HELP on beat matching - Dallas Dance Music - Dallas nightlife, music, tickets, and more

miapie · 10-08-04, 03:40 AM

hey everyone, i know you real djs out there always get this question but i need some help. anyone out there have some great advice towards beat matching drum and bass/jungle? im sick of geting advice the most confusing way possible. can someone please break it down for me!? an example would be nice or if u can relate tracks to help me get a better understanding that would be great. thanks alot!

smiley · 10-08-04, 11:12 AM

it might be helpful to bring a headphone splitter over to a DJ friend's house and split the headphone output of the DJ mixer so that you can watch and simultaneously hear what he/she is doing, if for no other reason than to get a handle on the mechanics of it all... other than that, it's just one of those things that you have to do over and over and over and over again until one day it just clicks and you wonder what was so hard about it in the first place - kind of like riding a bike, actually.

Nick · 10-08-04, 12:15 PM

I'm guessing not many will answer your question, because you called on real djs.
I'm not the best, but I've done it for a little while now and can tell you this.

Take smiley's advice:
Practice, Practice, Practice, Practice and then after that.......Practice some more.
I tried the splitter thing with an old friend and while it helped her, she eventually gave up. If you want it, you will get it. If the practice is fun and doesn't feel like work you're all good.

Another tip. Learn your phrasing now. If you can count out 64 quarter notes/beats or 16 bars of music and line it up with the other phrase you will be on the right track. Occasionally a record is different, but most producers stick with this outline. "Have to learn the rules to break them" sort of thing.

smiley · 10-08-04, 02:03 PM

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...25629?v=glance

believe it or not, that's a pretty good book that does just about as good a job as any as explaining things like phrasing, beat matching, programming, etc... That being said, there's a certain zen component to learning how to mix records that can't really be expressed in pictures or words - try explaining to somebody how to ride a bike, for instance :^) It's one of those things that just has to be experienced to be understood...

Let me share my experiences as well as some tips that helped me:

1) First and foremost, ask yourself why it is you really want to do this... For most people in the beginning, forward progression occurs at a frustratingly glacial pace, sometimes slow enough as to not be measurable. If your motivation stems from wanting to be popular or to be famous, it is unlikely that you'll make it past this first hurdle - most people don't. If your motivation stems from a love for the music, that passion to share the sounds that speak to you will be the thing that will carry you through all the frustrating times and bring you back to try again and again.

2) At least for the first 6 months or so, record every mix you do and then listen to them away from the decks. Until you've mixed enough to commit the mechanical and listening skills to muscle memory and subconscious habit, there are so many things to keep track of at once that one tends to get tunnel vision. These mixes will more than likely sound absolutely terrible, but that's actually a good thing at this point, because what you're doing is creating a record of your baseline by which you'll be able to measure your progress

3) As often as possible, try to mix with other DJs - your mileage may vary, of course, but I've found "trading ones (or twos)", where each DJ in the room takes turns mixing a record (or two) to be a *GREAT* way to sharpen your mixing skills - also, IT'S FUN!

4) Consider learning to mix a variety of genres and styles - you might be surprised how those lessons all reinforce each other - plus, versatility is a GOOD thing!

5) Most of all, just remember to have fun! There are going to be plenty of frustrating times, but don't let them keep you from the magical ones - the first time you really land a great mix, it's like walking on clouds :^) You want to have real fun? Make a recording after a year, and then break out the recording of the first mix you recorded WAY back at the beginning - compare and contrast :^)

DJ Cubano · 10-08-04, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smiley

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...25629?v=glance

that is an awesome book I recommend it by far. It had some info in there that I never knew about. Well worth the $$$

scratchy_mcgee · 10-08-04, 03:05 PM

step 1) throw your shoes in the dryer and begin spin cycle
step 2) begin mix; if it sounds similiar to above, repeat step 2
.

.

Gammah · 10-08-04, 03:29 PM

For me, I found that listening to the track and counting the measures was a good start. DnB is in a 4/4 time signature, meaning you basically can just count 1,2,3,4 1,2,3,4 over and over to the beat.

Then when mixing, the first thing is to be cueing the record on the '1' beat (the down beat - usually the kick). Drop that record in on the downbeat (the 1) of the record that's playing.

Then you have to work on getting the tracks beatmatched, so you generally use one hand to spin the record faster or slower to match the beat of the original record. In the back of your mind you're still basically counting 1,2,3,4 but now you're counting for both records. While you're controlling the incoming tune with your hand, you also need to update the pitch on the turntable to get it to stay matched.

Once you can keep the downbeats lined up, well shit you're halfway there. After that, the phrasing thing Nick is talking about is the thing to learn....

But the main thing is getting used to dealing with the tempos of the two tunes playing, and to that point, everyone that suggests practice practice is right.

Recording all your mixes is a great idea because you need to know how it sounds...

Good luck.
-G.

SmoothHeavy · 10-08-04, 03:33 PM

Practice Practice Practice

CheckO · 10-08-04, 03:54 PM

get the beat down. count. know when to drop. when you do drop on the beat listen hard pick up or lower the speed but yea. practice practice. the Lord Gammah, Smiley and Nick all have badass advice

Johnny Funk · 10-08-04, 04:03 PM

Just slam that fader over, hop on to the decks, pump your fists in the air and scream "HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"!!!!

Then jump down, snort a line/take a shot/down a cap off of a strippers chest,and ready your next tune.

CheckO · 10-08-04, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny Funk

Just slam that fader over, hop on to the decks, pump your fists in the air and scream "HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"!!!!

Then jump down, snort a line/take a shot/down a cap off of a strippers chest,and ready your next tune.

nobody can cop your style man. nobody

10-08-04, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmoothHeavy

Practice Practice Practice

Then do it some more.

:Psyborg · 10-08-04, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny Funk

Just slam that fader over, hop on to the decks, pump your fists in the air and scream "HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"!!!!

Then jump down, snort a line/take a shot/down a cap off of a strippers chest,and ready your next tune.

u stole this from me johnny!

miapie · 10-09-04, 03:24 PM

thanks u guys. i appreciate it alot especially the way gammah laid it down. but theres i have a question on this part that always seems to get me...Then when mixing, the first thing is to be cueing the record on the '1' beat (the down beat - usually the kick). Drop that record in on the downbeat (the 1) of the record that's playing.... still a little confused on which records ur talkin about...make any sense? sorry u guys im just really serious about gettin this shit down. its always been my dream

The Nudist Buddhist · 10-11-04, 03:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark peña

btw travis.. don't ever touch the record

Haha, This is from a post way back in the day of '03.
http://www.dallasdancemusic.com/foru...ad.php?t=53350

But seriously. Use a LITTLE handwork right after you throw the cued track, but don't fingerfuck the platter. Fine-tune with the pitch, and if that doesn't work, try harder.
It took a year of my (more experienced) friends yelling "stop doing that!" for me to learn.

On a sode note: if the cued track is going slower than the playing track, and it's ahead of the playing track, let it come into time by itself. Same goes vice-versa. (Cued track is faster, and it's behind playing track).

Then again ... figuring out the difference seems to be the hard part, so whatever works for you I guess.

10-08-04, 03:40 AM	#1 (permalink)
miapie Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 152	HELP on beat matching hey everyone, i know you real djs out there always get this question but i need some help. anyone out there have some great advice towards beat matching drum and bass/jungle? im sick of geting advice the most confusing way possible. can someone please break it down for me!? an example would be nice or if u can relate tracks to help me get a better understanding that would be great. thanks alot!

10-08-04, 11:12 AM	#2 (permalink)
smiley Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Arlington, TX Posts: 423	it might be helpful to bring a headphone splitter over to a DJ friend's house and split the headphone output of the DJ mixer so that you can watch and simultaneously hear what he/she is doing, if for no other reason than to get a handle on the mechanics of it all... other than that, it's just one of those things that you have to do over and over and over and over again until one day it just clicks and you wonder what was so hard about it in the first place - kind of like riding a bike, actually. __________________ -- Michael Hale <giftculture@gmail.com> gift culture http://www.gift-culture.org initialization string http://www.initstring.org psymbolic sounds http://www.psymbolic.com New album Terraforming out on Psymbolic Sounds now - http://www.psymbolic.com/unlock.html.../terraforming/

10-08-04, 12:15 PM	#3 (permalink)
Nick Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 1,713	I'm guessing not many will answer your question, because you called on real djs. I'm not the best, but I've done it for a little while now and can tell you this. Take smiley's advice: Practice, Practice, Practice, Practice and then after that.......Practice some more. I tried the splitter thing with an old friend and while it helped her, she eventually gave up. If you want it, you will get it. If the practice is fun and doesn't feel like work you're all good. Another tip. Learn your phrasing now. If you can count out 64 quarter notes/beats or 16 bars of music and line it up with the other phrase you will be on the right track. Occasionally a record is different, but most producers stick with this outline. "Have to learn the rules to break them" sort of thing. __________________ Atmospheric Drum and Bass Mix: http://www.zshare.net/audio/6163812f5f2aec/ www.myspace.com/nickshade1

10-08-04, 02:03 PM	#4 (permalink)
smiley Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Arlington, TX Posts: 423	http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...25629?v=glance believe it or not, that's a pretty good book that does just about as good a job as any as explaining things like phrasing, beat matching, programming, etc... That being said, there's a certain zen component to learning how to mix records that can't really be expressed in pictures or words - try explaining to somebody how to ride a bike, for instance :^) It's one of those things that just has to be experienced to be understood... Let me share my experiences as well as some tips that helped me: 1) First and foremost, ask yourself why it is you really want to do this... For most people in the beginning, forward progression occurs at a frustratingly glacial pace, sometimes slow enough as to not be measurable. If your motivation stems from wanting to be popular or to be famous, it is unlikely that you'll make it past this first hurdle - most people don't. If your motivation stems from a love for the music, that passion to share the sounds that speak to you will be the thing that will carry you through all the frustrating times and bring you back to try again and again. 2) At least for the first 6 months or so, record every mix you do and then listen to them away from the decks. Until you've mixed enough to commit the mechanical and listening skills to muscle memory and subconscious habit, there are so many things to keep track of at once that one tends to get tunnel vision. These mixes will more than likely sound absolutely terrible, but that's actually a good thing at this point, because what you're doing is creating a record of your baseline by which you'll be able to measure your progress 3) As often as possible, try to mix with other DJs - your mileage may vary, of course, but I've found "trading ones (or twos)", where each DJ in the room takes turns mixing a record (or two) to be a GREAT way to sharpen your mixing skills - also, IT'S FUN! 4) Consider learning to mix a variety of genres and styles - you might be surprised how those lessons all reinforce each other - plus, versatility is a GOOD thing! 5) Most of all, just remember to have fun! There are going to be plenty of frustrating times, but don't let them keep you from the magical ones - the first time you really land a great mix, it's like walking on clouds :^) You want to have real fun? Make a recording after a year, and then break out the recording of the first mix you recorded WAY back at the beginning - compare and contrast :^) __________________ -- Michael Hale <giftculture@gmail.com> gift culture http://www.gift-culture.org initialization string http://www.initstring.org psymbolic sounds http://www.psymbolic.com New album Terraforming out on Psymbolic Sounds now - http://www.psymbolic.com/unlock.html.../terraforming/

10-08-04, 04:03 PM	#10 (permalink)
Johnny Funk Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 4,510	Just slam that fader over, hop on to the decks, pump your fists in the air and scream "HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"!!!! Then jump down, snort a line/take a shot/down a cap off of a strippers chest,and ready your next tune. __________________ "I've got that disease where you wake up in strange places drunk." http://www.myspace.com/johnnyfunk For Mixes and Podcast click here: http://www.badbrotherinc.com http://sense.fm/ Saturdays 8-10 2hours of tunes w/ Mike X and Myself

night-lifestyle sites clubplanet wantickets newyears nochelatina cooljunkie doyoulookgood

10-08-04, 03:05 PM	#6 (permalink)
scratchy_mcgee Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 111	step 1) throw your shoes in the dryer and begin spin cycle step 2) begin mix; if it sounds similiar to above, repeat step 2 . .

10-08-04, 03:29 PM	#7 (permalink)
Gammah Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Dallas / TX / US Posts: 757	For me, I found that listening to the track and counting the measures was a good start. DnB is in a 4/4 time signature, meaning you basically can just count 1,2,3,4 1,2,3,4 over and over to the beat. Then when mixing, the first thing is to be cueing the record on the '1' beat (the down beat - usually the kick). Drop that record in on the downbeat (the 1) of the record that's playing. Then you have to work on getting the tracks beatmatched, so you generally use one hand to spin the record faster or slower to match the beat of the original record. In the back of your mind you're still basically counting 1,2,3,4 but now you're counting for both records. While you're controlling the incoming tune with your hand, you also need to update the pitch on the turntable to get it to stay matched. Once you can keep the downbeats lined up, well shit you're halfway there. After that, the phrasing thing Nick is talking about is the thing to learn.... But the main thing is getting used to dealing with the tempos of the two tunes playing, and to that point, everyone that suggests practice practice is right. Recording all your mixes is a great idea because you need to know how it sounds... Good luck. -G.

10-08-04, 03:54 PM	#9 (permalink)
CheckO Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: pleasant grove Posts: 1,939	get the beat down. count. know when to drop. when you do drop on the beat listen hard pick up or lower the speed but yea. practice practice. the Lord Gammah, Smiley and Nick all have badass advice

10-09-04, 03:24 PM	#14 (permalink)
miapie Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 152	thanks u guys. i appreciate it alot especially the way gammah laid it down. but theres i have a question on this part that always seems to get me...Then when mixing, the first thing is to be cueing the record on the '1' beat (the down beat - usually the kick). Drop that record in on the downbeat (the 1) of the record that's playing.... still a little confused on which records ur talkin about...make any sense? sorry u guys im just really serious about gettin this shit down. its always been my dream

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