DJ Introduction - Page 1

You want to mix music? WHAT? Welcome to the brotherhood.
This is a tutorial on Basic DJ terminology, attitude, basics and intermediate skills. The purpose is to spread my knowledge and experience for the people that are interested in the business to get a comfortable start.


My name is Darren Hayes, I currently reside in Sydney Australia and I have been mixing music  on and off now for a few years, small parties to warehouse underground, I also produce music and have plenty of knowledge and experience in helping beginners get their foot in the door.

So you’ve seen a friend mix? seen an incredible DJ live? played on the decks yourself or just playing around with software on your laptop ? That’s Great, Let start with the basics of music and how your attitude can keep you under water or above the clouds.

Attitude will determine your style which you’ll express when you mix your favorite music, The most important concept to understand is that the even though your directing the music It is the Audience that judges your performance, Without an audience there is no party. It is important that you leave your ego at home and realize that you are playing FOR the audience, With this as your foundation there are not limits except those that you place upon yourself. Keep an open mind, Not so open that your brains fall out but open enough to not label advancements in technology as “Your not dj, You use MP3's”, “Your not a DJ, You use a laptop”. Be open to these ideas, Not only can they significantly improve your DJing skills but keeping up to date with technology allows you to further increase your skills by entering into production however this is something that you may wish to seek in the future but for right now lets stop rambling about behavior and lets get started!.

Music is everywhere in our lives and in different forms, depending on who you are you may like such genres as dance, techno, ambient, rnb ,hip-hop, dubstep, drumandbass, hardstyle and so on, remember don't dislike a certain genre of music this kind of thinking can hold you back. One aspect of becoming a DJ is building your music selection, Building a music selection is not an easy task, it can take months even years to complete and full music library consisting of different genres, styles and BPM however before you choose which music to collect lets examine what music may suite your style.

- Mobile / Ambient DJ – You are a mobile DJ, mostly playing at weddings and formal events including disco and ambient themes.

- Club DJ – You play for the clubs, When playing at the club play their style music, You’ll look stupid going into a Dance club to play hardcore. So dance/trance/club/electro may be best choice.

- Underground – Mostly consists of heavy beats, bass lines and anything that you can add to make it sound cool, Underground DJ’s tend to create their own genre’s mixed with any type of music, including breakbeat, dubstep, dub, drum and bass, glitch, 2step etc etc.

- Hobbies – Not really into for the money, Play here and there just for fun.

These are the different types of DJ’s that can determine which type of music you are aiming for, when deciding this will allow you to build a stable music collection for your specific needs, Building a music collection isn't just downloading every song until you fill up a 500GB HD, It is about finding the good songs, listening to them, deleteing killer songs, buying high quality records, finding tracks that work together, different generes etc etc, How you organize your music collection is entirely up to you, however i suggest that you arrange them in at least Style or BPM for example;

Style A (David Guetta) 135

So style A referes to the style of this particular music, group tracks and create different styles by different groups, The middle is the title or artist and the number is the BPM. This is how i organize my music I also listen to every track I obtain.

Page 2 Equipment

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DJ Equipment - Page 2

Equipment has come along way in the music industry thanks to technology, Deciding which equipment to buy is very important, not only do you want to save money you also want to get the highest quality grade possible. I have listed below different types of DJ setups with price references that can assist you in purchasing the items individually which results in massive savings at the same time presenting alternatives for different types of DJ's, Also note that prices can change without notice and could be different in your area.

Beginner / Intermediate level - HP Pavilion DV6-3250us Laptop + traktor pro duo 2 + S4 Midi controller, LS21 Speakers, Pioneer HDJ 1000

                                                                      

This is the best budget system that still gives you the opportunity to expend your skills to the advanced level, I recommend formatting the laptop and placing a clean slate of windows 7 configuring to perfection then installing the traktor 2 software that is provided by the Kontrol S4, One installed plug this baby in and let her rip, just like any other decks except compacted on the controller, play around with the different effects and features that the S4 provide, take a while but will be worth it! the speakers are not magnificent this is kept with budget in mind however should do the job.

Beginner / Intermediate level - 2X Technics SL 1200MK5, Pioneer DJM 400, HDJ 1000 and 2x JBL LSR2325P Studio Monitors.

                                    SL1200MK5 ($1075) - SL1200MK5 ($1075) - DJM 400 ($415) - HDJ 1000 ($89) - LSR2325P (199) - LSR2325P (199)

                                                                                                               Total = ($3052) 

Beginners and Vinyl fans alike this would be the perfect setup for you, Long recognized by the World's DJs as the best club-use turntable, the famous SL-1200 series is without a rival. The turntable uses their original integral roto-platter Direct Drive motor for smooth, non-stop performance and unwavering quartz DD accuracy. This gives DJs the ability to spin records with quick starts, stops, and scratches, for the ultimate mixing experience, embracing the vinyl will be the DJM 400, In-loop sampler will come in handy including digital out, mic and many features and effects. Don’t let the size of the JBL Speakers fool you, these 5" powers speakers pack a punch! Perfect for any studio setup or bedroom setup of course the larger size the more expensive however these are perfect for this setup and price tag you can’t go wrong, including all this is a Pioneer HDJ 1000 which should provide the best quality needed for headphones.

Intermediate level - 2X Pioneer CDJ 400, Pioneer DJM 400, HDJ 1000 and 2x JBL LSR2325P Studio Monitor and road case to fit nicely. 

                    CDJ 400 ($699) - CDJ 400 ($699) -  DJM 400 ($415) -  HDJ 1000 ($89) - Roadcase ($339) - LSR2325P (199) - LSR2325P (199)

                                                                                                  Total = ($2639) 

Don’t let this beginner/intermediate setup fool you, for this price tag you are buying some high quality products that can satisfy any intermediate DJ, The pioneers CDJ’s 400 have inbuilt MP3 as well as inbuilt sound card for laptop connections in the future, Includes all the standard beat loops and cue point control as well as a HID LCD with real time information. DJM 400 suites well for this combination with an inbuilt loop sampler, mic in, much effects, digital which makes this a perfect combination. Do not let the JBL speakers size fool you either, these speakers pack a punch, probably not the best for parties however these are high precise studio monitors, quality is just amazing ofcourse the bigger the speakers the more expensive including a pioneer HDJ 1000s with distortion practically non-existent thanks to the 3,500 mW of maximum input with a road case to fit nicely. This setup is perfect for any beginner or intermediate level DJ wanting to further their skills, The availability of connecting a laptop with inloop sampling is a huge factor in deciding this for your setup.

Intermediate / Advanced level - 2X Pioneer CDJ 350, DJM 350, HDJ 1000, Road case, HP DV6 Laptop, Traktor Pro 2, 2x seismic Audio 15" PA Speakers connected via 1000W Pyle Pro Amp.

     CDJ 350 ($542) - CDJ350 ($542) - DJM 350 ($430) - HDJ 1000 ($89) - Road Case ($339) - HPDV6 ($699) - Traktor ($280) - SA15" ($259) - Pyle Pro Amp ($90)                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                 Total = ($3270) 

Wooooo, Now this is an interesting intermediate > advanced setup, I wanted to increase the quality of the speakers by keeping the same quality CDJ’s, The beauty of this setup is that the CDJ’s can connect to the laptop via Traktor or Ableton or any other DAW you can load even better is that these CDJ’s do not require you to use a timecode. In other words you should be able to use them as midi controllers for the DAW’s decks while using a DJM 350. The laptop is a DV6 entertainment laptop, I would recommend formatting the laptop and sticking a clean version of windows 7, configure and install traktor, the possibilities are endless with this extension not only can you purchase additional midi devices you can add up to 4 decks of play, Perfect for any DJ wishing to perfect their skills, Coming from an IT background that laptop is good quality for that price and should run any DAW without a problem, I decided to add two 15" speakers, If you are intermediate or advanced then most likely you played in front of an audience so after hearing these speakers they are amazing for the price tag, While I would stay away from distorting (Watch that red bar :P) these should play for an party of 100 or so while all this is connected via an 1000W Pyle Pro amp I should mention that I have not included the stands or cables please make sure when browsing through to add those accessories, Other then that this is probably one of the best budgeted near to advanced systems you can get, While you can purchase additional devices like APC40 or RANE MIDI Controllers it’s that open door that you can go through any time without breaking the bank.  

Intermediate / Advanced club level - 2X CDJ 1000, DJM 900, HP DV6 Laptop, HDJ 1000 Headphones with traktor pro 2 including road case to fit in nicely

CDJ 900 ($1119) - CDJ 900 ($1119) - DJM 900 ($2000) - HDJ 1000 ($89) - Roadcase ($250) - HPDV6 ($699) - Traktor ($280) - SA15" ($259) - Pyle Amp

($90)

Total = ($5905) 

Ouch! This is one of the more expensive packages, mostly used in clubs or festivals and when connected to another 2 vinyl decks can be a dream! includes 2x top of the line CDJ 900's connected to the new Nexux DJM 900, With this 4 channel mixer you can also add an additional 2 more decks either vinyl or CD, the DJM 900 is USB complaint and is fully compatible with traktor. As I have said before reinstalling windows 7 on this laptop would be recommended and configuring it to your satisfactory, Install traktor and begin to configure your setup, Comes with 2x 15" PA Speakers with a Pyle Pro Amp, perfect for getting started or small parties, While you can customize all these setups by adding or remove particular products these are only basic setups to help you with what you need to obtain for yourself and to let you know that DJ equipment is not cheap :).

< Page 1 DJ Introduction - Page 3 DJ Basics >

DJ Basics - Page 3

DJ basics

While all this information is from my personal knowledge and experience I am aware that I do not hold all the answers, this is just a start and a foundation for you to get started, Basically the point of a DJ is to continuously maintain the energy flow of the audience while switching between songs to create a timed set. Within that set it is your responsibility to switch from one song to the other smoothly and this can be done by precisely matching the beats together, this is called BPM matching which is illustrated above in block of 4bars and personally I believe is a requirement that you learn how to beat match by using your ears, While software is quite accurate it is not 100% you still have to maintain grid lines and syncs or software bugs out and cannot rely on an accurate reading so learning to beat match is fairly important in this business which can take months, years or unfortunately may never come natural for some, however don’t worry point of life is that we peal away the layers of ourselves and experience what is. Anyway lets move on!

What are beats you say? A single beat is a single note that is grouped with 3 other notes to form a bar in which continuously repeats unless you make changes this is known as Tempo or Pulse. For example a drum kick or a snare that's following a certain time is normally indicated as 4:4, 3:4, 2:4 etc etc this is referred to as the time signature. Most if not all electronic music is consisted upon the 4:4 time signature, so there are 4 beats in a bar, 4 bars in a phase and 4 phases in a verse while many different artists use different terminology this is simple and easy to remember. Now pull up one of your selected tracks and begin to count the beats in counts of 4 starting with the drum, for example with a dance song:

Drum – Drum/Snare – Drum – Drum/Snare = repeat = Drum – Drum/Snare – Drum – Drum/Snare = repeat
     1               2               3              4                               1                2              3               4

Example dubstep song: (Pic Above)

Drum – beat – Snare – beat = Repeat = Drum – beat – Snare – beat = Repeat =
    1         2         3          4                        1           2        3          4
These examples follow the 4 by 4 time signature so you are counting the beats always whiling mixing,
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 , 1 – 2 – 3 – 4, 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 , 1 – 2 – 3 -4 that is a phase (4 bars).
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 , 1 – 2 – 3 – 4, 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 , 1 – 2 – 3 -4,
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 , 1 – 2 – 3 – 4, 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 , 1 – 2 – 3 -4,
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 , 1 – 2 – 3 – 4, 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 , 1 – 2 – 3 -4,
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 , 1 – 2 – 3 – 4, 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 , 1 – 2 – 3 -4 that is a verse (4 phases)
You must also count the beats even when there is no instrument being played, A beat doesn't have to be a sound, It could also be a rest which in turn must match both songs 100% otherwise you will hear clashes and will come across what you know as Trainwreck.
(Half beats or small notes are not counted, just the individual beats, so you don’t count a 1/6 kick drum after a whole note kick drum if you get my drift).

BPM matching is all about matching the 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 of both tracks continuously as you play two or more tracks together, the moment they are out will cause a desynchronization and one deck will be faster then the other, to counter this you must be precise when beat matching and by using the platter to nudge back or forward a beat or bar.  This take many hours of practice so have fun and enjoy the experience as your mind will automatically get you costumed to beat matching.

  < Page 2 Equipment - Page 4 Song Structure >

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DJ Song Structures Page 4

DJ Song Structure

Understanding how music is structured is extremely important as well as knowing how to beat successfully, depending on the genre of music you have selected normally song structure consists of the following:

INTRO -

Usually introduces melody or mood Can sometimes serve to contrast the other main parts. 0 > 128 beats long upto a minute.

HOOK -

The catchy part that will generate interest which will sling into verse. 0 - 32 beats long

VERSE -

Same bit of melody or chords that’s repeated If vocals, the words usually change each time.

CHORUS -

The catchy part of the song,t he part you probably hum in the shower.

repeats but never changes.

BREAK -

Breaks, another buildup  Can serve to change the pace of a song

VERSE 2 -

Same bit of melody or chords that’s repeated If vocals, the words usually change each time.

BREAKDOWN -

All instrumentation is removed except for percussion & vocals

OUTRO -

The conclusion or end of a song.

While majority of these may be different for your genre the same rule applies, You must learn your own music and know their song structure without even thinking about it, this is just a general rough idea, when counting the beats try to summerize where you are in the track, You could be aware a solo is coming in and kick in a sub bassline from another track and work from there, There are endless techniques on mixing which we will get too, just keep learning how to match the beats and knowing your music structure.

< Page 3 Basics - Mixing Page 5 >

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DJ Mixing - Page 5

Mixing

Now naturally assuming you are an expert at beat matching and are updated in your genres song structure you are ready to do the fun stuff and really create a unique style of your own, Every mixer has certain functionalities and we will just cover the main ones as it is different for every mixer depending on how much money you wish to spend but meh here we go;

EQ – Low/ Mid/ High EQ with Gain

Mic Level – controls mix input output volume

Master Volume – Control master output volume

Volume control – controls volume on each deck

Crossfader – set different mode for fading

Effect knob with different effects

Level Depth – level of effects

Effect On Button
Headset volume control
Headset cue buttons

You should know what all these knobs do if not do not worry, mastering these controls will take some time just relax and take a deep breathe also do not forget that the mixer is a tool to assist you in creating your set, do not get frustrated with the mixer as this will hinder your own abilities, Have fun, play around and enjoy it this is how you learn when you start playing around with these toys.

 

Depending on your style or DJ setup this is where you unique attributes come into play, When mixing you need to cue at certain beats, You can’t just bring in a song half way through a bar, you need to start from the first beat of that bar, Cue allows you to save into memory you start of a beat, While certain CDJ’s can auto cue, it’s never 100% accurate, make sure even on vinyl that your starting from the first beat of the bar. Now by counting the beats in the currently playing Deck A you need to listen for the correct time to begin to switch to Deck B. So Deck A is currently going towards the end of verse 2, This would be a perfect time to bring in a intro of another song, if properly beat matched and played on the correct timed beat Deck A should continue to play to the breakdown while Deck B is cranking from intro to verse when it reaches 3 (see pic). This timing is critical it is your accumulation of BPM matching, Song collection and cueing ability to pull off a perfectly smooth set, Being a DJ is a lot of work, if your attitude is not for the music then your in the wrong industry. Takes time to practice and build up your collection, Don’t be one of those DJ’s who just yells at everyone hyped up on coke thinking his doing a great job but reality the effect knob is wearing down, put time and effort, enjoy and be patient, take breaks don’t cram your mind with all this information in one day, take time but with time you’ll become good and hopefully enjoy the benefit of being a DJ ;) one of which that great feeling after completing a massive set awesomely :).

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DJ EQ - Page 6

Mastering the EQ

EQ Mastering is an important skill that normally develop in later stages of beat matching, So you’re a guru now eh? Rubbish! :P Now that you are the master of BPM you have the capabilities to play two songs together and consciously monitor the EQ’s, For example.

Deck A build up into a verse while Deck B drum pattern going into a break.

By using the EQ’s you can cut out certain frequencies low, mids or high. This allows you to even more smooth out your mix however if used improperly can destroy it also. Firstly you need to be careful of the gain, always make sure that you NEVER EVER hit RED BAR, Maintaining this is important, SO MANY TIMES I’VE WALKED OUT WITH RINGING EARS, Keep the green, Keep the peace. Now depending on your style it is up to you on how to use the EQ however I will say that imagine the EQ is a extension tool that allows you to carve two song together by reducing or adding frequencies like little touches, after all the EQ is technically an effect in itself. This can be used exceptionally well with the filter effect! Use deck A to play a verse while deck B has vocals, We could use the filter to cut out the bass of deck B then on EQ cut out mid frequencies of deck A, If this is beat matched correctly and not using to much effect should sound pretty good and with the filter frequencies you wouldn't even know if it was two songs playing together.

When mixing songs together you do not want two bass lines together, Or two vocals overlapping, or to much high. Fading songs in and out of each other requires you to switch bass lines, mids and highs frequently for a transitional mix however if you do not NEED to then don’t, if you have no idea on the usage of the EQ do NOT use it. I enjoy using the crossfader and bringing in songs smoothly from mastering the EQ, It can also spice up your mix to another level and sometimes make clarity of a mix that could be going wrong, Some mixers support kill switches, which allows you to kill that certain range while some mixers only reduces the range.

Your music collection will contain music from possibly Itunes, record stores, downloaded mp3s or other sources, It is important to know that some songs quality may be below average, or certain frequencies are not loud enough or to empowering, the EQ is best used for this specific job, play around with them and get used to it, make sure you listen and you normally can tell when the music is distorted or imbalanced frequencies.

Harmonic Mastery!

So, you’ve come along way and yet there is still more to learn :) You ever wondered why sometimes you mix two songs perfectly beat matched yet they sound terrible? That is because they are not harmonically matched in key, After a few years you’ll understand that music is created on a scale with notes that range from CDEFGABC which represent a certain key. Each block of 8 notes can be separated by numbers which represent the key of that pitch. For example C3 would be C Note in Pitch 3, If you played a song that was C Note in pitch 4 while another track is E Note Pitch 3 harmonically they clash and sounds terrible so you need to make sure when matching songs that they match key so they harmonically match, after years your mind will be able to notice the difference between tracks and samples which you can properly organize in your music selection. While it is difficult to show you what I am trying to talk about, listen to a pre mix and you’ll notice that most mixes harmonically match with all the tracks and when they do want to change the harmony they use other techniques, you could call this changing styles or changing direction, while experimenting you can increase your skills and provide clean, quality sets so people like me who are in the industry can enjoy decent DJ’s when trying to party.

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DJ Effects + Tips - Page 7

Effects

Technology has allowed us to employ large musical instruments into midi controllers which has reduced in size dramatically, One great feature that technology allows us is that most of our midi controllers and software if not all contains effects for you to implement during a set however I should warn you please don’t be a tosser and be a flanger rebel I’ve seen to many people like that and walk out with aching ears, effects are used to spice up your currently already awesome mix, I shall list a few effects below and some ways you can use them, I gathered this information from other websites and from my personal experience.

Reverb - Reverb is a classic on vocals. It is often used by DJs to make the microphone sound better, especially if someone is singing over their DJ sets. It is a “karaoke standard” effect, as it can add a professional sheen to any voice. Use it to much and you’ll regret it J

Delay/echo - giving those big basslines that echo off for ages after the initial note hits. But they’re also very common on vocals, echoing the vocal line back rhythmically and quieter a beat or two after it was sung. They tends to work best with clear sounds that have a beginning and an end, ie that are easy enough to repeat. Otherwise, they can quickly sound muddy if you layer indistinct sounds over each other.

Filter – You hear this everywhere. A low pass filter can be used to slowly introduce a vocal loop or piano line into the mix. A high pass filter can transform a break in a record, almost taking it out of the room entirely, before the DJ removes the effect, slamming the music in again. DJs love filters because they sound effortlessly good, and because they can help bring tracks to the fore or the rear of a mix, aiding mixing them together. Filters can be linked to the BPM, or more usually, are controlled manually by the DJ, slowly turning the knob or “tweaking” it to get intensely musical (and hopefully enjoyable) new frequencies and resonations out of the music.

Roll – Pretty simple, You select which duration of beats you wish to roll and you’ll hear the drum kick roll depending on the bar you have set this effect to.

Tips

1) Create your own unique style, don’t copy someone these are the basics to get started do the rest yourself!.

2) Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, you know your own potential, you could be number 1!

3) When playing live, stage fright can kick in, just remember your there to enjoy the music with the audience, once you get started you’ll get into the feel very quickly.

4) Research around, watch youtube clips, practice enjoy and have fun, it will come in it’s not as difficult as you think.

5) Buy artists music, Don’t have to buy it all buy a track here and there support the artist.

6) Don’t forget your foundations, there is a lot of competition and wannabe god nobs, it’s either your way or the highway.

7) once you feel comfortable, start expressing yourself, youtube, facebook, blogs, radio, shoutcast, local clubs get out there, get known, get money and don't be fooled into contracts, read them and know your place and worth, taken you a lot of time and honestly value your skills.

8) ANYONE else who wants to be a Dj, direct them to this blog tell them everything they need to know to get started.

9) Click as many ads as you can :)

< Page 6 EQ -

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