Droppin da tune - Digital DJ Tips

This topic has 10 replies, 1 voice, and was last updated 13 years, 2 months ago by Dizzle.

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January 20, 2013 at 2:19 pm #35369

DJ Johnny Fantastic
Member

I do both. If I am manually beatmatching, I start it low because the competing beats will sound horrible if I don’t hit it perfectly and with a midi controller, there is always a small delay from when you hit the button and when the track starts. Even a fraction of a second makes a difference. If I’m using the sync button OR the beat I am dropping doesn’t have a drum (think synth/singing intro), then I’ll start it around 3/4 volume. I do this especially when endzone mixing because you can usually barely notice that the sounds are even changing.

January 20, 2013 at 3:36 pm #35370

aaron altar
Participant

I usually drop at 1/2 volume but I make sure the tracks are synced in the headphones first.

January 20, 2013 at 5:53 pm #35372

JBrown
Member

I also tend to turn the low frequencies down before I start an incoming track, and bring those up gradually as well. Same principle. Having a heavier or more present kick or bass line suddenly is more noticeable than a new vocal or synth or hi-hat line, it seems like people are more sensitive to those bass frequencies.

January 23, 2013 at 7:51 pm #35546

djatome
Participant

JBrown, post: 35528, member: 4279 wrote: it seems like people are more sensitive to those bass frequencies.

Moreover, those basslines from two different tracks even clash together making your mix sound muddy.
I always filter out most of the bass of the track that I’m going to drop, bringing it up gradually during the mix.

January 24, 2013 at 12:46 am #35558

adit
Participant

djatome, post: 35702, member: 4145 wrote: Moreover, those basslines from two different tracks even clash together making your mix sound muddy.
I always filter out most of the bass of the track that I’m going to drop, bringing it up gradually during the mix.

so you use filter to reduce bass instead of the low eq?

January 24, 2013 at 9:07 am #35584

djatome
Participant

I said filter but I use the EQ knobs. Hardly use the filters since they sound too polished to me

January 24, 2013 at 2:44 pm #35606

Michael Lawrence
Participant

IT depends on the tracks I’m mixing too. If they are more melodic or liek a deep house kind of track I like to bring the volume in low as I feel like the tracks are telling me to do so. Mostly use the EQ as I agree with DJatome that there filter sounds to clean. I dont use it that much either to be honest.

January 25, 2013 at 8:53 am #35673

Dizzle
Participant

It depends on the songs IMO. Sometimes you want to introduce a certain aspect of the new tune first. I suggest using the EQ’s to help with bringing in a new tune. Use whatever volume sounds right on the rig you’re using, people come out to hear the tunes you chose and enjoy the way you mix the sounds together, do what sounds right to you. Try to tune your monitor during sound check or get a feel for what the dancefloor sounds like compared to the monitor. It definitely sounds different behind the stage than on the floor.

January 28, 2013 at 1:04 am #35810

adit
Participant

I always drop a tune on the start of a breakdown or the first beat after the breakdown or at the start of a new “part”. I can’t judge for myself, but do you think it sounds boring? I find it difficult to drop a tune in the middle of a part.

January 28, 2013 at 2:00 am #35812

Dizzle
Participant

Definitely better to mix at the end of a phrase, which in EDm is usually 8 or 16 bars. I mix a lot of hip hop and it’s definitely a no no to mix the tracks in the middle of a verse. You can get some interesting layering going on if you start mixing in the build up of a new track into the “drop” of the currently playing song, but it sounds best to switch from one to the other at the end of a phrase.
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