Image via Alan Walker/Twitter
Have you ever looked at international disc jockeys (DJs) and just get so mind-blown by their songs and performances? Take Alan Walker for example… he had a humble start on YouTube but is one of the top DJs in the world today!
If you’ve had a dream of topping the charts, where do you even start?
Here are a few tips on how you can become a DJ:
#1 What type of DJ do you wanna be?
There are multiple types of disc jockeys and these days, many DJs don’t even spin actual discs anymore, and that’s totally okay! So, which one do you wanna be?
In-house DJ
If you prefer to perform for a big group of people, get them dancing and vibing with your music BUT you don’t have to move around, then being an in-house DJ is for you. The ultimate trick is to make the song stay upbeat so that people won’t stop moving on the dancefloor.
However, you won’t want to make the beat too flat where it sounds the same throughout. You’ll need to add enough highs and lows to keep everyone interested. The type of songs played is usually Electronic Dance Music (EDM).
DJs who perform in music festivals like Alan Walker would be considered in-house DJs as well because they play EDM.
Mobile DJs
If playing at the same scene gets too boring for you, then try being a mobile DJ who goes from one event to another. If you choose to be this DJ, you’ll need to have a larger variety of genres in your arsenal.
You’ll need to prepare romantic songs for intimate slow dancing and even dancefloor tunes that are fun yet appropriate to all ages. Lastly, you must be able to take requests as well.
A... producer?
If pushing out chart-topping songs such as ‘Faded’ or ‘Sing Me To Sleep’, then perhaps you’re more interested in becoming a producer. DJing is basically playing pre-recorded songs and remixing them to suit your style.
Meanwhile, producing means making your own music. Many famous DJs you see sometimes produce their own songs and in other times, they just perform a song that’s produced by someone else.
If you’re interested in the latter, then of course you can still check out the rest of the tips below.
#2 Get the basic DJ skills down
There are lots of videos available on YouTube that can teach you each of these skills in depth, but if you’d like something more in-depth, there are DJing schools and courses available too!
Here are some of the basics you’ll need to launch your music career:
EQing
No, this has nothing to do with emotional intelligence. EQ stands for equalisation and it’s where you cut or boost frequencies so that the audio can blend seamlessly. This makes the track sound smooth.
Gain Control
Often an overlooked but very important aspect is gain control, where you adjust the volume of the audio. If certain aspects are too loud and others too soft, it can create quite a jarring sound.
Beatmatching
When you’re remixing songs, you need to make sure the beat gels well together. So, you need to learn how to line up multiple tracks to play at the same tempo and phase.
Phrasing
Do you ever listen to some remixes and out of the blue, it changes to another song? That’s probably because the person didn’t do phrasing. With proper phrasing, you’ll need to mix your tracks at the points that make sense.
#3 Use the right DJ-ing softwares
There are a bunch of softwares available that are compatible on your laptop, tablet and even mobile. Some need to be paid while some are free. Go check these out:
- Native Instruments Traktor Pro
- Serato DJ Pro
- Pioneer DJ
- Rekordbox DJ
- Mixxx
- PCDJ Dex
- Atomix VirtualDJ Pro
- Mixed In Key
- Technic turntables
- Ableton
- VirtualDJ
#4 Invest in proper tools to achieve your DJ dreams
Image via ASUS ROG
If you’re attending a course that provides free usage to their turntables and mixers, you don’t really need to purchase these but if need your own, you’ll need to get these:
- Two or more turntables
- 2-channel mixer
- Headphones
- Speakers
- Laptop
There’s a variety of these available in the market, but a good laptop is essential!
If you wanna become as awesome as Alan Walker in DJing, then check out the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 Alan Walker Special Edition! It’s a unique laptop that both the DJ and Republic Of Gamers (ROG) collaborated on to bring the best of both music and gaming together.
The ROG Zephyrus G14 gaming and creative laptop got a facelift courtesy of Alan Walker. It comes with a ROG Remix sampler, a distinctive acrylic packaging that uses capacitive pads to double as a music sampler and remix kit.
This special AND limited edition Zephyrus G14 features unique colour accents like the Spectre Blue shade of the AniMe Matrix™ LED array. It’s exclusive ONLY to this machine!
Also, the 2 fabric belts along the lid add ROG’s signature cyberpunk flair, with one belt using reflective text that blends with the matrix LEDs.
Image via ASUS ROG
As amazing as it looks and sounds, the powerful 14" laptop is built for gaming as well. Powered by Windows 10, it unlocks the full potential of your system’s hardware. With advanced graphics performance via DirectX 12 Ultimate* and the compatibility to play thousands of games—there’s a reason why Windows is the most popular and versatile gaming platform on the planet.
In an interview, Alan Walker said:
“ROG is such an influential brand within the gaming community and combined with my interests for music and gaming – this was a no-brainer!”
“I'm proud and excited to collaborate with ROG and explore more ways to enhance the lives of music producers, content creators, and gamers everywhere.”
Image via ASUS ROG
“I'm an avid gamer and have been so fortunate to have had collaborations with League of Legends, Death Stranding, and PUBG Mobile. I've recently released my new brand, Walker Gaming, which has been a long-time dream of mine.”
Alan Walker also said that he plans on collaborating with ROG again in the future!
Image via ASUS ROG
Go check out the full specs of this special edition laptop on ROG website or Where To Buy info. It’s officially available from 7 September 2021 onwards but you gotta be quick because it’s available in limited quantities only!
* DirectX 12 Ultimate available with supported games, graphics chips, and requires the latest Windows 10 update with updated hardware drivers.