Monthly Archives: July 2016

Mixing as a DJ

By: Tony Fernandez

First, a DJ must have a passion about music. That’s what usually gets us going down the path of becoming a DJ: a love of music. Along the way we learn programming matters. We figure out that if you line up certain songs in a certain way, you have great crowd responses. We learn to read a crowd; another skill that once developed is indispensable in being able to command a floor / room.

Which brings us to an often-overlooked skill set every DJ should have in their arsenal: mixing (and to a little venting about those DJs who, sadly, couldn’t care less about it).

I believe mixing is something intrinsic to being DJ, a skill so fundamental, so integral, so elementary, and so organic (I’ll lay off the thesaurus now…) that I can’t fathom being a DJ without the ability to blend songs together. Why would anyone shun the ability to make themselves better, make their work better, and to set themselves apart from other DJs?

Mixing allows for a smooth, harmonious and melodious transition from one song to another. Mixing ensures there’s no “dead air” from song to song. Mixing grants your floor / crowd an uninterrupted progression of the musical journey you’re working so hard to create.

Do you want to represent yourself in the best possible way and let the music / mixing speak for your endeavors? Would you rather sound like a bunch of sneakers in the washing machine, or worse — like the local Clear Channel radio station? (Yes, I know Clear Channel is a thing of the past. That’s why I used that name. My lawyers said it was kosher.)

I once had a gentleman point out to me the “history” of DJing, going back to the 1930s. He mentioned prominent names and cited historical dates as hallmarks to bolster his position that these early pioneers were perfect examples of why it wasn’t necessary to concern ourselves with a trivial 3-5 seconds of meshed music.

Well, that is all well and good, but doesn’t mean squat. With all due respect to those pioneers, mobile DJs and club DJs aren’t partying like it’s 1929; today those “deejays” would be called radio personalities. I’ll acquiesce that I can’t do what they can do. I also say with 110% certainty, most radio personalities can’t do what today’s DJs can do.

I’ll challenge ANY DJ to pick 10 songs, that’s 9 segues.

Test A: Don’t mix a lick. Blend, don’t blend, and try to avoid having 4 out of 9 of those segues sound like straight up train wrecks that would have even Marlee Matlin grimacing.

Test B: Mix the tracks in a linear, harmonious fashion.

Then tell me how the floor reacts to each test.
I’m not a betting man, but I’ll lay heavy money the people in Test B are going to have a better experience than the people in Test A.

My point in all this: Learn your craft. Get your fundamentals down pat. If you don’t know how to mix, learn. It’s not that difficult. If I can do it, you can do it. You don’t have to be the Michael Jordan of mixing. Kevin McHale had a Hall of fame career off the bench.

Any mixing is better than no mixing, kinda like sex. Something simple, clean, quick and musical. It doesn’t take much. If you’re not mixing, you’re not DJing (yeah I said it.) Heck, there are apps on your phone that can mix.

There’s no excuse for a professional DJ not to mix. That’s what the Sync button is for.

Now go out there and learn something.

Based out of Richmond, VA, DJ Tony Fernandez has been a DJ, Remixer, Producer, Musical Soothsayer and Audio Gear Oracle since 1980. Find him on facebook. Email djtonytf@gmail.com

5 Life Hacks Every DJ Should Know

Sticky Fingers Free

By Glen Ervin

It’s a fact of DJ life: software crashes, hardware fails, cables fray; things go wrong – typically at the worst possible moment. No doubt you have your own Plan B in place when the inevitable happens; but just in case you missed that episode of MacGyver, here’s a look at a few essential seat-of-the-pants fail-safes.

  1. Ground Hum

If you’ve DJ’d for any length of time, especially with a laptop, midi-controller and a flat screen or two, you’re all-too familiar with the fingers-on-chalkboard sound of 60-cycle hum bleeding though your speakers.

For many the solution seems simple enough — drop the ground; lose the hum. But what you may not know is that simply removing the ground is never a safe option. A far better solution, one that won’t require routing through a ground lift (and the resulting loss of volume and tone), can be easily arrived at with the Ebtech Hum X Ground Loop Hum Exterminator. Easy to use, easy to install, can be used with any device with a 3-prong outlet and will not affect your audio signal.

Kill the hum, not the buzz (or your gear).

  1. Laptop Crash

If an RCA to 1/8” cable isn’t the first cable you run when you’re setting up, it should be. Routinely hook that bad boy up to your smartphone and the emergency playlist of party favorites you have at the ready and you’ll never have more than a few moments of downtime while you reboot.

For an extra layer of prep, keep your emergency playlist on auto play to completely eliminate any chance of dead air.

Also good to have for that pesky laptop switch.

  1. No Mic? Use your headphones!

Here’s something might have missed: If you’re ever in a pinch for a microphone you can always use a pair of headphones. Geek-speak aside, a microphone is pretty much the same as a speaker: both use a diaphragm and magnetic driver to convert sound to current.

How do you do it? Simple. Just grab the nearest pair of headphones and plug them into your mixer’s headphone input. Oddly enough, this seems to work best with cheaper iPhone type earpods, but typically whatever cans you’re wearing will do the job.

  1. Mixer Meltdown

Ouch. This is toughie to bounce back from: Your mixer craps out and you don’t have a back up.

Solution: A 1/8 to dual XLR male cables will let you bypass your new doorstop and route directly from your laptop to most powered speakers.

Have ‘em ready to run and your downtime will be minimum.

   5. The Ultimate Hack

While dead air might not be a matter of life and death, it can sure feel like it when 100 or more people are staring you down.

Remember: There is no panic button on your keyboard.

Stay Calm. It’s the ultimate life hack.

After being turned out to pasture following a 16-year club residency, Glen Ervin finds himself gainfully employed as Promo Only sales manager, media consultant and staff writer.

Meet the Pioneer DDJ-RZX Audio and Video Performance Controller

 

Pioneer DJ is introducing the new DDJ-RZX flagship controller. Designed to make the most of the new rekordbox™ video Plus Pack for rekordbox dj, the DDJ-RZX builds on Pioneer DJ’s heritage of making innovative video DJ equipment like the DVJ-1000 and SVM-1000. The DDJ-RZX is a 4-channel professional controller for mobile DJs and anyone who wants to bring videos into their performances.

 

The DDJ-RZX features three touch screens for viewing track information and applied pad effects. Video previewing and monitoring is sharp on the 7-inch screens, and they give access to all the key features in both rekordbox dj and the new rekordbox video Plus Pack. You only need to use your laptop to browse your rekordbox library and select tracks. Two XLR combo input jacks give distortion-free Mic output and the 3-band Mic EQ and Mic FX let you tune each voice. Plus, the extensive FX unit includes Combo FX, Sampler Repeat and Release FX, as well as the studio-quality Sound Color FX from the DJM-900NXS2 mixer. The DDJ-RZX inherits traits from the CDJ-2000NXS2 multiplayer and DJM mixer series including large jog wheels, multi-colored Performance Pads and high-quality sound.

 

The DDJ-RZX will be available in the U.S. and Canada from July 2016, with a retail price of $2999.00. The DDJ-RZX will come bundled with license keys for rekordbox dj, rekordbox dvs, and rekordbox video Plus Packs (a $377.00 total value).

 

rekordbox video is a Plus Pack for rekordbox dj that adds video performance features to our rekordbox dj performance software. Its key features include:

  • Native control of videos – scratch and add FX to videos as if they were audio tracks
  • Transition FX – use the crossfader to mix two video sources with a choice of 20 built-in FX, or add up to five effects to your favorites and recall them
  • Touch FX – trace on the display’s x and y axes to add FX and adjust parameters
  • Slideshow – create slideshows of still images in advance or on the fly
  • Camera output – show the live feed from a digital camera connected to your computer

 

To buy the rekordbox video Plus Pack for rekordbox dj, follow these steps:

 

  1. Download and install rekordbox music management application version 4.2 for free (available from July 1, 2016).
  2. Purchase a rekordbox dj Plus Pack license key for $129.00 (if you don’t own one already) and activate the Plus Pack.
  3. Purchase a rekordbox video Plus Pack license key for $149.00.

 

If you’re a rekordbox dj monthly subscriber, you can use the video features without buying a license key (included as part of the subscription). Find out more about the rekordbox family.

 

Watch the DDJ-RZX introduction video.

Learn more about the DDJ-RZX rekordbox dj controller.

 

 

KEY FEATURES OF THE DDJ-RZX

 

  1. Layout mirrors a CDJ set-up

Mix audio and videos instinctively with features inherited from the CDJ and DJM series including large jog wheels and multi-colored tactile Performance Pads. The 4-channel controller has an independent sampler section for intuitive control of Beat Sync, Quantize and Trim on the sampler.

 

  1. High-quality sound

Hear the true sound of your tracks thanks to AC inlets for reduced cable contact resistance and a high performance 96 kHz/32-bit D/A converter made by Asahi Kasai. Plus, low jitter clock IC and the 96 kHz/24-bit USB sound card ensure powerful, high-quality sound.

 

  1. Three touch screens for complete control

Take your performances to the next level by using the three 7-inch touch screens to preview/monitor video and image files, and to trigger Beat FX and Release FX. Plus, Touch FX lets you add FX and adjust parameters by tracing on the x and y axes on the display. Use deck display mode to check track information such as titles, BPM and key. Additionally, use mixer display mode to see enlarged waveforms for each track, as well as loop and Hot Cue information. Create instant doubles by simply touching the display.

 

  1. Professional Mic section

Hear voices loud and clear thanks to two XLR combo input jacks for Mics. Control the output with the 3-band Mic EQ and use the four Mic FX – Echo, Reverb, Pitch and V Tune – to add texture and to tune each voice.

 

  1. Extensive FX unit

Add the following FX to your tracks from rekordbox dj or external players and sound sources:

 

  • Combo FX – control Sound Color FX and Beat FX at the same time using the touch screens
  • Sampler Repeat – change the length of a loop just by touching the display and apply Sound Color FX when using the rekordbox dj sampler
  • Sound Color FX with sub parameter control – use the studio-quality Sound Color FX from the DJM-900NXS2 mixer including Sweep, Filter, Crush, Dub Echo, Noise and Space, and fine-tune them using sub parameter control
  • Release FX – exit complex FX patterns by selecting Vinyl Brake, Echo or Back Spin and twisting the dial

 

  1. Other features
  • Active Censor – intuitively control the new Active Censor feature in rekordbox dj. Set in and out points and apply Reverse Roll, Trans, Echo or Vinyl Brake FX to disguise explicit words in tracks. The FX will then be heard whenever the track is played from rekordbox dj.
  • Three bundled license keys – comes with license keys for rekordbox dj, rekordbox dvs and rekordbox video
  • Newly developed crossfader – highly durable and capable of over 10 million movements
  • OSC sampler – four oscillator sounds
  • Dual USB port – for smooth transitions between DJs
  • Brushed aluminum faceplate – high quality and professional design
  • P-Lock fader cap – locks fader knobs to prevent dropping

 

A protective case for the DDJ-RZX will be available. Made from lightweight, durable materials, it has a robust, black metal frame to keep your controller safe during transit. It also features built-in carry handles and wheels for easy transportation (to be sold separately).