MMM Question

[Jitters]

On the AIFST DVD or whenever I see video of the Beastie Boys performing MMM always has some type of circular sticker on the vinyl he's using, anyone know what the purpose of this is?

[Pootytang]

Are you talking about the one smack dab in the middle of the record? If so, I really feel sorry for you.

[Jitters]

Are you talking about the one smack dab in the middle of the record? If so, I really feel sorry for you.

No, god I'm not that stupid :p

I'm talking about the ones that are all over the records he uses, they are really small and he usually has about two of them on the average record he uses.

[DirtyPete]

not positive but i'm guessing its probably like a color coded system or something so he knows what he wants to grab out of his stacks for certain songs, might have to do with beats per minute or something too

[Pootytang]

I believe those are there to let him know where certain parts of the songs are at, the ones that he normally cuts up durring the shows.

[Lo_Lyfe]

Yeah, that and little horizontal strips mimicking a clock face mean you can find a beat at 11 o'clock, for instance.

[Jitters]

I believe those are there to let him know where certain parts of the songs are at, the ones that he normally cuts up durring the shows.

Oh ok, that makes sense, he puts the needle to the right of it and cuts it up. I always wondered what those things were :D

[DeeJayZap]

no when hes like backspinning and juggling he needs to know what point on the record to rewind it to. so when that circle is pointing towards the needle thats where the sample starts.

[Lo_Lyfe]

no when hes like backspinning and juggling he needs to know what point on the record to rewind it to. so when that circle is pointing towards the needle thats where the sample starts.
you're a beast on the decks kid. i seen your shit on youtube. mang, in my day the bedroom was for beatin off.

good work, i mean. keep it up.

[Sir SkratchaLot]

Here's the deal with the stickers.

You put them on there for four main reasons.

First, you often see long rectangular stickers on the label of the record. These help tell you where your sound is on the record. For example "fresh" might be at 12 O'Clock on the record. Sometimes DJs will also mark the very edge of the record too, for the same reason, but this is less common. Here's a picture to illustrate
http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:w2KR-mSpiyW-FM:http://www.djforums.com/images/tutorials/drtechniques/dr_scratch02.jpg
Marking the record like this is helpful whenever you scratch, and just about every record that I regularly use to scratch with has one of these markers on the label.

Second, its essential to use stickers if you're using two of the same record to juggle back and forth. This is because, even if its the same record, the labels are not put on the records all facing the same way. Records are circles, so its hard to remember where you are without a marker. So, if we'er talking about License to Ill, the first words "Because, mutany on the bounty . ." On one copy the "Because" might be where the label is right side up, and on another copy it might be where the label is upside down or sideways, etc. If you want to juggle that record, you put stickers on the label so the "Because" is where the sticker is at 12 o'clock. This way you can go back and forth with the record and always have a reference point to go back to. Battle DJs will often use multiple, color coded, stickers for complex routines because you might have multiple cue points. So, in your mind its like, "red at 12 on record one, then red at 12 on record two, then blue on 12" on record one." Its just an easy way to keep shit strait.

Third, you can use stickers on the grooves of the record to cue up a particular spot really quick without the headphones. Cueing up a record can waste a lot of time in a live situation and this allows you to cue to a specific spot on the record fast. The most common is to use circle stickers like this http://p.office1000.com/aww/MR4044MLL.jpg
If you put the sticker on the record just right, you can put the needle near it and the sticker will force the needle into the right groove so you can be exactly where you need to be on the record fast. Yes this damages the record and the needle, but its the best way to cue up a record in only a few seconds.

Fourth, you can make a loop on the record by putting a sticker on the grooves. This is basically forcing the record to skip. When the needle hits it it jumps back a groove and starts over,

Here's a good example of seeing all this in practice (DJ Klever) He utilizes all four of these in the first minute.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8I91NjI5zc

[Jitters]

Well that's a lot to take in at once but I think I get it. Thanks for all the info, it's really helpful (y)

[Justin]

Here's the deal with the stickers.

You put them on there for four main reasons.

First, you often see long rectangular stickers on the label of the record. These help tell you where your sound is on the record. For example "fresh" might be at 12 O'Clock on the record. Sometimes DJs will also mark the very edge of the record too, for the same reason, but this is less common. Here's a picture to illustrate
http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:w2KR-mSpiyW-FM:http://www.djforums.com/images/tutorials/drtechniques/dr_scratch02.jpg
Marking the record like this is helpful whenever you scratch, and just about every record that I regularly use to scratch with has one of these markers on the label.

Second, its essential to use stickers if you're using two of the same record to juggle back and forth. This is because, even if its the same record, the labels are not put on the records all facing the same way. Records are circles, so its hard to remember where you are without a marker. So, if we'er talking about License to Ill, the first words "Because, mutany on the bounty . ." On one copy the "Because" might be where the label is right side up, and on another copy it might be where the label is upside down or sideways, etc. If you want to juggle that record, you put stickers on the label so the "Because" is where the sticker is at 12 o'clock. This way you can go back and forth with the record and always have a reference point to go back to. Battle DJs will often use multiple, color coded, stickers for complex routines because you might have multiple cue points. So, in your mind its like, "red at 12 on record one, then red at 12 on record two, then blue on 12" on record one." Its just an easy way to keep shit strait.

Third, you can use stickers on the grooves of the record to cue up a particular spot really quick without the headphones. Cueing up a record can waste a lot of time in a live situation and this allows you to cue to a specific spot on the record fast. The most common is to use circle stickers like this http://p.office1000.com/aww/MR4044MLL.jpg
If you put the sticker on the record just right, you can put the needle near it and the sticker will force the needle into the right groove so you can be exactly where you need to be on the record fast. Yes this damages the record and the needle, but its the best way to cue up a record in only a few seconds.

Fourth, you can make a loop on the record by putting a sticker on the grooves. This is basically forcing the record to skip. When the needle hits it it jumps back a groove and starts over,

Here's a good example of seeing all this in practice (DJ Klever) He utilizes all four of these in the first minute.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8I91NjI5zc

GOD DAMN THAT DJ MAKE MY DAY..DAY..DAY

[Funkyfreshgrape]

no when hes like backspinning and juggling he needs to know what point on the record to rewind it to. so when that circle is pointing towards the needle thats where the sample starts.
i think that sounds right!