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Forum: Music discussion
Topic: DJ MIXING : basic - advanced - pro - Page: 18

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spinnaJPRO InfinityMember since 2004
 
Posted Wed 02 Dec 09 @ 5:48 am
i pooped in the refrigerator and ate a whole wheel of cheese!!
 
Posted Sun 13 Dec 09 @ 8:51 am
ok sounds bout right...
 
Posted Sun 13 Dec 09 @ 8:52 am
dj jaluja jabu wrote :
hey fellow music lovers!!!!
i come in the name of music how about we have our own page for battles?
i am very good and i need recognition.....





I'm working on putting one together next year, so make sure your skills are tight. Anybody will be able to participate. Make sure you can beat juggle.

Here’s a video of one of the best doing it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTxbzF6zZ1Q

Here are some more videos:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=beat+juggling+&search_type=&aq=f


OO
 
Posted Mon 14 Dec 09 @ 10:21 am
DRMYIIZHome userMember since 2009
"How can I cross fade my 2nd track (from my head phones) with the Master track (the one playing out of the speakers)"?

I have a quick question about Cross Fading!! I'm new at using the Virtual DJ software. I've read the instruction guide and played with the program. I've actually done a few DJ giggs with the program without any issues, but I had to pre-record my mixes at home.

I'm basicly DJ'ing from my laptop. I've recently bought an extrenal sound card, so I can use headphones while mixing. (master = internal sound card & headphones = 2nd/extrenal sound card). I have everything set up correctly but my question is "How can I cross fade my 2nd track (from my head phones) with the Master track (the one playing out of the speakers)"? Right now I can switch which track is playing in the speakers by clicking the PFL button. Before installing the 2nd sound card, I was able to mix or overlap 2 different tracks, but now I can't. Using the headphones gives me the freedom to mix, overlap, and splice 2 different tracks (like I could with standard dj equipment).
Any Solutions??!!

ATL DJ
 
Posted Thu 17 Dec 09 @ 11:31 am
spinnaJPRO InfinityMember since 2004
 
Posted Fri 18 Dec 09 @ 1:17 pm
Excellent guide Dj in Norway and a considerable amount of patience shown. Comprehensive and if people really wanted to learn wouldn't think it was hard going at all. Was shown briefly wen i was about 15 the very basics but they stuck and wen i started using this programme everythin came back(i.m 32 now). Anyone out there just starting just practice and if yr luck one day it'll just click. Great guide again mate. By the way the rmx is a great bit of kit but i'm already thinkin about a behringer bcd 3000. Any thoughts?
 
Posted Mon 21 Dec 09 @ 4:26 pm
Dj TfosHome userMember since 2009
Your the best ! Really helped me =)
 
Posted Sat 02 Jan 10 @ 4:59 am
NixMixHome userMember since 2010
i luv this tut... thanx thanx thanx!!!
 
Posted Sat 02 Jan 10 @ 5:41 am
Heyy Imm Neww lol!! ;)
 
Posted Sat 09 Jan 10 @ 7:25 pm
spinashHome userMember since 2009
 
Posted Wed 20 Jan 10 @ 2:35 am
PezmcPRO InfinityMember since 2010
Awesome advice, kinda sounds like what I have been doing already but I feel I'm at the stage where I need to get better and am hence here for advice!
 
Posted Sat 23 Jan 10 @ 6:49 am
I just registered on this forum just so I could say, "thank you!"

What an informative set of essays - written like a DJ who loves the craft with a mind like a professor.

I'm a video editor who, through the music I work with, has gotten turned on to mixing and I'm looking for some basic stuff. I do a lot of VJ'ing for local artists and I'm getting interested in the audio side.

Mad knowledge - thank you! Have a great weekend all.
 
Posted Fri 05 Feb 10 @ 1:25 pm
Seana23PRO InfinityMember since 2010
Thanx DJ-IN-Norway. That was very informative.

Big Love to You

Seana
XXX
 
Posted Thu 18 Feb 10 @ 4:58 pm
Hello. hope all is well.. My name is Cris. I am new With this VirtualDJ program and the reason i bought it was to help my mom bring her restaurant/club up from the ashes of the recession... I want to get a karaoke night going as well i hear this is possible but i dont know where to start, i dont have a projecter or the screen nor do i know which models are best to use for karaoke in a large area.. Also i was curious to know if there is a small limited of karaoke songs available because if the are unlimited methods of getting karaoke songs with subtitles then it will Def. be worth all the trouble. If anyone can save me some trouble.. Thank you! I am grateful for any response!
 
Posted Thu 18 Feb 10 @ 8:43 pm
 
Posted Fri 19 Feb 10 @ 9:19 am
WOW DJ IN explained everything like a pro. And yes its been posted like ten lightyears ago but still, I had to post a comment about his post. So just recently purchased my Hercules RMX and immediately purchased the full version of VDJ 6 PRO, and im loving it. So the other day i went all out and purchased some Stanton T.62 Turntables, two Marathon 15 in. speakers, a 1000 Watt marathon amp, ummm an oddysey coffin and laptop stand. So basically just doing house parties for now until i can work my way up to clubs. As far as my micing skills go. I would say im okay .Still have lots of learning to do. Fortuantely been around music forever. playing the guitar drums and so i have a pretty good ear for music. Just wanted to talk some Sh*t so dont go bashing on me lol.....
 
Posted Sun 21 Feb 10 @ 2:42 pm
Goods:)
 
Posted Thu 25 Feb 10 @ 12:34 pm
Ok I had a Dumb question when i mixing how do you start both mixers at the same time,,, like how do you start two songs at the same time
Thanks
DJ Street5464
 
Posted Fri 05 Mar 10 @ 7:24 am
***************************************
INTRODUCTION AND SOME OPINIONS
***************************************

* Playing Different Kinds of Popular Music

When playing different kinds of popular music, the most important is to know what is popular with the audience on the place you are playing. Go to the place you are going to play and hang out there some nites before your gig. Get some impressions, ask the owner…..

On top of this there are a number of “rules” when pub & club dj-ing:
- Play every song between 3-4 minutes for urban music, 6-8 mins for club music. If you play songs longer people will find it boring. If you play songs too short people will become irritated. So dont cut it too short either. Ideally after 2nd chorus somewhere is a good place.
- Minimum 4 songs of the same style in a row (or the style change gets too comfusing)
- Always play two slows. After the first not everybody has the girl/the boy he/she wants. After a slow, kick in a beat again. No point in messing around with a 'good' build-up. Some (lonely) people are waiting to dance, and the people slowing will leave the floor anyway when you switch to a non-slow.
- In the beginning of the night choose your end style of music. If you change genres at end of nite, people tend to use it as their "cue" to go home, instead of the getting a drink or something, if its earlier night.
- Don't try to beatmix when you don't have the skills. Nothing is more irritating than two non matching songs over each other with the bass drums interleaved and a DJ trying to fix that live. Use fade out, echo out or microphone skills if you don’t beatmix. You are still a dj, technique is not everything. Music and giving the crowd a party is the most important part!

Also, if you are not comfortable with beatmix, but can do some, then do just that. Beatmix those songs that u can, and leave the others for other transitions. Even when you try to beatmix in the beginning, there can be times beats drift to far apart, or you are out of luck ;) If you ever happen to be in such a situation (which will occur) just cut one of both songs. The audience will be happy if you do that. When you cut one of both songs you will be disappointed, just remember that it was too late for a subtle mix anyhow. So better luck next time :)

- At every moment have a list of the three/four/five next songs you will play, this should ensure continuity. If people ask something, don't switch immediately, put them at the end of your list, and eventually adapt your list. Trusts people's opinion only when they are not to drunk. Otherwise neglect them…. Lol :)

- Don't play songs that will kill the “atmosphere”. Like, don’t play a slow song in the middle of the gig, people go home after the song, or leave… And don’t play a techno song, even if its your favourite, if the theme for the nite is hiphop and visa versa… Knowing what an audience likes is as important as knowing what the audience absolutely dislikes.

* Playing One Style Whole Night
Essentially, it is much easier to play the same style (Techno, House, Acid, and so on) whole night than playing different styles. Of course, you have to know the style before you even think of playing. E.g: don't play Salsa if you don't know crap about it.

- Build your music tempo up, instead of playing it down. Start at one “lower” bpm, and sort your database by bpm’s – and build up from there. If it’s a long gig, you can reach peaks many times by going up to a certain high bpm level, and then build it down again (don’t go to far down, will kill the atmosphere and expectations of the crowd) Build up again after a little while…
-Tempo breaks are long ambient passages, often found in trance, house etc. This is a nice are to beatmix, or fade song out if u cant beatmix…
- If you are playing techno-style whole night you might want to surprise your audience by slowly removing the bass drum and afterwards kicking it in again. Removing the bass drum slowly and kicking it in is better than boosting the bass drum because most installations cut the mid and high frequencies when you boost the bass too much (hardware limiter).
- If you are playing techno-style, you can build your own build-up using the equalizer. Set the frequency low, cut everything out at the right moment and start changing the frequency. Be sure to kick in the complete sound at the right moment. (This can be tricky :)
- you can also do the trick above only with the bass eq for the right moments, and kick bass back in at the right moments.

*********************************
BASIC BEAT MIXING
*********************************
Now, something more difficult: Beat Mixing. Beat mixing is mixing two beats exactly over each other during a certain period. The difficulty with this is that different songs have different tempos. Synchronizing B with A is the first problem, keeping them synchronized is the second (as a general tip, I would say don’t use beatlock for this)
Beatmixing is only possible when the two songs are playing at the same speed.

Therefore , during playing one needs the ability to move a playing song a bit forward or a bit backward, such that they stay synchronized. This is called nudging.

- Syncing & positioning
When a suitable song has been selected and it is playing at the correct tempo one needs to start the song at the correct moment. Typically this moment is at the beginning of a phrase (that is the beginning of 8 measures). Normally, when the song is started it won't start exactly at the moment you intended it. Therefore, you will need to nudge a little bit. Look at the waveform to see if you need to nudge it forward or backwards to make it stay in beat with the song playing. AND THIS SHOULD BE DONE IN YOUR HEADPHONES; when u pre-listen the mix, and NOT NOT live… lol.. First when beats are in sync, you can move crossfader so that the sound goes out live. Having an external controller like XP10 or Hercules makes nudge a lot easier, using the jogwheels on the controller.

(MORE ABOUT BEATMIXING AND POSITIONING IN NEXT POST IN THIS TREAD)


- Pitching and nudging
If your beatmix is a longer one (2 songs on “top of eachoter”) keep watching the wavedisplay. During the time the two songs overlap the tempo difference between the two songs (even if it is a VERY small tempo difference) will result in a slight synchronization drift.
To solve this one needs to know beforehand which song is the slowest one of both. Pitch the slower one up a LITTLE, and nudge forward to make it sync in beats again.

- Cross fading & EQ shift
When you finally have the two beats exactly over each other in your headphones you want to switch slowly to song B. Before you do this be sure to cut off the bass drum with the equalizer. Otherwise you get a very nasty (and ugly) flanging effect on the bass drums. If the volume is good, switch off song A's bass drum slowly while you turn on songs B's bass drum. This way it will go unnoticed.

- Breaking
Once you have learned how to crossfade two songs, you might want to experiment with sudden breaks and gaps in the music, or faster fades. This will give the music more punch and keep people dancing.

(MORE ABOUT MIXING AND EQ USE IN LATER POST)


* Some Final hints
Practice!! Have a small mixing device at home
Learn from other DJ's: Listen to them and what they do, the songs they are playing as the small shifts they make. Listen also at the faults they make and how they could have avoid it. Beware: the better you become, the more frustrating it is to go to parties :)
Take enough sound-cables, power-cables and so on with you. Don't expect something will be available. Also take a mirror with you. Some mixing tables are that fixed and unreachable that you will need a way to see.
Don't forget a lamp.
Tape your sessions and listen to them afterwards.
Check all settings at mixer etc – dj’s often leave a mess .. lol



hi master dj-in-norway!
youre giving me an inspiration and great lesson at the same time. some dj's that i met they are not sharing what ideas they have. for me YOUR THE MAN! i wish... i could contribute in your site, i want to become a dj in your website streaming. pls advice me for any requirements or guideliness.
THANKS & MORE POWER!!!
 
Posted Sat 20 Mar 10 @ 4:56 am
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