Mixing Techniques...

[jonnyspeed]

Does anybody have any top mixing tips or know any good sites or books with intermediate and advanced mixing techniques.

I really like How to DJ: The Art and Science of Playing Records (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0593049667/) but it is very light on technique - it just says the basics then recommends you practice. But I guess it would be nice to get some hints and tips.

Go on, one tip or website each and I bet we'd all learn loeads :)

[jonnyspeed]

Starter for 10... http://www.recess.co.uk

:cool:

[jock]

How to DJ Properly by Bill Brewster

I got given it a few months after i started and it certainly helped a lot, got everything in there.

[jonnyspeed]

as I said, apart from that book :)

[dirty_bass]

Well, apart from perfecting beatmatching without touching the platter, I would say, if you do have to for whatever reason, allways make you tune coming in run too slow, as twisting the spindle can be a lot more subtle than dragging on the side of the platter, in terms of how it effects the sound.

[killarava2day]

Well, apart from perfecting beatmatching without touching the platter.

...that's certainly not as easy as it sounds. Can take months you to perfect that skill. Once you do though, it makes the rest of you time alot easier, quick edits, tricks become a piece of cake really.

[Orange]

practice. know yourself, then you'll know your craft.

[MARKEG]

can we pop this in dj central? ok, i'll move it :)

[Voorheez]

Well, apart from perfecting beatmatching without touching the platter.

...that's certainly not as easy as it sounds. Can take months you to perfect that skill. Once you do though, it makes the rest of you time alot easier, quick edits, tricks become a piece of cake really.

It's definitely worth it. Pitch sliding is the most advanced form of mixing, it's more subtle and gives you far more control. I recommend learning it to anyone.

[killarava2day]

^ I think that both styles have their place. Although I reckon that with the subtle control with pitch as you mention, you can have alot of fun just jogging the mix, bringing one bass line forward, then moving it back and bringing the other track forward. Might not be right in your face but it can just change the whole feel of mix on the floor though...it's even better you can actually pull off a whole string of mixes like that for the entire set.

[mitzi]

using the pitch is definatly the best way to start of, people say its to hard to do from the start but to the majority so is touching the platter.
using the pitch will definatly speed up your dj skills as so many people i know have been djing for years and still touch the platter and personnaly i dont like the sound!!!!!!!

[Voorheez]

personnaly i dont like the sound!!!!!!!

I agree :clap: It's much less audible using pitch sliding

[DJ RE:HAB]

^ I think that both styles have their place. Although I reckon that with the subtle control with pitch as you mention, you can have alot of fun just jogging the mix, bringing one bass line forward, then moving it back and bringing the other track forward. Might not be right in your face but it can just change the whole feel of mix on the floor though...it's even better you can actually pull off a whole string of mixes like that for the entire set.


can anyone explain that properly to me? ;)

[k1ck3r]

forget about reading!

how can u read, and mixing .. it's stupid

everything comes from your soul, mind and hands

keep practise! ! !

that's all .. maybe one u'll become good dj, it's up to you!

[dj sophan]

hi k1ck3r i love your answear very much .

try listen to the good djs mixing hear how they're chancing the styler or pitch or technics and keep practise

i personer mixe the most 50 % of the trak if it is a good trak it can be 90% or i play 2 trak at the sametime and like plyaing A than pause . swich to B than pause B back to A i like to chance the trak very fast i don't want poeper know what trak i'm playing
i dj hard techno
sorry for my english

[mitzi]

can anyone explain that properly to me? ;)[/quote]

Basically mate hes talking about getting beats matched using just the pitch slider, instead of touching the platter. this way you can get your beats matched in about 10 secs!
hes also talking about holding the beats down whilst drasticaly moving the pitch slider making a ****ed up mix, that can, when done properly, sounds sweet!!!!

[Jutt]

I dunno with the decks I have Gemini XL 500's I have a pitch bend on the decks but I find the drag too heavy. so ive gotta be careful when im in the mix :lol:

[Voorheez]

No, it's not using the pitch bend button m8, it's using the actual slider

[techno_smack]

Since reading this i have been tryin to make a real effort to mix without touching the platter, and just using the pitch. I do agree that it is sometimes far more subtle than jogging a record back and forth, and it does sound good when u sway the tune ur mixing forward and back a bit.
Normally i do just use my hands to mix, and i make a conscious effort when bumping the record back or forward to do it at a time when it wont be so obvious, in between beats or sounds or whatever, and alot of the time its very hard to notice.

But would u say that we should all be striving to mix by pitch sliding alone?

[Voorheez]

But would u say that we should all be striving to mix by pitch sliding alone?

No, not really. Each to their own - you might find it easier a different way, so many people have different things they do whilst mixing i.e some hold the spindle, some touch the platter to slow while others touch the record etc.

But I definitely recommend giving it a go to see how you get on, and persevere because it does take a while to learn.

[Stella Boy]

I just can't get down with messing with the platter :dontevengothere: . Pitch sliding is without a doubt the best way to tease an offbeat tune without it sounding ropey in the mix. That and using the 45rpm button when mixing a 33rpm tune in.

[Andy__C]

Since having my Vestax decks with the pitchbend joystick Ive started doing this on technics and it makes a big difference.......

using the joystick on the vestax, set to 1% pitch bend, you can't hear any tone change when adjusting, and I just got out of touching the platter at all (pluss I think my vestax are wicked with with the stick, but iffy if u touch the platter :eh: )....... - sometimes for quickness when I'm queing I'll prod the platter to give it a slow, but other than that.......

Not sure about pissing with the pitch live when two tune's are in mix...... I've never given that a go.... what is the exact effect ur aiming for - gettin one beat to be prominent either side of the other - back and fore?

[Voorheez]

Not sure about pissing with the pitch live when two tune's are in mix...... I've never given that a go.... what is the exact effect ur aiming for - gettin one beat to be prominent either side of the other - back and fore?

No idea on that one m8, it doesn't really sound like a very good idea to me

[Andy__C]

no I know - can imagine most people would think u'd just fuicked up the mix....... on purpose too if they were watchin what u were doing :oops:


Anyone got a sound clip of what this technique is on about......

[Voorheez]

I think it's probably a techno thing. I think it's basically what's also referred to as stuttering - bringing a track half a beat out then chopping it in at the end of a bar. Works best with two of the same tune, but i've never managed to pull it off and make it sound good.

[techno_smack]

how about this, when u have 2 records in the mix do a quick scratch on one of the records, basically a quick forward back on the first kick. If you do this right it will set that tune playin on the off beat of the other. takes a while to learn, but isnt as difficult as it sounds

i may not be dead on, so if its not quickly adjust it so its in time. Now u have both tunes playin on the off beat of the other. A bit of cutting with the crossfader works a treat here.

now the tricky part, what u have to do now is once again on the first beat of the bar do another little scratch and if all goes well this should set the tunes back in perfect sync. Although the 1st beat of record 1 will now be lined up with the 4th of record 2, if u see what i mean. Still sounds normall as long as there are no breakdowns coming up soon on either record.

if u find it difficult to get a tune to start playing on the off beat u can always try just redropping it while cueing up the first hi-hat rather than the kick.

Basically if u pull this off right it really does sound incredible, probally works best with loopy sort of techno or 2 of the same tune.

I will try and do an audio clip of what i mean, as im sure u have no idea what the hell im ravin on about. :shock:

[Evil G]

i've done it by accident - skipped the needle while mixing and it happened to land in a spot where the beats were exactly offset. i knew it was in time, so i let double beat for a while and fixed it quietly during the next breakdown. the trainspotters were confused. i was lucky!

[killarava2day]

how about this, when u have 2 records in the mix do a quick scratch on one of the records, basically a quick forward back on the first kick. If you do this right it will set that tune playin on the off beat of the other. takes a while to learn, but isnt as difficult as it sounds

i may not be dead on, so if its not quickly adjust it so its in time. Now u have both tunes playin on the off beat of the other. A bit of cutting with the crossfader works a treat here.

now the tricky part, what u have to do now is once again on the first beat of the bar do another little scratch and if all goes well this should set the tunes back in perfect sync. Although the 1st beat of record 1 will now be lined up with the 4th of record 2, if u see what i mean. Still sounds normall as long as there are no breakdowns coming up soon on either record.

if u find it difficult to get a tune to start playing on the off beat u can always try just redropping it while cueing up the first hi-hat rather than the kick.

Basically if u pull this off right it really does sound incredible, probally works best with loopy sort of techno or 2 of the same tune.

I will try and do an audio clip of what i mean, as im sure u have no idea what the hell im ravin on about. :shock:

I get what you mean.

Altough lately I've been trying this, probably exactly what your saying anyway but...

If your confident in dropping a track off cue in beat, then with two tracks mixed full in (loopy techno works well here), you've created a groove that's becoming boring, grab a record hold it one beat and drop it back in, live mind you, best effect, the reverse scratch sets up an edit like effect. Get it right and you've just created a whole new groove and fcuk it's satisfying as well.

[techno_smack]

yeah its cool, it adds some variation to the mix.

[TripleX]

can anyone explain that properly to me? ;)

Basically mate hes talking about getting beats matched using just the pitch slider, instead of touching the platter. this way you can get your beats matched in about 10 secs!
[/quote]

10sec :shock: me needs to learn this :lol:
lets see how long it takes :lol:

[killarava2day]

^^^ Ten seconds is pretty quick, obviously trained the ear very well to pick at exactly what speed and direction the beat is heading out at.

Spose that's the art after all, being able to read exactly where the track is headed after comparing the second beat to the first. Now I'd love to be able to do just that, unfortunately that's where the practice makes perfect thigy comes into effect. It can be done though, and respects to those of you who can read everything in that short space of time.

[killarava2day]

^ I think that both styles have their place. Although I reckon that with the subtle control with pitch as you mention, you can have alot of fun just jogging the mix, bringing one bass line forward, then moving it back and bringing the other track forward. Might not be right in your face but it can just change the whole feel of mix on the floor though...it's even better you can actually pull off a whole string of mixes like that for the entire set.


can anyone explain that properly to me? ;)

Ummm, it's like I suppose a controlled shifting of the two tracks. Sorta like not knowing that there are in fact two tracks in sync, then you suddenly hear one shift out, however you control a slight shift in the track and you get phasing effects with the kicks etc, then you control it back through into the other direction and you get a further enhancement of kicks, percussion etc. This is certainly a personal preference. I don't slam across tracks, back and forth, in and out. I just never went down that path, although I love being roached and listening to others doing just that :shock: