Can't Wait To Begin My DJing Adventure

M

marcelkennard

Storms comin in Annie
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May 30, 2008
Location
Brighton
I'm very excited that I'm finally going to pick up my pioneer mixer tomorrow to hook up to my basically untouched Numark CDJs I got for xmas.
This will be the first time I have tried to DJ in ages, so I was basically hoping to get a few little helpful tips. I'm looking to use my equipment basically to learn as I want to be able to start mixing out as soon as possible. So yeah I guess I'll start with practicing beat matching but if anyone has any tips or knows of any decent tutorials/ guides etc to help me progress as quick as possible then please share!!!

TA
 
Make sure you get your headphone volume right, makes the job a hell of a lot easier! First thing i noticed when i taught my mate. He was mixing terribly and i got on the decks afterwards and noticed he had the headphones absolutely booming loud, turned them down for him and he couldn't believe how much easier he found it. And just practice, practice, practice.

What Numarks you got out of interest mate?

Good luck!
 
REALLY??? Wow that seems like a long time! I was thinking more like 6 months or somewhere around there maybe lol. Either way, I'm well excited to learn...
I got some pretty standard NDX 200s http://www.decks.co.uk/products/numark/NDX200
And just getting a white Pioneer DJM 250 http://www.htfr.com/p/399833/pioneer_djm_250_2_channel_mixer_white

Quite entry level I guess but should be good enough to learn on...
Come on though a few years???
I reckon with enough persistence I could be ready in under a year!!!
 
It really depends on your personal ability to learn. I wouldn't say it takes a few years to get good enough to play out, but it takes huge amount of time...if you have time "to train" every day for at least 2 hours, you can do it under a year I'd say. Anyways to be really really good takes definitely more than a year. And don't forget that whenever you feel you've learned everything, there's always something more to learn and you can always get even better ;)
 
The classic case for any DJ is thinking they are better than they really are. Surround yourself with people who give you honest feedback... the sort of people that will tell you if your shit and tell you if your good. Just cause you can beat match in a home enviroment doesnt mean you can play out live. Club situations can throw tons and tons of problems at you... luckily for you.... most set ups today are of decent quality....

I played a gig back in the day (was at a festival called BarnFest) where there was no monitors... and the soundsystem had a delay..... and at the time I was unable to mix through the headphones... so literally had to get the track in time... take my headphones off... then speed up/slow down the track so its in time coming through the soundsystem.... needless to say.. I had to quickly learn how to mix in my headphones on that set... this is just an example of the shit that you can find yourself in... you need to be comfortable enough to not panic and be able to do you thing..... and remember.... people are there to see you play... so you have to make sure its a good performance.

Ill always say to people.... never plan your set..... I never did.... but I was always able to read crowds well and mix a tune i had never heard before without any fault. Thats because back when i started... i used to DJ at my mates... with his records.... so it used to be case of pulling a random vinyl out... slappin it on the deck and away i go..... it was the best lesson i ever learnt.... I suggest you try and do the same..... whip a load of tracks on a couple CDs... and randomly select tunes off them.... dont look at the names etc..... and just mix.... see how you do.... then after a while you feel comfortable.... then start getting a few set mixes together.... ie... X tune sounds good into Y tune and that sounds good into Z tune.... and get a few of those together...... all the tracks in between just freestyle... and every so often pull a set mix out the bag and mash up the place!

And..... EQs!!!! LEARN HOW TO USE THEM!!! always take the bass out of the track your bringing in.... general rule of thumb for myself and all DJs i know.... then only bring the bass in when you've taken the bass out of the other track..... bass frequencies sound fuked when they clash especially on bigger systems.... and that includes kick drum frequencies.... so just keep that in mind.... all the other frequencies generally sound ok... but as you get more experienced you will start to use the EQs too... but dont worry about them for the time being.

My advice would be to get yourself a radio slot in maybe 6months time.... so you get experience playing to the public... but not actually feeling the pressure of a live crowd.... then after maybe a year of doing that.... try and get your first live sets.



hope that helps mate.
 
wouldnt say it takes 2 years to be able to play out. 2 years to be comfortable playing out i reckon!!
 
JHSE23 said:
Be prepared for it to take a few years to be good enough to play out
Click to expand...

also bear in mind most local nights also have a group of djs as residents who have been in most casing been mixing for years.
make friends with local promoters and djs and your chance will come when you can mix..
 
RocksteadyUK said:
The classic case for any DJ is thinking they are better than they really are. Surround yourself with people who give you honest feedback... the sort of people that will tell you if your shit and tell you if your good. Just cause you can beat match in a home enviroment doesnt mean you can play out live. Club situations can throw tons and tons of problems at you... luckily for you.... most set ups today are of decent quality....

I played a gig back in the day (was at a festival called BarnFest) where there was no monitors... and the soundsystem had a delay..... and at the time I was unable to mix through the headphones... so literally had to get the track in time... take my headphones off... then speed up/slow down the track so its in time coming through the soundsystem.... needless to say.. I had to quickly learn how to mix in my headphones on that set... this is just an example of the shit that you can find yourself in... you need to be comfortable enough to not panic and be able to do you thing..... and remember.... people are there to see you play... so you have to make sure its a good performance.

Ill always say to people.... never plan your set..... I never did.... but I was always able to read crowds well and mix a tune i had never heard before without any fault. Thats because back when i started... i used to DJ at my mates... with his records.... so it used to be case of pulling a random vinyl out... slappin it on the deck and away i go..... it was the best lesson i ever learnt.... I suggest you try and do the same..... whip a load of tracks on a couple CDs... and randomly select tunes off them.... dont look at the names etc..... and just mix.... see how you do.... then after a while you feel comfortable.... then start getting a few set mixes together.... ie... X tune sounds good into Y tune and that sounds good into Z tune.... and get a few of those together...... all the tracks in between just freestyle... and every so often pull a set mix out the bag and mash up the place!

And..... EQs!!!! LEARN HOW TO USE THEM!!! always take the bass out of the track your bringing in.... general rule of thumb for myself and all DJs i know.... then only bring the bass in when you've taken the bass out of the other track..... bass frequencies sound fuked when they clash especially on bigger systems.... and that includes kick drum frequencies.... so just keep that in mind.... all the other frequencies generally sound ok... but as you get more experienced you will start to use the EQs too... but dont worry about them for the time being.

My advice would be to get yourself a radio slot in maybe 6months time.... so you get experience playing to the public... but not actually feeling the pressure of a live crowd.... then after maybe a year of doing that.... try and get your first live sets.



hope that helps mate.
Click to expand...

Thankyou so much for this informative advice, nice to have the information about bass frequencies cleared up, but do you generally kind of filter one down at the same time as filtering the incoming track up?

And thats a very good idea trying to get slots on the radio, does that include internet radio where I can mix live from my home for example? That would be sweet once I've started to reach an acceptable level!

P.S. Just got my shit set up now and had a little go- so much fun but my housemates are getting pissed off with the noise I'm making lol.

Also at the moment I'm using my producing speakers connected to the mixer but in terms of placement they are slightly behind, to the left of me when I'm mixing, is it important to have speakers placed in front of me facing me etc or does it not matter that much as long as the room is filled with loud enough sound? thanks
 
as long as u can hear the monitors AND headphones at the same time youre sweet man.

One thing I would say from my experience, is be ready to have good/bad days. sometimes i can beatmatch two tunes ive never mixed before but other days i just cant get certain tunes locked (normally after a few too many zoots) but all the same, id just say dont get angry if youre not mixing as well as you think you should be, just take a break and come back fresh.
 
Wicked mate, yeah I imagine that to be the case.

Oh yeah another beginner question: When I slide the pitch up or down on my CDJs they say like up 2% or down 3.4% pitch or whatever but does 1 % equal 1 bpm?
 
marcelkennard said:
Thankyou so much for this informative advice, nice to have the information about bass frequencies cleared up, but do you generally kind of filter one down at the same time as filtering the incoming track up?

And thats a very good idea trying to get slots on the radio, does that include internet radio where I can mix live from my home for example? That would be sweet once I've started to reach an acceptable level!

P.S. Just got my shit set up now and had a little go- so much fun but my housemates are getting pissed off with the noise I'm making lol.

Also at the moment I'm using my producing speakers connected to the mixer but in terms of placement they are slightly behind, to the left of me when I'm mixing, is it important to have speakers placed in front of me facing me etc or does it not matter that much as long as the room is filled with loud enough sound? thanks
Click to expand...

marcelkennard said:
Wicked mate, yeah I imagine that to be the case.

Oh yeah another beginner question: When I slide the pitch up or down on my CDJs they say like up 2% or down 3.4% pitch or whatever but does 1 % equal 1 bpm?
Click to expand...

Basically.... I have the bass turned down on the track coming in.... then when you get to the point where you want to drop the bass of the track coming in... you just drop the bass on the previous track and put the bass up of the one coming in... pretty simple really...

I have no idea what this guys saying as im at work with no speakers.. but had a look and it looks like he's talking about what im saying so check this vid out -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87JHGpV447Y


Well.... for me personally... mixing in your bedroom.. whether your playing to an audience via internet or not... is boring.... obviously... this is the first step.... then maybe try and move onto something where you actually have to go somewhere to do it.... adds to the pressure a little bit.

See you guys have it easy.... when i started DJn.... 12 years or more ago... there were no Internet Radio stations really... well.. there was... but they wasnt popular at all. I had my first set on a Flashback FM 96.8.... it had hundreds of listeners... and i was very aware of that... especially with a phone line going off in the studio... so it was a huge case of throwing myself in the deep end and hoping i didnt sink.


Id say keep the speakers in front of you... for no other reason than it making you able to mix quieter... and also be able to hear more details... at the very least you need to keep a monitor in front of you... so... if you wear your headphones with cup on the left ear and the other off... then make sure you have at least one speaker in front of you positioned on the right?? does that make sense??... and if you wear your headphones the other way then vice versa....
 
RocksteadyUK said:
Basically.... I have the bass turned down on the track coming in.... then when you get to the point where you want to drop the bass of the track coming in... you just drop the bass on the previous track and put the bass up of the one coming in... pretty simple really...

I have no idea what this guys saying as im at work with no speakers.. but had a look and it looks like he's talking about what im saying so check this vid out -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87JHGpV447Y


Well.... for me personally... mixing in your bedroom.. whether your playing to an audience via internet or not... is boring.... obviously...
Click to expand...

Mixing's never boring mate :p.

I've given up on the idea of technics with Serato / Traktor, sounded good in my head but I really can't finance it and I don't think it's very efficient at all with having to buy needles, turntables being baulky etc. etc.

Looking for some cheapish Pioneers, found a pair of 800's for £300, bargain of the year imo + just add a DJM 500/400/600 for couple hundred quid. Sorted.
 
my friend was saying he could teach me, and it would take around 6 months. So it shouldn't take long if you have a friend teaching you.
 
imo, mixing is an art.
It takes years of good days and bad days to become good and you will never stop learning or improving. Just make sure you listen to plenty of mixes to keep your motivation and inspiration up, we all have our down days on it, ive even had months off from mixing, and come back to it and loved it more than i did originally.
You will be shit. But with dedication, the right mates and determination, you will be loving it!
And you said that you would like to be playing out asap - now i hope you dont want to learn to mix to be a 'im a dj look im cool' kid, sorry if your not, just an assumption that i get with all this skrillex/ dubstep bullshit scene atm.

But if you love dnb, and have the passion for it, good luck on your voyage of emotions!
 
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