Greetings skratch nerds! Wanted to give you a little update on some of the new stuff around here. In the Lessons we got:

• New Skratch Theory Lesson: Shift and Divide
• New Level 4 Lesson: Tentacles
• California Roll - Revisited!

In Turntable Tune-Up with DJ Mas: 

• Checking Calibration / Function of the Dots
• Fine Pitch Calibration Method

In Real Instrument Skratching with Alex Sonnenfeld:

• Several Players 5
• Music Theory 2
• Drumming 6
• Skratch Techniques 6

That's all for now, but be on the lookout for more coming soon! If you're not sure what to watch next, spend some time in the Video Exchange Library or Training Dojo. Also don't forget to get your Clover Tear Battle entry in before September 2nd! On a personal note, I'm getting married in Hawaii next week so I won't be around to update the Facebook page or write about the Clover Tear Battle winner until I get back. Until then, talk amongst yourselves! 

Congrats goes out to JB Wizardry on winning the Chirp Battle! It almost sounds like video is sped up but we've confirmed that it's just his own wizardry helping him out… crazy fast! We got his winning submission now on the Chirp page so students can study that along with the lesson now.

So the next battle will be on… Clover Tears! We're looking for a dope demonstration here with an emphasis on being smooth, incorportating different patterns and having variations of rhythms. Remember, Clover Tears are a tear combo using a '2 forward and 2 backward' motion. Check out the official lesson on Clover Tears here or watch the promo below for a brief refresher. Also lots of good tips in the Video Exchange Library, just do a search and dig in! 

Deadline will be September 2!

Stevie E was at the DMC Finals in NYC and provided us with a bangup recap of his experience which includes some quotes from the competitors. Check it out and also be sure to read Billy Jam's DMC writeup here! 

So the DMC US finals took place at Stage 48 in NYC this past weekend and I was lucky enough to attend the event. I have been following the DMC battles since I got into DJing in the early 2000s and I have to say this battle was by far the best the US has seen in years!

Some say "real" DJ battles are dead but after watching an event like this it proved that battling is alive and may be stronger than ever! In my opinion the turnout was great. It seemed that there were way more people in the crowd than last year. I was able to meet a lot of cool turntablism fans from all over which is always really a great experience. 

We are excited to announce a new Guest Professor section on QSU: Turntable Tune-Up! In collaboration with DJ MAS and DJ MIXMASHPOTATOES, we're bringing you exclusive series of turntable repair tutorials all about how to maintain, repair, and pimp out your gear MAS CUSTOMS style! We are very fortunate to have this knowlege get broken down for us, these are tips and fixes that can save you hundreds of dollars on turntable repair... and you'll never get taken advantage of by shady technicians once you know how to DIY!  Here's a list a what they're covering, check out the first 5 at the links (Update: 2 more added on 8/12/13):

• Troubleshooting sound and signal issues
• Troubleshooting Pitch issues
• Troubleshooting Power Issues
• RCA replacement
• Internal Grounding
• Tonearm Replacement
• Tonearm Cleaning
• Pitch Assembly Replacement
• Motherboard Replacement
• Pop-up lamp Replacement (stock)
• Upgrading all your LEDs
• Installing Internal HALOS
• Unsticking Tonearm height Levels
• Tips and Tricks to Prolong the Life of your Turntables
• Cleaning your Turntable Platter
• The function of the DOTS
• Pitch Calibrations Coarse and Fine Adjustment
• How to Fix a Skipping Tonearm
• much more!!!!

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We are excited to announce a new Guest Professor section on QSU: Turntable Tune-Up! In collaboration with DJ MAS and DJ MIXMASHPOTATOES, we're bringing you exclusive series of turntable repair tutorials all about how to maintain, repair, and pimp out your gear MAS CUSTOMS style! We are very fortunate to have this knowlege get broken down for us, these are tips and fixes that can save you hundreds of dollars on turntable repair... and you'll never get taken advantage of by shady technicians once you know how to DIY!  Here's a list a what they're covering, check out the first 5 at the links (Update: 2 more added on 8/12/13):

• Troubleshooting sound and signal issues
• Troubleshooting Pitch issues
• Troubleshooting Power Issues
• RCA replacement
• Internal Grounding
• Tonearm Replacement
• Tonearm Cleaning
• Pitch Assembly Replacement
• Motherboard Replacement
• Pop-up lamp Replacement (stock)
• Upgrading all your LEDs
• Installing Internal HALOS
• Unsticking Tonearm height Levels
• Tips and Tricks to Prolong the Life of your Turntables
• Cleaning your Turntable Platter
• The function of the DOTS
• Pitch Calibrations Coarse and Fine Adjustment
• How to Fix a Skipping Tonearm
• much more!!!!

​

These guys are the real deal.  They're the ones who put together the Dirtstyle Cut 2 Cut Challenge at the Beat Swap Meet last year which I also wrote about, but it wasn't until recently that I learned the full story behind Battle Ave and the people behind it.  After meeting up with DJ Antriks at the last Beat Swap Meet, we both agreed that an interview was in order.  I wanted to know the whole story about Battle Ave: what it is, who's behind it, how/when they started, and why.  These guys have been building a solid foundation for a while now but I have a feeling that they're only just getting started.  Personally, I think these guys are exactly what the scene needs right now: a passionate team of individuals dedicated to documenting and discussing turntablism, throwing events, having fun, and doing it for all the right reasons.  Big thanks to DJ Antriks for answering all my questions, be sure to check out their website for more info at thebattleave.com!

Greetings, we have news! After reviewing all the entries for the Tear Battle, Qbert was so torn (pardon the pun) that he couldn't decide on the winner... So, much like the Boomerang Battle, the winner of the Tear Battle will be decided once again by the students of QSU! Check out all the entries under "Recent Video Exchanges" and leave a comment for the one you want to win! The winning video will go up on the official Tear Lesson page to studied and enjoyed by QSU students FOREVERRRR! 

UPDATE 7/31/13: Congrats to DJ Hypnotize aka The HZA : Winner of the Tear Battle! Another QSU 2x Battle Winner (he also won the Combo Challenge awhile back, it's on his student page)! Check out his video if you haven't already, it's now on the Tear Lesson Page too. 

Ok, and the next battle will be on... CHIRPS! You guys know the drill, the student with the best 1 minute chirp video will win a special prize. The deadline is August 12th... now go make it chirp!

Shout out to QSU student DJ Grotask for putting me onto this footage: it's from Q's recent trip to Baku, Azerbaijan to judge the Red Bull Thre3style Battle which took place on July 7th (read more on that here).  Aside from the competition (which DJ Twist won for a 2nd year in a row), there was also a master class of sorts that took place there, and Q got to cut it up with the locals and give them some tips on their skratching.  DJ Grotask was in the building (he's the one on the left in the picture) and he said it was the "most interesting and inspiring moment in my life" to meet and skratch with Qbert which makes me happy because I love seeing how these QSU connections manifest.  After I posted a clip I had found of the workshop on the QSU Facebook page, he sent me this video which is much better and nicely edited by Urban Art Azerbaijan. Check it out:

Got some new classes up in the Official Lessons area: the first one is on the 3 Click Flare, something we talk about often but never had an official lesson on it in the curriculum - so check it out! Also there's 2 more lessons for Level 5 (aka Drum Skraching): Clovers in Drumming, and the infamous Brainsplitter. This is some advanced stuff right here, so take your time and don't worry about mastering it right away. Remember patience plus persistance is The Way...  Also don't forget to get your videos ready for the QSU Tear Battle - the deadline is Monday, July 22! 

This is a great resource for anyone into skratch music, it's an archive of all the old Turntable Radio shows. Turntable Radio was an amazing free resource during the early days of the internet, they played strictly turntablist music from skratch DJs and also had interviews with some of the best turntablists of the day. I don't know too much about it other than the first show was in October 2002 and they were based out of the UK. I would love to know more about the history behind this show and the people who put it together, so if anyone has some insights please get in contact with me. 

There's no recent or new shows, but they have the entire archive from the beginning up to September of 2005. Each show can be downloaded and saved forever (you may need to update your Real Player if it's been awhile), and they all come with a playlist which is great for identifying some of these forgotten gems. Click on the images to get to the shows, and help keep this great turntable music alive by sharing it with your friends! 

Everyone's favorite seal has some big news: he's having a baby! That's right, the long sold out Baby Seal 7" record is coming back and Thud Rumble is asking for your help to make it happen. Like other Kickstarter campaigns, there's different ways that you can contribute so be sure to watch the video to see all the cool prizes.  Click here to check out the campaign on Kickstarter!