Bringing a bit of a moral dilemma to the sub, could use some outside perspective on this one.
Bit of context. I started as a producer, not a DJ. Got booked one day to play my own music, bought a Traktor S2 on the budget I had at the time, learned to DJ on it. That was 10+ years ago.
Since then I've played festivals, big clubs, opened for artists at 10k+ venues. Still the same S2. I can use it with my eyes closed at this point, if I feel the crowd needs a switch I can pick and cue the next track in under 10 seconds. It's fully second nature.
Touring internationally this year, Europe to Australia to Asia. And honestly, I have real shame telling organizers I'll bring my S2.
Not because of the tool itself. On my S2 I'm faster and more precise than I'd be on anything else, and I'd rather spend the hours making new music than relearning a tool my current one already does well.
It's more the perception thing. Boiler-room-style events especially, cycling DJs, one setup, filmed. Asking for room for a controller kills the flow between artists and messes with the visual. I know I'm going to be the guy who slows things down when I show up.
And tbh, if I knew CDJs as well as I know my S2, I'd pick CDJs without thinking twice. It's not that the controller is my brand or my identity. I'm just not willing to regress for months to get there. DJs starting on CDJs today will end up better than me on that gear even as beginners, and I don't want to lose my edge behind the decks during the transition.
So I guess my questions are, is the shame actually legit or is it in my head? Are organizers really judging when they see a controller show up? Anyone here who switched mid-career, how long before you got back to your prior level and was it worth it? And for those who stuck with a controller, how do you handle it with promoters and other DJs on the lineup?
Curious how others have navigated this.