Madjay

looking for tips on how to improve my mixing from sounding like galloping horses to more like paul van dyk stuff

unclebuck

I'm not, but I know the secret... loads of PRACTICE

Freak is yer man.... (if he's around)

UB

Madjay

practice is starting to **** me off, need some new records to keep me interested. been playing with the same records for over 3 months

NACRO

Yuo've just said it yourself, you need to keep things fresh and constantly challenge yourself. Also try to sit down and just listen to and enjoy your records as well as mixing them.

unclebuck

Getting new choons is a seriously expensive game All the pro DJs I know have got themselves onto mailing lists where they got sent forthcoming twelves for free in return for sending reports of what they thought of them, where they played them, and how well they went down etc. How you blagg that one, I have no idea.

UB

Freak

practice practice and practice
Seriously- its so frustrating at first, but it gets easier as you get more comfortable with it- ive tried to teach people before and they are almost scared to touch the record.
Getting used to each ear hearing different things is awkward, physically manipulating the records takes some getting used to

As long as your pitch from in the headphones is ok and in the ball park you should be able to keep it there and avoid the stampede

If you start to get the stampeding buffalo/galloping horses, then if the one you are bringing in is too slow, give the record a little push (index finger on the label in the middle)
If its too fast, swipe your fingers on the stobe pattern on the side of the platter to slow it down slightly- im always doing this to make very minute corrections to the pitch and keep them in time- all djs do it- its just done so subtley and in such a way that you dont hear it.

If your mixer has a split cue function you could try this- you will then hear one record in each headphone and this should make it a lot easier to avoid the stampede

Try learning with some really simple records rathe than full on trancey stuff or complex stuff- just takes practice to keep the beat on- the simpler the beat the easier it is.

As for records- my spare room is full of them and im gaining more at a stupid rate (at least 50 a week)
Mailing lists are a godsend but a nightmare to get onto unless you a pro dj working in commercial or high profile venues

Stick at it dude- i persevered with it when it was hard and now this is my career.

unclebuck

LOL Yea, up to a point. I've known people with *big* piles of returns on the kitchen table waiting to be filled out for all sorts of rubbish. but they *have* to rate them all to stay on the list. Nice job for a Sunday <not>

UB

beemerboy

get a job at Capitol radio then!! LOL

BB

specialx

As above practice and more practice! just buy tunes every few days rather than lots in one go! I have been dj/producing for 15 years and have only taught another 2 poeple to mix! both times it took 3 hours a night for four days but this did the trick! I also enter the dmc championships every few years but scratch cut and beat juggling has took me 15 years to master and I learn something new every week so don't expext to be blasting the mighty craze off the decks anytime soon!! X

mj

@BB

Madjay

thanks guys, sometimes it sounds like i've got it then i get a bit over confident and it just gets bolloxed up. hate tapes once i put one in, i cant mix for sheeite

StickyMicky

im pretty good at it

DJ Dunk

iTrader: (5)

DJing ? Me ? Nah, never

Patience is a virtue. If you're like me you do get bored with tunes very quickly and it does get expensive. I started off with a pair of mismatched decks that cost me about £25 each Although they were cheap and sounded sh!te it helped my mixing/beatmatching skills no end because you had to work that bit harder to get them in time, one touch and they were all over the place. Using my 1210's after that was a breeze

My advice for a beginner is start of with something simple, doesn't even have to be stuff you like, its just to get you used to the idea of beatmatching. Start with some simple clean breaks and mix those, then progress to something like simple 4/4 house and work your way up to the gabba and thrash techno Personally, I'm a Jungle/Drum 'n' Bass man which can be fiddly with so many vocals and samples, but that makes it all the more rewarding when you strike a good mix

Get some good headphones too, as they make all the difference. You'll be able to hear the beats a lot more clearly defined whereas with cheapo ones, all you'll hear is bass.

Good slipmats are also a must, if you want to get fancy, then you'll be wanting some Butter Rugs.

Just keep at it and don't try to run before you can walk. Trying to do tapes is all well and good, but if you're sh!te, you'll only get more p!ssed off.

Most of all, try to listen to the tunes, get used to the different stages in a record and how they progress, there's a pattern to all tunes and you need to break that down in your head to really grasp when you should be mixing and when you shouldn't IMO.

Have fun

[Edited by DJ Dunk - 11/13/2003 9:17:10 AM]

Dream Weaver

Only problem is after a while (I did it for 8 years), every tune you hear wherever you are is usually broken down into sections, bars and beats

Practice is the way, with a sprinkling of talent.

Miss my DJing days, need to invest in some new 1210's when we move - aah Still have the 1000 + twelves here,

DJ Dunk

iTrader: (5)

Too true mate I sometimes find myself doing hand movements at the point where I'd start the mix And no I don't mean this one

civictyper

Just a couple of questions

what's your setup at the mo ?
what's your technique ?

I sympathise with the record situation. DJing is a major money pit which is why I can't be arsed any more. As above though you need loads of practise.

Easiest thing to do (but most boring) to get your beat matching together is to find two records with not much going on but a beat. Then try (at a lower speed than normal) to match them up. Doing it at a lower speed makes the whole thing a bit easier and just speed it up as you get more confident.

As I said it's bloody boring but getting the timing right is pretty fundamental. Once sussed you can mess about with when and where to overlap etc.

With regard to your current records work on getting to know them inside out, which two go together the best and where they mix best. Sounds naff but selecting the two best records is as important IMHO as beat matching etc.

Dream Weaver

Dunk, still do that mate, and I started DJing in 1992

Missus thinks i'm mad when we are driving along and my hand is flipping the vinyl forward, or scratching in time.

civictyper

LOL

You spent as much as £25 each

I started on a pair of old belt drives and have to say that they were the best for starting out. I had to really work on winding that record round/slowing it down so, like you, found it heavenly switching to 1210's.

Knew some posh gits (I was jealous as hell) that started out using 1210's and found the whole thing more difficult for it.

Dazza01

Im a D J.......by name

DJ Dunk

iTrader: (5)

I started in around 1989-90 and don't do it as much as I used to. Still like to have a tinker now and again

Took me a fair few years before I could splash out on 1210's and all the other bits and bobs I have now.

unclebuck

here's some proper DJs



UB

DJ Dunk

iTrader: (5)

@rse, beaten to the corner

[Edited by DJ Dunk - 11/13/2003 4:17:37 PM]

eClaire

Madjay, you want to be speaking to Dazapc, he usually hangs around the northern board

Madjay

"what's your setup at the mo ?
what's your technique ?"

2x Numark tt200 direct drives
Vestax PV002 mixer
Technics Hifi 320watts output
and really good earphones which begin with Se-something-izer
and Orfon Carts

Madjay

I havent really got a style as yet of music i prefer, as i used to love Trance, but its crap basically now, i like Hardhouse, but again hard to get proper good stuff. like a bit of funky techno/house music at the mo

Freak

Nat21- various commercial clubs for a large corporation all over the place. Some nights i do R&B/hip hop/soul , others its dance, and sometimes party stuff-some places its anything&everything goes all in one nite.

For a home set up thats fine dude- i use ortofons at work- cant buy better carts and stylus, and sennheisers are top notch headphones.
Turntables are direct drive too which is a must.

You should have no problems finding decent funky house tunes at the mo- there is more of this stuff than any other dance music about and its played more than ever at the mo.

Stick at it- try the two copies of the same tune method-might help you no end

Madjay

where do u get ur records from?

can u name me a few good choons that are doing the rounds, i aint been out clubbing in over 3 months so im out of the zone really

specialx

Nat21 I play all over the uk and have done a few gigs in europe, I play/produce the music nobody likes D&B lol!

Dream Weaver

Had a good session on the decks on Saturday night (cheers AlexB), first time playing for over 5 years

Must be like riding a bike as it al came flooding back straight away, even the scratching

On the look out for some new decks now