Going digital as a DJ is not a decision to take lightly. It might be that you’re moving from vinyl or CD decks, or it might be that you’re just starting out, but in either scenario you should ask yourself “what is digital going to do for me that other things can’t?”. This digital DJ tutorial for beginners will discuss two of the main weapons you have once you go digital.
Playlists
Many will tell you that a true DJ never plans a set and that it’s all about reacting to the crowd at the spur of the moment. But why not do both? It’s easy to save a playlist on digital equipment, so you might as well do something that you couldn’t easily do in the days of vinyl.
Many DJs planned sets to a point in the old days, practicing with their own vinyl at home and learning which tracks mix well with others. But they had to practice one mix multiple times to get a good grasp of it before playing live. Now, if you find two tracks that work well together, you can just save it and you’ve captured that idea forever.
Having your ideas saved can actually empower you to act at the spur of the moment when it comes to live performances. What if you decide to play a wildcard track in the middle of a set to change the mood? You’ll be a lot more willing to drop that track if you know you’ve got a playlist that will keep the vibe going.
Re-editing tracks live
Most people who use DJ controllers will mix with the auto sync function on so they can automatically match up the beats. What else can you do to make your mixing better? One great way to enhance the blending experience is to take control of the intros and outros of the tracks you’re playing. (see video below)
Often, two tracks that sound like they should go together don’t. This happens when the intro of the new track doesn’t quite blend over the outro of the playing track, even though both can seamlessly work together in different parts of the tracks.
With vinyl you would just have to look for another option, but with digital you can simply set a loop point and effectively create an ‘outro’, wherever you want on the track playing. Maybe there’s a bit of the track that just has a kick drum and tuneless percussion. If you set a loop point there, you can make it work with pretty much any other track that’s coming in. And likewise, you can do whatever you want with the track that you want to bring in. Perhaps extend the first eight bars indefinitely, so you can have a nice long mix before a bass line comes in that will clash with the track currently playing.
The key thing to remember is that once an individual track has been digitised, there is a lot more you can do with it.
We hope you enjoyed this digital DJ tutorial for beginners. Keep checking back for more essential tips.
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