who here spins on the ones and twos. I bought a set of technics a few months ago for the simple fact that I've always wanted to learn, just for the heck of it, and I suck major ass. Can't match a beat for shit.

And I mix (well I try) trance, which i've heard is the easiest shit to mix. Anyone got any tips..?

No. But If you've ever been to club in NY or NJ, this is EXACTLY how people act right HERE:

http://www.wimp.com/gino/

too true. :P

lmao! that shit was hilarious. Gotta get that lingo down!! :)

edit: shit how long is this crap. still watching it. "they pumping the megamix"

Hello.

been djn now for about 6yrs. I started off on dual-cd players and now have turntables. Beat matching takes a lot of practice. Best way to practice is to buy two identical records and try to mix two identical songs together. I know it sounds stupid but it gives you an easy and good lesson on how to mix. If you have any specific questions, hit me up.

Originally posted by 96rs-t
Can't match a beat for shit. And I mix (well I try) trance, which i've heard is the easiest shit to mix. Anyone got any tips..?

Well #1 you don't match the beats by the drums, you match the snares.

#2 Trance is only "easy" because it's always 4 on the floor (aka boring). You might find House easier because it's also 4otf, but you can get away with cutting pretty much anywhere in the song, unlike trance where you have to wait for the build/breakdown to finish.

#3 Don't ever release your first 5 mixtapes to anyone. No matter how good you think they are.

Congrats on getting the 1200's... anything else is a waste of time & money.

Originally posted by thedawg

Originally posted by 96rs-t Can't match a beat for shit. And I mix (well I try) trance, which i've heard is the easiest shit to mix. Anyone got any tips..?

Well #1 you don't match the beats by the drums, you match the snares. #2 Trance is only "easy" because it's always 4 on the floor (aka boring). You might find House easier because it's also 4otf, but you can get away with cutting pretty much anywhere in the song, unlike trance where you have to wait for the build/breakdown to finish. #3 Don't ever release your first 5 mixtapes to anyone. No matter how good you think they are. Congrats on getting the 1200's... anything else is a waste of time & money.

This is wrong.

#1 you DO match the beat by the kick drum with a 4-4 beat. The only genre that you match the beat by the snare is Drum and bass. Even that may be misleading with hard-step and breakcore.

#2 House is harder to play because of the melody. I've been playing for well over 10 years and find House to be one of the most difficult genres to play (and make a good mix out of). Minnimal Techno (with the exception of some of Richie Hawtins wierd out there shit) is going to be easier to play as the kicks are more defined and aren't drowned out by the faggy whine of trance or the jazzy horns of house. Also, minimal techno will more often be slower so the measure will be easier to track.

#3 As I own Techs myself I would never play on anything else, but there are other companies that have put together comparable direct drive tables, and some that surpass Techniques.

96rs-t Start by listening to the record and understand the structure of the music before you try to match beats. It's more than lining up the beats. It's also lining up the measure. in a typical techno 4-4 beat you have four kicks that repeat four times. With Drum and Bass I've noticed that it repeats 8 times, but that is something different.

<begin measure>
kick kick kick kick
kick kick kick kick
kick kick kick kick
kick kick kick kick
<end measure>

ahh, some sound advice. Thanks all. Yea, even tho I just want to learn for the straight HECK of it, i wanted the best to learn on, so I waited to get the 1200's. I like that idea of matching identical records, will try.

One question. I have a stanton mixer pretty much fully loaded with all kill switches and effects and stuff. One thing I was confused on was the fader. When i first got my TT's I bought a cheap little s mixer (also stanton), and when the fader was centered, both records would play mixed, while still maintaining the volume.

Now with this mixer, when the fader is centered, the volume automatically is lowered on both records. So the volume will only be a normal adjusted sound when the fader is on one end or the other. So I basically have to adjust the volume as i slide the fader to the other track. Is the fader just crappy?

try cleaning the fader. Most music stores sell this electrical component cleaner that you can spray into the slot as a temporary fix. Also, for the time being don't worry about anything else on the mixer. You'll be biting off more than you can chew. Once you learn the basics of matching the beat, then move onto blending and switching over the highs mids and lows.

On a side note, is trance what you ultimately want to play? If so keep collecting it. If not, start looking into a genre that is more to your liking. an excellent place to shop around for your sound is dancerecords.com. I'm not saying shop as to buy records, but to sample the different styles of electronic music that are out there. This website provides sound bites of the records which will give you a feel for the style you would ultimately want to play.

That being said. Don't limit yourself to just one style. I play primarily D&B, but I have hardcore, breaks, house, and minimal techno in my crate. First build up a collection of your favorite style though.

Originally posted by Graph-X
This is wrong.

Well I respect your differing opinion, but honestly there is no "right" way or "wrong" way and even implying so is ignorant.

Everyone learns differently, and everyone has a different style. I am suggesting what worked best for me. I couldn't even beatmatch until I started mixing by using the snares or hi-hats. The reason I suggest it as a technique is simple: A kickdrum lasts anywhere from 250-1000ms, whereas a snare or hi-hat typically only lasts 10-100ms. It's much easier to hear two short sounds mismatched than two longer ones that overlap easier. This is especially true in a live setting where you have bass echoing in the venue and overpowering your headphones.

In regards to house/techno/trance beatmatching preference, it really comes down to learning phrase matching of each genre, and picking the one you enjoy most. You'll find pretty much all 4/4 mixes have changes at 8, 16, or 32nd repeats of the 4/4 beat. House is usually dropped on the 16, Trance typically at 32, and Techno like you said could be dropped on 8's if necessary but usually 16.

But what do I know, I'm the sound engineer. Not the DJ. ;) It pays better. And its much more fun to piss off the neighbors with SL-36B's.

PS- The fader is more than likely not dirty if it's new, although it is very important to keep it clean. Most modern faders are curve adjustable, so look for a cut-in knob, or sometimes just a switch that changes the profile. Often the switch will be recessed or hidden. Also google for your mixer's model number and modifications you can do to adjust the fader or even replace it with a different style if necessary. I don't recommend mods if you plan on doing live/professional work though, since you're going to be stuck with a bone-stock mixer.

Originally posted by thedawg

Originally posted by Graph-X This is wrong.

Well I respect your differing opinion, but honestly there is no "right" way or "wrong" way and even implying so is ignorant. Everyone learns differently, and everyone has a different style. I am suggesting what worked best for me. I couldn't even beatmatch until I started mixing by using the snares or hi-hats. The reason I suggest it as a technique is simple: A kickdrum lasts anywhere from 250-1000ms, whereas a snare or hi-hat typically only lasts 10-100ms. It's much easier to hear two short sounds mismatched than two longer ones that overlap easier. This is especially true in a live setting where you have bass echoing in the venue and overpowering your headphones. In regards to house/techno/trance beatmatching preference, it really comes down to learning phrase matching of each genre, and picking the one you enjoy most. You'll find pretty much all 4/4 mixes have changes at 8, 16, or 32nd repeats of the 4/4 beat. House is usually dropped on the 16, Trance typically at 32, and Techno like you said could be dropped on 8's if necessary but usually 16. But what do I know, I'm the sound engineer. Not the DJ. ;) It pays better. And its much more fun to piss off the neighbors with SL-36B's. PS- The fader is more than likely not dirty if it's new, although it is very important to keep it clean. Most modern faders are curve adjustable, so look for a cut-in knob, or sometimes just a switch that changes the profile. Often the switch will be recessed or hidden. Also google for your mixer's model number and modifications you can do to adjust the fader or even replace it with a different style if necessary. I don't recommend mods if you plan on doing live/professional work though, since you're going to be stuck with a bone-stock mixer.

My saying that you were wrong was due to the fact that a 4/4 is measured by the kick not the other percussions. Also on that note the snares and hi-hats will often change up throughout the measure, whereas the kick will not change (or change at the end of the measure). True, it is all a matter of perception and opinion, even with my statement of ease of playability with regards to each genre. I retract my earlier ellusion to statement of fact and replace with statement of opinion.

You're damn right it pays better. That's why I turned to visual displays. I haven't played records out in a couple years.

I learned a lot of what I know as far as tips from this site: http://pioneerprodjforums.com/ GREAT site even if you dont own pioneer gear. Check out the DJ-101 Section (Rookie Section). They cover a lot of the basic fundamentals to DJn there

Pioneerprodjforums.com is to DJn AS 2gnt.com is to DSMs