If you are NOT at
least semi-computer literate, you DON'T have a computer, or you HATE
computers, then STOP right here. MP3's are ALL about COMPUTERS and
the more computer savvy you have, the faster you'll grasp the whole
of this evolving technology. That's all the negatives about Digital
DJ'ing. From there, it's all about speed, precision, ingenuity,
imagination, flexibility, marketing, load reduction, and re-creating
excitement in the mobile DJ arena using computers to achieve these
new heights. Notice the emphasis here is on the mobile DJ world, as
the software for MP3 utilization is currently only evolutionary in
relationship to the beat mixing club jock. Club DJ's are handcuffed
by current software designs but those are now being addressed by engineers.
UNDERSTANDING
THE MP3
Recorded music in
the compact disk format is, by computer standards, a humongous space
hog. At an average size of 10 megabits per minute of recorded music,
and should you carry only 1,000 songs to every engagement, and assume
an average of 4 minutes per track length, you would need a hard drive
capable of storing 40 gb minimum and there'd be no more room for
expansion. As most laptop computers feature hard drives between 4 and
20 gb, it becomes mathematically evident laptops were never
considered as an alternative storage compared to CD's. Now ponder this.
CD recorded
music contains the entire sound frequency spectrum, much of which is
above and below the human hearing spectrum. What if all those upper
and lower non-audible frequencies were mathematically eliminated from
the song? And what if certain nearly duplicate frequencies were also
eliminated? How would that effect the perceived reproduced sound
quality, how small would the file size now be, and how could these
new data files (no longer "music files") be played through
a standard PA-type system? The answers resulted in the
emergence of the MP3 file (MP3 is its file extension name just like a
text file is a TXT and a computer sound file is a WAV file and so on.
There is actually more to this but who cares). Now the standard CD
music file size of 10 mb per minute can be selectively reduced to 15,
12, 9, 6 or 3 times its original size depending on what level of
quality you want that sound to be. It is IMPORTANT to understand as
this juncture that the transition from CD music files (WAV files) to
MP3 files IS NOT A COMPRESSION TECHNIQUE in its true sense. Once a
music file is converted to MP3, it CANNOT be restored to its original
state. The frequencies have been surgically removed, not squeezed
into a smaller package that can be re-expanded at a later time. Now
near CD quality sound files take only 1/12th of the original size and
virtual CD quality files are 1/8th the original size. In summary,
here's the math. An 8 gb hard drive can store 150 songs in WAV (CD)
format, but 1,800 song titles in near CD quality MP3 format. Voila!
Laptops are now a viable storage media.
PLAYING AN MP3
As the MP3 file is
a computer data file, it can only be played through a computer. You
cannot make a CD of 150 songs in MP3 format and play it through your
Denon or Pioneer CD players. The MP3 can be played from your hard
drive, it can be played from an MP3 CD off your laptop's CD-ROM
drive, and it can be played from an externally connected storage
media. There are many MP3 player programs out there, some
smooth, some glitzy, some expensive, some free, some functional and
some not well thought out. The current winner in functionality and
feasibility in terms of the mobile DJ (in this author's opinion) is
WinAmp from WinAmp.com. The multiple occurrence feature (more than
one version of the player running at the same time and each version
can play a song simultaneously) easily facilitates fading and
blending as opposed to strict beat mixing which WinAmp does not
perform with any ease.
MAKING A BASIC MP3
The process of
converting any music file to an MP3 file has been dubbed
"ripping". A program that performs this function is called
a "ripper". A file that has been converted has been
"ripped". The quality of the file (the bit rate) is
referred to as the "ripped at" rate. An MP3 downloaded off
the net without paying royalties is "ripped off". Again,
there are many "rippers" out there but vary greatly in
speed, performance and flexibility. After much experimentation (and
requests for refunds), the AudioCatalyst 2.1, was the fastest, most
flexible, and error free of the horde in my experiences.
HARDWARE CONSIDERATIONS
As in all facets
of computer usage, processor speed, random access memory (RAM), CDROM
speed, and available storage are prime considerations. Your mobile
MP3 system should be dedicated to its job with virtually no other
responsibilities excepting perhaps a scheduling program and a
database. Designing space shuttles while playing MP3s is not
recommended. If you're going the laptop route, insure it has at least
a 366mhz processor, 128 mb of random access memory INSTALLED, a hard
drive sized commensurate with your earlier math (total number of
songs to be "ripped" at approximately 4 mb per song and
don't forget to leave about 1- 1.5 gb of space for operating software
and adjunct programs), and at least a 24x CDROM. Your laptop should
also have the capability of one or two PCMCIA cards, and/or a vacant
PCI slot, and/or a Firewire port for future expansion should
additional storage be required (and it will). If you're going the new
"lunch box" systems available from Visiosonic.com or
Colorado Sound and
Lighting, order the biggest hard drive(s) they sell and insure you
have 128 mb of RAM. If you're really committed to (and probably
should be committed"), get a 500mhz PIII, 256 MB of RAM, a flat
screen display, an internal hard drive of 60gb or more and an
external duplicate of the internal drive. Add to this an UPS (for
non-laptop systems) to eliminate momentary power losses resulting in
re-booting right in the middle of playing Celebration.
The ICEBERG
This brief jaunt
into the powerful and evolutionary world of MP3 was literally just
the tip of it's potential and how to get into it. There's cropping
dead air off the front and back of files for smoother transitions,
there's editing WAV files utilizing professional audio editing
programs to get that song edited properly "once and for
all", there's getting samples attached to web sites for client
preview, there's hours and hours and hours of "ripping" and
editing, there's expense, there's an extensive learning curve and
there's a huge commitment to all of the aforementioned. Though
MP3's may not be that last stop of the computerized music train, it
will most certainly provide you with a major competitive "leg
up" right now.
(Since the
original writing of this article, the race for the smaller file size
coupled with higher definition music has taken few twists and turns
but I believe that the new Windows Media Conversion Utility Version 8
will evolve as the dominate format. The file sizes are less than half
of while the sound quality rivals 160 & 192 kb MP3. This bears
close scrutiny, as current pro-DJ software sellers are reluctant to
jump into the .wma codec addition to their products)
About the author:
Cap Capello has
been a mobile DJ since 1978, left his engineering position with
General Electric in 1984 and became a full-time professional.
Though having trained twenty-seven other prominent DJs in the upstate
New York's Capital District, he has steadfastly refused to become a
multiple system company stating that he is terrified about hiring
employees just like himself. A self admitted computer geek, he
continually illuminates the path in using computer-to-mobile DJ
applications. Cap has been utilizing MP3 as the sole source of his
music since May of 1999. All his CD's stay in van. He gladly shares
his expertise with anyone who asks for it and may be reached via his
web site at www.IMADJ.com.
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