Digital meets Vinyl - what is your opinion?

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Ez peeps

I was reading the Bassline Smith interview on DOA and came across his take on the vinyl v cd v serato debate.

Personally I am a Serato affectionado and I have never been into cds or used them. Vinyl is the perfect radius for one's hand and the manipulative control is both exact and detailed. Serato opens up the possibilities of the future and allows me to introduce my own trax and original scratches and whatever I want into the mix. The setup also allows me to carry plenty of music and organise it how I please.

Of course I am happy and capable at mixing regular vinyl, since it is exactly the same to mix. CDs however seem restrictive and having been forced to use a cd setup recently I certainly had my feelings confirmed that it is a poor substitute for technics. Obviously people who are into CD dex will get used to the way they operate, and you can play your own dubs and I suppose scratches. However I feel the mini little ring, the nature of its control and the lack of visual info like you get off a standard record or from serato makle them a real pain. The setup I used felt like a set of old belt drives or something (.....and then it did have its own drop out issues as well as control stutters and stuff but I assume that was just a poor setup issue).

I suppose the other option is a fully digital option like Traktor, but to me it seems like a pointless choice for anypne who enjoys the skill of mixing, both listeners and djs alike. However it must be great for people who don't want to learn to mix and all that but want to put something together to listen to. Not really a proper performance option though I wouldn't have thought.

Here's SBS thoughts:


DOA: You're playing at the Trackitdown 3rd Birthday party at Turnmills on the 21st April. Trackitdown obviously represents the new wave of digital DJs who chose to use mp3s rather than vinyl. Without getting too into it (as we all have been around this debate so much in the past!) what is your take on the 'vinyl vs. CD' debate and where do you stand? Do you think mixing with CDs is as attractive as mixing with vinyl?

SBS: Purely from a DJ stand point I think its all about the performance and the
question I ask is this: Can I play to the best of my ability on vinyl? Yes
Can I play to the best of my ability on CD's? No. So I don't really use CD's except in an emergency.

I think whatever you feel comfortable with you should use but base that
decision on how you perform. Some DJ's can perform well on CD's while others cannot. There is a lot to be said for programmes/ hardware like Serato because you are playing an MP3 just like on a CDJ but you are using Technics turntable to manipulate it. This is more attractive to me than CD's.

But at the end of the day let’s embrace new technology because the drum & bass headz have always used new technology better than any other genre!

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hmm not really sure - they all give new posibilities but im a vinyl lover deep down. Will more than likely invest in some sort of digital cd deck thingy majiggy at some point, but right now im happy with my vinyl



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Certainly a great interveiw with SBS. i think to date he has presented the most rational representative response to the debate of 'digital v's vinyl?

There is a danger within any genre of any creative expressive art to become all consumed by the 'means' and not the end. Obviosley the means are an important aspect of the overall artistic creation and in most respects will influence the final outcome. Its that very momennt, the final outcome that will in my mind be the point with which my experience of the artistic expression will be defined.

An example would be last wednesday . I went to Swerve and had a great night. i must say even though one of the dj's was one of the most boring dj's . he was using cd's and just faded one tune into another (just). there was no flow or expression of skill through what he was doing.

that should be the basis of judgement regarding the issue being discussed here. its not the means, but how one creates an emotional experience through the means. I would have thought the same about him even if he had used vinyl. I dont think a dj should be judged on the means but how the dj manipulates the means to create the desired effect.despite that like i say, i had a great night which is the point

there is too much 'die hard vinylism' bordering on religious fanatacism. The turntable itself was just as contraversial when that came out. the synths used in the very vinyl tracks were just as contraversial. in fact the whole dance music scene has been built on innovations with technology so to actually resist the movement into digital realms is misguided and a contradiction to the very music we play.

Finakly , overiding all that is the main point here. Muisc is Music, sound is sound. if it sounds shit , its sounds shit, if it sounds good its sounds good.

big upp all music lurvers

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personally i couldent give a shit, a person uses what they want to use and people that judge that are just fuckin stoopid. Couldent care if vynal disapered and i no that there are a few people who hold vynal a bit to close to their hearts, let go ffsake.

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im a vinyl lover myself, i like the odd pop or crackle here or there as i feel it can give the set some rawness which perfect sounding digital tunes dont. i think utilising both formats is the way i will go in the future, but who cares what format u use to mix the choonage, just as long as the choons are good and the mixing is not "pub dj" stylee, zzzzz

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The day vinyl dies I will hang up my headphones. FACT. You cannot beat owning a piece of music on vinyl, its both personnal and warm.

In my opnion, mixing on cdj's takes away the whole enjoyment and purpose of dj'ing. I can understand from a producers point of view why they are so popular .... but to see a dj turn up at gig's with only a wallet full of cds? Also, with all the rumours of dj's mixing with pre-pitched cds?

But the sad fact is that as technology advances so will trends within the djing world.

I havent ever used Serato so it would be unfair for me to comment but to be honest, I have little interest in learning or investing in the product.

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Some real good views & valid points raised in this thread.

I've only ever mixed vinyl & have never had the experience of using cd decks, but after recently seeing cj & al pow (both very experienced dj's) struggle 2 get to grips with the cd set up at the blag club, i feel i'm happy to stick with vinyl for the forseable future.

If in future i decide to go "digital" in any way, i would definately move over to serato rather than cd decks - i've been fortunate enough to experience cj's serato set up & it's as close 2 mixing "real vinyl" without actually doing it as you can get, & for me it is the natural progression for dj's who produce & want 2 play their own (or other peoples) dubs.

It is definately a clever piece of kit & 1 that any dj who mixes on conventional turntables would b able 2 use comfortably, given a little time.

You can keep your cdj's - the future is definately serato in my eyes, but for me, it's all about traditional vinyl atm & i want to stick with it as long as possible.

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I have a CD player, just a cheap one so I can play tunes that people send me - it has a pitch control and a play button, thats all I need. I prefer vinyl by a long way.

There is an argument that we should embrace the new technology which I partly agree with but I dunno, owning a piece of vinyl where you can physically see the grooves in the record to judge any breaks or changes in the tune just seems a lot better to me. There are a lot of 'digital' labels popping up, and this is all good but I just hope they are not a sign of the beginning of the end of vinyl.

The day they stop releasing tunes on vinyl is the day I become an old skool DJ

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The day they stop releasing tunes on vinyl is the day I become an old skool DJ

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I voted for vinyl but as FB said serato is a very clever piece of kit and IMO is better that cdj's n e day. Like Mindset and Overload said owning a piece of vinyl is so much better than obtaining (by legal means or otherwise) a mp3/wav that can so easily become corrupted or deleted. Also with MP3's comes the argument of sound quality, nothing can beat the sound of a mint cond vinyl, mp3's cut frequencies out of the sound therefore the full effect of the track is lost.

Personally i dont find it very hard to mix with CDJ's, esp if u r using pioneers which 'show' u the structure of the track in a basic wave form and I can only imagine serato is much the same, if i was forced to go digital I would chose serato over cd's n e day of the week.

Yes drex u may think we all have this weird wax fetish but any dj worth his weight will prefer vinyl anyday, its just natural!

That is my two pennth worth!

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