It's a tricky one really, but I voted no. Personally I think software mixing has more in common with production than actual DJing.
That's not to say it's not a valid way of doing things, it's just different. Pre-mixing sets with software lacks the spontenaity of live DJ-ing though, I reckon, but it does iron out the annoying technical errors you get since you can go back on yourself and redo bits you got wrong - a luxury you don't get as a DJ! Similarly you can mix a set whilst lying on the sofa watching TV - again, a luxury you don't get as a DJ :grinning2:
Ultimately I know it's the music and not the medium that counts, but I remember seeing Adam Sheridan do an Ableton set a couple of years ago. Sounded great, nice skills, but he was so busy concentrating that didn't look up from his laptop at the crowd once.
Later that night, Alex MORPH played using CDJs. His mixing was a bit off but he was leaping around like a maniac, shaking hands with the clubbers, loving every second, and he tore the roof off the place. I still rate it as one of my top 5 sets I've seen live in a club.
For me though, when I'm a clubber or a listener, the medium is irrelevant so long as tune selection is spot on. As a DJ though, I rate the mediums like this:
- Mixing with vinyl on 1210's feels like operating machinery
- Mixing with CDs on CDJs feels like fiddling with the stereo
- Mixing with software on a laptop feels like being at work