How do you plan a Set?

Zascar

So you are playing a live gig to a crowd, or, you are just at home and want to record a mix to put online or give to friends etc, how much do you actually plan out the set? Do you just pick the first tune and see what happens from there, or do you pre select all your music? Do you have a good idea of what you are going to play, and how the set is going to progress?

Obviously there is usually a difference between recording a set and playing to a crowd, how do you differentiate between the two?

Do you like to play tunes that you can mix in a very smooth transition throughout, or do you prefer to change it up and throw down something totally different occasionally?

jonny68

I tend to plan it in advance if it's a big party, we had a massive party in ours last week after the Kitchen/Shaft reunion there was just too many people there and it was difficult to mix with the noise of everyone but i thought i done well,actually on Friday nite after Altern-8 we were at a party in Bray and i played a set just random stuff and it was "brilliant" (according the Czech/Polish who were there)but usually i like to select the tunes beforehand and always the opening and closing songs:cool:

Entec

if i was doin a mix for online or mates id plan the first 4 or 5 records,anything after that id just pick anything up and mix it in

Riesen_Meal

If I was doin a cd, only the 2nd song would be "planned" so things start smooth, then its completely off the cuff for the rest, same goes for a gig/radio/party set, cept I dont plan the start of them....

run_Forrest_run

Entec wrote: »

if i was doin a mix for online or mates id plan the first 4 or 5 records,anything after that id just pick anything up and mix it in

I always wondered about doing this, surely you would have to be selective to some degree to make sure the tracks mix well together?

Is it that you are picking from a 'bag' of tunes that you know are of a common genre and share some common factors like BPM etc?

Also maybe this is a totally dumb question but do you know your tracks very well? I mean do you have a given amount of tunes that you know the various parts of each one (high/low bits, build ups etc)?

My problem at the moment (noob!) is that I have a few hundred tracks and am not familiar with a lot of them so it's hard to get started..maybe just pick something like 50 and work with those I suppose.

Zascar

Yeah I agree. As I'm digital I have all my tracks grouped in folders by rough genre, tech house, electro, funky house etc. I don't stick to one folder but it's easier to use it to narrow down the choice. I've seen some DJ's just look at a massive list of 1000's and pick from that - makes no sense to me.

I never really plan that much, but I have an idea of what I want to do with the set, the first tune or two, and then I pick a few tunes to work the set around. I may start off quite smooth, then get more chunky and progress towards the deeper stuff. If I am recording a set I will carefully pick say 25-35 tunes and play 15-20 of them (roughly). I choose based on 1) Will this mix well, and 2) does this track take the set in the general direction of where I want it to go...

However saying that, sometimes when just messing around at home, I just throw on whatever the hell I feel like, generally trying to be unpredictable and often it works a treat! But I'd never try that in front of an audience cause sometimes it's a disaster...

It is important to be familiar with your music. However the trap I fall into, which I'm sure many others do too, is that I always want to play my newest music - and these are the tunes I am least familiar with. I get bored of the ones I've played for months. That's what gets me when playing live. I may be bored of a track, but the crowd have not heard it dozens of times like I have. Then I try to play it safe and it does not turn out as good..

run_Forrest_run

You raise another good question there Zascar, How old does a track have to be before it's 'too old' for the set?
Obviously I was more in the loop a few years ago and as a result I tend to include tracks from 3-5 years ago and seeing as I have the finger off the pulse lately I find it hard to pick the right tunes that are doing it lately.

Zascar

I think that's more a matter of personal preference. I think everyone likes to hear a 'blast from the past' every once in a while. Even the biggest DJ's that have all the newest stuff drop a classic every now and then - often it's the classics that get the biggest response. However it depends how you define a 'classic'. Throwing in some old prodigy tune or e.g. (the almost cliched) blue Monday, if done right usually goes down very well! But then you might play some 3-5 year old track that some might just consider cheesy. Just don't play too many.

Trying to keep ahead of the curve music wise is difficult unless your a full time DJ...

run_Forrest_run

Zascar wrote: »

...Trying to keep ahead of the curve music wise is difficult unless your a full time DJ...

It sure is, a bit like trying to keep up with fashion trends :mad:

jonny68

Whenever i play a set i play across the board, very rarely do i stick to the one style, maybe i might play say 70/80% of House but ill always incorporate other styles into my mix as well, i think too many DJ's have a tendency to stick to the one style all the time, ive always been into mixing and blending.

Da Bomber

I started bout 9 months ago got a job in a pub playin every weekend but i never really plan my set because i find you'll get a different crowd alot of the time and you jus gotta take into account what they want to listen to and as the crowd keeps changin and more people come in you kinda jus gotta keep up with what they wanna hear,never play just the songs that your friends want to hear u have to remember theres a few hundred other people who are there too.Also i've found House of Pain-Jump Around goes down a treat near the end of the night..

tman

I'd usually have an idea of a few tunes that go well together, and a few that I want to slot in at some part of the set, but beyond that I just play it by ear and see what I can find in my bag/cd wallet.
Haven't really played seriously since the beginning of the summer though...

Prefabsprouter

When I'm playing live I prefer to "wing it" and see what the crowd is like. I know DJ who pre-order their tracks for an entire night and I feel that can sometimes be too much like a "jukebox". I like to play classics especially as most of the audience only want to hear chart music and the reaction can be really good when you do!!!

Dun laoire

Generally i do try plan in advance especially if i'm making a cd for a few people or when i got an hour here and there in a nightclub. Lads why dont you upload a few mixes for us to share with each other. I'm just waiting on a few records to arrive but when they do i'l upload a mix. Oldskool music is pretty much what i have. I have about 40 odd videos uploaded on youtube to get an idea what i'm into.

Zascar

Dun laoire wrote: »

Lads why dont you upload a few mixes for us to share with each other.

Good idea - I was thinking of getting a thread up so we can all post some mixes. Give me an hour and I'll do it...

Dun laoire

Zascar wrote: »

Good idea - I was thinking of getting a thread up so we can all post some mixes. Give me an hour and I'll do it...

Good man yerself

Prefabsprouter

Have you a link to your youtube vids Dun???

Dun laoire

Here ya go
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=Dunlaoire

Prefabsprouter

Rozzo - Into your heart and Glam - Hells Party!! Sweeeeeetttt!!!!!