Using Filters, Loops, and "Toys" in moderation

[y8man22]

Hi, I just joined DJTechTools and am a budding DJ who is familiarizing himself with his new Kontrol S2 and Traktor. I started with a Numark Mixtrack and VDJ and am now working on getting gigs and performing.

Here's my question. Traktor allows for the manipulation of songs in a lot of different ways, filters and looping readily come to mind. However, as a DJ with no real signature style, I'm having trouble know when/how to use all of these tools. I feel like a lot of it depends on the song and what kind of set I'm playing, I understand that, but is there any hard and fast "rules" or even suggestions as to how to go about using different parts of Traktor?

I find myself using filters for a whole song, and then doing looping on a another, and then I run two songs simulatenously and mix them together. I can't seem to do all of this at once. Will it come with time, or is it best that each of these techniques remain separate of each other?

Any feedback would be great.

[rdubs]

Keep it simple, best advice I've gotten and the best advice I can give you as well. Traktor comes with a ton of effects and features, and it takes a long time to learn how to use all of them, it'll come with time!

[CryderSteez]

First learn use them with hardly anyone other than the other DJ's in the room noticing, then start doing it more overtly. This is style.

[kooper1980]

If you are forcing yourself to use effects and such then it is unnecessary! If you don't think a loop or filter is needed then don't use them!! I guarantee you that forcing these things will sound shit!!

[U-31]

First learn use them with hardly anyone other than the other DJ's in the room noticing, then start doing it more overtly. This is style.

This!!!^^^

100% agree, a mate was playing a set, and there was this amazing phazing effect over a certain tune, i didnt know the tunes playing at the time and i actually had to ask him if it was part of the tune, or if it was him doing it... It WASNT the tune!!!

[newg]

To be honest, I quite happily play entire sets and never use a single effect beyond EQing. A majority of effects are completely unnecessary.

[photojojo]

First learn use them with hardly anyone other than the other DJ's in the room noticing, then start doing it more overtly. This is style.

To be honest, I quite happily play entire sets and never use a single effect beyond EQing. A majority of effects are completely unnecessary.

+1 or would that be +2

[mostapha]

is(sic) there any hard and fast "rules" or even suggestions as to how to go about using different [effects]?

Yes.

There are 2 that I feel like everybody should follow…but I'm the jack ass old man who thinks kids do little but ruin music these days.

1. If you can't (or haven't) played an enjoyable, competently mixed, coherent set without any effects…don't use effects yet.

2. If you don't know why you're doing something and can't explain it to a creative peson who's familiar with the track but not the culture of DJing or the subculture of digital DJing…then don't do it.

Both of them are there to force you to learn what you're doing, force you to listen, and force you to only do things that add to the experience rather than just wanking because you're bored. You have genitals for that. (probably…and statistically, you're likely to be relatively happy that you have the set you have…if either of those are untrue, I apologize)

I find myself using filters for a whole song, and then doing looping on a another, and then I run two songs simulatenously and mix them together. I can't seem to do all of this at once.

Unless you're a savant, I bet it sounds like a noisy mess. That's not an attack or an insult, but you described yourself as a new DJ and then said this. I can hardly imagine getting good results out of trying that much when I can barely tell what you're talking about from your explanation.

[photojojo]

One thing I like to try and do is use a common effect throughout an entire set. I'll use it in the same way each time I use it, but I won't use it on every song. This acts like a type of glue to give a consistency to a set that ties it all together. This may be something that's more appropriate in my deep tech house sets though rather than a dubstep or electro set both of which I do not play or listen to.

The one thing that has been said already, but I feel needs to be stressed, is if someone who doesn't know the song knows you're using an FX maybe you shouldn't use it.

[padi_04]

if someone who doesn't know the song knows you're using an FX maybe you shouldn't use it.

This! Be very subtle and only use them in a coherent way when it will add something intresting to the track while sounding like it was always meant to be there, otherwise you will just ruin it. Learn how each affects the different parts of the sound spectrum and respect the phrasing in songs so they don't sound random.