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How do they keep the beats in sync?
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Xavier
I've been djyin for months....and I would like to figure out how the top djz manage to keep the beats perfectly in sync when their cue point (on the incoming track) starts more than 32 beats before the 'transition' point. Can this only be done on turntables...or can it be done on cd players?
Dj Thy
Can be done on any media that has variable pitch/tempo.
It's just a matter of practice, and listening. With enough practice, you'll hear the beats drifting away before anyone else notices, giving you the ability to adjust things again before it really trainwrecks. You really shouldn't need more than a couple of beats to get a rough match, and then adjusting on the fly, fast enough so nobody notices anything.
Krii
Does this include techniques like nudging and/or any other minor scratching techniques?
ampburner
yes
big dave
it helps LOTS if youve got a good set of decks ie direct drives! cos they will hold the pitch alot better than the cheaper kinds of decks!
mikefasssy
Keep in mind that most pro dj's(aside from having years of practice) most usually have a bpm counter on the mixer they are using. I've never used one, but I'm sure this helps a tiny bit.
ampburner
quote:
Originally posted by mikefasssy
Keep in mind that most pro dj's(aside from having years of practice) most usually have a bpm counter on the mixer they are using. I've never used one, but I'm sure this helps a tiny bit.


I highly doubt any of them would use bpm counters... I know if I had those, I wouldn't use them, let alone if I had yeeears of experience...
Vizay
I've tried the beatcounters on the pioneermixers and i must say that they are a bit inaccurate

If i find myself at a mixer with a bpm counter i just use it as an indication now and then if i really can't hear if the song is to slow or to fast


and to the main subject.....just start out somewhere where the pitch is almost in sync and then pitch up and down up and down to keep it in the right tempo ....if your'e good at this the crowd won't notice it at all :)
DJ LIQUID
what i do is.....try to get the track matched up as good as possible.....and if necessary adjust when its live :) (im getting good at this and am finding im having to do this less and less :D)
Alccode
quote:
Originally posted by mikefasssy
Keep in mind that most pro dj's(aside from having years of practice) most usually have a bpm counter on the mixer they are using. I've never used one, but I'm sure this helps a tiny bit.


Oooh...big no-no! I've yet to find an accurate BPM counter. On my Behringer I taped over the BPM counters the day I got the mixer!

Even if there was a perfectly accurate BPM counter out there, any self-respecting DJ will not use it because he or she does not need it at all. You can beatmatch a lot better with your ears alone. *In fact*, it is so much easier and better to beatmatch with your ears only, that I think it would be much more cumbersome to rely on any counters.

Just my $0.02.

liquidxxd
i try to match it up as close as possible, and then if it needs any adjusting, i either put a little pressure on the vinyl to make it slow down a little, or move it forward back onto beat, but usually this is only necessary 1 or 2 times in teh trasnfer
pattp
No Pros use Beat Counters, they don't work.

Get the next vinyl on the wheel ASAP.Throw the Cue Song in at the transition point of the song playing. You have to count 4/4 and know the composure of each song. Fight the headphone song buy speeding up or slowing down the platter(personal preference on how to do so) and changing the speed(Beat Match)Once you think you got it, turn down the phones but keep the Cue song spinning. Do NOT concentrate on the Cue song!!! Listen to whats playing up front and turn the phones volume up on ocassion to see if they are matched. If not, fine tune the pitch so it is.

Rememmber if you throw the cue song when beatmatching in at the proper transition point the songs will change at the right time making it totally obvious if you are too slow or too fast.

Where you throw the song in is up to you, BUT REMEMBER Count the song playing!! Songs beat matched together but change at the wrong time is still a wreck to the people that know. You may have fooled 90% of the crowd, but you didn't fool yourself or other DJ's
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