We also had to mix on vinyl by ear and try to match native tempos enough that you didn’t have to pitch more than +/-8, so tracks had long, formulaic lead-ins and outros to make that process smooth.
These days if you want to make a track longer you can just key in a loop, the pitch is corrected at any tempo (and can be adjusted to be in key), the gear measures tempo in real-time and can start tracks synced up to the correct beat measure (some small adjustments may be required) and you can jump to any part of a track, still beat-aligned, with the press of a button. You also get SMPTE, DMX, and video output if you want to control other aspects of the stage. And your record crate is a thumb drive you can stick in your pocket.
It’s not easier, it’s just different, and there are fewer restrictions.
We also had to mix on vinyl by ear and try to match native tempos enough that you didn’t have to pitch more than +/-8, so tracks had long, formulaic lead-ins and outros to make that process smooth.
These days if you want to make a track longer you can just key in a loop, the pitch is corrected at any tempo (and can be adjusted to be in key), the gear measures tempo in real-time and can start tracks synced up to the correct beat measure (some small adjustments may be required) and you can jump to any part of a track, still beat-aligned, with the press of a button. You also get SMPTE, DMX, and video output if you want to control other aspects of the stage. And your record crate is a thumb drive you can stick in your pocket.
It’s not easier, it’s just different, and there are fewer restrictions.