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Headphone Cue Question

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  • January 4, 2014 at 10:34 am #1023626
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    There is, imho, no “proper” way. Most DJ’s prefer to not totally shut the outside world out, which is what you do when you do the split cue – as it is called – thing with both headphone cups on. So, they use a booth speaker (which I only turn up when cueing and during actual transition, but that’s just me) and cue on one ear from the headphones. Sometimes (for example no booth and PA speakers to far away) you have to do split cue of course.

    So, primarily a matter of taste, although i do find the argument of always being able to hear what goes on on the dance floor very valid.

    Hope that helps and greetinx.

    January 5, 2014 at 5:51 pm #1023863
    Branden
    Participant

    I only use headphones really if I’m preparing a song that I am unsure whether or not it will mix in well with the currently playing track. Booth speakers are a huge help. Honestly, I hardly use my headphones. Again, I use them mainly for preparing a song I’m not sure whether or not it will mix in well, or blocking out annoying requesters.

    January 5, 2014 at 6:47 pm #1023875
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    Uhm … how do you cue up a track, beatmatch it?

    I can’t imagine playing without my cans, ever.

    Greetinx.

    January 5, 2014 at 9:30 pm #1023905
    Michael Hughes
    Participant

    Thanks for your responses. I tried it different ways again, to see which I would prefer, and came to a conclusion for me at this point anyways.

    Seems, just using 1 ear while listening to the main music in the room is better to beatmatch, then split cue as you don’t get the full effect somehow having both coming separate while split cueing.

    Likewise, it’s easier to tell if the songs mesh really well when having both channels coming through your headphones and wearing them completely. So figure at this point I will just use 1 ear method when beatmatching manually or letting a track run. Putting on the headphones completely while mixing tracks on top of each other to make sure nothing is clashing before bringing it in.

    January 5, 2014 at 10:46 pm #1023916
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    Yep, to each his/her own. I don’t like mixed cue headphone mixing and only do it when there is no other option. But I usually carry my very compact, yet powerful booth monitor with me (one is all I need) to prevent from getting in that situation.

    I agree that when the room speakers are not really close to you and especially when facing away, it’s hard to do a good beatmatch as the sound from the speakers will have a slight delay in reaching your ears, so your mix will be off.

    Greetinx.

    January 7, 2014 at 9:43 am #1024177
    Terry_42
    Keymaster

    This is one of the rare occasions where I do it exactly as Chuck does 😉

     

    January 31, 2014 at 12:01 am #1027645
    Isaiah Furrow
    Participant

    Hello,

    I am still fairly new to this, and for now I have found that using headphones is working OK for me,  I mix the main out with the cue, keeping the main output just loud enough to be able to hear what the crowd does, and then the cue cuts over it so I can beatmatch and get the song ready to bring in, or preview some songs to pick what’s next, etc….  I’m hearing the same thing in both ears and sometimes use one side of the headphones, sometimes both….   I have yet to try booth monitors, so can’t give any input there.  Hope this is at least slightly helpful, but thank you for posting, because reading this thread has helped me get to thinking about a few things.  Keep shining,   Moonshadow

    February 1, 2014 at 6:37 pm #1027800
    mauritsrotte@gmail.com
    Participant

    Uhm … how do you cue up a track, beatmatch it?

    Come on Vintage you know the answer :p

     

    February 1, 2014 at 7:41 pm #1027803
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    Huh? What’s the question again?

    February 1, 2014 at 8:44 pm #1027807
    mauritsrotte@gmail.com
    Participant

    The question of how to beatmatch a track without headphone. With the sync button off course, although technically it’s not beatmatching then 😀

    February 1, 2014 at 9:36 pm #1027811
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    Ya think? Well, I guess if the beats match (whatever you did to get them matched) it’s beatmatching 😀

    February 2, 2014 at 10:48 am #1027869
    Terry_42
    Keymaster

    Actually Chuck this is why beatmatching with sync buttons fails.

    If the beats match (aka the BPM are the same) then it is actually not yet beatmatched.

    Many times I see sync button users then sync the 3rd bar of the second song to the 2nd bar of the first or something like that -> beats sync, nevertheless train wreck…

    That is why the sync button without knowledge of real beatmatching is worthless.

    February 2, 2014 at 3:18 pm #1027898
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    Ok, forgive me all for not being specific enough. Let me rephrase as it was supposed to come out:

    If the beats match (at least at the first down beat of a 4-beat word, but preferably at the 1st downbeat of a 16-beat phrase) then it’s beatmatching …

    So, YES everybody! You NEED to count your music. It’s so automatic for those of us that have done it for a while, that you just forget to mention it in a forum post 🙂

    Greetinx.

    February 2, 2014 at 5:55 pm #1027913
    Dizzle
    Participant

    I like using both cups of the headphones for beatmatching… you get the least amount of delay from your signal chain. Once the tracks are beatmatched though, it’s more advisable to only use one ear cup so that you can hear what the new track sounds like mixing into the old one over the booth monitor (and to a lesser extent the floor PA. The blending of the 2 tracks together in you cans will undoubtedly sound different to what the monitor and PA sound like.

    February 2, 2014 at 8:24 pm #1027930
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    I find that the amount of delay doesn’t vary much from headphone or from booth. PA is a different story indeed. And I will always make the transition with one ear to the booth, the other with a can on. That way I have best of both worlds. The actual mix on the booth speaker and the incoming track in my ear.

    It’s highly personal though. No best way or wrong way, imho. As long as it works for you.

    Greetinx.

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