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What are some DJs doing?
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aog406
IsraTrance Junior Member
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Posted : Mar 31, 2007 20:22
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What are some (actually, many) DJs doing while a track is playing (apart from mixing)? They seem to be constantly turning and moving something on the decks, pushing buttons, etc...
Adjusting the the sound? Every 5 seconds?
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full_on
IsraTrance Team
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Posted : Mar 31, 2007 20:32
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They really have work to do, they need to do a good EQ job, specially when two or more tracks are playing together or during long mixes (2+ minutes)...
But IMO (for what I've seen at parties) most of it is only to look like they're good or something. They make fast moves on the knobs, usually removing their hands very fast with a characteristic movement. The thing is that most DJs around here (Brazil) make 30 seconds mixes... Hope you get my point and that no one is offended by my opinions.
Respect!
 .
...Be gentle with the earth...
...Dance like nobody's watching...
.
...I don't mind not going to Heaven, as long as they've got Coffee in Hell... |
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Krell
IsraTrance Junior Member
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Posted : Mar 31, 2007 23:03
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1½ minutte mixing, 4 minuttes preparation, 1½ minuttes mixing... thats what I do, more or less, always a bit different.
While the 4 minuttes, the track plays without me touching the sound people hear, instead I put on the next track, set the cue point and pitch. I also start the track, to test how the EQ knobs affect the sound... Depending on how well I know the mixer, EQs are not all the same.
I might also get a feel for how much I need to pitch bend the track, depending on CD players and BPMs. Theres a dynamic to every mix, which I might want to explore.
If theres nothing for me to do, I turn down the music in the headphones and save my ears and try to look at the people dancing, in an attembt to gain energy from them and perhaps exhange some smiles (Im shy, so this is the hard part for me).
I might also drink some water, talk with sound people or organize my cds...
Most of my knob turning is done during the time where I mix  Mostly I get a feel for the EQ very fast.
- Krell
Label DJ>
www.jesterrecords.ca |
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kikola
IsraTrance Full Member
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93
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Posted : Apr 1, 2007 04:47
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Quote:
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On 2007-03-31 23:03, Krell wrote:
1½ minutte mixing, 4 minuttes preparation, 1½ minuttes mixing... thats what I do, more or less, always a bit different.
While the 4 minuttes, the track plays without me touching the sound people hear, instead I put on the next track, set the cue point and pitch. I also start the track, to test how the EQ knobs affect the sound... Depending on how well I know the mixer, EQs are not all the same.
I might also get a feel for how much I need to pitch bend the track, depending on CD players and BPMs. Theres a dynamic to every mix, which I might want to explore.
If theres nothing for me to do, I turn down the music in the headphones and save my ears and try to look at the people dancing, in an attembt to gain energy from them and perhaps exhange some smiles (Im shy, so this is the hard part for me).
I might also drink some water, talk with sound people or organize my cds...
Most of my knob turning is done during the time where I mix Mostly I get a feel for the EQ very fast.
- Krell
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the same goes here
and usually a lot of people come to me with tons of questions thinking that it's very easy to mix and I rarely refuse a chat but it's definitely easier whilst mixing psy because of the hard kick and shorter mixing times.
@Iono_Music
http://www.ionomusic.com/
Iono_Music_Shop
http://www.ionomusic.com/shop
www.ouim.net/djs/kikola |
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squirm
IsraTrance Senior Member
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Posted : Apr 1, 2007 23:58
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how long do dj's normally let the mixing go on to? in the sense how long does the transition from one track to the next one normally take? i usually let the sound of the mix decide how quick the transition has to be. like if they dont sound right, i find myself fading the tracks in and out faster, than if they sound coherent. and quite often i find myself mixing 2 tracks, where the bass-kick of the next track doesnt sound right, like the volume levels are off. iv had this happening to me often, when mixing wav's as well. i dont like to touch the gain knobs too much because it kind of adds to much noise sometimes and since i use traktor i dont have the headphone set up to preview the mix before i actually get to it. how do dj's normally deal with this problem?
www.soundcloud.com/ishikawa
www.mechanikrecords.com
www.phonix-records.com
www.mixcloud.com/ishikawa/ |
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huda-g
IsraTrance Junior Member
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955
Posted : Apr 2, 2007 00:12
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well.. some very smart man told me once (actualy it was gero bode,klangstrahler project,sweet attak)
A GOOD SET IS A VERY HARD WORK!
and he is right...
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Wizack Twizack
Wizack Twizack
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239
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3486
Posted : Apr 2, 2007 01:25
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soulfood
IsraTrance Junior Member
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875
Posted : Apr 2, 2007 03:56
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Just play the damn records . I like DJ's that pick a good tune and don't use filters on the master channel every 2 minutes. And hell, what's the point of looking at a dj? Sounds like a hip hop culture thing where it's all about attitude and style. |
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full_on
IsraTrance Team
Started Topics :
279
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Posted : Apr 2, 2007 04:04
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Quote:
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On 2007-04-01 23:58, squirm wrote:
how long do dj's normally let the mixing go on to? in the sense how long does the transition from one track to the next one normally take? i usually let the sound of the mix decide how quick the transition has to be. like if they dont sound right, i find myself fading the tracks in and out faster, than if they sound coherent. and quite often i find myself mixing 2 tracks, where the bass-kick of the next track doesnt sound right, like the volume levels are off. iv had this happening to me often, when mixing wav's as well. i dont like to touch the gain knobs too much because it kind of adds to much noise sometimes and since i use traktor i dont have the headphone set up to preview the mix before i actually get to it. how do dj's normally deal with this problem?
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It depends on the music genre, the DJ skills and the tracks being played. Since I'm not a very experienced DJ, I usually spend some fun time mixing randomly my CDs, just to get a feeling of which tracks goes well along with others. This is very important, because sometimes it is difficult to make a clean mix even with tracks in the same style and with same bpm. Mixing in keys has greatly enhanced my chance of success when performing these random mixes.
Below are some tips (some of them not recommended for more hypnotic sets), please keep in mind that sometimes the simpler the mix the better. But if you get bored between mixes... 
Usually, when mixing in keys, it is not difficult to make long mixes, and even switch from one track to another a couple of times before making the final transition (I'm probably not doing it in proggy sets, but it work wonders on night/dark sets). I've tried (and it worked), even sometimes in parties, to play like 1 and half minute of Track C in the middle of Track A (it's like Track A from 1:00 to 3:00, Track C from 4:00 to 5:30 (on top of Track A), back to Track A at around 4:30, change the CD, cue, beatmatch and mix in Track B. But try this first at home, unless you're really good and feel very confident).
Levels are really a problem, particularly when mixing old tunes which I always do (and I only play with originals). Long mixes sometimes are recommended in these cases, so you'll have more time to get a feeling about the levels. I never use the fader.
Also when Track A is playing, you can cue Track B and spend some time beatmatching it on the headphone only for training purposes. You'll get so confident after some time that you'll end up dropping some of the Track B elements for some seconds over the Track A. After finally switching to Track B, you can re-cue Track A in another spot (for example 16 kicks before a nice synth) and throw some of the Track A again, the crowd will recognize these elements and it will add some vibe to the mix.
In a full on or dark/night set you can also make a nice track selection and play only like 3 minutes of each track (including the mixing in and mixing out time), this way you can play more than 10 tracks in 30 minutes and will be very busy beatmatching and EQing all the time, but if made in the right way this will shake the floor (of course you'll have to try before at home, otherwise it probably won't sound smooth).
So, squirm, the best advice someone can give you is to know your music. If you want to be on the safe side, avoid playing some killarg new tunes at parties before knowing them well. Also mixing in keys will enhance your chances of success (but you don’t need to always mix in keys).
If you don't have a headphone, get one. If you can't use the headphone because you use Traktor, get a better soundcard that allows a headphone to be used. I can't mix without headphones.
In short, IMO mixes can be very short or long, what matters is how smooth they are (the less the crowd notices the tracks have changed the better). Short mixes can work well, but most of the time they won't sound as good as a careful longer mix. Proper track selection and order have determining effects on the results. Levels sometimes are troublesome; avoid mixing old tracks with new ones before trying it out at home. If you have any doubts, try it at home first.
Respect!
.
...Be gentle with the earth...
...Dance like nobody's watching...
.
...I don't mind not going to Heaven, as long as they've got Coffee in Hell... |
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squirm
IsraTrance Senior Member
Started Topics :
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Posted : Apr 2, 2007 09:53
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Krell
IsraTrance Junior Member
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Posted : Apr 2, 2007 13:11
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Quote:
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On 2007-04-01 23:58, squirm wrote:
how long do dj's normally let the mixing go on to? in the sense how long does the transition from one track to the next one normally take? i usually let the sound of the mix decide how quick the transition has to be. like if they dont sound right, i find myself fading the tracks in and out faster, than if they sound coherent. and quite often i find myself mixing 2 tracks, where the bass-kick of the next track doesnt sound right, like the volume levels are off. iv had this happening to me often, when mixing wav's as well. i dont like to touch the gain knobs too much because it kind of adds to much noise sometimes and since i use traktor i dont have the headphone set up to preview the mix before i actually get to it. how do dj's normally deal with this problem?
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You can use the EQ to adapt the sound of the tracks while you are in the mix so that there is a well balanced mix.
I dont touch "gain" while mixing, its something I set before I enter the mix.
Most important tool here is your ears and fingers. Listening to the sound, adjusting the EQ.
This all comes with experience, record what you mix and listen to it afterwards - Worth a thousand times more than getting feedback from a drugged up crowd telling you whether its killer or not ;-)
Depending on the tracks and musical genre I spend between 30 seconds to 5-6 minuttes "in the mix" between each track. It is really up to the tracks how long.... However, the general trend is towards short mixes the more active the music (full on, dark psy etc), and longer mixes the more laid back the music (progressive & house).
The mix is to suit the music, not the other way around. I dont choose tracks for their mixability, but adapt my technique to the tracks I want to play (really needed when you follow your heart & mind in regards to selecting tracks / creating flow).
- Krell
Label DJ>
www.jesterrecords.ca |
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izkali
Started Topics :
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Posted : Apr 2, 2007 13:53
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spinning what else
big pappa is watching
izkali playing live
anyone wanna join forces!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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squirm
IsraTrance Senior Member
Started Topics :
254
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Posted : Apr 2, 2007 20:26
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Jeto
Jeto
Started Topics :
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3252
Posted : Apr 2, 2007 22:08
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Nice topic.
I often found myself not doing much after the track is beat matched and ready to go. Sometimes I would be smoking in between waiting for the track to go by.
I then started to bring my 25 Key X-Station to a few of my gigs and connect it to the DJ Mixer.
I would then find the Key of the track in my headphones and play live arpegiators and lines LIVE.
Adds some live feel to the mix.
Its killer...
https://www.djjeto.com |
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konvndrvm
IsraTrance Junior Member
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Posted : Apr 4, 2007 11:01
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Secrets Secrets are no fun if you share them with everyone 
-dj Ohnn |
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