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dj equipment - audio mixers - mixing techniques

DJ mixing - turntables, amplifiers, speakers & headphones

This month I will be dealing with the all important DJ skill of mixing.

By the way, AudioMan assures me he knows all about mixing. But then AudioMan is cool, and you will be too, once you master these few basic mixing techniques. (Also, my gig here is only guaranteed for three articles, so I thought I would butter up the man. Hey - it won't hurt if you write in and tell AudioMan if you have found my articles helpful.)

Ok here it is in one sentence: the basics of mixing allow you to seamlessly blend two songs together so that the sound - rhythm and music - sweeps like a continuous wave across the floor of your club.

First of all, you need two audio sources. Most of the time, DJs use a pair of turntables or a double deck CD Player. These players are designed especially for mixing. You should be able to modify the playing speed of the songs (known as pitch control) and pause the tracks at a precisely right moment (known as CUE points).

Next, you need an audio mixer. which is the central part of the system and where the songs really get blended together into tracks.

Lastly, you need an amplifier with speakers and a set of headphones.

Ok. If you have all your components in place, you are ready to hook up the system:
  • connect the output of player A to input 1 or line 1 of the mixer;
  • connect the output of player B to the input 2 or line 2 of the mixer;
  • connect the output of the mixer to the input of the amplifier (usually called AUX or auxiliary)
  • connect your head phones to the mixer.
Before you attempt your first mix, here's a little skinny about the anatomy of a song track. By the way if you ever want to write your own music you can take this as a jumping off place. (Looking pointedly at AudioMan who has been known to score his own.)

Most songs follow the same basic structure. They start with an intro and end with what I like to call an outro. These are the sections where only drum beats or music plays out without vocals - this is where the DJ mixing magic happens! In addition, songs have refrains (repeated sections) between verses, or musical solos which are original instrumental riffs.

A DJ measures the length of each musical section by the number of drum beats within it. Count the beats for each section and then divide by four. Good songs (for DJ mixing) follow a few simple rules:
  • The length of the intro and outro are 32 beats each (that's 8 times the 1-2-3-4 beat counting)
  • Verses are generally 64 beats each
  • The refrains and solos are usually multiples of 32 - 2 x 32, 3 x 32 and even higher.
Of course, there are exceptions, such as having less than 16 beats between the refrain and the second verse. However, in the club world, most tracks follow a generic formula. The idea is to get people moving and a groove is the ideal way to do it.

Mixing Basics

The basic idea is to start track 2 before track 1 stops playing. The problem is synchronizing the start of track 2 with the end of track 1. This shows the importance of understanding the song's anatomy. Let's say the intro of track 2 and the outro of track 1 both last 32 beats. Ideally, we need to match beat 1 of the track 1 outro with beat 1 of the track 2 intro. How do you accomplish this?

Adjust track 2 so it starts exactly on beat 1 when you press the play button. This is called CUE positioning and is prepared in the head phones while track 1 is still playing.

Next, adjust the speed of track 2. Let's suppose that the first beat of the intro of track 2 was precisely started on beat 1 of track 1's outro. If the speed - or tempo - of track 1 is faster then track 2, track 1 will reach the end before track 2 finishes its intro. So you must match the tempo of both tracks. This is known as synching the BPM or beats per minute. (If you forget how to do this please review my discussion of beat mixing here)

CUE Points

In order to start track 2 at the desired time (beat 1 of track 1) and to match the first beat, track 2 should be placed on pause, so it's ready to start instantly.

On a turn table, listen to track 2 from the start and wait for the first beat. Then hold the vinyl disk by its edge. The turn table should keep turning underneath (use a slipmat between the turn table and the vinyl to reduce friction). You can also slightly spin the vinyl forward or rewind the vinyl to place the needle on the exact start of beat 1. When track 1 enters the outro, release track 2 and the beats should match. This requires some training at the beginning to develop your musical ear but it then becomes quite natural.

The next step is to adjust the speed so the beats of track 1 and track 2 match all the way through the mix.

Pitch Control

A quick review here for those of you who are always late to class:

The BPM represents the tempo of a song, in other words its speed. In general for disco, dance or techno, the BPM is between 110 to 150. Once both tracks are playing, and the first beats are matched, the speed of track 2 should be adjusted to keep this synchronization. The idea is to have the same BPM for both songs before raising the volume of track 2. So, if the beats of track 2 are faster, you slow down track 2. If they are slower, you speed up track 2.

Slowing down or accelerating is done using the Pitch control slider. In general, you can adjust the pitch within a 12% range (+/- 6%). The pitch should be modified slowly and progressively - especially if the volume is up (don't try this at home).

Sometimes the beats are equal in speed, but there is a slight delay between the start of the outro of track 1 and the start of the intro of track 2. In this case, I advise you to use the pitch bend buttons (+ and -) to temporarily accelerate or decelerate the pitch without modifying the BPM synchronization. When you release the button, the pitch returns to its previous value and you're home free.

Adjusting the pitch is definitely the most difficult part of mixing. Don't get discouraged! Once you get better at this, you can start mixing almost any kind of music.

Conclusion:

In this article I have walked you through the basic mixing techniques that all DJs use. If you understood the principles, you should be able to seamlessly blend two songs that fit the rules for good DJ slams. Choose two songs that you know well and practice over and over. Make sure the two songs are closely matched for pitch and BPMs.

A DJing job demands a lot of work and practice (Amen says AudioMan). Spend a couple of hours each day for a few months to acquire the techniques and someday soon you'll give me a run for the money.

The next step is to turn your DJ hobby into a successful and profitable career.

Next time we get together (hint hint AudioMan), I'll share some of my secrets of self-promotion.

Until then, spin good!

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