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Harmonic mixing will enable you to make smoother transitions and really elevate your DJ sets to the next level.A persistent BPM pads through its center, unifying the mix's hundreds of hiccups and digital spindles like the deftest of Calatrava spans.
#Transitions dj review software#
We can see a visual representation of these relationships on the Camelot Wheel:ĭJ software like Serato and Rekordbox offers key analysis so you can instantly organise tracks that are from the same (or similar) key. For example, tracks written in C Major will also work well with their neighbours in F Major and G Major, as well as A Minor. Musical keys also have relationships with each other and the closer they are, the more likely they are to work together in harmony. But you don’t have to stick to the same key all the time - in fact, this would probably be quite boring). The same goes for DJing: two songs that are from the same key (e.g both are in C Major) will generally work in harmony together, and this should result in minimal clashes between them when mixed, especially if they are in the same genre and BPM range. If the notes are from the same scale, they will generally sound like they ‘belong’ together. If you know anything about music theory, you may already know that musical notes have relationships with each other: all the notes of the C Major scale can be arranged in sequences to create harmonious symphonies. Once you’re satisfied that the two tracks are in sync, slowly bring up the fader on the second track so that the audience can hear the two songs perfectly mixed.
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If it’s slightly off, you can nudge it along using the jog wheel on the CDJ. Play the second track in your headphones and make sure it’s lined up and in sync with the outgoing track. Again, you’ll need to count the beats and bars to find the right place to drop the second track in. In your headphones and with the fader down so that only you can hear it, cue up the first beat of the second track (i.e the first kick drum) so that it’s in time with the beat of the first track. Load the track on to the second deck and using the tempo slider, change the BPM to match the track that is already playing. Now you need to prepare your second track to mix in to. Play your first track with the fader up so that the audience can hear it. Start by choosing two tracks that are from the same genre and in a similar BPM range (for example, 120 – 125 BPM). If two tracks do not share the same BPM, the DJ can adjust the tempo slider on the deck so that they match up.
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DJs do this by playing two tracks at the same tempo, which is counted in beats per minute (BPM). If you’re using a classic vinyl turntables setup – you’ll have to rely on your ears.īeat-matching is the art of getting two (sometimes more!) songs to play at the same time, with their beats in sync. If you’re using CDJs or a laptop and DJ software, you can make use of visual aids and use the waveforms to guide your mixing decisions. Many would argue that DJing is beat-matching, and so this transition is one of the most important on the list. Beat-matching is a core skill in the DJ’s toolkit – it takes some practice to get it right, but it’s an essential technique if you’re serious about DJing.
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