Quick Sign In:  

Forum: Music discussion

Topic: Club Mixing - Page: 9

This part of topic is old and might contain outdated or incorrect information

so much lesson are very deeply for a have you a thank you
 

Posted Tue 06 Feb 07 @ 9:36 pm
andyb8Home userMember since 2007
oioi wassup wats the gud advice thn???
 

Posted Thu 08 Feb 07 @ 9:16 pm
zaydenHome userMember since 2007
Hi guys i am also an up an coming Dj like u i am having my secound gig in an Jazz club in 2weeks time i am not very nervous because like i said it is my secound gig the dj at the club doen`t play the type of music i prefere to and the patrons that are all in there early 30`s i am thinkin of going the old school route please advised what must i do.

Dj Jazzy
 

Posted Fri 16 Feb 07 @ 5:37 pm
@Dj Jazzy

I would experiment with Jazz and Old School. Let’s say that the crowd likes Old School; you would play Old School during the Waiting (a mixture of Old School and Jazz), Boarding, Departure, and Stratosphere phases of Club Mixing. You could play Jazz during the other phases of Club Mixing. If you don’t know what these phases are, please continue reading. As you read each phase, imagine yourself as a DJ Pilot that has the responsibility of taking the passengers (the crowd) in a club on an audio adventure. Here are the eight phases with brief descriptions:

1.The Preparation Phase-You properly preparing yourself to take the crowd on an audio adventure. You have your sets arranged so that you can take your passengers on different directions during the audio adventure. Just as a pilot is prepared to encounter different
conditions during a flight, your sets are prepared to encounter different conditions at the club.

2.The Arrival Phase-Just as a pilot arrives earlier and checks his equipment in the cockpit, you also arrive early and check the equipment at the club. When your passengers begin to arrive, you play music that’s appropriate for their arrival. Since this is considered social time, your music should set a social mood.

3.The Waiting Phase-As the passengers are waiting for the audio adventure to start, you occasional play dance music to see how they respond. This allows you to obtain an idea of what to include in the audio adventure and what direction it should go in. You scan the passengers and focus on energetic women who seem to be in the dancing mood. You know that they are usually the first to respond to the next phase.

4.The Boarding Phase-You consistently play the kind of music your passengers want to hear so they will board the dance floor. Furthermore, the music prepares the passengers for the start of the audio adventure. You might also introduce some beatmixing to the passengers during this phase.

5.The Departure Phase-The passengers are on the floor so you begin to depart on the audio adventure. Consequently, you play music they expect to hear and don't expect to hear. You also become more creative with your mixing. However, you must remember that the music is what has them on the floor, not your mixing. Something else you consider doing is using a recording device to record the audio adventure just as a pilot uses a black box to record flight data.

6.The Stratosphere Phase-This is the extended emotional high you take the passengers to during your audio adventure. You have gotten them so emotionally high with your music and mixing that they cannot leave the floor. You can tell when you arrive at this phase by how intense your passengers are dancing. There are other people who cannot board the dance floor because it's too crowded so they dance around the edges of it—if they can. The floor stays this way until the next phase.

7.The Dive Phase-You quickly drop the tempo during the audio adventure so the passengers and you can take a break. This phase also allows the club to make more money on drinks. After this phase has ended, you quickly repeat phases 4 and 5 so you can get the passengers back to phase 6.

8.The Landing Phase-Just as a pilot gradually descends while landing, you also gradually slow down the tempo until the audio adventure has ended. Some of your passengers will leave the club before you have ended the audio adventure. Once the audio adventure is finally over, the other passengers will realize that it is time for them to also leave.

OO






 

Posted Sun 25 Feb 07 @ 3:43 am
azibeHome userMember since 2007
double o listen i have DJed only in small parties. So small that no one have heard of them, i don't even have name.I've been using virtualdj for a year now and i still don't know the controls, i'll even say i really don't know how to mix, i've tried to mix but the result arn't that good. What i'm asking is can you help me with the controls and with the mixing problem.thanx man
 

Posted Mon 26 Feb 07 @ 1:18 am
azibe wrote :
double o listen i have DJed only in small parties. So small that no one have heard of them, i don't even have name.I've been using virtualdj for a year now and i still don't know the controls, i'll even say i really don't know how to mix, i've tried to mix but the result arn't that good. What i'm asking is can you help me with the controls and with the mixing problem.thanx man


You need to either buy the Professional version of the software or enter your serial number into your user profile. I find it very odd that you've “been using virtualdj for a year…” as a NO LICENSE USER. However, maybe not registering your serial number was an oversight on your part that can easily be corrected.

OO

 

Posted Tue 27 Feb 07 @ 12:31 am
azibe wrote :
double o listen i have DJed only in small parties.... I've tried to mix but the result arn't that good. What i'm asking is can you help me with the controls and with the mixing problem.thanx man


@azibe

I will give you and every other beginning DJ one simple way to drastically improve your mixing—learn how to do different transitions. A transition is switching from one song to another. Many DJs like to either beatmix or scratch to transition from one song to another. However, there are many other transitions that you can use. Transitions are also very useful when you want to bring a song into the mix with a tempo that’s greatly different than the song that’s playing. You should still learn how to beatmix so that you don’t over use other transitions in your sets. Here are some transitions with brief explanations for each (this is only a guide; therefore, experiment with these transitions and create your own style):

Brake-the Brake effect is applied on the song that’s playing. When the Brake effect stops, the next song is started.

Back Spin-the Back Spin effect is applied on the song that’s playing. The Back Spin is faded out while starting the next song.

Delay-the Delay effect is applied on the song that’s playing. When the Delay stops, the next song is started. Depending on what you are using to create the Delay, you will probably have to manually stop the song as soon as the delay starts.

Echo Out (similar to the Delay)-the Echo Out effect is applied on the song that’s playing. When the Echo stops, the next song is started. Depending on what you are using to create the Echo, you might have to manually stop the song as soon as the Echo starts. However, some plugins will Echo Out the song for you automatically.

Flanger-the Flanger effect is applied on the song that’s playing. The Flanger effect is faded out, and then you start the next song. You will definitely have to experiment with this transition. Select a plugin that will allow you to manually adjust this effect.

Loop Out (similar to the Delay and Echo)-the Loop Out effect is applied on the song that’s playing. The Loop is faded out, and the next song started. Depending on what you are using to create the Loop, you might have to fade the Loop Out manually. However, some plugins will Loop Out the song for you automatically.

Reverse (similar to the Back Spin)-the Reverse effect is applied on the song that’s playing. The song with the Reverse effect is stopped as soon as you start the next song. You can also try fading out the Reverse effect before you start the next song.

Brake/Reverse (this is a combination transition)-the Brake effect is applied on the song that’s playing. When the Brake effect stops, the Reverse effect is applied on the next song for a few seconds and then the song is played forward (remember to cue the song with the Reverse effect past the beginning of the song). This will surprise the crowd because they will think that the first song is being reversed.

Brake/Turntable Start (this is a combination transition)-the Brake effect is applied on the song that’s playing. When the Brake effect stops, the Turntable Start effect is applied on the next song. This will surprise the crowd because they will think that the first song is starting to play again.

There are other transitions; however, I tried to keep it simple. Furthermore, VDJ offers sound effect plugins that will help you perform each transition. Please keep in mind that some of these transitions work better if done manually in my opinion. Also, some transitions will sound better than others when used on the same songs. Therefore, you should experiment with each transition. Since you are still learning, it would be better for you to use the many sound effect plugins that are available for the licensed version of VDJ. These plugins should make it easier for you to perform each of the transitions that I’ve listed, which is what VDJ is all about—making mixing easier. Consequently, I hope you and other No License Users purchase the program and enjoy the full benefits of it! Here’s a link to the plugins (make sure you slowly browse through each page):

http://www.virtualdj.com/addons/view.html?type=sound%20effect&page=1

OO


 

Posted Sun 04 Mar 07 @ 1:41 pm
o thank...
 

Posted Sun 04 Mar 07 @ 5:04 pm
azibeHome userMember since 2007
oo thanx for the advice, i'll go do my homework and i will tell you if i do progress later thanx again
 

Posted Mon 05 Mar 07 @ 5:54 pm
Your welcome :)

Here are a few additional points that I need to make:

Don’t use the transitions that I listed above too many times during one set. If you can’t beatmix, it’s ok to let a song end before playing the next song (this is how it's done on most radio stations). After the second or third song has ended (depends on the length of the songs) try using one of the above transitions. You would repeat this step after playing another two or three songs, but you would use a different transition.

Remember, the crowd is more concerned with hearing good music than hearing you mix good. If you don’t believe this, read the 11th post on page 3 of this thread. I share one of my Club DJing nightmares that emphasizes this point:

http://www.virtualdj.com/forums/9931/Mix_lessons/Club_Mixing.html?page=3

Listen to Virtual DJ Radio; you can learn from listening to other DJs mix. Make sure the DJ is mixing the same type of music that you plan on mixing.

Use the many sound effect plugins that are available for the licensed version of VDJ to develop your on style for making transitions. VDJ offers different variations of an effect. For example: Side Loop-this effect is very useful when you want to bring a song into the mix with a tempo that’s much faster than the song that’s playing. Flanged LoopOut-this effect can be used to perform a Flanger transition. Try all the effects, and develop your own style of transitions. Furthermore, click on the link below and read the information on VST plugins by
dj-in-norway (the first post) :

http://www.virtualdj.com/forums/5121/VST/_VST_BEGINNER_GUIDE_-_What_is_VST__how_to_use_etc_.html

When you’re done reading dj-in-norway’s explanation, click on the following links and try the many VST plugins that are listed:

http://www.virtualdj.com/forums/5103/VST/_Free_VST_ressourses_.html?page=1

http://www.virtualdj.com/forums/5120/VST/_Good_VST_Plugins_Section_.html?page=1

A special thanks to everyone that created the VDJ plugins and posted the information for the VST plugins!!!

OO

 

Posted Mon 05 Mar 07 @ 6:11 pm
I apologize for the error DJ Marcel, and thank you for bringing it to my attention. I’m sure you are a very professional DJ. Consequently, I will attempt to have a Moderator delete my post with the error and this post. Furthermore, I will be more cautious when posting in the future. If the Moderator deletes these posts, you might consider having your post removed also.

OO

 

Posted Sat 17 Mar 07 @ 11:26 am
no worries

I don;t care if the mods delete it or leave it - either is okay with me
 

Posted Sat 17 Mar 07 @ 12:10 pm

The misunderstanding have been moderated by request of Double O, so lets forget those posts, and keep the constructive good Club Mix thread going:)

 

Posted Mon 19 Mar 07 @ 11:12 pm
Like I said:
No worries
No grudge
No Hate flowin from here.
 

Posted Mon 19 Mar 07 @ 11:16 pm
Thanks dj-in-norway!

OO
 

Posted Tue 20 Mar 07 @ 7:26 pm
tommy14Home userMember since 2007
Hey
I just wanna know how you connect an external mixer to your laptop and use virtual dj
Thanks
 

Posted Wed 21 Mar 07 @ 8:42 pm
 

Posted Sun 25 Mar 07 @ 3:38 pm
YekiniHome userMember since 2007
Hi, my name is Yekini and a beginner in Djing. I have been practicing with the trial version of vdj for a couple of month now, and thanks to your djing tutorials I have been able to apply what I have learnt from the tutorial. That was in deed, an excited experience.

So far, I can beat mix a song, match the BPMs of the tracks and other few tricks, but the difficult part is when I match a song BPM say 157.1 to another song BPM say 93.6 which is still playing in a different deck. The 157.1 BPM either play too fast or too slow with the current song. My question: is there anyway that I can do to adjust the 157.1 BPM to play normal with the other song BPM 93.6 without any problems even if l loop the adjusted track.

I would be great if you help me out here. Once again, thanks to your tutorials its excellent.
 

Posted Mon 26 Mar 07 @ 10:14 pm
If I understand you correctly, you want to mix the 157.1 BPM song with the 93.6 BPM song and have the 157.1 BPM song sound unchanged when the pitch is slowed drastically by VDJ to match the BPMs. If this is what you are asking, it can be done. However, you can’t use the automated beat matching feature on VDJ. Instead, you need to make the 157.1 BPM song approximately 160 BPMs and the 93.6 BPM song about 80 BPMs. Believe it or not, you can mix one song that is half the BPMs or twice the BPMs of the song that’s playing. You can do this easily with VDJ if you have the Computer Base Grid aligned correctly in the Rhythm Window. If you don’t know how to do this, download the Virtual DJ 4 User Guide and read pages 14 and 15. I like to have the larger CBG squares on the 1st beat of each bar.

Now let’s assume that you have the CBG squares to both songs aligned correctly and on the 1st beat of each a bar. The simplest way to try this is to do an 8 beat loop on the instrumental part of the song that you changed from 93.6 to 80 BPMs. Do a 16 beat instrumental loop on the song that you changed from 157.1 to 160 BPMs. Play the slower loop and then mix in the faster loop at the beginning of the slower loop. Make sure the first CBG square of each loop is the larger square.

Consequently, if you have your CBG squares aligned correctly, the last CBG square of each loop should be the larger square. You should also notice something very important—the length of the 8 beat loop and the 16 beat loop are the same. Stop both loops from playing and compare the lengths. If one loop is longer than the other, you need to adjust the BPMs for one of the songs. Once you have everything correct, you can mix the faster song with the slower song. However, practice this before trying it live because it will not sound good with some songs!

You are probably wondering how an 8 beat loop can be the same length as a 16 beat loop? This is because one song is twice as fast as the other, so you’ve compensated for this by making the loop twice as long. Therefore, if you’ve done everything right, the first and last large CBG squares for each loop should be aligned. You will probably have to use the pitch bend to keep the squares aligned.

I learned this from watching another DJ do it on a DVD using vinyl. I’ve also done it using VDJ without any headphones (just speakers). I did it exactly how I explained it to you with different songs. Therefore, you should be able to do it also. This should illustrate to everyone how useful and unique the Computer Base Grid feature is—VDJ is the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OO
 

Posted Fri 30 Mar 07 @ 7:25 pm
mrcharming wrote :
Posted Wed 04 Apr 07 @ 01:48:17 Quote
I will work on the transitions. And By "more variety" do you mean music style or tempo or I guess maybe both or what?

i also find that when you don't usually listen to one type one music it all sounds repetitive. only house heads hear house well, and only Drum and Bass heads hear Drum and Bass well.


Since it appears that you are emphasizing a certain music style in your mixes—Drums and Bass—you should at least change the tempo, which is a good time to use different transitions in your mix. For example: You’ve beatmixed 4 or 5 songs in a row and decide to slow the tempo of your mix. One way to do this is by using the Brake/Turntable Start transition. Another way is to use an Echo Out transition. You would then beatmix another 4 or 5 songs at the slower tempo and then transition to a faster or slower tempo. For some very basic transitions, read the second post of this page.

I personally like to start my mixes off with a slower tempo and build up to the fastest tempo of my mix. Once I reach the fastest tempo, I gradually slow the tempo down again. This will help you in preparing to mix at a club or some other function. If you want to understand this concept, read the next to last post on the 11th page of this thread. As for variety, that has to be your decision when preparing your songs. However, you should always consider what your audience wants to hear.

OO
 

Posted Thu 05 Apr 07 @ 7:05 am
43%