There are even vinyl DJs around.

You can use sync, but I don't think it's that widespread.

I was in a tiny bar in Seoul a few years ago where the bar tender was also the DJ. This guy would go from making drinks to picking up a pair of headphones and cuing up the next track, pulling vinyl from a shelf. One of the coolest things I’ve seen.

I mean I DJ vinyl but if I’m playing digital I’m absolutely using sync

It depends on the age of the DJ's career. There's a lot of ego involved with being a DJ, and using sync is seen as somehow "lesser" because it takes no skill to hit sync, or even just visually match bpm numbers and the beat on the screen. Nevermind that there's a ton more to being a good DJ, for people that grew up with vinyl, the loss of the need to beat match by ear means you can become a DJ without having that particular skill. So older DJs with more established careers judge the younger newcomers for not having that skill, but for DJs that have only ever used digital and have never had to carry a milk crate of records around, they've never not had the sync button. And they don't feel any shame when using it.

There's no skill involved in pitching the two nearly-identical-in-BPM tracks and nudging them into rhythm.

Put any sync button DJ in front of a proper CDJ setup, give them a couple of hours to practice and they will be able to pull off a set.

Most importantly: it is the least important part of the job. Nobody in the crowd gives a shit about whether or not you're using the sync button, it makes no difference to them. They're not there to stare at you, most of the time they can't even see what you're doing.

Amazing - every word of what you just said is wrong.

I would love to see some actual counter-arguments!

> Put any sync button DJ in front of a proper CDJ setup, give them a couple of hours to practice and they will be able to pull off a set.

Please observe Grimes at Cochella: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E01QyNHBpcc

"give them a couple of hours to practice" != Spontaneously having to figure out a different workflow in front of thousands of people :D

(yes, she reacted suboptimally, just don't think it's fair to use here)

Grimes isn’t a DJ she’s a self-admitted meth user who diddles around with a lot of hardware most people can’t afford in the first place and the results appeal to a very minor market (as evidenced by being dropped by her label and no critically or market acclaimed releases in 10 years or so).

Grimes is a performance artist who dabbled in music. She’s not a musician. Imogen Heap is a musician.

not sure why you are being downvoted. Beat-matching is the most straightforward and least interesting part of being/experiencing a DJ. I think every DJ needs to know how to do it but IMO most of the overemphasis on beat-matching comes from cringe gatekeeping. To me, it's akin to thinking an actor remembering their lines is the focus of acting.

Mixing vinyl well is definitely an impressive skill but I (and I suspect the vast majority of people) don't care at all about how people are mixing tracks (until it's to the detriment of the music). Most people care about what makes them dance and/or feel something.

IMO it depends on what skill level of beatmatching and mixing we are talking about.

I have seen some unbelievable performances by matching wizards who added a whole other level to the performance with their skills.

The set itself was different because there would not have been a way to slice and dice the set together without those skills.

Really no different than a virtuoso performance on any other instrument.

I'm a hobby / Bedroom DJ for a few years, and I still struggle with beatmaching vinyl ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

>no skill involved in pitching the two nearly-identical-in-BPM tracks and nudging them into rhythm

I mean, there clearly is if you ever try teaching a beginner to beatmix (whether vinyl or digital). I don't disagree with your other points.

If that person tells you things again, I wouldn't take their word for it.