Two new things I have learned/still experimenting with! Newbie success log, comments please!

This topic has 8 replies, 1 voice, and was last updated 13 years ago by Dayvue.

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September 23, 2013 at 4:11 pm #44517

DJ Elroy
Member

I’m an old school DJ and learned to mix using my ears and have ever since, but it’s interesting to hear from somebody that learned by watching a screen before learning to beatmatch by ear. I’d say as a DJ it’s more fun to mix by ear, and as somebody in the crowd I’d rather not see the DJ in the booth staring at a screen.
Yes, I use my channel faders to mix together songs and the crossfader for any quick cuts or scratches. Seems to get a smoother mix that way.

September 24, 2013 at 12:06 am #44527

Daryl Northrop
Participant

These are both great things you have learned. When I started using serato via my twitch controller, I too was “mixing with my eyes” and it was always a couple of beats off, requiring more manual correction (I don’t use the sync function). Mixing with your ears, at least when dropping in the new track, is the way to go. For very tiny corrections, I will reference the waveform display, but that’s it.

As far as using the volume on the channels for mixing (with the fader left in the center), I am torn about this. I’d like to try it, but what I find stopping me is that I often adjust the bass on the incoming and/or outgoing track, thus nothing having enough hands to control two volume levels and at least one bass EQ knob. So, I stick to mixing with the fader. Works for me. But if volume mixing works for you, then more power to you!

September 24, 2013 at 12:16 am #44529

JPtheGeezer
Participant

Great post, I’m with Daryl on using the cross fader. I like to cut the bass on the outgoing track and rip the bass up on the incoming track, I like that bug boom effect it causes and gives the audience notice that a new track is coming.

September 24, 2013 at 4:47 am #44531

DJ Vintage
Moderator

What? You mean you can’t do 4 things at once with only two hands, Daryl? Tss tss tss ROFLMAO

September 24, 2013 at 7:29 am #44543

Terry_42
Keymaster

I agree to both points.
I rarely look at the screen, with 2 exceptions:
– Loading songs
– Scratching (as I have no stickers on a vinyl I need the waveform as a reference when using a controller)
Also sometimes selecting samples or making F/X adjustments.

I also use the crossfade 90% of the time only for scratching.

Darryl: You just need to practice. It is totally doable to adjust 4-10 things at once with 2 hands… (it gets better with practice) and since music has a flow, you will get it that for some things timing is very important and for other things timing can be slightly off (aka do that in the 20ms you do not need to move the fader) and they will still work. The key is to not be hasty but still do it fast…

September 24, 2013 at 7:31 am #44545

Branden
Participant

JPtheGeezer, post: 44686, member: 8081 wrote: Great post, I’m with Daryl on using the cross fader. I like to cut the bass on the outgoing track and rip the bass up on the incoming track, I like that bug boom effect it causes and gives the audience notice that a new track is coming.

Elaborate, please. Do you have a tutorial video or article?

September 24, 2013 at 2:35 pm #44567

DJ Elroy
Member

Yep, it’s possible to work the up-faders and EQ at the same time, but as Terry42 says, it takes practice. Back in the day we also had to “ride the pitch”, pinch the spindle, etc at the same time. Everybody had their own system to maximize the 2-hands-10-tasks problem and fine tune transitions in the mix.

Just go with whatever works best for you, but don’t be afraid to step outside the box and try new things while you’re practicing at home.

September 24, 2013 at 7:12 pm #44578

Dayvue
Member

The best way I can describe the way to do multiple things at once (e.g. adjusting two bass eqs and the volume faders) is “feathering.” You make small changes very quickly to one control surface, the change another. Then move back to what you were doing. So you could remove a *little* bass on Deck A with your L hand while your R hand moves up the volume slider on Deck B. Then add a little bass to Deck B while moving down the volume fader for Deck A. The key is to do this decisively and delicately, in small bits at a time.
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