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DJ Challenge of the Week... No. 1

Extracted from the "Try this for a total mind f*@k" thread, here's a challenge for you to all have a go at this week:

Equipment allowed:
- as many decks/cd decks as you like
- whatever mixer you like
- NO monitors

Challenge:
- create a 30 minute mix
- you are only allowed to have one channel cued at once
- no cueing the master channel
- no split cue
- you must therefore beatmatch tracks by switching between which channel you're listening to quickly to try and see if they're in time

upload your results (using Yousendit or whatever) and post a link here

If you'd like a slightly easier version, either:
- allow yourself to cue the master channel, so you can at least hear the output

If nothing else just tell us how you got on Good luck


This might be a total flop and it's possible no one will bother , but if we get a few responses then I'll do another one next week...

Let me know (pm or whatever) if you've got an idea for a challenge and I'll use that one week.

are you allowed to eq?

al give it a go, but i wont be able to get on the decks for another couple of weeks, but il post it when its done regardless of the outcome! give u's all a laugh

if the tracks have well defined kicks i can see if they are in time using the led meters on the mixer, or do i have to cover those as well?

quote:

Originally posted by Nic if the tracks have well defined kicks i can see if they are in time using the led meters on the mixer, or do i have to cover those as well?

stick your ears to the needles to, u can usually hear the percussion

Hoping to give this a crack soon, I think these challenges are a good idea.

If I don't say you can't do it, then you can do it... so yeah you can use EQ if you like, yeah you can use the level meters.

But the point is it's supposed to be a challenge for a bit of fun - if there's anything you're doing which you think yourself is cheating, then don't do it. If there's a variation you can come up with which you find easier but still a bit of a challenge, have a go and let us know

Just interpret it how you like, it's really just a suggestion of something to play around with.

quote:

Originally posted by Stu Cox If I don't say you can't do it, then you can do it... so yeah you can use EQ if you like, yeah you can use the level meters. But the point is it's supposed to be a challenge for a bit of fun - if there's anything you're doing which you think yourself is cheating, then don't do it. If there's a variation you can come up with which you find easier but still a bit of a challenge, have a go and let us know Just interpret it how you like, it's really just a suggestion of something to play around with.

Exactly. I see it as a time to reflect on those little things I do that are 'cheating'. I use Final Scratch, so I am going to do as you indicated, but I am also going to make sure I don't use the waveform indicators. Just the little things that make you a solid DJ.

Great idea for refining skills!

Thanks for this Stu... I'm actually really excited to give this a shot after studying this weekend...

This didn't seem too hard by the sounds of it, but if I interpreted the rules correctly, this is pretty damn hard. Basically it's mixing without hearing both tracks at the same time, right? Only hearing one track at a time?

Neat idea! I'll give this one a try

I'm guessing the only way you'd know how your mix went is only after you listen to the recording. I know that I'd be tempted to switch to master just for a second in the middle of the mix to see how it's going...

quote:

Originally posted by Tranc3 This didn't seem too hard by the sounds of it, but if I interpreted the rules correctly, this is pretty damn hard. Basically it's mixing without hearing both tracks at the same time, right? Only hearing one track at a time?

Maybe we're starting off a bit hard for the first one? I'll try and make the next one slightly easier. Funnily enough, people with the less expensive mixers who just have a switch to select which channel they're cueing will find this a lot easier as they can chop that backwards and forwards where as people with separate cue buttons for each channel will have to keep on hitting both the cue buttons for the channel you're using to switch which one you're listening to.

Please don't beat the shit out of your mixer trying this!

Not hard at all. Ive played long sveral hour nights with no monitors and no split cue.

You adapt very quickly- but this is a great exercise as you never know what you might encounter out in clubland......

Will do this in a few days time on the rotary and post it.

quote:

Originally posted by Freak Not hard at all. Ive played long sveral hour nights with no monitors and no split cue. You adapt very quickly- but this is a great exercise as you never know what you might encounter out in clubland...... Will do this in a few days time on the rotary and post it.

I think he means no monitors at all.. like zero sound other than the headphones...

quote:

Originally posted by wee_rooney stick your ears to the needles to, u can usually hear the percussion

I have a question for you so...

My needles seem to make a lot of noise.. eg. I can hear the tiss tiss tiss quite blatantly. Now i'm new enough to dj'ing and have no friends who spin so was wondering whether or not this is normal as when i'm playing a 'set' (far from it yet.. but i try) i'm always aware of the cue'd track on the other table making too much noise, the needle that is.

Could it just be my needle or is it normal that you'd hear the needle's 'music' at lower volume levels..

hope that makes sense, and sorry for the thread hijack..

I would have thought using the needle's sound would have been the best way of beat matching without hearing anything, or eq'ing out the lows and bringing the song in ever so slightly.. See where it's at and slow/speed it up accordingly...

Not sure if you're allowed to use earphones or not, ah re-read the whole thread and i get it now. By monitors i thought you'd still have main speakers silly me..

Basically a proper on the go mix, could be very funny if it all went tits up!

nelly

quote:

Originally posted by dinoXpress I think he means no monitors at all.. like zero sound other than the headphones...

oh, i thought he meant use speakers, but no headfones!

quote:

Originally posted by n3lly

it is normal. im not sure whether the amount of weight set on your needles affects it or not, try adjustin your weight and see!

but it is normal to hear that hissing sound, especially when your speakers arent playin too loud.

quote:

Originally posted by wee_rooney oh, i thought he meant use speakers, but no headfones!

I thought the same but re-read the thread and from what others think.. Well i dunno i'm kinda confused! lol

From what i've gathered now,

you have no Speakers to play out on. Only your headphones. And you can't split cue, eg. You can only listen to one song or the other.

So you'd basically be switching from one track to the other and then slowly fading the cued track in when you thought they were beat matched. While recording all this and listening to it later?

Correct?

nelly

quote:

Originally posted by wee_rooney it is normal. im not sure whether the amount of weight set on your needles affects it or not, try adjustin your weight and see! but it is normal to hear that hissing sound, especially when your speakers arent playin too loud.

cool cheers.. My problem is i know no one with proper knowledge of decks and how to set them up properly so i've just read as many reviews as possible to get an idea.. I know i have too much weight on them, but the needles aren't the best needles and i need to buy new ones. (and new headphones, and SSL, and a monitor the cost!!)

nelly

quote:

Originally posted by dinoXpress I think he means no monitors at all.. like zero sound other than the headphones...

I am aware of that.... still not hard. I mixed for several years purely in the headphones flicking between the two sources and never using monitors or ambient sound

quote:

Originally posted by Freak I am aware of that.... still not hard. I mixed for several years purely in the headphones flicking between the two sources and never using monitors or ambient sound

No sound other than the hoeadphones? like ZERO..

That would never happen in a club.

I must have imagined it then

I mixed for a long time with headphones on both ears- not using split cue, and flicking between channels as described, with the monitors turned fully down. I did not cue to the sound from the system at all. This was in clubs not my bedroom. Thats how I initially learnt.
I believe thats the whole point of this post- to encourage people to encounter situations that may be new or unfamiliar to them so they can cope with potentially unexpected things.

I mean seriously... you are arguing with something I am telling you has happened in my personal experience? wtf......


ps- Turnmills(london ) has soundproof Dj booths. Turn the monitors down ='No sound other than the hoeadphones? like ZERO..'

quote:

Originally posted by Freak ps- Turnmills(london ) has soundproof Dj booths. Turn the monitors down ='No sound other than the hoeadphones? like ZERO..'

do you know what there reasons are for that? sounds like a shite idea! but considerin its one of the best clubs in London they must have a good reason, id think.

have you played there? isnt it hard to interact with the crowd

quote:

Originally posted by Freak ps- Turnmills(london ) has soundproof Dj booths. Turn the monitors down ='No sound other than the hoeadphones? like ZERO..'

That sounds like both the best and worst idea I've ever heard...

What is it like to play there? i.e. what Rooney said about Crowd interaction... I mean, I'm guessing it's pretty easy to tell if you can see the crowd, but does it kill the experience at all for you personally not being able to hear them?

I, personally, think that would be great conditions for playing in (Correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like a basically perfect monitoring setup), and the only reservation I'd have about it is the aforementioned crowd issues...

quote:

Originally posted by Freak I am aware of that.... still not hard. I mixed for several years purely in the headphones flicking between the two sources and never using monitors or ambient sound

You mean without being able to hear both tracks at once? If so then I take my hat off to you sir

I just had a go at this myself and fucked it right up haha

And btw, the DJ booth in Turnmills has got an open front... so it's not soundproof, unless they've got some covers for it (although I'd be suprised if a removable cover would be easily soundproofable and the door's a bit flimsy so I can't picture that stopping much sound lol

Not sure where you heard that, but I'm afraid I don't think it is soundproofed.

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