The Ways of Becoming a Disc Jockey - Essay Example

The first consideration in becoming a DJ then is acquiring the necessary equipment. While there is nearly an endless amount of technology or equipment that DJs have incorporated, all DJs must have some basic technology. In terms of basic technology, it is necessary that DJs first purchase two turntables ("discjockey101"). Turntables are the actual systems that play the records. While turntables are recognized as an antiquated technology, they are necessary for DJs as this allows them to ‘spin’ or manipulate the record to achieve a particular effect of speed.

One remembers that speed is highly important in the club environment, as with record speed the DJ controls the mood and overall ambiance of the experience. The necessity of having two turntables is to ensure that there is always music being played. In this way, the DJ prepares one song to coincide directly with the end of the next song. In addition to two turntables, a DJ must have headphones, RCA stereo cables, and a DJ mixer. The DJ mixer is a complex piece of equipment that is nonetheless essential for the DJ’s job.

This piece of equipment has a crossfader. The crossfader allows the DJ to switch the music from the first turntable to the second turntable. Specifically, this instrument fades the music between the two turntables to ensure that the transition is seamless. . One of the most overarching considerations when choosing which records to match is the drumbeat. The drumbeat is highly important, as it is this element that most dominantly influences dancing within the club ("manhole"). Another prominent consideration relates to the song’s introduction and conclusion.

These elements are referred to as the ‘intro’ and ‘outro’. These elements are highly important as they allow the DJ to find unique or seamless elements in combing songs. While the ‘outro’ generally refers to the song’s ending, it is also possible for a song to have a breakpoint. The breakout is a period in the song when the DJ can seamlessly transition from it to the next song. While the drumbeat is a very important consideration, there are also recognitions involving BPM. BPM refers to beats per minute.

The beats per minute are essential as it designates a specific speed of record that is necessary for the club’s specific atmosphere. Additionally, beats per minute designate specific genres of dance music. Generally, hip-hop songs are under 115 beats per minute. Hard-house songs are over 125 BPM. Finally, drum and bass, and Jungle music are nearly twice as fast as hip-hop music, as they are between 160 to over 200 beats per minute. In terms of the specific process of beat matching, DJs must listen for the ‘outro’ of the first song.

They then match the ‘outro’ of the first song with the first beat of the ‘intro’ of the new song. In this way, there is a seamless transition as the ending of the first song matches the beat of the next. A final consideration in terms of beat matching is the volume and pitch. DJ equipment allows the DJ to set a specific volume and pitch for each turntable. It is then necessary to have the same