Is it a bad idea to play "free download" tracks on a big system ?

[deevey]

Even some mastered tracks can sound completely shite ... use your ears, play them on multiple sources and decide yourself if they will hold up in a club.

[Polygon]

Take as an example Get Lucky- Mysto & Pizzi remix
A f'n great track, mastered, given out for free.
Pumps up the energy as no other track can.

So yeah, there definitely is a place for free tracks on a big system.

[b1sh0p]

lol THIS is what Eq'ing is for, if the track does not sound good, well that's why we invest huge $$$ money is fancy mixers with state of the art eq'ing and headroom. Fix Em!!!

Can't polish a turd, dude. DJ eq's are designed to be subtractive. Boosting levels on poorly mixed tune only amplifies the ugliness. If a tune is mixed really poorly, no amount of eq'ing on a dj mixer will change that. If a tune has bass thats overdriven and has no headroom, dropping the bass on a dj mixer won't suddenly make it sound good. It's the same if you're playing a 128k mp3.

The EQ on your mixer is designed to allow 2 tunes to sit in the mix properly and not cancel frequencies. I play a tune a lot that has a baseline that's sitting around 40-45 hz with no mid bass (Gremlinz and Homemade Weapons - Ruff Age). The bass sound real fat on a good system, but if you drop it on a system that can't produce those frequencies, it's really quiet and loses all effect. Naturally you want to boost the EQ to compensate. Doing this just makes the tune clip and sound awful.

[031999]

Can't polish a turd, dude. DJ eq's are designed to be subtractive. Boosting levels on poorly mixed tune only amplifies the ugliness.

no i cant deny that. But undoubtedly with more modern mixers with huge headroom,And also mastering becoming easier for small-time producers to do.

You can use your eq's to get the track up to where it should be.

Theres already a different thread with a WAR going on over eq'ing, so i'm not gonna bring that stuff in here.

[b1sh0p]

no i cant deny that. But undoubtedly with more modern mixers with huge headroom,And also mastering becoming easier for small-time producers to do.

You can use your eq's to get the track up to where it should be.

Theres already a different thread with a WAR going on over eq'ing, so i'm not gonna bring that stuff in here.

That thread wasn't about eq'ing. It was about a newer trend for producers to over compress everything for loudness at the sake of dynamics. Loud drums and mid-bass have killed sub-bass and head room.

[031999]

your right. now i remember

well.....isin't there always a war over eq'ing hahaha

[b1sh0p]

your right. now i remember

well.....isin't there always a war over eq'ing hahaha

There should be.

[Cook]

tl;dr listen to them closely, decide for yourself

[Patch]

Yup - "free" does not equal poor quality.

Poor quality = Poor quality.

If a DJ can't tell when a free/bought track is poorly mixed/mastered, then he/she shouldn't be playing on a "big system" (<<<what the hell is that anyway?) in the first place.

[Cook]

If a DJ can't tell when a free/bought track is poorly mixed/mastered, then he/she shouldn't be playing on a "big system" (<<<what the hell is that anyway?) in the first place.

Anywhere outside his bedroom i assume