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Thread: I’m Now A Hobby DJ

  1. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by DJ Bobcat View Post
    When I had my DJ business, I used Traktor. Of all the DJ apps I tried, Traktor was the most intuitive to me, though it did lack features the other major players have in their apps. Despite some recent updates, Traktor still lags behind. Nevertheless, it worked fine for me. Now that I’m a hobby DJ, I probably would not pay for DJ software. I already own several Traktor licenses, so I’ll still use it, but I’ve discovered that Mixxx works just fine, and it’s free. If I had never bought my Traktor licenses, and had only DJ’d as a hobby, I’d be satisfied to use Mixxx. Of course it was not always as good and as stable as it is now, but the current version is really quite good, and it runs on Linux, so you can build your DJ system around all free software, and not have to deal with forced updates.
    Yes, I agree that Mixxx is now at the point that even a professional(?) DJ can use it - as long as you don't need video (like Traktor).

    IMHO, there is no perfect DJ software. Serato, Traktor, Mixvibes, VDJ, Mixxx - all are good and all now have far more similarities than differences. Use what you are most comfortable with and fits your workflow.

    However, the fact that Mixxx runs on Linux might be a huge plus depending on how Microsoft rolls out Windows 11 - our "free" Windows 10's might become expensive!

  2. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by DJ Bobcat View Post
    When Covid hit, ALL my gigs got canceled, but I had already scaled back, and wasn’t advertising anymore. All my business was through word-of-mouth, and I was only doing fund raisers and corporate events. It was a great niche for me. Most of those events have NOT returned. The DJ business was never a big money maker. It kept me active after I retired from my IT career, so all I really cared about was breaking even. Seven years in business, and only three were profitable, but it allowed me to buy whatever gear I wanted. Now that I’m approaching 70, it’s getting kinda hard to setup and tear down by myself, so I’m not going to do anything requiring big setups. I’ll do some private parties, perhaps, but nothing too strenuous. I had a lot of fun, and made some great friends. It was worth it. I already sold my minivan. I still have an SUV, but it doesn’t hold as much, so there’s no temptation to load up a ton of gear and do a big event. I’m moving to the sticks in Texas in about a year and a half. The town I’m moving to has less than 3000 people... probably not much call for DJ’s. I can still play for my wife and my dog... and the wildlife.😂


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    I've been on the Technical side of Storage sales in OK for about 25 years, we may have crossed paths at some point!!

  3. #13
    Moderator DJ Bobcat's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hanginon View Post
    ...
    However, the fact that Mixxx runs on Linux might be a huge plus depending on how Microsoft rolls out Windows 11 - our "free" Windows 10's might become expensive!
    Windows 11 is another topic, but an important one. I have too much software that runs on Windows to scrap it altogether, but I could live without it for DJing. Using Linux on my DJ computer just means it will perform better and won’t become obsolete as soon. That’s a good thing. I have enough computers that I shouldn’t have to buy another one in my lifetime.😊

  4. #14
    Moderator DJ Bobcat's Avatar
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    I’m Now A Hobby DJ

    Hi everybody!😊 I thought I’d provide an update, as I’ve had some interesting developments occur since I last posted. I moved from Oklahoma to Texas about a year and a half ago. I now live in a very rural area, about 10 miles from the nearest small town. I LOVE the area. It’s beautiful and peaceful.

    What I wasn’t prepared for was NO Internet… at least none to speak of. Cell phone coverage is spotty too. I thought we had DSL in our subdivision, but it was already maxed out, and they are taking no new customers. I tried a cell based service, and it sucked, then I tried a satellite service and it sucked too. Finally, just a few months ago, I got StarLink, and while it isn’t perfect, it actually resembles real Internet. I can finally participate in Internet forums again.😊

    So after moving here, I was asked to serve on the board of our property owners association. We have our annual meeting soon, and since we are a very low budget association, I thought I’d pull out some of my DJ gear and play some music. I had planned to sell most of my gear before moving, but I ran into a time crunch, so I moved most of it here. However, we downsized, and my gear has been out in the garage for over a year.

    A little over a week ago, I went out and pulled my Small System out, and set it up in my office. I had forgotten that I had installed a different All-In-One PC reset the O/S, and reinstalled all the software, in order to prepare the system for selling. I had also removed a few internal components to simplify the internal wiring. However, it’s still a pretty nice little system. It has a Denon MC6000MK2 controller, a Rolls mixer, and a dual wireless mic system. I was able to get everything working pretty quickly, except for one wireless mic, in which I had mistakenly neglected to remove the batteries. They leaked, and the corrosion was too serious to eradicate.

    I had installed Traktor 3 Pro on the PC, but I never set it up to work with the Denon Controller, and I had removed my music library, which was previously mounted inside the rack on a portable USB drive, and was plugged into a USB hub, also buried inside the rack. Anyway, I decided to install the latest version of Mixxx DJ software. I got it installed, and it was pretty easy to set up. Then I imported my music library, as well as the playlist I want to use. However, Mixxx has one quirk that I have not figured out how to work around. I want to play a playlist using the Auto DJ function. Unfortunately, the Auto DJ has a mind of its own, and does not play my playlist in the order I want. So I set up Traktor, because I know Cruise Mode will play my playlist automatically, and in the order I establish.

    Today I put my Gig Bag together. I never planned to DJ again, so the stuff I used to have in my Gig Bag was disbursed into various bins and drawers all over the house and garage. It took a couple of hours to get it all back together. I also repacked a tool bag, with various items for doing quick repairs if necessary.

    Now all that’s left to do is pack it all up in the SUV. I sold my minivan some time before we left Oklahoma, so our SUV is the only thing I have to transport my small system, table, bags, and two RCF EVOX-8’s It’s overkill for this little event, but I love the way this system sounds, and setup really won’t be very difficult.

    There is no pay involved, and only one of my fellow board members even knows I plan to bring a PA system. They’ve never had one at any meeting before. It should be fun!😊


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    Last edited by DJ Bobcat; 10-18-2023 at 04:23 PM.

  5. #15
    Deez Beats! KLH's Avatar
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    I think many of DJF's mobile DJs find themselves in a similar situation. (I know I do.) It's great to hear others' stories during these challenging times.

    Thanks for sharing, everyone.
    -KLH
    Visit DJF's Beginner's MEGA thread and drop by my Facebook Fan Page.
    I've read the books like How to DJ right... to learn about... beatmatching, phrasing w/e , Speed Test Scrabble Word Finder Solitaire but when I go to mix...

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