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Jamie D Music
04-12-2013, 03:18 PM
I've never done a transition by stopping one deck with the power cut or spinback style effects and then simply pressing start on the other deck but want to try it out. I can't help thinking it kills all the momentum but maybe I'm doing it all wrong. Is this a wise technique to use and should I still make sure it's all beatmatched even though I will be trying to create the impression it's a random spinback/break with some silence between one track ending and the other starting?

Baller95
04-12-2013, 05:44 PM
Lol did you get this idea reading one of my posts? :P But no, if you do this you don't need to beatmatch.

Jamie D Music
04-12-2013, 05:59 PM
Lol did you get this idea reading one of my posts? :P But no, if you do this you don't need to beatmatch.

Nope but what is the link as it will no doubt help me?

Baller95
04-12-2013, 06:25 PM
Right here! http://www.djforums.com/forums/showthread.php?24284-Transitions-(Bridging-tracks)

Finnish_Fox
04-12-2013, 06:28 PM
I've never done a transition by stopping one deck with the power cut or spinback style effects and then simply pressing start on the other deck but want to try it out. I can't help thinking it kills all the momentum but maybe I'm doing it all wrong. Is this a wise technique to use and should I still make sure it's all beatmatched even though I will be trying to create the impression it's a random spinback/break with some silence between one track ending and the other starting?

Its all about timing. If you nail it, momentum keeps going, if you don't it sounds bad... really really bad. Just takes practice.

I am horrible at it, my buddy is pretty good at it - night and day difference.

Finnish_Fox
04-12-2013, 06:30 PM
But no, if you do this you don't need to beatmatch.

Perhaps that is what goes into making it sound good? Can't speak for anyone else, but when my buddy does his spinback, he's been mixing the song in for 2'-3' (so in that case he does have to beat match and phrase the track properly) and then just does the spinback instead of EQ's or fading out completely.

Jamie D Music
04-12-2013, 06:54 PM
Right here! http://www.djforums.com/forums/showthread.php?24284-Transitions-(Bridging-tracks)

Cheers mate that is a useful post and if I had seen that I wouldn't have started this thread because you are spot on when you refer to the stop one track, air horn and second track starting technique. That is exactly what I'm trying to achieve. It's amazing timing because I found two tracks tonight that seemed to work when I kill one track and start the other and wanted to get advice on it.

I've been working away at this mix for a while and this timing seems ideal for a major breakdown to let the listener 'regroup' after an onslaught of hardcore rave beats and prepare them for the final push.

Jamie D Music
04-12-2013, 07:30 PM
Its all about timing. If you nail it, momentum keeps going, if you don't it sounds bad... really really bad. Just takes practice.

I am horrible at it, my buddy is pretty good at it - night and day difference.

I've noticed this. It needs to be perfectly timed which adds to the risk factor. I get it wrong way more times than I get it right.

richiesaint
04-12-2013, 10:13 PM
I've done two variation of this:

1. You need two songs that go very well together. Start song 1 then beatmatch in song 2. Play both simultaneous and time both tracks so that they advance to a major drop at the exact same time. Right before the drop spin back song 1. The key to making it sound right is you have to time it so that the spin back noise ends right at the drop. I trial and error this until I find the exact spot to add a cue point which dictates the start of the spin back.

2. Play song 1 then transition to song 2. While song 2 is playing, re-cue song 1 to the first beat of the hook of the song. When song 2 reaches a major exciting part spin it back. Then hit play on song 1. To add suspense, I do a five count between the time the spin back ends and hitting play. Not sure I'd actually want to do this one to a live dance floor but it's fun to do on a mix tape. This approach also works with the brake effect.

Finnish_Fox
04-13-2013, 12:10 AM
Mixing tonight and, no shit, my buddy busted a spinback and the goddam track ended up right back on beat with the volume fader up. Insane.

Sigma
04-13-2013, 05:16 AM
Here's a good example of a spinback done well during a transition between Beggin' by Madcon and Sweet About Me by Gabriella Cilmi done by DJ Loop Skywalker: -

http://www.sigmamixes.com/misc/loopclip.mp3

The timing is perfect, as is how hard he pulled the record back when doing the spinback. So you don't have to only use spinbacks to transition between two songs where you haven't beatmatched them.

With power downs, there's two types - turning the power off on the deck for a gradual slow down, or pressing the stop button to get that brief "slur" type effect.

Here's a couple of examples of the "press stop" type power downs: -

This is from the first mix I ever recorded when I got my PDX-2000s. It's just an example of hitting the stop button during a regular transition to get that "slur" instead of just slamming the fader over to take one track out of the mix: -

http://www.sigmamixes.com/misc/slur1.mp3

And here's another one from the same mix where I don't actually blend the 2 tracks together. I just hit stop on one, then bring the other one in: -

http://www.sigmamixes.com/misc/slur2.mp3

So again, it's all about timing really.

As for turning the power off, I don't really have a good example of that to hand from a live mix, but here's one from a studio mix I did where I use a short power down to go from a faster track to a slower one: -

http://www.sigmamixes.com/misc/powerdown.mp3

So there's 2 ways to use this really. You can use it like I did there, to try and make a fairly smooth blend between fast and slow. So for example, you could baby scratch the start of the incoming track along to the track that's playing, turn the power off on the track that's playing so it starts to slow down - so your scratching slows down too - then at the opportune moment you release the incoming track into the mix. The other way to use it is when you want the transition to be obviously more abrupt, so you can power down a track, wait until it's virtually stopped, then bam - you bring in a big tune. So sometimes you want to throw the crowd a curve ball that makes them go "what's going on?", then you hit them with that big tune, so it's like up/down/up done very quickly if you know what I mean.

KLH
04-13-2013, 05:50 AM
I use spin backs and brakes to bridge tracks with big BPM or genres differences.

-KLH

HBBoogie
04-13-2013, 06:40 AM
With some turntables like the Stanton 150's, you can do a reel to reel fast rewind type of effect using the motor off/on switch, reverse and the %50 pitch. Im sure you could do it with other tt's too, but I've never tried it on them.

Just turn your motor switch off and on real quick and while your track is winding down, set your pitch to the %50+- setting and put it at 0+- and turn on reverse. (none of these setting changes will effect the turntable until you hit the start button.) As soon as your track stops from winding down hit start and slide your pitch fader to %50+.

You should get something that sounds like this


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0VeyVGPeVo

definitely not something to use all the time or anything, but a pretty cool effect anyway.

DJ Retro Blaze
04-13-2013, 10:27 AM
Sometimes I do back spins (single, double or triple) or break stops to end transitions or cut between two tracks. On occassion, the back spins will occur immediately after a break stop.

In regards to powering down the turntable, I have seen other DJs do it, but I have not done so myself. I have always preferred using break stops, and adjusting the brake speed for changing the slow down time duration.

Baller95
04-13-2013, 10:31 AM
Here's a quick beat matched backspin transition I just did (128BPM to 62BPM) -
https://soundcloud.com/kingofhearts100/beat-matched-spinback

Jamie D Music
04-14-2013, 06:37 AM
Cheers for the examples they show how many different techniques can be applied. I'm playing around with it and will definately do this as a transition mainly because I've never done it before and want to try something new in the mix. What seems to work best is using the break on the outgoing deck, having a few seconds of crowds cheering, air horns, whistles...and then starting the second track over the crowd cheering. I need to find a suitable track of crowds cheering to do it with and it will all essentially be 3 beatmatched tracks but give the impression of a DJ stopping the decks at a rave.

It could sound terrible so I'll upload a recording of it make sure it works. Breaking one deck and starting the other sounds ok when timed right but I feel more comfortable having it all beatmatched so I know the timings will be correct. I suppose that shows my lack of experience with manupulating music in this way.

iBoogieDown
04-14-2013, 07:39 PM
With all the great advice and examples already provided by other members, I have little to add to the discussion in this regard.

What I would like to add is that over time as you listen to more music and with all that comes with wisdom and experience, you will develop the "ear" to add more technique to your mixes. Sigma's examples are quite on point and are great examples. For your genre of music that you like spinning to, start by listening to your fave dj's and start from there.

Right now you may not feel comfortable, but later you will find that the usual blending techniques may get boring to you. Kind of like eating the same meal everyday.