Step 4: Learning Basic DJ Skills Beatmatching
ACTIVE SPEAKER FOR ENTERTAINERS, DJS, BANDS, CLUBS, FITNESS AND PARTIES. The purpose of beatmatching is to get two tracks playing at the same tempo (the speed at which the song is playing) and phase (the beats from both tracks playing in-time with each other). Think about it like two cars driving next to each other on the highway:
• Tempo is speed, such as 60 MPH. • Phase is having the two cars directly next to each other.
Beatmatching is accomplished using your player’s pitch fader, to adjust the tempo of the song. You use a jog wheel, push a pitch bend button, or touch one of your playing records to adjust phase. The practice of manual beatmatching results in a much more trained ear, and a more confident DJ. Phrasing Phrasing, with an “r”, will make sense to anyone who has ever played a musical instrument. It just means to mix your tracks together at points in the songs which make sense. Almost all music that you will be DJing is in 4/4 time, whether you play electronic dance music, hip-hop, funk, or top 40. Technically, this means is that there are four beats in a measure (bar), and that the quarter note gets one beat. The takeaway is that you need to learn how to count to four, as most “DJ - able” music is 4/4. Gain Control Any DJ rig contains a few different levels of “volume” adjustment. Firstly, each mixer channel has a gain knob, allowing you to adjust the level by watching your meters. Then, each channel has a line fader. Then, of course, there’s the crossfader which allows you to fade between one channel and another in a left/right motion. In addition, DJ software has its own gain structure. This can make things quite confusing. When in doubt, read the manual. Some DJ software features auto-gain functionality, which helps minimize the amount of manual adjustment between tracks. As a general rule: stay out of the red. If you need more volume, boost it on the amp or speaker side. EQing Equalizing (EQing) is the act of boosting or cutting frequencies so that multiple audio tracks blend nicely. For example, the majority of your audio “space” gets eaten up by bass frequencies (especially in dance music). You may not wish to mix two powerful kick drums over one another, since they are too loud to combine. A typical DJ mixer includes a three- band EQ (low, mid, and high) which allows you to carve out the audio space for a buttery blend.
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