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Thread: Riding The Pitch

  1. #21
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    At the moment I'm just learning riding the pitch on my xdj 1000s. Someome has gifted me some vinyl turntables this weekend though but not sure what model they are yet. Currently I'm trying to get in 2 hours a day practice. Shame I have to work lol

  2. #22
    Member BDC's Avatar
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    Beatmatching today's music is much easier than back in the day.

    Try mixing 70s disco for a long transition (30 seconds or more) and you will know what I mean.

    When mixing different genres (disco, funk, rock) I would ride the pitch fader like a gear shifter.

    After becoming proficient in this exercise - mixing modern music will be easy.
    Unforgiving, unrelenting, unrecoverable double beats!

    Once the wife and kid are asleep... the DJ awakens

  3. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by BDC View Post
    Try mixing 70s disco for a long transition (30 seconds or more) and you will know what I mean.
    Yeah... anything not tracked to the grid in a modern day style DAW, you have no choice but to ride the pitch. Not only are you relying on the timing of the drummer but in the recording process, bits of tape from various takes will be sliced together, these splices aren't accurate, no mater how good you are at riding, you're going to get a sudden shift. Listening to the record the shifts not noticeable, only tens of MS, but that's more than enough to throw your mix completely, you have to know it's coming.

  4. #24
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    In my opinion, it's sort of a waste of time. There are so many other techniques and skills I would want to learn before this. Riding the pitch was a skill built out of necessity, not practicality. Most people that ride the pitch, learned because of vinyl and just kept the technique on CDJs. It's helpful if you plan on using vinyl at any point, but if you don't plan on mixing vinyl then I would focus your skills elsewhere. Embrace the conveniences and other creative outlets technology affords you.
    Last edited by Dubflakes; 05-15-2019 at 07:41 PM.

  5. #25
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    If track B is slower than track A, greatly pitch up
    When the kicks line up again, pitch down
    If too slow, pitch up again, but not as far this time
    Repeat 2-3 if necessary.

    It just takes practice, I can usually get it almost perfect by step 2. Keep in mind I wouldn't recommend this method if the song is already the same tempo just offbeat, then I would nudge or drag the record to regain sync.

  6. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by Daniel S View Post
    No, you didn't assume wrong. All the best DJs I've seen have always been riding the pitch. It makes the adjustments less obvious to hear than when touching the record or platter. It's a good technique to learn if you want to spin vinyl. Check this example of Kenny Dope playing live in Las Vegas.

    This^

    I used to ride the pitch when I played vinyl all the time. Definitely makes it less obvious when adjusting.

  7. #27
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    So frustrating.

  8. #28
    Member steveryan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dubflakes View Post
    In my opinion, it's sort of a waste of time. There are so many other techniques and skills I would want to learn before this. Riding the pitch was a skill built out of necessity, not practicality. Most people that ride the pitch, learned because of vinyl and just kept the technique on CDJs. It's helpful if you plan on using vinyl at any point, but if you don't plan on mixing vinyl then I would focus your skills elsewhere. Embrace the conveniences and other creative outlets technology affords you.
    This is somewhat true. Riding the pitch is usually for vinyl, but it can come in handy even when using CDJ's.

    If the tracks are drifting apart, I'll move the pitch control the correct direction to put the mix back together. If by chance I went the wrong direction, I can hear the mix get worse pretty quickly and fix it by adjusting pitch control in the other direction. That's not a bad way to do it actually. If it's drifting, move the pitch control one direction. If you're wrong, go the other way.

    Some DJ's call it "Babysitting" the pitch control. You just move the pitch control back and forth to keep the mix as tight as possible.

  9. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by steveryan View Post
    This is somewhat true. Riding the pitch is usually for vinyl, but it can come in handy even when using CDJ's.

    If the tracks are drifting apart, I'll move the pitch control the correct direction to put the mix back together. If by chance I went the wrong direction, I can hear the mix get worse pretty quickly and fix it by adjusting pitch control in the other direction. That's not a bad way to do it actually. If it's drifting, move the pitch control one direction. If you're wrong, go the other way.

    Some DJ's call it "Babysitting" the pitch control. You just move the pitch control back and forth to keep the mix as tight as possible.
    I always have my headphones on and a bit of the cue playing in my ear, so I always know which track is playing faster than the other. On digital systems I don't need to constantly ride the pitch, because it's much more accurate than an analog pitch on a turntable (not sure how accurate a digital pitch on a turntable is)(my guess is you still have to ride it based on friction from the stylus altering tempo).

    Keep in mind here, I'm not saying I never use the pitch in the mix on digital media players and controllers. I do, I just don't ride it like I do on a turntable. On digital systems they are accurate enough to find the sweet spot, so I can have both hands free to work effects, EQs and such and an just use the platter when a mix occasionally goes out of phase.

    If I find myself doing pitch bends with the platter every few seconds then I'm definitely going to make an adjustment with the pitch instead, but that's rare, because I'm usually already at that point of fine adjustment before I even start mixing.
    Last edited by Dubflakes; 07-20-2019 at 07:04 AM.

  10. #30
    Quote Originally Posted by Dubflakes View Post
    I always have my headphones on and a bit of the cue playing in my ear, so I always know which track is playing faster than the other. On digital systems I don't need to constantly ride the pitch, because it's much more accurate than an analog pitch on a turntable (not sure how accurate a digital pitch on a turntable is)(my guess is you still have to ride it based on friction from the stylus altering tempo).

    Keep in mind here, I'm not saying I never use the pitch in the mix on digital media players and controllers. I do, I just don't ride it like I do on a turntable. On digital systems they are accurate enough to find the sweet spot, so I can have both hands free to work effects, EQs and such and an just use the platter when a mix occasionally goes out of phase.

    If I find myself doing pitch bends with the platter every few seconds then I'm definitely going to make an adjustment with the pitch instead, but that's rare, because I'm usually already at that point of fine adjustment before I even start mixing.
    Agreed -

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