ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.พ. 2023
- Get ready for an epic showdown as we delve into the highly controversial topic of beat sync in DJing. Does beat syncing strip DJs of their artistic talents, or does it unleash unlimited creative possibilities? This argument has been raging on for years, so it's time to look at the truths, and myths around beat sync and how it affects YOU as a DJ.
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Use the technology at hand to it's fullest ability while having the skills to survive if something goes wrong. Simple.
Like it 💪
Right on.
fully agree.
@@luckyluk2864 50% skills thats me screwed.😮💨
You have quickly become my favorite DJ channel. Super under rated and I cant wait for the algorithm to treat you correctly. The dry humor is so on point and well balanced. And the information is actually valuable and not overly nuanced. Even though I already know most of what you teach, I still watch your videos 2 or 3 times just to appreciate the editing and humor. Please dont stop. Ive seen channels completely explode after an extended underrated period. Your content is so good and I can totally see every video blowing up all at once. I'm gonna keep commenting and liking and do my part to help.
Thank you so much ❤️
"The dry humor is so on point and well balanced" +10
You spit out straight facts. I started DJing about 20 years ago.
We had no anything, No Key no grid no nothing. Everything by ear. I use whatever tech I have available in order to get more creative and everyone should do so. Love the vid!!!!
an excess of helping tools actually tends to hurt creativity
@@gozutheDJ all depends on how u use it.
It seems you were a bad dj with no synch tools. What if guitarists start to move randomly their fingers while their guitars play authomatic
@@marcobarbaro9493 what does that have to do with sync 🤦♂️ I was actually amazing. If you really believe in what your saying you should still be using vinyl no BPM no nothing. Or when you produce music don’t use digital plugins use only analog and don’t use midi. 😂 and if you use a computer you are contradicting everything you say.
@@shlomishanti weak people... not to mention that with Spotify you can have any suggestion about tracks and productions, while we had to go to the record shop and search, search constantly. do you want to win easy?
Hi Chris, I'm in the sync cru. Having heard this controversy since the rise of CDJ/controllers, it's great to see more and more dj's doing their “coming out” on this topic. What amazes me the most is the fact that on both sides everyone agrees that djing is all about music selection and making people dance, but some still act like there is only one way to do it properly... It sounds like having a washing machine but forcing everyone in the house to wash their clothes by hand just because "real dudes do it"! It all sounds like a conservative vs progressive debate, driven by fearing the former being replaced by the latter.
Also there are a hell of a lot of myths about DJs using sync and not being able to hear music drift or even recognize a proper beat match... I do 4 deck old school drum & bass mixes only with sync, any anti-sync can give it a listen and see for themselves that the only problem with sync guys is in their heads not in the mix!( th-cam.com/video/Fvus8Z1TjYc/w-d-xo.html )
Thanks for your perspective! Definitely a good amount of gate keeping thrown into the mix
nope. most people don't act like this
i seriously wanna see those "purists" ATTEMPT playing my bass house set with no sync on. I´d eat my hat if they can do that set on vinyl. They need to accept electronic music today is more about being a Prod/DJ, and about making some type of live performance, mashup, live remix, dope transitions. It´s different times, vinyl is cool, turntablism is cool, but the newest James Hype/Yamato/Fred Again sets are just as impressive in their own way.
@@TheRealDJ-NEO you're full of it
@@gozutheDJ did you watch my mix before writing that? I looked you up mate. If i´m so full of it, let´s go do a battle. I´ll devour your whole mix with 1 transition
Sync was how I got into DJing in the first place using a computer and Virtual DJ. It's easy to recognize the importance of being able to beat match when things don't work out perfectly. But since I got into DJing years ago with the advent of sync and computer analyzed beat grids, I view it as a tool that, when appropriately used, gives you creative freedom to do more interesting things with your mixes.
Cheers, and great video m8
Yeah, I hate the whole argument against Sync. One thing I really value in my sets is having amazing energy that infects the crowd, and so the less time I spend preparing my next track, the more time I can spend interacting and giving off my energy to the listener.
lmao, this is an example of delusion.
What an amazing take on this. I love how it's so controversial; I have many DJ friends who refuse to use it. But mostly they are ex-vinyl DJs who use the CDJs purely as a replacement for a turntable - they don't use any of the additional features that modern equipment gives you; and they haven't bothered to spend any time learning either! I actually spend a lot of time in Rekordbox getting the grids spot on, and then I find I can actually mix without sync and without headphones (provided I know the track) most of the time. But it is sometimes handy to flick the sync button on and off just to be sure they're exactly lined up. However, if another DJ comes into the booth I am always sure to check that it's off before they see it!
I’ve changed the settings in Rekordbox to BPM Sync. It doesn’t match up the beat grids and I still have to beat match manually. I find this allows me to have a lot more time on the mixer using all 4 decks on my DDJ-RZ, instead of having to fiddle with those notoriously difficult pitch sliders!
That’s a great way to approach it!
I tried that approach for a while, the only thing was that if I wanted to change BPM manually it was a pain to turn it on and off on that deck. I just do it with the BPM counter with the pitch setting at +/- 6% and so long as it's within 0.1 it should be fine with relatively little adjustment. I also think those slight adjustments make a mix feel more alive, but maybe that's just me being old.
It's crazy that there is still controversy around Sync. Was there this same level of hysteria when those little Pads got released that you plugged into and sat on the corner of your Turntables giving you Hotcues? Did people still get all high and mighty when looping first got added to CDJs, and insist unless you only Beat Juggled your Loops your not really DJing LOL. Jazzy Jeff likes making use of all the DJ tech he can get his hands on if it lets him be more creative.
Started learning to mix recently. Was given a ddj200 as a present. Absolutely loving your channel. Very informative... You deserve much more than 3000 subscribers 💪🏿
Big ups! Enjoy the journey :)
Loved the video, loved the essay, delivery, and editing- you missed a bleep there towards the end but hopefully they won't demonetize you over it. Great vid!
When I started I wouldn’t use it but two of the guys helping me out both said “learn to use everything on the deck”
Learned to beat match from DJing on vinyl late 80s to mid 90s and made the transition to CD around then, with my CDs in blank card sleeves with mix and cue points written on them, so yes, I can do it, but recently got into digital DJing and for some reason the headphones don't work with my PC soundcard, so I'm totally having to rely on what I see, the grid, the numbers, but I can see/hear my mixes getting noticeably better each week through having to embrace the new skills. If prepared, I can get a dozen tracks into a 20 minute mix knowing that if I've tried it before, they are going to drop perfectly as long as I don't miss the cue. Thanks for another great video, Chris!
I started DJing 25 years ago, I'm so glad that I learned to beat match manually and learned the structure of the music to know where to start the next track so the track build up and die down at the same point. but having just got back into DJing with all the fancy features to speed up the beatmatching and make it perfect means that I can spend more time on transitions and have more fun with that that spending all the track beatmatching. I haven't used the the beatsync button yet but not totally opposed to it to save a car crash mix from happening
Great points, and correct opinion. Ppl busy arguing about what "real DJs" do meanwhile there are ppl on youtube making sick mixes and plugging in modular synths and ableton setups and drum machines and guitars plugged into loop pedals and doing whatever sounds fun and cool. And on the other end we have double vinyl bois who have to do crazy stuff on the fly when people are jumping too hard and the head jumps/skips. What even is a "DJ?" I don't know, and may we never define it or put it in a box. Beatmatching is a tool, sync button is a tool. Use the tool you want to get the effect and the experience you want to have.
I learn beatmatching by ear because of b2b sessions with two systems, when sync is not an option and i dont want to f#!k it up completely.
huge vid, earned a sub, and agree with pretty much every point. I do the ol' manual beat match by looking at the designated tempo my CDJ's or Traktor tells me, then quickly go by ear, but mostly only because I find it easier and fast to beat match the way I enjoy. The actual beat sync button seems to be fairly off a LOT of the time, so I just don't bother with it haha.
The best video I have seen on this topic. There was about 0.5 seconds that were the most important : You need to know when to jog the track because it just sounds better slightly off the grid or if the grids are not set right. That is the killer on it.
I have been DJ'ing for 20+ years, when I was younger in clubs in London on vinyl, now just a home with a vinyl set up and a more modern set up with a controller. I get the argument from both sides. I beat match because I enjoy it and enjoy the challenge of it and it makes it more interesting. Ultimately if someone wants to DJ with sync I don't see the big deal. Times have changed, DJing is not the same as it used to be like many other things. Everyone should be free to choose without the feel that they are cheating the system or inferior in someway. Some people enjoy the transition side more than the beat matching. Plus like you say with sync it does give you more time to work on some of the more complex transitions. I would probably do the same if I was working in the club scene today.
It depends on what type of music you're play. Life is not black & white. Every situation has it's only particular solution.
I learnt on turntables so beatmatching by ear but I now use a controller soI use it when trying quick transitions like you said it frees me up to do other things, but personally if its there then its there to be used as frequently or as infrequently as you so choose.
Excellent content my friend, keep it up - Lots of Love from Canada
haven't watched a TH-cam vid i genuinely wanted to like more than this one. Epic bits of comedy and info. If you keep this up this is guaranteed a top channel! Keep it up
Appreciate that! 🙏
your channel should have wayy more followers. Very precise teaching and explaining!
I appreciate that!
Great video. I love playing LPs live cause of the adrenaline rush. However, a lot of clubs are building smaller, DJ booth with less room and I’ve been stuck in a situation where there are no monitors. Sometimes that sync button is a Hail Mary.
Vinyl DJ here with 3 1200s for the past 40 years. 👋🏼
LMAO at your video. Great content. I sub’d. Cheers from a Yank in East Anglia. 🇺🇸🏴
Greetings from an Aussie in Japan! I must say i do enjoy your dry sense of humour chris, also as a DJ with over 48 years of experience I worked with music that was recorded live in a studio and not created with a syncopated drum track. This meant that there was vast differences at times in the beat grids due to human error (and most of the artists were probably stoned). Beat gridding can itself cause major problems due to the artist not keeping in time so gridding tracks and playing them back can cause some crazy anomolies like the track speeding up where it has been put correctly on a grid formation at the recorded tempo. Playing these tracks using SYNC has major advantages (and disadvantages as above) because unlike current music the sync function is a tremendous feature for old school like i play (disco,funk). I learn't to play music on 7" 45's with no pitch control and have moved with technology and utilized it to better perform live, does this make me a 'bad' dj? I think not because my main concern was to keep a dance floor, and we all know no-one gives a fuck about how good your mixing was as long as the punter gets to hear their favourite banger and the set is put together with some form of continuity and musical flow. I sometimes practice mixing on my controller without using the sync feature just to keep in touch with the skills i grew up with mixing by ear. Thanks for your content, keep up the wit.
Thanks for sharing your story! Great point about older tracks and grids
Thank you for the clarification in this video. I’ve always wondered why it was so frowned upon and this explained perfectly. Loving the vids mate and keep up the witty humour 😂
Cheers!
A good DJ is always looking to make the experience for the crowd the best there is. If something eats away at your time consistently, whether it's beat matching, taking too much time for song selection, or making up for phasing mistakes, that per definition gives you less time to listen to the crowd / build sicker drops / make nastier transitions. If the crowd doesn't care (they really don't), it seems its a pure ego thing to not beat match whenever you could use it. If you respect your crowd, you have prepared your set, you know what's gonna sound juicy and you can perform the required technicalities as flawlessly and effortlessly as possible.
I've learned beat matching when i started DJing, took a good look at all the arguments and couldn't figure out why anyone would still defend manual beat matching. I've had some more experiences DJ friends taking a piss on it, but now i hear the promoter side of the story, it makes more sense in the larger 'cultural' frame. Thanks for this awesome video! Liked and subscribed!
Started in the 90s with vinyl playing, so of course had to beat sync myself by ear, however with the possibilities nowadays, I don't mind using sync and queue points, basically it allows you to completely mess around with the way a song has been arranged and will also make you mix tracks that otherwise wouldn't be a fit. So yeah, no shame in using it, as long as you can also do it by ear.
Well said. VInyl DJ for into three decades, just switched over to digital. Absolutely an ace beat matcher.
All this technology. BPM readouts. Cues. Key compatibility AI and yes, even a tap of the beat sync now and then. All these things allow you to get in the mix quicker, and to stay in longer. Memory Cues I sprinkle liberally. Hot cues if I am planning a set are my flags for In and Out on every track. Then mix as close as possible and transition, or lock the two and mix in on a third deck. Use the gear. You can either mix faster or deeper but make it interesting.
A vinyl purist would say the second you see the BPM you are already cheating. So use the technology to the max, and deliver the best set you can.
See you on the floor.
I try not to use sync unless I'm flowing and realize I don't have enough milliseconds to make a change before transitioning.
Better than hard-cutting a trainwreck and leaving the room wondering what kind of drugs you took.
(Also when there's a lot of tail in an intro and it messes with my ability to gauge the beatgrid.)
Bless the algorithm for recommending you
Great arguments and analogy!
Dude you are killing me.. love the chanel. Great fun and great info. Im new at djing so i live to hit that button... lololol
Glad you enjoyed! Just make sure to get the fundamentals down too 💪
Basically it all
comes down to passion and good choice of music. I use SYNC on house music but even then, some songs don’t even match up well so you gotta have some talent to match up or simply bring in another track. Disco is the hardest to mix , it doesn’t go well in SYNC mode , and it’s very difficult to mix. Thank you for the good
Advices. Love this channel😊
🪩🕺🏻
I introduced beat-mixing DJ software and used it to produce mix-sets for two programs a week on community radio station back in 2003. I was the one they turned to, to produce a days worth of mixsets for new years day for multiple years - this is so correct.
Im still pretty new to Dj'ing and I found it odd that established DJ friends of mine gave me a hard time for NOT using beat sync. I just told them the two main reasons I didnt like using beat sync is that I tend to use a wide range of styles when practicing at home from Punk/ska, metal, house, DnB, indie rock, etc, so beat sync is more of a choir at that point than it is helpful. And the second reason is I wanted to learn to really beat match on my own before using a tool made to do it. Its the same approach I use when learning any new skill like when I taught myself SQL, I did it in a terminal window and not a IDE. But once I did move to the IDE it was so easy to build a database and filter records it was almost laughable
Thanks for sharing!
...Im a pro deejay for 30 years playing and mixing from a cassette deck to turntables to cd's and now on a controller and I often use sync..?why?because its 2023, the technology is allowing me to be focused on more important things than sync, like choosing a next good song, making a good drop or transition....the technology today is just amazing...I wish we had this 30 years ago...
Things have moved fast! (ish)
@@ReallyChrisM yes, and your generation don't have a clue how much lucky they are to be a deejay today..regards😃
Petrified anus line had me dead
As a turntable dj for 10+ years who "retired" before digital, and have since returned to play 100% digital, this arguement has been pretty silly to watch. THANK YOU for mentioning the obvious "you're matching the BPM digitally regardless" thing. It drives me batty to see djs puff up like they are some god and yet this is the first thing they do when queueing a track. We don't have 7 min long intros to help you blend and fade gradually these days, you have shorter songs and are basically mixing in the breakdowns half the time anyway. As someone who has been around DJ culture about half my life now... there is nothing wrong with tapping that Sync now and again if it means you're going to have a smoother experience for those punters in the crowd.
Thanks for your video,,, im using only sync because im playing progressive house music, my friends told me that i can actually play am not really dj, if i see few videos ,,everyone is playing today, not in beat, no transitions, bad key conections or the most boaring house sets with same bpm key vocals and same vibe long boaring sets without emotion !!! If i play i use emotional vocal passages to mix it together to make emotion and its not possible to make it throw the beatmatching in time! And if,, than no time for effects,, djing is not about the beatmatching its about to play good music, set with story, emotion, the most important its passing songs together and get out of you the feeling and enotion throw the maschine!!!!!!
I’m always shocked how many gatekeepers there are around the sync button. Over 20 years as a dj, half of which was all vinyl, I love and embrace sync. It truly frees me up to do three and four deck mixing mixing cleanly and really allows me to get super creative on my eqs. The funny thing is that the gatekeepers who criticize the sync button do exactly what you mentioned in this video. They look at the beats per minute and then move the pitch control to match. That’s not even true beat matching. The sync button has opened up DJing to a lot more people since you don’t have the frustrating first two years simply trying to get the beats to not train wreck, which may be another point of frustration for those who learned how to beat match by ear. All in all, we got to adapt the times, leverage the tools that we have at our disposal and find new ways to create.
Learned on vinyl, and switch to Traktor Scratch on day 1, and to this day I have never used sync. The issue with it's introduction, was for companies to make more profit by selling gear that anyone can use. We used to joke about Auto-tune being directly in the microphone, 20 years ago. However, using Sync not only removes one of the "hands on" elements of the art of DJing, but it closed the gap on who was more talented, while ruining the crowds ability to pick up on what makes a talented DJ special.
Nowadays, programs can select you a DJ set, and put it in key, where if you haven't had the privilege of training your ears to recognize this, then you are limiting yourself and your abilities right off the start.
This is why I can personally walk up to anyone's laptop or record bin, and jam out with their music with no audible errors beyond the human element. Many, many people who rely on sync could not do the same.
When you buy a sports car and it's an automatic, it's because it's for everybody to drive, where a manual transmission is for the elitist.
I've found the Sync button doesn't always do a good job of beat matching, but as far as setting the tempos the same, I find very useful, and saves the most time consuming part of beat matching. Actually lining up beats is the quick bit. It's a similar argument so using vinyl vs USB, based on experience of having to lug two boxes of vinyl on a train I'd rather rock up to a venue with a pair of USB drives and a pair of headphones. Vinyl is fine for appreciating at home, but in terms of practicality, I'd rather save my back and be a USB-using heathen 😆
Interesting discussion. I sometimes have the feeling that there is a weird phasing going on, when the kicks are matched 100% computer perfect with beat sync and that a mix sounds more organic, when the grid is manually to just 99.76% perfection. Similar to when you turn up the swing in a drum computer to give your beat a more humanized feeling
Ucio sam na gramofonima u vreme kada nisu postojali kontroleri i softveri , samo mikser sa dva kanala i dva gramofona. Sad koristim traktor i nemam problem sa bpm, jednostavno stedi vreme. Za dobar set je potrebno osetiti publiku i uz pravi izbor traka, udahnuti svoju energiju i pustiti masti na volju. Rezultat je neizbezan. Bez bpm bi bilo mnogo manje vremena za sve gore navedeno. A poenta je zadovoljiti masu a ne dj koji su protiv bpm. 😎
I use sync when I'm playing with Traktor, since I often use the remix decks and step sequencer, however when I get to play in a "traditional" format I enjoy beatmatching manually. No reason to not have fun with both styles.
I have personally learned a lot by focusing more on the mix and song selection with the time I save beatmatching.
very good content, so inspired
Greetings from Ayia Napa!!!
Started doing back in 84 obviously on vinyl,, Used to really love the challenge of beat matching manually,,
Transitioned to digital around 7 yrs ago with a basic Numark controller,, it took me around a yr to work out what beat grids and sync did as I used to manually beat match just like I did with vinyl, albeit with the help of being able to see the BPM on the screen, but still used that as a guide as even then the tracks could drift..
Watched a few TH-cam videos about Beatgrid and learnt how to use Sync,, it was weird as it was almost like learning how to beat match as I didn’t know anything about beat grids or cue points.
Now I strictly only use sync,I don’t give a crap what others think as I only care what the crowd thinks of my music selection..
We used to wash clothes by hand once upon a time..
Washing machines aren’t considered as cheating..
Actually a brilliant accurate video big props
I often use sync in my sets for transitions where I am changing the tempo but I obviously don't want to loose the match while doing that transition. I also play around 60 to 70 tracks per hour in average using four decks. I want to have the people have a great time and me also and I don't want to fall in stress. That's why I use sync. Creative mixing, having a good time, the crowd having a good time and more ways to do cool transitions. I have 9 years of experience and I could also do the same thing without sync, but why should I stress myself this much.
very well articulated!
Use sync whenever i want. Proud not ashamed.Can manually mix since 1996 anyway if needed. Totally agree with all your points. Even the using sync then dragging it slightly out or into a nice phase is an important point.
The same people who complain about sync have no problem using quantize to sync their loops. Why is one okay and not the other? I enjoy beatmatching manually, but I'll use sync, too, if I need a break, or if I need both hands to execute a transition. It's there to be used.
I g.a.f about know how to beatmatch manually for myself. I do not care if anyone else does or does not. For me its a useful tool to have because sometimes you will be put in front of equipment without sync as an option.
Some turntablism tricks need beat matching ability so sync is unreliable when pulling them off.
I don't use the button much and opt to use the visual bpm aid with the manual movement of the pitch fader.
For me sync isn't a big deal. I personally enjoy using the various components of the gear, whether its turning the EQs, using the pitch, using the jog wheels, and utilizing the different available features in general.
Using the pitch adjust instead of sync also has given me a better feel for the pitch fader. I can quickly and intuitively bring the bpm up or down to the exact number. (Going from 130 to 126 swiftly, vrs from 130 down to 126.4, then over adjust to 125.8, then finally get it to 126 on the dot.
I dont use sync, and learnt the old skool way on vinyl. However if other people want to use it then fine no problem.
Hey Chris, Playing from 20 years, Nowadays technology is a game changer. Beat sync, I use it last time. It by you time to do more and make your set more more colorful. Crowd like it. And you can easy to mix 3 4 song at the time to make something special. A real game changer.... Not controversial. When you from vinyls and now go to this technology well .... a good option
"the photons from the bpm reader on your your decks... have ever entered your retinas?" 😆🤣
I started way back in the early 90s on vinyl, never used a CDJ or any digital until I got an iPad and Traktor DJ in 2013. It was great having sync, key lock, way more than 8% pitch adj. The one downside was old tunes that didn't conform to the grid in traktor Dj, there was no way to ride the pitch (unless you had a controller, I didn't), so could only mix gridded tracks. Then in 2015 got Serato and control vinyl, and went back to manual beatmatching as I didn't like serato's sync. Now I have a NI controller, with pitch faders, and am back on the iPad, happy as larry, auto syncing for those modern well gridded tunes, and manual for those that won't grid. Sync isn't cheating, it's a tool. I use it when I can, and when I can't, I go old school. I'd suggest everyone learns to use both, there's benefits both ways to be had.
I do not use Sync but I do use the beat grid to align my tracks. It is true that some mixes/transitions do sound better with tunes out of sync a bit due to the note of the song. Digital had made it easier to mix as you can set what note is that song in. Before you would have to make an educated guess.
Spot on video Chris. Don't know why some dj's make such a big deal about this. If you wanna use it...use it. As long as the crowd is loving your selection and style...who cares.
They are the important ones to keep happy!
I used to DJ in the early 2000's and lug around heavy ass crates of records, now I can carry 10 crates of records around on flash drives on my key chain. I think the argument for beat sync is the same. It is a tool that makes a djs life easier. You still have to be able to beat match and think fast if the train starts going off the tracks.
Ima experienced dj I been doing it for 21 years & idgaf what djs or promoters think, I use it mostly to set bpms because I tend to mix fast & it’s great for when beat grids are set properly,imo it’s the djs who aren’t gettin booked tend to shit on the sync feature..the technology is there,why not use it to push boundaries..
I'll tell you, I dont use sync because that makes djing boring for me. I actually like matching the beats together myself. I feel more connected to the music I play.
Hey, mate! I've been DJing for two years now. At the beginning, I was primarily line matching. After a year, I was able to beatmatch by looking at the beatgrid and the waveforms of the unlinked players. Now I can beatmatch while in the browser menu, so I just look at the bpms, and I do not even need queuing points. In the end, I still think it does not matter because the most important thing is reading the crowd and your song selection. I learned this the hard way. A few weeks ago, I had my first gig, and it was not good. I was beat matching really well; I was not making mistakes, and I played my DJ set just like I played it at home. But overall it was not good because I did not want to diverge from my predetermined playlist and I was not reacting to the crowd because I did not want to trainwreck the mix, so in the end I think the experience of the crowd suffered. Meanwhile, the DJ after me played off his laptop and was primarily using TH-cam, and he killed it. He had a great song selection and, in general, was really prepared for what the crowd would like. I would summarize this in the following way: Feel free to DJ by the book as long as it does not take away from the crowd's experience.
Thanks for sharing! It takes a while to get the confidence to go off script and react to the dance floor, keep at it :)
sometimes when you're working as a DJ, MC, and lightman at the same time. even if you still have to search for numbers, it is quite handy
Agreed on all points. its a skill u must have if u r ever going to be in the private event space, coz things like weddings require u to mix music from the pre machine era, and that human drummer is never gonna be perfect, for all other purposes use sync if you must and use the time u usually waste to add some energy, do a sick transition, scratch, so many things u can be doing. to me since i don't want to be totally bored, i usually don't set cues, which means i have to scrub through the track to find the cue, this usually gives me the feel of the old skool times :).. also if u really wanna be amazed, tell a new DJ how stutter cue used to work.. lol
I tottally agree that is the same result, but, when beatmatching manually you can have a little bit more of versatility, since there is no lock. Im not against sync, i use it too, it could be very helpful for bpm rises on transitions, so i think its a tool that we have to know how to use and when
Well said 🔥
To answer the question, i started DJing in 1981 with those old disco records that were really a pain in the butt to think up because some of them were played by real drummers instead of drum machines. So you learned to keep your finger on the record and keep it in sync. My middle finger was my beat sing finger. But if I have a sync button then why not use it?
I manually beatmatch (with help of the visuals) for these reasons:
1. It's good to have the skill, and maintain it.
2. It keeps you more active and alert
3. I don't have all my grids aligned perfectly
4. A little bit of social pressure
The times I do use sync:
1. When I'm in a hurry
2. When I want to gradually change BPM with multiple decks playing
3. When I've had some drinks and can't properly beatmatch anymore
in the late 90s, the debate was about whether or not people who used CD's instead of vinyl were real DJ's or not. the "cue" button on CDJ's was considered cheating, because you didn't have to worry about it's ability to start playing exactly in time with the beat, whereas getting a cue point dead-on with vinyl took more expertise.. then, in 2001, the CDJ-1000 came out and slowly ended the turntablist purists contempt for CD's.. since they had teh ability to scratch. that being said, i bought an XDJ-RX in ... either 2014 or 2015, and i returned it within ONE WEEK because the "sync" feature kinda killed the fun.. i came away from that experience thinking "that feature somehow managed to make DJ'ing very very boring"
i don’t use sync and dgaf about those who use it, unless it sounds good, why even bother about this?
i personally care about crowd response much more than what peer djs think about me.
in the end - we are all playing for other people and if the music sucks, mixing skills won’t compensate that, and can clearly see that people can get away with shitty mixing (meaning that they do not care about what you do behind the decks, using sync included), but not with shitty selection, dancefloor would be just simply empty.
Great points!
I personally enjoy sliding the pitch fader, but then there are times when I will use the sync and just have to go with it. Either way, I reach for the pitch sliders primarily.
All in all, I feel like manual beat matching is a great skill to acquire. Just like any other tool out there that makes the job easier. Let's just go with the most popular streaming vs. Purchasing vs. Sharing collections with other DJs, vs. OG crate building and going to record shops. MAYBE 1% of those shops are possibly around 🤔
DJs right along with nearly every other industry or skill set has some sort of a "cheat" hack or whatever One, may want to consider. All it is, just another helpful task to be added to the arsenal.
Great analogy!
@@ReallyChrisM thank you.
I only know this to be true bc of the large amount of jobs and types of places I've worked in. There really are so many hacks & cheats out there its becoming ridiculous but you just have to adapt with times & embrace what comes along and see if it can either; help improve skills or work flow or just don't use it. Either way it's a helping tool, you are you own critic and know what you feel is right & not when it ultimately comes down to it.
My audience cares about keeping the mix tight with songs they like!
Sounds like you got the key stuff down 💪
@@ReallyChrisM sync or not they wanna hear those hits and dance
I discussed the same topic with my friend, quite experienced DJ, who denies existence of beat sync button.
My point was that every controller is an example of bad design. Extremely expensive tool that requires skills and experience that inherits turntables design with no vinyl records. It feels like a pilot cabin and does pretty much the same as free version of dj pro app on your smartphone. The only good thing in this horrible design is a beat sync button because it actually solves real problems for user without creating more.
Thanks for the information ! At least some Deejays can understand this good explaination about synchronization.Even the turntables for deejaying should have the accurate speed for syncing the 2 tracks..❤😅
I agree on your arguments but mostly I don’t use sync since most of my songs I play are not 100 percent on the grid so sync wouldn’t align it
Anyone complaining about the sync button probably hasn’t mixed music for the last 15 years
I think I’m so efficient at beat matching I really never have to use sync 🤷🏽♂️ but big up you who do ✌🏼
You’re not doing yourself any favors by practicing with sync. If you’re comfortable beat matching, by all means use it, but I’ve found that younger DJs using sync as a crutch tend to suffer from other issues, like mixing in key, track selection, and building a strong foundation of tension and release. But what do I know. So much of what’s out there now is just bro step with drop after drop after drop after drop as loud as possible.
I hardly never press the ''beat sync'' button but i do use the beat grid to make sure i'm on track. The only time i use this button is when 2 songs are so far out of beat and still want to have snippets from the song, they i press it.
When I mix hip hop/dancehall/reggaeton, using Sync allows me to get creative with Serato stems, live mashups, quick transitions and 3-deck mixing. I’d need a 3rd arm to do this if the sync didn’t exist. When I mix techno/house however, I enjoy beatmatching manually. I don’t understand the taboo behind a button that was created to elevate your creative possibilities. It allows for even better mixes. Isn’t that what the craft is all about?
I prefer to use my time applying effects and creating great transitions than waisting it syncing on the headphones, which I use less and less, some times I don’t even use them at all any more.
did a deal with sync, i'll get it there and it can keep it there while i try out daft stuff that mainly goes ok, its just a tool to use, and it doesn't work on all tunes so you gotta be able to do it, but i wouldn't be snobby about it.
I don't understand why anyone at all should if I use beat sync or not! What I do open the booth is my business as long as the crowd is smiling, screaming and yelling and throwing up their hands when I'm mixing in the next song. If a promoter doesn't like the fact that I'm using beatsync then screw them I'll go work for someone else doesn't have a problem with it.
Power to the DJ!
I have switched mine over to ‘BPM synch mode’ and use it all the time because I can’t be arsed fiddling around with the pitch faders constantly (I have a lot of vinyl rips of old tracks and the BPM fluctuates a lot throughout the tracks)
Originally owned & played on vinyl 20yrs and had a 15yr break. I bought a controller last year and have been teaching myself again.
If the technology is there to make life easier, why not use it 🤷♀️
Why is nobody talking about using sync to do a crazy tempo transition. One track is for example in a short loop, you mix the other track in and higher or lower the bpm. This is such a creative way of using it!
It’s like two different sports. Each can be performed to awe a crowd. BUT when autosync is on, I expect more creativity and not just high low pass in and out of tracks.
I mean Andy C was tripple or quadruple dropping with vinyl 24 years ago. If you sync, that’s the standard I expect for electronic music. You can still do a tight mix without 4decks, which sounds good and crisp but your not getting an A for that. I expect stems to really show who’s got game and who has not.
Interesting take - thanks for sharing!
I've been DJing for 30yrs. Most older people I know who can scratch and work fast use sync. I can focus on pumping out songs quick and the mix. Plus...I know how to put each CDJs at 124.4. which is the same thing
Well done, as an old retired dj who only had turntables back then and if you wanted to be that little bit creative using a third deck, it could be nerve shredding and very time consuming. Why would you not use sync when it free's up time to allow you to be more creative and dare I say more original.
Respect the changes and going with the changes is nothing like wrong, changes are natural process and upgrading into new technologies is no wrong. i do sync and i can do djing even without sync its up to me, in the end the game is delivering what my crowd whats and they are happy'' is all i want.
Iam a hobby dj now. was a Club DJ for some years. I did learn on vinyl and cd and still use dated hardware. like an old pioneer djm 600 and cdj850. Thank god for USB! I have to say with how the music changed i can really feel how dated my hardware is and iam looking for modern hardware. example: hardstyle tracks were way longer back in the days, giving you enough time and options to align your tracks with a basic vinyl setup. but nowadays these tracks have become so short that iam often limited to the basic transition during the last 25ish seconds of a track and the first 25ish seconds of a track. so what would the solution be for me? looping. yeah good luck looping with cdjs 850 or even the djm 600. basically where i want to go is to get a good console or other tools that give me the option to sample and loop freely and i wish i had a sync button now.
what iam trying to tell here is what chris said in the video. i have learned to mix by ear, but of course i use the visual indicators of my cdjs that show me the bpm or the bpm counter of my mixer. see where the "loud" parts are or where i am in the track with the help of a counter. so i can mix a set with vinyl perfectly fine BUT iam limited. IF i had more advanced technology i could focus on other stuff. so yeah i will definitely use beatsync as soon is a get the chance to do it.
And to all the beginners. Learn by ear but don't feel ashamed to use the sync button if it helps you to train your ear to hear how it (most of the time) should sound if the beat is synced but more importantly train your ears to hear the loudness difference for each audio channel. music can have different loudness. if you get that bit right you are good to go.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY! HAVE FUN!
Great video!
You should be able to use the sync button. But I think it’s important to be able to do it manually too. It aslo can be used to learn faster and go back to beat matching manually after. Like you said the sync button can be used to do better transition or to do more in less time. Theire is no shame to all of this in my opinion.
When people say "Real Dj's dont use sync"... I hear "my sets are boring af"
@@djstuc Bruh, I think you might not have read my comment.
This is exactly my point. Thanks for the arghhh "input" i guess.
Okay, imma break down your attempt at a rebuttal. Apologies in advance. I'm just trying to understand which dimension you are from.
Lets go sentence by sentence shall we.
1. "Quite the opposite -insert whinge yada yada" ... wtf are you even talking about?
2."Every time I see someone who claims they do use sync they are either":
2.1 "never linking their DJ sets for people to see" .... once again wtf are you even talking about?
2.2 "they’re just whacking together some rubbish mix of current chart music that usually makes your ears bleed" - my only reply to that is an age old adage:
"if you are at gigs with shitty dj's then you are probably a shitty dj"
Lots of love
Have fun beat matching!
AWKWRD
great video, djing social media is so incredibly toxic people need to take a page out of this vid
I’m djing 30 years and I’m pretty happy with my beat matching skills…I’d have no problem using sync though. The only reason I don’t is most of my digital collection is footwork which is 99% 160bpm. Honestly, removing the physical need for beatmatching by ear is a godsend. I would be be much more wary if my ears weren’t trained up though - it’s far from 100% reliable and the beat grids can be “interesting” with footwork sometimes. It can get pretty weird 😄
Beatsync has it's condition of existance, because if you want to change the BPM of two songs at the same time while mixing you have to use it. I in most cases just press play at the right moment or tap with the cue button along to the beat. Often I control the beatmatching by using the CUE button over the faders. In most cases I look at the beatgrid. But the SYNC Button I rearly use, only in emergency situation where don't have any time left
It can certainly help when you don't have enough hands to do everything at once! And I agree, it's great in an emergency 🚨