7 Useful Lessons from the World's Best DJ's and Producers

Nowadays, there are a lot of people trying to get noticed as a DJ or Producer. But the artists that are popular now, had to go through that same journey. Since they already have the experience, there's is a lot that can be learned from these people. Are you always ready to learn? Then take a look at these 7 useful lessons from the world's best DJ's and Producers.

1: DJ Tiësto

''I've always wanted to be a DJ so I could play the music I love for other people. That feeling hasn't changed, but my sets are always evolving.''

If you don't know what you're ultimate goals are, it's hard to make a good plan of action. When setting up your goals, it's important to be honest with yourself, because in the long run these goals will help to challenge you. Part of DJ Tiësto's long successful career, is his ability to set challenges and improve himself.

2: Armin van Buuren

''Who am I? I'm just a humble law student from the Netherlands, who's not into drugs or crazy after partying or making money. I'm just in this industry because I'm really, truly passionate about this music, and I hope that shines through.''

Sometimes you might wonder if you're missing out on a lot of fun by preferring to stay home for once and work on your music. Just remember that all the time spent, might pay off in the end. If you're passionate about what you're doing and you work hard to achieve your goals, people will take notice. Staying humble even when gaining popularity is a great personality trait and will increase your likeability, which can attract even more fans.  

3: Carl Cox

''I've always tried to be creative as a DJ. My schooling came from hip hop era within the hip hop parameters on house music. Always quick mix-ins, quick idea's, quick change in records just to keep the vibe alive, real and exciting. Set the record playing but also put my own soul into what I'm doing.''   

Creativity is very important, but it's also important to be recognizable. A lot of artists can be recognized by a particular sound or phrase, which is part of their own style. You also have a unique style, influenced by your favourite artists and/or genres. It may take time to find your style, but when you do, try to bring this forward as much as possible.
Think about yourself as a brand, what are you famous for?

4: Avicii

''There's always haters, no matter what you're doing - whether they're complaining that everything you do sounds the same, or it's too different.''

Probably one of the most important things to learn, is to believe in yourself. Like Avicii says, there's always haters. Don't let them hold you back from achieving your goals. Issues with self-esteem can hold back the most talented individual from achieving their full potential. Don't take criticism too personal, but also try to gain as much feedback and advice as possible. Maintaining a good balance between this can be stressful, but it will help to keep your head cool when you gain more popularity.

5: Steve Aoki

''It's a really diverse time in music, with all these different DJ's and all these different categories, and we are all taking footnotes from everyone else. There are no real genre boundaries anymore; you can put a trance idea in a trap record - it's not that uncommon.''

The recent developments in EDM certainly open up a whole lot more possibilities for DJ's and Producers. There are hundreds, if not thousands of music genres and sub-genres available to experiment with. Even if you have your own style or a preferred genre, a lot can be gained by learning elements or tricks used in other genres.

6: Skrillex

''The people who I grew up making music with, we've all grown up and become successful in different ways. My manager supported me since I was 16 and believed in me as a musician. He's been there since day 1, and there's so much to be said about doing something with people you love.''

This shows that surrounding yourself with the right people, can make a lot of difference. Although it's important to believe in yourself, working together allows you to learn from and motivate each other. Many like-minded artists are always looking for collaborations, asking around in your network is a good place to start if you want to find them.

7: David Guetta

''Every time I come with an album, I try to do something different. And obviously my life has an influence on how I feel and the type of message I want to give with the music.''

Doing the same thing over and over again can get boring.
On the other hand, changing up your procedure or looking
for innovation can freshen things up, for you as well as your audience. 

Next to that, it's also good to know where your inspiration comes from. So you can tap into that source when it's necessary. Most popular artists can convey certain emotions with their music, which is an admirable skill to possess.


These were 7 lessons from the world's best DJ's and Producers, thank you for reading!
Any other lessons that you learned from DJ's and Producers? Please share them in the comments!

Product Review: Reloop Beatmix

Since 1996, Reloop has been focussing on creating the best possible turntables. Their line of Beatmixes is one of their latest efforts, made to appeal to beginners and advanced users. Beatmixes is plural, since there are multiple versions. However, this review describes the one with no number at the end, which was created with and for VirtualDJ.

When looking at the Beatmix for the first time, many will notice the huge aluminium jogs first. When giving them a spin, they feel like they are able to withstand many gigs and practice sessions. You'll be using them to browse through songs or for scratching, depending on which jog mode is activated. It's also nice that you are able to manage the sensitivity with small knobs at the back. This side also contains the USB entrance, sound outputs and the possibility for a Kensington Lock.The front contains inputs for a Headphone and a Microphone. Not too much, not too little.

Back on top, in the middle, is a simple browse section which is well executed. The decently sized knob allows easy access to folders, and makes it possible to search through many titles in a short amount of time. The 'A' and 'B' buttons for their respective decks make it easy to find and load the right song without having to touch the mouse. 

When a song is loaded, it's time to play it. The play section has four nicely sized buttons, controlling the Sync, Cup, Cue and Play features respectively. The Cup feature is a combination of Cue and Play, which instantly plays from a selected Cue point. The possibilities of the buttons are increased by the addition of Shift button, which in my opinion is genius. Holding Shift allows you to Return to the beginning of the song, Tap the tempo, activate Fader Start and Keylock.  

The EQ and Master sections are pretty self-explanatory and provides you with all you need. All the dials are nicely sized and allows precise control over the parameters. 

The faders also don't need much explanation and work like you would expect them to, sturdy but loose enough for those smooth transitions. In addition to the faders for the tempo, there are also Pitch Bend buttons.

The last section is reserved for FX, samples and loops. In my opinion this is where the Shift button really shines. It doesn't matter if you're using FX, samples or both, it's a great feeling to have everything under control using this small section. Setting up and controlling loops is made very easy as well, including the ability to move it in the right position in advance, or making a perfect loop on the fly. 

To conclude, I think it's really nice that they managed to put in so many functions without making it confusing or too big. The decent size also improves the portability and the quality of the materials give a sense of security that it will not break easily. All in all, it's simple enough for the DJ that's just getting started, but it has enough functions to allow an advanced DJ to be creative.

Product Review: Propellerhead Balance

Propellerhead is a Swedish company founded in 1994 by three people. The first product they released was called ReCycle, which allowed users to change the tempo of a loop without affecting the pitch. In the years following that, they released several products which were marketed to be used together with Cubase. But in the year 2000 they released their own DAW called Reason, which had many pro's when compared to the competition. In 2009 they released Record, which has won several awards. So most people would agree that they make quality software, but can the same be said about their shot at hardware?

In comes the Balance, equipped with a crazy amount of inputs and outputs. With the standard outputs for headphones and speakers, two mic inputs, two guitar inputs and two keyboard inputs (I think that should do it). Both volumes are adjustable by the two big knobs on the bottom of the device, and turning them feels very smooth.

If there are any devices connected, the ones that are currently active are indicated by a small light. The knobs to the left decide the volume and feel sturdy and lock in place. Even better is that everything can be recorded with a 96kHz sound quality. 

In terms of looks, it's definitely not an ugly duckling. The black finish feels almost like rubber and is soothingly soft to the touch. In my opinion the angle of the device makes it look good on any desk and a quick glance at the device provides an overview of everything you need to know. When all the inputs and outputs are taken, it can be a bit of a cable clutter at the back, but I guess that's unavoidable in any studio.

Good news and bad news for everyone who has become interested in Propellerheads after this review. It seemed that they thought that hardware was out of their league and is therefore offering major discounts off bundles with Reason Essentials. Mine even came with a free upgrade to Reason 7 and free Rack Extensions, so I advice you to look around for the best possible deal!

Pro's 
- High quality sampling up to 96kHZ
- Many different inputs and outputs
- Good design

Con's 
- They don't make them anymore