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Acapellas...
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Shudder
Anyone here use them a lot in their sets? I noticed a lot of big name djs tend to use acapellas quite frequently in their sets.. I wanna start using some to but don't really know how. Like do you have to beatmatch them just the same or let them run at default pitch? I tried using them once but it was all over the place cause i found it hard to beatmatch without a beat...

any tips would be great
nchs09
I try to beatmatch then but its difficult. I dont really use them anymore now that i play more tech/minimal but i used to use them frequently when i played tribal and progressive.
djxtension
quote:
Originally posted by Shudder
Anyone here use them a lot in their sets? I noticed a lot of big name djs tend to use acapellas quite frequently in their sets.. I wanna start using some to but don't really know how. Like do you have to beatmatch them just the same or let them run at default pitch? I tried using them once but it was all over the place cause i found it hard to beatmatch without a beat...

any tips would be great


You have to beatmatch them like any other song. Starting them at the right time can be quite a pain though, because vocals often tend to start 'off beat'.

Another solution could be to just create a few cd's with pre-made mashups, and play those.

As far as the beatmatching is concerned: listen to the original song, so you can get a feel for when the vocals start. After that, you'll find yourself correcting the pitch a lot, because it's almost impossible to beatmatch them perfectly.
IpLaYWiTLiGhTs
While we're on this topic, anyone know where to obtain some free vocals/samples?
Dj Gracjan
http://www.acapellas4u.co.uk
Stu Cox
quote:
Originally posted by Shudder
I tried using them once but it was all over the place cause i found it hard to beatmatch without a beat...

any tips would be great

Practice, practice, practice really!

Otherwise, as already mentioned you could make a pre-made mashup and play that instead. Alternatively, add a 4x4 kick drum underneath the acapella and use that to beatmatch it, then use the EQ on your mixer to take the bass out when you use it on top of something else.

Also, acapellas are one area where harmonic mixing REALLY pays off... if you know what works and what doesn't already in your head then lucky you, but if you find them clashing a lot of the time try working out and writing down the keys of your acapellas and the tracks you're likely to want to layer acapellas over so you know what will work with what.
SteelWolf
quote:
Originally posted by Owsey2008
Was reading on this the other night...I've never been to fond of it though... Theres and ellaskins tutorial on youtube that you might find handy.


Link?
Owsey2008
http://youtube.com/watch?v=sQW9r6B7c9E

Not one of his strongest tutorials but its a start...
SuPeRSaW2005
Here's a cool way to do it:

Track A is playing (house beat going on), so you bring in an acapella of near the same speed as your track B. Then you slowly get rid of the bass and other sounds of track A so that you only hear track B for a few seconds (which is the vocal/acapella), then instantly you drop in a new house track as track A that the audience didn't see coming (and since you do this quickly, you won't have time to beatmatch it perfectly, so you can even pitchbend the acapella live so it sounds okay with the newly introduced track A beat). Make sure you have Master Tempo or Key Lock enabled so the pitchbending doesn't sound too pitchy. Also, if you know your tracks well and prepare them ahead of time, you won't have to worry about the quick beatmatching since you'll already know approximately what range you should bend the vocal to match it.

Good idea to bend the acapella to make it fit with beat on other track instead of pitchbending the beat to make it go with the vocal (pitchbending beats sounds more obvious to the ear than pitchbending vocals, and doing this live can sound very annoying).
Scolomon
good advice, gives you a lot of appreciation for the djs who get up there and do it perfect and make it look easy

nchs09
http://youtube.com/watch?v=9KQCly4DTMg&feature=related

> *


Morillo is the master of acapellas.
Scolomon
morillo has his assistant set every one of the songs on his cds at the same tempo. Pretty good to be good at mixing when EVERY song is the same exact speed.
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