memorial Gong DJ Battle event is also taking place at Le Poisson Rouge on the following day, Sunday August 5th, at 4pm. This battle was founded by scratch DJ god, Roc Raida, may he rest in peace. It will feature showcases from the likes of Johnny Juice, DJ Esquire and Raida’s daughter NyRaida. The battle itself is open to all entrants from anywhere in the world, but anybody that doesn’t make the grade will be gonged off by the judges!

Turntablism is a true art form that requires a tremendous amount of creativity, technique and skill. If you have a love for the craft or are even just curious to explore another side of DJing, check out some of these DMC-related events this weekend.

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As someone who spent many years honing the actual skill of beat matching, I feel it’s cheating. The DJ should take time to learn their craft. It’s actually an amazing feeling to manually mix two records together and create that third track. The looseness sometimes adds a sway or feeling to what’s happening.This doesn’t happen with the sync button.  I feel it’s also one step away from potentially making the DJ being obsolete. Why not just have build a playlist from the Beatport top 100 and leave it to the synced program to neatly join the records together? What difference is there if a person is standing there or not? You could even type in requests or text them to the booth (app idea anybody!!). Perhaps famous DJs could send out one of many different laptops each weekend with a pre-selected list of tunes loaded up. Everyone would go out and see the Swedish House Mafia or Lee Burridge’s laptops play each weekend? Just press the space bar to start the set. What would the difference be? Sure, I’m being extreme but no one a few years ago could have imagined that we would all have a button available to do the work for us. I actually like “the work.” I like really playing. It’s actually fun. It’s actually DJing. You are the DJ, not your laptop. I could go on and on but you get the idea. - Lee Burridge

Sync or swim? I like to swim! I’m an oldschool guy, yet I use a computer as a record case. I use Traktor and CDs as my controller to beat mix. I don’t use the sync function. But, that’s just me. I started to beatgrid tracks when I enter them into Traktor, in case there is a problem and there are no good CD players. But, over the years, I’ve never had to use it. A lot of my sets consists of older music from vinyl that isn’t the easiest to beatgrid or ’sync’ with. unless I spent a lot of time editing the tracks in Ableton. So, I don’t want to waste my time with that stuff. I like to make music out of music as a DJ beat-mixing naturally sans sync. I’m more concerned on what I do with my art, rather than losing sleep over if DJs are mixing naturally or ’syncing’. - Josh Wink

For myself, I have tried to use the sync method and it just does not feel right to me. I do not have issue with anyone who uses the sync method as long as their sets are not pre-programmed. DJing is about being a storyteller through music and as long as you rock it and are being creative with your story, I’m okay with the sync method. Personally, it just doesn’t feel organic to me. I still love the psychedelic nature that is created from hearing two tracks mixing together, being slightly off, and then hearing the DJ fix it in the mix. I don’t even mind hearing the occasional trainwreck, it keeps the crowd on their toes and reminds us that in a world of computer-generated music, it’s still human. - DJ Dan

I rarely use the sync function in DJ software during a live performance. Not that I’m against it, it just does not fit my personal style of playing. But as a technology freak I can totally respect how this can free an artist to take their mix to the next level. After having tried many of the leading products I have actually gone back to playing on CDJs and augmenting my setup with Ableton, Traktor or Mixxx as a third deck. - Claude Young

Sync means more time spent working on the aspects of DJing that the crowd in front of you appreciate, rather than the crowd standing behind you. – JFK of MSTRKRFT

I’ve been DJing with vinyl for 17 years and matching beats manually. It’s like riding a bike, you never really forget how to do it. Although automatic beat syncing via software while DJing has changed the game dramatically. Sure, there will always be the DJ who hits sync and mixes one track to the next but it takes the creative and forward-thinking performer to utilize the tools around us and take it to the next level, allowing us to mix three or four tracks at a time and manipulating loops with effects while creating patterns on Maschine. I will always have a great respect for the original style of DJing and mixing by ear that brought us to where we are today, but personally I’ve always pushed myself to look forward instead of going back to the past in order to earn “respect.” At the end of the day it’s really not what you are using, it’s how you are using it. - Drumcell

I use beat sync because I have so many decks, loops and drum sequences (via Maschine) running all at once. But I still have to give certain tracks a nudge here and there because no matter how tight your grid marks are, different tracks have their own swing and groove, so adjustments always have to be made, as was always the case with vinyl mixing. And unless you’re a vinyl DJ, I don’t see any point in NOT using beat sync.- Dubfire

Coming from a vinyl background of 8+ years I’ve always loved the feel of beat matching manually. I feel the music more, and I’m more concentrated on everything that’s happening in the music when I’m beatmatching. However for the past 5+ years I’ve been beatgridding every single track that I own. It sounds funny, but I actually enjoy beatgridding, and I know that since everything is beatgridded perfectly in Traktor that all of my mixes are going to be PERFECT and I never have to worry about the beats drifting off. This frees me up to do four decks all mixed harmonically, and focus on doing more with my mixes like looping, beatjumping and effects. Especially now with the new Remix Decks in Traktor, syncing is a must. It also gives me time to think more about programming my set. With all of that said, if I use timecode vinyl or CDs, I like to use whats called “Soft Sync” or “Tempo Sync” which matches the BPM of all of your tracks but doesn’t 100% sync it. You can still push and pull on your turntables or CDJs, except once you get the beats nudged together they stay together without drifting. - DJ Endo

To be honest I have mixed feelings about sync. If we are talking about just straight blending and beat matching from deck A to deck B then this is DJ 101. If you can’t use the pitch on a 1200 or a CDJ to keep a beat on time, then you shouldn’t be doing this . However, sync becomes a very valuable tool when you are adding the sample decks in use with the Traktor F1 or Maschine and other Native Instruments tools as it is essential when doing live remixes in your set. As a DJ I love evolving with technology but always remember this is an art that takes many years to master and I’m still trying to perfect it every day. Don’t just rely on computers and buttons, use them as tools and try to master your skills. - DJ Skribble

To sync or not to sync? Come on, now. It’s 2012. Mixing 2 records does not require some amazing skill. The way you mix 2 tracks is a different story. I prefer using the sync button because I’m gonna mix them anyways, might as well cut the time I take in mixing them in my headphones off and use it on planning the next mix. - DJ Craze

I usually hit sync these days. Not having to worry about manual beat matching allows me to pull off techniques that would otherwise be impossible. In short, I use it to do more. However, I still think it’s important to learn how to beat match by ear.  Beat matching not only teaches you how to line up two songs, but it forces you to develop your ear as a DJ. An essential aspect of DJing is being able to hear multiple sounds/songs simultaneously and make sense of what is coming from where. This ear training can get lost if you jump right into the sync.  - DJ Shiftee

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Thanks everybody who attended and participated in the second installment of Stylus Sessions.  Props to Johnny Juice (Public Enemy), Cutmaster D.C., Lodus (LA), Donnie Dee (TX), Waystyles (WA),  Don Santos (TX) Christie Z-Pabon (Tools of War), Marilyn Alonzo, Sondra Chaiken (Premier Artist Group), and hosts DJ Excess (Rock Hard Bastards) and John Carluccio.

Stylus Sessions Episode 2 Rundown:

0:00:00 – DJ Cutmaster DC
0:06:30 – DJ Johnny Juice (interview)
0:25:00 – DJ Johnny Juice – Samba style
0:31:20 – DJ Lodus
0:41:40 – DJ Donnie Dee & DJ Waystyles (interview)
0:56:26 – Sondra Chaiken (interview)
1:00:00 – DJ Excess – double time demo / musicality talk
1:11:55 – Jam Session: Waystyles, Excess, Lodus, Donnie Dee, Cutmaster DC, Johnny Juice, Don Santos, D.Teknics, and Jago (Dubspot student).

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Dubspot Original Programming proudly presents the second installment of Stylus Sessions, an open lab for new millennium turntablists to showcase skills and collaborate in a creative noncompetitive environment. Stylus Sessions 2 will be streaming live on Friday, August 3rd at 7pm, this time featuring DJ Excess (Rock Hard Bastards), DJ Shiftee (2x DMC World Champ), DJ Precision (X-Ecutioners, 07 DMC US Champ), DJ Spictakular (The Allies), and special guests and appearances from DJ Cheese, Cutmaster DC, Johnny Juice, and various DMC USA champs. Produced and created by John Carluccio (TTM, Battle Sounds, Scratch). RSVP on the Facebook event page. This event will be streaming live only. Again, don’t forget to tune in to the live broadcast on Friday, August 3rd at 7pm.

In the spirit of the Battle Sounds Turntablist Festival, Tableturns, Future Primitive, SkratchCon, SkratchPad, Skratch Lounge and many more, Stylus Sessions is a noncompetitive testing ground for the evolution of DJing, turntablism and controllerism.

Broadcasting LIVE from New York City
Friday August 3rd at 7pm
Friday 4pm LA/SF  |  Saturday 1am PARIS |  Saturday 8am TOKYO

Also check out the Stylus Sessions episode 1 video recap featuring DJ Excess, DJ Precision, DJ Spictakular, As-One, Dirty Digits, and an interview with hip hop DJ legend Cutmaster DC:

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Video streaming by Ustream

Thanks everybody who attended and participated in the first Stylus Sessions! Props to DJ Excess, DJ Precision, DJ Spictakular, As-One, Dirty Digits, Billy Jam, Christie Z-Pabon, Cutmaster DC, DJ Esquire, and John Carluccio for holding things down proper!

The actual Stylus Sessions start approximately 1:10 minutes into the stream. Before hand is a selection of Dubspot YouTube videos featuring The Sound of South African House, RJD2, DJ Spinna, Mr. Invisible, Rock Hard Bastards, and the Choppertone.

Stylus Sessions Episode 1 Rundown: 01:12 – DJ Excess

Dubspot Original Programs presents Stylus Sessions, an open experimental lab for the new millennium turntablist. Streaming live on June 24, featuring DJ Excess (Rock Hard Bastards), DJ Precision (X-Ecutioners, 07 DMC US Champ), DJ Spictakular (The Allies)  and DJ Shiftee (2x DMC World Champ). Produced and Created by John Carluccio (TTM, Battle Sounds, Scratch).

In the spirit of The Battle Sounds Turntablist Festival, Tableturns, Future Primitive, SkratchCon, SkratchPad, Skratch Lounge and many more, Stylus Sessions is a non competitive testing ground for the evolving DJ, turntablist and controllerist.

Episode 1: Post-DMC NYC re-cap and showcases by invited guests.

Broadcasting LIVE from New York City
Sunday June 24 at 1pm
Sunday 10am LA/SF  |  Sunday 7pm PARIS |  Monday 2am TOKYO

DJ Extensive Program

Immerse yourself in the complete art of DJing from beatmatching to stage presence. Whether you’re a beginner in search of the fundamentals or a seasoned pro looking to take your talent to the next level, our curriculum is designed to accommodate all skill levels and styles of music. This comprehensive DJ program covers everything from basic mixing to advanced digital DJing. Learn more about our DJ courses and programs.

What’s Included:

• DJ Level 1: Rookie Sessions | Essentials I
• DJ Level 2: Phrase Mixing | Essentials II
• DJ Level 3: Beyond The Blend | Intermediate Skills
• DJ Level 4: Preparation | DJ Psychology
• DJ Level 5: Classroom to the Club | Advanced Techniques I
• DJ Level 6: Club to the World | Advanced Techniques II

DJ Shiftee is a 2x DMC World Champion and Dubspot Instructor currently heating up dancefloors around the globe with fresh beats and sounds! Shiftee along with DJ Endo are the designers of Dubspot’s groundbreaking new DJ program, Digital DJing with Traktor Pro 2, a three level course that reflect the present landscape DJing with Native Instruments next generation DJ technology, harnessing traditional as well as cutting edge DJ concepts and techniques. Read more about Digital DJing with Traktor Pro 2. Follow Shiftee on Twitter & find him on Facebook.

DJ Excess, a two-time International Turntablist Federation champion and a Dubspot instructor, provides this edition of the Dubspot Podcast series. It’s a mix made up mostly of his own disco edits plus a remix of his. Disco is just one of the many styles Excess is interested in though – he came up through house music, got deep into hip hop as a result of scratching, and also digs experimental music like Philip Glass and Steve Reich (often called the father of sampling).

DJ Precision is 2011 DMC East Coast DJ Battle,  2007 US DMC Champion, Dubspot Instructor, and a member of the legendary X-Ecutioners and Ill Insanity. He is considered to be one of the best beat jugglers in the world of turntablism.

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Native Instruments recently announced the formation of Mostly Robot – a team of five exceptional and well-respected musicians and performers.  The members of this super-band includes Dubspot instructor and turntablist extraordinaire DJ Shiftee, British soul singer and electronic musician Jamie Lidell, the ridiculously talented Jeremy Ellis, producer and performer Tim Exile, and keyboard player Mr. Jimmy. Dubspot caught up with Mostly Robot ahead of their highly anticipated debut performance at Sónar 2012 by Day Program for an exclusive interview in which the members discuss their shared ideas, influences, the current state of music technology, the future of the band, the importance of the human element in live performances, and much more! Needless to say, their performance at Sonar is guaranteed to be one of the most unique events at the festival this year. Read our exclusive interview below.

What are some of your shared ideas, influences, views on the current state of music technology?

Jamie – Make laptops fun.  Everything that used to be done in the realm of synthesis and the analog world can all be done on computers .  You have to embrace the laptop and not deny it as something that’s ugly.  It’s not everyone’s favorite aesthetic, but you can’t deny it. Feel the power, use the power.  It’s an open book.  You can liken the computer to an instrument that no one’s learned.  You can’t really master a computer since it’s growing away from you.  There’s no end. You can’t get to the end of level boss with a laptop.

Jimmy – We all use computers in a crazy way as new instruments.  If you deny the computer, you’re missing out a little bit.  What’s cool is everyone is flipping it in his own way.  Laptops have started to creep on the stage or backstage of every band.

Shiftee – We are all trying to push the envelope in our own fields with respect to technology.  I don’t think anyone settles in to what they’ve always been doing.  New toys come out and we want in.

Jeremy – We’re all definitely pushing the envelope as far as our skill sets and technology is concerned.  It’s also pretty strange to hang out with this many people who know what an LFO is.

Tim – I completely deny the existence of laptops.  The laptop never happened.  Steve Jobs never lived.

Tim Exile and Native Instruments present “The Mouth”

How are you all preparing for the Sonar performance – individuals and as Mostly Robot?

Jamie – Lyrics.  Lyrics is a big thing for me.  Memory and learning stuff quickly and holding the form of these songs.  And before, writing, writing the melodies and lyrics.  It’s old school.  I’m taking the old school in a way.  Singing, songwriting.

Jimmy – Programming.  I think everyone did a bit of programming. Whether it’s the last month or the last year or two years, everyone’s been programming.  And dreaming!  Dreaming first, programming second.

Shiftee – I’m eating a ton of Gazpacho.  Seriously, I ate 8 bowls of Gazpacho yesterday.  As a group, we work largely in a song structure. We’ve got our tunes, so a lot of the preparation is just arranging and practicing our songs.  Right now, we’re practicing for a week in Sitges, Spain – villa style.

Jeremy -  It’s the mindset of taking a one man band and removing chunks of it robotically.

Tim – I am trying to work out how I can have enough will power to do 25% of what I normally do.

Jamie Lidell – Little Bit of Feel Good

What’s the ultimate goal for Mostly Robot? What are your plans after the > Sonar performance?

Jamie – The ultimate plan is pleasure.  Musical pleasure.  It’s a decadent band.  We are in a villa right now with catering to do 1 show.  We are embracing the decadent potential of this band.  It’s a got a lot of weird intersecting things, it’s like a meeting of the minds on a technological and musical level.  It’s cool just to see where everyone’s at.  Everything else is a side effect.   We can relax and be creative.

Jimmy – Ultimate goal is just to have fun.  That’s my whole deal.  I want it to be the funnest hobby band in the world.  If we get together 3-4 times a year.  Friendship, healing.  I hope I can convert everyone to Jesus.

Tim – I’m going head to head with Jimmy and converting everyone to Buddhism.  I’m in it for the hang, gonna see what happens.  I want to make some Mostly Robot machines.  Especially Robot machines.

Shiftee – The rehearsals have produced some cool music, so watch out for some Mostly Robot releases.  We’d like to keep playing, even if it’s a few times a year.  Get together, hang out and have fun, make some new music, and play a show or two.  Watch out for Mostly Robot brand gazpacho as well.

Jeremy – World robot domination.

Traktor Kontrol F1 – Scratch Clips w/ Shiftee and Greg Nice

Why the decision not to use a MIDI clock and emphasize the human element/your individual ability to playing independently on your own but keeping the group in mind?

Jamie – It forces you to actually play live.  Everyone can play live, so everyone does play live.  That’s what keeps it a little wonky and wobbly.

Jimmy – This is one I kind of didn’t believe in at first.  But after we got into it, that’s the whole point, taking computers off quantization.  In Nashville, that’s everyone’s problem with computers.  “What, you’re on a grid!?!?!?  You guys are faking it.  The computers are doing all the work.”  It’s not like that.  So we’re slipping off the grid.  It makes it breathe.  It makes it real.

Tim – I’m kind of stuck with my own MIDI clock.  My machine has its own thing, so it snaps to its own grid.  Sometimes I go off the grid. I can’t really keep a free tempo, it needs to be locked to some kind of tempo.  It’s a little difficult in the band, since everyone else is playing free.  I’m a free floating clock, I get my clock out and rock out.

Shiftee – I think that’s when we all have the most fun.  When you’re off the grid there’s a layer of excitement and danger.  We’re mostly robot, but we’re still humans.

Jeremy – I never use MIDI clock personally.  It is indeed about the human element of the robots.  Robots need to be programmed.  You can program them to act freely.

Jeremy Ellis performs on Maschine Mikro

Conceived by Native Instruments, Mostly Robot will utilize an advanced array on NI hardware and software, pioneering a creative interplay between technology and cutting-edge artists from diverse musical backgrounds.

Mostly Robot is a real band, made up of exceptional artists: Jamie Lidell, Tim Exile, Jeremy Ellis, Mr Jimmy and DJ Shiftee. Truly ‘live’, each musician plays independently of each other – instruments are synced only by the human element, with no MIDI clock or prepared grid obstructing their creativity.

Placing themselves in the tradition of inspiring jazz concerts, Mostly Robot draw their magic from bringing highly skilled individuals together, creating a unique momentum. What’s more, the Sónar showcase is a rare moment to catch a glimpse of yet unreleased song material from individual band members.

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As a rule before any gig you should find out who is playing before and after you and always show up at least 1 hour early before your set. This not only enables you to feel the vibe of the room but make sure you do not repeat any tracks that the previous dj has played. Since you have an idea of what the dj is playing before you, pick a great track to transition and leave the next dj with a great starting place. Again, you will know what that dj will be playing so you can choose something that will be easy for them to flow into. This is just common respect for the crowd and the next dj. If you play an earlier set, make sure you play a set that is groovy and does not try and rinse the energy out of the room, especially when there is a headliner on after you. The key to a good dj is knowing how to pace the energy of the night. I guarantee you will get way more compliments if you play appropriately to your time slot. The one mistake I see up and coming dj’s do that is never cool is to bang the shit out of it before the headliner goes on—as if to impress that next dj. That is not cool. If you really want to impress the next dj and the crowd, play appropriately and sexy and let the night have a nice build. If you are in a headlining position, go crazy! Again though, make sure you leave the next dj with something they can flow out of. Lastly, be respectful of the space you are working in. Most booths are small so have consideration for where the next dj will be putting their gear. You can start moving your stuff a bit towards the last couple tracks in your set so the transition can be easier for them. Oh, and never play the headliner’s new big tune in your set. I know this seems like common sense but you’d be surprised as to how many times I’ve seen this happen. - Dj Dan

Feel out the room and crowd and play something appropriate. Don’t over plan and try to stick to a pre-planned set that is not appropriate to what’s actually happening.  Better yet, know what you’ve got as options to play and don’t plan at all!  Don’t play banging shit to an empty dancefloor while people are still filing in and getting their drinks. It’s called the warm up slot for a reason.  Know your role and fulfill it and you’ll be invited back. - Matt Shadetek

Ah the opening DJ set. To me it seems like a lost art form. Art form because it takes a special kind of DJ to handle a crowd that comes early to the club and not bore them but yet not bang it out like it’s 3am.  I feel that the opening DJ’s set is as crucial as is the prime time set. In my opinion you’re actually a good opening DJ if you can rock a 10 to 1am set and not really play any major hits! And it’s not impossible! There are loads of amazing tunes that work during those early hours, you just have to put the time in and find those gems that work. – Hector Romero

An opening DJ should always remember the role that has been delegated to them for the night. You are opening up for another DJ. Your role is to set the tone for the headlining DJ.  Often the opening DJ will try to outdo the headliner by playing strong cuts way too early in the night, and trying to get peak hour crowd responses. A good opening DJ will always remember their role he is playing within the night, and will not try to do that.  The opening DJ should also be compatible to the headliner, and know his stye of DJing as well. - Mike Huckaby

Get set up right away–make sure everything is working smoothly before you get a drink. If it’s a paying gig, find out who’s paying you, how they’re paying you, and at what point in the evening you can expect to be paid. It might be up-front, or you might have to wait around until 4AM. Know this in advance. Go to the bathroom before your set starts. There’s nothing worse for the headliner than DJing in a puddle of urine left behind by the opener. Know the music that you’ll be playing. Don’t try to make a bold statement just yet, especially if nobody is listening. Make sure before you start your set, that you know when you are on and off. If the following DJ is there, work out with him/her how the transitions should happen (both musically and technically) .  Bring extra music to play in case the later DJ is a no-show or starts late. Be conscious of your place and function in the movement of the evening and know your role–whether it is to provide background music, to warm up the crowd, to create a context for the music that the later DJ(s) will be playing. - Martín Perna

I agree with everything everyone has said BUT I still think it’s important for you as an opening DJ to try to stand out and make your mark on the night. If you don’t turn heads with your set, what was the point? Respect of the headliner is great, but ultimately you want more work, which comes through fans and the promoters remembering who you are after your set. Here are a few little suggestions to get into people’s heads:

1. Talk on the mic and say your name throughout your set. I call this “Castanza-ing” (shouts to people who get my specific Seinfeld reference).

2. Drop surprising songs WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE NIGHT. Play tracks that people will go “ohhhhh” too, but only within the style of the night and your role of the opener as described by everyone else. These can be throwback songs, silly songs, or songs that seem like they don’t belong in dj sets.

3. Make little flashy routines (that work within the context of the night as already described).

In short, stand out, but do so appropriately! - Dj Shiftee

Michael Walsh is a producer of audio/visual art and a journalist living in Southern California. Read more of his work at soundsdefygravity.com

DJ Extensive Program starts June 22nd

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Program starts June 3rd

Start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

Or if you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

Digital DJing with Traktor Pro 2 Program

The definition of DJing has changed dramatically in the last decade. Laptops, controllers, and software have emerged alongside more traditional turntables and CDJ’s, smashing the barrier to entry. In today’s digital age, anyone can become a DJ. To reflect this renaissance, Dubspot has created the Digital DJing with Traktor program. In both our physical and online schools, students will learn how to DJ entirely with Trak

tor’s cutting-edge technology. An emphasis will be placed on the concepts of DJing rather than simply learning how to use the software.

What’s Included:

• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 1: Introduction to DJing
• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 2: Phrase Mixing
• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 3: Beyond The Beatmatch

Starting with a historical overview, students will learn the fundamental concepts of the DJ via Traktor’s intuitive interface. They will then begin to delve into the vast array of new possibilities offered by this groundbreaking software, presenting their work along the way. Students will leave with finished DJ mixes, a thorough exploration of DJing with Traktor, and a skill set and knowledge base perfect for further development.

DJ Extensive Program

Immerse yourself in the complete art of DJing from beatmatching to stage presence. Whether you’re a beginner in search of the fundamentals or a seasoned pro looking to take your talent to the next level, our curriculum is designed to accommodate all skill levels and styles of music. This comprehensive DJ program covers everything from basic mixing to advanced digital DJing. Learn more about our DJ courses and programs.

What’s Included:

• DJ Level 1: Rookie Sessions | Essentials I
• DJ Level 2: Phrase Mixing | Essentials II
• DJ Level 3: Beyond The Blend | Intermediate Skills
• DJ Level 4: Preparation | DJ Psychology
• DJ Level 5: Classroom to the Club | Advanced Techniques I
• DJ Level 6: Club to the World | Advanced Techniques II

“I love the class, and the content! Shiftee and Endo are very funny, and very clear, so the material is easy and fun to follow! I wish my college   teachers  were more like these two!” – Leandro Martinez, Chicago IL

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Rising DJ and Dubspot student Robbie Wilde’s video documentary was recently featured on Fox 5 New York! The 26 year old DJ, who is also hearing impaired, detailed his early beginning, immersing himself in the world DJing, linking with Dubspot instructor and turntablist extraordinaire DJ Shiftee to learn the fundamentals, and becoming a professional DJ. Robbie has a lot happening for him at the moment, and getting ready to travel around the world with the Starkey Hearing Foundation helping with their Giving the Gift of Hearing campaign by sharing his truly inspirational story. He’s launched a newsletter which you can sign up for on his website thatDEAFdj.com.

Who needs hearing when you can feel the Music! Not this artist by the name of Robbie Wilde. He literally feels the music to hear the music. Hearing is the most important sense in a deajay’s life, but is the one thing he is lacking. Robbie Wilde has been seventy five percent deaf all his life. He acquired the skill and art of music by compensating his loss of hearing with the senses of sight and touch. This collaboration is the perfect mix to him; As the bass moves and shakes the dj booth, PERFECTION. The vibration stimulate from his toes up to his body as he feels what the crowd is hearing!

Born in Jersey, England, he moved from England to Portugal, Venezuela to the United States. During his adolescence, he experimented with the drums and bass guitar but it was at the age of eighteen he found the one set of instruments that inspired greatness; two turntables and a mixer. Robbie would roam the clubs trying to get the best view of the DJ booths, learning all he could and practicing until his mixing became perfect, never off beat. Robbie’s passion for music culture fueled his desire to major in music theory, to learn how to incorporate all types of genres in his career. His talents became recognized very quickly. He has played beside great deejay’s in multiple venues and entertained celebrities at major cities across the United States and Canada (NYC, AC, ATL, CHI, LA, MIA, Montreal, and Toronto) such as Oscar G, Robbie Rivera, Dj Spinbad, Dj Sizzahands, Dj PS1, Dj Riz, Dj Riddler, live performence w/Kim Sozzi, Miguel Cole, Ryan Leslie, Omarion, and the Superbowl Champions Pittsburg Steelers Private Party just to name a few. Also signed with ‘AMG’ Artist Music Group and holds a sponsorship by Starkey Hearing. His journey has just begun.

Currently an apprentice to the DMC World Scratching Champion; Deejay Shiftee. Deejay Shiftee was inspired by his story, and ambition, and has been guiding him in perfecting his advanced scratching skills and enrolling as the first deaf deejay in the 2013 DMC Scratching tournament. Sure he has to work harder because of his hearing impairment, but he does not consider the disability a detriment to his life, but as a fuel to the fire. His dreams and ambitions are endless. Nothing is impossible. With his popularity growing rapidly and his skills being recognized, Robbie Wilde is a force to be “HEARD” and definitely someone to be kept an eye on in the future as he grows.

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Native Instruments just recently unveiled their new ground breaking DJ controller.  The “Traktor Kontrol F1“, with a video featuring Dubspot Instructor and turntablist extraordinaire DJ Shiftee showcasing his skills alongside the one and only Greg Nice.  Dubspot correspondents Jim Albert and Bob Barkley were live at The Native Instruments F1 Finals in Long Island City, New York.  In this exclusive footage, the reporter’s breakdown Shiftee’s performance, from his flawless double-time beat juggling and backspinning abilities, to his teammate Greg’s tremendous wordplay and energy.  Albert and Barkley offered us their analysis of the key moments in an overwhelmingly entertaining manner.  And please, do stay tuned for the half-time report and post-game interview with the man himself.

POST-GAME INTERVIEW

Do you think the F1 is going to change the face of Digital DJing?

It certainly has the potential to change the way producers, DJ and DJ’s,  produce.   Honestly it’s the best product I’ve seen by far that really allows you to incorporate live production seamlessly into a DJ context.  It’s the first time you can load in your production sets aka “remix sets” and easily scratch it, juggle it, mix it, sync it, and do everything you’d normally do to a single track, only now you have control over all these different samples and loops.

How did you prepare/compose this new routine?

I worked off of a beat I already had made: PLS DNT STP ft. LAZERlibby – Raise The Temprature (Shiftee Remix) [LU20 Records] (out now on Beatport *cough cough*).  Before I started bouncing loops, I already had an idea in my head of how the routine would proceed: intro launching of samples -> short intro tricks -> normal triggering -> beat juggling while changing loops -> scratching while changing loops -> pad drumming using one shot samples.  I wanted to show a nice range of the F1’s potential in a turntablist context.  Then it was just a matter of bouncing everything and figuring out how exactly I was going to pull everything off, especially transitions between sections.  Once Greg Nice came on board, this became a lot easier.

How comfortable was it to use the F1’s interface in a turntablism routine?

It was surprisingly comfortable.  I incorporate Traktor 2.5’s “PUNCH MODE” a lot in the routine, which allows you to switch between loops and samples without restarting them from the beginning.  In this mode, if I go from Sample A to Sample B, Sample B’s audio will begin in the same position as the one I just left in Sample A.  In short, this allowed me to implement beat juggle techniques while changing loops since every sample entered with the same relative position.

Otherwise, scratching one of these Remix Sets feels no different from scratching a normal track.   You can powerdown, hit the stop/star, and pitch correct while changing samples/loops. Mamma mia!

How did you utilize the F1’s features, and what advantages or creative possibilities did it provide?

The vast majority of moves I pulled off in the video would have been impossible without the F1.   From triggering different parts of my song to beat juggling while switching the basslines and synths to pad drumming and scratching, this was truly a new creative frontier for me.  This alone, being able to change loops and samples seamlessly while having vinyl control is unprecedented. Furthermore, you can save entire Remix Sets as a single file, so you never have to load in samples individually.   Just a single load command and BOOM, you’ve got an entire set with which to play.

What are your favorite features of the F1? Do you have a Top 3 or Top 5?

1. Being able to scratch loops & samples while triggering them all separately.

2. The colors of the F1. The F1 is hot! And you can choose the color for each pad.   I color coded my different parts to make interacting with my set as easy as possible (e.g. shades of purple for bass, shades of green for synths.)

3. Being able to save and load entire Remix Sets.

4. PUNCH mode.  It let’s you trigger loops/samples while maintaining relative position.

5. Flexibility.  You can use a single F1 to control all your decks.

6. MIDI mode.   Beyond the built in capabilities, you can write additional normal MIDI mappings using the device’s MIDI mode.

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This is my new favorite way to organize music before a gig:

1.  Make a Playlist Folder for the gig, and make a single Playlist in the folder called ALL. For Serato users (I’m a Traktor man), just make one gig crate and then the equivalent subcrates.

2.  Make a single playlist of all the songs you might want to play. Scour your other playlists and past sets to make a single, all-powerful gig playlist. Make sure you have enough tracks, but also that everything is really something you want to play. For a 1 hour set, I typically have 100-150 songs in the list.

3.  Make Playlists (Subcrates) in your gig Folder of all the different types of songs in the ALL Playlist.  That is, what are all the different types of tracks that you’d like in your set?  Create playlists based on feeling, energy, genre, etc.

4.  Sort the songs from your ALL Playlist, and only your ALL Playlist, into your new Folder Playlists.  Feel free to place a single song in more than one Playlist. I love this method because it focuses not only the songs you want to play, but also gives you easy access to finding the right song for the right moment.  Maybe I’m just a big moron, but in the past I’d have gig Playlists and then huge genre Playlists.  The result was inefficiency in finding the right song to match the idea in my head.  In short, you are doing normal music organization on a micro level with only the tracks you know you want to play. - DJ Shiftee

Don’t divide playlists by genre but by mood (aggressive, melancholy, soulful, etc.) and energy (slow, medium, fast.) If you practice enough and have good taste it will all come together naturally. Don’t worry about the “success” of anyone else, ever. Enjoy every gig and every moment you’re there…you’re a DJ! How much more fun can it get? Hard work pays off, it just takes a long time, so have fun all along the way. – Rx

Study the crowd like never before. At every gig you play, there are usually 1-3 people in the crowd or on the dancefloor that you need to pay attention to. These are the key individuals who set the tone of the night. They are usually the ones that set it off for everyone else. Everyone else is paying attention to them, but they would never admit it. These key people usually set the comfort zone and allow others to express themselves in ways that they would never do otherwise. They are also the first ones to dance, set the pace, and the tone of the night. If you study these key individuals during your set, and push their buttons, it will have a positive effect on you, others, and the whole night. It works everytime. – Mike Huckaby

Learn to pace yourself. Magic happens when it’s not forced. Try playing 3 of your favorite records in a row before you “go in” on the bangers. You will know when you’ve locked into a groove. It’s a feeling you’re after. Everything around you will blur, and it’s just you and the tunes. At that point, let the music tell you where to go, what to play next, how long to play it, how fast or slow it should be, how loud it should be, which FX to use, and how it should be EQ’d. – JP Solis

Turn your volume down. Most sound systems have a compressor on the front of house anyway, so cranking it louder and into the red on the mixer isn’t going to do anything but make everything sound worse. Louder does not necessarily equal better. Keep your volume at a reasonable level and give the front of house sound guy some headroom and he’ll make sure you sound good. Give him a distorted signal and there’s nothing he can do except turn you down. – Adam Freeland via Professor Steve Nalepa from the studio in Brighton, UK.

I use iTunes extensively to edit tags and find ways to classify the music through creating different additional categories and make sure my genre/sub genre listings are all uniform and together. In iTunes also I worked out a more detailed system of playlists starting with larger general ones, then working with that list to create more specific sub-folders, for instance a folder called Latin America, then subfolders based on countries: Puerto Rico, Cuba, NYC, DR, Colombia, etc. In addition, I’ll organize that list by genres and artists. This helps me create mixes that have more common narratives, and when I want to find something I have it at my fingertips along with other songs that share some common characteristic or criteria. This process of filing and categorization has helped me also become better at keeping my vinyl shelves organized and has given me new ways of thinking about the music and what goes together. All of this has taken a lot of time. I’ve been using iTunes for over 8 years and am just getting around to making sense of it. It didn’t happen overnight but it’s an ongoing process and a rewarding one. – Martín Perna

Exercise your patience as DJ and the audience will follow. Don’t mix too fast unless the crowd demands it. If it’s a packed room and they’re ready, go all in, but if they’re still warming up, build their anticipation for the rest of the night (you want them to be there all night, right?). – Alex Burkat

Use Traktor’s Sample Decks to create loops of the best parts of your tracks. Before sampling the track, make sure that the track is perfectly beatgridded to a metronome, and use the sample decks to create loops that you would want to use in a live performance. To do this, create a loop in a track deck, then click and drag from the deck header to a sample deck slot. To save the sample you will need to un-mute the sample slot and either let the sample play all the way through 3 times, or you can just turn the sample slots play button on and off 3 times really fast. The loop will then be saved under Track Collection – All Samples. Once you have a bunch of loops saved, you can additionally rename the loops by clicking on the track name in the browser. I like to keep my loops named under 15 characters long. – DJ Endo

photo by Taylor Seven-Divine Flash

Don’t let your computer go to sleep while DJing. If your computer puts the display or hard drive to sleep during the middle of a performance, it will make the audio stutter, drop out, or freeze. Before you perform, you can change your system preferences to make sure this won’t happen. Open “System Preferences.”Go to the “Energy Saver” settings. Set “Computer Sleep” and “Display Sleep” to “never.” Uncheck the box by the option to “put the hard disk to sleep when possible.” After the show, you can change the energy settings back to its original settings to preserve your computer’s lifespan during day to day use. – DJ Kiva

Learn to produce. Unless you have some exemplary skill you can showcase (DMC-style scratching, controllerism tricks, amazing audio/visual presentation), then producing your own music in conjunction with DJing is the best way to make a name for yourself. – Matt Cellitti

http://blog.dubspot.com/files/2012/03/djthumb3.jpg

In January, Native Instruments hinted they will be releasing a new DJ controller to go along with the Traktor 2.5 software update. Today, they reveal the brand new Traktor Kontrol F1 controller with it’s multi-colored LED pads to access the new Remix DecksTM in Traktor Pro 2.5, software in a video with Dubspot Instructor and turntablist extraordinaire DJ Shiftee performing a new routine and bolstered by the one and only Greg Nice. The F1 is in stores May 30th. Shiftee is currently down in Austin for SXSW, and we asked him about his favorite features of the F1 and the creative advantages and possibilities the new controller provides for DJs and producers.

Do you think the F1 is going to change the face of Digital DJing?

It certainly has the potential to change the way producers DJ and DJs produce. Honestly it’s the best product I’ve seen that allows you to incorporate live production seamlessly into a DJ context, really by far. It’s the first time you can load in your production sets aka “remix sets” and easily scratch it, juggle it, mix it, sync it, and do everything you’d normally do to a single track, only now you have control over all these different samples and loops.

How did you prepare/compose this new routine?

I worked off of a beat I already had made: PLS DNT STP ft. LAZERlibby – Raise The Temprature (Shiftee Remix) [LU20 Records] (out now on Beatport *cough cough*). Before I started bouncing loops, I already had an idea in my head of how the routine would proceed: intro launching of samples -> short intro tricks -> normal triggering -> beat juggling while changing loops -> scratching while changing loops -> pad drumming using one shot samples. I wanted to show a nice range of the F1’s potential in a turntablist context. Then it was just a matter of bouncing everything and figuring out how exactly I was going to pull everything off, especially transitions between sections. Once Greg Nice came on board, this became a lot easier.

How comfortable was it to use the F1’s interface in a turntablism routine?

It was surprisingly comfortable. I incorporate Traktor 2.5’s “PUNCH MODE” a lot in the routine, which allows you to switch between loops and samples without restarting them from the beginning. In this mode, if I go from Sample A to Sample B, Sample B’s audio will begin in the same position as the one I just left in Sample A. In short, this allowed me to implement beat juggle techniques while changing loops since every sample entered with the same relative position.

Otherwise, scratching one of these Remix Sets feels no different from scratching a normal track. You can powerdown, hit the stop/star, and pitch correct while changing samples/loops. Mamma mia!

How did you utilize the F1’s features, and what advantages or creative possibilities did it provide?

The vast majority of moves I pulled off in the video would have been impossible without the F1. From triggering different parts of my song to beat juggling while switching the basslines and synths to pad drumming and scratching, this was truly a new creative frontier for me. This alone, being able to change loops and samples seamlessly while having vinyl control is unprecedented. Furthermore, you can save entire Remix Sets as a single file, so you never have to load in samples individually. Just a single load command and BOOM, you’ve got an entire set with which to play.

What are your favorite features of the F1? Do you have a Top 3 or Top 5?

1. Being able to scratch loops & samples while triggering them all separately.

2. The colors of the F1. The F1 is hot! And you can choose the color for each pad. I color coded my different parts to make interacting with my set as easy as possible (e.g. shades of purple for bass, shades of green for synths.)

3. Being able to save and load entire Remix Sets.

4. PUNCH mode. It let’s you trigger loops/samples while maintaining relative position.

5. Flexibility. You can use a single F1 to control all your decks.

6. MIDI mode. Beyond the built in capabilities, you can write additional normal MIDI mappings using the device’s MIDI mode.

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Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro: Pt 1/3 – The Routine w/ DJ Shiftee

Optimize Your Windows PC for DJing & Music Production Pt. 2

Digital DJing Tutorial w/ Traktor Pro 2: Pt 2/3 – Loop Recorder w/ DJ Shiftee

How to Sync Traktor & Ableton Live: Routing Audio w/ Dubspot’s DJ Endo

How to Sync Traktor & Maschine With Only 1 Computer

DJ Extensive Program

Immerse yourself in the complete art of DJing from beatmatching to stage presence. Whether you’re a beginner in search of the fundamentals or a seasoned pro looking to take your talent to the next level, our curriculum is designed to accommodate all skill levels and styles of music. This comprehensive DJ program covers everything from basic mixing to advanced digital DJing. Learn more about our DJ courses and programs.

What’s Included:

• DJ Level 1: Rookie Sessions | Essentials I
• DJ Level 2: Phrase Mixing | Essentials II
• DJ Level 3: Beyond The Blend | Intermediate Skills
• DJ Level 4: Preparation | DJ Psychology
• DJ Level 5: Classroom to the Club | Advanced Techniques I
• DJ Level 6: Club to the World | Advanced Techniques II

“I love the class, and the content! Shiftee and Endo are very funny, and very clear, so the material is easy and fun to follow! I wish my college   teachers  were more like these two!” – Leandro Martinez, Chicago IL

Start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

Or if you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

http://blog.dubspot.com/files/2011/12/DjThumb.jpg

What makes a great DJ? There is no single answer to this question.  At Dubspot, we want to help you figure out and achieve what great DJing means to you.   The goal of our DJ program is to make that choice as well-informed as possible.  The journey will be extremely rewarding.  We can’t wait to take it with you!  In the meantime, here are some tips from our talented instructors to get you started.

1. Thorough preparation is very valuable, especially with the constant barrage of new music DJs must face on a daily basis. I generally won’t play a track in a live set until I’ve: Beat Gridded it, Run it through Mixed In Key, Marked every key section of the song with Cue Points, Set strategic loops on cool parts and vocal phrases, Written appropriate notes in the comments field of my browser, and Organized it into all the appropriate playlists. This way even if a song is brand new, I can play it as if I’ve known it for years. - DJ Shiftee

2. If you are a warm up DJ don’t play banging stuff.  Warm up the crowd properly.  Nothing will get you not invited back worse than coming on to an empty room and playing every banging hit track.  It won’t work and you will piss off the promoter and the people playing afterward.  Feel it out and warm up to a peak.  The party will go well and people will want to book you again. - Matt Shadetek

DJ Endo, Dubspot Instructor and Native Instrument DJ Product Specialist

3. Check out the latest evolution of DJ Technology with Traktor’s new Sample Decks. While it’s possible to drop your own loops and one shots into Traktor’s sample decks and play them in perfect sync with what your DJing, I find it most intriguing that you can actually create your OWN samples, grabbing the favorite parts of all of your tracks and building your own library of samples made out of tracks that you own. – DJ Endo

4. There are 2 kinds of DJ’s – Ones who take requests and ones who don’t. Be the latter.  Also: Practice without headphones and you can master beat matching. - Raz Mesiani / Badawi

DJ Shiftee, in action!

5. If the DJ booth is visible to the crowd, you are performing whether you like it or not.  Visibly acting like you are enjoying/engaged with what youare doing goes a long way.  Energy is contagious. - DJ Shiftee

6. Always be prepared. Even if the spot claims to guarantee turntables, CDJs, controllers, slip mats, needles, and or built in interfaces… BRING YOUR OWN! You don’t want to be unpleasantly surprised at the venue. Also – always bring a line in cable. If everything is just plain wrong at the gig but you still have to play something… that line in will plug to your laptop, ipod or phone. That will be your gig saver. - Mike Rivera / OneMic

7. When blending tracks together, lower/cut the bass on one of the tracks to create room for the other track. If you cut the bass on the track you’re blending into, the vocals & other mid-range sounds will still be audible (but you’ll be hearing them with the old bass line!). if there’s vocals on the old track, consider lowering the mids to save sonic space for the new vocals. Alternately – if you cut the bass on the track you’re leaving, it creates a smoother transition to the new track because the heaviest elements of the old song will be gone drawing attention & emphasis to the new track. - Sean Clements

8. Develop a knowledge of tempo, especially if you play music within a wide range of genres. If you’re a digital DJ, make sure all your music is tagged with the accurate BPM. Even when you’re just doing recreational listening, make sure the BPM column in your iTunes (or other music library program) is visible, and make a mental note of the BPM of the song as you’re hearing it. You can go through each song and manually add the BPM, or use a program like Mixed in Key to analyze batches of music identifying BPM and key of songs (for harmonic mixing). If you’re using vinyl, use mailing labels or masking tape to make notes about BPM and breaks on the album sleeves of songs. - Martin Perna

9. Know your tunes. Develop your musical memory by playing tunes over and over, until you can sing them in your head. If you can hum the tune when you look at the album cover, it’s yours. - JP Solis

10. When you are performing live and find yourself confused in a mix – turn your headphones and monitor down to re-gain control of your ears (and the mix.) Your ears fatigue from high volume levels and you need to give them a break to perform well. Often when DJs feel “lost” in the mix it’s a matter of the headphones or monitor (or both) being too loud. Make a habit of turning down your headphones and monitor between mixes to give your ears a chance to bounce back and work properly. - Michael Walsh

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Our instructors are more than talented musicians, more than human software manuals and more than insightful critics; they are mentors, genuinely interested in seeing students develop and grow as artists. Their collective experience spans many fields, continents and years. They are the heart of your Dubspot experience. For more information on our talented staff please check out our Instructors page to learn more about the unique people who work for Dubspot. For information on classes at Dubspot please check our NYC Courses and Online School for course listings.

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Dubspot is excited to present a series of live streaming workshops from masters of production, VJing, drumming, and improvisation. The first of these will feature Brazil’s Percussivo Mundo Novo, a project led by percussion innovator Mikael Mutti, whose equally genre-busting infusions of Brazilian rhythms and music has led him to digital percussion wizardry that includes analog drums and video game controllers. On July 29, we’ll have none other than Philadelphia’s genre-melting legend King Britt and his live album experimentations with Rucyl Mills and their project Saturn Never Sleeps. On August 1st, all the way from Holland, DJ Irie will demonstrate his use of Serato and Ableton Live for his work as a battle VJ and turntablist.

DJ Irie will be coming through to show off his work as both a top-notch turntablist, and a VJ. Spinning primarily throwback hip-hop, DJ Irie combines his encyclopedic knowledge of the genre with an equally explorative visual accompaniment. DJ Irie can be seen flexing his scratch skills in this recent Ustream recording. Irie can also be seen playing at the Bowery Poetry Club and Diety NYC when he’s not hanging out at Dubspot. Check out the show details below.

DJ IRIE
Monday Aug 1st 4:30-6:00PM
Facebook RSVP

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Back in April, DMC world champ, globetrotting party-smasher, and Dubspot instructor DJ Shiftee delivered a wicked, mind-blowing set at Public Assembly in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in a lineup that included next generation bass music producer Peason Sound/Ramadanman and UK dance music stalwart Zed Bias/Maddslinky, as part of their North American tour presented by Surefire and Dubspot. It was the NYC stop  In true Shiftee breeze through an early, jaw-droppingly eclectic set of boundary pushing electronic dance music, from intoxicating bass-heavy sounds of dubstep pioneers Digital Mystikz and Horsepower Productions to bugged-out advanced grime bangers from Rude Kid and Terror Danjah and advanced melodic beat madness from LA’s Nguzunguzu (here remixed by Brenmar) and London’s Zomby to the synthy freshness of +Verb and Zeppy Zep! Shiftee also dropped some exclusive dubs he’s been cooking up with friend and collaborator Rx of Dusk Collective!

TRACKLIST
1. Komonazmuk – Bad Apple
2. Synkro – Everybody Knows
3. Mr. Slash – 1999
4. Rude Kid – Winter Remix
5. Nguzunguzu – Mirage (Brenmar Remix)
6. SBTRKT & Sampha – Evening Glow
7. XXXY – You Always Start It
8. Turboweekend – Something Or Nothing (2000F & JKamata Remix)
9. 12th Planet & Plastician – Westside Dub
10. Marcus Price & Carli – Bubbelgum (Sam Tiba Remix)
11. Terror Danjah ft. Swindle – Kiss Chase
12. Kito & Reija Lee – This City
13. Jay-Z – Hard Knock Life
14. +Verb – Cough
15. Kastle – Time Traveler
16. Horsepower Productions – Classic Deluxe
17. Rx – Fox Grindin’
18. Mr. Slash – Do Some Work (Instrumental)
19. Teddy – Last Phone Call
20. Wonder – Full Metal Jacket
21. DCult – Requiem
22. Nicki Minaj – Did It On’em
23. L-Wiz – Straightjacket
24. Ill-Esha & AntiSerum – Zephyr
25. Rx & Shiftee – Space Ace
26. Take – Neon Beams (The Clonious Remix)
27. Chris Brown ft. Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes – Look At Me Now
28. Malilone – Bis Gleich
29. Zomby – Digital Fauna
30. Mr. Mitch – Pimp Shoes
31. Jon E Cash – Spanish Fly
32. Numan – The Zoo
33. DJ Jonty – Grindin (Kastle’s Edit of an Edit)
34. Tom Encore – Spellbound (Zeppy Zep Remix)
35. Goth Trad – Far East Assassin
36. Digital Mystikz – Pop Pop Epic

DJ Shiftee is a 2x DMC World Champion and Dubspot Instructor currently heating up dancefloors around the globe with fresh beats and sounds! Shiftee along with DJ Endo are the designers of Dubspot’s groundbreaking new DJ program, Digital DJing with Traktor Pro 2, a three level course that reflect the present landscape DJing with Native Instruments next generation DJ technology, harnessing traditional as well as cutting edge DJ concepts and techniques. Read more about Digital DJing with Traktor Pro 2. Follow Shiftee on Twitter & find him on Facebook.

Digital DJing Program w/ Traktor Pro 2

Online classes start the week of July 3rd and NYC on the week of September 12th!

• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Level 1: Introduction to DJing
• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Level 2: Phrase Mixing
• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Level 3: Beyond The Beatmatch

Starting with a historical overview, students will learn the fundamental concepts of the DJ via Traktor’s intuitive interface. They will then begin to delve into the vast array of new possibilities offered by this groundbreaking software, recording their work along the way. Students will leave with finished DJ mixes, a thorough introduction to DJing with Traktor, and a skill set and knowledge base perfect for further development.

NYC

• Dubspot’s complete Digital DJing course load
• 21 hours of hands-on instruction
• Additional instructor-supervised lab hours

ONLINE

• Dubspot’s complete Digital DJing course load
• 30-40 hours of high quality videos
• 3 hours of instructor-led chat sessions per week
• Direct video & audio feedback from instructors

Dubspot’s Digital DJing w/ Traktor: Course Overview – DJ Shiftee & DJ Endo

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DJ Excess, a two-time International Turntablist Federation champion and a Dubspot instructor, provides this edition of the Dubspot Podcast series. It’s a mix made up mostly of his own disco edits plus a remix of his. Disco is just one of the many styles Excess is interested in though – he came up through house music, got deep into hip hop as a result of scratching, and also digs experimental music like Philip Glass and Steve Reich (often called the father of sampling). In December he’ll go on a European tour with members of his group Ned Hoddings. But enough from us, listen to what he has to say instead:

Tell us about your history as a DJ.

Started as a deejay in my later years of high school. I didn’t want to be in school any more so I interned through City As School at Logic Records. I learned a little about the music industry at that time and I was spinning house. At the label I started getting more into scratching. We watched a world final DMC video that Roc Raida won in Italy and I decided I wanted to compete more. I saw all these house deejays who were getting gigs but really sucked. I was like, I don’t want to be that type of deejay, I want to have skills. ‘98 was my first competition and I placed 10th in the Eastern Hemisphere competition out of ten people. But in ‘99 I won a regional Eastern competition for the International Turntables Federation advancement class championships. Then I lost to some kid from the West Coast in the finals. But in 2000 I won two championships. From scratching I started getting more into hip hop. From there I just kept on doing my thing.

What are some of your hip hop influences?

A lot of East Coast emcees like Nas and Biggie, but I definitely liked obscure hip hop like De La Soul, who weren’t that big at the time, or The Roots. Late ’90s underground stuff like Fondle ‘Em Records and Company Flow too.

How did you come to Dubspot?

I met Dan Giove [Dubspot's founder] at a DMC competition last year where I was performing. I was teaching at another school in the area. I wanted to push my teaching into more things like different Ableton levels and be in a more progressive environment, and Dan gave me that opportunity. I’m teaching DJing, turntablism, and the first three levels of Ableton.

Are you producing?

Yea, I started using Ableton for my live show, and I started using the program more for production and learned stuff on my own. I’m still always learning even while I’m teaching.

Tell us about the mix.

It’s mostly my own edits of disco tracks I like from the mid-’70s. There’s a lot of tracks I like – I’ll like the groove of the instrumental – but sometimes I just won’t feel the acapella or the lyrics or whatever. I would also use Ableton to maybe warp them a bit or put harder drums in the background and rearrange the instrumentals. And the last track is a remix I did off of Phoenix 1901. I downloaded the stems that they had put out from their album at that point and did a broken beat remix of it. You can be really creative with Ableton, but I wanted to keep the essence of mixing in there. But I’m still using some of the effects like delays.

A lot of deejays say to keep it real and stick to turntables. What do you think?

There’s a quote from this woman who did a lot of illustration for the NY Times and just had a book released. She said something to the effect of, “It doesn’t matter what medium you use to translate your idea as long as your idea is dope. That’s all that matters.” The journey and the process are great, but sometimes you need to just step back and listen to the end result. Being in a music school, you get caught up in the process of it and can get geeked out on what you used to make it. But at the end of the day, if doesn’t sound right, it doesn’t sound right.

You’ve been moving through musical genres and melting barriers. What are some of the unexpected genres you listen to now or in the past?

I still like a lot of experimental stuff. Being more of a sample based producer, I’m always digging for records. So a lot of Steve Reich, a lot of stuff on ECM, Philip Glass. Just really progressive artists from that era who are still relevant now. If you take a listen to their stuff now, it’s still progressive in the thought process. Maybe not in the way they were doing it but the concept. You can take a four bar Boney M loop and have it be an amazing, star-studded track and people won’t even know what it is. They think it’s all original but it’s just sampling. But that’s about knowing the history of where the music came from. And apparently the Boney M track is actually a cover of another song. It’s like a German classical song. That’s how all music started. That’s how dance music started.

Is your production getting out there?

I’m constantly trying to send beats to different artists. I did scratches on Fat Joe’s last album for a track called “Rappers Are In Danger”. And I’m going on a European tour in December, so I’m working on music for that. I had a group called Ned Hoddings but we disbanded, and its basically members from that. It includes Toadstyle from Chicago, D-Styles who was in Invisible Scratch Picklez, and our boy Dario who is in a group called Blah Blah Blah. It’s kind of a band with three turntablists.

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DJ Excess – Our Way Disco Mix

Bombers – “Shake”
J.R. Funk And The Love Machine – “Feel Good Party Time”
Funkapolitan – “As The Time Goes By”
D.C. LaRue – “Cathedrals”
Charanga 76 – “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now”
Golden Flamingo Orchestra Featuring Margo Williams – “The Guardian Angel Is Watching Over Us”
Bumblebee Unlimited – “Lady Bug” (John Morales Mix)
Voyage – “I Love You Dancer”
Light Of The World – “Time”
Cissy Houston – “Somebody Should Have Told Me”
Boney M. – “Felicidad” (Margherita)
Atmosfear – “Dancing In Outer Space”
Phoenix – “1901″ (DJ Excess Remix)

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