Getting better at beat matching...

alextheswede · Post by **alextheswede** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 8:16 pm

So I've been DJing for a fair amount of time now and without sounding big-headed, I think I'd be able to DJ at small nights here in Manchester, maybe as a warm up DJ or whatever...

So basically i was wondering if anyone wants to share how they practice their beat-matching at home, i just want to strengthen the skills I have built up myself basically!

dubstee · Post by **dubstee** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 9:04 pm

Practice with the headphones turned down as low as possible. Thank me later.

tacospheros · Post by **tacospheros** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 9:09 pm

just keep practicing . if you still have to come on a forum and ask strangers how they practice beatmatching, then you're not ready to play out . sorry dude

alextheswede · Post by **alextheswede** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 9:29 pm

tacospheros wrote:just keep practicing . if you still have to come on a forum and ask strangers how they practice beatmatching, then you're not ready to play out . sorry dude

I know what you mean but i guess i meant how to "progress" at beat matching, i'm perfectly fine at it, but i just want to know if there are like, any techniques to enhance it... or kinda like get closer to perfecting it if you catch my drift

dubstee · Post by **dubstee** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 9:40 pm

alextheswede wrote:
tacospheros wrote:just keep practicing . if you still have to come on a forum and ask strangers how they practice beatmatching, then you're not ready to play out . sorry dude
I know what you mean but i guess i meant how to "progress" at beat matching, i'm perfectly fine at it, but i just want to know if there are like, any techniques to enhance it... or kinda like get closer to perfecting it if you catch my drift

Do what I told you to, it's the best preparation for playing out.

Lurka · Post by **Lurka** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 9:44 pm

alextheswede wrote:
tacospheros wrote:just keep practicing . if you still have to come on a forum and ask strangers how they practice beatmatching, then you're not ready to play out . sorry dude
I know what you mean but i guess i meant how to "progress" at beat matching, i'm perfectly fine at it, but i just want to know if there are like, any techniques to enhance it... or kinda like get closer to perfecting it if you catch my drift

DONT TOUCH THE PLATTER OR VINYL WHILE MIXING! ride the pitch! this was the best bit of advice i got when learning to improve my beatmatching, takes a little while to get used to but after some practice get smoooooooth mixes!

dubstee · Post by **dubstee** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 9:55 pm

trigga!!! wrote:
alextheswede wrote:
tacospheros wrote:just keep practicing . if you still have to come on a forum and ask strangers how they practice beatmatching, then you're not ready to play out . sorry dude
I know what you mean but i guess i meant how to "progress" at beat matching, i'm perfectly fine at it, but i just want to know if there are like, any techniques to enhance it... or kinda like get closer to perfecting it if you catch my drift

DONT TOUCH THE PLATTER OR VINYL WHILE MIXING! ride the pitch! this was the best bit of advice i got when learning to improve my beatmatching, takes a little while to get used to but after some practice get smoooooooth mixes!

this is also good advice

dubstep nation · Post by **dubstep nation** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 9:57 pm

trigga!!! wrote:
alextheswede wrote:
tacospheros wrote:just keep practicing . if you still have to come on a forum and ask strangers how they practice beatmatching, then you're not ready to play out . sorry dude
I know what you mean but i guess i meant how to "progress" at beat matching, i'm perfectly fine at it, but i just want to know if there are like, any techniques to enhance it... or kinda like get closer to perfecting it if you catch my drift

DONT TOUCH THE PLATTER OR VINYL WHILE MIXING! ride the pitch! this was the best bit of advice i got when learning to improve my beatmatching, takes a little while to get used to but after some practice get smoooooooth mixes!

Thats what ive also been told, awesome advice

Pistonsbeneath · Post by **Pistonsbeneath** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 9:58 pm

don't even touch the record deck in fact...it takes a lot of practice but your mixing will improve massively

MUT3 · Post by **MUT3** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 10:05 pm

But what if youre using CDJs? I dont think riding the pitch like vinyl translates.

Excuse me if im wrong but i just made the change from vinyl to CDJ and i cant not touch the platter.

alextheswede · Post by **alextheswede** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 10:27 pm

Dubstep Nation wrote:
trigga!!! wrote:
alextheswede wrote:
tacospheros wrote:just keep practicing . if you still have to come on a forum and ask strangers how they practice beatmatching, then you're not ready to play out . sorry dude
I know what you mean but i guess i meant how to "progress" at beat matching, i'm perfectly fine at it, but i just want to know if there are like, any techniques to enhance it... or kinda like get closer to perfecting it if you catch my drift

DONT TOUCH THE PLATTER OR VINYL WHILE MIXING! ride the pitch! this was the best bit of advice i got when learning to improve my beatmatching, takes a little while to get used to but after some practice get smoooooooth mixes!
Thats what ive also been told, awesome advice

Okay cool... i'll practice like this it seems like a really good way of doing it! Thanks!!!

dubstee · Post by **dubstee** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 10:30 pm

kcksnr wrote:But what if youre using CDJs? I dont think riding the pitch like vinyl translates.

Excuse me if im wrong but i just made the change from vinyl to CDJ and i cant not touch the platter.

It's the same.

webstarr · Post by **webstarr** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 10:33 pm

dubstee wrote:
kcksnr wrote:But what if youre using CDJs? I dont think riding the pitch like vinyl translates.

Excuse me if im wrong but i just made the change from vinyl to CDJ and i cant not touch the platter.
It's the same.

I find the pitch control very different with cdjs compared to 1210s

dubstee · Post by **dubstee** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 10:40 pm

Webstarr wrote:
dubstee wrote:
kcksnr wrote:But what if youre using CDJs? I dont think riding the pitch like vinyl translates.

Excuse me if im wrong but i just made the change from vinyl to CDJ and i cant not touch the platter.
It's the same.
I find the pitch control very different with cdjs compared to 1210s

It's lighter but once you get used to it the principle is the same.

alextheswede · Post by **alextheswede** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 10:52 pm

another thing, when you say "ride the pitch" do you mean like, pushing the pitch control up and down until the space in which you are pushing and pulling gets smaller and more precise, until finally getting the track beat matched?

kxp · Post by **kxp** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 10:59 pm

Know all your tracks you're using inside out

executive steve · Post by **executive steve** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 12:04 am

Practice, practice practice practice and more practice.

Bear in mind whenever you get frustrated that it's only because your capacity to hear stuff going wrong in your mixes grows and develops at a slightly faster rate than your capacity to fix the error.

Be zen about it, play the records you love, set the mood you want to set; all the rest is irrelevant.

And the guy further up the thread who said "practice with your headphones at as low a volume as possible relative to your speakers" just gave you some of the best advice it's possible to give someone in terms of mixing.

executive steve · Post by **executive steve** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 12:06 am

alextheswede wrote:another thing, when you say "ride the pitch" do you mean like, pushing the pitch control up and down until the space in which you are pushing and pulling gets smaller and more precise, until finally getting the track beat matched?

Takes a bit of time to get used to, but once you can do it you won't look back

I still struggle with not touching the platter to be fair, but get it right and your mixes are much smoother....

executive steve · Post by **executive steve** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 12:08 am

alextheswede wrote:
tacospheros wrote:just keep practicing . if you still have to come on a forum and ask strangers how they practice beatmatching, then you're not ready to play out . sorry dude
I know what you mean but i guess i meant how to "progress" at beat matching, i'm perfectly fine at it, but i just want to know if there are like, any techniques to enhance it... or kinda like get closer to perfecting it if you catch my drift

It's a set of motor skills and sensory skills.

If you really want to tune the part of your brain that you beatmatch with, try getting two radios and tuning each of them to a different talk radio station, and paying as close possible attention to each of them at the same time. As a bonus effect you'll get very good at dinner parties.

Getting better at beat matching...

Getting better at beat matching...

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