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View Full Version : Help me on Making a set "Lots of Questions!"


Dj Hempenhymer
16-Apr-07, 09:17pm
Hey all,

Ok so i got my self some turntables,headphones, vinyl and well everything to get started. I love playing Progressive and would like to learn to put sets together, and hence try to make a mix tape and get 'out there' probably my biggest problem is i dont know where to start.

Upon personally approaching some djs and asking for advice ive been getting some blunt answers or just general fluff talk, no real help at all in other words.. so i thought id post some questions hopefully can be answerd and ill be on my way :D


Is there a specific way the turntables have to be set up, i see on the tone arm a range of adjusting numbers, i havent tamperd with them and they play the tracks ok but im not sure if its right? and once they are set up, do they need to be changed ever?

I can beat match to a reasonable extent, and can throw together tracks in 'intro/outro' style but this is plane boaring, and makes the sets drag out, from what sets ive heard also, hardly anyone does it like that anyway, what are some ways to mix in two songs? Should i have beatmatching perfectly down pat befour i even go any further?

When beatmatching even though i get the pitch matched and they work in sync i find i have to keep adjusting just slightly to keep them matched, does everyone have this problem? i know its all by the ear but can you make it full proof?

I have a set of 1200's mk2 what does the role of the red light and the bumps on the platter serve to do? i know they speed up and slow down as pitch is changed but that cant be it right? are you ment to use them as a sort of 'tool' to help mix ?

i Hear of people counting and 'dropping' in tracks 16, 32 bars and the like, what does all this mean? and how do you manage to count that there is say 16 to go untill the breakdown, end of the track? ect....

when there isnt a bass line, how do you manage to beatmatch? can it be done? how?

when developing a style does that just come with all the practise and experiance or should there be "steps" along the way you should master befour attempting to be diverse?


The biggest problem ive found is that appart from me experementing all day long i cant 'Learn' from anywhere. I think its stupid i should have to re-invent the wheel if you know what i mean.
When it comes to making a set, everything has been done befour. Or is it really not that bad as i think, if i just chill out, practise day in and out my 'dj ear' will form and a style i like will develop. its just a matter of repetativeness and a ton of experimentation?


And if anyone can give any tips on using turntables and vinyl it would be much appriciated, its daunting not having any beat counters or loops doing the work for you. i can fully appriciate the difficulty in using vinyl, now i just need goals to work towards!

Thanks all in advance


Chris

Dj SteveWill
17-Apr-07, 10:20am
Or is it really not that bad as i think, if i just chill out, practise day in and out my 'dj ear' will form and a style i like will develop. its just a matter of repetativeness and a ton of experimentation?
Chris

Just practice and 'listen' to the music, then start to experiment!

On the technical side there have been many posts on how to set up your gear and what the dots are for any search will find it.

Funkedub
17-Apr-07, 01:41pm
there's a tonne of threads that deal with these questions ... a little light reading through this forum will answer a lot of your questions ... and with a lot of different answers !

Casey Steele
17-Apr-07, 04:38pm
yuck

Dj Hempenhymer
17-Apr-07, 05:05pm
cheers, thanks guys, i actually find ITMS search function really really touch and go but ill have some patience and see what i can find!

ChemicalJames
17-Apr-07, 05:41pm
Or is it really not that bad as i think, if i just chill out, practise day in and out my 'dj ear' will form and a style i like will develop. its just a matter of repetativeness and a ton of experimentation?

Chris

You answered all your questions with this one remark.

In all seriousness, just keep practising. Keep buying new tunes, and it's probably a good idea to become active in the prog section (if that's what you want to play) of ITM. Download some sets there and see what everyone else is doing. Immitate what you think sounds good then develop your own style with time.

Funkedub
17-Apr-07, 05:58pm
cheers, thanks guys, i actually find ITMS search function really really touch and go but ill have some patience and see what i can find!


put this in google ...

site:http://www.inthemix.com.au/forum/ then type what you want to find here


:geek:

Spectrum
21-Apr-07, 11:06am
when there isnt a bass line, how do you manage to beatmatch? can it be done? how?

Did you want to give that question another shot?

DSILVR
21-Apr-07, 02:07pm
Isnt if you dont get your tone arm right you can fuck your vinyl up?

Or do you have to be a mass retard to do that?

the avatar
21-Apr-07, 03:19pm
Ok, ill give this one a go.


Hey all,

Ok so i got my self some turntables,headphones, vinyl and well everything to get started. I love playing Progressive and would like to learn to put sets together, and hence try to make a mix tape and get 'out there' probably my biggest problem is i dont know where to start.

This is a start.

Upon personally approaching some djs and asking for advice ive been getting some blunt answers or just general fluff talk, no real help at all in other words.. so i thought id post some questions hopefully can be answerd and ill be on my way :D


Is there a specific way the turntables have to be set up, i see on the tone arm a range of adjusting numbers, i havent tamperd with them and they play the tracks ok but im not sure if its right? and once they are set up, do they need to be changed ever?

I set the tone arm weights totally around so the umbers face out and have it set as close to the needle as possible. This is because i am very heavy handed when mixing (scrathers set it like this ((usually). It will wear your records faster and wear the needle faster, but its the price i pay.

I can beat match to a reasonable extent, and can throw together tracks in 'intro/outro' style but this is plane boaring, and makes the sets drag out, from what sets ive heard also, hardly anyone does it like that anyway, what are some ways to mix in two songs? Should i have beatmatching perfectly down pat befour i even go any further?

http://www.inthemix.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=195008


When beatmatching even though i get the pitch matched and they work in sync i find i have to keep adjusting just slightly to keep them matched, does everyone have this problem? i know its all by the ear but can you make it full proof?

practice, thats all you can do, and you prepare the mix before bringin the new tune up in volume, so you dont have to ajust, however yes, everyone has to ajust the mix, at some point........ even the best dj's do, as a matter of fact i was listening to an adam beyer mix tape yesterday and i noticed him do it at least twice, this was in a 1.5 hour set...

I have a set of 1200's mk2 what does the role of the red light and the bumps on the platter serve to do? i know they speed up and slow down as pitch is changed but that cant be it right? are you ment to use them as a sort of 'tool' to help mix ?

I dont but some do..... never seen the need

i Hear of people counting and 'dropping' in tracks 16, 32 bars and the like, what does all this mean? and how do you manage to count that there is say 16 to go untill the breakdown, end of the track? ect....

ok, count 4 beats of the kick. This is one bar. count 16 beats this 4 bars and so on.... usually if you count out 4 bars you will (usually, but not always) hear that the song seems to repeat, hence a 4 bar loop. you can when mixing utilise this as a way of making seemless changes in the music, because if you know that the track will repete its 4 bar loop then break down, and the track you are mixing in, changes in 4 bars, then..... add them together and presto, a good mix!

when there isnt a bass line, how do you manage to beatmatch? can it be done? how?

Practice

when developing a style does that just come with all the practise and experiance or should there be "steps" along the way you should master befour attempting to be diverse?

beat mix, key mix, dancing wile mixing, mixing while drunk


The biggest problem ive found is that appart from me experementing all day long i cant 'Learn' from anywhere. I think its stupid i should have to re-invent the wheel if you know what i mean.
When it comes to making a set, everything has been done befour. Or is it really not that bad as i think, if i just chill out, practise day in and out my 'dj ear' will form and a style i like will develop. its just a matter of repetativeness and a ton of experimentation?

Again mate, practice and totally yes, you can develop an ear and skill

And if anyone can give any tips on using turntables and vinyl it would be much appriciated, its daunting not having any beat counters or loops doing the work for you. i can fully appriciate the difficulty in using vinyl, now i just need goals to work towards!

Please see above.
Thanks all in advance

No worries

Chris

Bracko
21-Apr-07, 03:41pm
Is there a specific way the turntables have to be set up, i see on the tone arm a range of adjusting numbers, i havent tamperd with them and they play the tracks ok but im not sure if its right? and once they are set up, do they need to be changed ever?


no they don't. and please don't ram the counterwieght home, if you have decent carts (shure, ortofon) you don't need to go any heavier than the specified cart weight.