New to DJing;want advices.

LeakingLava

As the title states, I am going to start DJing. I will most likely be using VDj and a DJ mixer. Looking to buy the DJ mixer sometime soon, maybe this week or next. Any tips? Thanks a lot.

ironclaw

LeakingLava wrote: »

As the title states, I am going to start DJing. I will most likely be using VDj and a DJ mixer. Looking to buy the DJ mixer sometime soon, maybe this week or next. Any tips? Thanks a lot.

Honestly, far better off buying a set of CD decks and cheap mixer. Get the basic's going. Then move onto laptops. The issue with starting on a laptop is that you have Sync. So you never get to 'feel' the music so to speak? I'm not saying laptop DJ's ain't DJ's or all that nonsense. I DJ from Traktor and a LaunchPad, but I started on CDJs.

By not having Sync and all that nonsense, you actually have to listen to all the elements of the track and make them work. You won't get that with straight laptop DJing (In my opinion)

If you do really want to laptop DJ buy a controller. The M-Audio Xponent is a great piece of kit and goes for half nothing these days. All you need in one package. That or an S2. If you buy a standalone mixer your going to have to buy a sound card.

And this guy is great: http://www.youtube.com/user/ellaskins

LeakingLava

ironclaw wrote: »

Honestly, far better off buying a set of CD decks and cheap mixer. Get the basic's going. Then move onto laptops. The issue with starting on a laptop is that you have Sync. So you never get to 'feel' the music so to speak? I'm not saying laptop DJ's ain't DJ's or all that nonsense. I DJ from Traktor and a LaunchPad, but I started on CDJs.

By not having Sync and all that nonsense, you actually have to listen to all the elements of the track and make them work. You won't get that with straight laptop DJing (In my opinion)

If you do really want to laptop DJ buy a controller. The M-Audio Xponent is a great piece of kit and goes for half nothing these days. All you need in one package. That or an S2. If you buy a standalone mixer your going to have to buy a sound card.

And this guy is great: http://www.youtube.com/user/ellaskins

Unfortunately I have already bought a BCD3000. Fortunately, it has its own sound card built in and it works great with Traktor Pro. Couldn't get it to work with Virtual Dj though. But as most people have said, beginners really should beatmatch by ear first and that's what I'm practicing at the moment and man am I struggling. Lol. Not sure if I'm doing something wrong or it's really this hard but I don't think I've done any progress today. I will be practicing again within the next few days and I really hope good things come.

Know of any websites which have Dj set lists in them? I'm most likely into Rnb, Pop and most of the famous songs out there. Not much of a trance person, just remixes of the 'famous songs out there'.

ironclaw

LeakingLava wrote: »

Unfortunately I have already bought a BCD3000. Fortunately, it has its own sound card built in and it works great with Traktor Pro. Couldn't get it to work with Virtual Dj though. But as most people have said, beginners really should beatmatch by ear first and that's what I'm practicing at the moment and man am I struggling. Lol. Not sure if I'm doing something wrong or it's really this hard but I don't think I've done any progress today. I will be practicing again within the next few days and I really hope good things come.

Know of any websites which have Dj set lists in them? I'm most likely into Rnb, Pop and most of the famous songs out there. Not much of a trance person, just remixes of the 'famous songs out there'.

DJing takes years to master. Honestly. The only thing you can do is listen to hundreds of tracks, pick at random and try mix them.

Best set list in my mind is the BBC 1 Essential Mixes with Pete Tong. All the major DJ's do them and your best off listening to them all wether you like them or not. Its great for learning. Just be sure its an official essential mix, people seem to upload their own and they are utter rubbish:

https://soundcloud.com/search?q=BBC%201%20Essential%20Mix

By the way, you won't really be able to DJ RnB / Pop very well. Especially Pop. Its just cut and slide mixing. RnB maybe but again fairly tricky for a beginner. Its a style in itself.

LeakingLava

ironclaw wrote: »

DJing takes years to master. Honestly. The only thing you can do is listen to hundreds of tracks, pick at random and try mix them.

Best set list in my mind is the BBC 1 Essential Mixes with Pete Tong. All the major DJ's do them and your best off listening to them all wether you like them or not. Its great for learning. Just be sure its an official essential mix, people seem to upload their own and they are utter rubbish:

https://soundcloud.com/search?q=BBC%201%20Essential%20Mix

By the way, you won't really be able to DJ RnB / Pop very well. Especially Pop. Its just cut and slide mixing. RnB maybe but again fairly tricky for a beginner. Its a style in itself.

Yeah that's why I really like the usual remixes because they have all usually have similar kick lines which is pretty much trance/dance songs. Yeah I guess I'd just have to listen to sets then. Thanks a lot I've been watching ellaskins a lot. He's pretty cool. But even so, I'm finding it very hard to beatmatch without the sync function. So I'm trying to look for other videos/tutorials as well as 'easy' songs to start off with.

Could you suggest a step by step instruction for beatmatching? Doesn't need to be in much depth. Just basic instruction then I can most likely google the steps

mordeith

LeakingLava wrote: »

Yeah that's why I really like the usual remixes because they have all usually have similar kick lines which is pretty much trance/dance songs. Yeah I guess I'd just have to listen to sets then. Thanks a lot I've been watching ellaskins a lot. He's pretty cool. But even so, I'm finding it very hard to beatmatch without the sync function. So I'm trying to look for other videos/tutorials as well as 'easy' songs to start off with.

Could you suggest a step by step instruction for beatmatching? Doesn't need to be in much depth. Just basic instruction then I can most likely google the steps

One of the common methods to begin beatmatching is to use two copies of the same track. It's best if you can use a track that has a nice long intro with a pronounced snare in a typical 4/4 beat. I find it easier to match the snare/claps than the kicks (but not everyone does it that way).

LeakingLava

mordeith wrote: »

One of the common methods to begin beatmatching is to use two copies of the same track. It's best if you can use a track that has a nice long intro with a pronounced snare in a typical 4/4 beat. I find it easier to match the snare/claps than the kicks (but not everyone does it that way).

I've seen somewhere that Robert Miles - Children is the song that everybody should learn from. Even on that I'm finding it hard. Again my question is, what are the actual steps to beatmatch? I do try to 'do' it but I really don't know if I'm doing it correctly.

ironclaw

LeakingLava wrote: »

I've seen somewhere that Robert Miles - Children is the song that everybody should learn from. Even on that I'm finding it hard. Again my question is, what are the actual steps to beatmatch? I do try to 'do' it but I really don't know if I'm doing it correctly.

Well if you not using decks then its pointless. You cannot bea tmatch without something physical to hold i.e. The platter of a deck or the pitch control. You certainly cannot learn to beatmatch effectively with just a laptop and mouse. You need a controller with a jog wheel or a pitch controller.

Some people put the track they want to match into a loop and then use the platter, bend, play/pause and the pitch control (Or a combo of all) to get in sync. Others 'scratch' the track to a beat, time it in and hit play at the right time (With the pitch set correctly of course)

There are loads of methods.

grindle

ironclaw wrote: »

Well if you not using decks then its pointless. You cannot bea tmatch without something physical to hold i.e. The platter of a deck or the pitch control. You certainly cannot learn to beatmatch effectively with just a laptop and mouse. You need a controller with a jog wheel or a pitch controller.

They have the BCD3000. Has wheels.

LeakingLava wrote: »

...what are the actual steps to beatmatch? I do try to 'do' it but I really don't know if I'm doing it correctly.

Count
"1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4"
Chances are in pop music a new musical element has arrived after those 16 beats. If not, double it. A new element whether a pad in the background, or a shuffling hi-hat, is generally introduced every 32 beats minimum.
Hear that reverse crash cymbal?
Uh oh, build-up time! Get those hands in the air muggerfuggers!

LeakingLava

grindle wrote: »

They have the BCD3000. Has wheels.


Count
"1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4"
Chances are in pop music a new musical element has arrived after those 16 beats. If not, double it. A new element whether a pad in the background, or a shuffling hi-hat, is generally introduced every 32 beats minimum.
Hear that reverse crash cymbal?
Uh oh, build-up time! Get those hands in the air muggerfuggers!

What about matching the tempo? What's the actual 'method' or is there even one?

LeakingLava

ironclaw wrote: »

Well if you not using decks then its pointless. You cannot bea tmatch without something physical to hold i.e. The platter of a deck or the pitch control. You certainly cannot learn to beatmatch effectively with just a laptop and mouse. You need a controller with a jog wheel or a pitch controller.

Some people put the track they want to match into a loop and then use the platter, bend, play/pause and the pitch control (Or a combo of all) to get in sync. Others 'scratch' the track to a beat, time it in and hit play at the right time (With the pitch set correctly of course)

There are loads of methods.

As said by the guy above, I got a BCD3000 and it does have almost everything I need

Alright. I'll look into all of those. Thanks a lot. It is sooo hard. Lol.

grindle

LeakingLava wrote: »

What about matching the tempo? What's the actual 'method' or is there even one?

Although the playing two copies of the same song thing is good, it's a first step. start at a lower tempo as well, try some house music. Mousse T's 'Horny' is ridculously simplistic and about 120-124bpm, so a nice pace to begin with...
Second step: Play two different songs separately (same genre though, you'd be a fool to think some drum&bass and Daft Punk might gel together well with the difference of 30-40bpm between them)... get to know what each song's snare drum sounds like, intimately. The kick drum, the hi-hat... Unless the songs are by the same lazy producer every element should sound slightly different or very different.
Now play one song and 32 beats after it starts, start the other song... If you hear the hi-hat of a particular song getting ahead of time, touch the wheel to bring it back into time and use the pitch slider to lower the speed by 1-2%, whatever's needed. The benefit of doing this digitally is that - unless the music has been ripped from vinyl - once it's in sync, it will stay in sync.
Not so easy for vinyl as both records are slightly changing speed over the course of the record (which is why vinyl beatmatchers look sniffily upon digital beatmatchers as if they had even an ounce of the skill of Birdy Nam Nam or something).

mordeith

grindle wrote: »

Not so easy for vinyl as both records are slightly changing speed over the course of the record (which is why vinyl beatmatchers look sniffily upon digital beatmatchers as if they had even an ounce of the skill of Birdy Nam Nam or something).

I only arse around Djing at home (I have no ambition to become a dj).
However I have mastered my beatmatching on a ****ty pair of belt-drive Numarks. I played with another guy at a few parties once and he had a pair of 1210s. I was like 'hey, the speed stays constant, what a fantastic evolution in Dj'ing'

grindle

Amazing what actual engineering can manage, hah?

All DJs should be made to start on the shîttiest Gemini/Numark/Omnitrax decks - by the time they get some Vestax or Technics they'll be pulling off 7 minute mixes a la Laurent Garnier.