I would recommend music production then.
Both will do for me 
Yes sir
I don’t see what you’re trying to prove here, the beatmatching wasn’t that good and the transition was really quick.
Also, “Jess Glynne - Right Here [Official Video]”? Are you playing Youtube rips?
Your phrasing is off. I work with a DJ who’s been mixing since before I was born and.. He can’t mix. I managed to make him convert from Serato to Traktor, showed him the beauty of using sync and the time it affords him to do other thing in his set…
And then realised he just doesn’t understand mixing at all, phrasing was totally out, dropping down beats on upbeats, combining vocals, mixing build up into build up, oh God the list goes on.
There’s two kinds of DJs, the one’s who got it, and the ones who don’t. You can beatmatch 20 tracks in key whilst playing the national anthem through a trumpet up your arse, but if those 20 songs are not the the right songs for that moment, it means nothing.
It just cannot be taught, only learnt by experience.
Spend the money on the school, why not? A lot of people will learn on the job by watching other DJs and by screwing up. If you aren’t out there working than going to a school could fill that gap and perhaps give you the confidence you need to start getting out there.
The transition at 4:15 or 4:30 wasn’t beatmatched at all man. It just wasn’t as noticable because you’d already starting cutting out the percussion in the playing song and there was no percussion on Le Cool, but the pumping vocal/pad wasn’t lined up at all with the beat of the playing song, even though the pumping is lined up with the beat once the song kicks in in full. Short transitions are much easier when the beat matching isn’t great - trust me. I know because I’m still not that great of a beat matcher myself. Keep practicing and listen critically to your own mixes. Compare your transitions to DJs that know their stuff and aren’t using sync. I have all the mixes I’ve done since getting my tables 9 months ago because I really like the music. So I’ll still listen to these while I’m at the gym. Sometimes, while listening to some of the mixes I did 3/6 months ago - stuff I thought was pretty good and I cringe and stop lifting weights and excitedly spin my hand forward repeatedly trying to tell myself to spin the incoming record. People at my gym probably think I have mental issues.
And take the advice from these cats that have been doing it for a long time rather than getting defensive. They have a lot of knowledge to offer if you’ll let them.
As far as dropping the coin for the academy. My guess is you’re not going to get your money’s worth. You might pick up a few tips, but I’m guessing you probably already know a lot of what they’ll be teaching - now it’s just practice to perfect it. If you want to drop the coin, go ahead. I could be wrong and you might “get it” with some hands on tutoring.
And since you know you get the beats matched to within .10s in Traktor, close your laptop and use your ears. It looks like you’ve got tables, so use straight vinyl so you can’t look at the phase meter/BPMs in Traktor. My guess is you’re struggling with RnB because it’s not 4 to the floor like techno/house. You’ll have to find the different parts in the songs that comprise the rhythm. (or at least come in at certain points on the rhythm) What comes in on the 1, 2 or 4? What about the song your cueing? Is it percussion or is it a bass/keyboard/vocal hit that comes in on the 1? Does it happen all throughout the song?
Ahh, Bill Brewster, I would Also highly recommend anyone to read Last night a DJ saved my life.
Absolutely riveting stuff. Loved the chapter about the parisian Jazz music rebels during the occupation. And in retrospect the controversial chapter which includes Ahem, Jimmy Saville. Allegedly the worlds first DJ, (paying money to hear someone playing records)
I will never take advise from someone that uses sync
[QUOTE=ImNotDedYet;698500]The transition at 4:15 or 4:30 wasn’t beatmatched at all man. It just wasn’t as noticable because you’d already starting cutting out the percussion in the playing song and there was no percussion on Le Cool, but the pumping vocal/pad wasn’t lined up at all with the beat of the playing song, even though the pumping is lined up with the beat once the song kicks in in full. Short transitions are much easier when the beat matching isn’t great - trust me. I know because I’m still not that great of a beat matcher myself. Keep practicing and listen critically to your own mixes. Compare your transitions to DJs that know their stuff and aren’t using sync. I have all the mixes I’ve done since getting my tables 9 months ago because I really like the music. So I’ll still listen to these while I’m at the gym. Sometimes, while listening to some of the mixes I did 3/6 months ago - stuff I thought was pretty good and I cringe and stop lifting weights and excitedly spin my hand forward repeatedly trying to tell myself to spin the incoming record. People at my gym probably think I have mental issues.
And take the advice from these cats that have been doing it for a long time rather than getting defensive. They have a lot of knowledge to offer if you’ll let them.
As far as dropping the coin for the academy. My guess is you’re not going to get your money’s worth. You might pick up a few tips, but I’m guessing you probably already know a lot of what they’ll be teaching - now it’s just practice to perfect it. If you want to drop the coin, go ahead. I could be wrong and you might “get it” with some hands on tutoring.
And since you know you get the beats matched to within .10s in Traktor, close your laptop and use your ears. It looks like you’ve got tables, so use straight vinyl so you can’t look at the phase meter/BPMs in Traktor. My guess is you’re struggling with RnB because it’s not 4 to the floor like techno/house. You’ll have to find the different parts in the songs that comprise the rhythm. (or at least come in at certain points on the rhythm) What comes in on the 1, 2 or 4? What about the song your cueing? Is it percussion or is it a bass/keyboard/vocal hit that comes in on the 1? Does it happen all throughout the song?[/
I don’t have a lot of vinyl I think I need a better pair of headphones as I can’t hear hardly nothing so I do it out loud most of the time but I need to practise getting my phrases on point
Really? Don’t be one of those guys who absolutely hate sync no matter what.
It has its merits. It’s a great tool to use if you just want to work on phrasing and not worry about beatmatching simultaneously, and there’s TONS of stuff unlocked by sync like remix decks.
Anyway thanks for all the advice I just need to put the practice in which is something I do as I love it and I’m defiantly improving as my stats show on sound cloud my last mix from 25 days already has better stats than any mix I done
Sorry I don’t think I’ll ever use the sync button as I have love for the dj culture all the way from the hip hop days it just takes the art out of a mix in my opinion I would rather learn the proper way rather than pressing a button. And have great respect that anyone can mix on vinyl
This is the problem. There is no way to ‘properly’ DJ. This is a new age where there are so many different ways to DJ.
If you don’t want to use sync. Sure, great. But don’t hate on people who do use it. A lot of people here who use sync can properly beatmatch so I wouldn’t discredit their opinion just because they choose to sync.
Ok fair enough but I’ll never agree with it standard mixing
Well since it’s love from all the way from the hip hop days I won’t laugh at you.
I started using controllers and sync. it allowed me to discover phraseing and listening to the structure and content of the song. the eureka moment happened when i realized that most western music was 4/4 and comprised with variables of 2 (2/4/6/8/16). that allowed me to figured out exactly where to find my cue points in my songs and how to mix in and out properly by using the flow of the song without depending on the wash out of effects.
that took me about a year to figure out.
I think the dj class is a great way to learn quick and fast, but ultimately you’re going to have to train your ears and your thinking to go beyond the matching and conduct music around cohesion of multiple ideas while having them flow properly.
So if you think that trading 400E for the possibility of quicker development is worth it, then hell yeah you should do it.
Laugh all you want it’s an Internet forum big man
Hearing some of te opinions on here I thinks it best to just keep practicing and I’ll find my own way
Try turning your cue monitor output level up. Getting the right balance between the cue monitor level and the level of the output from my monitors was a big help for me. Don’t be afraid to adjust the cue level as you transition and don’t forget to either switch what’s cueing or put both headphones on once the incoming song has “taken over” the main output. This will help you to keep the two songs in sync as you’re fading out the outgoing song.
Just keep counting for your phrases. You’ll start to get a feel for the start of a new phrase, but some songs - especially stuff I like to spin, deep house is very repetitive and without a drum fill or something I’m not really positive if I’m in the 4th bar, 8th bar, etc. Listen to your songs - what’s typically different musically/rhythmically in the 8th bar or 4th bar, if anything? Oftentimes there’s something that can cue you off where you’re at in the song.
Just keep at it man. Don’t get discouraged, and if you have the money for the academy without worrying about food, maybe do it? As much as I advocate trying to learn on your own, and there’s a lot you can do to learn on your own with the Internet and your own ears, nothing can replace being face to face with someone that knows what they’re doing and the ability to ask them questions.