djnutz
I hope this thread is sticky worthy.
I have read pages upon pages of questions, problems, "how-do-I's," etc that I have decided to try and bring a lot of answers to all these questions to a singular post. Sure there are a guides here and everywhere else on how to do this and that, yet the same questions are always asked. If you feel I have missed something or if you know a better/different way, add your knowledge to this thread. Let's get started!
How do I get started mixing?
This seems to be a big one. The simple answer is make the down beats line up on EVERY down beat between two songs. What is really being asked is,
"How do I sound like all the awesome DJ's I have seen and heard?"
There is only one way.
PRACTICE.
PRACTICE.
PRACTICE.
Then when you think you have it down, practice some more. You can't go out and buy the shoes that Kobe Bryant uses and just expect to play like him. Same thing applies. Just because you go out and buy the gear and the media doesn't mean DJ'ing will just happen. Also, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BEAT MIX!!!! Song selection is WAY more important than beatmixing. Unless your name is Tiesto, Deadmau5, Etc, your are gonna have to research your crowd you plan to play for and make sure you can actually pick the right songs to play. The big names like those mentioned can show up and play whatever they please and people will come to watch. But I can guarantee you that at one point they started just like you. I would also suggest heading to your local bookstore and read up on music theory. The patterns and ways songs are constructed needs to be understood to be able to mix at THE RIGHT POINT in the song. Is it a 16 count, or a 32 count intro? What key are the two songs in? What about the energy level of the two songs? Just because they have the same tempo, doesn't mean they will blend well.
How do I hook (insert gear here) to (insert gear here)?
My favorite variation to this question is the level of urgency: "Help I have a gig tonight! How do I...?"
If someone came up to you and asked you to drive their car in the Indy500 and you had never driven an Indy car, would you be completely honest and tell them that you have never driven Indy cars before? Most of us drive every single day. Just because we drive doesn't make us race car drivers. Even if you have ever raced a guy from one red light to the next doesn't qualify you to drive an Indy car. Also, you aren't going to log into a Indy forum and ask,
"How do I drive this thing? I have a race this weekend! Help!"
Now DJ'ing is not a +200mph sport. I get that. But before a driver sets foot on the track in Indy, you can bet he's done his homework. He knows his car inside and out. He knows the track. If money were no object, I could go out and buy an Indy car and enter myself in the race. How well do you suppose I will do? I have watched a lot of races. I even played racing video games. Oh yeah, I stole the gas for my car too. It's no biggie. The company that makes the racing fuel get's enough money from other teams and sources. They won't even notice the fact that I didn't pay.
Doesn't sound very professional does it?
Same theory applies yet again. Have a legal media library. Buy decent gear. Read the owners manuals! I will say it again: READ THE OWNERS MANUAL!!! If you buy a used piece of gear, Google is your best friend. Type in the name of the gear and the word "manual." The thing about DJ gear is this: From the analog source to the speakers has not changed much. Speakon, XLR, RCA, and 1/4 Unbalanced are pretty much all there is to it. Where most of the questions come in, they are about how do I get sound out of this computer and into my audio gear? That is the function of a soundcard. This next bit is very important:
A soundcard is simply an analog to digital to analog converter
It takes a digital signal (the mp3/wav/mp4/etc) and converts all those 1's and 0's to analog sound. Likewise, they can take an analog signal (like a microphone, instrument, or a live feed) and convert it to 1's and 0's that the computer understands. Soundcards can be built in (i.e. the headphone jack on your computer) or they can be external. External cards come in a variety of flavors. Some are integrated into MIDI controllers. Some are rackmountable. Some, like Serato's interface, include the software. They can be big, Like the M-Audio Profire 2626 or small like the Numark DJIO. They come with a variety of inputs and outputs. Some communicate with the computer via USB, and some via Firewire.
Now with all those variables, you can see where knowing the specific information about the gear will help answer the question. That being said, here is a simple guideline:
The computer needs a soundcard to get sound out.
If it's an internal card, look at the jacks. 99% of the time it will be a 1/8th (3.5mm) jack. These are typically called headphone jacks. They make cables that have a 1/8 plug on one end and different plugs on the other. With an internal card, most of the time you will need a cable that has a stereo 1/8 plug on one end, and two RCA's on the other. If you don't know what an RCA plug is...
The 1/8 plug will plug into your internal soundcard, usually on the headphone jack. The RCA end (typically red and white) will plug into your mixer. This is where it gets confusing for some. How you setup VirtualDJ will affect what is coming out of those RCA plugs. You can setup your sound configuration as a mono separated and send one deck to the red RCA and the other deck to the white RCA. Then you would need an adapter for the RCA end of the cable.
Most mixers will have a red and a white RCA jack for each channel. This is for stereo sound: Red is the right signal and white is the left. You will need 2 splitters. The splitter has a single female RCA on one end and two male RCA's on the other. Plug the 2 male RCA's from one splitter into the red and white RCA on a channel on your mixer. Do the same with the other splitter on the other channel. Now you have effectively turned each channel from red and white RCA's to a single RCA for each channel. Now take your cable from the computer and whichever RCA you assigned to deck one plugs into the deck one adapter on the mixer. Do the same for deck 2. Now your mixer becomes the volume control for each channel. Your headphone cueing will be done from the mixer as well.
If it's an external card, most of the time they will have RCA jacks on them. It's as simple as red to red and white to white. Now instead of a mono signal, you can send a stereo signal to each channel on your mixer. The adapters you used before are no longer needed. The attacment from sound card to computer will either be USB or Firewire. This is the desired method. Most QUALITY external soundcards offer much better performance that using built in sound.
To buy or not to buy
This is a black and white issue.
VirtualDJ Home is now available completely FREE for non-commercial use.
Designed for home DJs, VirtualDJ Home includes nearly all the features of VirtualDJ Pro, with only a few limitations.
If you don't own or don't plan to use any additional DJ hardware (mixer, turntable, DJ controller or video projector), then VirtualDJ Home will meet all your requirements.
If you do plan on hooking up a mixer, controller, turntables, CDJ's, video projector or TV, then you need to purchase the Full Pro version. If you plan on playing for the public, even if it's at your buddy's house in his basement for a house party, then you need the Full Pro version. The full Pro license also gives you access to all the sweet skins, plugins and updates. FREE! FOR LIFE! If you want to be taken seriously as a professional DJ and if you want to be truly respected as a peer on these forums, then going pro is the only way to go.
Communication
If you are still reading all this, here is my final bit of advice. Learn how to communicate with proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. This is not a cell phone text message. Communicating properly will get your questions answered much quicker. I don't care if you are 14 or 40, communicating properly not only helps here, but when you sit down with prospective clients, it's important to sound professional. Walk into a meeting with a bride to be or a bar owner and spew out a bunch of street slang, you are likely to lose out on the gig. This is a business and if you expect to be treated with professional respect, you need to communicate as such.
I hope this helps you succeed!
I have read pages upon pages of questions, problems, "how-do-I's," etc that I have decided to try and bring a lot of answers to all these questions to a singular post. Sure there are a guides here and everywhere else on how to do this and that, yet the same questions are always asked. If you feel I have missed something or if you know a better/different way, add your knowledge to this thread. Let's get started!
How do I get started mixing?
This seems to be a big one. The simple answer is make the down beats line up on EVERY down beat between two songs. What is really being asked is,
"How do I sound like all the awesome DJ's I have seen and heard?"
There is only one way.
PRACTICE.
PRACTICE.
PRACTICE.
Then when you think you have it down, practice some more. You can't go out and buy the shoes that Kobe Bryant uses and just expect to play like him. Same thing applies. Just because you go out and buy the gear and the media doesn't mean DJ'ing will just happen. Also, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BEAT MIX!!!! Song selection is WAY more important than beatmixing. Unless your name is Tiesto, Deadmau5, Etc, your are gonna have to research your crowd you plan to play for and make sure you can actually pick the right songs to play. The big names like those mentioned can show up and play whatever they please and people will come to watch. But I can guarantee you that at one point they started just like you. I would also suggest heading to your local bookstore and read up on music theory. The patterns and ways songs are constructed needs to be understood to be able to mix at THE RIGHT POINT in the song. Is it a 16 count, or a 32 count intro? What key are the two songs in? What about the energy level of the two songs? Just because they have the same tempo, doesn't mean they will blend well.
How do I hook (insert gear here) to (insert gear here)?
My favorite variation to this question is the level of urgency: "Help I have a gig tonight! How do I...?"
If someone came up to you and asked you to drive their car in the Indy500 and you had never driven an Indy car, would you be completely honest and tell them that you have never driven Indy cars before? Most of us drive every single day. Just because we drive doesn't make us race car drivers. Even if you have ever raced a guy from one red light to the next doesn't qualify you to drive an Indy car. Also, you aren't going to log into a Indy forum and ask,
"How do I drive this thing? I have a race this weekend! Help!"
Now DJ'ing is not a +200mph sport. I get that. But before a driver sets foot on the track in Indy, you can bet he's done his homework. He knows his car inside and out. He knows the track. If money were no object, I could go out and buy an Indy car and enter myself in the race. How well do you suppose I will do? I have watched a lot of races. I even played racing video games. Oh yeah, I stole the gas for my car too. It's no biggie. The company that makes the racing fuel get's enough money from other teams and sources. They won't even notice the fact that I didn't pay.
Doesn't sound very professional does it?
Same theory applies yet again. Have a legal media library. Buy decent gear. Read the owners manuals! I will say it again: READ THE OWNERS MANUAL!!! If you buy a used piece of gear, Google is your best friend. Type in the name of the gear and the word "manual." The thing about DJ gear is this: From the analog source to the speakers has not changed much. Speakon, XLR, RCA, and 1/4 Unbalanced are pretty much all there is to it. Where most of the questions come in, they are about how do I get sound out of this computer and into my audio gear? That is the function of a soundcard. This next bit is very important:
It takes a digital signal (the mp3/wav/mp4/etc) and converts all those 1's and 0's to analog sound. Likewise, they can take an analog signal (like a microphone, instrument, or a live feed) and convert it to 1's and 0's that the computer understands. Soundcards can be built in (i.e. the headphone jack on your computer) or they can be external. External cards come in a variety of flavors. Some are integrated into MIDI controllers. Some are rackmountable. Some, like Serato's interface, include the software. They can be big, Like the M-Audio Profire 2626 or small like the Numark DJIO. They come with a variety of inputs and outputs. Some communicate with the computer via USB, and some via Firewire.
Now with all those variables, you can see where knowing the specific information about the gear will help answer the question. That being said, here is a simple guideline:
The computer needs a soundcard to get sound out.
If it's an internal card, look at the jacks. 99% of the time it will be a 1/8th (3.5mm) jack. These are typically called headphone jacks. They make cables that have a 1/8 plug on one end and different plugs on the other. With an internal card, most of the time you will need a cable that has a stereo 1/8 plug on one end, and two RCA's on the other. If you don't know what an RCA plug is...
The 1/8 plug will plug into your internal soundcard, usually on the headphone jack. The RCA end (typically red and white) will plug into your mixer. This is where it gets confusing for some. How you setup VirtualDJ will affect what is coming out of those RCA plugs. You can setup your sound configuration as a mono separated and send one deck to the red RCA and the other deck to the white RCA. Then you would need an adapter for the RCA end of the cable.
Most mixers will have a red and a white RCA jack for each channel. This is for stereo sound: Red is the right signal and white is the left. You will need 2 splitters. The splitter has a single female RCA on one end and two male RCA's on the other. Plug the 2 male RCA's from one splitter into the red and white RCA on a channel on your mixer. Do the same with the other splitter on the other channel. Now you have effectively turned each channel from red and white RCA's to a single RCA for each channel. Now take your cable from the computer and whichever RCA you assigned to deck one plugs into the deck one adapter on the mixer. Do the same for deck 2. Now your mixer becomes the volume control for each channel. Your headphone cueing will be done from the mixer as well.
If it's an external card, most of the time they will have RCA jacks on them. It's as simple as red to red and white to white. Now instead of a mono signal, you can send a stereo signal to each channel on your mixer. The adapters you used before are no longer needed. The attacment from sound card to computer will either be USB or Firewire. This is the desired method. Most QUALITY external soundcards offer much better performance that using built in sound.
To buy or not to buy
This is a black and white issue.
Designed for home DJs, VirtualDJ Home includes nearly all the features of VirtualDJ Pro, with only a few limitations.
If you don't own or don't plan to use any additional DJ hardware (mixer, turntable, DJ controller or video projector), then VirtualDJ Home will meet all your requirements.
If you do plan on hooking up a mixer, controller, turntables, CDJ's, video projector or TV, then you need to purchase the Full Pro version. If you plan on playing for the public, even if it's at your buddy's house in his basement for a house party, then you need the Full Pro version. The full Pro license also gives you access to all the sweet skins, plugins and updates. FREE! FOR LIFE! If you want to be taken seriously as a professional DJ and if you want to be truly respected as a peer on these forums, then going pro is the only way to go.
Communication
If you are still reading all this, here is my final bit of advice. Learn how to communicate with proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. This is not a cell phone text message. Communicating properly will get your questions answered much quicker. I don't care if you are 14 or 40, communicating properly not only helps here, but when you sit down with prospective clients, it's important to sound professional. Walk into a meeting with a bride to be or a bar owner and spew out a bunch of street slang, you are likely to lose out on the gig. This is a business and if you expect to be treated with professional respect, you need to communicate as such.
I hope this helps you succeed!
Posted Fri 25 Mar 11 @ 10:15 am
DJ Marcel_1
Some good advice there
Posted Fri 25 Mar 11 @ 12:32 pm
that was good....
too short to be wind-bag long
too long to be overly simple
i like the sports analogy and the hopeful personal sentiment
too short to be wind-bag long
too long to be overly simple
i like the sports analogy and the hopeful personal sentiment
Posted Fri 25 Mar 11 @ 12:52 pm
djdad
Thank you djnutz for your infos and tips. I'm sure a lot of users might find some answers in your post. Instead of filling Forums with stickies, we have created Wiki Page http://www.virtualdj.com/wiki/index.html
So, you may add a page there, or add the contents of your post to another existing similar page. In case you find a page locked for security reasons and you need to add something, please pm a moderator, and we will deal with it.
So, you may add a page there, or add the contents of your post to another existing similar page. In case you find a page locked for security reasons and you need to add something, please pm a moderator, and we will deal with it.
Posted Fri 25 Mar 11 @ 1:08 pm
SuperAceMan
Damn Nutz! That is an excellent piece of article for the newbie and the up and comers. Love the race car analogy too. Plenty of information in there that covers most of the continually posted questions. +1 for taking the time to write that all out.
Now please excuse me while I go siphon some fuel for my race car :)
AC
Now please excuse me while I go siphon some fuel for my race car :)
AC
Posted Fri 25 Mar 11 @ 3:16 pm
AudioDelite
sticky status!
Posted Sun 27 Mar 11 @ 1:43 pm
djnutz
It's a good review for us "veterans" as well.
Posted Mon 28 Mar 11 @ 7:25 am
fett75
This is the first time I've ever really posted to any kind of forums so hopefully I get this right. I just got my mixdeck. It's used. I'm running vdj 7. I'm looking for what to put in the mapping sections to get the mixdeck to do the things I want. Right now inthe search field it has vinyl 0 and vinyl 1. Very slow to search. I've tried tractor that came with it and it can search very fast through the track but the program itself is not very user friendly. Virtual DJ is way better in every way that I can see. I'm not sure what the person who had the mixdeck before was using or if that even matters. When I hold the search button and turn the parameter knob I only get 15 30 or 60. I've tried all of them but still a very slow search.
Posted Mon 28 Mar 11 @ 2:07 pm
djnutz
I was reminded of another valuable tip:
You are ALWAYS on stage.
You never know who might be watching and listening. It really doesn't matter if it's Facebook, the mall, the gas station, or at a gig, your next client could come from anywhere. Be mindful of what you say and who you say it to. Mom's advice: "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." This should be your golden rule. In addition to the gigs I book for myself, I also do work for 3 different DJ companies in my town. How did I become the "go to" guy for 3 competitors? I treat them all with respect. I don't share information about any of them with the others. And I am always ready when they call.
So keep this in mind before you post on Facebook or message boards, hit send on that email, or cut someone off in traffic: That could be your next client.
You are ALWAYS on stage.
You never know who might be watching and listening. It really doesn't matter if it's Facebook, the mall, the gas station, or at a gig, your next client could come from anywhere. Be mindful of what you say and who you say it to. Mom's advice: "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." This should be your golden rule. In addition to the gigs I book for myself, I also do work for 3 different DJ companies in my town. How did I become the "go to" guy for 3 competitors? I treat them all with respect. I don't share information about any of them with the others. And I am always ready when they call.
So keep this in mind before you post on Facebook or message boards, hit send on that email, or cut someone off in traffic: That could be your next client.
Posted Wed 30 Mar 11 @ 8:23 am
SuperAceMan
+1 Nutz
This can't be stressed enough. I think I mentioned this in another thread, but for those who haven't read it here it goes again:
A few years back I finished a club gig on a horrible winter night. On the way home I saw flashing lights through the storm and slowed down to see what was up. I got out of the car to find a guy who had blew a tire and slid off into the shoulder struggling with the spare (he was not mechanically inclined at all). I got the spare tire on for him and he was insistent on repaying me for the 10 minutes I spent fixing his car. I gave him my card and wished him a safe trip home.
Less than a year later, I ended up DJing his wedding! Not only that, but I am still getting clients referred to me by him on a regular basis. That one stop on the side of the road landed me 25+ clients to date. I also got a really good lawyer (turned out to be his profession) and friend out of the deal too!
So Nutz is 100% right. You never know who is going to be your next client. Treat everyone with respect and be friendly.
AC
This can't be stressed enough. I think I mentioned this in another thread, but for those who haven't read it here it goes again:
A few years back I finished a club gig on a horrible winter night. On the way home I saw flashing lights through the storm and slowed down to see what was up. I got out of the car to find a guy who had blew a tire and slid off into the shoulder struggling with the spare (he was not mechanically inclined at all). I got the spare tire on for him and he was insistent on repaying me for the 10 minutes I spent fixing his car. I gave him my card and wished him a safe trip home.
Less than a year later, I ended up DJing his wedding! Not only that, but I am still getting clients referred to me by him on a regular basis. That one stop on the side of the road landed me 25+ clients to date. I also got a really good lawyer (turned out to be his profession) and friend out of the deal too!
So Nutz is 100% right. You never know who is going to be your next client. Treat everyone with respect and be friendly.
AC
Posted Wed 30 Mar 11 @ 12:45 pm
coach k
djnutz wrote :
How do I get started mixing?
This seems to be a big one. The simple answer is make the down beats line up on EVERY down beat between two songs. What is really being asked is,
"How do I sound like all the awesome DJ's I have seen and heard?"
There is only one way.
PRACTICE.
PRACTICE.
PRACTICE.
I would also suggest heading to your local bookstore and read up on music theory. The patterns and ways songs are constructed needs to be understood to be able to mix at THE RIGHT POINT in the song. Is it a 16 count, or a 32 count intro? What key are the two songs in? What about the energy level of the two songs? Just because they have the same tempo, doesn't mean they will blend well.
How do I get started mixing?
This seems to be a big one. The simple answer is make the down beats line up on EVERY down beat between two songs. What is really being asked is,
"How do I sound like all the awesome DJ's I have seen and heard?"
There is only one way.
PRACTICE.
PRACTICE.
PRACTICE.
I would also suggest heading to your local bookstore and read up on music theory. The patterns and ways songs are constructed needs to be understood to be able to mix at THE RIGHT POINT in the song. Is it a 16 count, or a 32 count intro? What key are the two songs in? What about the energy level of the two songs? Just because they have the same tempo, doesn't mean they will blend well.
Great Stuff DJ Nutz!!! I had to add in on this one!
Some DJ's today act like Allen Iverson when it comes to practice, yet when they need to be more Like MJ when it comes to be a DJ and Practice, Practice, Practice!!!
As long as I been in this game, I still practice 15 hours a week minimum and when I do my gigs, it shows! Do I doubt my skills? NEVER!!! I just know, I can only get better with practice and it keeps me fresh! Weather I get behind the turntables or a console, I know I'm prepared to rock the house!
Honestly to me, no new DJ should jump into doing a gig until he or she has practiced at least 6 months, because this gives them enough time to practice and feel comfortable with DeeJaying in front of large crowds! Yet if you think you can handle a crowd sooner, try to make it as small and intimate as possible! Something like 25 - 75 people! This will prepare you for the larger crowds in the 100's, even 1000's! That's just my opinion!
Then what you said about MUSIC THEORY is on point 100% and I have to be honest with you, it's a lost art when it comes to being a DJ! This is why I tell young DJ's don't just marvel at what you hear, but listen to it with a critics ear. It's not to be harsh, but to understand what the DJ is doing! So don't be afraid to go to a club or a party and just listen to another DJ, because you'll more than likely learn something! Find your favorite mix DJ on the radio and listen to everything he does from cuts, scratches, mashups/blends, transitions. Watch them on video as if you're an athlete studying your opponent.
Another way to help with music theory is the LOOP! VDJ allows you to loop, so take the time to loop up to a 32 count and listen closely to the loops. Use both decks and match the loops! This will teach you how to beat match much easier! Yet Like I always say, "ALL BEATS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL!" So make sure the beats have a common sound, tempo or pitch! Now don't become dependent on this method, because it's a practice method, but do use it when the time calls for it!
Just because technology makes it easier for today's DJ, doesn't mean you'll become an "overnight master of the mix!" NO, YOU NEED TO PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! You want to be the MAN/WOMAN, then put in your time and pay your dues!!!
Posted Fri 01 Apr 11 @ 11:03 am