What's Mixing in your terms?

[djalexlaine]

its mixing.

[nemo]

beatmatching, eq and effects where applicable. I like long transitions (1 minute+). I mainly mix Techno and Tech-Trance so for me it is kind of easy. Being able to read a crowd is really important as well. If your crowd does not like your style, you have to be able to make your crowd like what's coming next... Hard one, but doable!

[blancodisco]

Mixing / DJ'ing also means, you shouldn't have to or be taking requests (unless you get somebody that knows what you are playing and requests something appropriate). Let the DJ do their thing with beatmixing for more than 8 beats from one song to another, work the EQs and levels that sound pleasing. The mixes should sound natural to the effect where you can barely tell which part of one song is in or out at a given moment. Also throwing in a few quick crossfader cuts in/out/back&forth is fun too in nice rhythmic movements. An occasional flubbed beatmix is acceptable from time to time if the track selection is strong, people will tolerate that, but an evening of trainwrecks is too frustrating and taking the piss is acceptable at this point.

The tools you perform on shouldn't matter. With the one exception: turntables. Anything less than the Technics 1200/10s turntables (or possibly the vestax ones) should not be tolerated.

[Shaghy]

With the one exception: turntables. Anything less than the Technics 1200/10s turntables (or possibly the vestax ones) should not be tolerated.

Excuse me? I learned everything on simple JBsystems tt's and the first time I stood in front of the technics I could mix like it was nothing. If you can mix on cheaper tt's you can mix on everything (believe me). By the way what's wrong with tt's like reloop rp600's, synQ Xtrm-1's,... They are of great quality and have even more torque than the technics.

peace

[blancodisco]

Excuse me? I learned everything on simple JBsystems tt's and the first time I stood in front of the technics I could mix like it was nothing. If you can mix on cheaper tt's you can mix on everything (believe me). By the way what's wrong with tt's like reloop rp600's, synQ Xtrm-1's,... They are of great quality and have even more torque than the technics.

peace

Sorry, I'm not familiar with any of these other brands of turntables. At least here in the States, if you saw turntables at a house party by Numark or even worse, Gemini, you really cringe at the thought. I've also never been to a venue (restaurant/bar/club) and saw anything other than Technics to play on. I believe the Technics are pretty much the one piece of kit that is pretty much de facto standard anywhere there is a tuntable setup at a venue. Everything else after that is a mixed bag (mixers, carts, amps, monitors, speakers, etc).

Yes, people may have learned on these cheaper lower torque turntables, but are you dying to ever have to play on them? If given the choice... you should be mixing on something with proper torque platters. If these other brands have that heavy torque.... I'll give them the nod.

[DvlsAdvct]

At least here in the States, if you saw turntables at a house party by Numark or even worse, Gemini, you really cringe at the thought. I've also never been to a venue (restaurant/bar/club) and saw anything other than Technics to play on.

See, while yes, this is how it is, I think the argument that any other decks are cringeworthy are bullshit. I have a pair of Numark TTX's and I think they are amazing. I learned on the Technics, but the TTX's are a powerful set of decks. And any DJ who cringes at those is no different, to me, than a DJ who cringes are a laptop or CD decks or whatever.

*shrug* And it's the state of things, it just frustrates me just as much. Cause there are other decks that are, pretty damn good and, well, transmitting over Line instead of phono has a lot of advantages as well.

[corporation]

The Numark TTX's have S/PDIF coaxial digital outputs, right?

that's awesome in my opinion, wish more TTs came with that option...

[DvlsAdvct]

Yeah, they do, and they have 10%, 25% and 50% pitch bend options, and their torque is really powerful. And they have interchangeable straight and S-arm

[blancodisco]

Yeah, they do, and they have 10%, 25% and 50% pitch bend options, and their torque is really powerful. And they have interchangeable straight and S-arm

I guess I'm ignorant of anything newer cause my decks have lasted since I picked them up in the early 90's and never needed to look at purchase anything else.

Sounds like some of the newer gen decks have got their specs in order that go way beyond the Technics standard... That said, outside of your home studios, I think you'll still be hard pressed seeing any of these installed out anywhere. It's still 1200s/1210s when you play out, that is, unless you are lugging all your rig to the gig.

About the 50% pitch bend range.. Is that really effective for doing smooth accurate 'beatmixing' but more for effect... turning drum and bass into dub and hip hop/downtempo into drum and bass. I guess I'm losing touch with what the kids are doing these days with wild pitch ranges.

For the digital out options, that sounds great if you are looking to digitize your vinyl for playing digital later into your computer's audio interface, but how may mixers out there in use today have these digital ins on dj mixer on multiple channels?

Again, more setups you are not likely going to see when playing out at a gig.

[blancodisco]

Excuse me? I learned everything on simple JBsystems tt's and the first time I stood in front of the technics I could mix like it was nothing. If you can mix on cheaper tt's you can mix on everything (believe me). By the way what's wrong with tt's like reloop rp600's, synQ Xtrm-1's,... They are of great quality and have even more torque than the technics.

peace

Sorry, I should I have clarified I was basing this judgment based on the time frame decade of the 1990's, where there were no real alternatives to the Technics at that time. It took getting to the 21st century to see some other alternatives to come onto the market to 'compete' against the technics machine.