Disc Jockey - DJ

A disc jockey or DJ is a person who selects and plays pre-recorded music for an audience.

There are several types of disc jockeys. Radio DJs introduce and play music that is broadcast on AM, FM, shortwave or digital radio stations. Club DJs select and play music in a bar, club, disco, a rave, or even a stadium. Hip hop disc jockeys select, play and create music with multiple turntables, often to back up one or more MCs. In reggae, the disc jockey (deejay) is a vocalist who raps, toasts, beat-boxes or chats over pre-recorded rhythm tracks while the individual choosing and playing them is referred to as a selector. Mobile disc jockeys travel with portable sound systems and play at a variety of events.

DJ Equipment and Techniques

• Sound recordings in a DJs preferred medium (eg. vinyl records, compact discs, computer media files)

• A minimum of two devices to play sound recordings, for alternating back and forth to create a continuous playback of music (e.g. record players, compact disc players, computer media players such as an MP3 player)

• A sound system for amplification or broadcasting of the recordings (e.g. portable audio system, PA system) or a radio broadcasting system.

• A DJ mixer, an electronic two-channel mixer with a crossfader used to smoothly go from one song to another (using two or more playback devices)

• Headphones, used to listen to one recording while the other recording is playing to the audience, and optionally, a microphone, so that the DJ can introduce songs and speak to the audience.

Other equipment can be added to the basic DJ set-up (above) providing unique sound manipulations. Such devices include but are not limited to:

• Electronic effects units (delay, reverb, octave, equalizer, chorus, etc). Some club DJs use a suboctave effect which creates a very low bass sound and adds it to the mix.

• A computerised performance system, which can be used with timecode encoded vinyl/CD content to manipulate digital files on the computer in real time.

• Multi-stylus headshells, which allow a DJ to play different grooves of the same record at the same time.

• Special DJ digital controller hardware can manipulate digital files on a PC or laptop, by using midi signals .

• Samplers, sequencers, electronic musical keyboards (synthesizers), or drum machines.

Several techniques are used by DJs as a means to better mix and blend prerecorded music. These techniques primarily include the cueing, equalization and audio mixing of two or more sound sources. The number, complexity, and frequency of special techniques depends largely on the setting in which a DJ is working. Radio DJs are less likely to focus on music-mixing technique than club DJs, who rely on a smooth transition between songs using a range of techniques.

Club DJ turntable techniques include beatmatching, phrasing, and slip-cueing) to preserve energy on a dancefloor. Turntablism embodies the art of cutting, beat juggling, scratching, needle drops, phase shifting, back spinning, and more to perform the transitions and overdubs of samples in a more creative manner (though turntablism is often considered a use of the turntable as a musical instrument, rather than a tool for blending prerecorded music). Professional DJs may use harmonic mixing to choose songs that are in compatible musical keys.

Types of Disc Jockey

The role of selecting and playing prerecorded music for an intended audience is the same for every disc jockey. The selected music, the audience, the setting, the preferred medium, and the level of sophistication of sound manipulation are factors that differentiate different DJ types.

Radio Disc Jockeys

A radio disc jockey plays music that is broadcast across radio waves, AM and FM bands or worldwide on shortwave radio stations. Radio DJs are notable for their personalities. Often due to terrestrial radio using program directors/music directors to generate the playlist, present-day radio DJs do not typically pick the music to play at stations. Emceeing is their primary duty.

Club Disc Jockeys

A club disc jockey is one that selects and plays music in a club setting. The setting can range anywhere from a neighborhood party or a small club to a disco, a rave, or even a stadium. The main focus of club DJs is on the music they play. They build their sets by choosing tracks to control the energy level of the crowd and use beatmixing (or "beatmatching") technique for seamless transition between tracks.

Hip Hop Disc Jockeys

A hip-hop disc jockey is a DJ that selects, plays and creates music as a hip-hop artist and/or performer, often backing up one or more MCs. Hip-hop DJs do turntablism, the art of manipulating sounds and creating music using phonograph turntables and an audio mixer. DJ Babu has defined a turntablist as "One who has the ability to improvise on a phonograph turntable. One who uses the turntable in the spirit of a musical instrument;" while the Battlesounds documentary film suggests a definition of:"A musician, a hip-hop disc jockey who in a live/spontaneous situation can manipulate or restructure an existing phonograph recording (in combination with an audio mixer) to produce or express a new composition that is unrecognisable from its original ingredients."

Hip-hop turntablist DJs use turntable techniques like beat mixing/matching, scratching, and beat juggling. Turntablism is generally focused more on turntable technique and less on mixing. Some turntablists seek to have themselves recognized as musicians capable of interacting and improvising with other performers.

Reggae Disc Jockeys

In reggae terms, the deejay is traditionally a vocalist who would rap, toast, or chat to a "riddim". The term "selector" is reserved for the person who performs the traditional function of a DJ, though he does not always play the music. He often just selects the record and passes it to the mixer who plays it over the sound system.