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OCDJ - TV Episode 6: Space Bag Quest(ions)

2/10/2016

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I​n this episode of infamous OCDJ-TV Steptone & Slowpitch dive into the the Space Bag of questions and attempt to find the true answers that lie beneath the surface of DJing & Production. Will they emerge successful!? Find out as they duck and dodge their way through the challenges of turntable, DJ, beat making, and all around electronic arts philosophy.

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Producer Tips - Intro to Sound Design with Operator in Ableton

1/27/2016

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[Introduction]
Ableton's Operator is a little intimidating at first, but it's often overlooked for more commercial plugins. It's a versatile instrument and with a little time you can be on your way to making your own patches and basslines. Operator is an FM (Frequency Modulation) Synthesizer with subtractive and additive synthesis. 

The Operator has 8 individual sections called ‘Shells’ and 1 display section at the centre. Depending on the shell you have selected, the centre display will show you a more detailed set of parameters from which you can modify your sound.  

For info on Off Centre's Producer Programs: http://www.offcentredj.com/producer-programs.html

Oscillators : The noise makers inside the Operator. There are 4 oscillators (ABCD) which have their own parameters that can be tweaked in the centre display.

Waveform : Essentially waveforms are a representation of sound and can be complex or simple. In Ableton we can choose from a 22 types of waveforms, design our own or choose from the fundamental waveforms, sine, saw, square and triangle. We’ll choose a sine wave as it has a prominent presence in the lower frequencies.  

Algorithm : In a nutshell Operator’s Algorithms are different routing options for the oscillators (ABCD). You can see that depending on which one you choose, algorithms can drastically alter your sound.  

[How to make the Bassline]
1. Generally, the sine wave registers the best in the lower frequencies so, to create our bass sound, we’ll go to our oscillator 'A' and leave the waveform to run a sine wave. 

2. We’ll then change the Algorithm to the last configuration so that our oscillators will run independently. 

3. Add another oscillator with the same sine wave to boost the fullness of the sound. You could also add a third oscillator and run another waveform on top of the sine waves to add some tones to the sine wave. 

[Additional Tweaks]
Filter : The filter sections controls the Operator’s built-in filters. You can choose from a range of Filter-types (LP,HP,BP,Notch) and then adjust the cutoff with the Frequency knob which sweeps the band with whatever Filter-type you chose. The display will also allow you to change the envelope of the filter and also add curves to your waves with the Shaper Types. Choose from Soft, Hard, Sine or 4Bit to had that little bit of grit or guts to your sound.  

LFO : By default, The Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO) shell will modulate the pitch of your oscillators ABCD, but can also modulate the filter cutoff depending on which ones you have turned on in the LFO centre display. 

Release: In the Oscillator display you can adjust the Release to extend the tail end of the signal. Doing so will lengthen or shorten the amount of time for the signal to decrease after the key has been released.
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DJ Tips - The Release: The Most Important Mix and Scratch Technique You Might Learn

12/14/2015

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​A proper "release" (aka "drop") is one of the most important fundamental DJ techniques not only for scratching, but also for successfully mixing/transitioning from one track to the next. Since this is a cross fader dependent technique, In this video we take an in depth look at the role of each hand. Think tapping your head and rubbing your stomach! Just like any other instrument, it's all about developing hand and/or limb independence. This comes with time and lots of practice.

Next up - try the "Drop Cut": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGVHYg9340E

Circles & Squares: http://www.circlesquaresound.com

SUBSCRIBE to receive all the latest updates. The end game is to help you reach your creative potential.

DJ Program info can be found at: http://www.offcentredj.com/dj-programs.html

At Off Centre your DJ education begins with the original industry standard Technics 1200.  Along the way you'll incorporate various skills, technologies, and philosophies to create clean, creative, and original mixes.

Share the knowledge!
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Newsletter: December 2015

12/9/2015

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Happy December! Some exciting things coming up for you. Here's a taste from our December newsletter. 

- Holiday Facebook photo contest: http://on.fb.me/1lPMJZL
- Certificate programs: http://www.offcentredj.com/certificat...
- Friends with benefits program (see written newsletter)

Read the Full newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/bHriOD
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DJ Tips - Easy Technique for Better Scratching

11/11/2015

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​Just one of the many ways to take your hand control, scratching, and turntable performance to the next level. SUBSCRIBE to receive all the latest updates. The end game is to help you reach your creative potential.

At Off Centre your DJ education begins with the original industry standard Technics 1200.  Along the way you'll incorporate various skills, technologies, and philosophies to create clean, creative, and original mixes: http://www.offcentredj.com/dj-programs.html

"Modulation", the technique used in the video will also work with controllers and CDJs. It's a versatile technique to add to your skill set and it will make you a better DJ, no matter what genre you're in to.

Share the knowledge! 
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Newsletter: November 2015

11/3/2015

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​Welcome to our Video Newsletter. It's November!  Here are highlights of things we got going on this month. You can go old school and read the full newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/bDuRZD
  • DJ & Producer Certificate Programs: http://www.offcentredj.com/certificate-programs.html
  • 20% Off Weekend Workshops for the month of November: http://www.offcentredj.com/weekend-workshops.html
  • New OCDJ TV Episode - The Art of Practice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32URW85wudo
  • Student Night - http://www.offcentredj.com/student-night.html
​
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OCDJ - TV Episode 5: The Art of Practice

10/29/2015

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In Episode 5 of our ongoing OCDJ series we touch on a much debated topic: Humans vs. Technology! Not so much in the Ex Machina sense, but more so breaking down how art and expression are influenced and sometimes even replaced by pre made loops, stock automation, and computer generated mixing. Technology is a wonderful thing, but where do we draw the line between self expression and roboticized beats? What's more important, star gazing or trail blazing?

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  • Home
  • Courses
    • Certificate Programs
    • DJ Programs >
      • Full DJ Program
      • DJ Courses: Level 1 - 4
      • Weekend DJ Workshop
      • Turntablism
      • DJ Camps
      • After School DJ Program
      • Traktor Kontrol S4
    • DJ / Producer Program
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      • Full Producer Program
      • Ableton Live 01: Intro to Producing
      • Producer Camps
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      • Weekend DJ Workshop
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