Become a DJ in 8 steps

February 1, 2012 by 1 Comment

So, you’ve all seen the DJ’s, you’ve all heard them play. Have you also secretly wanted to be them?

Here are my collected “wisdom” (a term I use loosely about myself :P ) from my time as a DJ, both in SL (for about a year) and RL (about 10 years).

1) The player! This is essential, you need something to play on. There are many alternatives, but the main ones are SAM Broadcaster (pricey, but one of the best), Virtual DJ (Mid-range, but reliable) and Winamp (free, but rather unreliable and a bit clunky, you also need a plugin for it to work with Shoutcast)

2) The stream! You need a stream, which is basically a web address that you send everything you play to. You set up your player/plugin with the address and some additional info (like what you want to appear on the DJ board, if the club has one and the format that the songs should be displayed in in the chat on Phoenix/Firestorm viewers), Many clubs in SL have their own streams that you can borrow, but that limits you to that club. You can also use an apache server to stream from your own computer, but unless you have around 100MBPS up on your broadband, this is not an option. The best option would be to rent a stream, either directly from SL in one of the many stream rental places or over the internet. The former is more convenient and you have everything already set up for SL, but the latter gives more control and can be a bit cheaper if you know what you are doing. Steams in SL can be as cheap as 100L$ for a day (great for auditions or events) or 800L$/month (great to keep on a subscription if you get a job at a club).

3) The music! As a beginner, pick a genre and stay to it. Throughout your whole career you should think of mixing up the songs, so you don’t play too much from the same artist. Every genre have great mix-collections (either on CD’s or as downloads) that give a good, solid foundation. A mix-collection is usually about 2 hours long (the length of most sets in SL clubs) and have all different artists. You can then start to expand by getting more from the artists that you notice people are liking. A good start is to have enough songs for 8 sets of 2 hours, that’s 16 hours worth of music, all of different artists, so you don’t play the same artist twice in a set, but the latter is the DJ’s preference.

SAM Broadcaster User Interface

4) The workplace! Clubs around SL are many, and it might be hard to find the one YOU like, and DJ’s are plentiful. Even with that, I can assure you that ALL clubs in SL are looknig for DJ’s. The DJ business is hard, you WILL be playing for empty dancerooms a lot in the beginning, before you get a following. Once you get fans, your reputation will rise and you can expect more and more crowd. Just give it your best and you’ll make it in SL club circuits. The mistake many DJ’s do is that they try it out for a month, notice that noone is there and quits. The thing the great DJ’s of SL, the legends, did when they started was to play for the sake of music, not for the crowd or tips. Playing for a club so full the sim crashes is a wonderful feeling, but it takes time to get there.

5) The following! That brings us to your identity. I know this might seem counterintuitive, but before you even get the stream, create an identity. What do you want your host to call you? Once you have that, create a group named “DJ X fan group”, where X is your identity. Invite your host to the group and give him/her invite rights, put the group as free to join and open enrollment and make sure your crowd knows you have the group, so they can join it. Send notices before EVERY event you’re playing at!

6) The Host! The hosts job is to work the crowd, to get seats filled and take care of them. Your job is to play the music and make sure you get the right music for the moment. IF you have time over, you can join the chatting, but that is the lowest priority. That’s why you have a host there.

7) The Mic! Even thou it’s not a necessity, hearing a DJ talk over the music hightens the emotions of every visitor. Get a mic, get used to talking in it and use it while DJing. Don’t use it too much thou, use it after a song when you got tipped, other than that, just use it for announcements every 4-5 songs at a maximum. Remember that people are there for the music, not the talking.

8) HAVE FUN!!! This is the most important part! If you’re in a bad mood, it will reflect on your performance. The transitions get sloppy, your voice will sound harsh and you won’t pay as much attention to the crowd. If you’re not happy at any of your sets, there might be something wrong at that particular club. Don’t be afraid to tell the club owner or manager(s), that’s what they are there for. If it’s the music that gets too repetetive, they might allow you to do a few sets outside the clubs genre, if it’s a problem with a person, you might get some help sorting it out. If all else fails, try working at another club for a while, there is nothing preventing you from working at several clubs at once. Be careful thou, know your limits. When doing something you love, you risk overdoing it and I’ve seen many DJ’s go down by being overworked. When you have a timeslot at a club, it’s easy to get stuck on the idea that you HAVE to play then and there, every week, indefinitely. Then you get to another club, get an offer to play there, and suddenly you’re stuck with more sets than you can handle, but don’t have the heart to say no to any of them. Don’t be afraid of telling the owner or manager that you feel overworked, they might consider pulling you down to one set every other week instead, or give you a leave of absence for a month or two.

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First Look: Viewer 3

August 24, 2011 by Leave a comment

When I heard that there was a new what I like to call Vanilla Viewer – the benchmark where all other tastes derive from – I knew I needed to check it out. Check out Morphman’s post on the blog as this is supposed to be a major release.
Viewer 2 got a lot of slack and negative comments by a lot of die-hard viewer 1.x fans as it was a major move away from classic looks: new interface, engine coding and feel. What Linden Labs forgot then was that people don’t like too much change. I guess they listened to the complaints as Viewer 3 has a v2 look and feel… or is it just a rename of the year old bottle of wine?

Login Screen

The login screen did change a bit: you get a website overview that in my opinion could have been more integrated into the viewer: the colors are more “website” than “viewer” based. I have a feeling this has been rushed and not looked over by a graphic designer, as the image on the top is pasted against the top bar, rounded at the bottom means for me it’s missing a bit on the top… But that’s pure esthetic!

What is interesting to me is to see the “What’s Hot Now” screen, you get an overview of the busiest sims of that moment, although I’d have to investigate if those are real-time stats (I doubt it) or some timescale is being used (more logical and server economic I think). The “Destinations” is what it is: destinations filtered by their category. If you want to feature in this I guess you have to take time to put them in the “Events” diary. Finally something that might make this feature a bit more appealing to use, as it might bring in new people to your events.

The more interesting thing is what happens when you look at the bottom: no change whatsoever! You still get a choice between “Basic” and “Advanced” mode – I’ll be skipping the former as in my opinion it takes too much away from the SL experience and thus being pointless (don’t get me wrong, it’s a great way to ease new players into the SL experience, but most will skip it within a day or two I think :)

Checking out the viewer

Of course this release gets a new number as it incorporates mesh into SL. But what is more interesting to me is if the minor “problems” have been solved… So mesh for me isn’t all that important – yes I am excited about it for other reasons, mainly to see what builders are going to do with this new toy!

Not a lot has changed at first look: the much hated – but in my opinion very useful – sidebar is still there. You get the “Linden home screen” with the same basics that were shown in V2, so i’m going to skip that. I do recommend as a new user to go over them, there is some useful stuff in there!

The profile screen got revamped when you click the “profile” button, more in touch with the website version of your profile. This was not unexpected as LL announced a more web-inclusive interface. The other tabs haven’t changed at all on a first glance. The favourites bar is still there – one of the features that I really liked about V2 from the start!

What I suspected: V3 is just V2 with mesh code incorporated into it. Not a bad idea to rename this, as it is a major difference in user experience inworld, but not per sé viewer-wise.

What is really getting on my nerves is that 3rd party viewers are able to render things right, but V3 still has a problem rendering textures right for me when I switch to “ultra” graphics settings… I can only compare to Firestorm at the moment, but there I can run SL smoothly with everything bumped up to maximum, V2 and V3 just aren’t up to the challenge! Frame rates drop, making my experience less than optimal… Why is it that a brand new high-grade computer still isn’t able to use Ultra graphics settings, Linden Labs? Why still include this!

The other thing that still get on my nerves is “depth of field”: granted, a useful tool when you’re taking pictures in Second Life, but why hasn’t this option been moved to the “snapshot” function? Depth of field isn’t that useful on a day-to-day basis.

Yes, I agree these are minor things, but annoyances non the less…

Pro
• No major changes – except of course for including mesh
• Various tweaks, like the web-integration that has been refined.
Con
• Messed up Ultra – at least for me
• Minor gripes solved in 3rd party viewers still present in Vanilla…

Conclusion

Viewer 3 is a logical rename of the previous viewer, giving users access to the long coming promise of mesh inclusion. I’m sure in time coming this will become apparent to all users, as mesh will steadily be introduced to the grid. Don’t worry, it will live perfectly next to prims and sculpties as we know them, so you don’t have to start buying new stuff immediately!

Hopefully my minor problems with V3 will be solved in the (near?) future, although these are my gripes and as with everything: you can’t please’m all!

Sven Hyx 

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The love of 5 musketeers on Secret love

June 9, 2011 by Leave a comment

Did you know there’s a place in Second Life where love is the keyword of success? Where you can feel butterflies in your stomach and where you can feel like Prince Charming or Cinderella?
Today I like to tell you about a sim where you can fall in love, spend hours with your lover and even can marry.
Love your life on Secret love!

You enter the sim on a heart-shaped island, that’s connected by bridges to other islands. On every island there’s something to do. Heart island gives you several options to explore the sim. You can take a taxicab or fly around on a very special way…
This time I decided to walk around and tell you a few secrets about this sim. I take the north bridge and walk in the direction of the huge waterfall.
If you want to have some privacy with your lover you can peek under water or walk further north. You’ll find there a very nice building. Here you can buy your lover roses. All ingredients to make you beloved one feel in heaven are available.
But Secret Love has much more to offer. You can take a ride with the air balloon or if you prefer staying on ground level, you can take the boat.

Secret Love isn’t only nice and has many tools to entertain you, it’s very practical too. The sim offers an ATM/DX point where you safely can transfer rl money to SL without the need of register your credit card.

I continue my walk towards another great building, a Rajah. Here you can dance and relax, cuddle in the bedroom or play games in the penthouse. Enjoy the scene and walk outside on the 3rd floor. Here’s another great spot to dance.

Back on the ground I walk towards the castle, entering a nice garden and find a few boxes where the sim is collecting money for charity.
Dionne, the queen of the Freedom Caretakers Group, started 3 years ago an organisation to help orphans in Bobodioulasso in Burkina Fasso.

Dionne: I found babies drinking water. There was no money for cereal. So I came home and started this organisation and now these babies drink milk.

The organisation isn’t like the big organisations. No expensive director and all the donations go directly to the orphans.

Dionne: We ask from the people one euro a year. All cost goes directly to the orphans, there isn’t one Pennie for us. Even when we travel to Africa we pay for all the expenses ourselves.

The organisation is located in the Netherlands and they have a website where you can read about it. The original dutch site or a translated version to english click here.

Let’s go back to Secret Love. The castle with the pretty garden is a very romantic place. You will be surrounded with flowers and butterflies. The garden will lead you to another part of this place: Freedom Too. Very beautiful too and completely different, but also worth to visit.

I walk south and cross te bridge that leads to another nice garden with a very romantic building, called Dionne’s house.
Not only the building is fascinating. The view here is admirable.

When you walk in the direction of the blockhuts, you’ll find another garden where you can picnic together. I walk further to the east and find a bathhouse with a wonderful view of the ocean.

I follow the coastline and arrive on a funny place. A ruin where you can dance. And if you like fireworks. You can make your personal fireworks show here too.

If you think this is all, you’re wrong. If you take the taxi cab you’ll find many options to visit.
I selected the Bazaar, where you have a shopping mall and you even can find some freebies! There are shops available for rent here for a very fair price and if you’re homeless and searching for a home, you even can rent houses here.
In the middle of this little village you have a huge ballroom and an art gallery.

I take a cab again and head over to Arctic, where you will be amazed with a nice winter scene. If you don’t like winter. Head over to the Blue world.

If you prefer some action take the cab to the Runaway, where you can rezz a plain and test your skills.

All of this is just a small part of what you can do here. You can spend here hours with all different kinds of entertainments.

Secret Love exists since 2008. First is was just a place for the family (Freedom Caretakers). They lived there and learned to build. Nowadays this place is open for everybody.

Saronda Jewell: “We created it as a home for many to enjoy a warm place within Second Life.”

Last year Secret Love had an upgrade and the traffic starts to grow. So this really is a good place to meet new people.

The Freedom Caretakers is a very warm group. They call themselves the 5 Musketeers. All have unique talents and they all have the same goal here.

starlite Steampunk: We all work together…but saron has the eye for development.

Secret Love changes with the seasons. And with the different seasons there are different activities here.

Shahzad Kharg: “You should have seen the island at Halloween. Starlite was in charge of that.”

Sometimes they have special events here. They have planned to do much more in the future. And like the diversity of the sim, their events are very diverse too. They have plans for games, hunts and even an air combat.

Shahzad Kharg: “We intend to have competitions for every one to participate and win prizes.”

Secret Love is very flexible. When someone want to have a wedding here, they’ll change the sim into a perfect wedding location.
You can find the Freedom Caretakers here most of the time when they’re online. They’re very friendly for everybody. If you accept their two rules they will make you feel at home.

No nudity in public and second RESPECT for everybody here.

They accept people from all kind of cultures outside SL and inside SL. Secret Love is a great place for everybody, but they’re very friendly for newbies. If you have a problem or a question. They’re always happy to help you.

Dionne Jewell: When I see the real world there’s so many tragedy, so many wars, so much sadness. I wanted to create a place where people could meet from all over this real world in Second Life. Understanding each other and be friends. I know its possible as long as we all respect each other.

Saronda Jewell: Even Second Life can be very hurtful with jealousy, gossip and cheating. I do meet a lot of hurt people in Second Life. We want to make a difference and show its possible to share TRUE friendship and love in SL.

I felt in love with Secret Love and the Freedom Caretakers in 2010. I’ve never seen a group with so much love and respect for people. You can feel this when you speak with them, but also when they aren’t around. You can feel their love in their creations.

A warm thank you to Dionne and Saronda Jewell, Starlite Steampunk, Shahzad Kharg and Jim Lurra for spreading your love and make our Second Life a place how the real world should be.

TP to Secret Love

Hugs

Justum

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The wonderful worlds of Scottius

May 22, 2011 by Leave a comment

Lunamaruna

I teleported to a colourful world, like a dream, this is fantasy on a high level!
You enter the world inspired on his illustrations. And you’ll see this art project brings you to a complete different Second Life.

You’re part of the art of Scottius.
I arrive on a big hill and see a village in front of me. The village look painted, but is it?
I walk down and see fishes swimming on the ground. But these small fishes are different. They grow in size, and you can ride them.
In the distance I see buildings. All looks painted but you can enter them!
The flora is beautiful, though different from real life. Like a dream within the fantasy of Scottius. This is a unique world.

I’m sitting in a tree, relaxing together with a fish. Right behind me a big sort of stingray swimming in the sky.
I walk back and talk with mr. fish, who’s relaxing in front of his shop. It’s clear he’s a bit lazy, because he made a mess.
But he’s got a friendly smile and sells nice stuff in the store. If you can’t find something you need, there’s a tip jar here too.

I take the stairs up and arrive at a huge trampoline. Can you reach the top-level?

If you like colours and like to have fun. Then Lunamaruna is a must see location!
TP to Lunamaruna

Mushroom
I’m a small creature in the huge world called Second Life. A virtual world where smell isn’t possible yet. Or is it?
I’m small oh I’m small. I’m as small as like I was a young child. The chairs are too big for me. I hide in the closet and I want to be bad. So I climb on the bed and JUMP…..hoping my parent’s won’t see me.

Mushroom is a special place, it’s another world based on the art of Scottius. You’re again in a illustrated world. But complete different. Here you can play and be a child, who’s doing things people wouldn’t do as a grown up. When’s the last time you danced with Amoebas?

On the other side of the building, there’s a gallery with illustrations, made by Scottius. You’ll recognise them immediately.
You can buy the illustrations and if you have some Linden dollars, you can donate here as well too.

Visit Mushroom and feel like a child!

The Docks
When you cross the bridge you enter the latest project of Scottius. You’ll recognise his style, though the emotions you’ll get here will bring you to another level.

I enter a dark blue world. A bit creepy at first sight.
I thought I saw a lighthouse but then…..it’s gone! Or do I see it?

The water looks polluted. Do you dare to grab a tube and jump in?
Do you dare walk up and talk with the spirits of the dock? Are they looking for something?

I walk back to the land towards a little cottage I see in the distance.
The cottage looks like it’s owned by a fisherman. I hope he won’t come home, he definitely will lock me up in one of the lobster crates that can be found outside on the dock.

Visit The Docks
The Docks will move to a different location on the 30th of June.

Scottius Polke
Last but not least there’s a gallery where you can see and buy different art of Scottius.
Scottius is an artist by heart.

It is something I have felt a need to do since I was a child.
I have been drawing since before I can remember.

Scottius is a perfectionist when it comes to art. It takes months for him to build one project. But you’ll see. Everything fits.

Scottius is in real life an artist too. Second Life gave him inspiration to restart his rl art.
You can find his rl art on http://www.srolfe.com
What you’ll see there is great. It’s clear the rl artist and the sl artist are the same person with the same perfection.
Up here he can make the art, that would be too expensive to make in real life. And the profit here is, that people can fly through the exhibition.
He tries for both worlds what works best for his art.

If you aren’t familiar with art. His art is very open for any level.

“I try to allow one to experience it without any knowledge beforehand”

Scottius is a very friendly artist who doesn’t mind you’re big or small, an experienced artist in real life or new to it.

I have spoken with people who never did art before sl and have wound up doing beautiful art

To me personally this is fabulous. I have seen in real life people who made great art but were banned by the people who did art school. Because you would need art school to be able to make art.
Second Life proves the difference.
I asked advice to Scottius for new upcoming artists.

One of the great things about sl is the community.
It can be intimidating to begin sl art, but other people can be of great benefit.
You can ask advice.

Scottius art is unique because of several things. First of all his typical style of his designs, the light effects and the interactivity. You can watch and do things.
Every projects is a world on it’s own. You can recognise it’s created by Scottius, though all have a very different story and bring different emotions. What I described here is just my experience, though I’m curious what your imagination brings you.

You can explore his art in Second Life but also in real life.
If you like his art. You can reach and follow Scottius on Facebook.

Thanks Scottius for the amazing art you make and share with us in Second Life and real life!

Hugs Justum

Article and photos by: Justum

Filed under Culture in Second Life, SL Destinations Tagged with , , , , , , ,

The Demonic Night Club – Fantasy Week

May 11, 2011 by 1 Comment

On a industrial estate, somewhere in Second life you can find a place where everybody is welcome. Not only humans but every creature can enjoy their time here.

Inspire yourself and head over to the Demonic Night Club!


When you teleport it takes a while before all is rezzed. But it’s worth to wait, because the music here’s great if you like rock and metal. The Demonic Night Club is always open and there’s 24 hours a day live music streamed by great DJ’s.

You enter the sim on a crosspoint. From here you can walk outside and visit many shops. It’s worth a watch, because there’s a great variety of stores and the builds are impressive.

When you don’t want to shop, you can take the stairs down and dance with lots of people with the most diverse avatars.

The club has a grunge atmosphere with ia stagen the middle with impressive light effects where the dancers and the DJ do their act.

Around the stage you can find dance balls for couples and singles and this great club has 4 dance floors!

Recognisable visitors who were so kind to model: chesslyn lyric & nicolas schreiner

On the walls you can get information about the Demonic Dance club. You can find a board with information about the DJ and the music that’s playing.

Although the fantasy in the club is well represented by the art and the building, the realism of the furniture, like the stereo system, makes you feel like you’re in a real life party.

When I danced I saw the most amazing avatars. I danced between a wizard, demons, humans and lot’s of vampires.

It’s really a nice idea, that people can be here with the avatar they want and play the role they like, without bothering others.

For people that don’t want to roleplay. The place is safe for everybody. It’s for example forbidden to bite in the club and you’re not allowed to combat here.

And what’s nicer to meet other avatars and listening to great music in an environment where everybody can feel comfortable?

The place is great for new residents. First of all you’re safe here and you can explore several cultures in Second Life in just one club.

Aside from that, the Demonic Empire offers a safe possibility to purchase Linden Dollars in several ways without the need of registering your credit card on your SL account. You can find this in the huge mall in the south.

The Demonic Empire is a very active place. That’s why this place is also interesting for designers and creators that needs a store. And good news, there are still a few places for rent.

They’re also in need for good DJ’s and good dancers. If you have talent, it might be interesting to contact the owners.

Thanks WebMaiden Tomorrow and Rokko Luminos for make such an open and wonderful environment for the Residents of Second life!

SLURL

[Editor added] In the comments section we got this link, where someone has made a video about the club. Check it out!

Article by: Justum

Photos by: Justum

Filed under Pubs and Clubs Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,

London Week – Take a Stroll Down High Street London pt.2

March 27, 2011 by Leave a comment

What can I say, I’m swedish, so when I saw the sign saying Så Roligt I just had to walk in there. It was not what I expected, but it was a pleasant surprise.

This store sells sexy clothes to a reasonable price, ranging from 100-300L$ for a complete outfit.  I asked Rolig Loon, the owner and creator, about the shop and her involvement with London.

What is the history behind the name?

Rolig Loon

 

It’s a play on my own name.  In Swedish, “rolig” means “funny,” as in a funny story.  In Danish or Norwegian the same word means “calm.”  I’d be happy if I could live up to either of those descriptions, so it seemed right to try for the same feel in my shop.  The play on words?  “Sa roligt!” means “Such fun!”

What has been your main inspiration?

The challenge of creating things that I’d be pleased to wear myself, and the satisfaction of finding that other people like them too.  I design clothes that ought to appeal to professional women, the kind of clothes that help you look attractive without making the clothing the center of attention.   Even as I create negligees, I am inspired by the challenge of using a fabric or the cut of a bodice to augment the wearer’s own personality, not letting the garment be the showpiece.  I prefer dresses myself and I like interesting, colorful prints, so I’m often inspired by finding a pleasing fabric.

Do you have anything aimed at new residents in your store?

Not specifically, but I really don’t think of newcomers as different from long-time residents.  I price all my clothing in a range that ought to fit anyone’s pocketbook, and I design for an average figure so most things should fit with a minimum of adjustment.  I will be most pleased if a dress from Sa Roligt! is one of your first purchases in SL and is still a favorite a year later or more.

SLURL to Så Roligt

A taste of Så Roligt’s clothes:

Another store on High Street is Fenwitch & CO, one of Rob Fenwitch several stores. This store sells gadgets for stores, offices and such for a really low price. I ran into Mr. Fenwitch himself while taking a stroll, he’s often seen wandering around London, so I asked him a few questions.

Why did you chose London for your stores?

Rob Fenwitch

 

I was a resident in London before and was asked to stock and run two freebie shops for the estate. Later I was asked to open two more; one in Hyde Park and later in Knightsbridge. By this time I was living in and working for VL London so it seemed natural to open shops here once I had started to make things.

What has been your main inspiration?

The things I sell in my shops are things I originally made for my own use. I opened the firework reseller store in Kensington because I needed some fireworks and there wasn’t a shop in London that sold them.

Are these London stores the only stores you have?

I have one other branch of Fenwitch & Co. in a SIM which I share with friends.

Do you have anything aimed at new residents in your store?

The freebies shops are entirely aimed at new residents. In particular, I noticed that mens clothing was quite rarely found in freebies stores so I made a point of stocking those.

What does the future for the Fenwitch stores look like?

Alas, the magic 8 ball works no better in Second Life than it does in Real LIfe.

Article by: Morphman

Photos by: Morphman

Filed under Fashion & Freebies Tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

London Week: Take A Stroll Down VL’s High Street.

March 26, 2011 by 1 Comment

Virtual London’s high street, like the real high streets of London, is filled to the brim with glamorous shops from clothing to art gallaries. Like real London VL’s stores aims at everyone, from those who have different tastes and styles, with stores that are affordable to those that are unbelievable exspensive.

In Corpore was created by young designer Sara Zuta, her amazing causal and formal wear (for both men and women) are  affordable at a price range of 60L$-200L$, great for a newbie who has just come into some fresh Linden Dollars. The Torch SLG  got an exclusive interview with one of London’s leading designers:

How did In Corpore come into existence?

Sara Zutra

Well .. it was no accident … one day, as always, I was having fun in SL, and received an invitation for a lecture on creating clothes. As I am always open to learn, I went to that class, and I was excited about the possibilities to express my tastes in that I use every day in real life. Shortly after I wanted to show my creations in  a store and so, my first and dearest came up shop in SL … at Mayfair, London.

What are the basic aims of In Corpore?

Show the people behind SL, which I think in terms about clothes, which, to me, has a sense of good taste, an opportunity to show to friends and other people in SL what I can do.

How did you store get involved with the London Sim?

I can not remember the exact date, but it was some time ago … It was not hard to choose, since London (at RL)  is one of the places in the world who appreciate the most. And yes London is very well constructed, showing many similarities with the RL London and with the same atmosphere.

How does In Corpore  contribute to the newbie population of SL?

In Corpore is always available to help new people coming into the SL. And especially my self. One of my biggest concerns is to help the newbies ,so they feel comfortable in SL and to keep in mind that the key is fun . If you visit my shop, my cat (Acacio) will show that there is for a small preview of the possibilities that SL offers for fun.

If you have a newbie collection, can you tell us a bit more about your newbie collection?

My collection is made ​​to suit all tastes. Some of my clothes are made ​​for simple newbie use. The more complicated (for use) are accompanied by the most detailed instructions available. And I’m always open to help using my creations.

Do you have any up coming offers for newbies?

My offerings are for newbies quality, irresistibly attractive prices and, more importantly, show that Second Life is a world where all possibilities are possible. Even improve their English;)))) And here is the invitation for me to make a visit to my store in London Sim .. and make a leisurely stroll through London at SL;)

A taste of In Corpore:

Newbie Friendly: 8 out 10 (Fantastic clothes easy to find, gives to the landmark with to the main store, prices are affordable)

Clothes: 7 out of 10 (Great range of clothing for women, but only three choices for men, still very well made)

Over all experience: 8 out of 10 (The main store is very welcoming, the music is smooth and relaxing, the cat Acacio follows you around while you shop, which is fun)

Take A Stroll Down the High Street to In Corpore

From affordable quality clothes, to stores of expensive high fashion Virtual London’s high is available to everyone. K-Code is another London Resident that the Torch SLG has come across before. In late February K-Code stunned the run ways of Virtual London Fashion Week. Designer Kara Derseler met with the Torch SLG for a short interview to tell us a bit more about her fabulous clothing line.

Tell us a bit about yourself and how K-Code come into existence?

Kara Dresler


I started K-CODE as a project to escape tha daily stress. But this is not an easy business at all, it involves a lot of work so … LOL … my stress is still there :) ) But, on the other hand, I really enjoy doing this :) As for myself, I am working computer graphics in real life as well. Unfortunately, I don’t have as much time as I would like to take care of my SL business but I try to do as much as I can with the little time left from RL

What kinda for clothes does K-Code produce?

I make mostly casual or cocktail clothes right now. But, in the future, I would really like to extend the range of products if the time will allow me.When I started this project my first aim was to make clothes that I would like to wear. … LOL… in SL or RL alike. But I haven’t covered all that yet

How did you store get involved with the London Sims?


When I started my business I was looking for good places to rent stores and, of course, I found the London sims which was and is a great place for business. I like very much the architecture here. It gives you the feeling of being in real London and  there are a lot of different kinds of spaces to rent in order to satisfy any kind of demands the tenants might have. And the London team is so great!! The people envolved in this team are always very kind and reliable. They are doing a great job here ! :)  So, I am very happy to be a part of London This city is very lively, there are always exciting events and parties going on here so it is definitely a great place to be a part of!  Are you clothes affordable to newbies? Depends on what the newbie would like to wear or would like to spend inworld. I am aware that a lot of newbies are looking for freebies. For a while, at least. Until they sort out what they would like to do with their virtual existence. Well, there are not freebies in my mainstore yet but I always take part at hunts other discounting events with my satellite stores.

Is K-Code taking part in any events or does K-code have any new offers coming out?
I will soon take part as an event that is very close to my heart and that is Project FUR Japan for helping the animals that suffer after the earthquake in Japan. I don’t know yet where this event will take place but we will find out this very soon.Of course new releases are and will be available in the mainstore soon. And in the most of my satellite stores as well.

A taste of K-Code:

Newbie Friendly: 8 out of 10

Clothes: 9 out of 10 (Clothes are well made tailor to fit all shapes and sizes, but makes a HUGE dent in your pocket, if you’re a woman.)

Overall Experience: 8 out of 10

Take a Stroll Down the High Street to K-Code

The City London gives you everything you ever wanted, from amazing museums to places to shops and to live. In SL, Virtual London does the same, giving the residents the real of London without having to get out of their seats.

Izzie Morgan

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London Week – NRRA, Car Crazy

March 26, 2011 by Leave a comment

Meet Nina Roar, an exceptional woman who went from a life as a housewife straight to the high-octane life of racing cars. And she doesn’t stop there, she builds them too. And she owns several teams, and a track.

Meet her company, Nina Roar Racing Association, NRRA for short.

So Nina Tell us a bit about who you are and what you do here in Second Life.

My company is called NRRA. NRRA is the parent company to many smaller ones, it’s about 700 members in all. The company is almost 2 years old at this point, I have been in sl almost 5 years now

Tell us about the event here in Hyde Park.

The event here at the park was a chance for my customers to compete against each other outside of racing. Each car in the show was a custom job,so they were competing against each other in that way.

I chose 2 judges from one of the parties here to judge the best painted and themed car. The prize was 10,000 L$.

It was also a chance to work with London, it was a very pleasant experience

Was this your first event in London?

Yes it was but i look forward to having more. I’m sure Jessii will come up with something lol

How do you feel about the things you have achieved and the fact that you were able to bring your passion into second life?

Honestly I feel it’s just the tip of the iceberg. I have so many plans for sl! I plan to bring struggling companies into the NRRA and guide them to where I feel they should be. I have a great staff that understands my goals. I am a minority company and I see a lot of companies trying to make it, but all end up as a club of some type. I saw the football stadiums, as grand as they are, end up with a dance floor in center field. People have the goals but not the guidance to achieve them. I feel we can help.

Point being: if you set out to own a team or a mall, then stay with that dream. Do not end up as a club because you feel you have to have instant traffic.

Do you promote newbie friendliness or do your company offer anything to the newcomers of Second Life?

As far as helping, I do what I can as an owner, but my teams are always reaching out and helping newcomers get adjusted to sl. We offer a lifestyle that a lot of people would love to live, making money as a pro driver. A new person can go from not knowing anything at all about sl, join one of my race teams, be trained in an hour and in 2 hours be racing for 100 usd pot. It’s unique in sl that you have an owner and staff such as we have.

I put 200 usd per week back into my race pots so that every driver has a chance to make a living as a driver. My goal is for the drivers not have to do any type of side work.

Do you have any other events planned?

Well no car shows planned as of yet but we have racing events daily, 2 per day. We also have events that span over a 16 week period. Those are very good for the drivers.

We have a televised event, NNROC, that we do every Thursday, on VWN1.

We also have once per month our Whale event. That’s a 5000L$ buy in. Drivers can pay in or find a sponsor, but the pot if you win is 500 usd. I’m not the only drag track in sl, and this gets touchy, but when I 1st got into this, not the building or the company but when i 1st started to frequent tracks I would experience racism. I would be the only female as well as the only african american. Voice in sl was new and i would hear a lot of things being said, so when i opened my track I knew that my 1st most important goal was to provide an atmosphere where everyone felt appreciated.

It’s all about racing when u step on the track, anything that might slow your times you remove. If an earring slows me by 0,01, I remove it. That small millisec can cause me to lose. It takes some getting use to but we have a lot of scripts and timers and they must be accurate so we have to work around them

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London Week: Jobs in SL; DJ

March 25, 2011 by Leave a comment

We have a double feature for you today. Not one, but two  profiles on DJing in London. Eva Adored and Kyle Enimo is London’s two top DJ’s and they’re more than happy to share what they know.

Eva Adored

DJ Eva Adored

Job Title: DJ
Rezday : March 8
How long have you been in Second Life Eva?

I just survived my first year of SL.
What is your job? How long have you been doing it?

I’m a DJ, I’ve been doing it for about seven months now.

A little back ground of you place of work? How long have you been doing it for?
I’ve been DJing in London for seven months. I mostly work at Club Capital in Mayfair, but I have also worked at 5th Ave in Knightsbridge and also at the former Rendezvous club in Kensington. At Capital we mostly play Top 40’s, and in addition to great tunes, the Lead Host (the amazing Wendlyn Portillo) and I like to give our guests a real show, we aim to entertain.

How did you get into that field of work?

Several months ago I was the manager of Rendezvous in Kensington and one night a DJ had to cancel due to some real life issues. It was a bit late in the day to look for a new one, so I decided to give it a try. I was quickly trained by two other amazing DJs, Stavros Jolbey and Thom Macbain (also a London DJ). After my first set I never looked back.
Do you need any specific requirements to do what you do?

Other than software, stream and a massive music collection, the next tool of the trade is personality. If you can engage with the listeners then you’re doing your job. Not all DJs can voice, but I prefer to. I think it helps the listeners to connect more with both the music and the environment in the club, which at Capital is extremely lively.
Do you have a regular salary? If so how much is that?

I am paid a salary, but that is confidential information between myself and my employer.

Do you have any tips or words of wisdom to give newbies who are interested in becoming a part of Sl’s DJing and Music Industry?

Yes, go for it! If you hear a DJ whose style you like in particular, and I don’t mean music, then send them an IM or notecard. Most of the DJs I know are very friendly people and happy to help anyone interested get started.

Kyle Enimo

Name: Kyle Enimo

Job: DJ at the clubs around London, mostly Club Capital

How long have you been in Second Life Kyle?

Since 2006, that’s how long? 5 years…

What is your job? How long have you been doing it?

I am a dj and have been doing it for the past four years

Can you give a little background about Capital and your work there?

Capital is a london based club and all djs are different.

When in London I change up my style. Like i was actually in a europe club. I change with my surroundings.
Capital is different in that the people are always there for a good time, not just contests.
I play trance and club music. I make my own club mixes, mainly of todays top 40

How did you get into DJing?

I love music. I love all music whether its rock, oldies, jazz, blues, classical, pop, hiphop and you can guess from that
I can mix and blend to my atmosphere
Djing is like performing, it’s an art and it takes a person who loves music, can do what people want and pelase a crowd
So i jumped on and started djing at clubs with no traffic and horrible tips, then other club owners saw my potential and then from there it grew to weddings and special events

Do you need any specific requirements to do what you do?

You need ability to get music
You need software like Fruity Loops to make your own mixes, which is what i use and you need good software like Sam Broadcaster and you need to be able to use voice and take requests

Do you have a regular salary? If so how much is that?

At london sims I make 600 a gig, in some clubs i make 250 a gig
I make anywhere from 1000-5000

Do you have any tips or words of wisdom to give newbies who are interested in becoming a part of Sl’s growing music industry?

If you love music and have a passion for it and like being the center of the crowd, dj.
When you’re the dj you control that crowd, your job is higher than a host, because your voice hosting pretty much.
It’s a good job, but don’t do it if you don’t enjoy it.
I see djs everyday, I’ve made requests and took them like 30 mins to get a track on and I was the only on requesting and sometimes I get we don’t take requests.
Me,  it takes me bout 40 secs to get a request in que. I can have 5 requests lined up in a row in about one and a half minute, but lots of djing means a big library of music.

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Friday night hangout – Club or pub?

March 25, 2011 by Leave a comment

This week has been stressful at the Torch, and I want to relax. It’s friday, and what better place to go to relax than a pub or maybe a club? But what to choose?

At the end of the very same street as the office, a stonethrow from Speakers Corner lies Coach & Horses, a small corner pub with a huge heart. As all clubs and pubs in VL, this one is owned by Virtual-Linked, LLC and in extension by Debs Regent, and the exterior is an exact copy of the RL Coach & Horses of Poland Street in RL London.

They have events every day between 1.30-3.30pm SLT, with a new DJ and a new theme every day. When I was there the other night, I ran into Mia Deluca, the manager of Coach & Horses Pub, who was busy DJing, training one of their new hosts, managing the contest and giving us all a great time. Even through all of this, she managed to answer the questions I threw at her :)

Why does London make for a good place to have a pub?

 

Mia Deluca

well being I am from the US, I not sure I best to answer that….But I would say because London has pubs…This one is designed after one (Have seen RL pics of outside)

 

What have been the main inspiration with the design?

well I was manager at another london pub that merged with C&H and the other manager (aarons) didnt like some of the decor and look, so between the two of us, we merged the two pubs and found colors we liked..some of the design itself is really the infrastructure person and not managers. making the decisions

Is this the only place in london you manage?

Yes  (this venue is owned by london sims, so aarons and I co-manage it)

Do you have anything aimed at new residents in your pub?

we do get a lot of new residents being so close to the hub…but dont have anything specific for newer residents other than some staff who have been on SL for a while (me 4+ years, one of my DJs 6+ years for examples) and are always glad to help out if and when we can with questions

What does the future for Coach & Horses look like?

We are always looking to expand what we already do here. We hope the future involves more shifts (currently open hours with a DJ are 1:30-3:30p slt) and as we grow with regulars, future looks like a great place to continue coming to again and again

However, it’s not every day you want to wind down in a pub, sometimes you want to get pumped up and party hard at a club. My favourite spot in VL for clubbing is Retro Grade. If you ever feel like stepping through the time portal and do the time warp again, Retro Grade is for you. It’s hard to see if their inspiration is 50′s, 60′s, 70′s or 80′s, it’s a mix of everything.

I got a hold of Croft Atolia, the manager of Retro Grade, and this is what he had to say about it:

How did Retrograde come into existence?

it was originally the A-List and then  late last year we had a shake up and we decided we would become an oldies themed venue. so in february we decided on changing the name to Retrograde to reflect the music and style which we offer.

What has your inspiration been?

i grew up listening to the 60′s and 70′s so it has basically shaped my life. and of course lived through the 80′s and 90′s too. which covers 90% of the music we play. from 60′s to 90′s

How long did it take before the club took off?

generall straight away as we were  known well enough as the A-List beforehand

Crofty Atolia

Do you have anything to offer new residents?

yes sunday is designated as a noobie welcome.  a place  to come and listen to some music and get to know a few people and maybe make new friends on SL

How does the future for Retrograde look?

think it is looking good. there always seems to be new people who we have never met coming into the club and some of them go on to become regulars


 

 

 

 

 

Article by: Morphman

Photos by: Morphman

Filed under Pubs and Clubs Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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