How well do you know your collection?

Message

Lawrence · #16 Post by **Lawrence** » Fri Jul 11, 2003 12:12 pm

Swifty wrote:I find that when I'm DJing without the help of headphones I have a habit of only spinning the tried-and-true standbys I'm most familiar with. With headphones I'm a bit more ambitious in my selections.

Yes, exactly.

I was about to write the same thing.

Swifty · #17 Post by **Swifty** » Fri Jul 11, 2003 12:20 pm

Lawrence wrote:
Swifty wrote:I find that when I'm DJing without the help of headphones I have a habit of only spinning the tried-and-true standbys I'm most familiar with. With headphones I'm a bit more ambitious in my selections.
Yes, exactly. I was about to write the same thing.

So I guess my short answer to the thread's question is "Not very well."

Lawrence · #18 Post by **Lawrence** » Fri Jul 11, 2003 12:32 pm

I know the compilations from which I spin very well, but I only started making my own compilations four years ago, so there's a lot left out.

For me, knowing my collection is not just limited by the number of CDs I own, but moreso by time. It's been nine years since I began collecting avidly, and it's tough to remember what I bought nine years ago as well as what I bought last week, especially as my own tastes (and the tastes of "the scene") change and evolve.

If I limited my CD "shopping/exploring" to my own collection instead of the collection in record stores, I would do far better.

I completely agree with Kalman

that it is great to find lost/unknown gems in my own collection. While driving up to Dallas with Josh Ellinger two weeks ago, I "re-found" a Willie Smith with the Harry James Orchestra CD ("Snooty Fruity") that I must have obtained six or seven years ago: amazing stuff. And I kept exclaiming to Josh with a mixture of indignation and surprise, "Damn! I OWN this CD!!" I had NO idea it even existed; and I had even forgotten who Willie Smith was!!

Same thing with a 12-disc, "Capitol Classic Jazz Sessions" Mosaic set that I rediscovered while driving to Tucson last week.

Lawrence · #19 Post by **Lawrence** » Fri Jul 11, 2003 12:39 pm

KevinSchaper wrote:I actually noticed a decline in how well I knew my music when I started listening to audiobooks a lot while driving back and forth between eugene and portland instead of music.. having my music at work as mp3s has kinda made up for it.. but I find it's really hard to get to know stuff I only have on LP, cuz I just dont spend enough time at home listening to em.

I suspect there is a direct relation between having a long commute and how well you know your music collection. I just rediscovered a bunch of music on two road trips in the past two weeks.

A buddy of mine used to know L.A. punk bands amazingly well when he lived in L.A., and I suspect it had more to do with his commute time than with the fact that he lived in L.A. When he moved back East, he lost touch because the commute was shorter. Now that he's back in California (Silicon Valley), he's getting back in touch because he has a 45 minute commute, again, even though he's not in L.A.

mark0tz · #20 Post by **mark0tz** » Fri Jul 11, 2003 12:43 pm

Lawrence wrote:While driving up to Dallas with Josh Ellinger two weeks ago, I "re-found" a Willie Smith with the Harry James Orchestra CD ("Snooty Fruity") that I must have obtained six or seven years ago: amazing stuff.

Very nice CD.

Ron · #21 Post by **Ron** » Fri Jul 11, 2003 2:22 pm

Roy wrote:I normally DJ without ear-phone. When I buy a new CD I listen to it several times picking out the best songs for dancing. I then keep my own notes on each of those songs. Outside of those selected songs it is unlikely I would be able to recognize the song if someone else plays it.

A few CD's really stand out and I listen to them reguarly.

exactly the same for me.

yedancer · #22 Post by **yedancer** » Fri Jul 11, 2003 2:45 pm

Another problem I find is that I can never remember how fast a song is. Playing a fast song at the wrong time can be a bad thing, so unless I can preview the songs before I play them, I stick to the "tried and true" stuff that I'm familiar with.

djstarr · #23 Post by **djstarr** » Fri Jul 11, 2003 8:08 pm

KevinSchaper wrote:Brenda - you guys actually could headphone cue at Sonny's - you just need to bring some along, and figure out the mixer - those kinda mixers have "PFL" or "solo" buttons for each channel that'll send to the headphone out.

ok - I confess - I still freak out a little with all the equipment so adding listening to headphones while I'm trying to do everything else is a bit much....maybe when you are here for SLE you can give me a techie lesson and show me how to hook up at Sonny's.....

SirScratchAlot · #24 Post by **SirScratchAlot** » Sat Jul 12, 2003 5:35 am

Roy wrote:I normally DJ without ear-phone. When I buy a new CD I listen to it several times picking out the best songs for dancing. I then keep my own notes on each of those songs. Outside of those selected songs it is unlikely I would be able to recognize the song if someone else plays it.

A few CD's really stand out and I listen to them reguarly.

yea, when I get a new CD i listen to it many ,many times to see if it really holds up!

sometimes I get a cd and I thinks it awesome, however on closer inspection or constant play I change my thought , some songs turn sour others grow on you. So I listen to new CDs alot.

I also select older CDs from the collection and will focus on them as well, to rediscover different songs for future spinning....

mark0tz · #25 Post by **mark0tz** » Mon Jul 14, 2003 8:07 am

SirScratchAlot wrote:sometimes I get a cd and I thinks it awesome, however on closer inspection or constant play I change my thought,

All good points, but I really identified with this one. Coupla times I've gone back and wondered why I'd thought so highly of that song...

Swifty · #26 Post by **Swifty** » Mon Jul 14, 2003 8:46 am

mark0tz wrote:All good points, but I really identified with this one. Coupla times I've gone back and wondered why I'd thought so highly of that song...

Exactly the reason why I don't just make compilations of songs I think are good for DJing. My tastes change (as do the dancers I'm spinning for) so I fear that if I just made a compilation from CDs that I'll miss out on some gems that I didn't initially dig.

mark0tz · #27 Post by **mark0tz** » Mon Jul 14, 2003 9:09 am

I dunno, I think mix CD's are a good way to make a super-large compilation more manageable. I mean, my collection is beginning to get to where 2 1/2 LARGE CD-Logic cases aren't enough. Regularly making compilations (NOTE: regularly) of my favorites, either from a genre or artist, will make the songs I love be at my fingertips. Regularly doing this always encourages going back to CD's that you've previously taken a look at for the "hidden gems" as well as buying new music... When I get too tired of one of those compilations, they also make great gifts for pals.

Lawrence · #28 Post by **Lawrence** » Mon Jul 14, 2003 1:12 pm

Swifty wrote:Exactly the reason why I don't just make compilations of songs I think are good for DJing. My tastes change (as do the dancers I'm spinning for) so I fear that if I just made a compilation from CDs that I'll miss out on some gems that I didn't initially dig.

.... only if you consider making compliations as the end of the job.

The benefit of making compilations by far outweighes the minor detriment of overlooking a song you can re-discover by simply listening to the CD again. (benefits: every song is danceable, making searches for the next song easier; carrying ten to twenty times more danceable music in the same sized folder; no risk of originals being stolen/ruined)

CD-Rs are so cheap that I throw away or re-do compilations as readily as I make them in the first place. Or I can put the forgotten/overlooked song on a new compilation that reflects my current tastes (and is similar to the other songs on that compilation), not my tastes from the compilations from four years ago.

You can also filter with a broader net when making your compilations and still save space and reduce the risk of losing the originals.