How Many Still Using CD's Only?

[East Anglian Discos]

Just curious how many mobile DJ are still using CD's only and resisting the computer/laptop route?

[Excalibur]

Do not forget to allow a category for the dedicated band of Luddites, who refuse to relinquish their Hard Drive Controllers. ( Although it may be possible to argue that they are in fact computers, just with a very limited aim in life. )

CDs as main playout? Nowadays, I struggle to cope with having just one thrust into my hands at a gig.

[yourdj]

Probably tons more that you could ever imagine

The best thing I did was go digital.

[chrisj]

I still use cd's and will never change as I don't see the point in using the time it would take me. I am retiring in less than 2 years though I will probably still do occasional gigs. I don't have a problem with cd's anyway.

[stormproductions]

I mainly do lighting nowadays and probably only DJ something lke 15 gigs a year so I'm excused for being a luddite...

I'm now a mixture of CD and digital and have so far only done one digital-only gig but have been using a combination for the last 8 gigs or so. My intention is to go digital only but I've got so many CDs and so little time that's it's going to take me forever to get everything ripped, but my main reason for sticking with CDs is the visual thing of seeing the spines of the cases and thinking 'ooh, there's something good on that album' but not having to know which track you're after, or being able to rapidly scan the back of a few Now CDs of a certain era to choose suitable tunes.

Am I the only one who chooses music slightly randomly like that? Do you guys who've been digitalled up for years find you only play a certain selection of music?

[Imagine]

Do you guys who've been digitalled up for years find you only play a certain selection of music?

I'm digital only

I only came back into the game in Feb this year, so it sort of made sense to go with lugging a laptop and a backup rather than crates of media around.

I do find though that there's a certain selection of between 150-200 tracks which get played regularly unless it's asked for or I have a sudden flash of inspiration. What makes the digital format so easy is that you can find a track quickly, and if you get asked for something obscure, download it and away you go.

I've gotta admit, it took a little getting used to (I used to be purely vinyl), but now I'm up to speed, I think I actually prefer it

[funkymook]

I mainly do lighting nowadays and probably only DJ something lke 15 gigs a year so I'm excused for being a luddite...

I'm now a mixture of CD and digital and have so far only done one digital-only gig but have been using a combination for the last 8 gigs or so. My intention is to go digital only but I've got so many CDs and so little time that's it's going to take me forever to get everything ripped, but my main reason for sticking with CDs is the visual thing of seeing the spines of the cases and thinking 'ooh, there's something good on that album' but not having to know which track you're after, or being able to rapidly scan the back of a few Now CDs of a certain era to choose suitable tunes.

Am I the only one who chooses music slightly randomly like that? Do you guys who've been digitalled up for years find you only play a certain selection of music?

I get the visual recognition thing - I did the same when I used CD's. But I find I actually play a far wider range of tunes now I'm digital.

The biggest difference in regards to tune selection is it takes me a second to load a track and listen to it, I could easily audition 10+ tunes before deciding which one to use (try doing that with CD's with 90 seconds left on deck A - and then deciding the track on the 2nd CD is the right one with 10 seconds to go). Often I'll pick out something I never would've thought of and see how it sounds against the playing track, just because I can. I listen to far more music at a gig than I actually play.

But regardless of what format is used it's down to the DJ themselves how much of a rut they get stuck in.

[CRAZY K]

Just curious how many mobile DJ are still using CD's only and resisting the computer/laptop route?

Actually still using Mini Discs for all my instructed Dancing and also for background Country stuff.

As I believe Mini Disc is THE MOST RELIABLE mechanical non digital playout I often have the first track for Weddings on Mini Disc, not that I do many now.

Rest of the night got to be digital with Cortex, I used CDs for a while but worried about jumping tracks--never as bomb proof as claimed.

[yourdj]

Actually still using Mini Discs for all my instructed Dancing and also for background Country stuff.

As I believe Mini Disc is THE MOST RELIABLE mechanical non digital playout I often have the first track for Weddings on Mini Disc, not that I do many now.

Rest of the night got to be digital with Cortex, I used CDs for a while but worried about jumping tracks--never as bomb proof as claimed.

I lost work to a guy who until recently still taped his sets before he left for the night. I believe he has just moved to CD's!! That made me feel good as its the only event at my venue in 7 years (included in the package). I thought the meet went great, clearly not. I went down there to see what he was like and it was not actually bad, lots of talking, but people were dancing so can't complain.

With regards to finding obscure tracks in CD crates (I used to be CD) I work on Bpm mainly and mix music so find going digital has opened up a massive world of playing different tracks as i have a folder 379 tracks (at present) that I deem as 'popular party tunes' so can often find some quite interesting things in there, or will just select the music tab and open up every track i have. I also have at least a hundred other playlists ranging from African to Welsh LOL for more specified target which also have more obscure tracks. mostly use main folders, like "Blokes", "girls", "Chart" etc. but the party folder is predominant.

[RobKennedy]

I've been laptops for years - PCDJ Red I seem to remember was the first software I used - with a laptop on either side of the mixer and a CD player on standby.

Anyway rambling aside, I do think there is another move afoot for content to move from laptop to the controller/player as with the new pioneer stuff as an example.

I for one love a laptop for ease searching and being able to store a big catalog of music.