setting up cue points ahead of time
Do you guys do this? im switching over from ableton to serato and im used to cutting a track up into 4 different parts so i can jump around. Do you guys prep like this before a gig or do you select a song on stage, scroll through and then set the point?
I buy a tune. Throw into Traktor DJ on the iPad. Beat grid it. Set cue points at the first drop/64 beats before breakdown/32 beats before/beginning of breakdown/second drop. I don’t usually jump between cue points, but I like to have a visual cue for good transition points. I want to know the length of breakdowns and intros for transitions and double drops. I want know if theres anything funky about the intro ie drops on upbeat/extra bar etc. Then I import it into Traktor Pro and get to mixing. I browse by key.
Also, I never pre plan sets or mixes. I have a general idea of how I want to play and go from there.
I like to get the song analyzed and beat grid, get the first cute point where I want it. Most times I will skip to the end of the track and flag it as well for the out point
Generally before is better I think, depends on the gig really…lack of time, stress, noise not allowing you to concentrate on listening…nah, for that kind of thing beforehand then if you spot something on the day, sure. That said I’ve done plenty gigs with bags of completely un-anything-ed tracks and just drop them in and mix them fine…then again I come from vinyl and beatmixing by ear/hand.
B1sh0p, browsing by key…I know what you mean, since I started keying things it’s really hard not to obssess about that…BUT, I also often feel that it dictates my choice and I don’t like that…being afraid I guess, also mixes can sound really sterile. Again, coming from vinyl generally we didn’t have that unless you sat down with a keyboard and figured them out, and there are plenty of key-perfect tracks that sound crappy together too. Good to hide the key column sometimes I think.
I absolutely agree bro. Great post. It is hard not to think about it.
It is hard not to do by key… I hate to admit but I do kit listening to music how I used to I come to rely on key with tracks I don’t know.
Back to cues I’ve taken to starting to be more strict on placing them beyond the first beat mostly when I first load the track.
This comes up in discussions about cue points on reddit all the time and generally I keep quiet but I really must ask: how necessary is this really?
You’re using software to mix that shows you the entire waveform of the song which has plenty of visual cues on when to mix without the wasted time of adding cue points as “mix here” reminders. In this screenshot I marked 13 blatantly obvious phrase changes in the song:
What is the added benefit to marking some of them with cue points?
Further, and I think even more on point is that if you are capable of counting phrases or have developed the instinct to predict a phrase change (it takes time but it happens for most people) you’ll be better off in the long run because if you forget to mark them, if you’re using gear that doesn’t have cue points or waveforms, and so on you’ll still be fine. Using shortcuts like cue points to mark key phrase changes is stunting your development as a DJ and you’re making it harder to instinctually know when a phrase is changing.
I’m not trying to be a dick or anything, I just honestly don’t understand why anyone would need to or want to mark potential mix points with cue markers.
The waveform in a 4 minute tune is a lot different than an 7 minute tune. Sure, I can count phrases, but a visual reminder doesn’t hurt. Also, the process helps me remember a tune the first time I hear. Also, I’ve started mixing footwork and dnb together. Most drum and bass tunes has the same structure, but footwork is all over the place. Those producers do crazy shit with the intros. The beats are incredibly syncopated as well. I’m not playing 4 to the floor shit where the tunes are so boring I have to loop 6 at a time.
Also, in my genres phrasing is everything. It’s all about double drops. I want to know if a tune has a 64, 48 or 32 beat intro. Does it just drop or is there a breakdown before the drop? How long is that break down? Producers like ASC and House of Black Lanterns always add an extra bar or 2 in the intro. Etc
Waveform is great and after time can use it with great success but having say cue point 1 start cue point 2 with say hats sizzle or something cue point 3 where you’d want to bring in when outrro starts means you don’t always have to worry especially since there’s some tracks that aren’t always layed out in 16 or 32 bar sections.
Mind you I don’t set cues nearly as much as I should because I can rea waveforms very well and mix in 32bar loops so makes it ok if I make sure to have everything phased correctly no crash 4 bar crash shit and cue points make this easier and less likely to happen
Now key is important because when you do more then intro an outro mixing being in key means layering beyond intro. Matters lots in trance in my mind house and electro not as much but still does to extent especially when using vocals.
èxample please?
Of tunes that have an extra bar before the drop, or the mixing? Tunes that have an extra bar: House of Black Lanterns - Me, You, Metropolis. Almost every tune on the new ASC EP on Auxiliary. My mixing?
i was on about the tunes, cheers
I put them in before hand and use them to let me know when to start transitioning in the next song
And let’s not forget about the ability to cue jump. I don’t do much of it, but reading the waveform only won’t help you get around quickly.
If you want to make your own builds, jump parts of the song or know when to mix in an awkward song. Its also nice to have that initial starting cue in general to have another play button.
It can just make your mix that much better, so why not use it if its there.
I think that was his point…
Well, he’s forgetting that these are CUE points, and not just markers, allowing you to MOVE around efficiently with the press of a CUE button if you mix that way. That has nothing to do with the ability to “instinctually know when a phrase is changing”.
OP, do you know what cue point juggling is? As you might expect, it’s impossible without cue points.
yea i know what it is. i do that in ableton a little with acapellas.
KNOW YOUR MUSIC. I will always sacrifice a 10 thousand song library for a 500 song library where I know all the tracks by heart. Its easy to set cues if you know your music. I usually do cues at 1.intro 2.first drop/drop intro 3.vocal intro/keys/break 4.second/third drop. Sometimes 5 and 6 will be points for juggling. (I use midi fighters to control my decks).
