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-- How to cue up a record?

How to cue up a record?

After I match the BPM of the 1st record, I usually stop the 2nd record and let it go until I match beats. That's pretty much how I cue the 2nd record (It's inconsistent though, sometimes It's too late to bring in the cued up record because of this) Any advise for me?

Stevek

This is one method that works very well, and incorporates phrasing into your mixing, which is very essential.

1. Get cued track matched with live one
2. Move needle on cued track to where you want to bring it in (for starting it is easier to jsut use the first beat in the track, or if it starts with weird stuff, just wait until the first kick of a 32 or 64 beat sequence.
3. Find that beat in phones by moving the record (yes, with your hand) over the beat (should sound like "whump, pmuwh (when you bring it back over it is essentially backwards)
4. Scratch the cued kick drum in time with the live songs kick drum
5. When you get to a sequence, let go of the 'scratching' beat you have lined up, instead of bringing it back (sometimes it might need a bit of a push when you let it go)
6. If you had the records matched before you did all this, it should be pretty on, nudge here and there.....

I think that makes sense.

Caleb

Thanks for the advise DJ Dean!!! But one question though, let's say I am ready to drop in the cued song and I miss the entry at the 32 or 64 beat sequence of the 1st song. What do you do to recover?

Stevek

well, if you miss it by half a beat, or even a whole beat, it's not too bad you can push it ahead and line it back up. any more than that, and you are screwed. i've lined it back up when it's 2 and a half beats behind before, but this is hard to do, and inconsistent.

how could you ever dro pit twoo and a half beats behind you say? well sometimes when scratching over the beat, the needle skips one groove back, and you have to wait for it to ALL the way around again, ARRRGHGH!! i hate that.

so, anyway, i hope i answered your question. if you missed by any more than 4 beats though, don't even try, just wait for another 32 or 64 beat phrase to begin if you have time. Sometimes though, there is only that ONE spot, so get good at nailing it!

Thanks for your words JohnSmith, but I have another question. Let's say you are playing at a club and you missed your cue. Do you guys wait for the next 32 or 64 beat sequence??? What do you guys do in that kind of situation?

Steve

Run out of the club!

It's better to wait the 32 beats for better alignment, but there's no set in stone rule about it. Sometimes if you start it after 16 you can get some cool effects going like cymbal crashes 4 beats apart. Just don't get too hard on yourself, I know how frustrating it all is at first but there will come a day when it will just click. I learned how to do it on my own pretty much and it came together with practice.

Seriously though, just if that ever happens, I just try to do my best on bring the next track in as smooth as possible in the next 32 or 64 beat. But if my cue record is behind a couple of beats, then I just push the record ahead to catch up with the live one as JohnSmith said. Remember, your pushing the record along not throwing it forward. Also you can increase the pitch to the maxium and wait til the cue record is in line with the live one, but it will take a little longer.

I totally agree with jonnycarcinogen! It maybe seem hard to do because your worrying about so many things that can go wrong. All you can do is just practice hard and do your best. Don't half ass it either or else your not going anywhere.

THis is a question i've wanted to ask, now I know almost every top dj, is always lookin for the first bar, of the outgoing track, must be frustrating, if you even missed it by one bar, yet its still beat matched!

if you fuck up and misses the spot, hurry on, and que up the point that is 16 beats(bar) ahead of your original que point.. start it 16 beats after you originally was supposed to...

i dont know if this makes any sense, but it worxz0r=

quote:

Originally posted by dj_alfi if you fuck up and misses the spot, hurry on, and que up the point that is 16 beats(bar) ahead of your original que point.. start it 16 beats after you originally was supposed to... i dont know if this makes any sense, but it worxz0r=

Well.. I think 16 is not enough, I mostly wait 64 beats when I miss.. Sometimes 32 if the record is near its end (because I like longer mixes).. But never 16.

If it works for you though, then don't change This is just my method.

quote:

Originally posted by dj_alfi if you fuck up and misses the spot, hurry on, and que up the point that is 16 beats(bar) ahead of your original que point.. start it 16 beats after you originally was supposed to... i dont know if this makes any sense, but it worxz0r=

it makes sense but a hard thing to do... well you can always practice.

mikefassy had excellent advice, i couldn't have put it in better words myself, so props to you mikefassy, its really hard to layout what goes on in words when describing something that so needs to be visualized. as for the 'what happens when u fuck up at the club' question, basically you never want to keep a fucked up beat going live, so if u r trainwrecking and you know you are screwed its best to just get out of the mix. you can either just simple slam the cross fader over or turn ur volume fader down real quick, or u can just cover it up by doing a back spin or something along those lines, if ur using a djm600 u can throw in some effects.. but i think (and i've been told to by other dj's) that you should just get out of the mix and just tear it up on the next run, the crowd will forget that they heard a fake ass transition withing 32 bars of the next toon. you can't think about it like a dj, most dj's will purposefully only pay attention to transitions, but the average club-goer is there to party, not critique the dj's transitions. well, thats my opinion on the matter.

can someone explain me this 16/32/64 beat thing properly! i have read about it everywhere but i haven't seen a proper explanation anywhere! so help me out with this one please! i'd like to know all the basics of mixing before i get my mixer (in about � years maybe!)

I have been trying this last night and let me know what you guys think of this method.

1. I matched the BPM
2. I already cued up the 2nd record with the 1st record.
3. When the 1st is about to hit the end of the 64 beat sequence, then I raise the volumn of the 2nd track or hit the cross fader.

What do you guys think? I know it won't sound as good since it's not right on the pattern, but I think I could cover it up with EQ mixing/trim gaining.


Steve

PS I think if you know how to scratch (such as "chirping" and the power moves, u will have to upper hand. I think Paul van dyk knows how to scratch as well, I heard him chirping when he was playing at the Cafe Mammbo, Ibiza back in 1999)

quote:

hapamoto: if ur using a djm600 u can throw in some effects.. but i think

Yea! I wish I had a sampler or effects pad for just that

reason. If you realize your mix is going to suck, or you

miss your cue point, simply use your expensive auto bmp

linked sampler to play some f*cked up vocals, or a crazy

sound, and slam the fader.

quote:

KoreanDJ: 1. I matched the BPM 2. I already cued up the 2nd record with the 1st record. 3. When the 1st is about to hit the end of the 64 beat sequence, then I raise the volumn of the 2nd track or hit the cross fader.

That sounds like it is working. Once you can find those

sequences of beats, work your eq's during the mix

according to the sequences. Raise/Lower eq's at the

beginning of a sequence, or adjust volume levels. This

will give your mix a funky sound (at least to me it

sounds better than just randomly changing things in the

mix), although if you do it tooooo much, it can sound

mechanical.

You also said earlier that you didn't know what to do if

you missed your cue point. If you do have a sampler, use

that or effects. If you don't have those, and really

want to get that mix off sounding half bad, let go of

the cued record at the halfway point of a 32 or 64 beat

sequence. It will sound better that way then just

randomly placed somewhere. If you can't do any of those,

just get your records matched asap, and volume fad,

without overpowering one songs volume. This at least

does your job (going to the next track) without sounding

like absolute crap. The good thing is that most times,

unless it starts to get off beat, people won't notice,

only other dj's

quote:

skip can someone explain me this 16/32/64 beat thing properly! i have read about it everywhere but i haven't seen a proper explanation anywhere! so help me out with this one please! i'd like to know all the basics of mixing before i get my mixer (in about � years maybe!)

Almost all 4/4 electronica tracks are composed in a 32

or 64 beat sequence. Cymbals, snares, and trance leads

will come in on the first beat of one of those patterns.

If your not sure what I mean, try it with a record or

mp3, starting with the first beat of the song, count 32

(or 64, most times its 32 I think, not sure tho) beats

and then see if anything changes. The least a song will

do is usually a double kick or a double clap or a cymbal

at the 'break' point between sequences.

quote:

JohnSmith: well sometimes when scratching over the beat, the needle skips one groove back, and you have to wait for it to ALL the way around again, ARRRGHGH!! i hate that.

RRG! I hate that so much, stupid

thin, weightless records!!!!!

Hope that helps.

Caleb

ps. Sorry for double spacing, i copied reply from disk cause internet went out.

quote:

Originally posted by KoreanDJ Thanks for the advise DJ Dean!!!

WOW mikefasssy!!!!!!!!! I didn't know you were really DJ Dean in disguise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

j/k

Hahahah didn't notice that till now

I perfer the Kingsford flavor myself. Propane seems to taste bad! I usually marinade in Soy sauce lots of pepper, tons of garlic. Marinade for a Min. of 4 - 6 hrs

I like mine medium rare, when are we invited???

quote:

Originally posted by The Greener I perfer the Kingsford flavor myself. Propane seems to taste bad! I usually marinade in Soy sauce lots of pepper, tons of garlic. Marinade for a Min. of 4 - 6 hrs I like mine medium rare, when are we invited???

lol!??? wrong thread?? wrong FORUM????

quote:

Originally posted by KoreanDJ , but I have another question. Let's say you are playing at a club and you missed your cue. Do you guys wait for the next 32 or 64 beat sequence??? What do you guys do in that kind of situation? Steve

Dude here is what you do if that ever happens.....step away from the turntables and blame it on the person closest to them...works every time

quote:

Originally posted by Cosmic Realm Dude here is what you do if that ever happens.....step away from the turntables and blame it on the person closest to them...works every time

Unless you are blaming a DJ that smoked yor ass before you even laid your hands down on the setup, don't fuckn' lie.

Jumps happen thats a reality, be aware they can happen ANYTIME!!!! Learn how to make do and not give up.

When I see a DJ and a Jump, I then watch his reaction. If he fixes it or kills a track or whatever and doesn't even show this phases him, goes on like it was nothing..... Thats a Professional!!

Someone who is bothered to the point that it shows disscomfort, and anger not to mention PANIC!!...... This is a Rookie!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Alccode lol!??? wrong thread?? wrong FORUM????

Oh shit sorry......

in my crowd "cue" or "Q", Q this Q that
means Barbeque!!!

quote:

Originally posted by The Greener Oh shit sorry...... in my crowd "cue" or "Q", Q this Q that means Barbeque!!!

hahahahahaha Tenderloin baby!!!!

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