hello everyone, just got my first ever pair of decks at the weekend and am having difficulty getting use to them. I know how to cue it up, know the 0.7,1.4, 2.1 BPM etc to correct the speed, but am having difficulty matching the speeds of the two tracks. Would be grateful for any tips that could help me in anyway, not just the speed, anything that could help me improve, thanks in advance!
Just got my first CDJ's
- Thread starter Joe
- Start date
Skenkl
Member
The secret is practice my friend!! You can't expect to have some decks for a few days and be able to mix tunes well. Its taken me a few months to get happy with the standard of my mixing, but still learn something everytime I get on the decks.
Try listening to the tune your trying to mix in in one can of the headphones, while listening to the tune in the speakers with the other ear. Tap the th rhythm of the tune in the speakers with your foot, then tap the rhythm opf the tune in the cans, and you should get an idea wether the tune your mixing in needs to be speeded up or slowed down, use pitch fader and jog wheel.
When you've got it nearly there. then listen to the two tunes in the headphones, and make the necessary adjustments.
Hope that helps dude, but you'll work your own way out of doing it i'm sure!!
Have fun!!
Try listening to the tune your trying to mix in in one can of the headphones, while listening to the tune in the speakers with the other ear. Tap the th rhythm of the tune in the speakers with your foot, then tap the rhythm opf the tune in the cans, and you should get an idea wether the tune your mixing in needs to be speeded up or slowed down, use pitch fader and jog wheel.
When you've got it nearly there. then listen to the two tunes in the headphones, and make the necessary adjustments.
Hope that helps dude, but you'll work your own way out of doing it i'm sure!!
Have fun!!
goa_kev
Forum Member
Try mixing 2 of your favourite tunes that u know really well. Or try mixing 2 of the same tune, then when it sounds like 1 tune is playing, u know they're mixed perfectly.
(and dont rely on the 0.7 trick or beat counters, rely on your ears)
(and dont rely on the 0.7 trick or beat counters, rely on your ears)
i got my decks a few months ago now so can still remember the frustration of starting out!
i reckon dont start mixing psytrance cos its not the easiest to mix. any kinda hard trance/house that has lead in and lead out sections that make mixing easier are good. you can then concentrate on lining up the beats without all this other noise going on. get two copies of the same cd and mix the same tune in and out to start with then try different tunes with the same bpm then different tunes with different bpms... then random tunes where you dont know the bpms..
to beatmatch i get the cue point set. hit play on the beat. use to jog wheel to get the beats lined up. then when the beat start to drift ill speed up or slow down the tune until they are lined up again. if i had to speed up to line them up again i increase the pitch of the tune a bit if i had to slow down i decrease..
record your mixes so you can listen properly after mixing to hear if it worked. play to as many mates as possible, its a good feeling when they share your excitement of a mix well done!
it takes a lot of practice..
enjoy! :smoke:
i reckon dont start mixing psytrance cos its not the easiest to mix. any kinda hard trance/house that has lead in and lead out sections that make mixing easier are good. you can then concentrate on lining up the beats without all this other noise going on. get two copies of the same cd and mix the same tune in and out to start with then try different tunes with the same bpm then different tunes with different bpms... then random tunes where you dont know the bpms..
to beatmatch i get the cue point set. hit play on the beat. use to jog wheel to get the beats lined up. then when the beat start to drift ill speed up or slow down the tune until they are lined up again. if i had to speed up to line them up again i increase the pitch of the tune a bit if i had to slow down i decrease..
record your mixes so you can listen properly after mixing to hear if it worked. play to as many mates as possible, its a good feeling when they share your excitement of a mix well done!
it takes a lot of practice..
enjoy! :smoke:
Monkey Do
#1 Internet Toughguy
Can't believe nobody mentioned measures yet
Hi all, thanks for the tips. I am getting to grips with beatmatching now but am having difficulty lining up the breaks in the right place, what do you do if one breaks while the other is quiet, i know obvviously that they have to be lined up more but any tips? I am also relying on the bpm's too much and don't want to, can anyone give me tips on how to differentiate between which ones going faster or slower, i'm finding it very hard to tell the difference. Sorry if i'm asking silly question but i'm still a little in the dark.....
Tell me more......... :unsure:
Tell me more......... :unsure:
Trilobyte_simon
Junior Members
How's it going Joe?
I'm still finding it hard going ...
Even harder is finding the time ...
Have you tried recording it? Helps alot.
:partysmi: Good Luck - Enjoy :partysmi:
I'm still finding it hard going ...
Even harder is finding the time ...
Have you tried recording it? Helps alot.
:partysmi: Good Luck - Enjoy :partysmi:
goa_kev
Forum Member
How do u mean breaks? If u mean when the tune goes into a breakdown and beatless then its just a case of knowing the tune i think. For example if you've got 2 tunes running together and u know one is gonna break in a bars time, then if u want to keep the momentum goin u can up the mid and bass on the other tune so the break isnt really heard. Or if u want the break to stand out then lower the mid and bass on the other tune.
With regards to hearing which ones going faster or slower, then it really is a case of practice im afraid! Force yourself to turn the bpms off, or put tape over the ones that cant be turned off and have a long mix up without them. Its the only way u'll train your ears im afraid.
Hope that helps, I always think I explain things in a confusing way so sorry if I have.
[/QUOTE]Monkey Do Posted on Jan 21 2004, 01:40 PM
Can't believe nobody mentioned measures yet
With regards to hearing which ones going faster or slower, then it really is a case of practice im afraid! Force yourself to turn the bpms off, or put tape over the ones that cant be turned off and have a long mix up without them. Its the only way u'll train your ears im afraid.
Hope that helps, I always think I explain things in a confusing way so sorry if I have.
[/QUOTE]Monkey Do Posted on Jan 21 2004, 01:40 PM
Can't believe nobody mentioned measures yet
Thanks alot for that Kev, yeah think its just a case of me knowing my tunes better, sort of tried the turning down of the Bass/mid etc already so need to perfect that a bit. With regards to the speeds, your right, practice is needed, however knowing the bpm has helped me to get started, now i'm getting the hang of it i'm gonna try not look to at the bpm's in the cd case.
Hiya Simon, another dj in the making eh? I'm still finding it hard but i've only had em for a month or so, so i can't expect miracles. Your right about time tho, theres never enough of it! My mate suggested recording a mix too, much easier to see where your going wrong so will have to do that over the weekend, not long now......roll on 5.30!! Hope you are progressing well with your learning dude, chat soon. Take care :sun:
Hiya Simon, another dj in the making eh? I'm still finding it hard but i've only had em for a month or so, so i can't expect miracles. Your right about time tho, theres never enough of it! My mate suggested recording a mix too, much easier to see where your going wrong so will have to do that over the weekend, not long now......roll on 5.30!! Hope you are progressing well with your learning dude, chat soon. Take care :sun:
forgotten
..::mUnTsvillE::..
hey this is all sound advise but as pointed out already its just practice and lots of it..
i totally agree with spudblud i first found it a complete nightmare trying to mix psy soo i started with cheesey trance, its easyer due to there being less breaks. (normally only one)
hey skenkl how is the mixing going?? i still have to come round yours for a mix and to say hey to douuggy boy
rob
i totally agree with spudblud i first found it a complete nightmare trying to mix psy soo i started with cheesey trance, its easyer due to there being less breaks. (normally only one)
hey skenkl how is the mixing going?? i still have to come round yours for a mix and to say hey to douuggy boy
rob
Barclay (Dark Angel)
Ninja Hippy
</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (SpudBlud @ Jan 21 2004, 12:08 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> i reckon dont start mixing psytrance cos its not the easiest to mix. [/quote:62d3434f10]
I started trying to mix using Psy-Trance. Why? 'Cos I love it, and I knew I wouldn't get bored. But it's what works for you, and everyone's different.
As for beat mixing, I'm still learning, and probably always will be. You do get people who pick it up very quickly, within months, but don't be surprised if it takes you a lot longer, and don't be discouraged.
One way is - get 2 copies of the same track, zero the pitch control, and start getting the feel of them in time with each other. Even with the control zero'd, they will still drift out of time (just 'cos it's pretty much impossible to get exactly on zero). After a while, once you're used to that, deliberately put one way out, and try getting it back in again. Then start mucking about with the pitch controls.
*Don't* rely on beat counters. At best they're a guide - and that's all. No matter how good they are, they're hopeless for accurate beat mixing.
Most important of all, have something nearby that you can kick hell out of. I guarantee you'll want to. :lol1:
Hugs,
Barclay
I started trying to mix using Psy-Trance. Why? 'Cos I love it, and I knew I wouldn't get bored. But it's what works for you, and everyone's different.
As for beat mixing, I'm still learning, and probably always will be. You do get people who pick it up very quickly, within months, but don't be surprised if it takes you a lot longer, and don't be discouraged.
One way is - get 2 copies of the same track, zero the pitch control, and start getting the feel of them in time with each other. Even with the control zero'd, they will still drift out of time (just 'cos it's pretty much impossible to get exactly on zero). After a while, once you're used to that, deliberately put one way out, and try getting it back in again. Then start mucking about with the pitch controls.
*Don't* rely on beat counters. At best they're a guide - and that's all. No matter how good they are, they're hopeless for accurate beat mixing.
Most important of all, have something nearby that you can kick hell out of. I guarantee you'll want to. :lol1:
Hugs,
Barclay
tom anteater
Member
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</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Barclay (Dark Angel) @ Feb 2 2004, 10:15 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Most important of all, have something nearby that you can kick hell out of. I guarantee you'll want to. :lol1: [/quote:0824ae499f]
haha ain;t that the truth.. also handy is big hole in ground for when you seriously fuck up when playing out.... crash and burn baby i still wince when i think about some such occasions
haha ain;t that the truth.. also handy is big hole in ground for when you seriously fuck up when playing out.... crash and burn baby
i still wince when i think about some such occasions
They ARE handy though. I've been learning to beat match without them for a while now. They aren't perfect but they don't half make it easier to get them in the same area and then you can make fine adjustments to get it right
Quite astounding how much i used them without realising to be honest 
JPsychodelicacy
Studio Elf
</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Goz @ Feb 2 2004, 12:18 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> They ARE handy though. I've been learning to beat match without them for a while now. They aren't perfect but they don't half make it easier to get them in the same area and then you can make fine adjustments to get it right Quite astounding how much i used them without realising to be honest [/quote:e58d165972]
This is why CD inserts are an absolute godsend.
Though if I had regular access to CDJs* I'd probably be in a much better position to learn to mix without either...
J.
* - Hey Goz, given that your TV's on the blink, I reckon now would be an excellent time!
Quite astounding how much i used them without realising to be honest [/quote:e58d165972]This is why CD inserts are an absolute godsend.
Though if I had regular access to CDJs* I'd probably be in a much better position to learn to mix without either...
J.
* - Hey Goz, given that your TV's on the blink, I reckon now would be an excellent time!
goa_kev
Forum Member
</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Barclay (Dark Angel) @ Feb 2 2004, 10:15 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> One way is - get 2 copies of the same track, zero the pitch control, and start getting the feel of them in time with each other.
[/quote:c159fb6d36]
Wehey, I gave the same advice as Barclay, I must be doin somin right!
Pillow in a box wasnt it? :P
[/quote:c159fb6d36]
Wehey, I gave the same advice as Barclay, I must be doin somin right!
Pillow in a box wasnt it? :P
I find CD inserts completely f**king useless. One mans 140bpm is another mans 142 ... I guess it comes down to the quality of the CD cutting...
And are you saying that now my TV is broken that now would be a good time to get regular access to my CDJs? I think there is something slightly backward there
JPsychodelicacy
Studio Elf
</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Goz @ Feb 2 2004, 02:54 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> I find CD inserts completely f**king useless. One mans 140bpm is another mans 142 ... I guess it comes down to the quality of the CD cutting... [/quote:82b9a6ce52]
You'd hope that they'd have the BPM as it was set in the sequencer on the original record, and the few inserts I have encountered seem to be pretty much on the money.
Oh, and the living room went completely unused by my guesstimate yesterday - seemed like a good time to me (if I wasn't so chronically tired, anyway). I don't know about you, but I find it much easier to practice without an audience (at any rate, it's far less embarrassing ).
Oh, and those floor cushions are perfect for what Barclay's suggesting.
J.
You'd hope that they'd have the BPM as it was set in the sequencer on the original record, and the few inserts I have encountered seem to be pretty much on the money.
Oh, and the living room went completely unused by my guesstimate yesterday - seemed like a good time to me (if I wasn't so chronically tired, anyway). I don't know about you, but I find it much easier to practice without an audience (at any rate, it's far less embarrassing
).Oh, and those floor cushions are perfect for what Barclay's suggesting.
J.
JPsychodelicacy
Studio Elf
Fair enough.
J.
J.