Hi folks,

I am new to this forum but a long term trance producer from the UK.

This afternoon my new hercules dj console came. I decided to set everything setup and installed the latest firmware + drivers. I then booted up traktor...

I delved into my folder of melodic and progressive trance and loaded up the tracks into the two decks. The problem is i am just NOT getting the grasp of mixing and maintaining the rythmn between tracks. I am struggling even todo good fades in real-time!

This is soul destroying because i've been playing piano for over 15 year's now and have been producing for about 6/7 years.

I would post music here, but i am moving host's at the minute and my website is under redesign.

It's ironic because i dont even want todo this DJ night at a local club, but it's a favour for a friend (if anything). The club hold's around 1500/2000 and i can't make a mess of this evening. I will be playing mostly commercial trance and house music. The club i am playing in has already played some of my remixes and productions and i think some people are actually intrested in having me dj for them.

I dont want to look like a complete idiot and not be able to mix or anything. I also want to be able to take at least some requests and now come with a fully automated mix.

The problem is, i am a composer at heart, i don't even handle the final arrangement of my tracks or precussion elements, but work as part of a trio, where i compose the melodys and program the synth patches and my other two friends handle the arrangement, mixdown & mastering stages.

I've tried virtual DJ but the same goes here, the problem is getting everything to lineup and cue right. I am seriously considering putting togther the mix in my sequencer then playing it out live and 'emulating' actual dj'ng. While this is a lie to the public, it's the only thing i can do at this stage and still have some confidence in music.

Any advice is good advice and even just the bare basic's would be useful.

If their any good tutorials (even better, videos) on using the likes of virtual dj or traktor that would be helpful. I have around a week to learn.

i am feeling down at the minute and just can't get to grip's with this whole concept of being a DJ, infact i would be more confident composing my tracks live on the synths (similar to nu nrg / rank1!).

Hopefully someone can offer some advice...

Best Regards,
Dave

though i do believe you should have searched the forum first before posting....

ill make this as clear as i can and im sorry if i come out sounded like a bitch

DJ-ING IS NOT GOING TO COME TO YOU OVER NIGHT...
took me 6 months to grasp the basics...
so if this show of yours is sometime soon, i guess your fuct

all i can say to improve is read what has been said before on this forum, and keep at it... over time your skills will get better

but to also add some producers are good producers, and just dont have an exelecnt ear from DJ-ing, like they are decent... but nothing to really shit your pants over
but if Oakenfold is still thought of as one of the worlds best, im sure you can do it

just takes time

quote:

Originally posted by Cosmic Realm DJ-ING IS NOT GOING TO COME TO YOU OVER NIGHT...

what are you talking about? everybody's a dj! just add "dj" in front of your name. but if you're trying to impress other people, yeah its going to take some time...

it sounds like you have the case of the beatmatchitis... just keep practicing, you'll get it, hopefully sooner than later. :P

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quote:

Originally posted by displaced what are you talking about? everybody's a dj! just add "dj" in front of your name.

ha ha ha... nice

It takes a few months of practice to play any kind of decent beatmixed set.

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While trying not to sound like an arrogant ass, let me throw my two cents in.

While I am definitely not a composer at heart, I have played a number of different instruments since I was pretty young. When I first tried to DJ on my friends decks I had no luck and it was really frustrating. But after going to his place a couple times I was able to beatmatch pretty consistently (of course it would take the whole record to get it close). I think there is usually a moment when you finally get it and once you can beatmatch a few in a row you will quickly improve. I think that coming from a musical background can really cut down the time it takes to learn the basics, just realize that does not mean it totally eliminates the learning curve.

At first I think it helps if you really focus on what you are trying to do, now this may sound like the lamest advice ever but let me explain. Avoid the temptation of throwing down two tracks and just messing with the pitch until you get it. Instead THINK about what you are doing. Push off (or press play in your case) and get those first couple beats going together. Once you have them together and they start drifting make your adjustments, don’t go changing the pitch until you know which direction they drift after they play together.

One tip I have is once you are able to get even halfway decent mixes out, record every set you do so you can hear yourself later. This will really help you improve faster.

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quote:

Originally posted by displaced what are you talking about? everybody's a dj! just add "dj" in front of your name. but if you're trying to impress other people, yeah its going to take some time... it sounds like you have the case of the beatmatchitis... just keep practicing, you'll get it, hopefully sooner than later. :P

Dude,

if ur using the hercuelez, the Dj program u use should come with autobeatmatch anyway...

just read throught the manual... but usually the programs aren't that accurate anyway, i only use the beatcounter on such Djing programs mate. I match beats myself.

there's plenty of help on the net for u, just google it.

if its any time soon....pre record it and pretend to dj live hopefully noone notices unless youd prefer to look like a fool

quote:

Originally posted by displaced it sounds like you have the case of the beatmatchitis... just keep practicing, you'll get it, hopefully sooner than later. :P

Or just take a lot of methodone. Soon enough you'll be addicted and forget you even wanted to be able to mix in the first place.

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Im not being mean to you imparticular but it seems you realy have learnt the hard way that djing isnt as easy as it looks.

If you're using the beatcounter, you aren't completely matching the beats yourself

Really once you "get" beatmatching, you just start "doing" it without much thought. Throw a record on, cue it up, and then it's "nope to fast, nope to slow, ahh right there". Then tiny adjustments to get it perfect, and ride the pitch once your in the mix.

Of course now my friends see me do it and they are like "that's not hard"

quote:

Originally posted by Abhay i only use the beatcounter on such Djing programs mate. I match beats myself.

You are really fucked my friend.

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