Intro to DJing Workshop with DJ Skinlayers
⏰ Time: 3:00 to 5:00PM
💵 Price: Suggested Donation $25
2 hours
Have you been curious how to get into DJing but didn't know how to get started? Then, this workshop is for you! Gabriel will demonstrate the basic techniques and aspects of DJing with a laptop and controller for a live club environment. Attendees will be given an opportunity to practice and experiment while having a veteran DJ on hand to answer questions and give practical advice.
Topics will include:
* Hardware/Software Setup & Overview
* Queueing Tracks via Headphones
* EQing
* BPM & Beat Matching
* Transitioning Between Tracks
* Preparing for a gig
* How to Handle Disasters During a Performance
* And more!!!
To keep the bar for entry low, this class will focus on laptop-based DJing with the free DJ software MIXXX. As such, we will not be covering stand-alone Pioneer DJ/Denon CDJ's and mixers, though the majority of what you will learn will also be applicable to those platforms as well as other DJ software such a Traktor Pro, Serato, VirtualDJ, etc. While you are welcome to attend this class without any hardware, to get the most out of it, we recommended at a minimum that you bring a laptop (Mac or Windows) with you. Don't forget the power cord!!!
Ideally, you should also bring:
* a MIXXX-certrified DJ controller, preferably with a built in audio interface (with ASIO drivers, if using a Windows laptop).
* https://manual.mixxx.org/2.4/
* https://manual.mixxx.org/2.4/
* Headphones that can plug into your DJ controller/audio interface.
* a USB cable that can connect your DJ controller to your laptop.
* a pair of small desktop speakers that can connect to your DJ controller/audio interface.
If you only have access to a DJ controller that is not supported by MIXXX, or one without a built-in audio interface you are welcome to bring it, but be aware we will have limited time to troubleshoot individual setups and address how other DJ software packages implement the features and techniques being demonstrated.
About Gabriel Totusek (DJ Skinlayers):
Gabriel has been spinning in Goth/Industrial clubs around the Seattle area for nearly 20 years. He is a resident at The Mercury@Machinewerks and can be seen performing there the first and second Fridays of each month at GASP and Ornament & Crime, respectively. He has also been found, on top of a Metro bus or in the middle of a storm, DJing at Burning Man from time to time. During the pandemic, he aided a number of his fellow DJs with the technical setup & troubleshooting required to livestream on Twitch. Since then, he has taken several artists under his wing and used his decades of experience to help give them the confidence and know-how to launch their DJ careers in the local club scene.
