Introduction
"Play the mixer like a musical instrument"
-- DJ Timothy Heit
Before DJ equipment became widely available to consumers, most DJ's learned their skills at discotheques. Typically, experienced jocks passed on their techniques to new DJ's. As a "resident" (i.e., a DJ with a steady gig), the DJ had access to professional equipment, a pro-audio sound-system, and promotional music mixes -- which at that time -- gave the Club DJ's a virtual monopoly on the presentation and performance of dance music. Eventually these club jocks got slots on the radio and the first "mix-shows" emerged (such as Chicago's Hot Mix 5 on WBMX-FM). As a result, Club DJ music and skills such as beat mixing were exposed to the masses.
Perhaps the most significant development in the evolution of DJ equipment occurred when Technics released the "direct-drive" SL-1200 in 1974, and the improved SL-1200MK2 Turntable in 1978-79. Still considered the industry standard, the "twelve-hundred" enabled DJ's to scratch and mix without fear of breaking and/or stretching the belt found in belt-drive turntables.
Hip Hop, which originated in the Bronx (New York) during the early-to-mid-70's, strongly influenced the evolution of DJ equipment - particularly turntablism. DJ's such as Kool Herc (first DJ to loop two identical records on two turntables-1973), Grand Wizard Theodore (first DJ to scratch-1977), Grandmaster Flash ("peak-a-boo cue system"), and Afrika Bambaataa ("godfather of hip hop" - produced Planet Rock) invented turntable techniques that eventually spread throughout the world - particularly when Grand Mixer DST performed on the turntables in Herbie Hancock's "Rockit" video (1980's). As a result, scratching and turntablism was exposed to the masses.
With the growth of raves in the late-80's and 90's, the demand for DJ equipment also grew. Speciality shops catering to rave and hip hop DJ's proliferated and almost anyone that wanted to become a DJ had access to professional equipment and music. At roughly the same time -- because of the Internet -- DJ remixes could be obtained for free and sometimes quicker than conventional distribution methods. The nightclub DJs' monopoly in breaking new dance music had ended -- as well as a portion of the Club DJ's value to record labels and artists.
Basic Setup
As Table 1 below shows, the basic DJ set-up includes two turntables (and/or two CD players), headphones, RCA stereo cables, and a DJ mixer, which is connected to an amp and/or amp rack via the mixer's master output. It should be noted that many DJ's on a budget often employ the auxiliary input on their home stereos in lieu of an expensive amp/speaker set-up. The mixer's "crossfader" (the horizontal bar on the mixer) enables the DJ to switch the volume between Channel 1 (the green turntable on the left) and Channel 2 (the black turntable on the right). Each channel has an "upfader" volume control (the vertical bars) and can usually accommodate two input sources (such as phono and CD). In addition, many mixers have "gains" (aka "trim") that also controls a particular channel's volume. With the addition of the master volume, which controls total volume output, a DJ usually has four places to control a song's volume (crossfader, channel gain, upfader, and master volume) -- with the crossfader serving as the bridge between channels.
A DJ should also know how to work a mixer's (or rack's) equalizer (EQ). According to DJ Timothy Heit, "because hearing is normally around 4 kHz, you want to lower that frequency (and perhaps the frequencies near it) on the equalizer. This creates a comfortable listening environment (e.g., the customers can hear one another). While desirable, higher frequencies, such as tweeters, can damage hearing. However, low-end bass frequencies are not as damaging - it tends to cause listening fatigue instead."
Purchasing Equipment
Today, it's not uncommon to find DJ's that practice, record, and even remix tracks at home studios. If you're about to start a home DJ-studio or need mobile DJ equipment, then consider investing in equipment that accommodates your style. Hip hop DJ's for example, usually purchase scratch/battle mixers and direct-drive turntables. It should be noted that unless you're on a strict budget, avoid purchasing belt-drive turntables. On the other hand, if you plan on spinning corporate clubs, mobile-weddings, and/or MP3's, you'll most likely mix on CD players (such as Pioneer's CDJ series) or computer programs such as the PCDJ. Ideally, you should learn to play CD players and turntables interchangeably (so that your music sets aren't constrained). DJ's such as Josh Wink employ CD's and vinyl equally.
Mixing Tips
"Learn to mix with the upfaders first, and then proceed to the crossfader"
Since the early-90's, It's been much easier for new DJ's to learn how to beat mix. This is because most of today's dance tracks have long intros, breaks, and outros with perfectly-synched computer generated beats (i.e., no live drummer). In addition, the increasing availability of DJ equipment at lower prices has made it easier for newcomers to get started.
Beat mixing on turntables was first introduced to the masses by New York's DJ Francis Grasso in the late-1960's. However, the concept of overlaying two tracks with one another can be traced back to the Musique Concrete movement that began in the late-1940's. By using special editing blocks, the followers of Musique Concrete could create a crossfade by splicing a reel-to-reel tape recording and pasting it to a second tape recording at a 45 degree angle.
Today, the "art" of beat mixing is utilizing several turntables (and/or CD players) and a mixer to blend pre-recorded sounds while maintaining a constant beat. Because a DJ can blend tracks in a way that may not be the original intention of the artist (i.e., taking the vocal/acapella of one track and overlapping it with the beat of a completely different track), a DJ can create new and unique versions of pre-existing songs (i.e., remixing on the fly).
While it's difficult to explain the "art" of mixing (aka "beat matching") on a web page, this section shall present the basic rules of mixing. A few suggestions regarding places to learn beat mixing will also be addressed.
General Beat Mixing Rules for New DJ's * A DJ usually listens to the drum beat of the song (i.e., 4/4 time).
* Most dance tracks have an "intro" (where you mix into it) and a break and/or "outro" (where you mix out of it). An "outro" area on a track is often the final opportunity to mix out of the song; while a "break" may be an earlier opportunity to mix out of a song. A song can have more than one break, but will have only one outro.
* Cueing CD's is similar to the vinyl slip-cue method (you cue the CD just before [almost on] the first note of the song). You must have a professional disc jockey CD player with "instant start" (so the song begins exactly when you hit the play button).
* It's important for you to understanding the BPM (beats per minute) of a song. Here's how you determine BPM: (1) For example, play "Good Times" by Chic; and (2) starting with the first beat (a bass drum), start counting to the beat of the song; (3) After one minute on a stop-watch, determine how many beats you've counted. This song is 112 beats per minute (and you should write that on the cover). To save you time, some mixers have a BPM counter on the board. As a rule, most hip hop songs are under 115, most house songs are over 115, and most trance and hard-house songs are over 125 BPM. Drum-n-Bass and Jungle tends to be twice the BPM of hip hop tracks (160 to 200+ bpm).
* As you listen to the song being played (song one) on the dance floor, cue the song that you want to beat match (song two) through your headphones on the other turntable or CD player. When song one "breaks" to end in its outro section, start the new song at the first beat of its "intro" (thus, you're matching the "intro" of song two with the "break" or outro segment of song one). As you match the drum beats, place your hand on the turntable or CD player's pitch adjust to gradually adjust the speed. As one hand adjusts speed, place the other hand on the mixer and gradually slide the crossfader so that song one's volume declines and song two's volume increases.
* When the mix is finished, be sure that the new song's volume is exactly at the volume of the previous song. Even if the new song seems as loud as the one being played, watch the bass or high-end volume (of the song you're "bringing in") to make sure that you don't muddle-distort the mix. You should be aware that not all songs are recorded at the same volume level.
* When you're new, you should only attempt to beat match songs that are plus or minus three (±3) BPM from each other. Thus, you would mix Chic's 112 BPM Good Times into a song that's between 109 and 115 BPM, but not into a song that's 125 BPM (that would sound odd).
* Since every song is in the key of something (i.e., C-sharp), some DJ's only match songs with keys that compliment each other (in addition to matching BPM).
* A DJ should always keep his or her hand on the pitch adjust when mixing. As flashy as it may look, you may not realize that touching the vinyl may create swoosh sounds that only a trained (and sometimes untrained) ear could detect. Thus, avoid touching the vinyl/platter to adjust its speed (unless you're scratching or trying to manipulate the note).
Breakdown of a Typical Song Perhaps the most important thing to know about mixing is the construction of songs (see chart below). You should know the song(s) you are playing cold, such as when the song begins, when the vocals start, when the song breaks, etc.
Typical Top-40 Song Construction (12" mix)
Where to Learn Beat Mixing Finally, as stated above, here are a few suggestions regarding places to learn beat mixing:
* Obviously, if you're old enough, you want to visit nightclubs where you can watch the DJ from a distance. Avoid revealing your desire to be a DJ (until the DJ is finished) because s/he may spin differently if they know you're watching (i.e., s/he may be intimidated). Many raves also offer the opportunity to watch world-class DJ's. In addition, try nightclub afterhours and parties.
* Try a local record store that sells vinyl for DJ's. These stores often have a DJ mix set-up. Watch other DJ's until you feel comfortable asking someone for tips. Remember: DJ's like to help other DJ's.
* You may want to consider getting a job as a mobile DJ. Depending on where you live, these companies are often eager to hire and train new DJ's. If you choose this route, be sure to work at a company that teaches beat mixing and formatting.
* Get a job as a nightclub light-jock. While the pay is relatively low, a light jock is in the best position to watch a DJ's success and failure at getting a dance floor. You may also have the opportunity to practice during the off hours (i.e., daytime).
Scratching Tips
Hip Hop has four elements: rapping/emceeing, breakdancing, graffiti art, and turntablism. Scratching records is a form of turntablism, which is the manipulation of a turntable, pre-recorded music, and mixer in a "free-form" manner (i.e., like jazz musicians that improvise). A turntablist not only scratches, but may also use the crossfader or upfader to add or subtract beats (i.e., beat juggling) and to transform (see below). Battle DJ's are the best example of turntablists. Often playing hip hop (it makes little sense for a trance DJ to be a turntablist), these DJ's have turned a consumer playback device (i.e., the turntable) into a percussion instrument.
Bringing these techniques to the next level, disc jockey's such as DJ Radar (see photo at right) are introducing turntablism to other musical traditions such as classical music. Radar and partner -- composer Raul Yanez -- are challenging the free-form nature of turntablism by writing musical scores for the turntable. To facilitate his work, he employs a Vestax PDX2000 Pro Direct-Drive Turntable because its pitch adjust has greater range than other turntables. As Radar puts it, "if you are using a tone in D on 33 rpm, the range (by using the pitch adjust) would then be from C# to G# of the next octave." As you can see, Radar is also challenging other turntablists to learn music composition and structure (which is a shift away from the free-form tradition).
Before you start scratching, you must know how to cue a record. There are two ways to cue a record: (1) the old-style back-spin (radio station) method; and (2) the "slip-cue" method used by beat mixers and scratchers.
Method One
Even though this section is about scratching, you should familiarize yourself with the old style "back-spin" method of cueing a record. During the radio days, when jocks used vinyl, this is how DJ's cued records:
1. Listening through your headphones (the song you're cueing can't be heard on the radio or dance floor), place the needle on the record at the spot where you want to start the song (usually the first note of the song).
2. With the turntable's start/stop button on STOP, move the record back and fourth with your hand so that the needle is located exactly on the first note.
3. Once the needle is located above the first note, move the record about 4 inches before that note.
4. When it's time to play the song, hit the start button on the turntable -- making sure you time the start accounting for the one or two seconds that it will take for the needle to move across the 4 inches (thereby starting the song). At the same time, with the other hand, slide the cross-fader over so that the volume of the new song is up and the old song is down. The reason you start at four inches before the song is because if you were to start exactly on top of the note, the gradual acceleration of the turntable is heard (changing the pitch of the song for the first second).
Method Two
The "slip-cue" method (pioneered by DJ Francis Grasso) eliminated the problem of the delay, making it possible for a DJ to start a song exactly on the first note (without having to mentally calculate when the song would start).
1. First, remove the rubber piece that comes with your turntable and replace it with a slipmat.
2. Listen to the song through your headphones only (the song you're cueing can't be heard on the dance floor). With the start/stop button on the turntable on START, move the record back-and-fourth with your hand so that the needle is located exactly on the first note. However, because of the slipmat, you can leave the turntable in the "on" position and just hold the vinyl in place (making sure the needle remains slightly before the first note or beat, usually the downbeat -- i.e., bass drum). The slipmat will allow the turntable to continue rotating as you hold the record
As long as the turntable is a direct-drive, you don't have to worry about damaging the drive when you slip-cue. In contrast, the belt on a belt-drive turntable may eventually break because the belt builds friction and stretches over time.
3. Be sure your needle is weighed down properly. Before Ortofons, DJ's placed pennies on the cartridge shell to ensure that the needle stayed in place. However, too much weight will damage the needles and burn the vinyl (called "cue burn").
4. When it's time to start the song, just release the vinyl and the song should start exactly on the first note. At the same time, with the other hand, quickly slide the cross-fader over so that the volume of the new song is up and the old song is down. To be precise, you may have to slightly push the record (as you release it) to get the beat to speed. This requires practice because you may have to slightly "back-cue" when you push the needle into the beat. In order to mix, you must drop the first beat exactly on the beat of the song that's ending and then adjust the speed with the turntable's pitch adjust (and bring the cross-fader over gradually).
Basic scratching is therefore, slip-cueing back and fourth over a note (i.e., bass drum/snare drum) or sample with the volume turned up (i.e., the "baby scratch"). However, as you move the needle back and fourth, you create patterns (like a drummer) that compliments the song(s) you're scratching over.
But there is much more to scratching than simply slip-cueing over a note or beat while using the other hand to manipulate the volume. At the time of this writing, there are over 60 different scratch techniques (i.e., the "chirp," the "crab," the "flare," the "orbit," etc.). Unless you're an aspiring turntablist, it's not important to know these different scratch techniques (especially if you're not playing hip hop).
Here are five general scratch tips:
1. Do not scratch over the words/lyrics of songs (particularly songs with female vocals). Instead, you should consider scratching over instrumental portions of tracks;
2. Loud & excessive low-end scratching can damage the woofers and is annoying (especially in nightclubs);
3. Don't play the scratch louder than the song you're scratching over;
4. Unless it's expected by the crowd (i.e., you're a turntablist), don't over-scratch (it wears out the effect's novelty and you may appear to be showing off);
5. For new jocks, utilize 12" records that are designed for scratching (i.e., lots of samples). Scratch records are usually made with a better grade of vinyl (such as "regrind") and are less likely to become damaged.
But there is much more to scratching than simply slip-cueing over a note or beat while using the other hand to manipulate the volume. At the time of this writing, there are over 60 different scratch techniques (i.e., the "chirp," the "crab," the "flare," the "orbit," etc.). Unless you're an aspiring turntablist, it's not important to know these different scratch techniques (especially if you're not playing hip hop).
Here are five general scratch tips:
1. Do not scratch over the words/lyrics of songs (particularly songs with female vocals). Instead, you should consider scratching over instrumental portions of tracks;
2. Loud & excessive low-end scratching can damage the woofers and is annoying (especially in nightclubs);
3. Don't play the scratch louder than the song you're scratching over;
4. Unless it's expected by the crowd (i.e., you're a turntablist), don't over-scratch (it wears out the effect's novelty and you may appear to be showing off);
5. For new jocks, utilize 12" records that are designed for scratching (i.e., lots of samples). Scratch records are usually made with a better grade of vinyl (such as "regrind") and are less likely to become damaged.
* Use professional cartridges for scratching (see the Equipment Page).. The Ortofon "Scratch" with 7 Mv output is designed for scratching.
* The center piece in the middle of the turntable is called the "spindle." Some battle DJ's will stack a few records on the spindle for quick access.
* Remove the dust cover (which can get in the way) and store it in a safe place.
* Some DJ's "mark" their records. By placing tape on the label (or on the tail-out groove, spiral-in groove, or on the band itself), the DJ can visually locate the sample they want to scratch. The DJ may use the needle (or some other spot on the turntable) as a benchmark and compare that mark with the tape's location. This is how many "battle" DJ's spin without headphones (to find their cue).
* Placing the turntables in "battle mode" means placing the turntables on their side (vertically). Scratch DJ's do this to avoid contact with the tone arm and to improve their leverage vis-á-vis the turntable. "L-mode" means that the DJ positioned the left turntable vertically and right turntable horizontally (resembling an "L" appearance as viewed from above). "Reverse L-mode" means that the DJ positioned the right turntable vertically and left turntable horizontally (i.e., opposite of L-mode).
* A straight tone arm, such as the one on the Vestax PDX2000 Pro Direct-Drive Turntable, tends to give better scratch leverage than the typical curved tone arm.
* Be sure the turntable is properly "isolated" or stabilized. If the turntable moves while you're scratching, the needle may bounce off the desired scratch area. Remember that the turntable has springs (located at the base-feet) to absorb some of the shock.
* You must have slipmats to scratch (watch for static build-up). Also, make sure that the needles are weighed down properly and/or the tone arm is calibrated correctly. Some DJ's also place half of a plastic record sleeve (cut in a circular shape) under the slipmat to reduce friction. "Butter Rugs" are a highly recommended brand of scratch slipmats.
* "Transforming" is moving either the crossfader, the upfader, or the channel/toggle switch on the mixer back-and-fourth at a quick and constant speed. To practice transformer scratching, find a constant note (often found in made for scratch records) and while that note is playing, move the upfader on the mixer up-and-down as quick as possible. By slowly moving the vinyl back and fourth with the other hand, the effect should sound like scratching.
* Borrow or purchase scratch and battle videos such as DJ's Guide to Scratching
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