Gung-ho about beatmatching?

86. · Post by **86.** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 2:08 pm

I remember reading this thread about The Bug and mad people were complaining about the lack of beatmatching...how they expect DJs to beatmatch perfectly, etc. etc.

To you, is that a real important part of DJing? there's obviously other shit to consider, like I could give a fuck less if homes is up there beatmatching garbage (at least to me) tunes flawlessly, the tunes don't move me, therefore fuckl the technical skills. If the tunes are brilliant but there's a lack of beatmatching, who really cares?

thoughts?

I also keep hearing/reading "skream DJs poorly" yet have never heard why...is it the beatmatching thing?

JFK · Post by **JFK** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 2:14 pm

I think Skream is a pretty tidy Dj tbh.

He has had a few too many drinks before taking the stage on a few occasions and there might be a few too many rewinds but meh Im nit picking.

He knows how to rock a fucking floor and thats the main thing.

evil madmen · Post by **evil madmen** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 2:18 pm

If you are gonna play out might as well do it right
Plus if you are on a timecode set up its pretty easy to beat match

yellowhighlighter · Post by **yellowhighlighter** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 2:20 pm

wtf if djs aren't beatmatching i usually throw cans at them.

djake · Post by **djake** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 2:20 pm

if someone cant beat match, then what the fuck are they doing behind the decks.....its the basics

86. · Post by **86.** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 2:28 pm

I used to be of the mind set that DJing revolved around scratching/turntablism and all that. In the end though, does it? No

I've seen folks doing little to no beatmatching, but the music selection is off the chain, and the crowd is going nuts.

ninjadog · Post by **ninjadog** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 3:02 pm

Yeah to me it's hella important to be able to beatmatch two pieces of wax by ear. Fuck all the bpm counters and auto sync programs. I mean anyone can mix two songs within Live, or match up two #'s the bpm counter is showing you. It takes real skill and knowledge of your music to be able beatmatch the old school way.

Your point about a guy with skills beatmatching crap compared to a dude that cant mix but drops bombs doesent work for me. I can make my iPod fade tunes together, but it obviously wont beatmatch 2 songs or do any interesting dj tricks. And I would rather watch some dj do an awesome mix with music I dont like, then watch some glorified juke box play music one track after another.

collige · Post by **collige** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 3:02 pm

If you're DJing dance music, I except you to be able to beatmatch properly.

86. · Post by **86.** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 3:09 pm

ninjadog wrote:Yeah to me it's hella important to be able to beatmatch two pieces of wax by ear. Fuck all the bpm counters and auto sync programs. I mean anyone can mix two songs within Live, or match up two #'s the bpm counter is showing you. It takes real skill and knowledge of your music to be able beatmatch the old school way.

Your point about a guy with skills beatmatching crap compared to a dude that cant mix but drops bombs doesent work for me. I can make my iPod fade tunes together, but it obviously wont beatmatch 2 songs or do any interesting dj tricks. And I would rather watch some dj do an awesome mix with music I dont like, then watch some glorified juke box play music one track after another.

to each their own I suppose

lojik · Post by **lojik** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 3:11 pm

Coming from a trance background where blending 2 tunes almost seamlessly is one of the mixing styles I've learned, I think it's very important. The odd crafty cut is OK, but at least mix SOME of them.

I.e. you can't do double drops if you can't beatmatch, and they are a massive part of DnB and Dubstep.

ninjadog · Post by **ninjadog** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 3:16 pm

86 Position wrote:
ninjadog wrote:Yeah to me it's hella important to be able to beatmatch two pieces of wax by ear. Fuck all the bpm counters and auto sync programs. I mean anyone can mix two songs within Live, or match up two #'s the bpm counter is showing you. It takes real skill and knowledge of your music to be able beatmatch the old school way.

Your point about a guy with skills beatmatching crap compared to a dude that cant mix but drops bombs doesent work for me. I can make my iPod fade tunes together, but it obviously wont beatmatch 2 songs or do any interesting dj tricks. And I would rather watch some dj do an awesome mix with music I dont like, then watch some glorified juke box play music one track after another.
to each their own I suppose

Ya thats just my opinion. But chances are if the Dj can do what a real Dj is supposed to do he will have a sick track selection anyway.

86. · Post by **86.** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 3:21 pm

ninjadog wrote:
86 Position wrote:
ninjadog wrote:Yeah to me it's hella important to be able to beatmatch two pieces of wax by ear. Fuck all the bpm counters and auto sync programs. I mean anyone can mix two songs within Live, or match up two #'s the bpm counter is showing you. It takes real skill and knowledge of your music to be able beatmatch the old school way.

Your point about a guy with skills beatmatching crap compared to a dude that cant mix but drops bombs doesent work for me. I can make my iPod fade tunes together, but it obviously wont beatmatch 2 songs or do any interesting dj tricks. And I would rather watch some dj do an awesome mix with music I dont like, then watch some glorified juke box play music one track after another.
to each their own I suppose
Ya thats just my opinion. But chances are if the Dj can do what a real Dj is supposed to do he will have a sick track selection anyway.

yeah thats true. although student nights always do surprise me...it's like top 40 hip hop back to back. different thing I guess.

c03 · Post by **c03** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 3:35 pm

depends on the style of music your playing

most reggae/hip hop isnt designed to be blended so no need to beatmatch

techno/house/dnb all benefit from being mixed together skillfully

some dubstep doesnt need much mixing, rustie tunes for example

if your using ableton fair enough but at least use the extra time you have from not having to beatmatch to make fucking incredible layered mixes and do things you couldnt with vinyl/cdjs

jolly wailer · Post by **jolly wailer** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 3:56 pm

yes gung ho klippedy cloppedy drums aren't the one

its the most basic skill as well.... you shouldn't be doing gigs if you can't blend imo tho that doesn't stop folks

scooterjack · Post by **scooterjack** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 4:04 pm

Jolly Wailer wrote: its the most basic skill as well.... you shouldn't be doing gigs if you can't blend

djake wrote:if someone cant beat match, then what the fuck are they doing behind the decks.....its the basics

collige wrote:If you're DJing dance music, I except you to be able to beatmatch properly.

ninjadog wrote: But chances are if the Dj can do what a real Dj is supposed to do he will have a sick track selection anyway.

these

and contrary to popular (on here apparently) belief, hiphop DJ's do have to know how to beatmatch . Ask any PROFESSIONAL hiphop dj, and they will tell you that being able to beatmatch is a vital and groundlevel, essential skill

86. · Post by **86.** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 4:20 pm

strong opinions here

collective · Post by **collective** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 4:29 pm

ninjadog wrote: It takes real skill and knowledge of your music to be able beatmatch the old school way.

Its beatmatching not fucking rocket science. Its one of the easiest things to understand/grasp/perform that I have come across in life. So yes, all djs should be able to beatmatch, if you cant... GTFO

groucho_marxx · Post by **groucho_marxx** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 4:33 pm

Its pretty fundamental to beat match.
I play all manner of genres in some sets, including Funk, Soul, Disco, batucada etc, so beat matching for any length of time, if any, isnt that important.

Comming from a Hip Hop and House background, Learning to beatmatch was the first thing i did.
But as ive got older, ive got a lot less geeky about such things beatmatching has become less of an importance, as far as im concerned, id rather see a dj dropping bombs and everyone dancing, a few shakes never hurt anyone.

p.s I have seen Karizma, Kenny Dope, Armin van buuren, Theo Parrish etc drop some clangers in my time, we all human!

86. · Post by **86.** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 4:36 pm

it didnt take me too long to learn to mix. And I'm not talking dubstep, I'm talking other genres that arent necessarily structured like dubstep (not that all of it is structured the same). So for dubstep I can't imagine people not learning it rather easily.

I don't play out anway, just radio.

rawali · Post by **rawali** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 4:50 pm

I saw the bug once when he came to Montreal... he dropped some great tunes but no mixing at all... just retardedly loud effect and sirens all over the place for no particular reason...

not a performance I found to be interesting in any way (apart from the mcing)

Next time he came to I did not go to the show for this very reason...

beatmatching and somewhat blending tunes is part of what makes djing an acctual performance rather than selection... having tunes drop into eachother is what sets the pace of the whole show... if there is a break between each tune, it's not a dj SET anymore, it's just showing off tracks individually

Gung-ho about beatmatching?

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