Let's talk about mixing.

[Innovatee]

When you're doing sets do stuff, do you usually note how much faster tune A is it to tune B? or do you just leave it more down to skill, and take it as it comes?

It would be interesting to know how much some of the really quick DJ's, plan ahead..

 

[mesh]

I have heard some big names do plan their sets and I don't have a particular problem with that if it blows my mind as a result. Actually I don't care who does it, but it does ditch all the spontenaity that can make a set nice and special.
However I dont think any of them would take notes on pitch levels for mixing-speed's sake, and I certainly don't need to myself. Thats worse than using a beat counter. I'm sure many feel planning a set at all is sacrilege.

 

[Innovatee]

but it does ditch all the spontenaity that can make a set nice and special.

But it could also lead to a poor set, I'd think if the DJ has been playing/practicing enough though it should turn out okay.

I doubt any DJ goes and plays out, without even a slight idea of the line up.

 

[inf0r]

You're gonna have a rough idea of tunes you wanna slot into a set, ie. the tune that dude off doa just sent you or the tune you just picked up from the local shop etc.. but I can't think of anyone wanting to jot pitches down.

its too dynamic a thing to plan to that level, fair play if you're doing a mix cd thats gonna be pressed a million times over, it's gotta be spot on, but with experience, any DJ gets the "ear" and can recognise and adjust pitch very, very quickly.

I've seen one person who was playing at a night (his first time playin out) and he was working for weeks planning his set, stopping just short of noting pitches down (he had a predone tracklist in his bag and just worked off that). Which is fuckin ace if you're the first guy up, but the 2 dudes on before him clattered at least 3/4 of his set before he got chance to put stylus to vinyl. Not a good thing!

Even if you do go in there with a rough idea for a set, take half as much records again on top, just to spice it up a bit and allow yourself room to breathe.

Slot in a couple of old gems you know inside out too, so if you're starting to shit it a bit, you can just auto-pilot thru a couple of mixes to regain your confidence

 

[mesh]

yep well said you dont learn to mix in front of a crowd until you have a few lairy moments

 

[Shauny.T.]

I tried joting down pitches a few years back when I first learnt to mix, did not work to well, but after a while you just learn how to do it by ear anyway.

 

[DJ Lordward]

andy c & mampi blatantly rememba sum pitches cos theres no way they can beat match perfectly in a few bars 2 double drop tunes with a real short intro. at the D&B awards u can hear swift clearly make Ska faster so he can double drop it lol.
i reckon most DJs that double drop as an intro rememba the pitches cos theres no time 2 beat match it.
i only write pitches 4 mix CDs. sumtimes i do a traklistin 4 sets if i double drop alot

 

[Andydextruss]

I do sometimes, when I'm trying to get a tape done, as I'm not that great yet. And for double drops its pretty important, but when I play for an audience (house parties etc), I do it by ear, but I'll remember a few of the settings coz I've practiced them so much and I know roughly where the pitch should be.

 

[Innovatee]

From practicng and practicing i'v found that I can just tell when a tune has gone out of synch, alot easier. I havn't been mixing much longer than a month and I can beat match quite quickly (although not perfectly), and get the pitch to around the right place.

I would have thought that swift could double drop pretty easily without noting pitches down, as he has been mixing for years and years. He must know "the one" inside out, and can tell instantly when it is not in pitch or in synch.

 

[Serum]

Writing down pitches doesn't work on technics anyway as they're rarely calibrated properly.

Every time I've done a double up on a tune in a club there has been at least 1 % between them
Once they were 3% apart.

Now that's just fucking shit

Another reason to buy vestax, they're calibrated properly when you buy them

 

[mesh]

Serum, do you feel they may have slowly worked out of synch through over-use and not being maintained, or is there a real problem with Technics factory calibration?

 

[Serum]

Serum, do you feel they may have slowly worked out of synch through over-use and not being maintained, or is there a real problem with Technics factory calibration?

They're never seemed to be calibrated when you buy them. used to work in a DJ store

Plus they shouldn't work their way out anyway, them things are a nightmare to sort out again

You got to make sure the dots stay still at 3.33%

How the fuck do you accurately find 3.33% on a technics slider?
Also you have to do it by turning a resister thing round while the top is off, put it back together and test it, pull it to bits again and tweak some more, put it back again. Pain in the arse!