I see many Vinyl DJs telling digital DJs that digital DJing isn’t really DJing.
I was DJing in the big clubs in the early ’90s through to the late ’00s and always kept up with the technology.
I remember using CDs on CDJs and the Denon CD decks with instant start.
Now, the thing with “real vinyl” is that it can’t actually do anywhere near the stuff the digital gear can do, and it doesn’t sound as good, and the media wears out with every play. You can’t jump back and forth and make your own edits in real-time or use 3/4 loops to jump to another song with much higher tempos.
On real Vinyl, the pitch changes with the tempo, so it’s noticeable to the crowd.
The art of DJing is to keep people dancing and changing genres to get new people on the dance floor and others off the dance floor to purchase drinks, etc. That’s the real art of DJing, watching the crowd and keeping the music flowing.
Learning to beat match on real Vinyl is more complicated than digital systems. Still, it’s not rocket science, and anyone with determination would achieve it if necessary in 90 days.
Stop being reluctant to try new things between yourselves and the next generation.
I love my Technics 1210 mk2 Gold decks and use them all the time. Still, I also use digital exclusively when I play clubs, as it leads to fewer things potentially going wrong, cleaner transitions and an easier life for me. It gives me far more creative choices; my records remain undamaged and never get stolen like the old days.
Digital and Vinyl, neither one is best. For a career move now, though, I recommend that people learn digital. More and more clubs are losing the vinyl setups, and you might find yourself limited in where you can work in the future.
The digital DJs coming through will have to have paid their dues, as they are competing against the hoards of other Digital DJs.
In my day, if you had the money to purchase equipment, put in the practice and purchased the records, each bought with your own money until you became successful enough to be sent the records, then most of the work was done. It was just a matter of how many people I could hand/post tapes to, how many club managers I could meet and help, etc. Today’s DJs are competing with social media DJs, so they have their own battles.
If you are worried about competing with people who are less skilled and experienced than you, that says more about you than it does about them. And if that’s because you don’t want to learn digital, then more fool you.
Lastly, remember that older DJ who helped you get on the mailing lists introduced you to promotors and generally helped you. If not, I’m sorry you had no one, but if so, try to be like that person and help the new generation along.