Is Dubstep the scourge of electronic music?

Dubstep has been sweeping across the world's clubs at near record pace over the last few years. Practically unheard of before two years ago, Dubstep as a genre is now well known to many who were never before associated with electronic music. However, in the tradition of this blog, there are many who are outspoken against Dubstep.

Those who criticize the genre point out its' lack of audio frequencies and its' lack of dance ability.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Genre, here is a well known Dubstep anthem:

Rusko- Woo Boost

As you can see the song centers around low frequencies and has a distinct lack of treble tones. Those who are opponents of the genre would point out that the overwhelming bass tones discourage dancing and instead promote the more relaxed "head nod" dance.

Despite the criticism surrounding Dubstep one can't deny the overwhelming success the genre has experienced in the past several years.

Is Dubstep the scourge of electronic music?

A&B mixing vs Ableton

Yet another polarizing issue overtaking the DJ community lies with the program Ableton Live. Instead of using two decks to mix songs this program uses a grid like system where the DJ simply picks the order of the songs before and the program automatically mixes between them.

Ableton Live's interface:




However, with every new technology there are those who oppose it.

Many DJ's say using Ableton in a performance setting is more or less cheating. Because there is no responsibility on the DJ to transition between songs while performing there is little to no risk of mistakes. Many, old school DJ's especially, would liken to practice to lip syncing in a traditional envoirnment.

However, using Ableton Live while performing may have its' benefits. Without having to manually change between songs, the DJ is free to do anything from add effects to change audio filters to adjusting the lights. This freedom may help to inspire more creative sounds and influence more interesting shows.

A&B mixing vs Ableton

Traktor v Serato v Virtual DJ?

Now that we've covered the merits of using a computer or not, let's delve deeper and examine three of the main programs used by computer DJ's.


Traktor

Along with Serato Scratch Live, Traktor is one of the best selling DJ programs. However, Traktor can be used with either real turntables or a computer controller; this versatility is what makes Traktor a leader in the world of virtual DJing.

Along with its' versatility, Traktor is extremely customizable. All the settings from audio output to pitch bend sensitivity anything you want to tweak or change is at the user's fingertips.


A picture of Taktor Scratch’s Interface:




Serato Scratch Live

Serato is praised for its simplistic interface and ease of use. However, unlike Traktor, Serato has to be used with real turntables or CDJ’s. The detrimental effect of having to use analogue signals, some say, is quickly made up in the stability Serato boasts over any other program

A picture of Serato’s interface:






Virtual DJ

A far less expensive alternative to Traktor or Serato, Virtual DJ offers most of the same features for a cheaper price. It can be used with analogue or digital equipment, has plenty of customizability, and an intuitive interface. However, the program is often criticized for inaccurately reading the speed of songs and being unstable in a performance environment

Virtual DJ’s Interface:







A quick summary of each program

Traktor-
Pros- extremely customizable, can be used with analogue or digital equipment,
industry standard in Europe
Cons- criticized for some instability, steep learning curve

Serato-
Pros- simplicity, stability, industry standard in United States
Cons- can only be used with analogue equipment, have to have hardware
connected to run

Virtual DJ-
Pros- cheaper, somewhat customizable, colorful practical interface
Cons- instability, misreading tempo’s

Traktor v Serato v Virtual DJ?