So my new set-up has be running two CDJs in HID mode in TPro allow with my controller and Midifighter for added effects. Now before I mixed internally and since my beat grids are spot on, I sync’d tracks.
Now, that is not my intention since I went the external route. Beatmatching is something I am practicing at, but find that it is extremely easy to do when looking at the Phase Meter and BPM in traktor…takes on a few seconds, opposed to a minute or so manually.
For those of you mixing externally, timecode, HID, whatever, do you use the Phase Meter and BPM detection in Traktor to make beat matching quick and painless?
I don’t have vinyl anymore, but still manage to practice beat matching by finding a song on youtube and matching it with Traktor using my Numark Mixtrack.
I think if you manually beatmatch with the phasemeter and BPM counter, you aren’t beatmatching at all. If you want to learn to beatmatch turn them off and start training your ears for the task, it’s the only way to learn.
If you want to learn to do it the manual way, then do it the manual way.
If not, who cares? It’s just DJ wankery at this point.
I did have an issue today that I hadn’t actually gone though and fixed the beat grid for a track…mixing internally. It was interesting moving a beat grid around so that it was right during the transition. I guess I should make a note to go back and fix that track, but…whatever. It’s probably a good idea to be able to do things the old fashioned way in case something goes wrong, but…IMHO, that’s the only reason…unless you want to switch to SSL or spin on CDs just because you want to.
Then again, CDJ-2000s have beat grids. They don’t do sync, but matching numbers and getting songs in phase isn’t hard if you put in a bit of time training yourself to hear it. Especially with clubs starting to get those things, the manual way is a thing of the past except for vinyl purists.
I really feel it’s worth learning all these skills to start with as it helps you understand your tracks better and rather than jumping into a big mess of effects you spend time thinking carefully about tune selection and your transitions.
When you have less to play with and the difficulty is higher it is much easier to improve.
as always, better to be prepared. but if you’re using CDJs, why sync? and vice versa. i feel like if you’re gonna sync, CDJs are pointless, as you’re not really using them
oh word, i thought i saw something about that in the thread.
i use it for reference, personally. it gives you a general idea of where you’re at if you’re having trouble matching them. if it’s at your disposal i don’t see why you wouldn’t use it really!
Learning to beatmatch, while unessential now actually has quite a few uses. For instance when tempo changes occur in a gradual fashion (think Peter and the Wolf) you will be able to keep the songs in time… Unless traktor actually can do this, if so please let me know.
Let’s say while I am practicing beatmatching, that I play two identical songs. Move the pitch fader of one CDJ and beatmatch the other. Let’s say, moving the pitch fader increased the tempo .47% - says the readout on the CDJ. How vital is it that the other song also get beatmatched to +.47%? When I feel the two songs are synced, maybe the other is at +.52%…but still at the same BPM as the other song.
It’s not that important. I mean I can’t even get that degree of accuracy with my turntables and I don’t have any issues. Besides you won’t be able to hear that degree of difference, you’ll just have to compensate for any different in bpm during a long mix by nudging them a bit to counteract the drift.
