dj store uk

Beginners guide to DJ-ing 

from amp to Zig-Zag Scratch heres how to get started

1. the set up - first you need to decide what type of DJ you want to be: what music do you like? More importantly what setup would you most likely want to use?
   you can choose from:
   turntables
   CD turntables
   MP3 - ipod mixers
   MP3 - laptop/digital setup
   each has their own strengths and weaknesses but it makes financial sense to go for the format you are most comfortable with, if you have tons of CDs, go for the CD option, if you use an Ipod, going for an Ipod mixer or a digital set up
2. equipment setup
   turntable DJ-
   two turntables and a mixer
   CDJ-
   Two CD players (note you'll need specialist players with pitch control) and a mixer
   Ipod DJ-
   There are Ipod mixers available which have built in dual players and mixers. Alternatively, the primative set up is two ipods and a mixer (but this max beat matching difficult)
   Digital DJ-
   you'll find a whole host of programs both full price and free for you to use, it makes things a lot more easier when you use a MIDI controller, so its worth investing in one of those.
3. Music-
   one of the key elements of DJing is your music, it makes sense to DJ what you like, but there are elements which will help you to play better
   BPM-
   Beats per minute, knowing this is one of the most important elements of DJing.
   Organizing your music-
   listen to your music, order it as you would if you were playing a full set, it makes sense to group music by emotion as well as style and BPM.
4. LEARN TO BEAT MATCH
   this is the foundation of modern DJing
   essentially its a means to matching the beat of two songs to ensure a smooth transition between one to the other. for CDJs, Ipod DJs and Digital DJs there are tools to assist you in this, but its still best practice to learn this on your own.
   
   With out beatmatching, your mis will sound stunted and broken up.
5. Listen to other DJs, watch them play and try to understand what they are doing, listen to the way their sex is composed, how they transition mixes and how the crowd reacts.
   
   DJing is as much about the audience as it is about the skill of mixing.
6. listen to as much of the style of music as you can, read about whats happening in the industry and new tech that comes out. All this helps to educate you in the lifestyle, methods and techniques of DJs helping you to improve.
7. be patient. Djing isn't easy, but it is alot of fun, don't give up, you'll be able to shift pitch and mix before you know it.

More Pacemaker mixer questions 

more questions and answers on the DJ tool phenominon

• Does the Pacemaker have any sort of wireless transmission? I want to run around and DJ with it
  Wireless transmission is something we've been looking into, and it's definitely something we're hoping to be able to feature in a near future!
• are there two channels?
  The Pacemaker Editor mirrors the functionality of the hand-held Pacemaker, meaning: everything you can do on the hand-held can be done on the computer application and vice versa.
  On the hand-held, the interface is optimized so as to give you access to all tools and features in a prompt or direct context - for deejaying, practicing or just playing around - and is split or doubled over two independent channels, controlled via one interface.
  
  The computer setting allows for more contemplation or control, in terms of previewing what you think you want to create, and hence we designed the interface into what we figured would give a clear view of the mix under construction: as a straight-forward timeline. The tracks are simply layered and overlapping, and each tool (transition, audio effect, filter, etc.) is applicable to either or both tracks.
  
  We've obviously played around quite a bit with the Editor, not least in the developing process, and find it to be really smooth and user-friendly - in how it visualizes the mix under construction, how responsive the software is to audio manipulations, and how accessible any alterations are.
  
  The short answer would be: it's a visualization of the line-out.
• How does thw editor synk with the gadget?
  To sync the content of the hand-held Pacemaker with that of the Editor, you simply plug in via the featured mini-USB into the computer on which you have the Editor installed, and click the 'sync' button in the Editor interface.
  Mixes created and saved on the hand-held are transferred to the Editor, and the other way around. Mixes transferred from the hand-held can of course be adjusted or refined on the Editor and vice versa.
  The hand-held is obviously somewhat more portable, allowing you to bring your stuff wherever you want, in a live setting. The Editor allows for more perfection and studio-like productions.
  The idea here, is to have a platform for mix creation where the one complements the other - on-line, on-foot, on-the-fly; at home, at work, at play - yet being fully compatible in terms of performance and functionality.
  So, in sync is where it's at.
• sorry, really basic question, will it have split que? you, know, one in one ear and one in the other...
  Regarding the split cue question, we haven't planned it at this point, but should there be a strong request for it, it could be something we may add.
• Will there be an option to accept DRM music such as iTunes music on the pacemaker.
  Pacemaker will not support DRM.
• Will it be possible to control the pacemaker with control vinyl or CDs in the future? It could eventually replace my laptop if it did! :P . FS have made their time code open source. Perhaps you could integrate theirs so you don't have to develop it from scratch.
  We are investigating the possibilities to integrate Pacemaker with various platforms for mixing, for recording, for storing and for extending the prospects of portability through the Pacemaker interface.
  
  Open source, within this concept, is something we're endorsing in all directions, believing it to enable, release and encourage lots of creative options directly on and/or via Pacemaker, and widening the scope of sharing music related discoveries.
• Thanks for the feedback on the split cue, or lack off... personally I think this is extremely important, in reality this would probably put me off buying thepacemaker if it wasn't included.I (as with most dj's I know) use split cue to mix, especially when playing in places with rubbish, or no direct, monitoring. I imagine the pacemaker as a device which will allow me to dj anywhere, at any time, subsequently, I want to be able to mix with accuracy, even if the equipment isn't amazing.Please include split cue-ing, I think I speak for most (professional) dj's when I say that it really is a necessary feature.
  Regarding split cue:
  
  The way we've solved it, is that you can listen to either channel in the cue output, where you set on the headphone crossfader how much of a cue channel and line-out that is mixed into it - that is; in the cue output it is possible to listen to the cue channel only, or the line-out only, or anything in between.
  
  What we haven't implemented today, is the option to mono mix and split the cue output so that you, for example, have one channel mono in the left stereo channel and the other channel mono in the right stereo channel.
  
  Though this is quite easy to implement, we have opted for the solution described above - however; should you have an explicit request for it, now is the time for feedback! (Perhaps we should make this a user option under the Pacemaker settings menu?)
  
  Of course, much of the software will be continuously upgradeable, so we really want your feedback, now and forever!
• Will there be some kind of digital out, such as over optical or coaxial?
  The Pacemaker hand-held runs an embedded Linux operating system on a powerful ARM processor. It is prepared to support S/PDIF (digital out).
• Also a question, what is the architecture for this device.Operating system, etc?
  With reference to the progressive updating of Pacemaker software, integration with interesting products (like Ableton Live, Serato/Rane) will be attended to continuously. There's plenty of good stuff out there that indeed would be nice to interlace with the prospects of portability, and we're all ears (and eyes). Let us know your needs. We'll take all your input into our considerations.
• I think the idea on the cue output sounds good, if I understand it correctly. Is it like it is on a normal mixer? Like for exampe on the djm 800 where ther is a knob controlling the amount of the cue channel and the lineout in the cue output?
  recisely. It's quite similar to how it is on standard mixers, like the Pioneer DJM800 and equivalent. Instead of a knob to control the mix of the cue channel and the line-out in the cue output, the same function is accessed by adjusting the headphone crossfader.
  
  The headphone crossfader is set by pushing the P-button downwards - the crossfader then temporarily swiches from line-out crossfader to headphones monitoring, at any blend proportions.
• Superb product, cant wait to get my hands on one! How are you dealing with the issues of people uploading mixes with copyrighted material in them
  It will be possible - and legal - to publish a mix within our upcoming web community, but we cannot yet reveal how this is actually made possible. We'll be publishing a feature on the topic on this page shortly, so hang in there and check back in a couple of weeks for the full story.
• What will the S/PDIF be over, coaxial, optical, or what?
  The Pacemaker has S/PDIF out via coaxial.
• I saw the pacemaker in the ifa exhibition. Which is the relation of AKG with the pacemaker?
  Regarding AKG and our joint presence at IFA; it's our ambition to provide a music platform based on products and services of the highest quality standards available in performance and usability. When we were introduced to the opportunity to collaborate with AKG on headphones and possibly other accessories within the concept, we of course thought it sounded like sweet music in our ears ;-)
  
  At this stage, we are pursuing the idea together to co-operate on headphone solutions for various needs and inclinations. And that's pretty darn good stuff too.
• Could you please explain or demo the usage of the pitch bending feature?
  We'll shortly publish a couple tutorial films on this site, performed on the Pacemaker, demonstrating the basic functionality. Forerunning this, let us just give a quick-and-easy answer your question on the pitch bending: bending is achieved simply by rotational input on the touchpad; rotate clockwise to temporarily accelerate the playback speed, and anti clockwise to temporarily decelerate it (in analogy of, say; turntables with underlying RPM).
• How is the Master Tempo / Key Lock feature implemented? Is there like an on/off -virtual- switch you can use at any moment just like in the Pioneer CDJ-1000's for instance? will bending while in MT mode alter the pitch of the tune or (as expected) only stretch it with no harmonic consequences?
  Featured in the premiere edition Pacemaker will be the parallel BPM/key version. The algorithms we are utilizing for the Master Tempo functionality are at this point just a bit too power consuming, however steadily improving. This function still needs some optimizing and shall, if not included in the premiere edition, be available through software updating around the bend.
• When you use the touchpad to access EQ bands, sliding to the left gives access to Gain. What happens when you access the left side of the touchpad when in FX mode? (P-Button)
  When pressing the 'P-button' upwards, a set of audio effects and/or filters will be brought forward; distributed as points of a compass. These sets are optionally reconfigurable in the settings menu, and we have not yet mapped the effects to specific compass points, nor decided upon what should be the default palette. (We get a lot of feedback on this specific issue from the many DJs we're collaborating with, and the preferences are as many as there are deejays, so we're thinking it's better to leave it up to the user to allocate the effects and filters of choice to the ditto spots.) We're also developing an API so that anyone can create her/his own audio effects and filters.
• Is there a way to increase/decrease sensitivity of the touchpads so that modifications to parameters can be more/less precise? If there is, is this feature adjustable for each of the parameters modified by the touchpad / X-fader?
  Would be nice to have such depth of customization (I'm thinking Traktor's different levels of precision for their controllers for instance).
  We believe it's important to open up as much as possible to user configuration - so as to support any preferred style of mixing. We are in the process of developing an interface, accessible through the Pacemaker Editor, enabling customization of a connected hand-held Pacemaker.
• A few questions. Is there a line volume fader? Is the female line out connection replaceable if the unit gets dropped/ kicked/ bashed? Are there any plans to have a unit with RCA or 1/4'' outs? Is the crossfader curve adjustable?
  Yes, Pacemaker will have lineout volume, independent gain level setting for each channel, lineout crossfader and cue (headphone) fader.
  
  We've designed Pacemaker so that it can withstand rough treatment (or any kind of over-passionate party handling).
  
  At this point there is no plan to support RCA or 1/4'' out for this Pacemaker model.
  
  Initially, there will be one or two crossfader curves to choose from - over time, we will release software updates as well as add support for customizing
• What audio formats will it support. Hoping for Ogg Vorbis and Flac support. Will there be any trouble connecting it to a Linux PC?
  Pacemaker will support OGG Vorbis and Flac (as well as WMA Lossless, WMA 128-320 Kbps, WAV, AAC and MP3).
  
  The Pacemaker Editor will be released in Windows and OSX versions only. We are currently working on Linux compatibility. More news on this ahead.
• I wish you the best with this product and I'm very impatient to have it in my hands.
  One question, is there a possibility to create a playlist live during the playing ? That is to say, adding songs while the player is running, moving songs order, deleting others in the playlist ?
  es, it's possible to create 'playlists' live. Everything you do when in DJ mode is saved onto the harddrive, to be replayed whenever or to be transferred to the Pacemaker Editor. You can create a mix with transitions and audio manipulations, a plain playlist, or anything in between. Regarding moving and/or deleting tracks in a commenced mix, this is a feature we will explain more in depth in an up-coming news post.
• First, will there be any accessories? Such as, a wired remote? I ask because I plan to get this, and hook it up to a portable headphone amplifier, and I'd like to carry it around in like a camera bag or something, and it would be much more accessible for me if there was some kind of wired remote, so I wouldn't have to take the pacemaker out of the bag to skip a song, pause, or something else.
  
  Second, let's say you start offering the Pacemaker with, like, a 160gig harddrive, would owners, of an older Pacemaker, be able to send it into some kind of authorized (by you) place to have the upgraded hard drive installed?
  Pacemaker is prepared to support a wired remote control via the headphone jack. We plan to offer this accessory (and a few other, which will be featured in an up-coming post) sometime after the product launch.
  
  There is no planned service offered to replace the hard-drive.
  
  Pacemaker is prepared for USB hosting. We are evaluating if and hence when to implement support for this in our software, since the hand-held Pacemaker is designed so as to optimally sync with the file structure system represented in the Pacemaker Editor (and simply because this function borders on morality aspects of grey-zone dissemination of copyright material).
• ve read that this unit will beat match the tracks itself but as a dj this will take the fun out of the hole experence. Is there also a Manual Pitch Control?
  Manual pitching is done by pressing the P-button upwards and rotating on the touchpad clockwise to continuously increase the BPM and anticlockwise to decrease.
  
  Bending (temporarily accelerating/decellerating the speed) is done by rotational input much in the same manner, without pressing the P-button.
  
  (Automatic beat matching is a settings option.)
• maybe a stupid question, but where do you change the volume?
  Gain (preamp) is accessed by stroking from center-to-left on the touchpad and rotating along the perimeter; clockwise to increase and anti-clockwise to lower.
  
  Master volume is in the menu (shortcut access) and is adjusted through simple rotational input on the touchpad.
  
  Headphones volume is easily adjusted by pressing the P-button downwards and rotating on the touchpad.
• The PAcemaker works only with BAttery , i mean can't we use it while it is charged?
  Sure, it's operational while charging via the featured DC charger. Full charge time is about 1.5 hrs.
  
  When connected to your PC/Mac via the featured mini USB cable, Pacemaker is charging at a slower rate and is operational unless online or syncing with the Pacemaker Editor.

The Tip sheet 

in need of a few mix pointers

1. Whether you use vinyl, CD or MP3 - the most important thing you can do is find an exact cue point. In most instance, this cue point will be a bass drum - and it'll probably be either the very first bass beat of the entire tune, or it'll be the first beat of a phrase in the intro.
2. The easiest way to work out whether your tune is playing too fast or too slow, is to introduce a volume difference. So, we need to change the mixer settings slightly, so they're similar to what you hear in your headphones (when using headphone mix). It's simple - keep the cross fader in the middle, but the channel fader for the tune that you just leave playing should be set to around 50%-75% of the one you're trying to start in time.
   
   What this means is that when you play the two tunes, one of them (the one you want to start, which is the CUED track) will be louder than the other one (the LIVE track). So, the CUED track plays it's loud bass beats as a BOOM and the LIVE track plays its beats as a softer, loom sound. And this is how you gauge what's going on.
   
   * When you hear B'loom - that sound is created because the Boom comes before the loom sound.
   * When you hear l'Boom - that sound is created because the loom sound comes before the Boom sound
   
   It'll probably take a few attempts at starting your tunes and really listening to the sound of the bass beats to be able to hear these sounds, and properly identify B'loom or l'Boom - and you may want to play with how loud the LIVE track is playing in case that helps too - but believe me, once you hear it, you'll always hear it (kinda like looking at a Magic Eye picture. It takes ages to learn the knack of seeing the hidden image, but once you manage it, you always manage it).
3. t's extremely important that needing to actually count the beats is something you get past. Beat-counting is NEVER something you should need to do regularly - if you need to stand in a DJ booth and count each beat and bar as it passes - you are still at a very early development level in your DJ career - and should spent time to go through the process, listen to your tunes, listen to all the indicators (cymbal crashes, the melody, lyrics, crescendos (buildups) etc) that let you know where you are in the tune, and then start to use your knowledge of structure, combined with your memory of the tune - to let you know where you are
4. If you have access to a huge bank of EQ's (not just the Hi, Mid and Low on your DJ mixer) you can often isolate a tiny part of a vocal, and keep it - but you still won't be able to remove the vocal and keep a plain beat. I mention in the book a friend of mine in a band called "Pacifica" who used the vocal sample from Heart of Glass by Blondie. It's simply the "Ooo ooo Aaaah Aaaah" thing she does. In Heart of Glass, there's one bar where she sings it with very little else going on, just drums I think. Well, Donald and the engineer spent a LONG time in the studio with a bank of effects and EQ's trying to filter out all the unwanted sounds to give as clean as possible a version of the sample. In the end, you can still faintly hear the hi-hats from the original tune playing, but as it's over music from the Pacifica tune, that's not too much of a worry.
5. If you just go for really cheap equipment, you'll eventually tire of its limitations, and upgrade it a few months down the line - spending a lot more money in total than you would if you'd gone out and bought good equipment in the first place. Ok, I know it's easy for me to say 'Spend £1,000 on two SL1210's and DJM400' - it is unfeasible in most cases - but be aware that, like the man said, if you buy cheap - and you do really take to DJing - you'll end up buying twice - the second time so you can get equipment that'll let you be the DJ you should (or could) be.
6. Headphones need to be given a lot more credit than they're normally given in a start out set of equipment. Your headphones are the link to how to mix. If you can't hear the tune in your headphones clearly while trying to beatmatch, you're going to have a lot of trouble. Make sure when you pick yours, they sound great (a good solid bass drum, with crisp hi-frequencies, and a Mid range that doesn't make your ears quivver in pain!) are comfortable to wear and preferably have a closed back to the ear-cups in order to reduce external noise.
7. Being a DJ means using DJ equipment to maximize the smooth transition between tracks:
   
   * you need to maintain the right level of energy
   * keep people dancing all night
   * don't cheese out the hardcore crowd
   * don't play too hard and annoy the ladies
   * try to avoid blowing up the sound system
8. To keep the crowds energy up you as the DJ must use your equipment skillfully. The crowd may have no idea what you are doing but they will appreciate the results. Those people in the crowd who do know about DJing will also respect your skill and ability to keep your cool in a thumping club, in front of a big audience. It's not easy to make a nice tight, smooth mix for hours on end.
9. Remember you need DIRECT-DRIVE turntables. They offer the best torque for cueing records. The Stanton T.60 Direct Drive Turntable has enough power to get you started.
10. Make your on DJ slip mats out of felt for about $5. Go to your local fabric store and get about 2 yards of felt fabric.
    
    Take a record, place of on the felt, out line it in fabric chalk or with a marker and cut along the line you just made. Presto! A perfectly usable custom made slip mat.
    
    By the way, you know the plastic that your vinyl comes in? Cut a piece the same size as the slip mat. Place that on the turntable platter first then place your custom made slip mat on top of that. I found that reduces the friction even more.
11. Follow the manufacturers guidelines to installing your DJ cartridge. There're different tone arm settings for battle DJs and club DJs.
12. Break in your mixer slowly. Learn all of its features to maximize you DJ skills as you build them. Later on you should try experimenting cutting the music in and out with different mixer settings. Try to develop your own unique style.
13. Your DJ headphones should be light weight to reduce ear fatigue and closed ear design to avoid outside interference with your mix.
    Assuming you have a way to amplify your DJ set such as a stereo system that should be it.
14. cratching takes years to master. If you want to become good, you'll be doing LOTS of practice. Every time you perform a scratch on a certain sample, you're wearing it away. It's essential not to practice with your treasured vinyl collection! Get yourself a couple of battle records to practice with and when they wear away, get some more. I'd recommend SuperSeal, because it has some common sounds and fresh arranged so they're skipless.
15. You are always responsible to be your own teacher; if you are having trouble with an aspect of your learning, break the problem down into steps that you can solve, and watch yourself progress. Buy ten solid house records, or minimal techno, or whatever, but all within a narrow enough range. Work that limited bag off itself, just to the bone. Add other stuff if/when you want, but design problems you can solve, then solve them, and move on, a nice plan.

Beatmixing tips and tricks 

1. Obviously, if you're old enough, you want to visit nightclubs where you can watch the DJ from a distance. Avoid revealing your desire to be a DJ (until the DJ is finished) because s/he may spin differently if they know you're watching (i.e., s/he may be intimidated). Many raves also offer the opportunity to watch world-class DJ's. In addition, try nightclub afterhours and parties.
2. Try a local record store that sells vinyl for DJ's. These stores often have a DJ mix set-up. Watch other DJ's until you feel comfortable asking someone for tips. Remember: DJ's like to help other DJ's.
3. You may want to consider getting a job as a mobile DJ. Depending on where you live, these companies are often eager to hire and train new DJ's. If you choose this route, be sure to work at a company that teaches beat mixing and formatting.
4. Get a job as a nightclub light-jock. While the pay is relatively low, a light jock is in the best position to watch a DJ's success and failure at getting a dance floor. You may also have the opportunity to practice during the off hours (i.e., daytime).
5. A DJ usually listens to the drum beat of the song (i.e., 4/4 time).
6. Most dance tracks have an "intro" (where you mix into it) and a break and/or "outro" (where you mix out of it). An "outro" area on a track is often the final opportunity to mix out of the song; while a "break" may be an earlier opportunity to mix out of a song. A song can have more than one break, but will have only one outro.
7. Be sure to read about "cueing" a record in the Scratching section. Cueing CD's is similar to the vinyl slip-cue method (you cue the CD just before [almost on] the first note of the song). You must have a professional disc jockey CD player with "instant start" (so the song begins exactly when you hit the play button).
8. It's important for you to understanding the BPM (beats per minute) of a song. Here's how you determine BPM: (1) For example, play "Good Times" by Chic; and (2) starting with the first beat (a bass drum), start counting to the beat of the song; (3) After one minute on a stop-watch, determine how many beats you've counted. This song is 112 beats per minute (and you should write that on the cover). To save you time, some mixers have a BPM counter on the board. As a rule, most hip hop songs are under 115, most house songs are over 115, and most trance and hard-house songs are over 125 BPM. Drum-n-Bass and Jungle tends to be twice the BPM of hip hop tracks (160 to 200+ bpm).
9. As you listen to the song being played (song one) on the dance floor, cue the song that you want to beat match (song two) through your headphones on the other turntable or CD player. When song one "breaks" to end in its outro section, start the new song at the first beat of its "intro" (thus, you're matching the "intro" of song two with the "break" or outro segment of song one). As you match the drum beats, place your hand on the turntable or CD player's pitch adjust to gradually adjust the speed. As one hand adjusts speed, place the other hand on the mixer and gradually slide the crossfader so that song one's volume declines and song two's volume increases.
10. When the mix is finished, be sure that the new song's volume is exactly at the volume of the previous song. Even if the new song seems as loud as the one being played, watch the bass or high-end volume (of the song you're "bringing in") to make sure that you don't muddle-distort the mix. You should be aware that not all songs are recorded at the same volume level.
11. When you're new, you should only attempt to beat match songs that are plus or minus three (±3) BPM from each other. Thus, you would mix Chic's 112 BPM Good Times into a song that's between 109 and 115 BPM, but not into a song that's 125 BPM (that would sound odd).
12. Since every song is in the key of something (i.e., C-sharp), some DJ's only match songs with keys that compliment each other (in addition to matching BPM).
13. A DJ should always keep his or her hand on the pitch adjust when mixing. As flashy as it may look, you may not realize that touching the vinyl may create swoosh sounds that only a trained (and sometimes untrained) ear could detect. Thus, avoid touching the vinyl/platter to adjust its speed (unless you're scratching or trying to manipulate the note).
14. Use a metronome, drum machine, or beat-sensing device to determine the bpm of the songs or beats you want to work with, and write the tempos down. Once you choose two songs to beat match, write down the variable pitch settings you're using to put them in sync.
15. There are dots on the side of the platter that are lit by a colored light (often red or pink) on most DJ turntables. When the turntable is operating at exactly 33-1/3 or 45 rpm, the dots look like they're standing still.
16. As you scratch, hold, spin, drag, or adjust the pitch of your records, watch the dots to see when the record speed changes. If the dots look like they are staying still, the record's speed is not changing. The faster the dots seem to move, the more you are slowing down or speeding up the record.
17. When two copies of the same record are close to being in sync, the records will sound "phased." Or, if the records are already in sync, when they start to sound phased, it's a sign that they are drifting apart. You can also use this sound, also referred to as "flanging," as a musical effect.