vinyl beatmatching question
Ok so track A is playing. I’m cueing track b. When I decrease the pitch on trackB to -4 I would get a
Beatmatch every 5 or so bars.
So what I do next is start to increase the trackB pitchfader to default (0 duh) but along the ride I lose the
Beatmatch.
So I have a question, is it possible for two records to hold a beatmatch for over a minute?
If no, then mayb these two tracks aren’t meant to be?
If yes, then it may be me who needs to keep practicing.
Get the pitch fader as close as possible then after that its all about slight adjustments you might have to make by slowing or speeding up the platter by hand when you hear it starting to drift a little …honestly the more you train your ears thru practice, the easier and quicker it is you recognize what needs to be done w/ your hands, as it’s not really about the skill of your hands, and really more about how trained your ears are.
I mix hip hop and top 40. Having two tracks beatmatched for over a minute is unusual. Having them closely matched for 30 seconds is pretty good in my opinion.
Do you calculate your beats per minute?
no i dont calculate it, although its recommended and pro djs do it.
umm i just had a pro dj tell me that you have to keep moving the pitchfader constantly “right after” you found the beatmatch, this way you can stay in sync. THAT sounds insane too a newbie like myself.
this is house/techno etc. and i think that could discourage me from becoming a vinyl dj and flip on to cdjs. but i havent decided yet. im still a newb.
It is posssible to have two records beatmatched for more than a minute bruv. It just takes practice. Especially in EDM where natural drum swing doesnt come into play much. There is a natural tracking difference that causes tracks to slip as it gets closer to the label, but you wont notice it for a period shorter than two minutes. Practice makes perfect man. Just keep at it.
but in order for that to happen you would have to keep moving the pitch fader up and down ?
It’s called riding the pitch, and there is a lot to be said for it.
When I used to mix vinyl, I only ever used the pitchfader to match the tempos; to keep the tracks in time for long blends (3-4 minutes), I used the center spindle. A squeeze or turn of the spindle is probably the best way to manipulate the speed of the deck while the faders are up.
personally ive never ‘ridden the pitch’, i would get as close as i could to a good match then if needed make manual adjustments with my hand on the platter…if i was finding it hard, i would of been bias to having the incoming track slightly faster and used a finger on the platter to slow it gently and keep it in check
I was the same but opposite… if that makes sense. I always prefer to bring the new track in knowing that it will be slightly too slow and speed it up with a gentle finger pull on the vinyl label.
For me, I use the “finger on the side of the platter” to slow it down, and a quick spin on the label to speed it up, but only when finding the initial beatmatch. Once they’re both in sync, I ride the fader and do the same as MDC above with the spindle as using the other method is definitely detectable in the mix (as the 1210’s I use dont have the key lock that Traktor and some other TT’s have 
). I’ve mixed most genres over the years (27 years this year!) and whilst you can keep a good running mix going for 1 or more minutes with Techno/House etc (or any modern, mostly electronic music), you’ll always need to ride the fader a little over time. But try that with some of the stuff i still mix like old Disco, rare groove, Northern Soul or Go-Go! Anything with a live drummer or non-sequenced rhythm sections is a bugger to keep in time. Possible, but takes practice.
So, basically - stick with it. You’ll get it eventually and you’ll find it gets easier. But believe me, even after nearly 30 years at it, its still possible to lose it with some tracks that just drift randomly (this is very true of some edits where the re-mixer didn’t keep a tight rein on the sample/loop sizes and you can find that it jumps about all over the place)
I used to do the touching the record thing, but then you can clearly hear any adjustments made while in the mix.
Now I lightly brush the platter to slow it down, and twist the spindle to speed it up. It’s still not perfect, but a lot better than touching the label / record to make the fine adjustments, and gives more control.
Not got the hang of riding the pitch yet. Might try it out, but pretty sure it would take a while to get subtle enough at it.
I also much prefer speeding up the record to slowing it down. I don’t know why, but I feel I have more control that way…
well i have no choice but to take all your advices. after all i don’t want to look like a fool using cdjs just to play tracks and nothing else.
For me, by far the most accurate way of doing it, is by getting as-close-as-goddamn-possible with the pitch fader, then using just the spindle to keep it in time. A quick twist to speed up, or a quick pinch to slow down.
This is because it is much harder to affect the speed of the motor using the spindle, so ONLY small adjustments are possible using this method. You have much more precise control. (It is possible to make larger adjustments using this method - but your thumb and the inside of your finger won’t thank you for it if you do it for a whole night! Ouchy…)
Now, when you are brushing the platter, you can exert more force on teh motor, and make larger adjustments. These are easier to hear…
So - brush the platter (slowing down) and nudge the label forwards (speeding up) for larger adjustments when you are cueing up/beat-matching, and use the spindle for very fine adjustments (speed up or slow down) once you’re actually mixing/playing out.
To answer the OP’s question - if I understand it right:
NO. Once you have 2 REAL records on turntables set at exactly the right tempo using the pitch fader, you cannot just leave it and expect them to stay in time. Minor adjustments will always be necessary.
I cheat…not Sync…but my TT’s have pitch bend + - buttons.
Its naff tho…so dont use it that much.
Ah, the “turntable caress.”
oh i thought this was the most helpful post in my entire thread. patch this isnt the first time you gave me quality feedback. thanks a lot bro. you opened my eyes more, but now i’m starting to careless about perfection because i seen videos of pro house/techno dj’s doing vinyl and they are not perfect at all. therefore, this encourages me to not go down the cdj route and stick to TT
Glad I could help.
Just make sure you show them 'tables some love and scratch once in a little while! 
“Scratching and House Music?!?!” I hear you scream? I got 2 words for y’all.
Eddie Halliwell.
no scratching for me, i enjoy grooving to beats i like to hear