New to DJing or production? Need help or advice? Post here

ianuss · 04-01-2012 9:55pm

badboyz33 wrote: »

Hi guys,

Im reasonably new to the DJing world, and trying to get the hang of it all.

I have basic knowledge and understanding through the use of Virtual DJ through the use of a keyboard, HOWWWEEVVEERRRR, i want to get a lil controller that can allow me to scratch, mix, and get a genuine feel for what its like using decks etc.

Im on a tight budget, because incase it dont fall through, i wouldn't have wanted to waste big bucks.

I am considering the Mixtrack pro, read a few reviews and it seems cool.

Any ideas?

I want it to be able to play through my speakers @ home (3.5mm jack) and i want to be able to hear whats going to come next through one ear and the audience can hear through the other. can this do this? will i need other gadgets to plug in...does anyone have any ideas?

Please bear in mind the budget lol

All thoughts and feedback is Much appreciated.

Az.x

What's your budget?

badboyz33 · 04-01-2012 10:08pm

ianuss wrote: »

What's your budget?

around £170-£200 mark. tight i kno but i am also a student lol.

Its to connect to my laptop.

ianuss · 04-01-2012 10:19pm

badboyz33 wrote: »

around £170-£200 mark. tight i kno but i am also a student lol.

Its to connect to my laptop.

That's a decent budget for a controller if you'd consider 2nd hand. You'll never get an S4 or whatever that Pioneer thing is called. But the VCI is supposed to be a great little controller. I have an Xponent and it'd be fairly similar. The Xponent you can just plug in and play.....not too sure about the VCI but there are a few on here who have them and I'm sure they'd answer any questions you have.

Colm! · 04-01-2012 10:27pm

badboyz, the mixtrack pro at €200 will do all that and more but you may want to buy one or two cables alongside it.

If your speakers don't take RCA (red\white cable) you'll need a RCA -> 3.5 cable

.

Also, your headphones need to have a standard jack output, if it just does 3.5 you'll need a 3.5 -> jack adaptor

Thomann.de will do all that, it's where I bought mine, and it'll come with a version of Virtual DJ (the free one doesn't support controllers or some sound cards)

milltown · 04-01-2012 10:32pm

The VCI will need a seperate soundcard. You might pick up a VCI for 200 blips second hand but you'd be looking at another 50+ for a sound card. Keep an eye out for a Hercules RMX in the small ads. They're built rock solid and have the sound built in and tend to go a bit cheaper than the VCIs.
Realistically, you can forget about scratching using a midi controller. It's hard to understand without seeing and hearing it, just how much a relatively small amount of latency can affect your hand to ear co-ordination.

My advice would be to buy a better controller second hand. If or when you need to sell it, it's still worth close to what you bought it for. Not so if you buy new.

karl bracken · 05-01-2012 10:07am

Im in the same boat about controllers, DJ'n ten years with 1210s but have no clue about USB DJ controllers.

I just need them for pub gigs and to plug into the pub sound system, no major mixing required just keep it tidy.

From what i have seen the mixtrack and hercules RMX are fairly similar with people saying the hercules has beter build quality and the mixtrack is laid out better for effects & loops and has bigger jog wheels but lacks an internal soundcard.
The hercules uses buttons to select tracks in virtual DJ and the mixtrack uses a knob and a back button which seams a better system

It dosent bother me spending an extra 50 quid or whatever on a soundcard i just want the best controller.

Has anyone experience with both what do you think?

Im not familiar with external sound cards so is this what i need to plug into the pub PA and to mix through the headphones properly with one deck going to the speakers and the other to the headphones?

http://www.thomann.de/gb/numark_mixtrack_pro.htm 189 euro
http://www.thomann.de/gb/numark_dj_io_audio_interface.htm 87 euro

http://www.thomann.de/gb/hercules_dj_console_rmx.htm 185 euro

On htfr.co.uk you can get the mixtrack with the Numark DJ IO interface, im assuming this interface is what will be needed to connect to the existing pub system?

http://www.htfr.com/p/378247/numark_mixtrack_numark_dj_io_audio_interface_free_vinyl_recording_software 195 sterling

Thanks in advance

badboyz33 · 05-01-2012 7:16pm

thanks for the feedback.

Im kind of swaying towards the Hercules RMX,

Does anyone know if it has a built in sound card? and if i will be able to plug headphones straight into the controller and hear the opposite deck? or will i need a sound card for that function?

Colm! · 05-01-2012 7:55pm

Avoid the standard Mixtrack; The mixtrack pro has the IO card built in and it's cheaper than buying it separately. It also has practically the same layout. I prefer the Mixtrack Pro to the RMX for track selection etc. but it the RMX definitely smaller and more portable.

The RMX also has a sound card built in, sp the RMX and the Mixtrack Pro are pretty much on the same level on that front. Both of them output through RCA (red\white cables) which would probably suit pubs.

You could also get this budget option http://www.thomann.de/gb/hercules_dj_control_mp3_e2.htm and a separate sound card for something similar to the RMX at a lower price

karl bracken · 05-01-2012 11:59pm

Cheers Colm,

So the RCA out on the back of the Pro can be used as say the Master on a normal mixer, i dont need to connect each RCA on the Mixtrack Pro to a seperate channel on a mixer?
Im assuming that i connect one RCA on the Mixtrack Pro to the pub system and then the mixer (if thats what you call the crossfader and the 2 volumes lol) on the Mixtrack Pro will take over.

What is the point in the link in my post above to Hard To Find Records that have it bumdled with the Numark IO DJ interface is this just a better soundcard or is it even a sound card!?

Colm! · 06-01-2012 12:12am

That depends on the mixer and if it has an RCA input. The mixtrack pro doesn't come with cables (other than USB) so I'd invest in RCA-RCA and RCA-jack cables. Some mixers let you use two jacks for stereo, some mixers have direct stereo RCA inputs and some mixers you're going to have to use two channels panned left and right.

I don't know what's common in pubs.

I don't understand the point of that bundle, because the built-in soundcard with the MTP is exactly the same as the Numark IO.

karl bracken · 06-01-2012 12:38am

from that bundle i assumed it had no soundcard, it does seam a bit pointless unless there's jack connections instead of RCA on the IO, sure a few cables like u suggested or some connectors would be a much cheaper option.

milltown · 06-01-2012 6:05pm

http://www.adverts.ie/dj-mixers/hercules-rmx-dj-console/1224901

RMX on Adverts for €150

karl bracken · 07-01-2012 7:34am

Thanks for that but im looking for it new

tony smit · 11-01-2012 7:51pm

hey, i m wondering what player a DJ would use to mix his songs and adjust audio settings!
just got myself a nice set up setup lately, juut looking for a good Audio Player for my computer that would alloy me to do a bit of djying and would also allow me to change audio settings.
all i got so far is the good all windows media player, havent been able to find anything better

dyer · 12-01-2012 2:22am

i use foobar for my aural porn

but if you want to do a bit of software dj'ing .. have a go at Mixxx .. its free.

@badboyz33

as long as you have a soundcard that supports 4 channels (or even 5.1) you should be fine. i used to own a vestax vci-100 and swear by it, built rock solid, aluminium casing and solid knobs etc, the platters are pretty sweet too.. even if you need to fork out a few extra quid for an external soundcard if your onboard doesnt provide. there are plenty of mappings on djtechtools as well just make sure you get one with the newest firmware. you can pick up a traktor audio dj 2 for about 90 quid or less these days. ive heard good things about the Xponent too, except that its a bit plasticy (but does include a soundcard) .. the difference between the vestax and other controllers is that it doesnt feel like a toy.

tony smit · 12-01-2012 2:59am

thanks man! that seems like a great software for hrs of fun :P
ye i be ok for the soundcard it s a 7.1 soundblaster, fairly basic but ll do! got the computer connected into an amplifier as well, all i needed was a decent software to start from somewhere!
i say i ll give the two of those a go!
thanks for the link!

Colm! · 12-01-2012 6:55pm

tony smit wrote: »

hey, i m wondering what player a DJ would use to mix his songs and adjust audio settings!
just got myself a nice set up setup lately, juut looking for a good Audio Player for my computer that would alloy me to do a bit of djying and would also allow me to change audio settings.
all i got so far is the good all windows media player, havent been able to find anything better

Well, if you're looking to DJ, you'd want software designed for mixing, like Mixxx, VirtualDJ (they have a free edition), Traktor or Serato DJ Intro. I like winamp for just playing playlists though

Lumbo · 14-01-2012 11:33am

Lads, I've a question on harmonic mixing. I'm going into Beatport and finding out the key of the mix. How do I know when it's Sharp or flat and what does # mean (I'm assuming it's sharp or flat)?

I've tried google and there's two much information but no specific answer and I'm not even sure if I want to utilise harmonic mixing.

Thanks in advance.

Colm! · 14-01-2012 1:34pm

# is sharp. Flat is usually something that looks like b

Nolanger · 15-01-2012 8:06pm

Why are some 12" dance vinyl record singles made to be played at 33⅓ instead of 45 rpm?

Omega28 · 16-01-2012 12:07pm

what is phrase mixing/matching?

thanks

ianuss · 16-01-2012 10:47pm

Why do bad things happen to good people?

Colm! · 16-01-2012 11:06pm

Dylanmc111 wrote: »

what is phrase mixing/matching?

thanks

A phrase is a sequence of bars. A bar is a sequence of beats.
Like, a phrase would be the intro\outro\verse\breakdown section(s)\chorus.

If you started mixing in the middle of a phrase, it'd sound bad. Phrase mixing means lining up the start of two phrases together to get a seamless track-to-track fade.

ianuss wrote: »

Why do bad things happen to good people?

they request Skrillex

Omega28 · 17-01-2012 12:55pm

so would most DJ's phrase mix?

Also, how would u know there's a change in phrase

what other forms of mixing is there?

dyer · 17-01-2012 1:06pm

a lot of tracks (techno, house anyway) are constructed in phrases.. eg, an intro could be 16 bars (4 phrases) a verse with 4 phrases, a chorus with 2 phrases and so forth (however this is open to artistic interpretation and just a guideline).. you can tell the start of a new phrase most of the time because a new instrument has been introduced.. like the hat or snare in the first verse. you can count phrases on a 4/4 beat by going 1234 2234 3234 4234..rinse and repeat.. youd drop your track on the first beat of the phrase obviously and start to mix out.

there are different ways to mix.. some people stick with the above, some people drop tracks, some people use effects and loops, some people use harmonic mixing, some use all of the above.. ive found that the more tracks and varied the genres you play, you kind of need a bit of everything.. its good to practice

milltown · 17-01-2012 1:17pm

Videos explaining tune structure pretty well here:

http://www.recess.co.uk/html/beats_bars.html

Omega28 · 17-01-2012 1:39pm

so 4 beats to a bar, a phrase is 4 bars, right or wrong?

a phrase is when a new instrument is brought in on the first beat of the new phrase? example, vocals?

I have another question, what is a down beat? what are build ups? and when is the correct time to use effects?

thanks for your help. there stupid questions I know, sorry.

dyer · 17-01-2012 2:26pm

so 4 beats to a bar, a phrase is 4 bars, right or wrong?

correct.

a phrase is when a new instrument is brought in on the first beat of the new phrase? example, vocals?

the link posted above should cover all of your questions here.

what is a down beat? what are build ups? and when is the correct time to use effects?

a down beat is typically the first beat in a bar. if you tap your foot along to the beat.. whenever your foot taps the floor is also a downbeat.

eg, v = kick, ^ = snare

v ^ v ^ v ^ v

you can see the snare would be playing on the upbeat.

build ups.. after a breakdown where the track slows down.. and then builds up again before kicking back in.

when is the correct time to use effects?

that's really up to you.. as long as youre listening to the track and applying your effects 'in time' with whats happening in the song you should be okay. the more you understand what each effect actually does, the more creative license you have to use them as a tool to enhance your mix as opposed to just pressing buttons.

Omega28 · 17-01-2012 11:09pm

thanks all for your help

question, you know how your suppose to start the incoming track on the first beat, but what if the song doesn't start with a kick? say it starts with a clap or a hat? what do I do there?

thanks

milltown · 18-01-2012 12:31pm

You could either figure out where the hat/snare/clap is in the 1.2.3.4 structure or, better bet, cue it up to the first downbeat of the next bar or phrase and start from there.
Once you get used to listening to the beats/bars/phrases structure of tunes you'll get an ear for it and you'll find you won't need to count from beat 1 to get your bearings. After that it's a case of practicing as much as possible to know where best to mix in and out of the tunes in your collection.

Omega28 · 18-01-2012 5:12pm

ok I get ya

I'm finding it hard to do a complete mix without mistakes, I can mix a few tracks together but then I make a mistake and kinda loose the head a bit because its frustrating!

Any tips/ advice?

ianuss · 18-01-2012 5:22pm

Keep practising. It takes years to be able to master it, and even then, you'll still make mistakes. Listening to live sets, from dj's who've been playing for years, has shown me that even the best still make mistakes. And tbh, nobody really cares too much when they do. Don't get stressed about it.

edit; have you checked out Ellaskins on youtube? He has videos which explain the different types of mix you could use. His channel really is quality.

Omega28 · 18-01-2012 5:30pm

ianuss wrote: »

Keep practising. It takes years to be able to master it, and even then, you'll still make mistakes. Listening to live sets, from dj's who've been playing for years, has shown me that even the best still make mistakes. And tbh, nobody really cares too much when they do. Don't get stressed about it.

edit; have you checked out Ellaskins on youtube? He has videos which explain the different types of mix you could use. His channel really is quality.

Good to hear that even the pro's make mistakes!

Yeah I watch the ellaskins channels all the time, some great info!

Another question, U know club/bar djs? how do they mix the commerial/ top 40 music. I tried mixing them and there just wasn't enough time and too much going on during the outros, any tips?

milltown · 18-01-2012 6:15pm

Dylanmc111 wrote: »

Another question, U know club/bar djs? how do they mix the commerial/ top 40 music. I tried mixing them and there just wasn't enough time and too much going on during the outros, any tips?

It's a while since I was in a commercial club but from memory it's a rare pop DJ that does any mixing in the conventional sense. Most of it would be just quick cut mixes with no fading/blending. Once you have your next track beatmatched and cued up, pick a point near the end of the song playing (.ie the end of a phrase) and just whip the fader across at the same time as hitting play on the next track.

For the really lazy/inept guys, VirtualDJ and Traktor have "autopilot" settings where you can just load up a few hours of tracks and set the software to beatmatch them, synch them, and mix the last 5/10/15 seconds of one into the first X seconds of the next. Best for 3 or 4 minute chart stuff I imagine, rather than 10 minute epics with 2 minutes of intro and 3 minutes of outro.

Omega28 · 18-01-2012 6:22pm

milltown wrote: »

It's a while since I was in a commercial club but from memory it's a rare pop DJ that does any mixing in the conventional sense. Most of it would be just quick cut mixes with no fading/blending. Once you have your next track beatmatched and cued up, pick a point near the end of the song playing (.ie the end of a phrase) and just whip the fader across at the same time as hitting play on the next track.

For the really lazy/inept guys, VirtualDJ and Traktor have "autopilot" settings where you can just load up a few hours of tracks and set the software to beatmatch them, synch them, and mix the last 5/10/15 seconds of one into the first X seconds of the next. Best for 3 or 4 minute chart stuff I imagine, rather than 10 minute epics with 2 minutes of intro and 3 minutes of outro.

I just couldn't beatmatch them , too much stuff going on!!!

is there anyone here offering lessons? or even just wanna meet up to help other guys out with DJ'ing so people can learn new tricks/tips off each other? I think this would be a good idea

electrogrimey · 19-01-2012 6:36am

Mixing chart stuff would be the same as mixing any kind of hip-hop, reggae, and a lot of soul and funk, even easier, because chart doesn't have any live drummers.

If you wanted to do if properly, you could find an instrumental of the chart track, mix that in normally, and then bring in the original version of it. Basically making an extended version of it. Or mix it like hip-hop, quick cuts and looping (assuming you're not using vinyl). Every track will have at least 16 bars at the start that's mixable, either an instrumental intro, or an acapella at the start or a drum intro. Songs rarely start straight off with nothing mixable.

Bonesy. · 22-01-2012 9:14pm

Want to get into DJing but I dont know where to even start, any tips?

Colm! · 22-01-2012 9:54pm

Bonesy. wrote: »

Want to get into DJing but I dont know where to even start, any tips?

You could start off fairly quickly by getting some free software like VirtualDJ Home Edition, Serato DJ Intro, Mixxx or the free trial of Traktor.
Whatever you use, you can find tutorials on YouTube, and learn to get an ear for tracks and mixing yourself.

Of course, if you want to go down more traditional routes, you'll need equipment like a mixer and turntables or CDJs. And you're probably going to want a controller if you're doing digital stuff anyway, just to be able to use a Cue channel etc.

Hatred · 26-01-2012 1:46am

I'm trying to get into Dj'ing and I'm looking for advise on how to break into the scene. I already know how to DJ (although I admit I'm not the best) digitally using a laptop but what I need to know if how to move it from the bedroom to the club. I'm into DJing bass music like dubstep but it seems the scene round here in dublin is small enough with already recognized DJs and clubnights.

I'm thinking of making the investment of buying a controller (something like Traktor S4 or a cheaper alternative) and looking for gigs but where should I start?

mrSelfDestruct · 29-01-2012 6:27pm

Hatred wrote: »

I'm trying to get into Dj'ing and I'm looking for advise on how to break into the scene. I already know how to DJ (although I admit I'm not the best) digitally using a laptop but what I need to know if how to move it from the bedroom to the club. I'm into DJing bass music like dubstep but it seems the scene round here in dublin is small enough with already recognized DJs and clubnights.

I'm thinking of making the investment of buying a controller (something like Traktor S4 or a cheaper alternative) and looking for gigs but where should I start?

You gotta be good. Dj's are making it through their music. Get into production. It's gotta come from the heart.

mrSelfDestruct · 29-01-2012 6:30pm

Dylanmc111 wrote: »

ok I get ya

I'm finding it hard to do a complete mix without mistakes, I can mix a few tracks together but then I make a mistake and kinda loose the head a bit because its frustrating!

Any tips/ advice?

I have a radio show here in Galway that I do 'scratch' mixes for. Scratch style mixing is harder to get right. I usually record the mix into a DAW (I use pro tools) and if I mess up I re-take the mix and splice it together again afterwards.

Hope this helps.

GarFromEire · 14-03-2012 2:57pm

Hi all,

I'm hoping somebody can help me out here. I've been wanting to get into making (electronic) music a lot lately, however, I currently do not own any equipment to do so. I'm looking for advice on what I need/don't need to make the music I'd like to make.

I come from a piano/guitar/synth background but I really want to start to get into making music via DAWs and the likes. I've been looking at a lot of midi-keyboard controllers and I think I lot of them do the job of several pieces of equipment in one. I know how to use a midi-keyboard fairly well but after that I haven't a clue as to what I should get.

The kind of music I'd like to make is stuff like deep house, nujazz, minimal etc.. Is there some essential pieces of electronic equipment I need to do so?

Realistically my budget is about E1000. With that I'm hoping to get at least a decent midi-keyboard and a pair of monitor speakers. After that what do you think I should look at buying? I really want to do a lot of sampling as well, taking stuff off vinyl and that - what equipment do you need to do that?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Cheers

Leinster7 · 15-03-2012 11:53am

GarFromEire wrote: »

Hi all,

I'm hoping somebody can help me out here. I've been wanting to get into making (electronic) music a lot lately, however, I currently do not own any equipment to do so. I'm looking for advice on what I need/don't need to make the music I'd like to make.

I come from a piano/guitar/synth background but I really want to start to get into making music via DAWs and the likes. I've been looking at a lot of midi-keyboard controllers and I think I lot of them do the job of several pieces of equipment in one. I know how to use a midi-keyboard fairly well but after that I haven't a clue as to what I should get.

The kind of music I'd like to make is stuff like deep house, nujazz, minimal etc.. Is there some essential pieces of electronic equipment I need to do so?

Realistically my budget is about E1000. With that I'm hoping to get at least a decent midi-keyboard and a pair of monitor speakers. After that what do you think I should look at buying? I really want to do a lot of sampling as well, taking stuff off vinyl and that - what equipment do you need to do that?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Cheers

Midi Keyboard hmm, If you want to make house music and get into synthesis I would buy a Roland Juno 60 or Juno 106 from ebay, set you back about EUR400. They are a classic 80's synth as used by everyone from Larry Heard to Carl Craig etc. If you get a 106 it has midi connection so it can act as your midi keyboard as well. The 60 is a slightly fuller sound and has the arpeggiator so it is my preference but it hasn't got midi so look for one that has been modded or you can buy the mod kit from Kenton http://www.kentonuk.com/.

I'm presuming you have a computer or laptop of some sort. Next thing you will need is an audio interface. If you are using Mac I strongly recommend Apogee, check out the Apogee Duet http://www.apogeedigital.com/products/duet2.php . The apogee sounds great and have great quality components for doing ad/da (digital-analog) conversion.

DAW wise, Ableton. Its extremely easy to get into and very creative, much more so than Logic or Pro Tools which I use also. I've never used Reason but worth looking at that too.

Monitor speakers, well thats a matter of preference. On a tight budget with something vibey KRK Rokit 6 are nice. http://www.krksys.com/krk-studio-monitor-speakers/rokit/rokit-6.html. They have exaggerated low-end so can be nice to produce house/electronic music on where the kick drum and bass are so important, however just be careful when your tracks are finished when mixing them that the bass will disappear a bit on other speakers etc. They are nice and cheap to get started though.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

Sterling Archer · 19-03-2012 10:35pm

Hi all due to an unfortunate amount of spare time, I've been contemplating reinstalling reason etc... But was wondering where is the best place to free host stuff online, is soundcloud a good bet, all my old stuff is just noise

but wanna put it online as not to loose it..

Colm! · 19-03-2012 11:28pm

Soundcloud really is the best, to be honest.

Sterling Archer · 20-03-2012 12:33am

Cheers i went with it, and through my stuff up..

woozle · 20-03-2012 10:20am

a couple of questions -
Why even though they're downloaded as wav or a good bit rate are some tunes quieter than others? even if 2 tunes are downloaded wav from the same site, one is sometimes really quiet - is there a fix?
If I want to download commercial cheesy pop chart stuff, where is the best place to go where I can get at least mp3 320kbps? Again the problem I get is even if I go to a good site, pay for the music, make sure it's good kbps, the track still is really quiet when I play it - like I've taken it from a cd album or something. Where's the best place to get good sound quality chart music?
Thanks

Colm! · 20-03-2012 5:09pm

http://download.cnet.com/MP3Gain/3000-2169_4-10367823.html?tag=mc_mcol;mc_feature_body

MP3Gain scans your files and normalises them so they're the same volume.

An uploader on a certain major torrent site uploads the UK Top 40 in 320kbps every week. It's easier than buying them, even if morally questionable. If there was a legal site that streamlined that so I could cover my requests, I'd be interested.

woozle · 21-03-2012 9:01am

Cheers Colm, that was exactly what I was looking for!

milltown · 21-03-2012 3:53pm

I've never been convinced by MP3gain. Seemed to do weird things to a few of my files when I tried it. And there was still quite a variation in how loud they sounded.

If you want chart/poppy stuff legally, there's really no need to go beyond iTunes unless you want/need .wav files. 256k AAC (as on iTunes) is >= 320k MP3. It's also cheaper than the likes of Beatport.

New to DJing or production? Need help or advice? Post here

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