Events kick off with 'DJ Sunday', on 11 September. Sponsored by iDJ Magazine, the day showcases all the major manufacturers' new kit and includes various events, product launches, on-stand demos, giveaways and workshops. Central to it all is the Gemini 'Extreme V' DJ Competition - a major showcase of current and new talent that attracts entries from all over Europe.
Spurred on by the evolution of digital technology, the latest major DJ technology developments can be seen - many of them for the first time - at PLASA, including decks, mixers, effects, samplers, styli and headphones - together with the latest software and MP3 developments, and the first generation of CD players that are truly bridging the gap between audio and visual mixing.
Every name in the DJ book will be there, including Allen & Heath, Computer DJ, Denon, Gemini, Kam, Numark, Martin Professional, Peavey, Pioneer, Sennheiser, Shure, Stanton, Vestax and Yamaha. They'll be mixing with over 300 companies who are set to roll out over 1,000 ground-breaking new products.
Now in it's 11th year, the Gemini 'Extreme V' DJ Competition is open to any non-pro DJs, and whilst participating may not get you an instant residency, it could very well put you on your way. Full details on the competition and how to enter can be found at the web address below. The Show will also continue the trend of attracting the big-name DJs - Eclectic Method, Eddie Halliwell, Richie Hawtin, Jon '00' Flemming, Chris Liebing, Little Charlie, Lisa Loud, Tom Middleton and James Zabiela will all be at PLASA this year - as well as emerging talent, many of whom will be playing in the all-day mixing demos. For those looking to get their foot through a record company door, a crew of music industry heavyweights, including record producers, music mixers and A&R experts from the major labels, will offer practical advice on how to break in to the industry. There are also plans for an on-site Record Fair so you can add to your vinyl and CD collections.
There'll also be a string of opportunities to pick up tips and techniques for what to do with your latest box of tricks. A workshop on Digital Turntablism and Mixing on Sunday 11 September at 1pm will look at how advances in digital technology have changed the dynamics of dance mixing to the point where the DJ can now turn up to a show with a laptop loaded with MP3s, loops and samples. The session will look at the virtual DJ studio - the mixing of MP3 files, the future of vinyl emulation and digitally-encoded vinyl - who knows, will the new Traktor DJ Studio software raise the bar for Final Scratch users?
A second workshop on Sunday 11 September at 2.30pm, The Future of the DVJ and Vision Mixing, will take an overview of all the latest graphics software, outlining just how the evolution in computers has allowed for VJ-specific programmes to be produced, with easy accessibility. DVD mixing is now a reality, but will the affordability of Solid State HDD urge manufacturers to move directly to this format? Tickets have been priced to make it really easy to attend: if you pre-register, the cost of a single session is £7.50 (inc VAT) or you can get a 3-session pass for £15.00 (inc VAT) by logging onto: www.plasashow.com/seminars
As part of the DJ Sunday Lounge sponsored by iDJ magazine, the free iDJ Talkzone programme will see a session where DJs and producers will talk about the first stages of making the step from DJ'ing to production. The discussion will cover the basics f
