first time playing out....weird headphone/mixing question...

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-- first time playing out....weird headphone/mixing question...

Posted by Zack Roth on Aug-07-2004 00:54:

first time playing out....weird headphone/mixing question...

ok, so I'm playing out for the first time next Friday. I've already scoped the setup out that I'll be playing on...2 techs, rane Rotary and Denon dual cd decks. I've been spinning for over a year now, and beatmatch and mix using both headphone cups, which is obviously presenting me with a challenge considering the Rane doesn't support this method. However, I've been practicing the one ear method, and have had some success, although in a weird way. basically I have my left cup covering my left ear, and then my right cup like halfway over my other ear. This way I can hear the cued song in both ears at least a little, and the live song in both ears a little too, as I can hear the main sound in my right ear, as well as my left ear because the isolation on my mdr-v700's isn't perfect. What I was thinking of doing, is to try and make this method work for me even more, and to pick up a pair of the older Technics headphones, the ones with the small cups...so basically the cups won't cover my ears completely and the monitor sound will be able to come in clearer and stronger than my Sony's using this method. I'm not sure how much sense this is making...But I need to know if I'm completely crazy by attemtping this. Essentially I'd be trying to emulate beatmatching using both cued channels...Like I said, I've been practicing this method for the last few days and its working pretty well...I figure why not take it all the way and get a pair of headphones that will make it even easier.

Posted by beats and beeps on Aug-07-2004 01:52:

Well, go with whatever method you find works best, as long as youre sure it does work...

Now, in regards to purchasing these techs, im not sure if i understand what youre saying...you've been only half wearing one of the cups on the sonys, and i think youll just end up doing the same thing with the techs. They may have smaller cups, but they do have pretty fair isolation. Do you think that the techs will be easier to wear in this odd method youre using?

Oh yeah, and whats the gig? Small nightclub? local event? gatecrasher?

Posted by Zack Roth on Aug-07-2004 02:40:

well, I figure since the Techs have smaller cups, I figure I can wear both cups like 3/4 on....the smaller Technics cups don't have that excess ear padding to get in the way of the monitor sound. I'm playing in a side room of probably the biggest club in NYC...the room can fit like 100 people in it maybe...i've been in the booth...the monitors are LOUD. IDK, I'm gonna try it and see how it goes. I'm only asking because I'd never heard of anyone beatmixing using this method...

Posted by montie on Aug-07-2004 02:55:

i wouldn't recomend getting new headphones. if you are gonna start playing out, you want to be able to beatmatch using the fones playing only the cued track in your one ear. you will be encountering many differnet setups and you want to be as adaptable as possible.
once you know beatmatching its not to hard to pick up on other methods of doing it.
one method that will be useful to you when your spinning is during your transition, after you have turned up the level of the incoming track to a point where it is clearly noticible in the master output, change the output going to your headpones from the cued track to the master output.
thats what i always do during my mixs and it gives you a better feel for the sound everyone else is hearing.

Posted by Zack Roth on Aug-07-2004 03:50:

quote:
Originally posted by montie
i wouldn't recomend getting new headphones. if you are gonna start playing out, you want to be able to beatmatch using the fones playing only the cued track in your one ear. you will be encountering many differnet setups and you want to be as adaptable as possible.
once you know beatmatching its not to hard to pick up on other methods of doing it.
one method that will be useful to you when your spinning is during your transition, after you have turned up the level of the incoming track to a point where it is clearly noticible in the master output, change the output going to your headpones from the cued track to the master output.
thats what i always do during my mixs and it gives you a better feel for the sound everyone else is hearing.

thanks for the input...but my beatmatching is extremely tight. My only concern is training myself to do it with only one ear in less than a week, during a busy week I might add. I'm trying to cram right now, but my current speaker setup is sub par to say the least, and I find myself having to lean really really close to the speakers to do it properly...granted the set up I'll be playing on will be louder, i don't want there to be any surprises. The second piece of advice was obvious enough, thanks for the reply though.