Tricks & Effects - Guidance For Us Dummies
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  1. #1
    Tech Mentor DJStone's Avatar
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    Default Tricks & Effects - Guidance For Us Dummies

    Hi Everyone,

    I've been searching the posts for days and was wondering if some of you Older, more experienced DJ would mind sharing your Super Knobs and Effects Tricks with us newer guys.

    Please help us become better DJ's!!

    Thanks

  2. #2
    ctrld
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    Quote Originally Posted by DJStone View Post
    Please help us become better DJ's!!
    here's your first hint: NO effect is gonna save your ass if your basics suck. work on your track selection and crowd interaction first, think about effects later. DJing is about WHAT you play and WHEN you play it, not HOW you play it.

    and even if you eventually know your config and technically are able to execute all your tricks flawlessly under the pressure of a live situation, think twice before working up an fx frenzy. most people don't react all too well to such stuff because they want something to dance to, not a constant mashup of brrrrrkzhhhhh noises. you might think it's cool, and from a nerd's point of view it may be... but think about the crowd.

    it's a beginner's mistake (btw: guilty as charged over here, but I learned my lesson a long time ago) to think that a couple of loopers, filters, flangers/phasers, delays, reverbs and whatnot is gonna make you a BETTER DJ. some top acts may be able to get away with that, but it's mostly due to the fact that once you have a name, you can do all kinds of weird shit and people will eat it up because they're not there for your music anymore, they're there for your name.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by ctrld View Post
    NO effect is gonna save your ass if your basics suck.
    OBJECTION! - nothing can withstand the power of the FLANGER!

  4. #4
    Tech Mentor DJStone's Avatar
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    Yes I agree 100%. My mixing and song selection is doing ok.
    I come from the CDJ100 side with little effects apart from the flanger.

    BUT, with all the new tools available, why not have a nice super knob effect to build up a song. Give something more before you drop the beat again.

    I'm not saying use effects as way of mixing, but it can make things sound good when you cross over sometimes.

    Maybe I'm wrong but let's see what super knobs people are using.
    This might just help some or all.

    Cheers

  5. #5
    ctrld
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    Quote Originally Posted by mmauve View Post
    OBJECTION! - nothing can withstand the power of the FLANGER!
    I used to twitch every time I heard a flanger... then I switched to throwing beer bottles in order to... eh... communicate more directly. be very afraid

    Quote Originally Posted by DJStone View Post
    a nice super knob effect to build up a song
    I guess everyone has their own secret weapons, plus every software is different. you didn't even specify what you are using (or planning to use), which makes things quite a bit harder to explain.

  6. #6
    Tech Guru lethal_pizzle's Avatar
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    One thing I do on my VCI is have a 'Master Masher' function. I have a momentary button that when depressed, selects beatmashers at the end of my fx chain and turns them on. Both my decks are routed to them, so when I twist the knob next to it, I'm beatmashing my master output, after all other fx.
    DJTT Nu Disco Mix Train Vol 1
    beats and balearic bobs in north-west london
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  7. #7
    Tech Guru lethal_pizzle's Avatar
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    Also... there is a tutorial here on DJTT which has a few good chained FX examples. I've adapted these so I use one super knob and one button. I use modifiers to select them. This is handy because the modifier means I can have my super knob do different things according to what combo I've chosen.

    I normally set up chains like this:

    Beat chopper -> delay/reverb/filter -> momentary effect.

    So, for example:

    Beatmasher -> Iceverb -> Turntable FX

    This will (and I've messed with the knob sensitivities a bit): mash the beat on a 4 count in the background as you twist the knob, then the stutter will shorten in length as it is brought into the foreground. Hit the button and I get a turntable stop effect, just as I twist the knob back round, and the song continues as normal. Good for build ups where there was none before.
    DJTT Nu Disco Mix Train Vol 1
    beats and balearic bobs in north-west london
    iTunes podcast
    soundcloud

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by ctrld View Post
    here's your first hint: NO effect is gonna save your ass if your basics suck. work on your track selection and crowd interaction first, think about effects later. DJing is about WHAT you play and WHEN you play it, not HOW you play it.

    and even if you eventually know your config and technically are able to execute all your tricks flawlessly under the pressure of a live situation, think twice before working up an fx frenzy. most people don't react all too well to such stuff because they want something to dance to, not a constant mashup of brrrrrkzhhhhh noises. you might think it's cool, and from a nerd's point of view it may be... but think about the crowd.

    it's a beginner's mistake (btw: guilty as charged over here, but I learned my lesson a long time ago) to think that a couple of loopers, filters, flangers/phasers, delays, reverbs and whatnot is gonna make you a BETTER DJ. some top acts may be able to get away with that, but it's mostly due to the fact that once you have a name, you can do all kinds of weird shit and people will eat it up because they're not there for your music anymore, they're there for your name.
    there's a lot i agree with here...and will only add that even if your basics are awesome...it will still be nerve wracking as hell the first few times on stage. it makes me laugh thinking about how long it would take to drop the needle on the record because my hand was shaking so bad...

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