What are you doing?

[DJNeon]

Hey guys. So I've been watching lots of people do mixes and such. And I always see them changing the EQ's and other things. But I don't get why or what they're doing? Like when I "mix", I only do a few things, and I stop. How do you guys keep constantly doing stuff. I'm just having a really hard time knowing what to do. I guess you can say I'm just confused...

[darrel855]

No 2 people mix alike so it could be a number of things . I would say focus on the basics and you'll be doing all kinds of stuff in no time at all . And buy that book I recommended to you I promise it will clear a whole lot of things up for you .

[DJNeon]

Ok, thanks man. Can you tell me what the book you recommended me was again. :P

[darrel855]

Ok, thanks man. Can you tell me what the book you recommended me was again. :P

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802139957

[TK1129]

That is interesting. I myself never read anything on the subject, just watched enough people and tried to do what they do, but i am gonna grab a book and give it a shot, it might help.

[TK1129]

I was in the bookstore about an hour ago, and actually rememberred the book you mentioned. Picked it up and i am going the read it, overall it looks very good, with short chapters and lots of pictures. It shows you the ropes and basics, but doesn't focus enough on the new technology and trends (lots of vinyl instructions). Lots of value in it though, and if you are like me and are dj-ing without a lot of theoretical knowledge you can pull some gems out of there. I'll post again once ive read the whole thing.

[tekki]

It might sound stupid, but there's also a "DJ-ing for Dummies" book floating around.

It actually is a nice read too. (Only focusing on the older media types though. )

[DvlsAdvct]

But EQ works almost exactly the same on the older media as it does on the new. So the explanations will work. And the basic theory is very important to know before you can start making things a mess like we do.

[Monika.mhz]

Reading is one of the most important things you can do. I try to always have a book open, and sometimes re-read stuff.

Even though it's from the 80's...it's called the bible for a reason.
http://www.amazon.com/Sound-Reinforcement

You can never learn enough, about music, sound design, etc. The second you think you know it all...just visit tech tools and bump heads with some of these geeks.

[zeeman48]

It might sound stupid, but there's also a "DJ-ing for Dummies" book floating around.

It actually is a nice read too. (Only focusing on the older media types though. )

Yeah, I got a copy of that book for Christmas a couple years ago. It's a pretty good read, and it has some good explanations of theory and stuff that can be really helpful even if you've been mixing for a while. If I remember correctly, there's also a tear-out "cheat sheet" with a harmonic mixing guide on it (although I would just download it to my computer...) which can be pretty useful.

In the end though, I think the best ways to really get a grip on DJing are:

• Practice, practice, practice, and never stop.
• Watching other people DJ (youtube is a good resource).
• Read and watch tutorials online. Some are crap, or not very relevant, but some of them can be very useful.
• If you can, hang out with other DJs and get together for "jam sessions" where you can just mess around and trade tips.
• Even if you have friends that don't DJ and know nothing about it, they can still be very receptive, and can offer encouragement.

I'd also like to reiterate the point that you really aren't obligated to do controllerism, live remixing, or whatever else other people are doing just because you use the same software or equipment as them. If you just want to sit back and do basic stuff, or if that's all you're really comfortable doing, then do it, and do it well.