27.06.2004., nedjelja
FAQ
I've had quite a few e-mails and seen questions on various discussion boards about general set-up, cables etc. So i thought i'd cover a few general points (plus someone suggested it to me and i thought it was a good idea). Some of the answers are in bits of the other pages, but i know people are too lazy to read through all that crap. Anything i say or suggest here is used at your own discretion, so be sensible...o.k?
Most problems with a given set-up can be found by a process of elimination. Just imagine the path the signal is going and test everything at every stage and you'll nail the culprit.
O.k on we go.
Q: Am i a complete muppet?
A: Yes, yes you are.
Q: Phono, line, aux., what's the deal with these?
A: Phono signals (phono = phonograph = turntable) are weak, and when the phono signal goes into the mixer it is amplified. Line inputs are not amplified. For this reason you should NEVER connect a line signal (basically anything that isn't a turntable : cd, minidisc, tape, tuner) into a phono input (unless you like the idea of distorted sound and damaging your equipment). So you could put your phono signal into a line input, but it would be pretty much useless as it wouldn't be amplified. It could also sound weird and tinny since phono pre-amps have special eq on them. Microphones also require a pre-amp section. Aux. is just another name for a line input.
Q: Can i run the 'MASTER OUT' cable on my mixer to an AUX input on my existing home stereo.
A: Yes you can, since the MASTER OUT is a normal line output.
Q: Do i put my slipmats on top of the rubber mats that came with my turntables?
A: No, take those rubber mats off and put your slipmats onto the bare platter
Q: My knobs on my mixer are loose, what should i do?
A: The way i deal with this is to get a little bit of clingfilm, place it on top of the fader prong, and then put the knob back on. This should make it nice and tight.
Q: How do i know when to replace my styli?
A: There's so many factors involved it's pretty hard to tell how long a stylus should be good for. You'll normally experience a loss of treble clarity, and spoken 's will sound raspy. Also pops and clicks will appear where you didn't notice them before. Most styli aren't that expensive so if you're worried just buy a replacement and switch it and see if you can tell the difference. If not just keep the spare stylus, you'll need it eventually.
Q: How do i clean my styli? And how often?
A: If you can, get a little stylus brush. Also diluted alcohol is meant to be o.k for cleaning (50:50 should be o.k)....but i haven't tried it. You should be able to see when your styli is grimy. Keep it clean all the time as dirty styli will damage you records and sound crap.
Q: Pre / Post Fader....what does this mean?
A: These are terms used a lot in the context of monitoring or effect sends / returns. If yourmetering / monitoring operates pre-fader, it means that the position of the channel faders does NOT affect the level of your headphones / level of the meter. The way the signal flows through a mixer is that it goes through in this order : gain > eq > pan > channel fader > crossfader > master out. If your monitoring is post fader then it means that the position of the channel fader does affect the headphone / meter level.
Q: Am i really a complete muppet?
A: Yes, i think that you are.
Q: Level meters? 0dB ? What do i need these for, i just wack all my EQ and gains on max and everythings peachy.
A: Contrary to popular belief, they really are there for a reason. There is also a good reason why the level meters normally go red above 0dB (hint----> red = bad). Dj mixers really aren't that complicated, but things can go wrong if you don't set them up properly. As a general rule of thumb you shouldn't have massive swings in amplification through the mixer, it should be steady throughout. This is all to do with signal to noise ratio (the ratio of good sound to bad sound). For setting up purposes, these steps are advised.
1) Put all your Eq to 0 (flat), and put your gains down as low as they will go.
2) Put your channel fader at around the 8 mark, on some mixers there is a thicker line around this point.
3) Run a signal through that channel, and increase the gain of the channel until the 0dB mark lights up occasionally with the main bass part of the track.
4) Set your master to around the 8 mark also
This should give you a good signal to noise ratio throughout. These aren't hard and fast rules (i normally have my upfaders maxed out, and also run the master at full). Most middle combinations will be o.k, just remember to not go much above +3/+5 dB on your meter and not to have extremes at each stage (i.e. gain on full, channel fader down low, master at max).
Also on the subject of Eq, it's recommended that you keep your Eq flat for normal purposes.This is how the track you are listening to was intended to be. If you think that you need more bass or treble then there's probably a fault in the mastering of the track. All the high end hi-fi amplifiers don't have any Eq, as it's unnecessary colouring of the sound. So there.....
Q: My faders crackling / bleeding, what can i do?
A: Generally cleaning the fader should clear it up. It can depend a lot on the type of fader. Asisphonics (check my links page) should have sections on how faders work, maintainence etc.
For the Ranettm-52(i)/ttm-54(i), Ecler Hak 320 the recommended cleaner is Caig Cailube. Also a tuner spray / electronic contact / switch cleaner will probably do the job. But bear in mind these can make your faders feel a bit odd since it can strip them of the lubricants containded in the fader. Cotton-buds with alcohol can also do the trick. Sewing machine oil / Gun oil is a good lubricant used by many skratch dj's in their faders. Basically don't use anything that leaves any kind of residue.
DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT USING WD40, IT'LL MESS YOUR FADER UP
Q: The strobe dots on my Technics? huh?
A: These show the speed that the platter is rotating. Each of the 4 sets stands still at aparticluar pitch %. They're pretty handy if you need to recalibrate your pitch control.
O.k that's about it for the time being. If you can think of any good F.A.Q.'s give me a buzz and i'll try to put them up.
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- 12:04 -
Komentari (2) -
Isprintaj -
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Beginners info
Here we go, my attempt at trying to cut down on the amount of replica e-mails i receive. I suppose in my infinite wisdom i should have seen it coming, because obviously people are most worried about being royally screwed over when it comes to shelling out top money on equipment they probably have never used before. So this is kind of my way of putting the record straight and making that initial purchase or foray into dj'ing a little less scary. I could put a few extra things into my F.A.Q. page, but as most people coming to my site will be beginners or first time buyers, i thought it best they have a dedicated page all to themselves. It might sound patronising at times, but it's meant to serve as a help page for people with basically no knowledge of anything dj related. Before i impart any pearls of wisdom though, i'd like to have a little rant. If you think what i say is the gospel truth, then there really is no hope for you. There's a time and a place for everyone, what i say reflects my opinions and outlook on dj'ing at the mo'.
I'm certainly not going to tell people not to start dj'ing, far from it. I always try and take time to show friends (or strangers) what it's all about if i can. But judging from some of the e-mails i get, i really don't know what is motivating some people. I think the first and vitally important thing anyone who wants to start dj'ing should take to heart, is that very few people will ever make a living from it. There really aren't any geniune overnight sucess stories. Very few make it to the top, and if they do, it's probably taken them near to 10 years. If you're in it for the fame and idol status, then fine, just don't ever expect to get there.
So where does that leave the rest of us then? Well personally i've grown up listening to dance music, so it's an intrinsic part of me and my personality. Dj'ing just kind of lead on from me having listened to and bought dance music for years. So this is why i find it bizarre and a little scary when i receive e-mails from people asking me what sort of music they should mix. I mean come on......what the f**k? If you're taking the route of becoming a 'mix' dj, then the fundamental thing that defines who you are as a dj, is the music you play. It's your personal choice, and hopefully why people would want to pay to hear you do a set. Unless i'm mistaken, most of us are individuals, and have our own taste. Play what YOU like. Play tracks that move YOU, not what you think you should be playing. Fair enough if you've heard a certain style of music that you like but aren't really clued up about it, and want to find out more. There's plenty of discussion boards, online record stores with soundbites etc. that should help you dig a little deeper into whatever style you fancy.
I don't mind that people see clips of famous dj's and think "I want to do that", but how are you really going to be a good dj if you aren't even into the style of music you think will make you popular. Be true to yourself and it'll come through in your dj'ing. Don't play hardhouse or 2-step garage just because it's popular at the moment. Play it because you love it. Play it because you love trawling through hours of fresh vinyl in record shops to find the tracks that no-one else has. Don't just perform replica anthem sets because you know muppets will love it.
On the other end of the dj'ing spectrum, you have the turntablist side of things (which i define as being skratching, beat-juggling and drumming). Now i can easily see how after witnessing a showcase or battle that you can be inspired to take up this side of things. But be under no illusions that to develop those kind of skills takes as much dedication and practice as learning any musical instrument. The top battle dj's would probably put in at least a few hours solid practice a day. If you're not into hip-hop particularly but still want to develop the turntablist side of things, it's worth taking time appreciating where it came from, how the sounds developed, who the key players were / are etc. There's plently of dedicated turntablist info out there, it wouldn't take you more than 2 mins to enter terms into a search engine and find lots of quality sites. So don't be so damn lazy.
I'm sure there's loads of other dj related things i could moan about, but i'll leave it there for the moment. Just make sure you realise what you're trying to achieve and why. Nothing in life comes too easily. Practice, be patient, love what you're doing and above all enjoy yourself. And as a side note, nothing i can type in an e-mail will make you a better dj overnight. There are no quick fixes. If you want quick gratification i suggest you take a few quid down to your nearest red light district.
Right, on we go:
What do i need equipment wise to start dj'ing?
At the very fundamental level you'll need:
2 turntables with dj cartridges / styli & slipmats, 1 mixer, 1 pair headphones, loadsa records and some sort of playback system. Typically the playback system will be an amplifier and a pair of speakers. But if you have an existing mini hifi style system which has an AUX. input then you can hook up the mixer to that. And as pictures are easier on the mind it should look something like this (ooooh marvel at my artistic genius).
Now it should be roughly set up as shown above. The turntables may come with the RCA cables hard-wired (i.e. not removable) or with just the female connections (i.e. you just plug in an RCA cable yourself). If the RCA is hard-wired it means it's a little harder to upgrade your interconnect (but you really don't need to be worrying about that for a long while). Turntables also come with a grounding wire. It's essential that you connect this to the GND post on your mixer, otherwise you'll get a rather evil ground hum through your sound system. Also remember to put the turntable RCA's into the PHONO inputs on your mixer (i.e. left turntable into PHONO 1, right turntable into PHONO 2). Somewhere on the back of the mixer should be a output marked MASTER or MASTER 1 etc. Using a standard RCA cable you connnect this output to any line input on your amplifier (i.e. anything that isn't marked PHONO). Finally you hook your speakers upto your amp using whatever speaker cable you have. You can also get 'powered' speakers, which means you don't need a separate amplifier (i.e. the speakers have their own power supply and amp contained inside them). If this is the case then you hook your powered speakers straight upto your MASTER output. You might also have some kind of recording device (Tape, MD, CD recorder etc.) for capturing your masterpiece sets. Most mixers will have a second MASTER output, or an output marked REC. Just hook your device upto that. If it hasn't got a second main output then you can use the tape loop on your amplifier (if it has one).
The way the turntables and mixer are set up above is normally referred to as 'normal style'. This is the way you'll normally find them set up in a club. But skratch dj's tend to set them up differently to allow more hand room on the vinyl, easier manoeuverability and to reduce skipping (i.e. the further your hand is away from the stylus, the less powerful any vibrations you make will be). So below i've shown a further few ways some people set up their decks. You can obviously switch the L and side depending on how you want it.
So there we are, the fundamentals. But the real question on most people's mind is what equipment they should buy, how much it should cost them etc. Now i can appreciate what a complete nightmare and how overwhelming the seemingly endless list of products can be. I compare it to looking at buying a new computer. Is there really a difference between all the models, makes etc? But contrary to popular belief, i don't actually have access to all the dj products in the world to test them. But i do know a little bit more than your average monkey, and since i don't work in a shop, i can give you advice without worrying about profit margins and my sales targets. But that doesn't mean i can give you yes / no decisions on packages and prices etc. Maybe it's me getting old, but people seem to get lazier everyday. And it also scares the hell out of me that someone would spend lots of their money on the strength of my advice (remember........trust no-one........i could be a Vestax sales rep for all you know).
Also the problem with dj'ing and initial equipment buying (particularly the mixer) is that you won't really develop your style for quite a while, so you probably won't know what sort of features you really need. Catch-22.
But you need to ask yourself a few questions before any equipment purchase.
1) How much money do i have to spend? (important)
2) Do i really need this ...........?<-------insert expensive item here (something i'm constantly asking myself)
3) What features am i after?
Now because i know people like things kept simple, i'm just gonna sit here and think of all the buying advice i can, and list it in bullet point form (and try and put it in some kind of structured order, but it could be a little chaotic). Hopefully it'll cover most things, but i'm going to try not to be too specific. I'm also purposefully not going into too much detail or giving long reasons why. Anyways........on we go.
General Buying Advice
Please don't e-mail me asking whether a price you've been quoted is a good one or not. As much as i'd like to keep an eye on all the retail prices in every currency in every country in the world, i really don't know whether the price you've been quoted 7000km away is a good one or not. I could have a guess, but remember, trust no-one.
Search around, ring the places up, get quotes etc. If you know exactly what you want to buy then the internet or mail order can be fine, but if there's any doubt go and try the products out yourself. All dj equipment retailers will have some kind of demonstration area where you can demo any equipment you want. It's vitally important that you are 100% happy with anything you buy. After all, it is YOU that will be using it. Personal preference can play a very big part in dj equipment. Don't take my word for it, go and try the gear out.
But remember, as a rule of thumb, everyone is out to screw you over. Bear this in mind when the sales assistant tells you it's vital you buy that effects unit, or when he tells you the Soundlab Dlp-32 is just a replica of the Technics 1200 and performs just as well for only half the price. Don't be pressurised or swept away by a load of rubbish the person says. The amount of times some muppet sales assistant has tried to blind me with frequency responses and signal to noise ratios is amazing. There's normally an underlying reason why someone is pushing products on you.
First Time Packages / Buyers
If you have the money and the bottle, go straight for the top of the turntable food-chain. At the moment this means either Technics 1200mk2 / 1210mk2 / 1200mk3D or Vestax Pdx-2000's.
If you haven't got the money then as a minimum go for a budget direct drive turntable. Belt-drives aren't worth the money you spend on them. There's a whole crop of budget direct drives that are pretty much the same price and have similar performance and functionality.
Don't spend too much on a turntable that isn't either the Technics or Vestax models i mentioned. The reason is, that if you're paying near to those prices, you should just get the Technics or Vestax.
I can see the benefit of buying cheap 'all in one' style packages (i.e. for those who haven't got the money but are desperate to get going, or those who jump on every bandwagon available and don't want to commit), but it's worth bearing in mind that if you stick with it, you WILL upgrade to Technics or Vestax in the end.
Second-hand Technics would be a good way to go and are infinitely preferable to any mid-price decks out there.
If you can't afford everything all at once, buy bit by bit. It will be painful but at least you'll have something to work towards and good equipment at the end of the line.
The cartridges you get with 95% of set-ups will be Stanton 500's. Primarily because they are dirt-cheap and work o.k. You might be able to get the bottom of the range Ortofon cartridges instead (Ortofon OM Pro). This is probably a better option if you can get it, since they can be upgraded by simply switching the styli with better ones.
The style of mixer you get to learn on isn't amazingly important. I'd say keep it fairly simple, so that you don't get overwhelmed with extra features. Again most of the budget models offer pretty much the same quality and features at similar prices. Things get complicated if you want a dedicated skratch mixer though (i.e. not everything that is advertised as a 'skratch mixer' would actually be very good for skratching).
Technics Vs. Vestax Vs. Other brands
Technics ARE the industry standard whether we like it or not. These are the turntables you will find in 99% of clubs, pubs, bars etc. around the world. Because of their legendary status and reliability there is a large second hand market, and they are fairly unique as a consumer good in that they don't really devalue a whole lot over time. If you intend to enter dj battles or do a lot of club and guest dj'ing then it's quite important that you are used to the general feel of the Technics turntable. This doesn't neccesarily mean you have to own a pair, but it's worth getting a fair amount of practice on them just so that you aren't thrown if you encounter them on your travels as a dj (as you certainly will). Basically you KNOW you won't go wrong with a pair and you KNOW they should serve you loyally for many years if you treat them right. i.e. Technics = Safe Bet
The Vestax Pdx-2000 is undeniably a step forward in turntable development. It is aimed squarely at the dj, and has been developed as such (rather than the Technics which was intended as a home hifi turntable, but happens to double up as a pretty solid piece of equipment for dj'ing). In fact i'd quite like a pair, but you're taking a certain amount of risk with them. Everything is nice and cosy with Technics. They've stayed the same for 20 years and the chances of Panasonic actually developing a newer more dj friendly version is basically 0. But Vestax like most companies try to push things forward a bit and release newer improved models. This can mean that the Pdx-2000 you bought yesterday is superceded 6 months down the line, so the support for it is no longer as great, the value drops through the floor, and it can be nigh on impossible to sell on. This is basically how most things work in life (look at computers for example). So really it's not that big of a deal, but it can make you think twice when you could go for the safer bet of the Technics. Again personal preference will probably be the major factor, and whether you're a club dj or more of a mobile dj. From what i've heard though, most experienced dj's who get their hands on the Pdx-2000 tend to fall in love with it. Hopefully it'll stand the test of time and prove to be a strong competitor for the Technics.
There are quite a lot of other top end decks which are trying to directly compete with the Technics and Vestax's of this world. To my knowledge though, none really improve over either of them. So unless you can get an amazing deal on them or you personally love them, i really can't see the overall benefit of buying a turntable in the same price range of the Technics / Vestax which isn't a Technics / Vestax.
Skratch Mixers Vs. Other Mixers
Many mixers will be advertised as 'skratch' mixers. This can be horribly misleading and the mixer in question could be as suited to skratching as a monkey is to living in the sea (good analogy eh?).
If you're serious about skratching and turntablism in general, you really do need a specialist purchase. You need a clean clear uncluttered faceplate, good build quality and faders that can take an absolute hammering. Also as a minimum a curve control on the x-fader is pretty handy (but not essential if the fader has a standard sharp cut in, e.g. Technics SXDJ-1200 or Stanton sk-2f).
General beat-mixing isn't too demanding on a mixer. As a rule of thumb you'll be able to mix fine on a skratch mixer, whereas you probably won't be able to skratch too well on a non-skratch mixer. Having said this there are some features lacking on skratch mixers that mean they don't lend themselves too well to pure professional beat-mixing (yes it does exist).
At the budget end you have mixers like the Stanton sk-5, American Dj xdm-2221 "Skillz" and the Gemini umx-3
Mid-price you have the rest of the Gemini umx series, Stanton sk-1, Stanton sk-2f, Vestax Pmc 06proA, Ecler Hak 300
Nearer the top end you have the Ecler Hak 320, Rane Ttm 52i, Rane Ttm 54i, Vestax Pmc 07pro, Vestax Pmc 07pro I.S.P.
O.k that's about as much as my poor little brain can think of in one go. Hopefully you should be able to make choices and decide what you want to go for with a little bit more confidence. Good luck and happy dj'ing.................
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- 11:59 -
Komentari (0) -
Isprintaj -
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Beat mixing
What is a dj if he can't skratch?
(What is an m.c. if he can't rap? What is a beat without a live clap? Well I can do it all baby just like that.)
Chances are they're a house dj! But, jokes aside, if you want to get anywhere playing dance music you're going to have to learn how to beat mix to a fairly good standard (doesn't hold some dj's back though!). Beat mixing is possible because dance music has a computer generated rhythm. O.k. some beats may come from samples which have come from live drums, but the overall pattern is sequenced on a bit of hardware. This means it should be perfectly regular (yes, it should be).
"So what?" you may think. Because of this regular rhythm each track will have a specific number of Beats Per Minute (BPM). e.g. House / Garage is normally around the 130bpm mark, Hardcore / Drum and Bass around 170bpm and Trance / Techno somewhere in between. Also the fact that it has a specific bpm means these beats are probably arranged in some sort of order. Listen to a choon and you'll probably notice some sort of structure. Dance music is based around a 4 beat structure. That means there are 4 beats in every bar.
Bars are placed in groups of 4 (i.e. sixteen beat sections) and these sections are placed in groups of 4 to make a 64 beat phrase.
Now I'm writing this guide from the basics up, so if you think you've earned the title MIXMASTER already, it's probably best if you scroll down a bit until you find something remotely useful. New sections are normally underlined. If there is terminology that you don't understand you may well have to skip back to a bit where I've explained it. If you still don't get it, well, tough.
JUS' STARTIN'
If we go back to what I just said about BPM, you should probably be thinking...."Mmm, what if I get two tracks at exactly the same BPM, surely then I could put them over the top of each other. No-one would notice because the structure is the same!". Ahh, good thinking Batman.
But unfortunately, we live in an imperfect world. It's very unlikely that you'll find two different tracks with exactly the same BPM. So......get yourself two copies of the same record (genius idea!?). Pitch controls are not perfect either, so it's probably best if you set your controls to 0% adjustment so there definitely is no difference in BPM. Now see if you can get the two copies running at exactly the same point in each track. Put the crossfader in the middle to get an equal level of both. You did it? Excellent. Did it sound the same as one copy by itself? "Not quite" I hear you say? What you experienced is a flanging effect which you get when you put two copies of the same thing over each other and coupled with the amount of delay you can get a weird 'going through a tunnel type sound'. Anyway the next step is to put the two same tracks over one another but at different points. "But where?". This is the time where having listened intently to other dj's mixing will pay off large. Where do they drop the next track in? The obvious place is when the beats come back in after a breakdown, or when the beats drop at the start of a breakdown. "But what if there are no breakdowns?". This is where having good natural timing will be a great asset (i.e. if you already play an instrument or are just dodgy like that!). Just put a choon on and really listen to every beat. Count out loud from the start of the track if you need to! You should notice that subtle changes in the track happen after 16 beats (4 bars) from the start of a phrase. Slightly bigger changes will normally happen around 32 beats (halfway through a phrase). Generally, my advice would be to drop the next choon in at the start of a phrase or halfway through it. This keeps the overall structure flowing nicely. But don't take my word for it! Try it out for yourself with the two copies of the same record you are using.
After a while structure should come naturally to you. You should be able to just know where you are in a phrase by just sub-conciously picking out the changes and accents at the start of new bars etc. Test yourself by randomly placing the stylus down on a track and seeing how long it takes you to work out where you are in the current phrase. Also make sure you are good at sussing out timing when there are no beats. This will give you valuable extra cueing up time.
Cueing up? What's that all about? In reference to beat mixing it basically means doing whatever you have to do to the next track to get it sorted for your next mix. More specifically it can mean getting the track to the place where you want it to start from.
By this point I'm assuming you understand structure pretty well and know where it's safe to drop the next track in. O.k. on we go....
You're now getting bored of cutting between the same track and want to use another track. Right. Put a different choon on and try dropping it in at the right point. Bam.. It's in... and... clomp... clomp... clomp... Hey, that doesn't sound so great. What's wrong? Well as I said earlier, different tracks aren't made with the same BPM, so they're not going to sit too well over each other. They'll fall out of time quickly and sound awful. "Aahh. Pitch control. I knew it was there for a reason!".
By using the gift of pitch control, you'll be able to change the speed of a track to approximately match that of the one playing so that you can lay them over one another. But there is obviously a limit. Technics 1200/1210's have a pitch control of +/- 8%. A lot of other decks have +/- 10%. Using the latter to keep the maths simple, you should be able to work out that a 130bpm garage choon can be adjusted by upto 13bpm either side (so down to 117 bpm or upto 143bpm). Common sense should now tell you that a garage choon is not going to be able to mix into a drum 'n' bass choon and a house choon isn't gonna go into a happy hardcore choon.
But how do you know where to put the pitch control? This is where we come to the root of beat mixing. Basically you use trial and error. However, you have to develop one skill that once you have mastered you will earn the title Lord of the Beats. You need to be able to tell if a track is in sync with the one that is playing. The normal set-up for this is having the track you are cueing up in your headphones in one ear, and the other ear exposed to the speakers (i.e. the other deck that is playing!). Some of my mates who have never dj'ed can do this instinctively (normally the accomplished musicians), whereas others are left confused and floundered. It's a skill I found developed with a lot of practice. Luckily, I could do it right from the start, but nowhere nearly as sharply as I can now. You should eventually reach the point where it's annoying because you are always focusing on the tightness of mixes rather than just enjoying them for what they are (something I call irreversible dj syndrome!).
How can I learn to do this? Well, there really is no substitute for loads of practice. But I've tried to think of a few points to give you a helping nudge in the right direction.
1) Listen to the beat matching of other dj's. Make sure they're actually done on turntables though, as a lot of mainstream mix albums are done on computer hard disk recording systems, where the mixes are sequenced by a computer so are perfectly in time. Try and pick out where the next track comes in (it may or may not be obvious). Then try and follow where the beats of the incoming track are sitting over the track that is playing. If a mix starts slipping, try to determine if the incoming track is falling behind or going too fast. This skill is essential in keeping your own mixes nicely together. If the dj is a tight beat mixer is shouldn't be that noticeable, but since it's done on turntables there will be a slip somewhere. You may well not be able to notice it that much at the moment, but once you get to a good level of beat mixing you definitely will!
2) Again use two copies of the same record, get them in sync at 0% pitch adjustment. Then nudge the pitch control on one of the decks a tiny bit (in either direction). Listen to the track slip and then try to correct the mix manually (i.e. with your hand!). If it needs speeding up give it a push somewhere near the label of the record, if it needs slowing down just apply a little pressure to the edge of the platter for a split second. It may be pretty hard to tell which track is which, but if you get confused just put the crossfader to one side, put the other deck in your headphones and try to sort it out that way.
3) If you monitor with one ear in the headphones and the other exposed to the speaker, when you think they are in time, slip your headphones off and listen to the mix of the two tracks via your output speakers. One ear monitoring can be misleading (for reasons I'll cover later).
By this point I'm assuming that when you listen to other dj's mixes you can tell if a track is ahead or behind the other that is playing.
Now this is where it starts to get interesting. Get two different tracks (preferably ones you know well). Obviously they'll have to be mixable (i.e. their BPM's within the pitch control range). Start one up and cue the other track in your headphones. The faster you get the next track running the better. Cue it back and forth at the point you want it to start (for 95% of records this will be the first beat). Drop it in at the start of the next available phrase (or half phrase). You may need to practice just doing this. It sounds stupid when you can do it, but it does take a little bit of work to get it right.
As soon as you've dropped it in, it'll start to mess up, but don't panic! Listen to see whether the track you just started is slipping behind or going ahead of the one that is playing. Then move the pitch control accordingly (i.e. if it slips behind, speed it up / if it goes ahead, slow it down). But just doing this isn't going to remedy the problem. You need to repeatedly get the tracks in time manually, listen to see what happens, then move the pitch control accordingly.
If the next track is quite a lot faster or slower, then to start with it'll slip really quickly. The key is to spot what it happening straight away and give the pitch control a big ol' push and then get the tracks back in time manually.
So, here a few steps to follow each time you cue up:
Drop the track in at the start of a phrase / half phrase
Quickly move the pitch control to roughly the place you think depending on how quickly it slips (the more you practice the better you'll get at this). At the same time keep the tracks together manually with large pushes or drags.
Once you're in roughly the right area you'll have to fine tune the pitch (which can take up most of your time), here's how I do it.
Get the tracks together manually and then let them play.
Listen
Move the pitch control a little in whatever direction is necessary.
Get the tracks together (again) manually and then let them play.
Listen
Move the pitch etc. etc. etc.
repeat ad infinitum
The reason you have to keep getting them back in time with your hands is that if you move the pitch control to speed up / slow down the track you are going to mix in to re-sync them, you are just undoing any work you've just done to pitch the next track correctly (and that's pretty stupid!).
What you are doing in this process is using trial and error to zero in on the right pitch. To start with this process can take you a while, but practice makes perfect! Now eventually you'll find that you have got the pitch control to a certain point, which I call the biting point. This is where the track you are cueing up will slip in a certain direction (let's say forward), and a tiny nudge (we're talking the smallest movement you can get) will mean the track is pitched so that is slips behind. So you're on the borderline between the track slipping forward and slipping behind.
Now obviously you don't have to get it to the biting point each time. You can just get the pitch pretty close and manually keep it in time. My advice would be to always get it to the biting point if time permits. It means you have the best control over your mix possible and gives you the oppurtunity to do longer, more impressive mixes and to spend more attention on your crossfader technique or eq settings.
Now you know what you're doing we'll go onto more advanced issues (whatever that means!).
ADVANCED ISSUES
Dodgy things to look out for:
Some tracks are simply badly produced (what a great excuse!) and can drop very very slightly out of time naturally (particulary common when tracks breakdown or when the beats kick back in). It's just tough. Normally it won't be a big slip, so just give it a manual push back in time. Problems can occur when it causes you to doubt yourself and change the pitch though!
Tracks which have an extra bar or couple of beats at certain places. This is usually before beats come back in after a drum roll. It's usually just an extra bar to keep the crowd on their toes! I've got tracks where the phrase ends prematurely or just stops through the outro for a couple of bars.
Tracks where the first beat of the track is not actually at the start of a phrase, hence thowing you off the scent completely.
Tracks that change tempo (hehe that's a proper challenge!!)
One ear monitoring- Sometimes the track you are cueing up can sound in time but when you begin to bring it in it's slightly out. This can be due to a couple of reasons.
Delay in sounds from the speaker to your ear (remember sound travels at 330 m/s)
Fat kicks misleading you as to when the actual beat is (many say to base your syncing on treble sounds instead if you can, as they're more reliable.)
EQ MIXING
Once you've got your beat-mixing skills finely tuned, you might want to spice your mixes up and make them sound slicker by the use of EQ. You're really only limited by your imagination (and how powerful your EQ's are). Typical things to try are to cut the bass and treble to leave a vocal and layer that over something. Also subtle use of the bass EQ can really make transitions between two tracks very slick (e.g. as you are mixing your next track in you drop the bass of the track that is playing, relying on the kicks of the incoming track to support both tracks). Really it's down to experimentation and with that comes a natural instinct to do certain things in a given situation. So stop reading this and go practice!!
That's about as much as i can think of right now......good luck and happy mixing.
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- 11:55 -
Komentari (1) -
Isprintaj -
#
Crossfaders
You may well think that there isn't all that much you can say about crossfaders, and you'd be quite right. But, there are a couple of things I think are important enough to cover, so here goes. Also as per usual, Asisphonics has a lot better info and forums dedicated to equipment, so if you have any really specific questions about faders, chances are they'll be there.
The first thing to check out on a mixer you're thinking of buying is the crossfader curve. This is basically the way in which the crossfader controls the signals it is mixing. If you're mixing dance music, I'd recommend making sure the mixer you buy has a 'beatmix' curve.
Think of the box as the crossfader panel. So if you put the fader on the far left, you'll hear channel 1 at full volume. As you move the fader across channel 2 will appear and increase uniformly until it reaches full volume at the mid-point. Then, as you move towards the right hand side, channel 1 will fade uniformly and channel 2 will stay at full volume. Two things are important about this curve which make it very good for beatmixing. Firstly, there is a good degree of control over the sound levels of each channel. Secondly, there will be no drop in sound level output (providing your channels are measured up properly!). This type of curve, and any others where the diagonal lines don't cross over are known as dipless. Unlike this curve.....
Here we can see that one channel starts to fade before the other reaches full volume. I really don't like curves like this on mixers. There are only very, very rare occasions when you'll want your sound levels to dip like that (e.g. a dramatic pause before the next phrase kicks in). So my advice would be to avoid mixers which have this type of curve and can't be adjusted, as they're fu**ing annoying and plain stupid. What i mean is it makes more sense to have a dipless curve and then drop the channel faders to get the desired dip when you want it, rather than having to compensate all the time. The dipped curve originates from full size mixing desks where the centre is dipped by 3dB so that there isn't a rise in sound level (if you mix two identical signals together there will be an relative increase of 3dB). That's all fine and dandy but it doesn't suit todays styles of mixing.
But how do skratch dj's cut sounds in and out so quickly with such little movement? Chances are they're using a mixer which utilises a scratch curve.
With minimal movement from either side, the opposite channel will be in at full volume. This type of curve is essential for pulling off quick technical scratches such as crabbing (see the skratch tutorial) because you need a defined sharp cut in point. You can still pull off simple scratches will a beatmix curve, but you have to be really careful as you need the crossfader to hit the middle exactly each time, or you'll get little dips in the sound levels of either channel. Obviously trying to beat mix on a scratch curve crossfader will be a bit limited, as you won't be able to blend the sound levels (you could use the channel (up) faders, but it's a bit of a pain).
More and more mixers these days are being designed with crossfader curve controls. This is normally in the form of a rotary which provides continual adjustment from a dipped curve, through to a beatmix curve, and then on to a scratch curve. It's a very good feature, but is normally only found on higher priced mixers (e.g. Vestax PMC 05/06/07 pro series, Rane TTM-52/54, Ecler Hak 320). But the mixer manufacturers have decided it's a pretty useful feature (well done lads) and it is cropping up on lower priced mixers now.
Crossfader quality can vary extraordinarily. A good thing to look out for is if the crossfader and the channel faders are of the VCA kind. This stands for Voltage Controlled Amplifier. What it means is that the signal doesn't actually pass through the fader itself. It's routed around it and is controlled by a small voltage. Hence they will last longer than normal faders and will require less cleaning / spraying. But these faders still wear out and dirt /dust still affects them since instead of screwing up the signal, it just screws up the control voltage instead. Within VCA fader types there's still a lot of difference between the actual lifespan of the faders themselves. The most robust, long lasting faders are to be found on skratch mixers (for obvious reasons). Most faders you have on a mixer will wear out eventually ("what?" i hear you say, most?). Tell-tale signs are leakage from the other channel when the fader is at either side and general crackling when the fader is moved. If cleaning /spraying the fader doesn't clear it up, then you'll probably have to replace it (nearly all cross faders are user replacable). But coming soon to the realm of mass produced dj mixers is the truely optical fader. One which if all goes to plan should not ever crackle or bleed (hooorah!!). The first man to implement this, Dj Focus, is working with Stanton at the moment on designing a high end mixer built around the Focus Fader. It's also going to be available to fit into second generation Stanton sk-2 mixers and will come as standard with the new Stanton sk-2F. No doubt someone will figure out how to wire it into other models, but i would think it would take quite a lot of effort since the optical part requires a separate power source. But also Numark are apparentely introducing the 'infinity' fader to their sm-3 skratch mixer (and the sm-2, which is just an sm-1 but with the infinity fader), which works in the same way as the Focus Fader does, and it's rumoured that Numark may have a lifetime guarantee associated with the fader.....mmm interesting.
The actual feel of a crossfader varies from mixer to mixer. Some beatmixing dj's will want some sort of physical resistance on the fader whereas scratch dj's will probably want a fader that moves when they blow on it. Personal taste and mixing style will play a big part in which you prefer, but just make sure it's good enough to do anything you might want to do to it. Check the knobs on the faders are really secure as I've had ones that fly off if you whack the fader about..... very annoying (but easily fixable).
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- 11:50 -
Komentari (0) -
Isprintaj -
#
Cartridges/Needles
Right, let's start at the top. Cartridges and needles (styli) are not different names for the same thing. If you look at the picture above of the Stanton 500 mk1 there are two distinct parts. The white section at the front is the stylus section and can be removed and replaced. The other bulky part (it looks sort of grey here, but in reality is a bronze colour) is the cartridge.
Cartridges come in two types (to my knowledge). Ones that are mounted on the headshell (which in turn is screwed into the tonearm) like the stanton 500, and one-piece cartridges which screw directly into the tonearm without the need for mounting.
There are also two types of styli which are available; spherical (S) and elliptical (E). This refers to the shape of the diamond tip that is used. Elliptical styli will give better sound quality due to the way they sit in the groove(think about it), but using them for skratching is a big no no as they will burn up your records more quickly because the tracking force you apply is spread over a smaller area so the pressure will be higher.
The main market leaders and the cartridges which you will find on 90% of dj turntables are made by Stanton and Ortofon. But there are other makes! Shure have relaunched their series with the M44-7 aimed at the scratch dj and the M44G aimed at beatmixing dj's. They are amazingly stable and are endorsed by the likes of Q-bert, D-styles and Mixmaster Mike amongst others. Retail prices are in the region of £60-£80 per pair depending on which model you go for. They also have other carts aimed towards mix dj's which have better frequency response and smoother midranges apparentely.
The most popular cartridge is undoubtedly the Stanton 500 mk1 (shown at the head of the page). It performs pretty well, is dirt cheap (around £40 for a pair of cartridges and needles) and is widely available. They are the cartridges that tend to be given away with new decks but i say have a look around and you'll probably find a cartridge more suited to you. Prices get pretty high at the top end with fancy one piece Stanton Groovemasters weighing in at around £170 for a matched pair (shown below).
Well what cartridges are right for you? There is quite a wide choice available which will suit pretty much everyone. It's not my job to endorse these products, as I'd probably just get in trouble. But be aware of the choices:
From left to right: ortofon om pro, ortofon om dj, ortofon om scratch, ortofon om nightclub.The ortofon om series are all headshell mounting cartridges, but are also available as one piece concorde versions with the same spec. but a higher price tag. The pro's are around £40 a pair,the dj's around £60 a pair, the scratch's around £75 a pair and the nightclub's around £80 a pair. The nightclub version is available with elliptical styli for a few more £££. Word on the street is they sound better than the Stanton range.
The concorde versions in all their glory. Very nice. The concorde pro's are around £80 a pair, the dj's are around £100, the scratches around £110 and the nightclub's around £120.
It all depends on how much you want to spend and how important you think the difference in sound quality or stability will make. If your set-up sounds fine and your needles don't jump then why bother changing? But here's a few things to think about when deciding.
1: You can't add extra weight (easily!) to all in ones and you can't angle the cartridge out or decide where to place it.
2: Replacement styli on better models can be pretty steep. e.g. 2 Stanton Groovemaster styli cost around £90.
3: Is your playback / recording system capable of capturing any improved sound quality?
Right, you've just shelled out £100 on a new pair of cartridges, you wack them in and they jump and skip like bast**ds. What's wrong? Well either you've been completely mugged off or you've set up your tonearm badly. Now, remember, setting up your tonearm is quite a personal thing. I've seen tons of different set-ups and they all seemed to work fine. The best way is to learn what it is you're actually doing when setting up, so that you can adjust certain factors if necessary in a given situation. Stuff that I say here is based on the Technics 1200/1210, but most dj decks are pretty similar so most of the information here will still apply in principal to other turntables. Also any differences in sound quality I suggest may take place will probably be very difficult to pick-up unless you're using a incredibly clean sounding mixer, amp and speakers.
1: Installing the cartridge - If you've bought an all-in-one cartridge (concorde, trackmaster, groovemaster, discmaster etc.) then you don't need to worry, just fix it straight into the tonearm. If you've bought a headshell mounting cartridge the process is a little more tricky. Be extremely careful when attaching the 4 headshell wires into the cartridge terminals. Be patient and use tweezers/pliers if necessary to open the clasp slightly so it will slide on the terminals more easily (fasten it up afterwards!). Additional weights are upto you. Contrary to popular belief you don't jus tput them on to stop your needle skipping, they're really there to ensure you CAN reach the desired tracking force. Obviously the more additional headshell weight you put on the higher stylus pressure you can get, but there's only so much weight you actually need. Remember though, you can balance any weight you put on the cartridge end with the counter weight at the back of the tonearm, so it might be worthwhile you putting it as it saves you adding coins on the headshell later on.
Where should I position the cartridge in the headshell? For best sound quality it's recommended that you line the stylus tip up a few mm from the front of the headshell. So it should look something like this.
But many dj's slide the cartridge as far forward as it will go. This will have the effect of slightly increasing the tracking force applied (remember those physics lessons!). But common sense should tell you you'll probably not be getting best sound quality.
2: Tonearm height adjustment - The height adjustment feature is meant to be varied to suit different heights of cartridge. But the values in the Technics manual are based on the idea that you would be using the big chunky rubber mats supplied with the decks and not slipmats. Therefore assuming that your slipmats are around 2mm thick, the height ring should stay at 0 unless your cartridge height is above 19mm. For heights above this put the height ring at the corresponding value. e.g. Your cartridge is 21mm high, put your height ring at 2.
Theoretically, the higher you put the tonearm, the more downward force should be applied. This is why many scratch dj's put the height ring at maximum. But, I found that doing this made absolutely no perceiveable difference whatsoever. So, the choice is yours. Just remember to lock the section in place once you've finished! Also having the tonearm height set artificially high can cause the stylus to sit at the wrong angle in the groove, hindering it's performance.
3: Balance weight /anti-skate settings- Now first of all, disclaimer time. If you chip your needles or scratch your records because you try something here, I'm not responsible, o.k. The best way to illustrate this section is to use a one sided record, where the other side is all shiny with no grooves. Or you might be able to make do with a record that is quite short and has a large run-out shiny section. Now set your anti-skate to 0. Adjust the balance weight (at the back of the tonearm) until you get the tonearm to balance horizontally. It can be a bit tricky, but be careful and patient. You should be able to get the stylus to hover a few mm above the surface. Your tonearm should now be hovering, quite naturally, about half-way through the record. Now carefully, and slowly, increase the anti-skating value. Woah, what's going on? Your tonearm starts to move back towards the rest position, as if by magic. This demonstrates what anti-skate is there for. It's a means of offsetting the push towards the centre spindle caused by the weight on the cartridge acting unevenly on the s-shaped tonearm (bit of a mouthful!).
Now, with your tonearm hovering, move it back to it's rest position and secure it. On the counter weight at the back of the tonearm, there should be a calibration ring facing towards you. If it isn't then you've put the weight on backwards. This is the stylus pressure ring. Now without moving the actual balance weight, swivel this little ring until the 0 lines up with the central groove on your tonearm.This is like a reference point. And it is where the tonearm is said to be horizontally zero (0) balanced. Basically, at this point the cartridge end is balanced and so there is in effect no push on it downwards. By winding the balance weight forward you can now increase the stylus pressure.
But back to the anti-skate. If you've got a shiny sided record with no grooves, wack it on and get your deck spinning. Remember when you had your 0 weight point? The tonearm naturally hovered in the middle of the record. Now screw your balance weight forward to give a stylus pressure of 1. Put the needle down on the shiny record near the start, and it'll zip across the surface, so make sure it doesn't hit the label in the centre. But why doesn't it stay in the middle? I'll tell you why! Because now you have increased the stylus pressure, there is a push down on the cartridge. Because of this there is a force created pushing inwards. The more weight you screw on, the greater the force will be. With your stylus pressure still at 1, set your anti-skate to 1. Now when you put the needle down it should stop somewhere near the middle and not move. This is because the anti-skate has offset the push towards the centre. Now by increasing and decreasing the anti-skate you should be able to get the needle to skate backwards and forwards past the middle point (hours of fun). So the principle is that by using the anti-skate correctly you have the best average position of the needle. Now you've got an idea of what anti-skate does, you'll probably notice that the anti-skate dial only goes upto 3. But what if your stylus pressure is above 3? Well, tough. You just have to leave it at 3 (Some new decks have anti-skate dials that go upto 7).
But how much stylus pressure is right for me? It depends on the cartridge you are using and what style of mixing you're into. Remember though, that the higher the stylus pressure, the more your neeedles and records will wear down. Also extreme anti-skate conditions can put extra strain on your needles and vinyl (i.e. low stylus pressue / high anti-skate or high stylus pressure / low anti-skate.)
Very generally, for jus tplayback, with no back-cueing, skratching etc. then set your stylus pressure to about 2, with your anti-skate at 2 as well. For beatmixing with vigorous cueing, spinbacks etc. put the stylus pressure to around 3.75 and the anti-skate at 3 (maximum).
Most skratch dj's wil lreverse the weight and screw it all the way in. This has the effect of increasing the stylus pressure that little bit more due to the fact that the centre of mass of the weight is not at the geometrical centre, but is slightly further towards the back of the weight. Also it's advised to set your anti-skate to 0 for skratching because when you skratch you are constantly back-cueing so having anti-skate on is likely to make the needleskip backwards. For my set-up, when i used Stanton 500's, I found that with the weight plate fitted on the cartridge, if you screw the weight all the way in with it not reveresd, it works just fine for home skratching practices (stylus pressure of about 4.5 (reads 0.5 on the ring as it's done 1 complete cycle)). Obviously if you're playing out you might want to reverse it just to make sure, but if it's still jumping a lot then take a look at your technique. Also if you're skratching a specific sample and your needle persistently jumps forward a groove, temporarily increase the anti-skate dial by a few notches.
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- 11:48 -
Komentari (1) -
Isprintaj -
#
Mixers
The nerve centre of any dj'ing set up is the mixer. Very simply it provides a means to set the levels between different audio sources. Mixers can vary extraordinarily between different models and makes, but will all have certain features in common.
At it's simplest, a mixer will have two channels, normally with each channel split into 1 phono input (i.e. a deck!) and 1 line input (cd, tape etc). The input type will be switchable (normally via a toggle switch). Each channel will have it's own level control, in the form of a vertical channel fader (referred to usually as the 'up' fader). This is essential in keeping the levels going to the crossfader consistent. At the bottom of the mixer there will be a crossfader (the horizontal one!). This is where most of the 'mixing' takes place. The crossfader sets the balance between the two channels. The crossfader curve, slope, contour (or whatever you want to call it) varies from mixer to mixer. Different curves are useful for different styles of mixing, for in-depth info click on the link above. Also the other essential feature (or not for some dj's!) is the headphone section. Needs vary between different styles of dj'ing, but in any club situation, you're gonna need it to be crystal clear and pretty fu**ing loud.
EQ, WHAT'S THAT ALL ABOUT?
The most common feature to be added to mixers as they go up in price is either a 2 or 3 way eq section, and a 'gain' rotary at the top. Most people just think of the gain rotary as a second level control to be used in conjunction with the channel (up) fader. In actuality, the gain is used to adjust the input level of the channel, whereas the up fader determines the output level. But why have them if they pretty much do the same thing? Well, a couple of reasons really. In theoretical terms they are there to help compensate between different incoming levels of sound sources. In practical terms they enable scratchers to max out their up faders, and just use the gains for keeping their levels under control, so they can use the up faders more easily for echoes, fading etc. The provision of a gain rotary also enables a greater control of the overall level of the channel, so there is more room for manoeuvre when trying to accommodate low pressings.
Everyone will have at some point encountered an eq (equalizer, if you haven't worked it out by now) section somewhere before, be it on a home hi-fi, guitar amp etc. So you should have a general idea of what it does already. But just in case you don't, I'll briefly run over it. Sound waves occur at different frequencies, and the human ear can detect sounds of up to around 20,000 Hz (Hertz=unit of frequency). Generally bass sounds happen at around 100 Hz, mid sounds at 1000 Hz (1 KHz) and high sounds above 10000 Hz (10 KHz). Vocals occur in the mid range frequency (never in the high) as do many of the sounds in dance music (synths, acid lines etc.). High range really consists of just high hats, cymbals etc. Basslines and anything else you can 'feel' will occur at low range.
2 way eq means bass and treble (low and high range), whereas 3 way features a mid range as well. Eq sections can consist of a set of rotaries, which give the ability to boost or cut a frequency, or a set of switches which only 'kill' that frequency. A lot of mixers these days have a combination of these two systems. It's important to keep in mind though, that if you go for a mixer with just kill switches, you can't gradually adjust the frequency. It really depends on how you want to use the eq. Personally, I rarely use to whole drop of my eq, and even more rarely do i boost it much. Although there are times when a nice clean cut during a mix of two tracks can sound pretty sweet (check out the tutorial section for tips on eq mixing). The sound of an eq section is really up to personal taste and different people want their eq sections to do different things. If you're going to buy a new mixer, check it out first! The difference between the 'kill' facility on one mixer and the next can be something like 8 times as powerful, so try before you buy!
STRANGE BUTTONS BY THE CROSSFADER?
Trigger? transform? punch in? punch out? flip? They sound like crappy buzzwords to me! But what do they do? Well, to be honest I don't think anybody really knows! Their functionality seems to differ on every mixer. If your crossfader and channel faders are of good build quality, you should be able to do whatever these buttons do yourself (if you have the skill!). But, these types of buttons can enable some tricks to be pulled off very easily. Punch ins (generally) should put the corresponding audio channel in at whatever level the channel fader and gain are at. E.g. Your crossfader is over on the left (channel 1 by itself), you press the punch on the right of the crossfader and channel 2 comes in over channel one at full volume. Scratching wise, they're good for simple stuff like forwards, transforming and cutting, but for tricky technical scratches you're gonna need a dedicated scratch mixer with a scratch curve on it. Obviously punch outs just cut the corresponding channel out. I've never personally used a transform button, but I'm assuming they do the same as a punch in (hence creating a transform scratch). Flips reverse the channels on the crossfader, in the same manner as a hamster switch. And triggers? Well, I've only ever encountered trigger switches once, and to be honest, I couldn't suss out what the f**k they did. It seemed to bring in the corresponding channel in the same manner as a punch in, but it boosted the channel and dipped the other channel by a few db. I found this to be a completely crap and useless feature, and to make matters worse the effect of the trigger switch seemed to change with the position of the crossfader. Mmm, very dodgy. Remember, not all mixers have these switches so try not to rely on them 100% or when you're playing out you'll find doing the same stuff with just the ups or crossfader will be much more difficult. Most purists will say to avoid them but they can be good fun and can supplement an unadjustable crossfader well.
MONITORING
The monitoring section of the mixer is basically the headphone section and the LED level display. For two channel mixers, there is normally just a rotary or fader which enables you to mix both channels together, or keep them separate in your headphones. Also some mixers have the ability to split-cue, which puts the desired cueing channel in one ear, and the master signal in the other. Another feature can be a master monitoring switch so you can hear the mastre signal only in your headphones (which is very cool for skratch practicing. How you like to mix and monitor is up to you, but I think it's a necessity to have the ability to monitor whatever channels you want, and in any combination, and at any level you want. People tend to overlook the importance of the LED display when choosing a mixer. You want it to be accurate and as clear as possible. Also, in my opinion, it's an ABSOLUTE must that you can display the level of each channel before you mix it in, otherwise you just have to use guesswork as to the level of the channel. This can result in mixes where the level of the output changes wildly, and makes balancing the level of a mix that much harder.
MISCELANEOUS
Here are some other things you might find on a mixer and what they do:
Balance controls- These controls are normally found in the form of a rotary or a fader. They're normally on each channel, but sometimes are just for the master output. What they do is enable you to change the balance of the sound to either the left or the right audio channel (speaker!). Most people use it as an effect rather than for actually balancing dodgy records, but it sounds pretty cool if done accurately and not too much.
Fader starts- Probably most commonly seen on Pioneer CDJ set-ups, this enables the mixer to remotely start the cd player when the crossfader moves to bring in that channel. This makes starting a mix at a certain point, straight in, that much easier.
Beat lights- Meant to aid beatmixing by providing a flashing LED in time with the beats of the tracks that are playing, they tend not to help a great deal. You're meant to be able to see that a mix is holding together ok if the lights are flashing in time, but in reality a less than perfect response to anything that isn't a big fat kick drum can make them pretty useless.
Digital BPM meters / beat offset lights- Is it cheating? Well, I don't know, but my advice would be not to learn how to beatmatch by using them. Because sooner or later you're gonna be in a situation where the mixer you're using won't have them, then you'll be stuffed! They work by analysing the tempo of the music playing and displaying the bpm (beats per minute) in LED form. Theory is you then match up the other track by using the pitch control on your decks, and away you go. If this isn't good enough, some mixers also have beat offset lights that track how close together your mix is and show when it's dropping out of time. But, beware, the beat tracking and offset technology sometimes leaves a lot to be desired. Response times can be slow, and if you're playing certain styles of music with complex drum patterns, the mixer will just give up. So, as before, try before you buy!
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- 11:46 -
Komentari (0) -
Isprintaj -
#
26.06.2004., subota
Decks
The biggest question on every person's mind who wants to start mixing / skratching / juggling / annoying neighbours is "Do i really want to jump on another bandwagon?". No that's not right. The real question is "Do i really want to buy / steal that much valuable equipment?" . Well yes and no. It's a pretty hard topic to fully explain and it consists of unlimited pros and cons which you need to weigh up when deciding on what you want to go for (i.e. the length of the expected custodial sentence if you are stealing them). I jumped straight in at the deep end and forked out for a set of Technics with absolutely no knowledge or experience of dj'ing. It felt like the right thing to do at the time and I don't regret it at all. It depends firstly on how much money you've got, and secondly what you're going to use the decks for; gentle beatmatching or full on skratching and body tricks. But if you're going to use the decks in a professional environment you want them to be super reliable and of high build quality so that they can withstand the odd knock or two.
Broadly speaking, decks can be split into 2 categories; belt drives and direct drives. Belt drives work by a rubber band or similar attaching to the platter (yes, the bit that spins!), and hence a motor turning the band. Belt drives are cheap and usually are lacking severely on the build quality side of things. They can be slow to get going and therefore screw up any chance of fast cueing. Also because the motors aren't strong they don't fight right when holding the platter for short periods and this can cause problems when correcting mixes. The tonearms on belt drives tend to be poorly constructed and so the arm can skip a lot during just normal playback. As prices go up the motor system changes from beltdrive to direct drive. Direct drives use the mystical power of magnetic fields and electromagnets to turn the platter. A magnet on the underside of the platter is used to turn it. Direct drives tend to get going quicker on start-up, and have electronic braking systems to stop them. Also the pitch control (the feature which allows the speed of the turntable to be adjusted away from 33/45 by a certain %) on direct drives is generally more accurate, which means when a mix goes wrong, you know it's your fault and not the equipment's!
But is it all Technics Technics Technics? Well the answer can be 'yes' or 'no' depending on who you speak to. The super reliable, comfy as yer slippers old silver 1200mk2 has been lurking about in many dingy pubs and clubs for the last 20 years or so and isn't showing too many signs of going anywhere. People can speculate all they want about how the end of the Technics is nigh, but in reality, it isn't. There may well be technically superior decks out there, but when you walk into 99% of clubs in the world, what do you see in the dj booth? Exactly. The Technics turntable is so established now that it would take a good many years for the change in the market to filter through properly, and that's only if almost every new pair of decks bought weren't Technics. So like it or not they're gonna be here for the forseeable future. But having said all this, there are quite a few other high-end dj turntables out there vying for people's attention.
The main player though is undoubtedly Vestax. Their main contender is the rather lovely PDX-2000.
Vestax PDX-2000
The PDX-2000 is aimed at those who want a Technics alternative with similar features (but with the addition of a +/- 50% ultra pitch fader, which looks seriously cool) and a similar layout but of course with super stable arm (around £800 per pair). It differs from the other Vestax decks in that it uses a brushless style DC motor with adjustable start / braking facilites. Initial reports towards the deck have been very good although you'll still find those hardcore Technics heads who'd feel like they were cheating on their girlfriend if they used them. The only real problem with them to be determined is their reliability over long periods of use (and how well Vestax decide to support them). I've run other a few points in the little buying guide in the beginners info section.
Months go by and seemingly millions of new turntables have been released. Poor old me tries to keep up with these things but really i try to think how much of an impact these new decks are going to have on humanity, and sadly the answer is very little. Most incorporate cosmetic changes and 'AMAZING' new features (and also AMAZING new buzzwords) such as......erm......Gemini's 'new' Straight Arm series: SV-600, SV-2400 and SV-2200. The SV-600 and SV-2400 are direct drive models with the SV-2400 having a little display showing the pitch reading etc. The SV-2200 is a vertically designed model (mmmm wonder where their R&D department stole that from.....) and my whole sweeping ill-informed opinion on them is this: What's the point eh?
MMmmm i dunno. I think i can spot 15 differences. Try printing the picture out, circling the differences in red then sending it back to Gemini and they might give you a big prize.
So there you are, the main contenders for the big £££££. But which should you buy? Should you stick with the trusty old Technics? I'm going to sit firmly on the fence on this issue (but if someone offered me a pair of Vestax decks, I wouldn't say no!). But again when you walk in that club or event, there is likely to be Technics waiting for you, so be warned when relying on features provided on other decks.
THE TONEARM SECTION
What's so important about the tonearm section? Well, lots really. A badly constructed cheap tonearm section can mean that you'll never be able to pull off those cool tricks to impress all your mates. Your needle will skip all over the place like a crazy thing and you'll probably resort to putting about 20p in coppers on the headshell to keep it in place. This will result in watching your records slowly grind away to nothing and increase the wear on the needle itself (if it doesn't just snap!). Obviously pounds mean prizes in the turntable realm and unfortunately the more you spend the better you're going to get (a sad fact of life).
But quality of assembly is half the battle, the other half is setting the tonearm upcorrectly. It's a bit unrealistic for me to try and cover every set-up possible as there are unlimited combinations. Also the cartridge and the way you have fitted it will make a difference to stability, but I've covered a couple of set-ups in the cartridges / needles section.
The 2 types of tonearm
Until recently the tonearm found on every dj deck was S-shaped. The reason for this is to make sure that the needle sits in the groove straight on and not at an angle. The technical name for this is the tracking error angle. In my Technics manual it states that at the outer groove of a 12" record the angle is within 2.5 degrees and at the inner groove is within 0.5 degrees, so we're talking small angles here. This means the sound quality remains as high as is possible with dj decks. But S-shaped tonearms come with one problem, which can be significant in some cases. This is where having payed attention in your Physics lessons may help. Because the tonearm is S-shaped the bend in the arm means there is a turning force acting towards the centre of the platter (the spindle). This means the more weight that is put on the headshell end (by altering the position of the counter-weight), the bigger the force towards the centre of the platter. Therefore if the weight is high, the force towards the centre will be appreciable, so the needle is more likely to skip (or skate) forward. In most cases this doesn't make an enormous difference, because as you put more weight on there is obviously more force acting downwards as well. Put your anti-skate to 0 and you'll probably find that your needle doesn't skip noticeably, but on some dodgy old records which have been through some abuse, it will make the difference between whether your needle skips or not. If you're wondering, the anti-skate adjustment on turntables is a means of offsetting this push towards the centre caused by S-shaped tonearms. This is covered in more detail in the cartridges / needles section.
Now it seems fairly obvious to me, and probably many others, that a way to remedy this is to have a straight tonearm. This would eliminate any turning force towards the centre and hence no need for an anti-skate adjustment. Vestax have introduced straight tonearms to all of their models under the guise of ASTS (Anti Skipping Tonearm System, mmm, very catchy). They have also apparently lowered the centre of mass of the tonearm, so vertical movement and bouncing is reduced. Stanton and Gemini have 'developed' their own imitations and there was a non-official straight tonearm available for fitting onto a Technics 1200 in the U.S. but i'm not sure what happened to them.
But what about the tracking error angle I hear you cry! Well, this is where the problems start. A straight tonearm inevitably causes a very much larger tracking error angle, hence a deterioration in sound quality. I would doubt whether the sound quality difference would be that noticeable unless you were playing them side by side through a very high quality playback set-up. It's also worth noting that you're more likely to get poor sound quality / cue burn from a dirty stylus or a badly set-up cartridge (or other things like poor vibration damping or the obvious one - craply mastered and pressed vinyl). In many cases the straight arm will have advantages when in heavy use as you are likely to get a lower amount of feedback and thudding from the tonearm. The straight tonearm is quite rightly marketed towards skratch dj's, as I would think most put stability above sound quality. But i'm sure mix dj's would also appreciate an unskippable table. But does it work? The answer is a resounding "yes". The deck is practically unskippable with a cartridge set up properly on it. Although unfortunately because the Technics 1200 is still the industry standard, beginners who learn on the straight arm tables may have problems switching to a 1200 in a competition / battle scenario.
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