The evolution of the lazy dj

When I first started out with the whole dj thing back around 98-99, the prefered media for playing music was vinyl. Today my choice is more or less CD’s. In 2010 I’m pretty sure I’m gonna run around with usb sticks, thanks to Pioneer!

Now this got me thinking, has the evolution made the DJ’s lazy? Lets do the math.

Today I have a CD bag holding 320 CD’s. Every cd has roughly 8 tracks on them, meaning my cd bag at all time holds 2560 tracks.

Vinyl. Heavy music.

Now when I first started, if I wanted to bring 2560 tracks to the club on vinyl, I would have to bring roughly 853 vinyls. Let’s say every vinyl has 3 tracks. The biggest UDG record bag can hold 90 records, meaning I would need something like 9,5 UDG bags. And according to Wikipedia an average vinyl weighs approx 100 grams.

853 vinyls x 100 grams = 85 300 GRAMS / 85,3 KG.

And if we add the fact that a UDG bag weighs somewhere around 4 kgs, the bags it self would weigh in at 38 KG making the grand total 123,3 KG. My cd bag weighs 6kg!

We’ll make this even more fun: A usb stick at 128 GB storage room weight 150 grams. If we say every track is approx 10mb you can fit 13 000 tracks on one usb stick or 26 000 tracks on two!

If you want to bring 26 000 tracks on vinyls you would have to bring 8666 vinyls.

8666 vinyls x 100 gram = 866 600 Grams = 866 KG.

Add that you would need roughly 96 UDG bags: 96 bags x 4KG a piece = 384 KG.

The Alfa Romeo T33 stradale. Two of these vs 26 000 tracks on vinyl. You choose.

Total weight: 1250 KG. To put things perspective; that’s the same weight as 2 (!!!) Alfa Romeo T33 Stradale Cars!!!!

Now I’m completely aware no reasonable dj would actually bring 96 vinyl bags to a gig, but then again most dj’s wouldn’t bring 26 000 tracks on USB sticks either.

If I had the choice I would get one USB stick and one Alfa Romeo T33 Stradale and drive off happy into the sunset, over 600 KG’s lighter.

7 Responses to “The evolution of the lazy dj”

1. Mika Haulo says:

   2009/12/18 at 13:29

   Is there any other point in this text than trying to be funny? There is some real potential and advantages in digital technology, why not to bring those things up instead of always trying to bash vinyl & analog stuff?

   With posts like this you’re only making yourself look fool. Here you are giving impression that more tracks in the bag equals better performance, but it doesn’t. Quantity means no quality.

   Current score: 1
2. Endal says:

   2009/12/18 at 13:49

   I had no idea anyone could be offended by this article. Hehe. It’s just a series of thoughts. In fact, the way I read it, this is a funny perspective on how far we’ve come. Not a “bring back the vinyl” speach. And I think Thomas like most dj’s prefer quality over quantity. Chill out, it’s christmas

   Current score: 6
3. Thomas Sagstad says:

   2009/12/18 at 15:05

   Mika ; hahahaha .. you actually serious with this comment? Im not trying to push that Quantity is better than quality! Wich if you actually read my post you would get! I just frankly thought it was a funny idea that we can put all this music into something this small, and how technology push everything forward! FYI

   Current score: 0
4. Mika Haulo says:

   2009/12/18 at 15:45

   Thomas & Endal, I’m not “offended” because of this text only, but because of the overall situation what’s going on. Well ok, I admit taking this one a little bit too seriously (shitty work week behind, you know) .But anyway, what should be taken seriously is my point that digital DJing is not what is could be and people should really try to come up with some really new ideas instead of comparing MP3s to old stuff.

   Current score: 0
5. Marcus Schossow says:

   2009/12/18 at 23:20

   Hahahaha, priceless article ! Very very good stuff! I know for a fact that tiesto is running around with 3cd bags from UDG on his gigs. I asked him and i got the answer “you never know what u wanna play”…. True. These times open for way more variated sets and it becomes way more intressting

   Current score: 4
6. Chantola says:

   2009/12/19 at 10:41

   I’m kinda sad that it has come to this…Nowadays I use mp3, but I used to dj with vinyl….I hope vinyl will never die..I buy 50-100 vinyls a year these days…because I love them..digital djing has its own strengths and weeknesses but im doing it too.

   Mp3 rocks…but hope too see the vinyl surviving all this…

   Merry Christmas and a really productive and happy new year…hope to hear some belters 2010. Keep on raving!!!

   Current score: 2
7. Six months – The best so far | Innotune says:

   2010/03/01 at 22:20

   [...] The evolution of the lazy DJ DJ math – the numbers behind modern DJ-ing. A funny read from Thomas Sagstad. [...]

   Current score: 0