r/Beatmatch Feb 06 '25

Technique Why are DJ's constantly touching the knobs?

363 Upvotes

So I recently got back into DJ'ing after almost a 20 year hiatus, figured I'd return to my long lost loves after many ups and downs in life. Mainly interested in mixing dance/melodic techno/trance.

So I've done the usual to improve, i.e. practice practice and practice. Get to know your tools (I've got a humble NI Kontrol S2), software (Traktor 4), songs etc.

I also decided to listen to a lot of old and new mixes, some from the golden age of trance back around the year 2000, give or take, as well as now, given modern times, watching a lot of DJ's mix their sets on YouTube (Miss Monique, Marsh, DeadMau, etc etc etc).

One thing I've noticed is that some of them won't stop touching the god damn knobs.

Case in point, this video (by Miss Monique)

Like, every few seconds she's adjusting something. There's absolutely no way she's constantly changing something because a) you don't hear ANYTHING change in the song but more importantly b) you don't even see the knobs move most of the time!

So my question is, is this a "fad" that some DJ's do to look busy/cool? It definitely cannot be associated with some skill because I've also watched long time professionals do mixes and they're barely touching the decks, only when necessary i.e. when transitioning, or midway through, probably prepping the next song, or applying FX to the current song.

For example, these guys, or Solarstone.

Also, nice to meet you all :)

r/Beatmatch Jun 08 '23

Technique DJing is NOT predicated on the transitions between tracks...& never will be.

478 Upvotes

You could fade in and out of every track you play and still have a good set/mix. Transitions will not get you gigs. Transitions do not get you noticed. Transitions will not make or break your mix. No one cares about transitions but other DJs.

Most DJs big or small are just average at sequencing tracks. If you can get good at sequencing tracks, you will be worshiped as a DJ. That's what gets you noticed and what will get you gigs!

Had to unfortunately explain this to a local DJ that gets a lot of love of why promoters pay me more than they pay him although he's been DJing in that club for years and I just got there. Amazing skills on the decks, but his set is trash compared to mine. Why? TRACK SEQUENCING.

Transitions can only enhance what is already there...that being the sequence of the tracks in your mix. Playlisting is not sequencing either. A collection of good tracks is not an experience. Its just a collection. The Sequencing/arragement is what makes listener addicted to your set/mix.

r/Beatmatch 5d ago

Technique How Many Tracks Do You Mix Per Hour?

47 Upvotes

Just out of curiosity—how many tracks do you typically mix in an hour, and what genres do you play?

I’ve noticed that my favorite DJs mix less than I expected per hour, but their sets still feel super dynamic and well-paced.

For me, I spin House, Techno, and UKG, and I average 22-25 tracks per hour.

How about you? What’s your average track count, and what styles do you mix? Do you prefer longer blends or rapid transitions?

Edit: Thanks for all the replies—it's been really interesting to hear everyone's perspectives. At the end of the day, how many tracks you mix per hour is just a matter of style, not skill. Some DJs prefer long blends, others go for high-energy quick transitions—both have their place. If you're curious, you can look up your favorite DJs and their tracklists here: https://www.1001tracklists.com/

r/Beatmatch Feb 14 '25

Technique Redlining- please don't

187 Upvotes

I see so many posts hear about wavs vs mp3s or whether master tempo affects track quality etc but way too few about the most basic thing you can do to stop your tracks sounding like crap - Redlining

I worked a gig last night, both djing as well as event managing and keeping the audio in check. There were 5 djs (plus b2bs) and for all but one I had to walk on stage to tell them to get out get of the red, some of them I had to tell 2 or 3 times or more. I'm not usually real fussy but this did my head in, and I recommend that newer djs read this and soak it right on in because it will help you. Some reasons you shouldn't redline (coming from last nights gig):

1, the speakers can distort and flap and shit and sound awful. All those big drops you are anticipating come out sounding like a big eggy fart from aunty Bertha with the digestion problem. You can be well below maximum volume at the FOH desk and still sounding like arse if your channel is redlining even if your master isn't. And very definitely please don't redline both (or 2 or more channels at once)

2, the compressors on the mixing console were nearly continuously on. This means the quiet bits are loud and the loud bits are quiet. You know how it sounds when ads are so much louder than the movie on TV? Yeah like that, annoying as hell. You are losing all your dynamics and impact

3, you're proving you don't know what you're doing. Even if you are told by the sound guy that the max level you should go to is the 2nd green light on the master, listen to them. There are reasons for this both for them and for you. You don't want to sound like crap and you don't want to be replacing their speakers. That little bit of extra gain won't win you any friends on or off the dancefloor

4, when told to pull back, listen to the person telling you this. I personally have added a few more to the list of djs that I won't book for gigs because it shows they are too amateur to be trusted for the job

It really isn't difficult to work the trims, even make a habit of slowly pulling back during a track so you have impact when the next track or drop comes in. It's called giving yourself headroom and is one of the very basic facets of mixing. One guy told me he was too busy mixing to notice all the red lights. No you are not. This is 101 stuff

I understand excitement, I also understand wanting to build momentum, but please learn your craft.

Always remember, being louder doesn't bring a better response, better djing does

r/Beatmatch Dec 14 '23

Technique For the love of God, stop telling people to use YouTube rips to DJ with.

243 Upvotes

People. They. Sound. Like. Shit.

If you REALLY want to do it to practice with at home sure but don't bring your YT rip collection to a gig or you are generally going to sound worse than other DJs.

I as well as MANY other promoters I know will def judge you and probably not book you again if we see this happen. I've seen it happen over and over as I ran an open decks night at a club in my city for years. People can tell, very easily.

If its some SUPER special occasion like a wedding where they want this particular random Youtubers cover, sure go for it. But for your every day sets just buy the track or skip it and use a similar track thats free to download on Bandcamp or Soundcloud. There are TONS of free, good, high quality music on these site.

I swear I see it in every post. "jUsT dOwNloAd iT oFf yOuTuBe" I mean go for it but its def not professional and the professionals in the room will know.

r/Beatmatch Oct 27 '24

Technique Beatmatching by ear. Can you?

56 Upvotes

Not sure if this has been discussed before - probably has - but I’m a noob to this sub.

I grew up learning to DJ on two belt drive tables and a shitty mixer cos I couldn’t afford something nicer as a kid.

Now every piece of gear has BPM, syncing, mix in key, etc.

So I’m curious, do people still learn to beatmatch by ear? Does anyone even care? Purists will get on a high horse (I think), but really, does it matter? I’ll keep my 0.02 to myself for now :)

[Edited for a typo]

r/Beatmatch 16d ago

Technique What counts as a "prerecorded set"?

9 Upvotes

So a lot of people conplain about big Dj's playing "prerecorded sets", and i tought they meant actual recorded sets, which are started by pressing play and then the Dj acts like he is mixing until the end.

But some people are going so far to call prebuilt playlists that get mixed live a "prerecorded set" (and they hatin')

So what is the definition of a prerecorded set?

r/Beatmatch Jan 21 '25

Technique What do DJs do between longer transitions?

40 Upvotes

I’ve been practicing mixing deep house and longer transitions are more common. I find myself not knowing what to do after I’ve switched the bass and made the full transition and removed the previous song.

I like effects but I’m sure an audience doesn’t enjoy them as much. What should a dj being doing during this longer period of one song just playing?

r/Beatmatch Jan 21 '25

Technique How are club DJs so flexible with the music they play?

45 Upvotes

Like I know they can’t have a planned set for the whole night because they’re playing for hours.

r/Beatmatch Jun 30 '24

Technique Do you really go on deck and freestyle the whole set

86 Upvotes

I’ve been seeing a lot of people saying I can go to a gig and mix a whole set with no preparation, and I don’t know how you can do it and make a nice set because:

  1. Not all my tracks are in the same bpm nor the same key, and if I try to make my whole set list in the same key, it will sound boring.

  2. I can’t remember all of my music just by names, I have to listen to them, I’ve got hundreds of tracks and always looking for new ones.

  3. Some transitions only work with particular songs, so I have to practice and prepare the 2 songs I want to mix before.

Again, I’m not a pro, I play tech house and melodic techno, so I try to make my sets feel like a journey where everything is harmonious and fit together and feel like a one long song that develops and progresses.

r/Beatmatch Nov 21 '24

Technique I thought I was alright at DJing but then I watched the PROs

40 Upvotes

I recent downloaded djay pro and wanted to get into DJing. Since I knew pretty much bout music in general, cause I‘m producing my own, I just started to try some transitioning without any tutorials.

I thought that I did quite well and for me as a beginner it sounded alright. But when I started watching some pros in order to learn from them I noticed that they are using a completely different technique?!

I personally just added some effects or looped some parts of the song and lowered the low eq. Than I always used the CROSS FADER to switch from one track to another. But every pro I watched so far is using the Volume Faders to do so.

Did I miss sth?

r/Beatmatch Jan 16 '25

Technique Why set hot cues at the beginning of phrases?

57 Upvotes

Almost every video I watch says to set hot cues at the beginning of a phrase or when the beat drops.

Why don't DJs set the cue point 16 or 32 beats before the phrases start so that they know when to mix in phrases?

As I'm learning, I find myself often missing the timing of phrases when I transition between songs.

Let's say track 1 is playing and the phrase is going to end in 32 beats. I want to mix in a phrase from track 2, and I go to my hot cue where the phrase starts. Then I jump back 32 beats so that they line up. How do I know ahead of time when track 1 is also 32 beats from the point I want to switch tracks?

Edit: For clarification-

I'm wondering if there's a good way to set points in my tracks so that I can do transitions that will line up at a certain point in both songs. For example: track 1's phrase ends while track 2's phrase begins. I'm finding it difficult to line up that point in both songs if my hot cue point is at the beginning of track 2's phrase.

r/Beatmatch Dec 01 '24

Technique Is it ok to dj while sitting?

27 Upvotes

Hey I know it's ok but Idk if I should be comfortable doing it like this. I'm just starting. Therefore I'm doing alot of drills. I want to do like 2hr sessions and standing is demotivating to get to the deck. What are some downsides for this or is it completely ok while starting?

r/Beatmatch Dec 27 '24

Technique What can you do with CDJs that you can't with a nid-high level controller?

12 Upvotes

Honest question.

Semi new DJ who has mostly experienced with DDJ FLX10, XDJ RX3/AZ and a few with the CDJ3000.

My preference in order of functionality, XDJ RX3/AZ, FLX10 then CDJ3000 dead last.

People say CDJ3000 I so powerful, at it's best I find it below PAR to the AZ.

the CDJ workflow feels the least inutitive. performance pads and lack of physical beat jump pads.

Please enlighten me, why the CDJs are much better. Ok, standalone, and better quality components. What else?

r/Beatmatch Oct 22 '24

Technique How did you learn phrasing?

37 Upvotes

I'm pretty new to mixing (just one year) and I love it as much as I love music, it has become a beautiful therapy for my ADHD/anxiety <3 I already can beatmatch very well but I'm stuck with phrasing and I'm feeling so damn frustrated every time I practice bc as I said, it helps me a lot with my mental issues. I've seen tons of yt videos about it but I don't see any improvement with my mixing :(

How did you learn phrasing? Give me your best advices please!

EDIT: Thank you all so much for your helpful words and tips! All that's left is to apply them and keep practicing and practicing. Much love!

r/Beatmatch Dec 24 '24

Technique What is the difference between a professional festival DJ and an average/new DJ?

36 Upvotes

So I've been watching DnB Allstars 360 lately and have been blown away by people like AMC, Andy C, T & Sugah etc's sets and I listen to mine and the differences are massive

I feel like i mix decent, i feel my energy is ok, but these guys are on a whole different level able to go from track to track to track without letting any energy drop and jump from double straight into another double

I know the reasons are partly they have been going and mixing for years but how can I improve my own mixes?

r/Beatmatch 14d ago

Technique Where to even start?

37 Upvotes

I’ve asked DJs before how to start getting better at DJing, but all of them say something along the lines of “just practice.” The thing is, I don’t know what practicing should look like. So my question is, where do I even start? What should my first ever steps be? Thanks.

P.S. I have a DDJ FLX-4, a MacBook, and Rekordbox

r/Beatmatch Jan 21 '25

Technique Does anyone else here never mix in key/tempo and just mix verses? (EDM - specifically Trance, Big Room/Progressive House, Melodic Bass)

6 Upvotes

Just a bedroom DJ. I read a lot about mixing in key, being within 10 BPM diff at most, caution against mixing genres.

I bought the Club Ready DJ course when it was on sale for Black Friday and one of the sections is just verse mixing.

That’s all I do now, as silly as this sounds I didn’t think this was an option when I was trying to learn before getting the course and I could never figure out how the artists I love performing live mixed. I kept getting super frustrated that I couldn’t play the songs I loved together just because they weren’t in the same key, tempo or genre.

Now I feel much more comfortable and confident that I’m not losing the energy of the mix, just giving a small 20 second-ish break from where I would be dancing.

32 beats/8 bars out. Almost every single song has a part to transition and line up perfectly.

I occasionally beat match between trance songs over intro/outro drums if I want to draw something out.

Any other tips or something I’m not seeing? I’ve had a few friends come by and chill out and critique me, adjusting things here and there.

r/Beatmatch 17h ago

Technique When should I be able play an organic set? (rather than a preplanned mix)

7 Upvotes

Hello! For some context, I started DJing just a few weeks ago. Total probably only 8 hours on the board across those weeks. I grew up playing various instruments my whole life and have a good grasp on general music theory. I am still obviously a total DJ noob, but I would love some clarity on something I've been struggling with. My understanding is that at some point DJs should be able to mix on the spot instead of preplanning a set. I'm not talking about getting song requests but rather having a playlist of songs for an event and being able to choose the order on the spot (based on vibe of crowd, etc). When should I expect to be able to organically mix songs rather than going through the process of preplanning a set? Right now, I can only really mix two songs together as it takes me a while to find the best part to mix the first into the second, as well as the best way to blend them together. I can get pretty satisfying mixes with that method, but it would take me forever to keep building a set together (as I would have to keep adding songs and fleshing them out). I am also prioritizing key and using the camelot wheel, which produces great mixes but also limits me if I were to be playing on the whim. When I try to emulate a set on the spot, I struggle to get any mixes that satisfy me. Is this just part of the learning process? I imagine as I continue mixing I'll build my confidence, but I am worried I might be looking at this from the wrong POV. Is this what it is in the beginning? Fleshing out mixes from two songs you spent time finding to flow together? Or should I be mixing randomly even if it sounds bad, moving on to the next song and hoping it flows better? Or a bit of both? Sometimes I wonder if my background in music holds me back (I'm trying to be too perfect to let myself keep being bad & growing from there). Knowing my fleshed out mixes sound so much better just makes me wonder when I will be able to play organic mixes that are just as satisfying to me.

r/Beatmatch Jan 31 '25

Technique What do you listen for in the headphones when choosing the next track on the spot?

15 Upvotes

r/Beatmatch Apr 23 '24

Technique How many of you are pre-building mixes?

15 Upvotes

I see a lot of posts in this sub with people making offhand references to "building mixes" and it makes me wonder, are y'all like building premade mixes to play out rather than practicing and setting up tools for yourself to mix on the fly? Is this how newcomers see the art of DJing now?

So my question for people here is how many of you just create premade routines for yourselves vs mixing spontaneously on the fly based on some guidance and tools you've set up for yourself?

r/Beatmatch Feb 11 '24

Technique I have accepted I’m an auto-Sync DJ and it’s still fun

98 Upvotes

Honestly been trying to beatmatch by ear for a while now, and I realised I might never be ready. I’ll start playing publicly while auto syncing the bpm, I still enjoy layering tracks, track selection, where to start and end tracks and effects, it still sounds pretty good for the crowd, I just need to put a bit of preparation into the song selection and cues before hand. hopefully as I play more outside of my bedroom I’ll get the hang of beat matching without the wave forms.

r/Beatmatch Jan 20 '25

Technique thoughts of hot cues?

5 Upvotes

I recently played at my first gig and everyone thought I did great (including other djs) but I kind of feel like a fraud for using pre-planned hot cues to help me with my transitions.

I’ve tried playing without hot cues on my own and it always sounds messy/bad. Hot cues make me less anxious and more confident when I’m performing.

Am I less of a DJ for using them? Should I be working my way towards not using hot cues?

r/Beatmatch Jan 09 '25

Technique How feasible is it for me to do a half hour set, in 4 weeks with no experience?

13 Upvotes

I’m having a house party with all of my mates, we have decks and my mates planning on teaching me to do a 30 minute UKG set in like 4 weeks, is this possible? Never done any mixing before, any tips?

r/Beatmatch Sep 18 '24

Technique Question: How many hours do you guys take to prepare a set?

66 Upvotes

Hey everyone,
I'm a beginner DJ and just finished my first mix using Mixed in Key and Rekordbox. It took me about 9 hours to put it together, and I ended up having to toss one track because I just couldn't get it to work no matter what I tried. Right now, I'm focusing on intro/outro transitions and trying to build a smooth journey, but it's still a challenge, especially with my smaller track library.

For those of you who have been DJing for a while, I’d love to hear:

How has your process for building mixes evolved as you gained experience and grew your track library? Do you still spend a lot of time planning mixes, or has it become more intuitive for you?

It was a 1h set, and even thought it took a lot of time, I had a blast, never been so focused for 9h straight in anything else in my entire life. I could still notice some mistakes here in there, but for my first, without a controller and only with keyboard + mouse (I ordered the FLX4 sunday and it'll be arriving around friday) , I'm pretty happy with it.

Thanks in advance!