EQing

The Basic Concepts of EQing

Technical details aside, the channel EQs in your mixer allow you to adjust the level of different frequencies (normally highs, mids and lows) in the sound that comes from the decks. And since each of the track’s elements – such as the kick drum or the vocals – often belongs to only one frequency range, the EQ allows you to cut or dampen those elements at will.

The chart below lists the elements of a song and the frequency bands they normally belong to. To actually get a feeling of what I’m talking about here, play around with your mixer’s EQ and take notice of what instruments and elements of the tune the particular knob is responsible for.

Frequency band	Range, Hz	Track elements
Treble (highs)	3,000–20,000	Hi-hats, strings, top part of vocals
Midrange (mids)	250–3,000	Lower part of vocals, melody, percussion
Bass (lows)	20–250	Kick drum, bassline

Channel EQs on the Pioneer DJM-600 mixerThe channel EQs of a mixer have separate rotary controls for each of the three main frequencies (see photo). At twelve o’clock, a knob doesn’t alter the level of its frequency range; turning the knob clockwise boosts it and turning the knob counterclockwise lowers it. Some mixers also have Kill buttons (or a special zone in the leftmost position of the knobs), which cut the frequency range completely.

What does it all have to do with mixing? A lot. The thing is that when mixed, the two tracks’ kick drums and hi-hats often clash with each other. As a result, even despite the tracks’ beats being aligned, the transition may still sound messy. To avoid that, the DJ first hides the potentially conflicting elements of the incoming track with the EQs and then, during the blend, replaces the old one’s elements with them.

(By the way, it follows that when mixing, you’ll most often have to deal with the high and low frequency knobs. The mids are adjusted less often, also because during a blend, at least one of the tracks is in its intro or the outro, where there’s normally no melody or vocals. Thus there are no clashes in the mid frequency range.)

EQing in Action

Now that I’ve covered the basics, I’m going to tell you how I use the EQ when mixing. Note that the tips below aren’t a standard of some sort; they’re just a starting point for your own experiments.

OK, let’s begin. Before you start bringing track B in, cut its bass almost completely and lower its highs by about two-thirds. Then, as you’re making the transition with the upfaders, adjust the EQs to increase B’s bass while at the same time lowering it in A. Make sure to be doing the same with the highs, too. By the end of the transition, you should end up with the dancefloor hearing track B only, with all three of its EQ knobs at twelve o’clock.

Since you’ve only got two hands, you’ll have to be manipulating the faders and the EQs by turns. Start the transition from A to B as usual – by moving the channel faders. After track B becomes discernible on the dancefloor, forget about the faders for a moment and extend the transition to the realm of the EQ by starting to gradually increase B’s bass and lower A’s. Then you may return to the faders, and then, after a while, turn your attention to the highs. Your hands will end up going back and forth between the faders and the channel EQs, advancing the transition here and there.

Here are a few other approaches of the same sort to stimulate your creativity:

Bringing in on the highs. Sometimes there’s a melody element in track B’s intro that’s nice to announce right in the beginning of the transition. If that’s the case, you don’t lower B’s highs but as you’re bringing the new track in, you gradually dampen them in A so that the two channels’ highs don’t clash.

Swapping the bass. Instead of gradually increasing B’s lows and lowering them in A, you can add a bit of a dramatic effect to the transition. As both tracks are at about the same volume, slam B’s bass in and at the same time cut it out in A. (Remember that sharp changes like this one can only be made on the first beat of an 8-bar phrase.)

Swapping the hi-hats. Same as the previous trick, except that you do it with the highs.

To Sum Up

The EQ allows you to make really smooth and unnoticeable transitions between records. At the same time, a full account of DJ’s actions during a blend may be pretty intimidating. The disc jockey has to work the channel faders, handle the EQs, monitor the sound in their headphones from time to time, as well as track and fix any beat drifting.

The good news is that if you practice, take it slow and don’t give up, you’ll be able to make all these various DJing skills fully automatic. And the day will come when you’ll suddenly realize that you’re able to mix like a pro, effortlessly.

DJ Controller

DJ digital controllers are MIDI controllers or USB-to-analog devices used for controlling computer-based DJ software, installed on a personal computer, laptop, or tablet device.

DJ digital controllers aim to emulate the traditional mixer/turntable/CD turntable set up. Most controllers come with shuttle jog dials that mimic turntable control of an audio file, though with slightly less accuracy.
The use of DJ digital controllers with DJ software allows for smaller, more mobile sound systems. Usually, the use of a DJ digital controller frees the DJ from having to transport more expensive, fragile, heavier, analog equipment. With the use of the controllers there is no need to use CDs or records. This is particularly beneficial to mobile disc jockeys who are increasingly using computer-based equipment for this particular reason.
A problem with controllers had been their latency; that is, the time between manipulating the jog shuttle controllers and the effect on the audio file. However, this does vary with computer speed, sound card latency, and MIDI latency. By either changing configuration settings or upgrading hardware, latency problems can often be easily resolved. Currently, with the newer computers, better software, and newer controllers, latency has become a negligible concern.

An advantage of controllers is that the processing power of the computer can be used to manipulate the sound, giving a wide range of effects and sampling options. Native Instruments Traktor software was among the first DJ applications to take advantage of this. Also, controllers are often platform-independent, allowing for highly customized setups. A DJ can choose and configure the software and use a variety of controllers with it. Some DJs even use two or more controllers for different applications during a set

THE DJ HUNT - DION DAMARA

 

THE DJ HUNT - DION DAMARA

DJ DION DUBSTEP

Scratching

Scratching is a DJ or turntablist technique used to produce distinctive sounds by moving a vinyl record back and forth on a turntable while optionally manipulating the crossfader on a DJ mixer. While scratching is most commonly associated with hip hop music, since the mid-1970s, it has been used in some styles of pop and nu metal. Within hip hop culture, scratching is one of the measures of a DJ's skills, as in DMC World DJ Championship or IDA (International DJ Association) former ITF (International turntablist Federation) where the DJs can use only scratch oriented gears (turntables + mixer + digital vinyl systems or vinyl only, and there are many scratching competitions. In recorded hip-hop songs, scratched hooks often use portions of different rap songs.

Scratching involves moving the LP record forward and backward with the phono needle in the groove to create unique sounds and rhythms.

Beatmixing

Beatmixing is a disk jockey technique of playing two songs at the same time so that the beats of one song occur at the same time as the other.
Beatmixing was invented in the late 1960s by Francis Grasso, who tried to keep people from leaving the dance floor between the songs. Initially he was looking for records with the same tempo, counting the tempo with a metronome. When the tempos didn't match, he was adjusting the pitch control on the turntable to bring the beats in sync. Rosie, a mixer built for him by Alex Rosner, let him listen to any channel in the headphones independently of what was playing on the speakers, allowing him to beatmatch the records by ear; this became the defining feature of DJ mixers.
Due to its increase in popularity, beatmatching and beatmixing are now considered basic techniques among DJs in electronic dance music genres, becoming standard practice in clubs to create a seamless mix through the night, even if there are multiple acts.

Beatmix or beatmixing however should not be confused with another term used in radio imaging. Radio imaging refers to any produced audio material sung or voice over used to identify a radio station. A radio imaging company in Seattle, Washington called ReelWorld used the term "beatmix" to refer to a type of imaging material in which a jingle, a voice over liner and audio clips are produced to blend on a song intro. The concept is still the same with DJ beatmixing.

Beatmatching

Beatmatching (or Beatmaxing) is a disc jockey technique of pitch shifting or timestretching an upcoming track to match its tempo to that of the currently playing track — i.e., the kicks and snares in two house records hit at the same time when both records are played simultaneously. Beatmatching is a component of mixing which employs beatmatching combined with equalization, attention to phrasing and track selection in an attempt to make a single mix that flows together and has a good structure.

The technique was developed to keep the people from leaving the dancefloor at the end of the song. These days it is considered basic among DJs in electronic dance music genres, and it is standard practice in clubs to keep the constant beat through the night, even if DJs change in the middle.
Beatmatching is no longer considered a novelty, and new digital software has made the technique much easier to master.

The beatmaxing (or beatmatching) technique consists of the following steps:
While a record is playing, beatmatch a new record to it, using headphones for monitoring. Use gain (or trim) control on the mixer to match the levels of the two records.
Restart and slip-cue the new record at the right time, begin the new record on beat with the record currently playing. Pay attention to track structures; careful phrasing can make the mix seamless.
If the beat on the new record hits before the beat on the current record then the new record is too fast, reduce the pitch and manually slow the speed of the new record to bring the beats back in sync.
If the beat on the new record hits after the beat on the current record then the new record is too slow, increase the pitch and manually increase the speed of the new record to bring the beats back in sync.
Continue this process until the two records are in sync with each other, it can be difficult to sync the two records perfectly, so manual adjustment of the records is necessary to maintain the beat synchronization.
Before fading in the new track, check that the beats of two tracks match by listening to both channels together in the headphones, as the sound from the speakers can reach you with a delay.
Gradually, fade in parts of the new track while fading out the old track. While in the mix, ensure that the tracks are still synchronized, adjusting the records if needed.
The fade can be repeated several times, for example, from the first track, fade to the second track, then back to first, then to second again.

The pitch and tempo of a track are normally linked together: spin a disc 5% faster and both pitch and tempo will be 5% higher. However, some modern DJ software can change pitch and tempo independently using time-stretching and pitch-shifting, allowing harmonic mixing.

Beatmatching was invented by Francis Grasso in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Initially he was counting the tempo with a metronome and looking for records with the same tempo. Later a mixer was built for him by Alex Rosner which let him listen to any channel in the headphones independently of what was playing on the speakers; this became the defining feature of DJ mixers. That and turntables with pitch control enabled him to mix tracks with different tempo by changing the pitch of the cued (redirected to headphones) track to match its tempo with the track being played by ear. Essentially, the technique he originated hasn't changed since.
These days beatmatching is considered central to DJing, and features making it possible are a requirement for DJ-oriented players. In 1978, the Technics SL-1200MK2 turntable was released, whose comfortable and precise sliding pitch control and high torque direct drive motor made beatmatching easier and it became the standard among DJs. With the advent of the compact disc, DJ-oriented Compact Disc players with pitch control and other features enabling beatmatching (and sometimes scratching), dubbed CDJs, were introduced by various companies. More recently, software with similar capabilities has been developed to allow manipulation of digital audio files stored on computers using turntables with special vinyl records (e.g. Final Scratch, M-Audio Torq, Serato Scratch Live) or computer interface (e.g. Traktor DJ Studio, Mixxx, Virtual DJ). Other software including algorithmic beatmatching is Ableton Live, which allows for realtime music manipulation and deconstruction, or Mixmeister, a DJ Mixset creation tool. Freeware software such as Rapid Evolution can detect the beats per minute and determine the percent BPM difference between songs.
The change from pure hardware to software is on the rise, and big DJs are introducing new equipment to their kits such as the laptop, and dropping the difficulty of carrying hundreds of CDs with them. The creation of the mp3-player allowed DJs to have an alternative tool for DJIng. Limitations with mp3-player DJing equipment has meant that only second generation equipment such as the IDJ2 or the Cortex Dmix-300 have the pitch control that alters tempo and allows for beatmatching on a digital music player. However, recent additions to the Pioneer CDJ family, such as the CDJ-2000, allow mp3-player and other digital storage devices (such as external hard drives, SD cards and USB memory sticks) to be connected to the CDJ device via USB. This allows the DJ to make use of the beatmatching capabilities of the CDJ unit whilst playing digital music files from the mp3-player or other storage device.
Pioneer's latest CDJ-2000nexus player has a "Beat-Sync" feature which automatically adjusts the tempo between tracks being mixed so the DJ no longer needs to spend time & effort matching beats. This has caused some controversy in the DJ industry since almost anyone can beat-match thanks to the new function.

Turntable

A direct-drive turntable is one of the two main phonograph designs currently being produced. The other style is the belt-drive turntable. Each name is based upon the type of drive motor used. Both are primarily for playing 12" and 7" vinyl disc records, In a direct-drive turntable the motor is located directly under the center of the platter and is connected to the platter directly. The first[citation needed] commercially available direct-drive turntable, the model SP-10, was introduced by the Technics division of Matsushita in 1969. Technics also introduced the first direct-drive tangential-arm turntable, the model SL-10, in 1981.

Direct-drive turntables may suffer from vibration due to the motor. This is less of an issue for belt-drive turntables. However, in recent years, shock-absorbing (less dense) material, placed between the motor and platter, has been used to cut back on vibrations. The torque on direct-drive turntables is usually much higher than on belt drive models. This means the platter speed is less susceptible to outside forces (stylus, hand). Higher torque also means the platter will accelerate to its proper speed faster so less distortion is heard when the record begins to play.
Some direct-drive turntables further reduce the separation of motor and platter by using the platter itself as the rotor in the turntable's induction motor. This means that there is no motor, per se, in the turntable - the platter is entirely driven by the magnetic field induced by the turntable's stator.
In all turntables a motor spins a metal disk at a constant speed. On top of the rotating disk (platter) is a mat and on top of the mat records are placed to be played. In the past rubber mats were used to hold the record in place so that it would not rotate independently of the platter. Nowadays slipmats are used to reduce the friction between the spinning platter and record, and is often made of a felt-like material. This way a DJ can scratch the record while the platter continues to spin underneath. In direct-drive turntables, the slipmat also helps isolate the record from motor vibrations that would be picked up by the stylus.
Many turntables also include a pitch control, for fine tuning to the correct speed, used in conjunction with a strobe light, plus it also allows a DJ to mix using a technique known as beatmatching. From the late 1990s onwards manufacturers such as Vestax started to include other electronic controls such as reverse, and "nudge".
DJs and turntablists have learn to use all the above functions to assist them in musical performances.

DJ mixer

A DJ mixer is a type of audio mixing console used by disc jockeys. The key features that differentiate a DJ mixer from other types of audio mixers are the ability to redirect (cue) a non-playing source to headphones and the presence of a crossfader, which allows for an easier transition between two sources. DJ mixers are also used to create DJ mixes.
One of the pioneers of DJ mixing equipment design was Rudy Bozak.Beatm atching and beatmixing with a DJ mixer were first used to ensure dancers didn't leave the dancefloor between songs.More recently DJ mixers have been used to for harmonic mixing.

Progressive house

Progressive house is a style (subgenre) of house music. House music is a type of electronic dance music (EDM). The progressive house style emerged in the early 1990s. It initially developed in the United Kingdom as a natural progression of American and European house music of the late 1980s.In the context of popular music the word "progressive" was first used widely in the 1970s to differentiate experimental forms of rock music from mainstream styles. Such music attempted to explore alternate approaches to rock music production. Some acts also attempted to elevate the aesthetic values of rock music by incorporating features associated with classical instrumental music. This led to a style of music called progressive rock, which has been described as "the most self-consciously arty branch of rock."
In disco music, and later house, a similar desire to separate more exploratory styles from standard approaches saw DJs and producers adopting the word "progressive" to make a distinction. According to the DJ and producer Carl Craig, the term "progressive" was used in Detroit in the early '80s in reference to Italo disco. The music was dubbed "progressive" because it drew upon the influence of Giorgio Moroder's Eurodisco rather than the disco inspired by the symphonic sound of Philadelphia soul.In Detroit, prior to the emergence of techno, artists like Alexander Robotnick, Klein + M.B.O. and Capricorn filled a vacancy left after disco's demise in America.In the late 1980s, UK music journalist Simon Reynolds introduced the term "progressive dance" to describe album oriented acts such as 808 State, The Orb, Bomb the Bass and The Shamen. Between 1990 to 1992, the term "progressive" referred to the short-form buzz word for the house music sub-genre "progressive house"The genre was distinctly English with harmonic and trancey sounds such as extended synthesizer washes. It features elements of dub, deep house, big riffs and extended track lengths. The style distinguished itself from Euro-trance and vocal trance by the lack of anthemic choruses, crescendos and drum rolling. Intensity is added by the regular addition and subtraction of layers of sound. Phrases are typically a power of two number of bars and often begin with a new or different melody or rhythm
Progressive house tunes often feature a build-up section which can last up to four minutes. This is followed by a breakdown and then a climax. Elements drawn from the progressive rock genre include the use of extended or linked-movement tracks, more complexity and reflection but almost always within the four on the floor rhythm pattern. The more experimental parts of house music are described as progressive. Detractors of the genre have described it as elitist and over-produced.Progressive house emerged after the first wave of house music. The roots of progressive house can be traced back to the early 1990s rave and club scenes in the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and Northern America. A combination of US house, UK house, Italian house, German house, and techno largely influenced one another during this era. The term was used mainly as a marketing label to differentiate new rave house from traditional American house. Progressive house was a departure from the Chicago acid house sound. The buzz word emerged out of the rave scene around 1990 to 1992, describing a new sound of house that broke away from its American roots. The label progressive house was often used interchangeably with trance in the early years. Progressive house has been described as anti-rave as its popularity rose in English clubs as the more hardcore, dance focused styles flourished at raves. By the mid-1990s, progressive house was the mainstream house music style.

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