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improvement on djing technique

Hello guys

Sorta did a short mix Here

but after i heard some (DJomega) mixes i wonder how much more i can improve in mixing techniques.

Thinka problem now is phrasing, i keep having empty beats of abt 16 beats which is kinda pissing me off.

Any magic potions would really help

Re: improvement on djing technique

quote:

Originally posted by CiTrus Thinka problem now is phrasing, i keep having empty beats of abt 16 beats which is kinda pissing me off.

i dont really get what u mean there

i didn't get to hear ur mix.. coz my internet is toooo damnnnnn slowwww .. but from what u said.. i think the problem is with your cue finding .. simply put .. which point of the track are u bring it in .. try listening more to your records and get to know them better.. i m not sure if that is the solution to your problem .. =)

I didn't have a chance to listen yet. However, it took me a while to figure out phrasing. I'm a newbie myself so take following advice with a grain of salt.

I found that the easiest way to phrase is to hit "play" on the cued deck exactly on the first beat after a breakdown on a track that's currently playing. If you did this and beat-matched correctly, the phrases will line up perfectly in most cases (breakdowns and cymbal hits will occur at the same time on both tracks). Once the tracks are phrase matched, you need adjust your gains and EQs to make sure that both tracks are playing at about the same volume (obviously do this in the headphones). This is very important. If you cut the main track, and cued track is playing at a lower volume - it will most likely sound very awkward.

I hope all of this made sense

if you standardize your technique

you're going to end up with a standard mix

and you'll only be a standard dj

learn how to count beats.16, 32, 64, and so forth.
and know your tracks well, so when that nasty
8 beat dropout hits you are ready for it and have already
added that adjustment to the cue track

quote:

Originally posted by Andryuha If you did this and beat-matched correctly, the phrases will line up perfectly in most cases

unless of course the two tracks have totally diff time signatures :P - but that should have already been decided before hand

quote:

Originally posted by nefardec if you standardize your technique you're going to end up with a standard mix and you'll only be a standard dj

+1

I just listned.

If you understand correctly, you mean that in the transition between 2 tracks you have about 16 beats of just simple beat, with no melody or anything.

I am having the same problem.

quote:

Originally posted by Spoonz unless of course the two tracks have totally diff time signatures :P - but that should have already been decided before hand

I know what you mean, but that method seems to work with most of the tracks I played.

On a side note, I hate tunes where beat cuts out with no prior indicators. Take for example Gabriel & Dresden - Eleven. For the last two minutes or so, it's just some repetitive sound effect.

quote:

Originally posted by Andryuha I know what you mean, but that method seems to work with most of the tracks I played.

yea, the majority of tracks seem to be 4/4

----

and to Cro... it's just knowing when to drop the next track on, knowing how long the next track takes to get to parts of the build up and knowing when the previous track starts to build down.

most of the tracks i play have two breakdowns, at the end of the second breakdown i will often drop the new track on the first beat(if that makes sense) - giving roughly 1.5 mins to mix it up

quote:

Originally posted by Spoonz yea, the majority of tracks seem to be 4/4 ---- and to Cro... it's just knowing when to drop the next track on, knowing how long the next track takes to get to parts of the build up and knowing when the previous track starts to build down. most of the tracks i play have two breakdowns, at the end of the second breakdown i will often drop the new track on the first beat(if that makes sense) - giving roughly 1.5 mins to mix it up

Makes sense, thats what i have started doing.

You know I relly like when people to like 3-4 minute or even longer transitions...i wanna get to that point eventually.

Cuz most of the time once i mix in the track which takes about 1 minute...then i just stand there for like 3-4 minutes letting the track play. When I look at videos of other people they are always pushing turning knobs on their mixer, and i always think WTF are they doing...any advice?

i was like that too, actually not that long ago. a lot of that time i spend tightening the track i'm cueing in my headfones, making any adjustments to the EQ's necessary.

for long transitions it has a lot to do with harmonics, knowing the key tracks are in so u can mix the next one in key will mean that when they are both playing together they wont sound dodgy, tho u will need to play about with the EQ's to prevent any clashing sounds

most of the tracks i mix are about 6-7 mins long which usually means 1.30-2.00mins of build up, therefore if they are not in key i cant make the most of the build up... whereas if they are both in key i can extend the transition to go on longer without getting bum notes and ruining the mix lol

quote:

Originally posted by Cro_Addict When I look at videos of other people they are always pushing turning knobs on their mixer, and i always think WTF are they doing...any advice?

In most cases, they are adjusting the EQ. During transition they do it to make sure that tracks are playing at the same volumes and that highs/lows/mids don't overlap on both tracks. It is possible to mix even without the faders, using the EQs alone (bring in the beats from a cued track while removing them from the track that's currently playing). Otherwise, the EQs could be used to highlight/filter certain frequencies while the tune is playing. It's also a possibility that a rotary mixer is being used. Effects are also controlled with knobs.

in most cases they just have a lot of bottled up energy and can't keep their hands off the eq knobs even if they aren't doing anything

or they want to make it look like they are doing more than they really are

quote:

Originally posted by nefardec in most cases they just have a lot of bottled up energy and can't keep their hands off the eq knobs even if they aren't doing anything or they want to make it look like they are doing more than they really are

haha, i have to agree to some extent on that last 1

quote:

Originally posted by nefardec or they want to make it look like they are doing more than they really are

Thats retarded..lol

I would rather just stand there and have a beer and listen to the tune..

quote:

Originally posted by nefardec in most cases they just have a lot of bottled up energy and can't keep their hands off the eq knobs even if they aren't doing anything or they want to make it look like they are doing more than they really are

I was often under that same impression

it's the truth

there's no reason touch touch the eqs that much

watch paul van dyk mix, he touches the eqs so much it's not even funny

he's just jumpy

quote:

Originally posted by nefardec it's the truth there's no reason touch touch the eqs that much watch paul van dyk mix, he touches the eqs so much it's not even funny he's just jumpy

That may be a poor example....Paul Van Dyk doesn't suck! Maybe his use of the EQ's is part of the reason.

did I say he sucked?

he just touches the damn knobs a lot more than you hear the sound changing


if you watch his hands he doesn't even turn the knobs, he just kind of anxiously fingers them in quick spurts


it's because there's way too many knobs on the xone 3d haha


with that said, i think he's had his day

not using the eq's is one of the stupidest things i have ever heard.
its called mixing! any blow hole can play one song after another
and not mess with the eq's.we call them radio and wedding dj's.
it takes skill to transform from one song to the next wothout anyone knowing at all. and it takes knowing how to use the eq's properly to do this.

as far as dj's tweaking with the eq's while one track is playing.
its fine. its just knowing when to do it. but dont over do it!
a little is a lot in the case!

dj's do this for a few reasons.

#1 its helps creat a live feeling and sound for the crowd

#2 gives them something to do.

#3 if the dj does it right it really gets the crowd moving.

nothing is more boring then watching a dj stand around with his dick in his hand drinking a beer while everyone else around them is rocking out. where is the connection to the people. loose your self
in the music with everyone else and get down and play with the song.

a dj's abilty tweak eq's and to mix from one song to another properly and gracefully is what seperates us from each other. mixing style is just as important as the tracks. because anyone can just play hit songs.

follow this link to hear what proper mixing sounds like.
mixing tricks is something i have strong knowledge in
not a single mix is less than 1:30 long

quote:

Originally posted by David Jeffreys not using the eq's is one of the stupidest things i have ever heard. its called mixing! any blow hole can play one song after another and not mess with the eq's.we call them radio and wedding dj's. it takes skill to transform from one song to the next wothout anyone knowing at all. and it takes knowing how to use the eq's properly to do this. as far as dj's tweaking with the eq's while one track is playing. its fine. its just knowing when to do it. but dont over do it! a little is a lot in the case! dj's do this for a few reasons. #1 its helps creat a live feeling and sound for the crowd #2 gives them something to do. #3 if the dj does it right it really gets the crowd moving. nothing is more boring then watching a dj stand around with his dick in his hand drinking a beer while everyone else around them is rocking out. where is the connection to the people. loose your self in the music with everyone else and get down and play with the song. a dj's abilty tweak eq's and to mix from one song to another properly and gracefully is what seperates us from each other. mixing style is just as important as the tracks. because anyone can just play hit songs. follow this link to hear what proper mixing sounds like. mixing tricks is something i have strong knowledge in not a single mix is less than 1:30 long Launch My Player

What's with that tone? The OP is clearly a newbie and we're just trying to give him some pointers. And since when did you become an authority on proper mixing? It doesn't really matter how long your transitions are. This already shows me that you have very limited knowledge about mixing.

PS. Promote your stuff in "promotions" section and include a track list if you actually want people to listen.

david jefferys -

there is a difference between proper eqing and having nervous energy and pretending to do more than one is really doing for the sake of showmanship, is all I am saying. it really doesn't take that much tweaking to get tracks to mix well, just the right timing. plus, it's not like you have a pinpoint accurate eq system on a dj mixer, so you're going to affect more than you need to

with that said, let it be known I use my eqs more than the next guy

i eq in little spurts like that

it makes for a smoother transition, eq in little spurts on beat (i tend to do them on 4s or 8s)

mid-mix my hands are all over the place on the mixer, i'll be going for the cue then the headphone, some eq and faders, maybe back to the headphone to check the tune coming in, back to the eq and faders, adjust the gains... etc.

watch digweed play too, his hands are loving the eqs... and he has 4 to play with (xone 92 is his mixer of choice)

track selection is key though, pick the right track and it almost mixes itself

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