I don't take ANYONE here too seriously .... including myself.
About to pull my hair out!!
- Thread starter TinyTim
- Start date
The thing I hear most often with DJs that are just learning to beat mix is jacking the phrasing way up. Knowing how long your choruses and intros are is important in making it sound smooth. Just getting the tempo right doesn't make the phrasing right.
Yup!
I couldn't find the video I wanted, but here's another. Jump right to 9 minutes in -
Counting this way helps you keep track of the beats AND the phrases at the same time.
Yes, listen, count the beats and watch the clock right? Some people check their heart rate the same way. You can do the counting for 15 seconds then multiply by 4 too.
I use the sync button but I make sure everything sounds right thru headphones. Hitting sync doesn't always work the way you want it to
I didn't use a clock just listen and count. After once or twice per song it would stick in memory pretty good
Okay, I'm convinced. I gotta get me some of this "real DJ software". I've never gotten to have ANY of this fun with winamp.
I personally wouldn't use Winamp because it's just too much work but I do believe in the KISS principle and Winamp fits the bill there. I use MixMeister which is one step above Winamp.
I guess we have to break it to our 60 or so clients a year we aren't real DJ's Rick
I personally wouldn't use Winamp because it's just too much work but I do believe in the KISS principle and Winamp fits the bill there. I use MixMeister which is one step above Winamp.
I guess we have to break it to our 60 or so clients a year we aren't real DJ's Rick
You know, I do understand the differences of a "real DJ software" and what I'm giving up. I used VDJ for about a year, and finally ditched it after getting aggravated at the number of crashes, or times I'd accidentally bump some button on the controller that caused a pumping dance song to suddenly stop. There is coming a time when I plan to upgrade to an integrated video presentation, and will have to go back to using it. For now, the simple fact is that winamp is extremely useful. I have auto-crossfading setup in it (8 second heads/tails) and when I need to bump quickly from one track to the next I also have a 1-second crossfade that smooths transitions out (and without me having to think about it). Looping is as simple as clicking the position pointer back to earlier in the track (the crossfade smooths the transition). Not as slick as other DJ software, but functional. The big issue though is reliability. Before becoming a DJ, I used it for about 3 years while I was a soloact musician, for a total of about 13 years that I've been using it. In all that time, I've never had a SINGLE case of winamp crashing on me. I've had machine crashes, but never a player crash. In fact, I've had several cases where the machine went screwy but the player still kept running, giving me time enough to transition over to the 2nd machine. In terms of player usage, I typically use a single machine (don't bounce between decks) and play mostly full-length cuts. If I were doing Sweet16s, or kid events where I need to just do 30 seconds of a cut, it wouldn't be that useful but for what I'm doing, it's highly effective.
Actually, if you want authentic DJ software, might as well toss everything, since real DJs spun 1 record at a time and then talked all over it at both ends .. that's a "real" DJ.
I can make the same argument for Mixvibes Cross DJ - dead nuts reliable - but unfortunately (like WinAmp) looks like it is turning into abandonware.
All those things you mentioned, and more, can be done with VDJ, and people without your smarts run it every day without problems. Personally, for me, I never had faith in WinAmp when it was loaded with plugins - which I had to do to alter Tempo. Altering BPM is necessary when mixing, but I also deliberately slow down a lot of the Salsa I play, without the older Latinos even aware that I'm doing it, which requires good sounding "time stretching".
There were many iterations of WinAmp, many Skins, and many Plugins. Perhaps you could walk us through exactly how you have it set up.
I still use a Numark Dual Mp3 player.
No software.
1- because I am not a master mixer
2- because simpler is usually more reliable.
Not really worth it. Most everyone here is already using "real DJ software" and wouldn't dream of going backwards to Winamp. I admit, it's on borrowed time with me as well. The video stuff is what's going to drive me back to actual DJ software. As for winamp setup, I don't fool with special skins and minimize plug-ins. I've lived without tempo shifting this long and don't really see a big need for it. The biggest keys to me that make it work is having the track-to-track crossfade. At 8 seconds it pretty much handles 90% of the transitions smoothly and without me having to think about it. The little crossfade setting for when a track stops (.5-1 seconds) also keeps me from having an abrupt change when I jump from one track to a different one (i.e. a sucky song is clearing my dance floor). I try to keep things simple and I have a regular stream of clients who sing my praises (right or wrong). I see little value in trying to wow anybody for the handful of people who ever come around to the back of my booth.
Unlike many on here DJing is not self entertainment for Rick, it’s a job and the simplest most uncomplicated way to get it done makes much more sense in that situation
I mean how are you guys matching beats? Or creating that nightclub experience for the clients demanding such. How are you layering a completely different sound over another to surprise guests out of nowhere... but more importantly, how are you keeping people dancing on beat without scratching their heads trying to get on beat or looking confused over each 8 second transition. These are the standout things that people notice. For example playing yeah and then having the get low intro over the chorus perfectly times so that as soon as one chorus stops the first verse in low starts... all while the guests experiencing a teaser of it coming in by beatmatching. The effect of beatmatching is also crucial as it prevents guests an opportunity to leave the dancefloor.
On a side note...If you were to dj a greek event where beatmatching is critical to keep the line dance going for 10-20 minutes across 10 or so tracks, especially where the tempos range anywhere from 130-142bpm, it would be impossible to... you'd force the guests dancing to pause at every transition while trying to get back on step. That is actually why the greek culture is one of the few that absolutely need a dj who not only knows the music but can beatmatch... otherwise their useless if the crowd is going to stop dancing every two seconds between tracks trying to get back on step.
On a side note...If you were to dj a greek event where beatmatching is critical to keep the line dance going for 10-20 minutes across 10 or so tracks, especially where the tempos range anywhere from 130-142bpm, it would be impossible to... you'd force the guests dancing to pause at every transition while trying to get back on step. That is actually why the greek culture is one of the few that absolutely need a dj who not only knows the music but can beatmatch... otherwise their useless if the crowd is going to stop dancing every two seconds between tracks trying to get back on step.
Not everyone wants or even likes that, so maybe we cater to a different segment.
No offense... but who "doesn't like" beatmatching? Is there someone that has straight up said they want the songs to play out till the end and then have a gap or slowly fade in the other song? In fact I have had clients on numerous occasions ask if we beatmatch or "mix the songs so the beats dont stop", but no one ever request the opposite.
Beatmatching is not even meant to be noticed... Whats more noticeable is when guests have to stop every 2-3 minutes to give the dj the look of whats happening. Granted not EVERY moment calls for beatmatching... but during the actual dancing segments, its such a powerful tool to keep the momentum and energy going without and stops.
We all aim to get better at our craft... this right here is the best thing that a dj could possibly learn skill wise... cuz in reality what other skill are we really showcasing that no one else can do.
I understand that beatmatching is popular in your area. It works the exact opposite here and yes, I've had numerous clients ask if I "keep switching songs in the middle". For my wedding clients, they're actually told me it's annoying and they don't want it. As for gap or fading issues, I think I explained how I handle that and my method does give smooth and constant transition between tracks. Not everyone has to do things exactly the same way for it to be correct.
This isn't an 8-second boundary between each song. The crossfade mechanism figures out where the fades are going to happen and blends the two tracks together using the boundary marker (8 seconds in my case) for where to start the transition.
The question I get asked the most is do you play the whole song or do you cut it off? The people I work for seem to want to hear the song not a 34 second section of the DJ's choosing. Beatmatching is a skill there is no doubt but if you learn music flow hitting the exact beat isn't as important.
Now I don't run them out and have a gap that would be horrible in my mind, although I had a 70th Birthday where they asked me to do just that a couple of years ago. Longest night of my life.
Don't assume that's a skill that no one else can do....A few Youtube videos and a little practice almost anyone could pick it up. Would they be as good as you? No not a chance. Would the average client notice? Probably not
Wasn't so much beat matching or song transitioning .. my clients like that too, it's more of the overlaying and "completely different sounds" and in most cases, the nightclub experience, that doesn't do well with my audiences (save for an occasionaly school aged crowd).
I don't do weddings for 20-somethings .. my audiences tend to be later 20s+ .. usually more plus, and like Rick, I get dirty looks when I try to end songs early.
Different crowds.