I said "Don't do it" and I meant it.

So don't do it. Ever. For real. Seriously.

I'm writing this to be a reference for us TTG'ers when it comes to copyright issues, and a source of info for DJ's playing tunes out, and producers making sure their work does not get infringed upon. I am taking this information directly off of [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] and [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] and most copyright issues are found in Title 17 of The United States Code. I will be using links directly from the site, and any discussion is welcome below, as the legalise can be pretty tough, and obviously open to interpretation considering how many lawsuits there are every year.

I'm going to do three main sections. The first explains who gets to own copyright and what terms mean, which might be more interesting to producers and creators of songs (in legal terms, by no means am I saying DJ's aren't producing art!). The second deals more with info that DJ's and people wanting to know how they can use other peoples' works would be interested in, what you can't do, and punishments for infringing. Third section is what the RIAA says you can do with material you have that is copyright protected.

If there are any typos or misrepresented information, please do reply and we can make amendments to this original post. And if there are any sections in which people would require proof, or a link backing the information up, I will do my best to track down the exact sections of law for you! (Although I am no law student.)

Btw, this is for the US. I would love to include other countries for the benefit of all, but I am not able to wade through all that legal material

For those that think piracy is ok, or argue that the industry needs change blah blah...

1. This is not the thread.
2. It is illegal whether one thinks it should be or not, and as noted below you can be penalized for sharing if you are unaware or ignorant of the laws surrounding copyright infringement. So educate yourself and know the consequences

This is the DJ Ethos thread. Let's start with the definition, courtesy of Dictionary.com:

ethos
[ee-thos, ee-thohs, eth-os, -ohs]
noun

1.Sociology . the fundamental character or spirit of a culture;the underlying sentiment that informs the beliefs, customs,or practices of a group or society; dominant assumptions ofa people or period: In the Greek ethos the individual was highly valued.


2.the character or disposition of a community, group, person,etc.

3.the moral element in dramatic literature that determines acharacter's action rather than his or her thought or emotion.


So what's the above mean? It means that this thread will state rules and ethics that DJs should live by. You should already know these things. I'm not your father, so if you bend a few of these rules for the greater good, only you will have to answer for your actions.

Let's begin:

Thou shalt NOT steal
Do not pirate music or steal equipment.


Thou shalt practice and enjoy
DJing is - at its core - about performing and having fun. As with anyone else with great skills, DJs practice often to hone their craft. If you want to be good, practice. If you want to be great, Practice AND Enjoy. If you just enjoy, you'll suck like 99% of most DJs out there who "just want to have fun."

Athletes train every day. Musicians do too. If you're serious and really want the skills, practicing will get you there.

By the way, the phrase "practice and enjoy" was made popular by DJTutor.com. Props to all the lads over there.


Thou shalt respect other DJs
Respect other DJs. The sad fact is that most DJs are better than you. Show them respect until you perform regularly in front of 100,000+ crowds... And yes, that's the credibility it takes to be able to talk smack. Until you get there, all you need to do is STFU.


Thou shalt covet skills, not tools
This is the tenet of DJing: Skills > Tools. If there's any ONE master rule in DJing this is it. Skills, more than anything else, defines the DJ. The more you know, the better DJ you become. The more you know how to do, the better your shows will become.

Having better equipment does NOT make you a better DJ. Having more tracks does NOT make you a better DJ. Having better skills will ALWAYS make you a better DJ, period.

So learn the basics first, grow by learning advanced techniques, and master DJing by pushing the envelope. You will be rewarded. I might even like you eventually.


Thou shalt save for decent equipment instead of buying cheap crap
In the DJ world, you really do get what you pay for. This is eventually learned by everyone, but I'll try to save you time and money. Cheap stuff breaks often and is unreliable. There are certain manufacturers that are always cheaper than others, yet the same more expensive manufacturers continue to dominate in the DJ equipment world.

It is better to save for higher quality gear than it is to spend your hard-earned money on unreliable gear. If you spend on unreliable gear, you'll often find that the gear will break AND you'll save up and buy the more expensive gear anyway. Learn this lesson early and save money.

Thou shalt use the highest quality recordings possible
When amplified to dancefloor levels, poorly recorded/encoded tracks become very obvious. Experienced DJs know this and seek to use only the highest quality tracks whenever possible.

This rule means that regardless of how an MP3 was encoded or however the track was made, a DJ uses his or her EARS to decide if a track is worth keeping or if another version is needed. Track file size does not always mean that a track is high quality.


Thou shalt help others
Be a role model and help others as you learn.


Did I miss anything? If so, add more ethics below...

You'll understand ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT:

* Great DJ Names when you start out as a Bedroom DJ
* Better DJ Names when you start out as a new Mobile or Club DJ
* THE BEST DJ Names when you make it big and start to perform in front of 200,000+ people

Sound good? GREAT! Let's begin...

When you start out as a Bedroom DJ...
This is a tough one. When you start out, you're excited and have dreams of playing for large crowds that chant your name as a big crowdgasm plays! You think that you've GOT to have a great DJ name now so that you can build on it as you grow.

Here's the truth. No one gives a sh*t about your DJ name when you begin. They care more about your skills... or the fact that you don't have any. Put your effort into learning and keep your original name that your parents gave you. That'll tell everyone that you're not riding the wave of being-a-DJ-because-it's-cool but you're actually going to learn to be a real DJ. Earn the respect by learning the skills, son.

When you start out as a new Mobile or Club DJ
Now this is getting real. You've put in your time practicing. You've purchased gear that you can start to rely on. Now you're getting out there and showing the world that you're ready for the dollar-dollar bills, y'all. You want a DJ name that people will remember. You've followed my advice when starting out and wonder is it time to change your DJ name to something "catchy."

Here's the truth. No one gives a sh*t about your DJ name even when you start gigging. They care more about your ability to entertain a crowd... you can do that, right? If you really want to be cool, use your initials. Keep in mind that BT, ATB, KLH, NTO, and NPC are already taken. If those are your initials, you're sh*t out of luck, bro.

When you hit the BIG TIME
Now this is what we ALL dream about. YOU are LIVING IT. You already are performing in front of 200,000+ crowds. Babies are named after you. Clubs and mobile events sell out because you're going to be headlining. Should you change your name NOW to something cool like "Grandmaster" or "Mixmaster" or something like that?

Here's the truth. You are making serious dough with the name you've already used. If you change it then no one will know who you are. Duh.

In conclusion, there's a theme. Did you see it? No one gives a sh*t about your DJ name. Develop the skills, the knowledge, the music, and the persona. The name is just a name.

Now get back to practicing before we name you DJ Penor.

The following list contains just about all the sites that you should be reading when you start:

* DJForums.com - This site has LOTS of info on how to start, but is mostly text based.

* DJTutor.com - Great site of videos with everything that you need to learn DJ concepts

* DJTechTools.com - Great site that concentrates on controllers (and Traktor)

* Equipment sites - [Not a total listing here] Use these to learn about how each piece of equipment works and how software updates are handled. Examples include:

o Serato.com - Focuses on Scratch Live and ITCH

o Native-instruments.com - Focuses on Traktor

o Torq-DJ.com - Focuses on Torq

KNOW YOUR EQUIPMENT! Make sure that you've registered!

Many people don't understand the difference between producing and DJing. Simply said, a DJ is an entertainer who plays pre-recorded music for crowds. Also simply said, a Producer is someone who makes or remakes (aka remixes) music in a studio. In any case, when on a DJ forum, look for DJs to post mixes and such and look for Producers to post their own created tracks and/or remixes of other tracks.

Obviously, there are DJs who are Producers and Producers who are DJs. Blurring the line further, there is a movement called Live Remixing that does just that. DJ Enferno is the poster-child for this type of performance.

DJs typically use decks to make music and work with entire tracks. If software is used, the software usually emulate decks for digital audio playback using MP3s - like DJ apps and DVS software. At the end, a DJ performs a mix that is comprised of a sequence of songs.

Producers work with elements of tracks and add/remove those elements to remix the track into something that didn't exist before. In this way, they work as computer-aided composers who sometimes just "spice up" the beat or create whole new music passages. They use Digital Audio Workstation software, Digital Audio Editors, and many (sooo many) plugins to make their magic happen. At the end, they have a newly made track that can be used by a DJ in a DJ Mix.

Exciting times.

Gain staging is a super important concept. Keeping it simple, the act of gain staging means to keep all sound source signals as strong as possible without introducing distortion through all stages on the audio chain. This is a tricky and necessary skill to master because if levels aren't right, you sacrifice sound quality.

If your sound source signals are too low, then the mixer and amps distortion become noticeable at the speakers - it sounds like a hiss has been added to the sound. If your sound source signals are too high (which a mixer shows as being "in the red") the resulting sound becomes distorted (i.e. bass becomes blurred, the treble sounds "pump", or the sound becomes mangled). The only way to avoid these problems is to properly gain stage.

Gain staging should be performed when a setup is connected. For that reason alone, most mobile DJs need to know this skill. For permanent setups, gain staging should be done periodically (as part of normal maintenance).

Let's talk about essential equipment that every DJ needs when starting out. Here's a quick list:

* Music (yep, it's obvious, but needed to be said)

* Work area for the setup (for most a adjustable-height table works well, but YMMV)

* Comfortable headphones for cueing (isolating headphones are ideal)

* ALTERNATIVE 1: Two or more music sources (usually called decks) AND a mixer

* ALTERNATIVE 2: Controller that controls at least two decks and has a microphone input

* Microphone (or wireless mic)

* Computer if running a DJ app (i.e. ITCH, Traktor Pro, Ableton Live, etc.), a DVS (Scratch Live, Traktor Scratch Pro, etc.) AND an external hard drive (for backups)

* Amp and Speakers (so that you can hear the main mix without headphones)

* Cables to support your setup (and to connect your setup to another amp or mixer, if needed)


So what do these things cost on average? Let's make some assumptions and discuss three setups:

1. Affordable controller-based setup
2. Full-featured controller-based setup
3. Full-featured DVS-based setup

Assumptions
* You have enough music to start - $0
* You HAVE a computer - $0
* Table is $50
* Headphones are $100
* Microphone is $50
* Amp and speakers (cheaping out here with computer speakers) is $50
* Total costs outside of the decks and mixer is $250.

Affordable Controller-Based Setup
Let's use the Hercules 4Mx ($400) as it supports just about everything that a beginner needs and offers some room to grow. The 4Mx is an updated version of the previously highly-recommended (by ME) Numark Mixtrack Pro. Adding the $400 to our assumptions of $250, you'll need about $650 to start down this path.

Full-Featured Controller-Based Setup
Let's use the Native Instruments S4. At $900, it's about the average price for most full-featured controller-based setups. The S4 offers a LOT of room for beginners to learn and grow. Adding $900 to our assumptions list of $250, you'll need about $1150 to start down this path.

Full-Featured DVS-Based Setup
This is the mack-daddy. It is unparalleled in terms of flexibility... but it's also the most expensive. The saving grace is that you can upgrade components at will. As the other setups were new, let's stay new for this example. (If you go used, lop off about 30%.)

Here's our component list:
* TWO CDJ-850s ($800 each)
* Behringer DDM4400 ($400)
* Serato Scratch Live SL3 ($700)
* Subtotal: $2700

When you add the $2700 to the $250 assumptions list, the total for this setup is $2950.

As you can see. Gear adds up quickly. Start saving.

RECORD and EVALUATE your mixes
Learn how to record your mixes. Listen to them and note how you can improve.

Another way of getting feedback is posting the mix on SoundCloud, Mixcrate, Facebook, etc. It's really neat getting feedback from the web.

What's after that is up to you. You're on your way.