Joachim Garraud is a Frenchman, an alien enthusiast, computer nerd, DJ and producer extraordinaire. Known for his impressive audiovisual shows and high-end production, Joachim has always been drawn to two things in his life: music and technology.
He’s the latest Serato Icon Artist!
“When I was young, I learned to play piano and drums. In ’84 there was the first software on the computer, that was a fusion between my two loves, music and technology. Making the fusion with these two things was like, wow… This is exactly what I want to do! I want to make music with my computer.
“The first track I made, was a real techno track because there was only cheap sounds. Short, because there was no memory. In mono, because there was no stereo, and using only 8-bits, so the sound was like ‘qsh qsh qsh qsh’.
“Even if the quality was bad, I was so excited to use this kind of tool to make music.”
As with many, DJing for Joachim was about being able to share his passion for music. It may not have been in the spotlight or on the festival stage yet, but it was just where he wanted to be.
“At the beginning, being a DJ was not very sexy. The DJ was in the basement and nobody could see him playing, but I was very excited to be a DJ in the dark, I was excited to share my love and my passion of the music.
“Before being able to play my own tracks as a DJ, there were two different jobs. There was the producer and the DJ. Today, these are completely linked. If you want to be famous as a DJ you have to be a producer, and you have to play your own tracks.”
As the holidays creep up on us quicker then ever it seems, the guys here at DDJG thought it would be wise to throw a post up of killer gift suggestions they would love to get themselves (yes, this doubles as a blatant hint to those who know us personally :))
Lets start with some STOCKING STUFFERS…
Replacement Earpads
We all know these things wear out pretty fast, and the better and more sweatier your gigs get this will hold more and more true. Having an extra set or two around is a great thing, and going from leatherette to velour can sometimes make a more comfortable headphone for longer use. Some 3rd party companies have even started supplying multiple colors. VIEW ALL REPLACEMENT EARPADS HERE
1/4″ Locking Headphone Adapter
The Jewel of the Nile! If you have one of these, and the DJ after you lost his/hers, you are a godsend… but you will never see it again. If these were attached to us in some way, we would lose them. The locking version fits most popular models from Sony, Technics, Shure, etc. GET THIS ADAPTER HERE
Earphones / In-Ear Monitors It’s no surprise that DJs love music, and they want to listen to it everywhere they go. From the bus to the gym, to pick tunes for sets or kick back on the commute, it’s always a good time for music. A quality portable pair of earphones can really come in handy. CHECK OUT OUR SELECTION OF EARPHONES
Turntable Cartridges / Headshells Even though you may see a lot less vinyl being played, or a laptop screen lighting up the booth, don’t dismiss the importance of a fresh pair of needles in a DJs life! Whether it’s to digitize those crates of vinyl and bring them back to life, or to for a pair of control vinyl for Serato Scratch Live or Traktor Pro, phono cartridges have remained a staple in the game. BUY SOME CARTRIDGES HERE
On to some larger items…
A Proper DJ Bag While it’s true that anything you have that fits your gear should work for the night, all things are NOT equal in the world of DJ bags. If you are a traveling DJ, in and out of airports and train stations, you’ll need something that will really hold up to the abuse of the road but also fit in the over head bins as needed. The Mono EFX 365 (pictured left) is one we at DDJG highly recommend. VIEW ALL OF OUR BAGS AND CASES HERE
Professional DJ Headphones
There are many options out there these days in the headphone world, but going with a pair from a trusted name in audio is always recommended. Try to avoid anything to flimsy, as these things tend to get abused pretty badly. A pro quality pair will probably range from $100-$300. We offer quite a selection on our site, and one of the most popular is the HDJ-1500K which is featured left, which has great sound and durability. VIEW ALL OF OUR DJ HEADPHONES HERE
K&M 19750 iPad Table Stand
With this high-quality table stand, you can easily read, write, surf the Internet or just view pictures or videos without any vibrations. The iPad clips in and out of the holder effortlessly. CHECK OUT ALL OF OUR IPAD AND LAPTOP STANDS HERE
Numark IDJ Pro iPad DJ Controller
This is a great way to get someone started if they own an iPad and a library of music. It’s extremely portable, and small enough to set up almost anywhere to practice. CHECK OUT OUR IDJ PRO PACKAGES HERE
One of the few DJs that could be considered a household name, DJ Jazzy Jeff has worn a few different hats throughout his career. From DJing to producing and then all the way back to DJing, his enjoyment and passion for all things musical is obvious in his own reflection of his persona.
“Jazzy Jeff is a music lover, a DJ, a producer, songwriter, music collector, vinyl junkie, gadget fanatic and all around lover of life and happiness.”
Growing up in West Philadelphia, it was the summer afternoon block parties where Jeff gained his love for music and the happiness it could bring. He’s extremely proud of where he’s come from and it’s this pride that pushes him to be the best.
“I grew up in west Philly, Philadelphia has always been a hard town. You try as hard as you could to make people in your home town proud of you. Philly has put that fire inside of you, that you just always want to do a good job.
“You know, you kinda waited for those summer Saturdays that someone blocked the street off and you just pulled some big speakers out and some turntables and just played music for people.
“I remember looking at the guy playing music so passionate that I had someone hold my bike while I danced with a girl and I just wanted that kind affect on people.”
There’s no denying the energy of William Bensussen AKA The Gaslamp Killer, a hyperactive individual who lives to share his love of music, his rhythm and his vibes with the human race. He’s a true eclectic, respecting the past and looking to the future in both his DJ sets and his own productions. The Gaslamp Killer is an artist without a mask, a performer who isn’t afraid to show his feelings and a DJ who connects with the crowd, the music and the earth.
From an early age growing up in San Diego, family events, parties and anything involving music always brought Will a unique sense of excitement.
“I always felt drawn to party time ever since I was little. Any kind of opportunity; a wedding, bar mitzvah, holiday. Whatever kind of event that was going on in my little community in San Diego, if there was music, I was dancing. It’s just the way it was. I’ve always been into the energy and the happiness that it brings.”
Will was introduced to a wide variety of music early on through his older friends and siblings. It was these early influences that still resonate today through his performance and his own work. They laid the foundation for his unique understanding of sounds, grooves and the moods and feelings that music can generate in people.
“I always had music around me because of my older friends and older siblings. They were always listening to rap and rock and reggae. If it wasn’t for my friends, I wouldn’t know anything. I definitely gave a lot of credit to my older friends and just my friends in general. They influenced me a lot.
“I grew up with Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, NWA. Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Pink Floyd, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses and all kinds popular Rap, and Rock and Reggae. I’m talking at 11 – 12 years old, this is what was around me in San Diego growing up.
“I’m influenced by so many different styles. I’ve always loved the energy of Rock ‘n’ Roll and the energy of Hip Hop. Live performances in general have always made me super excited to be part of the human race you know.
“I’ve always been excited about music and what it does for people.”
With so many options on the streets today, picking the right headphone can be tough. It’s always best to figure out what your needs are first, then make a good decision. For instance, if you need some solid DJ headphones look for sturdy designs, isolating cups, and loud drivers. If you need something more portable, maybe and in-ear or smaller on-ear design would be best but may jeopardize sound quality. Long studio sessions? Try an open ear design, so your ears get a more nat3ural sound and less fatigue. All these factors come in to play, so do your research before you buy and make sure you get what you expect in your purchase.
Here is some general info that should help you along the way (taken from wikipedia.org)…
Common Headphone Styles
Circumaural
Circumaural headphones (also called full size headphones) have circular or ellipsoid earpads that encompass the ears. Because they completely surround the ear, circumaural headphones can be designed to fully seal against the head to bock out outside noise. Because of their size, circumaural headphones can be heavy and there are some sets which weigh over 500 grams (1 lb). Ergonomic headband and earpad design is required to reduce discomfort resulting from weight.
Supra-aural
Supra-aural headphones have pads that sit on top of the ears, rather than around them. They were commonly bundled with personal stereos during the 1980s. This type of headphone generally tends to be smaller and lighter than circumaural headphones, resulting in less attenuation of outside noise.
Open or closed back
Circumaural and supra-aural headphones can both also be further differentiated by the type of earcups:
Closed-back (or sealed) styles have the back of the earcups closed. These are standard in headphones designed for DJ’ing, as well as most consumer models. Depending on the exact one, they may block 8-32db of ambient noise, but have a smaller soundscape giving you the perception that the sound is coming from within their head as sounds reflected back towards the ear.
Open-back headphones have the back of the earcups open. This leaks more sound out of the headphone and also lets more ambient sounds into the headphone, but gives a more natural or speaker-like sound and more spacious “soundscape” – the perception of distance from the source.
Ear-fitting headphones
Earbuds
Among audio professionals, earbuds and earphones refer to very small headphones that are fitted directly in the outer ear, facing but not inserted in the ear canal; they have no band or other arrangement to fit over the head. (However, many consumer-quality in-ear-canal systems are also called earbuds by their manufacturers.) The outer-ear earphones are portable and convenient, but many people consider them to be uncomfortable and prone to falling out. Various models are available, starting at very low prices. They provide hardly any acoustic isolation and leave room for ambient noise to seep in; users may turn up the volume dangerously high to compensate, at the risk of causing hearing loss. From about 1990 earbuds have commonly been bundled with personal music devices.
In-ear headphones
Main article: In-ear monitors
In-ear headphones, like earbuds, are small and without headband, but are inserted in the ear canal itself. They are sometimes known as canalphones. Price and quality range from relatively inexpensive to very high; the better ones are called in-ear monitors (IEMs) and are used by audio engineers and musicians as well as audiophiles.
Canalphones offer portability similar to earbuds, block out much environmental noise by obstructing the ear canals, and are far less prone to falling out. When used for casual portable use they block out sounds which can be important for safety (e.g., approaching vehicles).
Universal canalphones provide one or more stock silicone rubber, elastomer, or foam sleeves to fit various ear canals, for correct placement and best noise isolation.
Custom canalphones are fitted to the ears of the individual user: castings of the ear canals are made, and the manufacturer uses the castings to create custom-molded silicone rubber or elastomer plugs that provide added comfort and noise isolation.[8] Because of the individualized labor involved, custom IEMs are more expensive than universal IEMs; resale value is very low as they are unlikely to fit other people.
Understanding the Specs
Impedance
Headphones are available with low or high impedance measured at 1 kHz. Low-impedance headphones are in the range 75 to 150 ohms and high-impedance headphones are about 600 ohms.High impedance headphones have been popular among tube amplifier aficionados,[citation needed] and in classroom or studio situations requiring many headphones connected in parallel to the same source. Low impedance headphones yield a louder sound from a standard headphone jack, and require less voltage to achieve a target sound pressure level—an important consideration for portable electronics.
Sensitivity
Sensitivity is a measure of a transducer’s output when driven with a specific reference input. Headphone manufacturers often loosely use the term “efficiency” where sensitivity should be used. Headphone efficiency (power in/power out) is a type of sensitivity, but efficiency is usually not an important characteristic to measure for headphones (see Efficiency vs Sensitivity).
Common “units” for headphone sensitivity are “dB/mW” and “dB/mV”.[5] These are dB SPL (sound pressure level) measured in a standard ear for a 1 kHz sinusoidal headphone input of either 1 milliwatt or one millivolt. A more complete notation would be “dB ref. 20μPa/mW” or “dB ref. 20μPa/mV”. One can convert between these two references if the impedance is known.
We are huge Erica Badu fans here at DDJG, so it was great to see that Serato chose her as the newest icon in their series!
From her debut album “Baduizm” through to her 2010 release “New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh), Erykah Badu has redefined modern soul. Drawing comparisons along the way to many of the greats, including Billie Holiday, she layers her varied musical influences together to create a sound that has crowned her ‘Queen of Neo-Soul’.
More recently, Badu has been on the journey as a DJ, one she embarked on a long time ago through her love of hip hop music and it’s culture.
“When I was in the 8th or 9th grade, hip hop was becoming mainstream in radio… in Dallas, Texas where I’m from. That was in the 80s. Hip hop really emerged in the 70s, with DJs like Kool Herc, Red Alert, DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Spinderella from Salt ‘n’ Pepa; all of these people were very inspiring to me, because they were the people who conducted feelings.
“I expanded and explored more and more as I became a b-girl, because the world knows DJing and rapping is something you do, but the great KRS-1 said ‘Hip Hop is something you live’. Once it’s in you, it’s in you.”
As hip hop evolved over the years, so did Erykah Badu’s relationship with it. Even after hugely successful albums and international tours, Badu was still hungry to transcend the music and reach out to those around her through the experience of DJing. Enter DJ Loretta Brown, the alter ego that fuels this desire to personally connect through music.
“Right now, we’re in 2012AD where the DJ is now the star, because of things like Serato and the need of the tribe – that’s the people – to feel good and to feel the music. I wanted some of that, and I decided to lend my time to DJ. I’ve always done after parties after shows and things, but I wanted people to come, listen and feel good. It’s not about what they like or they don’t like, it’s about how they feel. And that’s the Selector’s job, the DJ is the selector and I’m very proud to be a She‑J.”
The connection between singer and audience differs from the connection between the DJ and the crowd, and it brings a whole new musical world for her to explore and her audience to experience.
“When I DJ… I’m paying attention to my mixes, I’m paying attention to my choices and selections. That’s my main focus. I do it fearlessly, because I never underestimate the audiences’ ability to feel. Music is the sixth element; it brings nostalgia, it brings healing and it moves us.
“It’s different from when I’m on stage live singing – I’m expressing emotions and feelings; performing is therapy for me. But DJing is allowing me the chance to be free, with no expectations, especially from myself. It’s just about having fun at the party, and I like having fun at the party.”
Freestyle and improvisation is an important element in Badu’s DJ sets and the traditional hangups that come with being a DJ fall away to allow for a more organic, fun approach to performing.
“I put absolutely no preparation into my sets at all. When I get to the club, I peep the audience, scope the atmosphere, I listen to what the DJs did before me and I just basically remember that it’s about having fun and I free myself enough to begin.”
For Erykah, this approach is key to the success of any set. It’s admirable that in the DJ industry, where skills and image are constantly judged by peers and critics alike, that Badu focusses on the selections and the energy that a DJ creates by simply playing songs that you love to people who want to hear them.
“The DJ is the weatherman; the DJ basically dictates what the weather is – what we play is how people feel.
“To me, what makes a DJ a good DJ is that he or she pays attention to the crowd and their movement, response and applause. And the applause doesn’t come in the form of an applause, it comes in the form of a groove. A good DJ feels his or her groove and eventually gets a flow and begins to connect with the music which connects to the audience. In my case, I’m a selector – I select what I like. People who come to the shows either love it or they learn it.
The future looks bright for Erykah Badu and Loretta Brown, two artists working together to weave live performance and DJing into a rich textured experience for people around the world to enjoy. Seeing Erykah Badu DJ as Loretta Brown will by no means be a traditional DJ set, but it will be unique.
“There’s a big difference between being a DJ and being a selector. I don’t really even know if I consider myself a DJ because DJing is a skill and an art form that is highly technical. There’s scratching involved, there’s blending involved, there’s accuracy and syncopation involved.
“Those things I’ve learned over time, but as a Selector, you’re just narrating the emotions of the crowd. I am becoming a good DJ – I’m a great selector.”
The fine folks from Serato in NZ have just announced the release of the long awaited upgrade to VideoSL, simply named “Serato Video”. The new plugin is purchased direct from Serato only, but on top of integrating all the features VJ’s have been asking for that may have been missing on previous versions, the new plugin now works with Itch and Scratch Live the same.
Since some of us here at DDJG are Video SL users, we found out quickly that Serato offers the luxury of a free upgrade from VideoSL to Serato Video, so definitely grab yourself the new version if you are a previous user, or grab the demo at no charge to test it out with your system and see if stepping in to video is right for you.
To celebrate the release, they have launched the new “Icon Artist” series highlighting some of the DJs who have been continuosly embraced technology and pushed the boundaries for all of us in the industry. Who better to kick it off, than the man himself… Fat Boy Slim? Video below…
MANUFACTURER’S DESCRIPTION:
Serato Video is a software plug-in for Scratch Live and ITCH enabling you to manipulate video playback with Serato Control Vinyl and CDs or an ITCH Controller.
Add visual effects and transitions from the library or your own images and text and store them with each video file for instant recall.
There’s a Serato library of video content that you can download to get you started and with a choice of configurations for external connections to monitors, screens or projectors you’re always in control.
Manipulate video playback with Serato Control Vinyl and CDs or an ITCH Controller.
Visual effects library of transitions and effects.
Add your own images and text to your video mix.
Store effects within each video file for instant recall.
Serato video library of video content to get you started.
Choice of configurations for external connections to monitors, screens or projectors.
Minimum Specs
Mac
2GB RAM
5GB free on your hard drive
OSX 10.6.8 or higher
2GHz Macbook or better
Windows
2GB RAM
5GB free on your hard drive
Windows 7
2GHz Core Duo or better
Recommended Graphics Cards
Nvidia 8400 or better
ATI 1650 or better
Note: Windows computers using Intel graphics cards
are not currently supported by Serato Video.
Professional DJ Headphones
