Author Topic: DJing  (Read 13872 times)

danieltorres

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DJing
« on: April 14, 2016, 02:51:37 am »
Ive recently started DJing with Djay pro on my mac (for myself), and Ive found that it really motivates me to keep working on producing music. Anyone have any tips/recommendations on starting out?

Lydian

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Re: DJing
« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2016, 03:19:31 am »
MIX IN KEY

This came naturally to me because I learned music before I learned to DJ. My dad used to mix songs with totally different keys in his sets and it used to bug the hell out of me once my ears were finally developed enough to hear the clashing notes. If you don't know music theory or aren't able to recognize songs with similar keys then I'd HIGHLY recommend downloading a software called Mixed In Key. It figures out all the keys of the song for you and adds them to the id3 tags that way you can tell which songs will flow into each other.

Another tip as a DJ is don't kill the dance floor. Be very aware of the drums in your mix. The drums is what makes people wanna dance. If you remove the drums at the wrong time then you can totally KILL a dance floor.

Finally, be aware of the amount of energy within your mix. If you're playing at the chorus and you're at the climax of your track then you don't want to mix it into a song that is barely getting started. This will also kill the dance floor.



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vinceasot

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Re: DJing
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2016, 11:17:17 am »
its good to be both man!

producing = problem solving


« Last Edit: April 14, 2016, 01:11:11 pm by vinceasot »

Marrow Machines

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Re: DJing
« Reply #3 on: April 14, 2016, 01:29:34 pm »
its good to be both man!

producing = problem solving

i think that's actually sound/mix engineering. Producing is more about the attitude and the ability to explain to the performer a way for them to get a type of performance out a particular artist, helps if they aren't understanding a concept or getting it just right.

But a producer can be a sound/mix engineer. They do have different problems to solve how ever...

Back on topic, i find that playing live shows or performing the music you make is a great way to stay motivated. But you shouldn't rely on that to continue making the music. You have to dig deeper to want to walk down the creative path, every thing else is icing.
Josh Huval: Honestly, the guys who are making good art are spending their time making it.

Red X

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Re: DJing
« Reply #4 on: April 26, 2016, 10:31:57 pm »
do i need decks to start learning how to dj?

bst148

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Re: DJing
« Reply #5 on: April 27, 2016, 06:19:54 am »
Tbf I think you can easily learn how to dj fair quickly . I mean simple djing including simple transitions . Maybe start with a console ? That's pretty the same as players and it's not as expensive lol .

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Re: DJing
« Reply #6 on: April 27, 2016, 08:00:05 am »
I recall a porter robinson or zedd interview in which they said their first show they DJ'd with traktor and the mouse... Not really sure how that worked out.

Ideally you'd need a dj controller and software.
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Red X

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Re: DJing
« Reply #7 on: April 27, 2016, 06:59:20 pm »
Tbf I think you can easily learn how to dj fair quickly . I mean simple djing including simple transitions . Maybe start with a console ? That's pretty the same as players and it's not as expensive lol .

yea i want to go local imma do some more research dont want to do anything fancy just get the basics atm

Lydian

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Re: DJing
« Reply #8 on: April 27, 2016, 10:36:32 pm »
Quote
yea i want to go local imma do some more research dont want to do anything fancy just get the basics atm

You should be able to pick up djing in 1/100th of the time it takes to pick up production. At least that's how it's been in my experience.
A young 14 year old me with a really bad haircut. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eMbftWV75w

Mussar

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Re: DJing
« Reply #9 on: April 28, 2016, 05:01:38 am »
I recall a porter robinson or zedd interview in which they said their first show they DJ'd with traktor and the mouse... Not really sure how that worked out.



Traktor has native keybindings on the keyboard. Learn those, DJ without decks.

Amrith

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Re: DJing
« Reply #10 on: April 28, 2016, 10:41:02 pm »
I started off with a pair of Numark NDX 400's and an M4 mixer. I learned a lot, but it was abysmal. Get Traktor or Serato and some random controller off of Craigslist and go to town. Tbh all you absolutely have to have is two decks, volume controls, and EQ. Learn the basics and upgrade later. :)
Some emo kid couldn't start a band, so he picked up a computer instead. That's going pretty well.

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Re: DJing
« Reply #11 on: April 30, 2016, 06:45:38 am »
Other than mix in key, experiment with different types of transitions such as eqing as a transition
never enough hours in the day

Mussar

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Re: DJing
« Reply #12 on: May 02, 2016, 01:36:41 am »
I would be willing to argue that it's okay to not mix in key - if the feeling of the song is right. Laidback Luke admitted in his #RealDJing seminar last year that he does not mix in key. Are any of you gonna call him a horrible DJ? :P

If you are going to mix in key, however, don't forget that most DJ software is capable of pitch shifting so you don't have to limit yourself as much as you might think.

Lydian

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Re: DJing
« Reply #13 on: May 03, 2016, 03:32:34 am »
I would be willing to argue that it's okay to not mix in key - if the feeling of the song is right. Laidback Luke admitted in his #RealDJing seminar last year that he does not mix in key. Are any of you gonna call him a horrible DJ? :P

If you are going to mix in key, however, don't forget that most DJ software is capable of pitch shifting so you don't have to limit yourself as much as you might think.

Fair enough. My dad got by without mixing in key for 25 years. I don't think the crowd cares about keys, bpms, or effects. If it sounds good it sounds good.  ;D
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ion

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Re: DJing
« Reply #14 on: May 03, 2016, 06:27:36 am »
Fair enough. My dad got by without mixing in key for 25 years. I don't think the crowd cares about keys, bpms, or effects. If it sounds good it sounds good.  ;D

Are you sure that your dad didn´t mix in key?  Because it is not like the concept is new, it´s just that most old school djs never knew if the did that or not.  If he has good ears, then he probably did.
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