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Figuring BPM

If you're making a mix and trying to figure the bpm of songs.. how can it be done accurately.Through only a CDJ or what?

Get a stopwatch and start counting to the beat of the track. Whatever number you get to in a minute is the BPM.

right, yes, but time consuming...just load all your tracks in traktor, have it calculate for you, using the analyse feature of course, and then just keep your comp and monitor, or laptop if you have that luxury right next to your desk/setup...it gives you a BPM Count to the decimal...only thing is, maybe 1/10 times its inaccurate, for some progressive house tunes i get wierd BPM's like 65-68...when really they sound like they're in the 138-140's range

quote:

Originally posted by chubbs Get a stopwatch and start counting to the beat of the track. Whatever number you get to in a minute is the BPM.

i've tried that..i get all into the song and then fuck up on the number i was on haha

Having used both Traktor and CDJs, I'd say use them as gudelines, though I used to lay down beat grids and fine-tune to get BPM markers exact in Traktor. I could beatgrid a song in about 45 seconds, fast enough to grid new tracks on the fly.

Of course, I don't have that luxury with CDJs. I don't really bother with knowing exact BPM, just read the display to get a general idea of what it is (or read them off of the CDs [I write the keys of tracks; I should do BPM as well]) and then fine-tune the beatmatch.

The counting method takes a little bit of practice, and with experience, you can 'feel' the rough bpm of a particular track.

to count BPM somewhat easy....just get a stop watch, count the beats for 6 seconds. Whatever number you get.....multiply by 10...

or download the mixmeister bpm counter.

quote:

Originally posted by Dj Ricky H to count BPM somewhat easy....just get a stop watch, count the beats for 6 seconds. Whatever number you get.....multiply by 10...

I prefer counting for 15secs then X4.. Just becuase i can't get it right every time when i only count for 6 seconds

But that's a good method. You might be out by a beat or two sometimes but it's no biggy..

nelly

i just look @ my cdj

quote:

Originally posted by nchs09 i just look @ my cdj

i think the next improvement to CDJ's that will be made is a firmware update with more accurate BPM Counters, that will also tell you BPPM to a decimal place...or even to two places

Mixmeister BPM Analyzer is freaking awesome, and it's FREE.

I reckon I've tried all the BPM counters. I don't trust the automatic ones, too many were too far out. I prefer the key tap counters, WinBPM being my favourite and the one I've been using for months now.
Overall they're a bad habit though. When I started I would sit for fifteen minutes trying to beatmatch two songs by ear. Now it only takes me about five and sometimes I get lucky and do it in under two. Still too long to play live but to get any good at anything, you gotta practice and have the drive right?
I use the BPM counter when I don't have the patience, when I want to do a good home set or just play around trying different ways of mixing two tracks but when I have the patience, I put black tape over the BPM counters on my mixer and try to do it by ear.

quote:

Originally posted by DjWoody Mixmeister BPM Analyzer is freaking awesome, and it's FREE.

other than having to load an entire folder at a time, yes.

it has problems with more IDMish stuff, though...it likes unse unse unse unse.

quote:

Originally posted by butterball i've tried that..i get all into the song and then fuck up on the number i was on haha

so go ten-twenty seconds and multiply...

use BPM counters only in OMGWTF IM INA HURRY?!?! situations

i can usualy guess the bpm within 0-3 beats at 130-145. : D

quote:

Originally posted by Demoted or download the mixmeister bpm counter.

amen. and don't rely on what the computer tells you 100%. Learn to figure out the speed difference, it's not hard.

Actually, Traktor can always calculate the bpm of a track accuratley using a method I discovered. What I do is let the track play for about 30 seconds first so that the computer has a chance to calculate the bpm to a fairly accurate figure, then I insert a beat envelope (or beat grid) usually over the first beat of the track, then I open the bpm counter, and click on lock. As you go through the track the beat grid will start to mal-align with the beats on the wave form, so you basically adjust the bpm manually until they line up again. What I have noticed is that the further through the track you go, the less change it tkes for the grid lines to move, i.e. because it is further from the origin. I find this hard to explain, but I hope it makes sense. And it is VERY accurate.

DJ HARN.

P.S. The only problem I have which I have discovered is when applying a beat grid over tracks that change bpm half way through, this totally ruins the whole idea! E.g. DJ Tatana vs The Mystery - Soul Cry (Original Mix), Des Mitchell - The World is Yours (Monday Morning Mix), AND MANY MANY MORE!!!!!!

Get Mixmeister
The BPM Counter has 99% accuracy, it's the best I have seen.

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