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Cotts
Advanced Member
Australia
917 posts
Joined: Aug, 2004
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 Posted - 2005/10/25 : 09:00:26
hey guys,
well i finally have managed to sit down and try a bit of dj work, i am really keen to learn how to do this and in the past 5 hours after tearing my hair out i have finally persisted and tought myself how to beatmatch pretty decently.
I am only using software to mix at the moment i am using dss dj, the problem that i am facing is that i have the beat matched going excellent and the mp3 will decide to skip or stutter sometimes throwing my mix off, its really annoying me, my cpu usage is only around 50% at max and also my buffer levels are full.
Can anyone reccomend any other software appart from dss dj (and please dont say get decks, trust me i want to) is there anything better than dss i can use in the meantime?
thanks,
cotts
p.s. all the mp3 files i am using are from imo download.
oh and also i got one change as best i could, ill post a small clip of it. And i would appreciate any comments good or bad 
http://x802.putfile.com/videos/29703094348.mp3
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http://www.djcotts.com.au
http://www.youtube.com/djcotts
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Edited by - Cotts on 2005/10/25 09:11:34 |
Dain-Ja
Advanced Member
Canada
1,983 posts
Joined: Oct, 2004
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Posted - 2005/10/26 : 14:55:47
lol
that little mix has "I'll be yours" which is on evolution
so it's not on imodownload :P
but anyhow I would say the beatmatching is good for someone who only spent 5 hours learning...it was a bit off beat alot of the time but it's miles better than most beginners
but I checked out DSS and it has an auto beatmatch button
in which case all you'd have to do it click the button
do you beatmatch using the button or do you actually move the pitch fader and stuff?
usually it takes a few weeks to learn to beatmatch using the pitch fader
...you'll notice decks don't have an auto beatmatch button :P
anyhow once you know how to beatmatch (I somehow doubt you learnt to hold a mix in 5 hours but whatever) you still have to EQ the mix
it wasn't too bad though...
I don't feel like explaining how to EQ mix so I won't haha
as for better software
the *only* software that is decent for PC DJing is Traktor DJ studio
however...you should really get decks if you're gonna learn to mix
you'll never learn using software with auto-beatmatch
and to use those apps properly you still need a control device (a usb mixer) so you can adjust the pitch fader and EQ and stuff
so if you're gonna spend on that you might as well buy actual dj equipment
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Producer/DJ/Label owner
Rush Delivery Records
Visit makemeRUSH.com for music from the ONLY North American hardcore label pressing vinyl!
FREE track every Monday: http://www.rushdeliveryrecords.com/?p=229
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Cotts
Advanced Member
Australia
917 posts
Joined: Aug, 2004
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Posted - 2005/10/26 : 15:30:03
ok cool! thanks for the advice dain-ja! appreciate it!
i beatmatch on dss dj using the pitch faders, i found that the auto-beatmatch on that program is absolutley terrible and if not makes things more out of time. I tried using auto beatmatch but instead i mucked around with pitch faders for a while.
thanks for the advice on the software ill check out traktor now, and ill probably start saving for decks, i know what you mean i need it. I am checking out some gear tomorrow so hopefully all will go well with that.
also about the download music i mean all tracks are from a paid download service, imo, evolution records.com etc.. i love my hardcore and i want to support the scene
thanks again for the reply
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http://www.djcotts.com.au
http://www.youtube.com/djcotts
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xx_lucy_xx
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
607 posts
Joined: Oct, 2004
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Posted - 2005/10/26 : 16:04:24
A mate of mine swears by Traktor, ve got sme of his mixes on cd from it and you cant tell that its done digitally and not on decks, so yeah deff try that program but technics are the way forward ;)
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quote:
Originally posted by DJ Mole:
OMG a fanny thread W00T
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Cotts
Advanced Member
Australia
917 posts
Joined: Aug, 2004
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Posted - 2005/10/26 : 16:18:02
yeah im just about to try out the demo now, if all goes well ill prolly buy the software if it goes ok in the test run. Decks are so tempting though....
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http://www.djcotts.com.au
http://www.youtube.com/djcotts
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-JFK-
Average Member
Denmark
223 posts
Joined: Nov, 2003
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Posted - 2005/10/26 : 23:51:34
traktor DJ studio is gr8 use it my self becours I only have 1deck but im rocking it!!!!
Http://www.craver.dk/Mixes/ used traktor and 1 deck 2 do that
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You ain't leadin' but two things now, pal. Jack and shit. And Jack left town.
Army of Darkness
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Needforspeed
Senior Member
United Kingdom
393 posts
Joined: Apr, 2005
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 Posted - 2005/10/27 : 00:42:59
get atomixmp3 (virtual dj)! mixing there is so simple and fun, and the 'magic' button auto beatmatch's the songs
www.atomixmp3.com
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Dain-Ja
Advanced Member
Canada
1,983 posts
Joined: Oct, 2004
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Posted - 2005/10/27 : 04:23:15
Someone requested that I explain how to use the EQ for mixing
so I'll try to explain
keep in mind I'm terrible at explaining things but I'll do my best
this might be a long read depending whether I feel like explaining well or not
NOTE: THIS DOESN'T APPLY TO ALL TRACKS, AND MAY NOT SOUND AS GOOD WITH SOME MIXERS WITH SHARP EQ CURVES BUT YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THE BASICS NO MATTER WHAT
OTHER NOTE: LEARN TO BEATMATCH FIRST
first off you have to think about the sound you're gonna want
A= first track
B= track you're mixing into
you want a seamless mix (right?)
that means:
1) when you first bring in "B":
a) there's no change in volume/levels (a common mistake with beginners...they don't notice that all of a sudden the volume changes when they bring the new track in)
b) it's not noticeable unless you know the tracks
2) as the mix progresses:
a) it's not noticeable that "B" is getting louder or that "A" is getting more silent
b) the changes happen at "breaks" (ie between measures...ie every 16 or preferably 32 beats...once you're good with that I can allow you to do them during "cuts") so the listener can't "hear" the level of one track going up since they should be thinking it's part of the song (if something happens at a break it makes it seem like that's the track structure and it's not nearly as noticeable but I'm hinting too much at how to do this)
c) the basslines of "A" and "B" DO NOT both play at once --> if you have two tracks with the same structure (most do in a specific style of uk hardcore) the bassline of track "A" ends where the bassline of track "B" starts
this is the point where you switch basslines (you'll get to be able to predict it)
and some tracks have basslines that end late or start early - as long as you switch them before the bassline of one ends and the bassline of the other is already going then it'll "keep the flow"
note: if you don't know what a bassline is... it's that sound that comes in "when the track gets going" a few "measures" into the intro of a track
you should always have one going during a mix so that the "flow doesn't die" and you'll learn to know when to switch it (it HAS to be at a "break")
d) although this was sortof previously mentioned: DO NOT have higher levels during a mix - you want constant volume...I'll explain how to do this in the later section
3) At the end of a mix
a) The levels of track "B" are 100% back to normal - all EQ knobs are back to their regular setting (12 oclock)
b) In theory, when mixing two tracks with proper structure, track "A" will end where the breakdown of track "B" starts (vocal part, instrumental...whatever)
HOW do you do this?
easy...:P
ok maybe not but it's alot more logic than anything
I'll refer to what I was discussing using numbers and letters and you can go up and read what it was since I don't wanna write it all again
Also: when you bring in a track I'm going to assume you all use the crossfader or upfaders and that when you bring in the track you have the crossfader in the middle or the upfaders at 100%
this means all the volume control rests solely on the EQ
for this example I'm gonna assume the outro of "A" has the same structure as the intro of "B" and that they are not short intros
note: obviously YOU ARE BEATMATCHED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE MIX
mixes WILL NOT sound good if you don't beatmatch them so before learning to EQ learn to beatmatch.
1)
a) and b) You DO NOT want the overall levels to change when you bring in track "B" so: (the following changes depending on your mixer's EQ curves but I'm going to do what you need on a Vestax PCV-275. you might have to add 30 mins-1:30 for other mixers with different fader curves )
track "A"
you just barely...just a tiny bit (15-25 minutes on a clock) lower the highs and mids at the break - just to keep the levels the same when you bring in track "B"
during the same break you bring the fader for track "B" to 100% with it's EQ set the following way:
track "B"
- the high knob should be between 9 and 10 oclock
this means the snares and such are barely audible in the mix
- the mid knob should be at 8 oclock or so (depends on the track but basically you barely want audible mids)
this means the mids (melody mostly) of track "B" is also barely audible
- the low knob is completely off (on a vestax mixer this still has a tiny bit of bass going but on alot of mixers you won't hear anything...as long as the track isn't bass-heavy you can bring it to 7:30-8 oclock on other types of mixers)
2)
a) and b) at this point the mix has been going for 32 beats which means there's another break
now as I said earlier you want to make all EQ changes at a break (drumroll, scream, rap vocal...whatever, there's usually something every 16/32 beats - once you get good you can cut to the track with the cool break while doing the changes)
track "A"
- you lower the highs a tiny bit again
- you lower the mids a tiny bit
- the bass gets a 15 minute lowering
track "B"
- the high knob gets raised 30 mins to an hour
- the mid knob gets raised 30 mins to an hour (making sure it's not overwhelming...but it shouldn't be because at this point it's at 9 oclock)
- the bass knob can get a 30 min raise
note: you can repeat that for two breaks, maybe more even (basically, until you'll have to switch basslines), to get the mix to progress!
c) now it's time to switch basslines
how do you know when it's time? either the bassline of "A" goes away (in which case you'll want to switch BEFORE it dies away...at the break) or the bassline of "B" comes in (if the bassline of "A" is still there you'll have to make sure the "main melody" of "A" is finished)
no matter what the switch has to happen at a break
hardcore is 4/4
this means there's a possibility for a change every 4 beats (but that's too noticeable)
so every 16 beats you can do a slight EQ change but you DO NOT want to switch basslines in the middle of a "measure" - you'll want to wait the whole 32
usually the breaks of 32 are the ones with a vocal (example...take the track Underground by UFO & Marley. At the breaks there's either a drumroll or soemthing or a vocal bit...in this case "hardcoooore underrrground")
so that's when you'd switch basslines
now you know when to do it...I hope...now's how to switch them:
basically it's just turning down the bass on track "A" and turning it up on track "B"
but this must be done at the break
meaning before the first beat of the next "measure" you want the changes completed - use two hands haha
you'll want to do the following at the same time (I'm writing it before to make it clear that this isn't switching basslines and at this point you might have switched the highs and mids over enough already...depending on track and tons of other stuff)
(yes that's alot of knobs...you can do the highs and mids during the 4 beats before the break where you're gonna switch basslines)
track "A"
- lower the highs another 30 mins or so...highs dont' bring the overall level up much so you don't have to worry too much, they also don't sound bad and let you keep the vocal rap bits and such of the track you're mixing out of if you want
it also prevents having a really obvious "loss" in the audibility of track "A" after the bassline switch
- lower the mids to 9 oclock...sometimes you can leave them at 10 or 10:30 but they CAN be overwhelming
you have to know your stuff
I like having them lower on the track I'm mixing out of to get a better "drive" and the "higher highs" of track "A" still keep the rap vocals and stuff enough to hear you're still in the mix lol
track "B"
- get your highs to 11 oclock or so...they might be close already but still, you want the snares to match the soon to be driving kick
- get your mids at least at 10 oclock
SWITCHING BASSLINES: (ie what to do with bass knobs)
track "A"
- if the bassline on track "A" has died out you can keep the bass knob of "A" at 8 oclock even though you've switched since the bassline won't bother anymore
- if it hasn't died out you'll want an almost or complete kill of the bass knob of "A" so the basslines don't piss each other off and kill the flow
track "B"
- the bass knob is now at 12 oclock
or 11:30-11:45
meaning the bassline of "B" is now driving everything!
:D
3) there might be one or two "measures" left to the mix...or none
if none:
right when it drops into an instrumental or vocal you raise all the knobs of "B" to 12 oclock and kill the track "A" fader (if they have proper structure track "A" will probably die at the same time as "B" breaks down anyways though
if a couple:
slowly raise the highs and mids of "B" every 16 or 32 beats a tiny bit while lowering those of "A" a tiny bit
right when it drops into an instrumental or vocal you raise all the knobs of "B" to 12 oclock and kill the track "A" fader (if they have proper structure track "A" will probably die at the same time as "B" breaks down anyways though
So there you have it
my guide on how to mix using the EQs
if you don't use EQs you suck.
also, I sometimes use the upfaders to moderate EQ levels and make tweaks faster, on some mixers (not the vestax pcv-275) you can do the same thing for mids as you do for highs instead of keeping them a bit lower, you can switch stuff during cuts (say you're mixing into "24/7" which has a short intro, you can cut into it when it says "24/7" and switch basslines while doing that for example), my "oclock" settings might not work for all mixers as I said before since fader curves can be very different....etc.
anyhow
I spent a while writing this up so I hope it helps all of you beginners or intermediates wanting to get better at EQing during your mixes
might teach you a bit of structure too (some people don't know the 32 beat thing...strangely...that helps keep your mixes flowing and timed.)
good luck!
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Producer/DJ/Label owner
Rush Delivery Records
Visit makemeRUSH.com for music from the ONLY North American hardcore label pressing vinyl!
FREE track every Monday: http://www.rushdeliveryrecords.com/?p=229
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Cotts
Advanced Member
Australia
917 posts
Joined: Aug, 2004
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Posted - 2005/10/27 : 16:32:11
woah thanks for the essay dude, ill play around with the eq more now!!. traktor is a tight piece of software really like it, but i went out and got decks now :D!!!, so yeah im happy playing with that. I've leart beatmatching and now ill play with the eq, thanks a bunch everyone i really appreciate it!!
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http://www.djcotts.com.au
http://www.youtube.com/djcotts
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Dain-Ja
Advanced Member
Canada
1,983 posts
Joined: Oct, 2004
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Posted - 2005/10/27 : 17:05:00
no problem
should speed up the learning process a bit :)
and yeah, decks are alot more fun than traktor lol
unless you have a controller for traktor (basically an external USB interface so you can turn knobs and such that control everything in traktor...cause beatmatching with a mouse to move the pitch fader is :S)
well...even then actual decks are more fun but whatever :P
__________________________________
Producer/DJ/Label owner
Rush Delivery Records
Visit makemeRUSH.com for music from the ONLY North American hardcore label pressing vinyl!
FREE track every Monday: http://www.rushdeliveryrecords.com/?p=229
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-JFK-
Average Member
Denmark
223 posts
Joined: Nov, 2003
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Posted - 2005/10/28 : 01:23:20
thx man
just read it. its 02:30 her have 2 go 2 bed but will try it 2 morrow for sure!!!
__________________________________
::::::..:::.:::.....::...::::::...::::...::::::.:::::......:::::::
You ain't leadin' but two things now, pal. Jack and shit. And Jack left town.
Army of Darkness
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