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adit, post: 20991, member: 2099 wrote: 1. I just move the slider with feeling to beatmatch. So it’s a trial and error process. Sometimes I don’t know which track is going faster so I just slide it up and down and hope for the best. So, is there any good tips of how to do this? I’ve browsed some articles and Youtube vids but they all seem vague. I want something concrete.

It feels a lot like trial and error, but the more you do it, the easier it gets. Eventually you just get instinctual on it all.

That’s the best way I can say it. I started by trying to just get 32 beats held, then 64, 128, etc…now I go for 1-2 minutes and can get things ready to match in 10 seconds or less.

The nudging and such is mostly about adjustment. So you have them both at 130 BPM, and you know it’s right, but things sound off…you nudge to get the kick drums on the right spots.

adit, post: 20991, member: 2099 wrote: 2. OK, let’s say I’m finally able to make 2 tracks rather in sync. When I’m at this stage, I usually cheat and look at the monitor to do some beatgridding with the jog wheel (the BPM of the two tracks are still different but only a bit, is this okay?). My question is, how do you do this without looking at the beatgrid? How should I know whether to nudge the wheel clockwise or counter-clockwise, or if I have to nudge it at all?

Why is it cheating? You have the tools, use them.

I only say not to fully trust the visuals, as they will lie sometimes. However, I don’t see an issue with using the visuals. Don’t let “purists” and old farts tell you how to “keep it real”. Their thinking is obsolete…and mind you I came from that time.

adit, post: 20991, member: 2099 wrote: 3. When monitoring a track with headphones, do I have to start it at a beginning of a phrase the master track, or can I just start randomly?

I would phrase match when you’re figuring it out. You might decide this tune doesn’t work for you and thus look for another.

There’s two guides on here to read:

http://www.digitaldjtips.com/2011/09/how-to-promote-events-throw-your-own-parties-part-1/

http://www.digitaldjtips.com/2011/03/how-to-succeed-at-djing-part-1-what-type-of-dj-do-you-want-to-be/

Part of what you have to do is have something the people want. If you’re the dubstep/underground guy who is in a town that only wants mainstream music, then you need to either think of a way to trick that crowd into broadening their musical horizons, or think bigger and draw out all the other underground folk.

I think most of the issue facing DJs who want more people to come out is they either have a sound/product no one wants, or the events being thrown do not appeal to everyone. If your area is full of fashion people who wants elegant bottle service see-and-be-seen events…then pushing a dark basement pounding beats night won’t get them out.

Look at those guides, think “marketing” and less “DJ” and then build an event/product people will never get enough of.

Good luck ADHDJ!

I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, but you might moan over the load to lug to gigs. 😉

I mainly push guys to go Midi when they don’t have the cash for the bigger gear and they want to remain more portable.

I might have sold off my CDJs years ago, but I will never regret getting them or using them. They’re wonderful pieces of gear.

I think as long as he’s not going to wreck your gear, just go have fun with it.

This whole thing sounds like a “favor” or “freebie” for a friend…so don’t take it so seriously. Have some fun, use the time when the other is one to get a few drinks, some food, etc.

I’ll quote part of a blog entry I wrote…

http://www.d-jam.com/thoughts/2012/04/01/the-great-debate-sync

BUT…you should still know how to manually beatmatch

Surprise! You didn’t think this would be a 100% support of the sync. Oh no. Forget what others tell you on “cheating” and such. As a DJ you should still know how to manually beatmatch songs simply because sync isn’t fullproof and perfect.

Remember that one night I mentioned where I first used sync? That very night I had sync fail on me a few times. One problem is that in Torq, you can set up a BPM range when it scans tunes. For me, I had mine at 60-160 BPM. I pulled out some tunes and saw their BPM read as 63.0 or 62.5…and these were house tunes. What happened was the scan ended up putting the beat grid on every other beat, so when I tried sync, the song came in very fast.

When I made those mixes I posted using sync, I often times had at least one blend I had to do manually, and often times I had to recalibrate the beat grids. So I mix in, and at some point I stop the tune, recalibrate, mix it out into the next tune, and then had to piece all these recorded parts together in Sound Forge.

The big problem is that sync will mathematically determine the beat. So it’ll scan the tune, see the usual pattern, and then lay the grid on it based on the first 1/4 of the song. What if the tempo slows down during the tune, and then speeds back up? What if the producer puts an extra four beats as a lead-in to get out of the breakdown? These factors will make sync fail for a DJ who relies on it.

I remember back in that gig at SubClub in Slovakia, I was put in front of a laptop with Virtual DJ on it. No decks, no controller. So I was on my own to make it work. Like I did in that other gig, I used the sync, but I do remember when I tried to mix in French Kiss by Lil Louis, it wouldn’t work…so I just went manually and made it work using the pitch bend controls. Even the slowing down of the song through its infamous sexual breakdown will mess up the beatgrid, thus you have to go manual to mix out of the tune when it speeds back up.

As a DJ, you have to make it happen. You can’t just decide to not play certain tracks or allow bad blends because you’re unwilling to be able to handle any situation. What if your dog knocks over a beer on your laptop at home? You can’t just call the promoter and tell him you can’t play. You have to make it work, even if it means showing up with a book of CDs and using the club’s equipment. If you want to be seen as a professional, then you can’t have excuses, or else you won’t get booked again.

I think if scratching is needed, then invest the money on whatever controller Phil says is ideal for it.

For me, I like jogwheels simply because it’s what I’m used to.

When I had my own office, I kept an X-Session Pro in my desk and would work on new mixes when I had down time. Unfortunately when they moved us into cubes I stopped doing that (since I have no privacy now).

I’ll still listen to tunes and find new stuff, but I’ll be honest it’s hard to find time to DJ for me with work, household responsibilities, and family/friends stuff always popping up.