Debate over syncing vs beatmatching

Ever since I started djing 2 years ago, Ive always been digital. Went from controllers to DVS so I could play with something that felt like vinyl. Ive used sync on and off, and as people are saying, if youre pressed for time its a nice little helpful cheat.

Personally I find the interaction with a physical medium to be 100% more engaging than just syncing alone. Its like the whole process of selection to bringing the tune in is shortened to seconds rather than minutes. Its clinicalised to such a degree that its lost its soul. I see the argument that if your crowd couldnt care less, then why should you, and to be fair, a lot of new top40 stuff is throw-away music. You wouldnt wanna waste £10 on that vinyl.
But the fun you have yourself, in your bedroom, spinning some classy wax is a completely different feeling.

Recenty Ive met up with a few locals who dj solely on vinyl, I had a crack at it. I know the tunes, I know the phrasing, I know how to beatmatch. But I’ve always got my lappy off to the side or some visual cues on my controllers going off somewhere. This time I was out in the cold with only my ears.
My god thats good fun, the most engaged ive ever been on my decks. Watching people spin wax is mesmerising too.

If you have never played on vinyl, I urge you to at least try it, for the simple fact that its more fun!

My mate is one of those guys that started DJ’n using purely CDJ’s (1000 mk3s) and a DJM600 and he said he would never go digital or use sync but he uses the BPM counters on the CDJ’s.. The other week he mixed with vinyl for the first time ever and he has now sold his CDJ1000s and purchased two Technics 1210 mk2’s and a shit load of vinyl and about to invest in Traktor Scratch Pro..

So some people move forward some people move back.

Emma Partnow, post: 4564 wrote: In your Friend’s Case though He Is Moving Forward 😎

Thats my opinion also 😉

Howitzer, post: 4550 wrote: Watching people spin wax is mesmerising too.

the only people watching are djs. the party people are dancing 🙂

domski, post: 4964 wrote: Why on earth would you not want to use something that makes your life easy?
Why would anybody question a tool that enhances and improves a DJs performance

Because I don’t DJ with a computer all the time? And the times I do, the software doesn’t have a sync option? Even if it did/does, I doubt I’ll ever use it exclusively. I love doing things with my hands. I have two CD players and a controller that’s got two slightly larger wheels than the CDNs. It is the system with which I’m most comfortable and there you go. I get crunk with what I’ve got, I like the team I picked. People come talk to me to try and mess me up, and it’s fun to fix things when they start falling out and the person thinks they’ve done it. I can hold a conversation and mix while telling the person asking me for Beat King that I can have “Crush” on in however many songs. If I’m trying to show off, I can do it while I’m talking to the person and they may not realize it until they’re leaving or trying to make a rapport to get their request faster. Or perhaps they’re actually just talking to me, that happens sometimes, too. My CDNs have a sync now button I haven’t used in years. Listening to some of the music I recorded when I relied on it almost exclusively, I can hear where it falls out and I remember being so frustrated with it.

I never thought to do it by hand until I was on players with out it, and learning how to do it myself means I never have to rely on a computer. I am happy to abuse pitchlock technologies and BPM counters when they’re there. The computers we have use Cue (so a slightly nerfed Virtual DJ) and it’s got sync, but it’s not always right. I tap out the beat and sometimes it doesn’t sync right. If you give me the option of fixing an error like that with one mouse responsible for two decks versus having two things I can control a lot easier on the fly? I will always choose the latter. I love using the computer rigs for a litany of reasons, but that right there is the reason that counts to me.

The bottom line is this:

Are they dancing?

MP3, WAV, AIFF, vinyl, acetate, DAT[COLOR=#000000], shellac disc, wax cylinder. sync’ed, unsynced.[/COLOR]

it really, really doesn’t matter.

[COLOR=#000000]Because they don’t care. they just want to release the tension from their 9 to 5…[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#000000]So just do your job and entertain and excite the people with drama, energy and fun.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#000000]Peace.[/COLOR]

I agree with that mostly. Definitely as far as file format – I’ve used mp3s of apparently dodgy quality according to the internet, but that issue doesn’t come up in a room full of people throwing down as long as you don’t get music that sounds egregiously on computer speakers. But the question I ask myself always is, “Are they enjoying themselves?” Hopefully, yes they are dancing. Sometimes I’m background noise. I get paid to do what I do at my house when people are around and I get bored. Start playing music that hopefully they like, gauge response and context, and change on the fly.

Last night, I worked a class reunion and there wasn’t a lot of dancing. But I was also there playing music while they ate dinner, drank and shot the breeze for 2 and a half hours. They had the 20 year awards, we had a gag Mr. and Mrs. Class of 91 dance that was pretty hilarious. Nobody really wanted to dance, though. Some girls asked for the Cupid Shuffle, which I obliged and got about a dozen out of a hundred. Tried the Electric Slide since that would’ve been huge while they were in college, but no dice. One requested two-step country song got a few couples slow-dancing. The women who paid me wanted to dance, so I threw on “Push It” – which they loved but nobody really felt like dancing. It was pretty funny, though and the people who didn’t hit the floor thought so as well. Mrs. 91 came by with his wife after I’d turned off and said that nobody danced at the 10 year either.

I got paid well over what I charged because they enjoyed themselves. My job’s pretty freaking sweet.

Why even use the sync button when the BPM is indicated for you?

Mixing is so easy these days, with the BPM counter visible whether you’re on CD decks or digital (not using vinyl). Even when you’re tired, you can get a decent mix together by knowing the BPM of tracks.

For all those DJs that rely on sync too much, try this:

– Set your incoming track BPM at the same speed as the current track
– Create a 2 or 4 bar loop, cueing on the kick drum beat of your choice
– Check that both of the tracks sync in your headphones! Some tracks vary in speed, sometimes digital software is slightly off. Syncing can do nothing to help you here. If you don’t agree, then try mixing Lil Louis “French Kiss”.
– If there is a slight mismatch, address it by either speeding up or slowing down your incoming track, or using the jog wheel to address the beat that is slightly off.
– Bring in that mix!

This way, you’ll eventually train your ears to at least beat match basically. You may not learn to be Elaaskins, but you’ll be better off than before.

Relying on the sync and not knowing how to correct anything in the middle of a mix is suicide. You have every chance of looking like a clown when it fails you in the middle of a prog house long transitional mix.

For those DJs who use the sync BUT know how to beat match and sync manually using jog wheels, this doesn’t apply.

But for those who need sync buttons to mix, you really need to at least master some manual beat matching.

If you DON’T know how to fix a bad sync within 2 or 3 seconds, you’re in trouble. End.

Unless you beatgrid all your music, of course…

Nway i still don’t get why this topic is still going on….just use what you like/more comfortable with…