Vinyl DJ'ing: how do you annotate BPMs on your 12" singles?

[mixomatosis]

I got a pack of round orange Avery easy-remove stickers (1/2").
I handwrite the BPM and stick them to the label of my singles, on the side that has a track I use.

This helps a lot in beat-matching incoming with outgoing track.

Many singles I've found while crate-digging have labels on the sleeve, some with info on ending type, BPM, track name etc.
I rarely see small handwritten BPMs on the labels.

What's your opinion on the best way?
Is my way too visible/amateurish?

[Manu]

I use a fluorescent pen to highlight what track/which version I think is best on every record, it saves me time as I just flip the record straight to the business instead of trying to read a label (especially in the dark). I don't write the bpm as I am comfortable memorising the speed of the song. That said in clubs, I remember seeing all records marked with all information, the local record shops would even provide the stickers. I still have plenty of records with markings on them.

There's nothing amateurish about that, it's quite useful in fact. The best way is what works for you.

[mixomatosis]

Thanks manu!
Do you use the fluorescent pen on the label itself or is your mark on the jacket etc?

[Manu]

Straight on the record label.

[pete]

tipp-ex on the record sticker.
i can always scrape it off later.

[mixomatosis]

thanks pete—using the tipp-ex, do you...

--make a small mark adjacent to the track you like,
--write the bpm with it, or
--handwrite the bpm over a tipp-ex smudge?

[pete]

bear in mind I did this for a few months when I was learning to mix...and probably thinking about it too much...

I wrote the pitch the track was on.

Just so happened the track I started doing this with was "Dub Moods" by Aphrodite, which was therefore "0". So I ended up with about 20 jungle records labelled with their pitch relative to that one track.

Later on when "the internet" became a thing I was able to stick some tape with the BPM and Key of the record on. I was still thinking about it too much.

These days I worry less about "doing the perfect set" or having my labels on records so I can mix them super-quick. I know I can mix anything that is on the turntable quick enough and trust my ears to know if it will work out muscially.

[mixomatosis]

Thanks Pete, that's interesting info!

As a drummer, I understand what you mean with thought vs. flow.
At this point, I need to think about it— I hope to gain more instinct on beat-matching as time goes on (currently doing techno, house, tech-house).

BTW, you mentioned the key of the music—how do vinyl DJs mix in key if turntable beat-matching will inherently change the tonality (even slightly)?

Further, even if I know the keys and how song A harmonizes with song B (after beat-matching), that rehearsed transition may not be what I want at performance time...

[pete]

as you are a drummer, mixing should come easy. keeping in time is a major part of drumming.
however, as with anything, djing takes practice before it feels easy and natural.

as for key...that is a whole other can of worms.
some djs, especially with trance, study the key of tracks. how they mix together and how pitch change affects key.
trying to apply a scientific approach to djing, preparing key changes in mixing to "add energy" and all that jazz.
needless to say, it takes a lot of preparation and leads to very clinical mixes.
in the late 90s, with the advent of computational power, equipment designers were able to include "key lock" into their devices. now it is a common thing on all CD players and DVS systems. So key being affected by pitch is pretty much in the past.

[mixomatosis]

thanks so much Pete—I hope to post additional noob questions in this section of the forum...
cheers