What tech functionalilty do you really use?

[mr. e]

The first time you've stood before a DJ CD deck, you probably were like "whoa, what are all those buttons for". And many DJ software actually reproduces even the common layout of these controls.

So what of this functionality do you actually use?
I mean, there is tons where I can imagine a house DJ using them, but not a Swing DJ... like loop editing, aligning songs on a beat level and such. I figure not even crossfaders get heavily used with swing DJs.
So what of the usual DJ CD deck functionality do you use?

I definitely see the point in:
party use:
- Cue points to skip long pauses at the beginning of tracks
- Seeking controls to find the proper starting point (and of course, track)
- Relay button to make the player auto-start the next song in the other deck

For training:
- pitching / speed control
- multiple cue points when studying a choreography

Anything I missed? I mean, I wouldn't dare to call myself a DJ... I guess I know the tech, but I totally lack experience; but to me swing DJing is like 99% picking the appropriate music.

I figure that sometimes a cue-out point would be useful (for songs with a long end), but I havn't seen that anywhere yet.

[Haydn]

The first time you've stood before a DJ CD deck, you probably were like "whoa, what are all those buttons for". And many DJ software actually reproduces even the common layout of these controls.

So what of this functionality do you actually use?
I mean, there is tons where I can imagine a house DJ using them, but not a Swing DJ... like loop editing, aligning songs on a beat level and such. I figure not even crossfaders get heavily used with swing DJs.
So what of the usual DJ CD deck functionality do you use?

I'm still experimenting and learning in this area, and trying to find the best DJ platform. I'd certainly say simplicity is a key point. One of the nice things about the popular Numark CD Mix 2 is its' simplicity -



On the CD Mix 2, I like:

• Simple, clear layout
• Big faders
• Simple cross-fader
• Large clear track information (track number, time remaining and time bar)
• EQ controls for each channel

The big advantage of software is the ability to find songs quickly or find several songs as a shortlist queue for possible playing.

I think I disagree with you about cross-faders; I think careful use of faders can contribute a lot, especially as swing music has so many different instruments and moods. A careful fade-out and/or fade-in can really help if you introduce a new mood. Apart from the lack of previewing, the lack of faders is probably the biggest thing missing when you DJ from something like iTunes.