"Can you mix?"

[Excalibur]

That said having seen your setup I'd expect that would attract folks who would want more a club/dance experienced DJ than most setups (mine included) on here.
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Neil, I think you're spot on there.
Do I get asked if I can mix? No.
Can I mix? No. Wish I could, but no.

Define mixing.

I’ve been asked once to twice over the years and when questioned all they wanted to know was if there were gaps in-between the songs or not.

Ah. Well now we've moved the goalposts back to my side of the pitch, suddenly I'm up there with the best of them. Gaps in the music? Heaven forfend!! And if for whatever reason, the unthinkable should happen, my trusty Sennheiser is always at hand to allow me to advise, inform, educate and entertain the punters with my dulcet tones, until I can restore the music.

[dicky]

Benny et al
Funnily enough this is something I have been playing with doing as i have been working a little spate of 16th and 18ths..... read on...

Suprisingly I find I can do it too.... (not very well every time, but sometimes absolutely seemlessly)

It's certainly a skill I would really like to learn - is there any way of doing that other than just playing around with it - one side of me says no it is an artform you either have or you don't, and the other side says the wheel has already been well and truly invented and it's a simple skill you can learn from reading a few tutorials, so why try to reinvent it. Comments please.

Funnilly enough (and I do believe this is related to the OP's question in DJ skills) after a few months back on the road now I am gaining a lot of confidence (especially in my musical selection/audience reading/presentation/mic/ and basic 'DJ' skills I guess) and I find myself seriously gravitating towards two areas I feel really really comfortable with, yet they are diametrically opposed......

One is northern soul/motown/70s soul scene which, if you like, is my 'roots' and the other, believe it or not is 16th and 18th' parties playing some really banging Future House, Drun n Bass and R&B tracks (where the mixing skills come into the equation).

So - Does that make me wierd, as DJs go? (that is actually a serious question guys would really love to read some views but it won't stop me even if I am wierd lol )

Honestly I really love playing (and hearing) both genres to equal effect - did my first proper Nothern Soul night last night to rapturous appluase at the end (will post a few videos ) and have a repeat booking from the venue/promoters already....

Then I have on three recent occasions started a night with all these 'kids' at a 16th/18tsh party thinking (most likely) who is the grandad on the decks, then at the end of the night they are giving me much respect ('that was sick, man.... etc') and the facebooks likes.... and already taken another booking for 200+ 18yr old in September on the back of the last one a couple weeks ago.

For some reason I find I am far more stressed playing to the general 'wide range of mixed musical taste' audiences on the same night who seem to be mostly demanding 'more of this' and 'less of that' over the entire evening than those who are 'all up for it' on a rave or northern night

Maybe that is for another thread though.... over to you, Peter (oh PS why do you wish you could do something that you are never asked for? And if my gut feeling is correct in thinking it's just another basic DJ slkill anyone can learn if they put some hours to it?)

Rich

[Pe7e]

One is northern soul/motown/70s soul scene which, if you like, is my 'roots' and the other, believe it or not is 16th and 18th' parties playing some really banging Future House, Drun n Bass and R&B tracks (where the mixing skills come into the equation).

So - Does that make me wierd, as DJs go? (that is actually a serious question guys would really love to read some views but it won't stop me even if I am wierd lol )

Honestly I really love playing (and hearing) both genres to equal effect - did my first proper Nothern Soul night last night to rapturous appluase at the end (will post a few videos ) and have a repeat booking from the venue/promoters already....

Rich

No, you're not weird at all, I started as a DJ way back in the late 60s spinning Motown / Northern Soul / Stax / Atlantic and the better UK chart releases (definitely no Freddy and the Dreamers, The Batchelors and similar rubbish) I suppose that must make me one of the oldest 'club' DJs on the forum, and back in the day, you really did have to be a club member to get in. These days I rarely do gigs except for the odd Northern soul night which I enjoy immensely. The other genres I'm most likely to find myself listening to for sheer enjoyment are Trance, Disco and 90s Dance which inevitably take me back to happy times and fond memories. I think I could still put a credible set together on these genres but I'm by no means a self proclaimed expert, and there's no substitute for in depth knowledge. I think virtually all DJs are music lovers, and as such have open minds to all music not just a tiny proportion of it.

[Nakatomi]

I don't remember ever being asked if I can mix, not even when I've been up for club jobs. Maybe some technical aspects were just assumed by the time I got to that point.

I've always strived to be 'mister no gaps' though & it still amazes me that even today people leave honking great big pauses between tracks. Yes sometimes you have to let the music (and the dancefloor) breathe a little but as a rule it should be about maintaining a flow imho.

In my last club job but one there was a general policy of playing a fast cut-up 'party music' set at the peak of the night. Some DJs invariably performed the same one to the extent they didn't even need to use headphones. Not me. I like being the DJ you can't set your watch by.

I don't know where the tradition originated, but I used to go to a big Rank club in Newcastle in the 80s where I'd be in awe of the DJ with four turntables & a helper loading & unloading vinyl for him. Sometimes you'd only hear a bar or two of a song & the crowd world go crazy. It's not a style of playing I'd go out of my way to replicate at a mobile gig though, but I do use certain aspects at a lot of gigs. Try doing that with just a mouse, ha!

[ukpartydj]

I've always strived to be 'mister no gaps' though & it still amazes me that even today people leave honking great big pauses between tracks. Yes sometimes you have to let the music (and the dancefloor) breathe a little but as a rule it should be about maintaining a flow imho.

I remember being told that should never let the track "fade out" which in general is a good idea but sometimes if I've got another slow fade in track if you let one fade out and the other seamlessness fade in it sounds magical and can give that euphoric atmosphere! I do tend to find people will start to leave the dancefloor and come back up if I do this, so it's a risky game to play!

Sometimes you'd only hear a bar or two of a song & the crowd world go crazy. It's not a style of playing I'd go out of my way to replicate at a mobile gig though, but I do use certain aspects at a lot of gigs. Try doing that with just a mouse, ha!

A couple of weeks ago I did a wedding where the playlist said "The groom's favorite band is kings of leon, if you could play sex on fire after 10pm please" I got the sense that this was going to be THE SONG of the night, the groom was hanging out at the bar and I hadn't seen him dance much all night so I tried by above trick where I really slowed everything down at 10.30 (end was midnight) with don't stop believing (musical key of 12a) they loved it, but you can tell afterwards it feels a bit end of the night. Then looped the start to sex on fire (musical key of 12b) with a heavy low-pass filter so the tune is just barely recognisable and let Journey fade out by itself turned the wash lights down very dim and I slowly increased the low-pass filter letting the mids and the highs creep in very very slowly (brilliant track for this as it just builds on itself with every loop) they all go nuts shouting the grooms name and once he starts running to the dancefloor I unlooped the track turned the volume up and the low-pass filter off and strobe light on - Flipping magical, they went absolutely nuts better than I could ever imagine and I couldn't have had a bigger grin on my face.

And that right there is why I mix music, because when it works well- you feel epic!
I had a similar experience mixing Stevie Wonder right in the middle of a trance track (think it was Sandstorm, Darude).

[Casual77]

I'd be delighted if someone asked me if I could 'mix' and I'd know I was DJing at the right kind of gig for me.

Its nice and easy doing quick cuts between radio edits but for me its far more satisfying doing a long, harmonic mix between two songs in compatible keys, especially when you can tease in elements of the upcoming song and build up noticeable anticipation on the dancefloor. Unfortunately, outside of dance music, its not generally that easy to mix a lot of music for more than a couple of bars.

[Nakatomi]

I'd be delighted if someone asked me if I could 'mix' and I'd know I was DJing at the right kind of gig for me.

Its nice and easy doing quick cuts between radio edits but for me its far more satisfying doing a long, harmonic mix between two songs in compatible keys, especially when you can tease in elements of the upcoming song and build up noticeable anticipation on the dancefloor. Unfortunately, outside of dance music, its not generally that easy to mix a lot of music for more than a couple of bars.

It's not always desirable to either in a mobile situation. And 12" versions of a lot of older tracks are either too different to the ones people are familiar with or they're simply too long. I mitigate the latter with preset hotcues but it's still limiting.

If you're not using software with full beat grids like Serato.or Ableton, human timekeeping on tracks can make things er, fun.

As for it being nice & easy to cut or chop between tracks, if it was that easy every DJ & their dog would be doing it! In some regards a chop or slam mix is harder to get right than a long running mix. If your timing is even just a bit off... Eeeew. Worse still if the key is off.

A few DJs I know don't use headphones or a controller, or even an eternal soundcard. They just drop tracks into the autopilot list & let it do the work. Awful, but they get away with it.

[Casual77]

It's not always desirable to either in a mobile situation.

I'd go as far as to say it seems to be rarely desirable. Most of the younger generation these days seem to only want choruses and don't have the patience for 12" versions of songs (I've just realised I sounded like my dad typing that).

I think I'll always try to do a bit of proper mixing when I get onto the Calvin Harris/David Guetta/Swedish House Mafia stuff but that probably betrays the fact that I'm more of a club-style DJ rather than an out-and-out mobile DJ at the moment.

As for it being nice & easy to cut or chop between tracks, if it was that easy every DJ & their dog would be doing it! In some regards a chop or slam mix is harder to get right than a long running mix.

Yeah, I suppose it was a bit flippant of me to say it is 'easy'. At least with 12" dance tracks you can rely on having a drum beat right up to the end of the track whereas I've been caught out a few times with unexpected endings on some of the radio edits I've played recently. I guess it is more important to know your music when you're doing shorter mixes between radio edits.

[Nakatomi]

I'm not sure the preference for 7" versions is just a young persons thing, but I get what you're saying & I agree. Heck, even on a lot of recent singles punters don't recognise a song from the intro because it doesn't get played on the radio in full. Uptown Funk is one example I can give. so now I cue it to come right in on 'this' instead One gig, the floor almost cleared during the intro, but they all ran back when they realised. The fickle sods.

[Excalibur]

Maybe that is for another thread though.... over to you, Peter (oh PS why do you wish you could do something that you are never asked for? And if my gut feeling is correct in thinking it's just another basic DJ slkill anyone can learn if they put some hours to it?)

Rich

Same reason I have some kit I've bought, and never used yet. The day may come when it's vital to make the event a success. May. If it does, I want to be ready.

I've always strived to be 'mister no gaps' though & it still amazes me that even today people leave honking great big pauses between tracks.

I too try very hard to avoid awkward gaps, and it amazes me when people leave silences between music. Filling them with sparkling and witty banter, yes. Silence no.

- Flipping magical, they went absolutely nuts better than I could ever imagine and I couldn't have had a bigger grin on my face.

And that right there is why I mix music, because when it works well- you feel epic!

And that's why I wish to learn something about mixing. There's a big difference between not having gaps, and joining them up properly.


Mind you, I once had a DJ cover a booking for me because I had a timing clash with another one. I arrived soon after he'd started, and he was mixing up a storm, I was impressed beyond belief. The customers weren't. Their bums were glued to the chairs. I took over as planned, he got paid his full fee for half a gig, so he was happy.

I started shoving on all the stuff I usually did, and they all got up and danced. Every aspect of a DJs skill has a time and a place.