EDM DJs: How did you acquire a style?

[BurntToast]

Title may be a bit misleading for what I'm getting at, so let me elaborate. I've only been doing this for a couple of weeks. I'm starting to get the basics down... beat matching, matching phrases, quickly dropping songs in, and tastefully using an effect once in a while. I like to let the tracks play and not take anything away from them by trying to overdo it.

A lot of edm DJ's I've seen look a lot busier than I do, yet they are obviously capable of cueing a track and matching it way faster than I am, so they should appear less busy in that sense. I feel like aside from cueing up the song and matching it, I'm usually just kind of chilling until I'm ready to mix the next track. I realize that what I see from the pros has to be taken with a grain of salt (because lots of people pretend their doing more than they are), but I know some are actually throwing in some tricks and whatnot.

Basically, I'm asking:

What the hell are you guys doing when you're not cueing up a song or transitioning from one to the next? I just feel like I have too much free time to stand around while a song is playing.

[zaxl]

i have observed a lot of DJ's making frantic, yet tiny changes to every knob on their mixer in order to appear more busy than they really are. that probably accounts for a good deal of what you're seeing

[DJNR]

i have observed a lot of DJ's making frantic, yet tiny changes to every knob on their mixer in order to appear more busy than they really are. that probably accounts for a good deal of what you're seeing

I don't know if it is just me, but I always hear little things I want to change. In hindsight, I am actually doing something, but I may look like I'm just twisting knobs frequently.

[Finnish_Fox]

Depends on when.... if the track is playing and no mixing is going on, at best some EQ tweaks or rocking an FX? There is a lot of unnecessary touching of knobs by DJs, though.

When the tracks are mixing and they've got them matched, blending the EQs.

[BurntToast]

So you guys also spend a lot of of time not touching the gear and dancing/head bobbing to the track? Maybe I'll go back and watch some youtube footage to get a better grasp on what's being done.

[Finnish_Fox]

So you guys also spend a lot of of time not touching the gear and dancing/head bobbing to the track? Maybe I'll go back and watch some youtube footage to get a better grasp on what's being done.

Depends on where. At my house, in front of a few people, that's pretty much all I do... if I play for a crowd, there is a lot more internal pressure to get everything just right, hence to constant fiddling even if unnecessary.

In most cases, its going to be minute (aka unnoticeable to most) EQ changes.

[DJNR]

So you guys also spend a lot of of time not touching the gear and dancing/head bobbing to the track? Maybe I'll go back and watch some youtube footage to get a better grasp on what's being done.

I don't think anyone said that necessarily. Let me elaborate on my technique:

Typically when I mix, I very rarely mix from start to end. I know a lot of people that do this, but frankly it leads to a lot of "dancing/head bobbing to the track" which defines your as predictable, uninspiring, and boring. Instead, I try to find ways that I can mix two tracks with each other, so that they compliment the other by highlighting an aspect that the other doesn't have. For example, if track A has a really low and heavy bass line, but lacks a synth or melody, I will try to find a track that will fill that requirement and mix them together. Sometimes I jump around in tracks, and I'll throw down a bass line or kick pattern into a breakdown of another tracks so that I don't lose energy. From there, it is all about EQ blending, and knowing when to transition into another track.

Another thing I find since I mix on turntables that I can never beat match two tracks and just leave them be, because if I do, they end up getting off beat because of of turntable pitch drift, so I am constantly having to re-match the tracks.

If you really want to try and push yourself and do more, try keeping your two channels live as much as possible. Find ways that two tracks compliment each other, rather than just simply mixing into one, and out the other. In other words, challenge yourself to keep two tracks playing at the same time as much as possible with little down time in between, and see if you can make them sound good by bringing out the qualities of each track. I know that's vague, but you will understand more as you spend a little more time mixing.

[DJNR]

In most cases, its going to be minute (aka unnoticeable to most) EQ changes.

I find it unnoticeable after I have actually made the mix and listened to it, but in the process of making the mix, EQs stand out to my ears like a sore thumb.

[Finnish_Fox]

Typically when I mix, I very rarely mix from start to end. I know a lot of people that do this, but frankly it leads to a lot of "dancing/head bobbing to the track" which defines your as predictable, uninspiring, and boring. Instead, I try to find ways that I can mix two tracks with each other, so that they compliment the other by highlighting an aspect that the other doesn't have. For example, if track A has a really low and heavy bass line, but lacks a synth or melody, I will try to find a track that will fill that requirement and mix them together. Sometimes I jump around in tracks, and I'll throw down a bass line or kick pattern into a breakdown of another tracks so that I don't lose energy. From there, it is all about EQ blending, and knowing when to transition into another track.

Hmmm... I tend to mix beginning to end because (a) house music intro are intended for that and (b) my thing is having the two tracks playing simultaneously for as long as possible with elements from each playing off each other. Basically...

1st track... 1st track drop... start throwing in second track... phase out bass on track 1 as the drop for track 2 approaches and, at that point, I either cut out track 1 or let track 1 play through the breakdown.

Effectively... go from drop to drop to drop to drop.

Another thing I find since I mix on turntables that I can never beat match two tracks and just leave them be, because if I do, they end up getting off beat because of of turntable pitch drift, so I am constantly having to re-match the tracks.

Happens with CDJs as well, although to a considerably lesser extent.

Good point, though, when mixing with wax, I always have one eye on the decks.

If you really want to try and push yourself and do more, try keeping your two channels live as much as possible. Find ways that two tracks compliment each other, rather than just simply mixing into one, and out the other. In other words, challenge yourself to keep two tracks playing at the same time as much as possible with little down time in between, and see if you can make them sound good by bringing out the qualities of each track. I know that's vague, but you will understand more as you spend a little more time mixing.

^ This. You will find:

- your understanding of what is going on with each track increases
- your ability to keep tracks in sync for long times will be better - improving your beat-matching.
- you may find tracks that work together in a way you never imagined

I'm sure there are more.

[whiterob]

Great advice everyone has posted. I too have said t myself at times.. ok, so I know I should be doing something here, but these two tracks are playing perfectly together, what now (obviously minor pitch bending is required)? So then got another deck so I could try to mix 3 tracks together.. Well lets just say I will not be doing it live for a while. I more or less, will just try to listen for any imperfections I hear, and teach myself what I can do to make it sound even better. Only effects I really ever use are ech delay and the color filter, but have thought about getting into digital effects as I have the tools for it, just not the ambition to learn them