Learning to DJ

[ian_halsall]

I used Traktor before Live and I much prefer Live.

Mainly because it's difficult to mix tracks with variable tempo in them in Traktor.

[Theo Void]

I used Traktor before Live and I much prefer Live.

Mainly because it's difficult to mix tracks with variable tempo in them in Traktor.

It is difficult because there is only one beatgrid and it assumes that every track has one tempo. What I do in this scenario is this: Beatgrid the first half of the track and either mix out before the grid falls off or let it go and manually match the next track.

It's only a problem if you ALWAYS use sync. I do use sync most of the time because it free's up so much time and concentration to do things that are much more fun than beatmatching, but every now and again (like in this situation) one still must manually mix.

[ian_halsall]

If it's a genuinely variable tempo track like some James Brown numbers then it's tricky to do it this way.

If you use Live you can (painstakingly) with the metronome or a kick drum go through and put the yellow things all the way through the track.

You just can't do this with Traktor - I was asking NI to make a variable beat grid in 2009!

[Theo Void]

I agree. With the addition of all those sample slots in the new version of Traktor (even though you need the hard-ware to use it) it seems Traktor could be evolving into a DAW. The best thing they could do if this is in fact the case is add a "warping" engine of some sort. I know a guy who warps in Live then renders the now "in-time" track and uses it in Traktor. That, to me, is Wayyyy too much work for a track that someone else made. I guess I'm more into producing and creating my own songs but if you REALLY into DJ'ing this could be a good option. Plus, you could always sync Traktor w/ Live and use the warped clips that way. I like DJ'ing and all and at the moment it's the only way for me to perform electronic music. I use it as a way to play my own tracks to people. That said, since I've been mixing live more I find that it really is an art in itself and you can produce live and on the fly and if your really creative and skilled you can craft some pretty unique and amazing things in a live situation.

[102455]

With the addition of all those sample slots....it seems Traktor could be evolving into a DAW. The best thing they could do.....is add a "warping" engine of some sort.

Exactly - we're on the same page here!

When 2.5 was announced I was hoping that would be the case. The more layered loops and things you've got going on, the more important it is to have a steady tempo on your main track.

I do the "warp it in Live then play it elsewhere" thing too - currently it's the only way, but it will be a glorious day when DJ software can do the job.

[ian_halsall]

feel better!

[rozling]

I "DJ'd" w/ Live for years.
Then I got Traktor. For DJ'ing it's 1,000,000 times more fun!!!! Trust me!!

Theo speaks the truth. I DJ'd with live for some years too and while it's very doable, Traktor is just a better tool for the job.

[rozling]

But for the meantime in terms of tips & tricks here's one for you:
Have scenes set up with the bpm in the name, and map them to a controller. I used the numbers on the keyboard, 1 for 110bpm, 2 for 120bpm, then wrapping around at 7 for 70bpm.

Good for instant tempo changes instead of speeding up/slowing down which can weird people out on the dancefloor.

[102455]

There are lots of ways to mask tempo changes.

If people are dancing away then suddenly cutting to a different tempo is just as disconcerting for them as sliding the tempo up/down over a few bars.

Play a track with a cold end, leave an appropriate rest, then bring in the new track.

Use white noise (or a reverse cymbal) to bring in a crescendo, then cut it and bring in the new track.

Use a "vinyl slowing down" effect, then....

Use an echo/reverb effect, then.....

Bring in the new track during a "musical interlude" section where there's no discernible tempo.

There are also ways of doing it with loops cut to the "wrong" place - i.e. loop the start of a slower song using the tempo of the faster one.

[rozling]

^ nice tips! Yeah not saying scenes are the only way to do it, they can just be useful in certain situations. Once you have them setup in advance you don't have to put any more thought into it.

Transitions are definitely something I'm working on myself though; they can really make or break the vibe.

[102455]

That's the thing with DJing (and/or using Live) - there is no right or wrong way. You do it the way you want to, the way that works for you.

Let's say for example you wanted to make a 1 hour mix. For starters you'd need 10 six minute tracks (or 20 three min ones etc.), then maybe a handful of basic drum loops that you could use to layer over stuff, or as bridges between tracks. You could even pick out some drum loops from your track selection and use those.

If you want to be organised, you could progress them by key, going up a key as you go down the clip columns.

I suggest you Google for "djing apc40 ableton" and have a browse through the resulting videos and sites/posts.

You'll realise there are as many methods as there are DJs!

When you break it down though, the basics are the same: starting and stopping tracks, mixing between them and maybe adding FX and loops.

[timday]

I don't really DJ so not sure how much this is worth but.....I have friends who do DJ with Ableton and they say basically there's no point in just playing and mixing tunes. You can do it but something like Traktor is much friendlier for that.

Instead, go crazy with it - you can have say 5 "decks" - one with beats, one with acapellas, one with synth lines etc, and use something like a launchpad or APC to fire off the relevant clips and do live mashups. Takes a bit of prep and I'm not sure how much it counts as DJing in the conventional sense but it seems to work for them.

[102455]

The line between "traditional" DJing and live production/remixing has been blurring for a while now.

We've had The Bridge collaboration between Ableton & Serato, allowing people to use Live & Scratch Live together. It never really took off though, because it was too restrictive (in hardware/software requirements), expensive (see previous brackets) and just plain awkward (two programs running at the same time).

Now we've got the Remix Decks in Traktor which is a bit nearer to nirvana, in that it's integrated (one program), not expensive (The £200 F1 controller includes the s/w) and easy to set up. The only thing missing is warping.

There are lots of big name DJs who produce, and there are producers who DJ.

I think generally speaking, the guys using Live to DJ are nearer the producer end of the scale.


Funken, have you seen/heard this?

[102455]

If you like that, check out DJ Earworm and his United State Of Pop mashups.

Wiki page listing his mixes

[rozling]

The line between "traditional" DJing and live production/remixing has been blurring for a while now.

We've had The Bridge collaboration between Ableton & Serato, allowing people to use Live & Scratch Live together. It never really took off though, because it was too restrictive (in hardware/software requirements), expensive (see previous brackets) and just plain awkward (two programs running at the same time).

Now we've got the Remix Decks in Traktor which is a bit nearer to nirvana, in that it's integrated (one program), not expensive (The £200 F1 controller includes the s/w) and easy to set up. The only thing missing is warping.

There are lots of big name DJs who produce, and there are producers who DJ.

I think generally speaking, the guys using Live to DJ are nearer the producer end of the scale.


Funken, have you seen/heard this?

That. Was awesome!