Mixing...is it really that important?

To many ads? Support ODJT and see no ads!
Jon Tuck said:
Canute the automix feature has not been perfected enough yet to do what I do easily and most always flawlessly.
Click to expand...
I must beg to differ. Traktor does a wonderful job and my Pioneer MEP 7000, believe it or not is flawless. Every so often I will do Automix sets for various reasons. I have no complaints about those two. Of course one has to select good songs and not just throw any bunch of songs together.
 
I guess I can mix to some extent...I'm better at doing it by ear. Software ****s with me and distracts me though I do use the autosync feature probably a little too much.
 
Your average radio DJ doesn't beat mix and still seems to do quite well. Plus I had about 30 - 40 people dancing several hours straight at a small restaurants Halloween Party last Saturday night and I didn't beat mix one song. I think it would have been pretty cool if I had. It has it's place. It's just not as needed as some of you think it is, but if it helps you feel better............
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 4 people
People will continue dancing if you unplug one speaker of two. Some won't notice, some won't care and others will realize the difference. Does that mean to say that one should leave one speaker at home. Making excuses for not doing or able to do something that is so fundamental to DJing is simply that, an excuse. Why do we seek out the best quality gear? I have seen people party their butts off to a DJ using Pyle Pro and Gemini gear, yet we look down on those who use those brands as not being really professional. Therefore it is the same with Mixing. People may not ask for it but may notice the lack of it from prior experiences with a DJ who was skilled in mixing.

That is why Mixers were invented in the first case so that two records could be played one into each other non stop. I am sure someone can do a Party with one CD Player and load and unload Discs with seconds of silence in between songs and people may still enjoy themselves. I don't think that anyone here wants to be caught dead playing music this way. Admitting a lack of skill in being able to Mix is one thing but saying it is not needed is like forgetting to put Vodka in the Bloody Mary and calling it a new type of drink.
 
mikemerlin said:
I don't beat mix but do a mean fade out from one song into the next...y'all better recognize!
Click to expand...
What you are doing IS a form of Mixing! I rarely use a Crossfade, I prefer to do Blends or Slip Cue! Those are also other forms.
 
try mixing with 7inch singles, now thats a challenge!
 
I am working hard to wrap my arms around the new technology and beat mixing. I wish I had someone who could train me. I never use the crossfader on either of my mixers, they and the scratch/cue wheels are dissabled in the midi program. All of my mixing comes by ear and I use the channel sliders, as I did in the old day. I have had some folks who thought I had the songs premixed and could not beleive I did it myself.

Then there are the times when you get totally distracted and drop the new song in like a rotten egg :) I wish someone could explain this auto mix thing to me, I have VDJ PRO and two Numark Mixers (N4 and Mixdeck express).

Thanks Ray J.
 
For you to make this thread it must be important to you. I don't mean that with any disrespect.

The way you sound is right now you're not very good at it. It takes a lot of practice and dedication to be good at beat mixing.

How I got to be good at it was that I used to work with a guy who was a DJ. He showed me somethings. I used to go to this place called Club Zanzabar in downtown Newark, NJ. I went there faithfully every weekend. They had the best DJ's playing there.

I would buy the same records they were playing in the club. I then would practice doing the same mixes I heard them doing at the club. Once I got good enough I developed my own style. Every free chance I got I would practice. Another thing that was a big help I had a cassette deck at the time so I could record my mixing. Then I could listen to the cassette to be able to listen to any mistakes I made and when I did good.

I suggest if you don't have one get you a cd recorder. I reccomend a Tascam cd recorder that you can use regular cd-r disc. Put your mixes on cd's and just listen to yourself. Listen to what you need to improve and what's OK.

Main thing is to keep practicing. Don't get discouraged. It took me some time to get to be good at beat mixing. That also means knowing when to quickly mix in a song and when to take your time mixing in a song. I hope this helps you and good luck.
 
MIXMASTERMACHOM said:
I suggest if you don't have one get you a cd recorder. I reccomend a Tascam cd recorder that you can use regular cd-r disc. Put your mixes on cd's and just listen to yourself. Listen to what you need to improve and what's OK.
Click to expand...

Holy crap! You're recommending a VERY expensive 'cd recorder'!
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
Easier and better options are available ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
oldschooldj said:
I am working hard to wrap my arms around the new technology and beat mixing. I wish I had someone who could train me. I never use the crossfader on either of my mixers, they and the scratch/cue wheels are dissabled in the midi program. All of my mixing comes by ear and I use the channel sliders, as I did in the old day. I have had some folks who thought I had the songs premixed and could not beleive I did it myself.

Then there are the times when you get totally distracted and drop the new song in like a rotten egg :) I wish someone could explain this auto mix thing to me, I have VDJ PRO and two Numark Mixers (N4 and Mixdeck express).

Thanks Ray J.
Click to expand...
One of the best ways to start learning is to try mixing the same song on both decks. Then try mixing two different songs with the same BPM. Disco music is one of the easiest Genres to mix, so is House Music. Use your pitch control to speed up or slow down the incoming song. Mixing in between instrumental breaks is also a nice way to make transisitions. There are many Help Videos on "Beatmatching" and "Mixing" on You Tube.

As a beginner stay within 4 beats of the playing song. In other words, if the song is 116BPM, the songs best to mix with this song should have a beat between 112-120 BPM. You can also slow down or speed up the playing song to reach a mid point between two songs with different beats. Immediately after the switch, reset the new song to it's natural BPM. Practice practice practice will be what it will take until you can first do it in your head to know if it will work with the actual songs, your skill and equipment. Slip cueing is another animal whereby it will be a combination of the chosen lyrics, tempo, instrumental break and any silent passages in the songs.
Here are a couple Videos with some relevance. Hope this helps.
[video=youtube;BdNmogFVJTo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdNmogFVJTo&feature=related[/video]

[video=youtube;abaoeKcVWYY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abaoeKcVWYY&feature=related[/video]

[video=youtube;CUksGAsRMVA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUksGAsRMVA&feature=related[/video]
 
Last edited:
ittigger said:
Holy crap! You're recommending a VERY expensive 'cd recorder'!
Click to expand...
You can get the one i have for i think $400.00 new. Just remember you pay for what you get. I got mine used from GC and in very good shape. I'll spend the extra money on quality gear because of how well it will work and how long it will last. My first one lasted me over 6 years and i got my monies worth out of it. That too was a Tascam. It's about using real quality professional gear and not some knock off just to get by with.
 
MIXMASTERMACHOM said:
I suggest if you don't have one get you a cd recorder. I reccomend a Tascam cd recorder that you can use regular cd-r disc. Put your mixes on cd's and just listen to yourself. Listen to what you need to improve and what's OK.
Click to expand...

A CD recorder? What is this, 1998? Why not just dust off your VCR, plug your mixer into the "Audio In" jacks, set the recording speed at SLP and roll tape? Think of it... six glorious hours of recording time!

Or you could just record to mp3, put your mix on Soundcloud and access it anywhere. Technology is AMAZING in 2012.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 people
Mix you should be spending more time on your BUSINESS and your partner than trying to tell a newbie about gear of which you have NO idea about

your talking like in the 1990s not 2012

have a nice day
 
I am finding it harder and harder to keep my mouth shut on this thread. I suppose you could argue that its not important to YOU and how you see yourself as a "dj", but to someone like me it DEFINES being a DJ. I grew up in what most would consider "the hood", and so for me, where I come from, if you don't mix, you're just not a DJ. Period.
I know that that is a very narrow way to look at the world, but so is looking at it from the opposite end of the spectrum. Just because mixing isn't important to you, doesn't mean that is NOT important at all.
Besides, what if it IS important to your clients?

I get that most of you aren't in it for the culture, or the music, or it being your passion.... you see it as a business, not a lifestyle. And that's fine, to each his own. But this question could be "Clients... are they important?" to someone like me. I don't do many mobile gigs for a reason, thats just not the DJ that I am. Clients are not as important to me as making sure I have mastered the craft of beat mixing, scratching, blending, remixing, and producing. And a lot of you look at that and scoff.... which is sad, honestly.

This then begs the question, what makes one a DJ?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4 people
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back