Best tip was about engaging with the crowd, when I first started DJing, I was so focused on getting transitions to be perfect or keeping in line with my playlist, that I usually never got complimented!
I have my first show tomorrow and I recorded myself earlier to get an idea of what I would look like. It was not pretty lol. I was hunched over the decks and never looked up once. Going to make sure to keep visually checking in with the crowd.
The worst part about understanding song structure is once it becomes second nature, wrestling with your brain about wanting to mix now vs. waiting for the right time to mix. All great points ... good stuff!
An additional point for "Don't redline", if you aim generally for +3db when you're playing it will allow you enough headroom to crank up the quieter tracks that may have been mastered either badly or quieter without edging into the red.
Picking when to mix songs is honestly the key to making sets flow so much better. I've seen many DJs I even work alongside just pick halfway through a verse or 3 beats before the end of a chorus to just drop and start and brand new song. That small change of lining up sections and right phrasing makes the difference
NIce point. But you have to make sure that the next track you drop in this type of mixing is a catchy tune or a very popular one. You don't wanna clear the dancefloor with some tracks that aren't top if you know what I mean. Like drop it on the hook for example.
You'r the master and this is spot on advice for beginners, I've seen the occasional pro try something out on the night without prep and lose the floor. I think your tip about over doing it on your first gig with a crowd was a really good one, bedroom mixers don't realise how different working a crowded dance floor is to doing mixups in your bedroom, like you said, your mixing and scratching might be amazing but without the right music and atmosphere which you create your set will be toast.
Lodi ung channel mo lang talaga ang pinaka maraming info para sa mga bagong DJ! I love how you are more about helping those starting out, rather than showcasing your gigs, talent, etc. Kaya LODI kita eh!
For Mistake #2: If you have time to spare and don't wanna calculate bars so that the breaks align perfectly.. you could simply hold the jog wheel of the second track around the break and when the break of the first song hits you immediately release the second break, then use the EQ to your advantage Personally, I find it as a good technique as I am more of a "visual memory person" and I only know the structure of songs by the visual, not by the actual number of bars each phrase has. What do you guys think of this method?
That's a great method too, but doesn't apply to each songs... and it's also kinda lazy. I do it if I don't have an extended version. If you have an extended mix, it would be better to mix it. If you know your songs, you don't need any visual aids. You would already know its structure, and thus don't have to know any actual number of bars etc.
Nice informative video. Very well explained. If I may, as a dj with a bit of experience, the technique I use, since I am self taught, is to first listen where your next track is going to begin (first drop or bridge) and then start it when your current track has that remaining time. For example, if your incoming track has its first drop at around 1 minute, then start it 1 minute before your outgoing track ends. Obviously taking into account that it's music, so think phrases instead of just time.
"Crowd rocking is why DJ gets hired in the first place" This resonates so much to me. At first I was always so disappointed to "not be able to show my cool techno transitions", or having to abandon a certain genre very quickly because crowd was not responsive. But then one understands that what matters is people dancing and having a good time. They won't remember techno transitions if they are not in the mood. Vibe check of the room is what makes a DJ and a crowd happy !
Mistake 2 needs to be taken into consideration, as I mix generally older happy hardcore some of the tracks have longer beats before the drop so its a case of fade mixing when mixing from new hardcore tracks to old due to how new ones are produced to around 3 to 4 minutes where as the older stuff is around 6 to 7 minutes
A DJ that moves and shows they are really into the music they are playing entices the crowd to get into it as well. A DJ that just stands there as if they are bored shows the crowd something else so they will be less likely to dance. Record everything you do(gigs and practice), listen to it repeatedly and critique your own mixes. It is how you learn.
sir,many Dj's remix songs and just kill the originality of it.They tend to forget that the most simplest of beats can rock the crowd if they are timed perfectly at the perfect eve.(You have taught a lot in your videos to tell this)
With regards to red lining and distortion, you need to learn the difference between volume controls and gain controls. They both adjust the loudness of the signal, so most people don't think there's much of a difference between them, but there is. Only gain controls can distort the signal, while volume controls can't. The reason for this is gain controls are on the input of a component and volume controls are on the output. If you have too much gain, that's what causes distortion and break up. That's how a guitar amp works. They have a gain control and a volume control. You increase the gain to get the desired amount of distortion. Once you have that, then you use the volume control to set the loudness. While excessive gain may sound good for a guitar, it doesn't for just about anything else. Every system is different, so the first thing you need to do is follow the signal chain from start to finish, and make note of all the "volume controls". After that, you determine which ones are really volume controls, and which ones are gain. At that point, you set your gain structure, making sure the signal isn't being overdriven with gain anywhere in the system. After that, of course, you use the volume controls to set how loud you want the music. Its also worth noting that you sometimes walk into a venue and have to trouble shoot an issue a system that you didn't set up. Always go back to isolating your gains, and start there. That's always how you are going to fix the problem. You will also be working with people that take care of the house system, so its usually a joint effort. Your night will go so much easier if you can show these people that you understand what the issues are. Be ready to show them "these are my gains. these are my volumes, etc...". Once they see you're competent, they stop treating you like a problem, and are much more willing to work with you.
@@markgriff9053 He's right. If you are buying music, you might as well get lossless files. If for some reason you can't use a lossless file, you can always transcode it to MP-3. But you can't go from MP-3 to lossless.
Ripping songs from TH-cam I learned the difference couple days ago and is killing me cuz i have alot of those but I understand if want to do this big i have to do it right
Number 5 is a must . My only tip I can give out is Learn to Mix with your Gains. It Will Help with Not Over Powering the Next Mix and through the night the sound system won't be getting louder and louder. Just remember when you start playing out turn the gain right down increase your slider then turn your gain Slowly up. You will then find a comfortable Level where both tracks roll nicely together. You can't always go with Meters and what your Laptop says, Trust your Ears :)
or you simply learn the gain lvls of the different tracks you own, thats what ive done, some tracks i have to Duck up the knob till 45° to max to get a noticeable impact and other overmastered tracks like some acid techno from Asys i have to turn down less that half the Knob tho, but if you learn the seperate lvls of each track you recognize them instantly if you see the track name, trust me, takes time but you feel more confident. even on different systems, this way you dont have to adjust so much if you play on a different system.
Watching this makes me glad I dj lofi hip hop. You can get away with so much 😩😂. Thank you for the tips. Your videos have been informative lately even though I'm in a totally different music scene.
Any sort of fidgeting DJing is annoying, I could outplay most DJs by instantly knowing what to play next using Vinyl or CD, now I've seen and purchased the Pioneer Rx2 I'm back interested again. Having all 3 setups and connected is perfect 👌
I recorded myself djing at home and was horrified 😂 never looked up once, hover hands, did way too much and constantly touched my face. After that, I had a friend FaceTime me while I played and she talked to my while I did it and I felt so much calmer. Interaction is so important!
Hahahaha, very true! When you're DJing for a wall, you don't know what you're gonna be doing after the first few minutes. Having that human aspect in there makes it so SO much more fun!
All these tips are great but the main two I would say is knowing your music and knowing your crowd. I been Djing for 30 years and I was at a party as a guest where a kid from this generation was playing old school music. He was doing ok but he played Black Sheep "The choice is yours" and man he transitioned out of the song at the "engine engine number 9 part". The crowd went ballistic. They wanted to hang him. LOL But he didn't know the song and didn't know that is the part everyone waits on so he cut it out because he had already played two verses and hooks of the song. Other thing is knowing the crowd. I always have a set playlist but I also have a playlist of bangers. I always did clubs and parties so I made sure to have the latest club banger or hit on my playlist that would go with the crowd and if the crowd was super hyped. I made sure I played what they liked so I went against my set playlist.
I've mentioned several of these to other DJs in my area. I think they are starting to take notice. I will refer them to this video: it's a one-stop-shop! Good Stuff
Redlining is I think the most important tip for new DJ’s especially if they don’t dabble in producing there own music. Made that mistake due to my own ignorance back in the day and seen it too many times. Great tip for new DJ’s 👍🏼
i have always tried to avoid redlining and thats why i like warm ups.Its more laid back you can experiment and you dont follow some nut job trying to destroy every ones hearing.Even if i am on later i will bring things down by doing a gradual change in speed and volume on whats on and maybe an echo out and then give people a breather with a slow builder if i have a bit of time this works well because even later in the night a bit of a dip and then build up can be a good thing.
Some people can’t afford to buy tracks so have no choice to rip but people go wrong by ripping to mp3, rip to wav then you don’t have any issue, also use audacity to clear up muddy tracks
In all fairness, I did mention that I started out with ripping too. Getting legit high quality tracks is totally worth it though once the gigs start coming in!
@@djcarlo definitely, I keep multiple folders one for rips and others for when I manage to buy the odd track. But I always make sure they are wav files. Also being a happy hardcore DJ myself it is harder to buy certain tracks online as companies like Apple and Spotify don’t supply the tracks I need so I have to try and go direct to the artist in which some cases is impossible or rip. As an example DJ gammer track into the future is not on any platform to buy so that would be a case of ripping unless I had vinyl
I don't even care if the quality of ripped tunes is the same, even if it's better, if you want to be part of the music scene, support the artists that make djing possible. Buy their tunes. Without them we would all be playing our own tunes and nothing else. Support the scene. (edit - whichever scene you're into) Hope you guys are all well and good!
#3 so right! but its really hard to avoid it as a beginner. If he doesn't know how to mix well the songs. The solution tho.. is to practice at home on random songs, and not in a particular playlist? Or.. simply both?
This video needs to be seen by every DJ that’s even thought about using TH-cam to find most of their songs. I’ve even heard video Segways playing during their DJ sets like the court trail scene in B.I.G., Lill Kim, and Junior Mafia song, ‘Get Money!’ I’ve had people shadow me during my sets, then tell me that if certain songs aren’t on the DJ Pool I subscribe to, TH-cam is a good option. To show them why it’s bad, I’d play them either a Flac, Wav, or a 320kbps MP3 from a DJ Pool, then the same exact file in the best format TH-cam offers, in some cases it’s 4k or even higher. Despite the picture quality, the audio is still largely highly compressed 128kbps if you’re lucky, or 98kbps. The highs tend to sound over exaggerated, the midrange gets crushed almost entirely, the low end is all but gone, and lastly, the crossover sounds worse. A Great example is Pete Rock & CL Smooth’s masterpiece, ‘They Reminisce Over You.’ The saxophone plays in your left ear, and then it crosses over beautifully into your right ear. It literally sounds like it’s in your head on the remastered Wav file, which is impressive, but as an uncompressed Flac File, it sounds even more punchy. A 320kbps Mp3 file from iTunes, or a DJ Pool, doesn’t sound as nice as a Wav file or a Flac file, but if you didn’t hear the Flac or Wav file, you’d still be impressed. Any good Dj speakers, and the EV ZLX 12BT speakers really do punch above their weight, can show you the massive difference in sound quality from a Flac file, to a Wav file, and an Mp3 file, versus a file from TH-cam.
My top 5 pet hates with DJs 1) Being late and unprepared 2) Aux cord jockeys. No explanation required 3) Equipment snobs 4) Bangers in the opening slot 5) Redliners
I agree with your points however I will say I’ve gotten tons of “BAD FILES” from paid record pools like BPMsupreme. I’ve also gotten terrrible sounding songs that were great on small speakers but terrible on the real deal (and vice-versa). I’ve learned that you never know whether that song sounds great until you play it on a larger system. I highly advise renting a big set up from guitar center for cheap and test your files out that way.
Mp3 320kbps is the absolute lowest file format i will ever dj with. I personally love flac since saves space in my harddrive without compromising the sound of wav/aiff
Hey carlo wanted to just thank you for everything, I don't know what I would do without you ,you are truly a legend and I thank you for the time and effort you put into all ur videos to help us all ,stay safe ✌
Glad you addressed the quality issue. That is the biggest argument I have with other DJs. "My shit sounds fine from TH-cam!" No, it doesn't. When you DL/rip crap, you get crap. Use Spek or Fakin' The Funk to analyze your music files. Throw out any mp3 under 320kbps. Unless it was ripped as VBR, but that's another conversation.
Quick question as you know I just started mixing a week ago. LOL. I’ve been researching different pool/services to join but in the meantime I’ve been practicing with Rekordbox and my Tidal account. Would the audio quality be good from Tidal or would you consider it a loss in quality and same as a “ripped” track?
I am 100% mistkae no3. I usually have a specific vibe i want to show, focus more on it, then on the dancefloor, but I play something more unique in my local underground crowd. so its more a discovery journey then just a people pleasing set.At least my friends and people in general dig it, and are pelasantly suprised. but i'm boring to watch haha. I do need to learn to improvise and go with the flow more often, :)
hey man, another great one! quick question, can you do some videos on traktor? i know that maybe theres an investment there, to get the controllers, but its really hard to find good content on traktor with quality teaching and editing.
5-works only if you're using analog connection. We have only digital connections (cdj-mixer-amps and so on) in our club, so we have nio problem with a red-lights and we have a perfect sound. welcome to 21st century )))
Tim Loco that totally depends on the mixer and even with the (indeed digital)pioneer djm mixers you still hit the internal limiter if you go in the red, and those do not sound good. This also depends how the mixer is setup internally in the utility menu
@@nvp-music that's right. but if you have some brains, you can easily set up this stuff. Some DJs in my club are playing with 2 red lights, but there is no distortion or oher troubles, sound is very clean and perfect. we have 900nsx mixer and 2000 nexus decks.
@@TimLoco Oke, but that is your club. As a general rule its better to stay out of the red. And why? I really dont get it, where does this urge come from to put the meters into the red? There is no point.🤷♂️
its funny tho, i had to learn misstake no. 2 way back when we had no internet - noone who shows it to you, knowing your library is the key to a good and flawless DJ mix and i dont care about any FX they use, if i watch a DJ perform i always listen to his transitions and his beatmatching technique, how he doas correct the speed, if its noticeable, is the volume similar and i always look if he doas ghosttouching - thats what i hate the most today, looking busy if you do nothing actually....rly dumb.
If you're DJing in your bedroom can't really tell the difference. But DJ in live in the club/gig 120k bit rate to a 320 bit rate you can tell. You'll be focusing more on your tram then you're mixing for the whole night. Been there done that!
Really you would want to be using aiff or flac. I use aiff because cdj 2000 nexus dont support flac. Both are lossless file types. Its worth investing in good quality music files if you plan on doing djing in the long run.
YES IT DOES! I’ve tested YT rips with Fakin The Funk. The MP3 files will report as 128kbps (this used to be the “standard” rate for iTunes back in the day). Fakin The Funk shows that those files are NOWHERE NEAR 128k. I’ve had files I snagged that reported 128 but were 64kbps (yes, half of the rate that was reported). Trust me, when you put those files on a decent PA system you will notice the difference... Get the highest bit rate files you can (and test them with something like Fakin The Funk!). Get WAV or AIFF if you can. BUT REMEMBER... you cannot convert a 128kbps MP3 into a WAV and increase the quality of the music contained in that file. It does not work like that!
Its all relative. Using TH-cam ripped songs at a Live Gig on a professional Sound System its gonna sound inferior for sure. You can notice the difference the better the equipment you use so using some generic in Ears or basic consumer Speakers a lot of the time your not gonna be able to actually hear the difference between 128 and 320kbps on a lot of Electronic music. What you will find however is the lower Bitrate is more fatiging to your ears, over time you get Headaches or just feel like you don't want to listen for as long or as loud or constantly messing EQ's because something feels off that you cannot quite hear but which is the extra noise added to the track by the compression of it. Got a lot of lower Bitrate stuff myself but the stuff i enjoy for pleasure i try and get at least 24bit/96khz Wav/Flac versions of that way i can listen for hours, loud AF and enjoy every moment without Headaches.
Hi Carlo, thanks for sharing this video! For me understand the song structure and where I should make the mix is fundamental. In other videos you have shown some techniques that are very useful (Intro vs Chorus, Intro vs Outro, etc). Do you have other techniques to share? Or do you intend to make a video explaining only song structure? Thanks!
Sorry Carlo, maybe i was not clear enough in my previous comment. In a song i can identify the Intro, outro and breakdowns but I have problems to identify the chorus, verse, bridge, build-ups. Because of that, i ask If you think in make a tutorial explaining only about this topic or can you recommend any video to help me with that? Tks
Good suggestion for the next video! Thanks for letting me know! Yeah, it took me some time to naturally feel what section was what. That's why it was just easier to always mix during the chorus or outro!
Hi buddy I just wanted to know m using rekordbox since 5 years now and when I play on the software and I try to open a another window or open some another folder my software lags for some seconds and the music fubbles Can you help me out with this
@@djcarlo bro I have 12 gb ram 450 gb SSD and 500 gb internal HHD .. The ting is it works properly but as I open some another window it the music fubbles a bit
2:00 ya becoz djing is not just about playing/mixing we need to read the crowd and keep up the vibe not f#$k with it and surprise them with mixing tracks hence mixing is just a part of it not all of it right
Depends if you want to use Serato or Rekordbox. Personally I chose the ddj400 and I loved it for the last 2 years. But the Impulse 500 is a great beginner controller as well. It boils down to preference. Pretty much every controller/dj software can do the exact same things.
Hey Dj Carlo! Really interesting point bro 😌 I don't know how but yesterday I uploaded a video talking about almost the same thing you mentioned at the beginning ahaha 😅 Thank you for your work in this huge community!!! ❤️
Problem im having with pools, especially BPM Supreme is that they won't let me in. I'm not pro enough DJ for them so I'm stuck ripping tracks.. What to do?
all i can say is, you helped me so much with all your vids, and even with all those tips and tricks, i can make a song from 35 minutes with 21 different songs.... before i knew you i only could dream about doing this, for real it is not even me you helped so many people if i read the comment section i don't know why the big dj's dont mention you pretty cocky from their end if you ask me.. but please keep up all the good vids, and keep up the vibe because you are the boss
I'm just starting out, I did my first party this past week. I think I did pretty good, made a rookie mistake by letting the music stop. Got too excited and pushing buttons too fast. But I wanted to know how many parties do you do before you start to charge? I love playing music and it was never a goal to make money, but to see if I could rock a party. I didn't get any bad reviews, and I did get requested to do another party....I almost cried. Help
I call myself dj Kode Red and that's because of tip #5 never pay attention to my meters. So my friends would say Kode Red leting me know to check my levels. Great tip keep them coming!!!!
Not chronological, but complementary 1. You don't need a high-end setup to be a good DJ. Good quality equipment supports a good DJ and could makes the set even better, but it doesn't make a bad DJ a good one. 2. Learn what effects do and how they affect different areas of a track, but don't overuse them because you think that will make it better. No. 3. Being a DJ doesn't just mean pumping one transition after the other and it doesn't mean that it's important to have as many women as possible (lol). 4. Having a sync button is a nice feature, but also learn how to use your ears, which are one of your most important instrument. 5. And in addition to the red area, please don't hit two basses on my ears a the same time any more. And never two different melodies or voices at the same time. Most of the time, thats a bad idea.
I really appreciated that, as I did not realize that the tracks I'm mixing are copies. I use crossdj for android on my phone. Since the phone speaker cannot reproduce the subs all my mixes sound shrill harsh and basically suck without the xtra low end. I like to sync loops and lay down my own beats tho, not looking to club dj , instead create something new. DJ app has filters , but no trim knob , just gain on the tables input...?
Oh man thank you for covering redlining!! I own sound and set up for parties and I always have to watch Dj's to keep them from redlining my system. I don't know how many times I've heard "if you ain't redlining you ain't headlining" i just shake my head and turn my board down till the next DJ is up on the lineup.
Best tip was about engaging with the crowd, when I first started DJing, I was so focused on getting transitions to be perfect or keeping in line with my playlist, that I usually never got complimented!
Thanks for sharing!
I have my first show tomorrow and I recorded myself earlier to get an idea of what I would look like. It was not pretty lol. I was hunched over the decks and never looked up once.
Going to make sure to keep visually checking in with the crowd.
@@lizarapp243 how’d the show go?
@@lizarapp243 ya how was it
The worst part about understanding song structure is once it becomes second nature, wrestling with your brain about wanting to mix now vs. waiting for the right time to mix. All great points ... good stuff!
I always face this
exactly
#1: using air horn to transition every song!
Hahahaha! Pet peeve!
🤣
Ay good tip thanks alot, I shall use this
*cries in FLX-6*
airohrn is cringe imo, and should only be used once per set if you can help it
An additional point for "Don't redline", if you aim generally for +3db when you're playing it will allow you enough headroom to crank up the quieter tracks that may have been mastered either badly or quieter without edging into the red.
Picking when to mix songs is honestly the key to making sets flow so much better. I've seen many DJs I even work alongside just pick halfway through a verse or 3 beats before the end of a chorus to just drop and start and brand new song. That small change of lining up sections and right phrasing makes the difference
WELL SAID!!
NIce point. But you have to make sure that the next track you drop in this type of mixing is a catchy tune or a very popular one. You don't wanna clear the dancefloor with some tracks that aren't top if you know what I mean. Like drop it on the hook for example.
@@4791_ Oh absolutely, if it's not something most of your crowd already knows well, it won't hit
Them points are really small but have a huge impact on a DJ which are hell important 👍 Thankyou Master once again👍🥰
Yay! That’s the most important thing! Wish you all the best!
Google global truth project and click "The Present" tab to see the truth about life/death in four pages
You'r the master and this is spot on advice for beginners, I've seen the occasional pro try something out on the night without prep and lose the floor. I think your tip about over doing it on your first gig with a crowd was a really good one, bedroom mixers don't realise how different working a crowded dance floor is to doing mixups in your bedroom, like you said, your mixing and scratching might be amazing but without the right music and atmosphere which you create your set will be toast.
Perfect! Thanks for sharing your thoughts too! I appreciate it! Cheers!
Tip #1: “Don’t use lots of effects”
*Laidback Luke has left the chat*
Oh em! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Naw allot of djs don't use effects use effects coming from a hip hop dj
James Zabiela uses them, but you can hear that he uses them very properly.
He apparently does this because he'd get bored otherwise. He pulls it off well though.
@@BiggusNickus no its not because he gets bored lol, its just his style, his way of being Unique and stand out.
Lodi ung channel mo lang talaga ang pinaka maraming info para sa mga bagong DJ!
I love how you are more about helping those starting out, rather than showcasing your gigs, talent, etc.
Kaya LODI kita eh!
thanks for appreciating my effort! glad it's helping a lot of aspiring djs!
I like how you emphasized song selection and mixing to the songs structure. Many people don't realize how important that is
True! Even when I started out, I just kept playing whatever I felt like. There's a science in the music that makes for a great set!
For Mistake #2:
If you have time to spare and don't wanna calculate bars so that the breaks align perfectly.. you could simply hold the jog wheel of the second track around the break and when the break of the first song hits you immediately release the second break, then use the EQ to your advantage
Personally, I find it as a good technique as I am more of a "visual memory person" and I only know the structure of songs by the visual, not by the actual number of bars each phrase has.
What do you guys think of this method?
That's a great method too, but doesn't apply to each songs... and it's also kinda lazy. I do it if I don't have an extended version. If you have an extended mix, it would be better to mix it.
If you know your songs, you don't need any visual aids. You would already know its structure, and thus don't have to know any actual number of bars etc.
you're the best DJ Carlo!! your voice is so soothing and the way you break topics down makes me not feel so overwhelmed. thank you!
Ohhh thanks for the feedback! That feel great for me! I’ll continue what I’ve been doing!
Nice informative video. Very well explained. If I may, as a dj with a bit of experience, the technique I use, since I am self taught, is to first listen where your next track is going to begin (first drop or bridge) and then start it when your current track has that remaining time. For example, if your incoming track has its first drop at around 1 minute, then start it 1 minute before your outgoing track ends. Obviously taking into account that it's music, so think phrases instead of just time.
Yes! Thanks for sharing!
"Crowd rocking is why DJ gets hired in the first place"
This resonates so much to me. At first I was always so disappointed to "not be able to show my cool techno transitions", or having to abandon a certain genre very quickly because crowd was not responsive.
But then one understands that what matters is people dancing and having a good time. They won't remember techno transitions if they are not in the mood.
Vibe check of the room is what makes a DJ and a crowd happy !
Mistake 2 needs to be taken into consideration, as I mix generally older happy hardcore some of the tracks have longer beats before the drop so its a case of fade mixing when mixing from new hardcore tracks to old due to how new ones are produced to around 3 to 4 minutes where as the older stuff is around 6 to 7 minutes
A DJ that moves and shows they are really into the music they are playing entices the crowd to get into it as well. A DJ that just stands there as if they are bored shows the crowd something else so they will be less likely to dance.
Record everything you do(gigs and practice), listen to it repeatedly and critique your own mixes. It is how you learn.
sir,many Dj's remix songs and just kill the originality of it.They tend to forget that the most simplest of beats can rock the crowd if they are timed perfectly at the perfect eve.(You have taught a lot in your videos to tell this)
That is so true! The crowd is the king! Thanks for watching!
3:50 - Terrorcore DJs - "You aren't supposed to do that?"
Lol! Thanks for watching! Cheers!
Spot on everyone should watch this when they get started.
Thanks Erik! Glad the video made sense to you. More people really need to know about these.
Been djing for a couple years and ive made it a very big point to listen to my next track and ajust the volume for the deck its playing on
Nice tips for beginners!🎉 really dig the perfectionist one, i suffered from that for a while❤
Yup! I feel like a lot of people needed to hear these!
With regards to red lining and distortion, you need to learn the difference between volume controls and gain controls. They both adjust the loudness of the signal, so most people don't think there's much of a difference between them, but there is. Only gain controls can distort the signal, while volume controls can't. The reason for this is gain controls are on the input of a component and volume controls are on the output. If you have too much gain, that's what causes distortion and break up. That's how a guitar amp works. They have a gain control and a volume control. You increase the gain to get the desired amount of distortion. Once you have that, then you use the volume control to set the loudness. While excessive gain may sound good for a guitar, it doesn't for just about anything else.
Every system is different, so the first thing you need to do is follow the signal chain from start to finish, and make note of all the "volume controls". After that, you determine which ones are really volume controls, and which ones are gain. At that point, you set your gain structure, making sure the signal isn't being overdriven with gain anywhere in the system. After that, of course, you use the volume controls to set how loud you want the music.
Its also worth noting that you sometimes walk into a venue and have to trouble shoot an issue a system that you didn't set up. Always go back to isolating your gains, and start there. That's always how you are going to fix the problem. You will also be working with people that take care of the house system, so its usually a joint effort. Your night will go so much easier if you can show these people that you understand what the issues are. Be ready to show them "these are my gains. these are my volumes, etc...". Once they see you're competent, they stop treating you like a problem, and are much more willing to work with you.
#4 is a game changer. about 6 months ago, i switched to bought mp3's, and the difference is amazing! I'm still working on #5..lol.
Go for WAV and you will hear the difference again
@@markgriff9053 He's right. If you are buying music, you might as well get lossless files. If for some reason you can't use a lossless file, you can always transcode it to MP-3. But you can't go from MP-3 to lossless.
Ripping songs from TH-cam I learned the difference couple days ago and is killing me cuz i have alot of those but I understand if want to do this big i have to do it right
Number 1 is the music to the crowd. 2nd is knowing when to transition the next song. One thing I learnt is that people don't like djs scratching alot.
Gets annoying as hell in a club especially since alot of the sounds systems used in clubs makes scratching sound horrible.
All your points are valid! Thanks for sharing! Woot!
Number 5 is a must . My only tip I can give out is Learn to Mix with your Gains. It Will Help with Not Over Powering the Next Mix and through the night the sound system won't be getting louder and louder. Just remember when you start playing out turn the gain right down increase your slider then turn your gain Slowly up. You will then find a comfortable Level where both tracks roll nicely together. You can't always go with Meters and what your Laptop says, Trust your Ears :)
or you simply learn the gain lvls of the different tracks you own, thats what ive done, some tracks i have to Duck up the knob till 45° to max to get a noticeable impact and other overmastered tracks like some acid techno from Asys i have to turn down less that half the Knob tho, but if you learn the seperate lvls of each track you recognize them instantly if you see the track name, trust me, takes time but you feel more confident. even on different systems, this way you dont have to adjust so much if you play on a different system.
2:41 - when you're getting paid for the request but they didn't have money 😅
Oh em! That feeling rightttt? Hahaha!
Watching this makes me glad I dj lofi hip hop. You can get away with so much 😩😂. Thank you for the tips. Your videos have been informative lately even though I'm in a totally different music scene.
No problem! You got this! Just keep on practicing! And continue applying what you learned here!
Starting out, I have a separate folder for all my ripped tracks so I know which ones to switch out later.
That's pretty clever!
Bro youve helped me learn so much from what beginner deck to get to how to dj properly so thank you
Wow! That’s nice to know! Cheers!
Thanks Brotha!!! I am learning a lot 😉 but one trick its also the equalizer mixing it with a disc
Glad you're learning a lot from the vids bud!
Any sort of fidgeting DJing is annoying, I could outplay most DJs by instantly knowing what to play next using Vinyl or CD, now I've seen and purchased the Pioneer Rx2 I'm back interested again. Having all 3 setups and connected is perfect 👌
that's awesome man! I'm sure you're an amazing DJ! keep it up!
The quality of this video is amazing! Do you create all the interstitial footage with the cool motion graphics?
Thanks! !!
2:28 you found an easter egg in this video
I recorded myself djing at home and was horrified 😂 never looked up once, hover hands, did way too much and constantly touched my face.
After that, I had a friend FaceTime me while I played and she talked to my while I did it and I felt so much calmer. Interaction is so important!
Hahahaha, very true! When you're DJing for a wall, you don't know what you're gonna be doing after the first few minutes. Having that human aspect in there makes it so SO much more fun!
All these tips are great but the main two I would say is knowing your music and knowing your crowd. I been Djing for 30 years and I was at a party as a guest where a kid from this generation was playing old school music. He was doing ok but he played Black Sheep "The choice is yours" and man he transitioned out of the song at the "engine engine number 9 part". The crowd went ballistic. They wanted to hang him. LOL But he didn't know the song and didn't know that is the part everyone waits on so he cut it out because he had already played two verses and hooks of the song.
Other thing is knowing the crowd. I always have a set playlist but I also have a playlist of bangers. I always did clubs and parties so I made sure to have the latest club banger or hit on my playlist that would go with the crowd and if the crowd was super hyped. I made sure I played what they liked so I went against my set playlist.
Yep that is why a DJ should know his tunes..good advice mate from a fellow old skooler
I've mentioned several of these to other DJs in my area. I think they are starting to take notice. I will refer them to this video: it's a one-stop-shop! Good Stuff
Redlining is I think the most important tip for new DJ’s especially if they don’t dabble in producing there own music. Made that mistake due to my own ignorance back in the day and seen it too many times. Great tip for new DJ’s 👍🏼
i have always tried to avoid redlining and thats why i like warm ups.Its more laid back you can experiment and you dont follow some nut job trying to destroy every ones hearing.Even if i am on later i will bring things down by doing a gradual change in speed and volume on whats on and maybe an echo out and then give people a breather with a slow builder if i have a bit of time this works well because even later in the night a bit of a dip and then build up can be a good thing.
thanks for sharing!
Some people can’t afford to buy tracks so have no choice to rip but people go wrong by ripping to mp3, rip to wav then you don’t have any issue, also use audacity to clear up muddy tracks
In all fairness, I did mention that I started out with ripping too. Getting legit high quality tracks is totally worth it though once the gigs start coming in!
@@djcarlo definitely, I keep multiple folders one for rips and others for when I manage to buy the odd track.
But I always make sure they are wav files.
Also being a happy hardcore DJ myself it is harder to buy certain tracks online as companies like Apple and Spotify don’t supply the tracks I need so I have to try and go direct to the artist in which some cases is impossible or rip.
As an example DJ gammer track into the future is not on any platform to buy so that would be a case of ripping unless I had vinyl
Great tips. Thx a lot for this Video! 😎🎧🔊🔊🔊👌
You're welcome! Glad you found the tips helpful!
I don't even care if the quality of ripped tunes is the same, even if it's better, if you want to be part of the music scene, support the artists that make djing possible. Buy their tunes. Without them we would all be playing our own tunes and nothing else. Support the scene. (edit - whichever scene you're into)
Hope you guys are all well and good!
You have a great mindset! Stay awesome!
#3 so right! but its really hard to avoid it as a beginner. If he doesn't know how to mix well the songs. The solution tho.. is to practice at home on random songs, and not in a particular playlist? Or.. simply both?
Practice and familiarity I'd say! Also, learning to just let loose and have fun!
All 5 are definitely valid points
Thanks for agreeing! I appreciate you being here!
This video needs to be seen by every DJ that’s even thought about using TH-cam to find most of their songs. I’ve even heard video Segways playing during their DJ sets like the court trail scene in B.I.G., Lill Kim, and Junior Mafia song, ‘Get Money!’
I’ve had people shadow me during my sets, then tell me that if certain songs aren’t on the DJ Pool I subscribe to, TH-cam is a good option. To show them why it’s bad, I’d play them either a Flac, Wav, or a 320kbps MP3 from a DJ Pool, then the same exact file in the best format TH-cam offers, in some cases it’s 4k or even higher. Despite the picture quality, the audio is still largely highly compressed 128kbps if you’re lucky, or 98kbps. The highs tend to sound over exaggerated, the midrange gets crushed almost entirely, the low end is all but gone, and lastly, the crossover sounds worse.
A Great example is Pete Rock & CL Smooth’s masterpiece, ‘They Reminisce Over You.’ The saxophone plays in your left ear, and then it crosses over beautifully into your right ear. It literally sounds like it’s in your head on the remastered Wav file, which is impressive, but as an uncompressed Flac File, it sounds even more punchy. A 320kbps Mp3 file from iTunes, or a DJ Pool, doesn’t sound as nice as a Wav file or a Flac file, but if you didn’t hear the Flac or Wav file, you’d still be impressed.
Any good Dj speakers, and the EV ZLX 12BT speakers really do punch above their weight, can show you the massive difference in sound quality from a Flac file, to a Wav file, and an Mp3 file, versus a file from TH-cam.
My top 5 pet hates with DJs
1) Being late and unprepared
2) Aux cord jockeys. No explanation required
3) Equipment snobs
4) Bangers in the opening slot
5) Redliners
thanks for sharing your list!
I agree with your points however I will say I’ve gotten tons of “BAD FILES” from paid record pools like BPMsupreme. I’ve also gotten terrrible sounding songs that were great on small speakers but terrible on the real deal (and vice-versa). I’ve learned that you never know whether that song sounds great until you play it on a larger system. I highly advise renting a big set up from guitar center for cheap and test your files out that way.
Mp3 320kbps is the absolute lowest file format i will ever dj with. I personally love flac since saves space in my harddrive without compromising the sound of wav/aiff
320kbps is the golden standard for me! Just so my hard drives aren't bursting at the seams with WAV files.
Excellent video. Thank you.
Hey carlo wanted to just thank you for everything, I don't know what I would do without you ,you are truly a legend and I thank you for the time and effort you put into all ur videos to help us all ,stay safe ✌
The Perfect Description of a Good DJ
Thank you for all this tips
I'm a DJ too and your tips help me become more perfection in my career
Going to have to say ripping , I can definitely hear the sound differences
Yes yes! Thanks for sharing your opinion!
Thanks for the video
For sure Darold. Did you ever commit any of the mistakes here?
Thanx dj carlo 😍😍😍😋
Thanks for watching too!
You're the best dj ever!
Wow, thanks!
This is very helpful 👌🏾
Woot! Thanks for watching! Glad it was helpful!
i m from Poland you are the best!!
Wow, thanks! You're the best too! Sending my love to Poland!
Glad you addressed the quality issue. That is the biggest argument I have with other DJs. "My shit sounds fine from TH-cam!" No, it doesn't. When you DL/rip crap, you get crap. Use Spek or Fakin' The Funk to analyze your music files. Throw out any mp3 under 320kbps. Unless it was ripped as VBR, but that's another conversation.
Quick question as you know I just started mixing a week ago. LOL.
I’ve been researching different pool/services to join but in the meantime I’ve been practicing with Rekordbox and my Tidal account. Would the audio quality be good from Tidal or would you consider it a loss in quality and same as a “ripped” track?
I'd say Tidal is pretty good! I've personally tried using them, and the audio quality seems good enough!
All the tips is my fav. All of them will help me so much.
Thanks alot bro^_^
Glad you find them useful! Thanks for visiting!
Happy Tuesday, I'm not giving up as a DJ, so I must be careful
Never give up buddy!
I am 100% mistkae no3. I usually have a specific vibe i want to show, focus more on it, then on the dancefloor, but I play something more unique in my local underground crowd. so its more a discovery journey then just a people pleasing set.At least my friends and people in general dig it, and are pelasantly suprised. but i'm boring to watch haha. I do need to learn to improvise and go with the flow more often, :)
Wow! Thanks for sharing your experience and your learning!
im the same way....i always wanna show my fav tracks to ppls.....mostly mixing for myself bcuz i focus too much on not messing up :/
hey man, another great one! quick question, can you do some videos on traktor? i know that maybe theres an investment there, to get the controllers, but its really hard to find good content on traktor with quality teaching and editing.
I need to stop ripping, but I have no $ so one day, I will officially stop ripping.
Thank u for this tips
You're welcome bud! Hope you learned something from the video!
@@djcarlo u have a fan here supporting ❤️❤️
Great video! Thanks ♥️
These are actually pretty good tips thank you
Solid advice! Thank you DJ Carlo!!
5-works only if you're using analog connection. We have only digital connections (cdj-mixer-amps and so on) in our club, so we have nio problem with a red-lights and we have a perfect sound. welcome to 21st century )))
Tim Loco that totally depends on the mixer and even with the (indeed digital)pioneer djm mixers you still hit the internal limiter if you go in the red, and those do not sound good.
This also depends how the mixer is setup internally in the utility menu
thanks for sharing!
@@nvp-music that's right. but if you have some brains, you can easily set up this stuff. Some DJs in my club are playing with 2 red lights, but there is no distortion or oher troubles, sound is very clean and perfect. we have 900nsx mixer and 2000 nexus decks.
@@TimLoco
Oke, but that is your club.
As a general rule its better to stay out of the red.
And why? I really dont get it, where does this urge come from to put the meters into the red? There is no point.🤷♂️
its funny tho, i had to learn misstake no. 2 way back when we had no internet - noone who shows it to you, knowing your library is the key to a good and flawless DJ mix and i dont care about any FX they use, if i watch a DJ perform i always listen to his transitions and his beatmatching technique, how he doas correct the speed, if its noticeable, is the volume similar and i always look if he doas ghosttouching - thats what i hate the most today, looking busy if you do nothing actually....rly dumb.
Best comment
Does downloading songs off TH-cam really make the songs quality that bad?
The bit rate is terrible. So that’s really one major turn off!
If you're DJing in your bedroom can't really tell the difference. But DJ in live in the club/gig 120k bit rate to a 320 bit rate you can tell. You'll be focusing more on your tram then you're mixing for the whole night. Been there done that!
Really you would want to be using aiff or flac. I use aiff because cdj 2000 nexus dont support flac. Both are lossless file types. Its worth investing in good quality music files if you plan on doing djing in the long run.
YES IT DOES!
I’ve tested YT rips with Fakin The Funk. The MP3 files will report as 128kbps (this used to be the “standard” rate for iTunes back in the day). Fakin The Funk shows that those files are NOWHERE NEAR 128k. I’ve had files I snagged that reported 128 but were 64kbps (yes, half of the rate that was reported).
Trust me, when you put those files on a decent PA system you will notice the difference...
Get the highest bit rate files you can (and test them with something like Fakin The Funk!). Get WAV or AIFF if you can.
BUT REMEMBER... you cannot convert a 128kbps MP3 into a WAV and increase the quality of the music contained in that file. It does not work like that!
Its all relative.
Using TH-cam ripped songs at a Live Gig on a professional Sound System its gonna sound inferior for sure.
You can notice the difference the better the equipment you use so using some generic in Ears or basic consumer Speakers a lot of the time your not gonna be able to actually hear the difference between 128 and 320kbps on a lot of Electronic music.
What you will find however is the lower Bitrate is more fatiging to your ears, over time you get Headaches or just feel like you don't want to listen for as long or as loud or constantly messing EQ's because something feels off that you cannot quite hear but which is the extra noise added to the track by the compression of it.
Got a lot of lower Bitrate stuff myself but the stuff i enjoy for pleasure i try and get at least 24bit/96khz Wav/Flac versions of that way i can listen for hours, loud AF and enjoy every moment without Headaches.
Please do dubstep mix:)
number 6 - watch your tempo. i used to always like to play fast and creep that tempo up then when you hit a vocal track you get the chipmonks
Oh yeah! Might be a good idea to keep keylock on while on digital!
Yo DJ CA, I just got started using Serato DJ PRO, I used to use virtual dj and don't understanding it completely, u got any tips?
Uhhhh, it depends what you don't understand though! Check out my tutorial videos; those might help
Hi Carlo, thanks for sharing this video! For me understand the song structure and where I should make the mix is fundamental. In other videos you have shown some techniques that are very useful (Intro vs Chorus, Intro vs Outro, etc). Do you have other techniques to share? Or do you intend to make a video explaining only song structure? Thanks!
Sorry Carlo, maybe i was not clear enough in my previous comment. In a song i can identify the Intro, outro and breakdowns but I have problems to identify the chorus, verse, bridge, build-ups. Because of that, i ask If you think in make a tutorial explaining only about this topic or can you recommend any video to help me with that? Tks
Good suggestion for the next video! Thanks for letting me know! Yeah, it took me some time to naturally feel what section was what. That's why it was just easier to always mix during the chorus or outro!
Answered!
Hi buddy I just wanted to know m using rekordbox since 5 years now and when I play on the software and I try to open a another window or open some another folder my software lags for some seconds and the music fubbles
Can you help me out with this
Ooof, might be your hardware bud. Make sure you have enough RAM in your laptop to handle everything!
@@djcarlo bro I have 12 gb ram 450 gb SSD and 500 gb internal HHD .. The ting is it works properly but as I open some another window it the music fubbles a bit
Carlo has our back !
I love your videos
Yay! Great to hear this!
2:00 ya becoz djing is not just about playing/mixing we need to read the crowd and keep up the vibe not f#$k with it and surprise them with mixing tracks hence mixing is just a part of it not all of it right
That is true! Thanks for sharing that advise!
Hey Carlo I love your content I am just buying my first equipment so , should I buy the ddj 400 or Hercules impulse 500
DDJ400 absolutely
Depends if you want to use Serato or Rekordbox. Personally I chose the ddj400 and I loved it for the last 2 years. But the Impulse 500 is a great beginner controller as well. It boils down to preference. Pretty much every controller/dj software can do the exact same things.
What Andrews said! Good luck on your first gear! Cheers!
great video man.
Hey Dj Carlo! Really interesting point bro 😌
I don't know how but yesterday I uploaded a video talking about almost the same thing you mentioned at the beginning ahaha 😅
Thank you for your work in this huge community!!! ❤️
Record box audio lag solution please help me....?????
It might be your computer's processor. Try checking on the latency settings in Rekordbox! Moving it around might help
Yep.
Kept hearing them, so I wanted to make a video on it! Hahaha
Haz con subtítulos en español eres el mejor canal para enseñar cosas de dj 🙏😮💨
Problem im having with pools, especially BPM Supreme is that they won't let me in. I'm not pro enough DJ for them so I'm stuck ripping tracks.. What to do?
itunes!
Beatport
thanks info.👍👍
all i can say is, you helped me so much with all your vids, and even with all those tips and tricks, i can make a song from 35 minutes with 21 different songs.... before i knew you i only could dream about doing this, for real it is not even me you helped so many people if i read the comment section i don't know why the big dj's dont mention you pretty cocky from their end if you ask me.. but please keep up all the good vids, and keep up the vibe because you are the boss
Use fog horn at the beginning of a track
Nice tracklist @2:30😁
I'm just starting out, I did my first party this past week. I think I did pretty good, made a rookie mistake by letting the music stop. Got too excited and pushing buttons too fast. But I wanted to know how many parties do you do before you start to charge? I love playing music and it was never a goal to make money, but to see if I could rock a party. I didn't get any bad reviews, and I did get requested to do another party....I almost cried.
Help
Thanks for sharing you experience! Keep on practicing! Learn from the mistake! You got this! Trust me because I started from somewhere too!
@@djcarlo thank you for your response and encouragement.
How many parties did you do before you charged?
Thank you Sir!
I call myself dj Kode Red and that's because of tip #5 never pay attention to my meters. So my friends would say Kode Red leting me know to check my levels. Great tip keep them coming!!!!
Yay! Thanks for sharing bit of your history!
Not chronological, but complementary
1. You don't need a high-end setup to be a good DJ. Good quality equipment supports a good DJ and could makes the set even better, but it doesn't make a bad DJ a good one.
2. Learn what effects do and how they affect different areas of a track, but don't overuse them because you think that will make it better. No.
3. Being a DJ doesn't just mean pumping one transition after the other and it doesn't mean that it's important to have as many women as possible (lol).
4. Having a sync button is a nice feature, but also learn how to use your ears, which are one of your most important instrument.
5. And in addition to the red area, please don't hit two basses on my ears a the same time any more. And never two different melodies or voices at the same time. Most of the time, thats a bad idea.
Your tips are very cool
Thanks man: )
Good job
You are so good
Woot! Thank you so much!
I really appreciated that, as I did not realize that the tracks I'm mixing are copies. I use crossdj for android on my phone. Since the phone speaker cannot reproduce the subs all my mixes sound shrill harsh and basically suck without the xtra low end. I like to sync loops and lay down my own beats tho, not looking to club dj , instead create something new. DJ app has filters , but no trim knob , just gain on the tables input...?
Oh man thank you for covering redlining!! I own sound and set up for parties and I always have to watch Dj's to keep them from redlining my system. I don't know how many times I've heard "if you ain't redlining you ain't headlining" i just shake my head and turn my board down till the next DJ is up on the lineup.