Just curious, how much prep do you guys put into your sets?
I watch some guys mix, and they don’t have cue markers placed beforehand (or at least I don’t see them on the CDJ screen), but their mixing is flawless. I’ve tried to do this, but I spend too much time finding the right cue point.
And are you guys just throwing together a giant list of songs and ‘randomly’ choosing what song to play next based on the crowd’s response? Or do you have a preplanned set of songs to play with some wiggle room of course?
In my experience, I’ve found that my mixes sound way better when I organize my songs before the set, but then I feel like I’m in essence pre-recording the set.
The only prepping I do is running tracks through Rekordbox. I find it easier to play a crowd than record a mix though. I tend to try and do too much in a pre-recorded mix, throwing in tracks from a range of genres. When I gig, I know the place and crowd, and just work off the energy I’m getting back. Overthinking can definitely hinder what you’re trying to do. And maybe you’re watching too many videos and mixing too little. I’ve been there - nitpicking transitions and whatnot, and all it did was discourage me. But hey, we’re all different.
Club DJ here with a residency. No prep goes into my sets. Tons of prep goes into my tracks. They’re all cued and most are edited down to 2 - 2 1/2 minutes.
Certain things are going into the night for sure (Don’t Tell 'Em and Fancy at the top of the list at the present) but I never know the order or what I’m even going to start with until I look the room over.
The two tracks I mentioned I’ve actually extended. My first edits of them were only a couple of minutes but they became so popular that I re-did them to around 3 minutes. They pack the floor and gives me just enough time to go pee
I have literally never prepped for a set. I download new tunes, make sure I transfer em over to whatever USB I use and that’s really about it. I’ll play with em a bit at home on the CDJs just so I can get to know the intros/outros and all that stuff. After that, it’s just show up and play what I feel will work.
Other than running the tracks through mixed in key and analyzing them initially in Traktor, not a lot of prep at all. I like to flow with whatever energies I am feeling at the moment. The only thing I may do is find a track to start off with, but after that it is up to my mood or what type of groove I want to get into. For cue points, I try to set these when I am practicing/mixing for fun, so that in the future I can call upon them. Or, since I have the DDJ SX, I utilize the needle search feature to make a few quick queue point saves in new tracks before I start mixing it in.
I edit every track, make them shorter for the most part, and then cue them. I always have a solid 50 songs that I’d like to play in a separate folder, depending on the event, the list changes.
Depends on the gig. I am mostly a mobile DJ who does weddings. So, the bulk of my prep is on the MC side of the event. But, when I sit in at a club, I do tend to prep specific songs or song combinations to use. All in all, I prefer to rehearse, practice, and prep for specific events 6 to 8 hours a week…in the week before the event.
I tend to spend about 16-20 hours a month on more general “music library maintenance.” This happens in 1 hour here, 1 hour there kind of fashion. This includes processing the new pool CDs (run through Mixed in Key, sort into genre directories, add to playlists, grid, set cue points, download on mobile device, and listening).
There are song combinations that I play with and use for a while. There are playlists I build for different kinds of events or parts of larger events.
When I sit in at a club, I tend to prep a fairly specific set - but it is built in 3 to 6 song blocks. I can arrange those blocks of songs in different ways, use different transition or filler songs or requests (as needed).
I am always experimenting with different things. It is not uncommon for me to pick a 3 to 6 song set to use to practice a new effect transition, or mapping, or technique and then use those same songs to perform the first several times.
I tend to prep a set like I used to with when I’d use vinyl ie I would clear whatever was in the bag and then go through and make a rough selection of 50/60 tunes for the set (I play reggae and dancehall normally so that’s not as many as may first appear) I find this way my sets always have a freshness about them. I also like to make sure all my beat grids are perfect and I have load markers etc sorted, that way I can forget about cueing etc and get on with selecting the music and having fun. All this being said I have been known to completely scrap playlists and just freestyle and vibe off the crowd but I always say prep ain’t doing no one no harm.
not musch prep here I sort the songs I have downloaded during the week in to playlist for genres and about 1. a month I listen through theses playlists and remove theses I never play or will not play anymore.
First they go throughout MIK then import in to Cross listen a set a few hot cues tag them sort them ready to play.
I do not ever make a playlist for a gig I’m a play as you go type
For tracks, I run them through key software, add load/cue points in Traktor then add some comments about the track in the metadata. They get filed into a ‘new’ folder and added to a ‘current’ playlist in Traktor. Once the ‘new’ folder has a few tracks, they are filed into their respepective folders.
As I don’t play out much, when I do play I create a new playlist with half a dozen to a dozen tracks that fit the mood of the night, just as a guide to get started and give me less to worry about. Once I’m in full swing, I start hitting my full library and digging for good tunes. I have a bunch of tracks I know go together that I’ve commented ‘goes with…’ so I can just type that and find loads of tracks which go together. Compare the key with current track and off we go…
1-2 hours per set…have multiple sets, and I change it up, if the mood dictates. It’s relatively easy to spot a DJ that puts little or no time (or practice) with their sets AND also those who are too rigid with their sets (no flexibility, depending in mood and crowd).
I know my tracks more or less…
So the way i am preparing my mixes/sets – i choose some tracks (60?!), so that i have the possibility to play longer time!
I group them roughly in packs of 3-4 songs that play well together or reflect my mood at that time!
First starting with nu disco, than deep house, house, garage, breaks, and then some techno. So that i can jump between different tracks/styles any time. Some of them have cue points, if i am in the mood for creating some, if not then i trust my ears.
