Pete Tong hosts a BBC DJ Techniques workshop with James Zabiela.  The video is amazing for geeking out to and seeing how James sets his gear up.  It also covers the Syncing debate nicely.  As James puts it, “….it’s easier than it’s ever been to beat match…. you have to evolve and bring new things into your sets….“

I detect some layers of ‘old vs. new‘ in this interview, but I feel both Pete & James manage to convey their point nicely.  Pete comes across a little uncomfortable at some point as he appears lost by all the technology, this is highlighted when he comments on simply using the filter effect on the mixer, instead of the complicated way James demonstrates. I feel that James courteously skirted the attempts from Pete to get into a debate on syncing without offending any DJ’s and I commend James on his skills in navigating this delicate subject.  I feel that Pete is somewhat upset with the path that DJ’ing is taking, but he also attempts to accept this evolution without being too cynical.

The video treats you to some great promotion tips from James, talking about social media and getting the right balance between spam and worthwhile promotion, outlining his uses of his twitter and Soundcloud. James also offers some valuable information about backing up your files and updating software.

At around the 30 minute mark Pete and James start getting a little more into a discussion about Traktor, but there are references all the way through.  Put an hour aside and watch this great video. I would love to hear your comments!