CD Mixing

the pros and cons of using compact disc's for mixing

Many factors have led to an increase in CD DJ'ing, for example the inexpensiveness and availability of CD-R's and their hardware recording devices, as well as the rise of p2p file sharing via the Internet. The moral and copyright issues of this aside, CD's are a very flexible format for DJ'ing and posses many advantages over 12" vinyl's.

A lot of experienced DJ's dislike CD mixing because it is less of a hands-on practice and although this much is true, making a switch from using vinyl to CD or vice versa, is not as difficult as it is claimed to be.

The Pros of CD Mixing

• CD players are available cheaply and basic equipment works much the same as the more expensive models
• Music is more affordable and easier to carry in transit
• Exclusive remixes are often released by major labels on CD only
• Up-and-coming dance music producers will create promotional CD's rather than expensive acetates
• Homemade and downloaded tracks can be burnt straight to CD then used for mixing

The Cons of CD Mixing

• Not all venues have CD mixing equipment installed
• You have to search sequentially through a track to find a desired place
• Scratching facilities are in early development stages and only available on very expensive models
• Many underground releases are likely to be only found on vinyl (although these could be burnt to CD)
• CD player controls vary greatly between manufacturers and may cause problems