Debate over syncing vs beatmatching

I don’t see sync as the ‘greatest evil of our lives’

My big problem with many DJs who constantly come down on sync and claim they beatmatch everything with vinyl is these guys tend to think beatmatching is everything. That somehow programming and creative blending isn’t as important as manually matching up bass kick drums with pitch controls.

I started off the manual way….because I had no choice. Sync didn’t really come into play until DVS. I will say though for the longest time practically all the mixes put on radio and even legal mix CDs were done in DAWs like ProTools. DJs or even producers who aren’t DJs would simply warp the tracks to blend together. I’ve even seen of many big compilations that were not produced by the DJ on the cover, but more or less the DJ picked out some of the tunes and studio engineers made the actual final product. The DJ’s name was merely for marketing.

Nowadays I find myself using sync more than I used to. I guess to me it’s a meaningless point. In every mix I used sync I did have to turn it off at some points and go manual, because the sync wasn’t working well for that track. I don’t see it as “selling out” or “cheating”, because I could easily pack a crate of old vinyl and go on 1200s with ease. I just like the convenience because I can make mixes solid in a very quick manner and even think about what else I could do.

Beatmatchng was a necessary, but my ProTools in the past example more or less told me if sync somehow existed back in 1988, many of the pioneers of the past would have probably used it.

I won’t knock a total newblood who can make solid and creative mixes on his computer using sync. I’ll knock him if he gets paid a lot to get in front of a crowd, and he can’t perform when sync fails him. It’s been stated in many articles on how DJs should know how to do it manually, but I honestly never judge a mix by anything more than how it sounds to my ears. Programming, energy levels, sound quality, and balance are what matter to me. I don’t care if the guy used sync or did it all manually.

I hate even more when headliners come on and don’t even blend anything. I’d rather see them sync than play like it’s a cheeseball compilation or the radio.

D-Jam, post: 2641 wrote: I don’t see sync as the ‘greatest evil of our lives’

My big problem with many DJs who constantly come down on sync and claim they beatmatch everything with vinyl is these guys tend to think beatmatching is everything. That somehow programming and creative blending isn’t as important as manually matching up bass kick drums with pitch controls.

I started off the manual way….because I had no choice. Sync didn’t really come into play until DVS. I will say though for the longest time practically all the mixes put on radio and even legal mix CDs were done in DAWs like ProTools. DJs or even producers who aren’t DJs would simply warp the tracks to blend together. I’ve even seen of many big compilations that were not produced by the DJ on the cover, but more or less the DJ picked out some of the tunes and studio engineers made the actual final product. The DJ’s name was merely for marketing.

Nowadays I find myself using sync more than I used to. I guess to me it’s a meaningless point. In every mix I used sync I did have to turn it off at some points and go manual, because the sync wasn’t working well for that track. I don’t see it as “selling out” or “cheating”, because I could easily pack a crate of old vinyl and go on 1200s with ease. I just like the convenience because I can make mixes solid in a very quick manner and even think about what else I could do.

Beatmatchng was a necessary, but my ProTools in the past example more or less told me if sync somehow existed back in 1988, many of the pioneers of the past would have probably used it.

I won’t knock a total newblood who can make solid and creative mixes on his computer using sync. I’ll knock him if he gets paid a lot to get in front of a crowd, and he can’t perform when sync fails him. It’s been stated in many articles on how DJs should know how to do it manually, but I honestly never judge a mix by anything more than how it sounds to my ears. Programming, energy levels, sound quality, and balance are what matter to me. I don’t care if the guy used sync or did it all manually.

I hate even more when headliners come on and don’t even blend anything. I’d rather see them sync than play like it’s a cheeseball compilation or the radio.

This is Brilliant and Honest Information my Friend; and has Helped Me Today Think More Openly :cool:;
And I would like to Apologise for my ‘On-Sided View’ earlier in this Thread;
You have Helped Me Remember the Days when I Did Use Pitch Control on my CDDJ’s; and those were Good Days;
The Skill Involved (in Such a Limited Time) to get the Tracks Perfectly Matched was Really Enjoyable 🙂
But; I seem to be saying the Opposite of what I was going to say :confused:;
I have Used the Sync Button in VDJ; Deckadance; and Traktor; but I do remember ‘Relying On This Button’; to such a Degree that if the Software Didn’t Sync the Tracks Perfectly I would just try a Different Track;
When I read ‘Danny Rampling’s DJ Book’ and he said ‘We Must Learn To Beatmatch; it ‘Frightened Me To Death’; but I didn’t actually realise that I was and had been Beatmatching anyway;
In Ableton the Only Warping I do is just to put One Warp Marker at the Beginning of the Track; and then if the Track starts to Drift Out; I just Make It Fit (and it is So Automatic I can’t even Remember How I Do It);
I am Amazed when you say that Big Names have been Known Not to Actually Mix the CD’s they Release under their Own Name; but Owning probably 70 of these it is Strange that some of these are Really Bad; and so those Must be the ones who are Actually Mixed by Studio Engineers;
Anyway; I have Confused Myself but wanted to say something 🙂

If you can rock a party using CDJs, TTs, Winamp, wet dogs or two sticks banging together, I don’t give a damn if you use sync, no matter why. That’s basically my philosophy: if you can hold your own on all the other gear, it’s all good.

(I use sync sometimes.. when it’s the only way to get the effect I need, when I am tired and my concentration is shot and such..)

Emma Partnow, post: 2656 wrote: but I do remember ‘Relying On This Button’; to such a Degree that if the Software Didn’t Sync the Tracks Perfectly I would just try a Different Track;

Well, that would be a big reason to push to learn manual beatmatching.

The ideal world is you don’t look for a different track, you just turn off the sync and do it manually.

What I dislike are when DJs believe that you shouldn’t use sync. Come on…if it’s so bad, then why are practically ALL the software titles not only putting it in, but constantly investing hardcore to perfect it?

Serato I guess is the only one not touching it…except on ITCH. I personally think Traktor is going to keep rising to a degree that Serato will have to think less “keepin it real” and modernize.

I remember how such question used to intimidate me: “If you can’t beatmatch manually, then you’re not a DJ”. When I first started I tried so hard to learn it on VDJ using mouse and then later Hercules MK2. It was impossible for me at that time. I thought maybe I need an actual pitch slider. So about a year later after using VCI 300 and ITCH, I tried again following what Ellaskins shows in his youtube video. It didn’t take me too long to learn how to beatmatch manually. I guess somehow these ears got used to differentiate the two sounds after all these mixing activities for awhile.

Now I still use Sync Button a lot to get the right bpm (I don’t use beatgrids in ITCH). And when the Bpm readout is wrong, then I’ll do it manually. And this happen quite often since I’m mixing 80s and early 90s.

The way I see it, I think some people just make such a big deal about this “Manual Beatmatching” thing. There are so many other things to be learned if you want to produce great mixes.

I personally care more about the sounds that comes out from the speakers. But until the softwares can ensure 100% correct BPM readout, manual beatmatching still need to be learned.

I was taught by a old school dj whom showed me how to beatmatch by the ear, which I stay clear away from the sync button.I avoid using the sync button which to me it takes out the fun of beatmatching by ear.And sometimes the sync button doesnt properly match the bpm