Wow! Has it really been 15 years?
All the way back in 2006, I made the ‘brave’ step to leave my CD decks behind and perform at a friends wedding reception using my laptop and thousands of MP3 files onboard. If I’m totally honest, I was absolutely bricking it! Fear of the laptop failing, Windows inexplicably shutting down and above all else, not being totally au fait with the software!
Somehow, I made it through unscathed. In fact, one of my friends in the audience noticed no difference (I hope that was meant in a good way!)
Fast forward 15 years, and the laptop/controller revolution in the world of the DJ is now the norm. Packing a top-spec MacBook and a dedicated Pioneer controller, I’m fully conversant in the ways of digital music and mixing! And the advantages? For starters, there’s no need for huge CD (or vinyl) cases to lug from gig to gig….all my music is contained in a couple of hard drives that easily fit in a pocket. I do miss the tactile nature of a record or even a CD, but looking for a song nowadays is as easy as typing it in, and not a frenzied search through hundreds of albums whilst you only have 30 seconds left on the previous track!
Progress is wonderful, isn’t it?!