Trance Music Forums

If I made one for producers, I might as well make one for DJs. But since I don't know how to DJ, it's up to the DJs around here to fill this up.

The rule is to write a short tip, who knows, it might help other DJs as well. Make sure to type the main point in bold.

For reference you might want to check the Producers' Tip of the Day (http://www.trancepodium.com/forum/topic,2752.0/)

 :hp:

Before crossfading, be sure that the tracks are at the same BPM.    The goal is to temporarily make both songs sound like one song.  To do this, when playing one song, insert another into the second turntable and adjust the BPM to match that of the one you are playing now.  If the speed is off by a few decimal points (Track 1: 135.5 and Track 2: 135.8)  it's not the end of the world.  If at least the whole numbers without the decimals are the same, you are cool.  It is not impossible to DJ mix two tracks with different BPMs and have it still sound good, but it's harder that way.   If the BPM is the same, that makes your job a LOT easier.

You can create smoother transitions by mixing bass, mid and/or treble than with a volume fader alone.  Simple crossfading can work out with a lot of songs but sometimes the sound can be made seamless if you properly "swap" bass.  By doing this you not only achieve good transitions but can find some really awesome sounds that you may want to cue and loop a bit.  This also avoids "clashing bass" where two very different bass sounds are playing in unison and when the previous song is faded out you can really tell that the bass has changed.

Cheers!

Ryne

Mix In Key :

Bottom line, harmonic mixing eliminates key clashes.  When you mix harmonically, your vocals, melodies and basslines will all be in key (harmony). 

Harmonic mixing helps you achieve a 'live mash-up' effect and encourages creativity.  You'll discover unusual song mixing combinations, like The Beatles vs. Jay-Z, or you can simply enjoy flawless DJ mixing.

For your first harmonic mix, find two songs that have the same key code.  Mix them together, and you'll hear a smooth transition every time.  From there, you can experiment with other harmonic mixes.

www.mixedinkey.com

(there is other key programs around, also for free, but this is the most used product)

^ and i LOVE it ^ MixMeister also works
but Mixed In Key is by far so much easier :)

good post flip

repost cause being a DJ i actually was preaching to myself on this, in the producers forum i posted in regards to blitz's post.. but here ya go DJs!!!

i worked and practice on my bass swaps for like an hour yesterday.. kept the crossfader in the middle and used the deck faders and on my xpo, i have a built in mixer with H/M/L eq so i can either tone down the bass or kill the eq immediately with the kill buttons on the decks... so i practiced coming into the mix like this:

Deck B
full volume (main song)
High - 11 oclock
Mid - 12 oclock
Low - 12 oclock

Deck A
volume fader a lil over 1/2 way up
High - 10 oclock
Mid - 10:30
Low - knob @ 12 oclock (bass kill on)

Deck B playin......... get adjusted to the structure wait for the right time in the song to mix basses and swap kills on the bass. so for instance:

BT - Love In The Time of Theives (breaks trance)
Jaytech - Engage (progressive house)
6A on the keycodes i believe (BIG HELP FOR DJS)

swapped swapped the basses, where i hear the highs and mids of Jaytech with the bass of BT.. its was a perfect mix and i though about remixing that way, but i just wanted to practice.. so i just practiced goin back and forth on the bass transition, and fading in the rest of the EQs on the incoming track, the lowing the fader on the outgoing track..

alot of people say practice makes perfect, but i believe in PERFECT Practice makes Perfect

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, and MORE PRACTICE

Bass swapping! Great technique, definitely will try this.

BE BRAVE ! i get soooo many demos that are reliant on massive tunes through out ! be disciplined with your track selection and try not to make a demo full of classic/massive anthems try to be dynamic in your selection and choose quality tracks that arn't played much !

plan your sets for demo CD's but DON'T plan more than your first 6 tracks for a live gig this is a big mistake that a lot of people make! they comit them selves to a full set and some times the crowd might not warm to it 80% of good DJing is being able to read a crowd and knowing what they want at that paricular time then adapting their sets acordingly! dont be stubburn and play what you want after all it's the crowd your playing to not your self!

good post!!! so true

this may sound corny, but in DJing, records are like Pokemon.

You have to know which ones to pull out to be effective for the crowd at the right time.

haha, love the quote! :D

Start off smooth, bang it out in the end.

This is my technique for rocking the socks off the house.  Dont start off with massive tracks right from the beginning.  Let the set slowly build and then bang the living you know what out of it.  Let those clubbers work for their euphoric bliss.  make them ride the roller coaster.

And dont use big blasting tracks after each other.  This will lead to "jumping overdose" as i like to call it and really tire out your house quickly.   

Very important. It's how you do that build-up that makes one DJ better than the other.

MOTIVATION

Put yourself in the shoes of the clubber and not in your DJ shoes. Experience it, as if you are the one dancing on the floor. Play what you 'think' the clubber likes and not what you want. Feel it from the heart. The Heart is clubber, the blood is YOU!!

No blood, No Heart!!

and one thing more: BE HONEST TO YOUR CROWD!!

Try to play different styles of dance music!

Tiesto, Ferry and Armin all do this.  Try to use as many different styles of trance and house music in a set to satisfy each and every section for the crowd.  That way, everyone goes home happy.  This also contributes to the element of surprise as well, that way no one can guess what's coming next!

Read the crowd.

Learn to club with your clubbers.  If they are clapping, jumping, dancing their butts off and packing the floor then keep it moving.   if you feel like they are not responding well, or you have allot of wall flowers, try and change it up a bit, see what gets the most reaction out of them.  once you find that key point, then let em have it. 

And dont feel like you have to just sit there and spin all night.  Show them you are into it as well.  Look at them, smile, jump, get into it.   After a two hour set i am exhausted, but i know i have connected with everyone on that dance floor.   if they feel a connection with you, there will be an energy like no other.
 :hp:

If you want to get an idea of how a club scene between DJ and clubbers should be like, look at the Tiesto In Concert DVDs

yeah i usually get out from behind the DJ booth and dance a lil :)
shows the crowd im just another person in the club even though im in the booth...
so i always gotta break it down :)

they always love that

Patience, young grasshopper.

John 00 Fleming stresses this a lot in his speeches.  A lot of people (at one point in time, myself) believe that all they have to do is produce one track quickly and you can instantly become famous, which is rarely ever true.  (I said rarely because there was only a few known cases where that happened.)  Superstars and Veterans are rarely born overnight.  In a way, becoming a top DJ/producer is like playing a sport.  It takes time, patience and determination to get to the top. 

Furthermore, becoming famous was not the ultimate goal of the superstars we know and worship today (Tiesto, Ferry and Armin).  In the booklet of his "10 Years" album, Armin states that he never thought that his "BLUE FEAR" track would be played during a Manchester United match and that it was never his plan to become famous. 

To put it simply, becoming famous is like trying to find love.  If you just concentrate on producing good tracks just for fun, fame and fortune will come naturally.  If you focus solely on trying to be famous, fame and fortune will evade you.

And remember the old saying,

ROME WASN'T BUILT IN A SINGLE DAY!!!

Excellent advice!