I own a pair of Technics SL1210 turntables and haven't had a problem
despite constantly carting them round to parties and clubs while gigging.
Being a DJ is synonymous with playing music off records. In many ways being a skilled operator of Technics turntables IS being a skilled DJ.
I have bee DJing now with CD since 1993
I Recently booked a Wedding in 2007,
the B&G saw me back in the day
& they want me to Dust off the Vinyl.
I have to give Kudos to Vinyl Spinner for keeping Vinyl Alive in the
Wedding DJ Market. I sat back & thought to myself, You've got it Tough,
Vinyl! I take CD DJing for granted now, I can remeber back in the Day, I never
had any real time to socialize when spinning Vinyl (at a Function). Now that I spin Mostly CD, I have all the time in the world to Interact with my Crowd.
For those of you who haven't DJed with Vinyl (not the person)....
How to do your first mix step by step:
To start, first set one record to play and "cue" the next record up. Make sure the cross-fader is over to the side that has the playing track so that no sound comes out of the speakers from the cue channel.
Cue the new track by putting the needle at the start of the record at letting it play before stopping it at the first sound. (this cue channel should be coming out of your headphones).
The turntable platter should be rotating underneath the record now.
The first sound you grab like this should be the first beat of the first bar of the track.
You should hold this beat so that the sound in the groove (in the vinyl) is underneath the needle and when you move your hand the beat sounds slowly through your headphones.
The tricky part now is to start this beat at the same time as first beat of the bar of the currently playing track.
If you do this correctly the beats should overlap as both tracks play. Dropping a cue track in time with the track playing out is not easy and does require some practice to get the hang of.
Overlapping the beats (having two tracks "in time") allows two tracks to play simultaneously without sounding too cluttered.
Remember, tracks that have different tempos once started will drift out of time with the beats getting less crisp. This means that when you are starting out take your time ... listen carefully ... did you hear the kick or snare in your headphone first ... or was it slightly behind?
If the cue track is getting behind, speed it up by giving the record a push round the middle.
When you are adjusting the pitch to match tempos speed up or slow the record down with your left hand and keep your right hand on the pitch adjustment slider.
To slow the cue track down, gently slow the platter by touching the side
Remember to adjust the overall tempo using the turntables pitch adjustment after you make these changes. This means that the 2 tempos should get closer and closer together. When 2 tracks are closely matched they will take a while before they get out of time.
The key thing is to train your ear to recognize the slight difference in timing of the beat between the track playing out and the cue rack in your headphone.
There is not much else involved in matching the tempo once you have practiced a lot and trained your ear. Having turntables available to practice on is a must. If you want the best price I've found for Technics turntables then go here...
Beat mixing:
Beat mixing is using the pitch adjustment on your Technics turntable to match the tempo (BPM) of the next track with the one you are currently playing.
Matching the tempo is done by listening to the next track through the headphones and comparing it to the track currently thumping the dance floor.
The best way to compare is to start the next track in time with the current one and listen to see if the beats are getting ahead or slipping behind. If the track is too fast, slow it on the platter. If it is too slow, then speed it up by giving it a push round in the center of the record to keep the two tracks in time.
Each of these adjustments should be accompanied by a small change in the pitch slider (faster or slower) so that the overall tempo of the tracks get closer. At first it is difficult to hear if the tracks are going out of time. If you get off your ass and do some practice then you can quickly train your ear to pick out the speed difference every time.
Don't be discouraged at first if you can't hear any differences between the tracks. Just have a go, remember you have a 50% chance of getting it right.
If you are a total novice then read on to the next section where I will explain beat mixing with turntables in more detail.
Basic beat mixing in detail, using your Technics turntables properly:
The best way to learn beat mixing from the beginning is to try to get two identical records. Two identical records won't go out of time if the pitch is set the same.
If you don't have two the same try listening carefully to some of your tracks and pick two that have clear rhythmical sounds. This would mean a big bass kick sound at the start of a bar and clear snare sounds or high hat sounds marking the other beats in the bar.
You should also try to select tracks that start straight into beats and not strings and other ambient sounds.
Hey Johnny, did you know that you do all this for every song?
It's like walking & breathing for you now, DO you remeber
thinking all this when you started?
I have to give credit where credit is Due,
We should all Give Johnny a Big Thumbs Up!
Keepin' the True Vinyl DJing Alive
Thanks Johnny
despite constantly carting them round to parties and clubs while gigging.
Being a DJ is synonymous with playing music off records. In many ways being a skilled operator of Technics turntables IS being a skilled DJ.
I have bee DJing now with CD since 1993
I Recently booked a Wedding in 2007,
the B&G saw me back in the day
& they want me to Dust off the Vinyl.
I have to give Kudos to Vinyl Spinner for keeping Vinyl Alive in the
Wedding DJ Market. I sat back & thought to myself, You've got it Tough,
Vinyl! I take CD DJing for granted now, I can remeber back in the Day, I never
had any real time to socialize when spinning Vinyl (at a Function). Now that I spin Mostly CD, I have all the time in the world to Interact with my Crowd.
For those of you who haven't DJed with Vinyl (not the person)....
How to do your first mix step by step:
To start, first set one record to play and "cue" the next record up. Make sure the cross-fader is over to the side that has the playing track so that no sound comes out of the speakers from the cue channel.
Cue the new track by putting the needle at the start of the record at letting it play before stopping it at the first sound. (this cue channel should be coming out of your headphones).
The turntable platter should be rotating underneath the record now.
The first sound you grab like this should be the first beat of the first bar of the track.
You should hold this beat so that the sound in the groove (in the vinyl) is underneath the needle and when you move your hand the beat sounds slowly through your headphones.
The tricky part now is to start this beat at the same time as first beat of the bar of the currently playing track.
If you do this correctly the beats should overlap as both tracks play. Dropping a cue track in time with the track playing out is not easy and does require some practice to get the hang of.
Overlapping the beats (having two tracks "in time") allows two tracks to play simultaneously without sounding too cluttered.
Remember, tracks that have different tempos once started will drift out of time with the beats getting less crisp. This means that when you are starting out take your time ... listen carefully ... did you hear the kick or snare in your headphone first ... or was it slightly behind?
If the cue track is getting behind, speed it up by giving the record a push round the middle.
When you are adjusting the pitch to match tempos speed up or slow the record down with your left hand and keep your right hand on the pitch adjustment slider.
To slow the cue track down, gently slow the platter by touching the side
Remember to adjust the overall tempo using the turntables pitch adjustment after you make these changes. This means that the 2 tempos should get closer and closer together. When 2 tracks are closely matched they will take a while before they get out of time.
The key thing is to train your ear to recognize the slight difference in timing of the beat between the track playing out and the cue rack in your headphone.
There is not much else involved in matching the tempo once you have practiced a lot and trained your ear. Having turntables available to practice on is a must. If you want the best price I've found for Technics turntables then go here...
Beat mixing:
Beat mixing is using the pitch adjustment on your Technics turntable to match the tempo (BPM) of the next track with the one you are currently playing.
Matching the tempo is done by listening to the next track through the headphones and comparing it to the track currently thumping the dance floor.
The best way to compare is to start the next track in time with the current one and listen to see if the beats are getting ahead or slipping behind. If the track is too fast, slow it on the platter. If it is too slow, then speed it up by giving it a push round in the center of the record to keep the two tracks in time.
Each of these adjustments should be accompanied by a small change in the pitch slider (faster or slower) so that the overall tempo of the tracks get closer. At first it is difficult to hear if the tracks are going out of time. If you get off your ass and do some practice then you can quickly train your ear to pick out the speed difference every time.
Don't be discouraged at first if you can't hear any differences between the tracks. Just have a go, remember you have a 50% chance of getting it right.
If you are a total novice then read on to the next section where I will explain beat mixing with turntables in more detail.
Basic beat mixing in detail, using your Technics turntables properly:
The best way to learn beat mixing from the beginning is to try to get two identical records. Two identical records won't go out of time if the pitch is set the same.
If you don't have two the same try listening carefully to some of your tracks and pick two that have clear rhythmical sounds. This would mean a big bass kick sound at the start of a bar and clear snare sounds or high hat sounds marking the other beats in the bar.
You should also try to select tracks that start straight into beats and not strings and other ambient sounds.
Hey Johnny, did you know that you do all this for every song?
It's like walking & breathing for you now, DO you remeber
thinking all this when you started?
I have to give credit where credit is Due,
We should all Give Johnny a Big Thumbs Up!
Keepin' the True Vinyl DJing Alive
Thanks Johnny
