It's Harder Than It Looks!

[Eski75]

Without wishing to appear to be blowing smoke where it doesn't belong, I take my hat off to you guys and girls! Having had a little time to play on my new toy (DMIX 300......old I know but I'm only a novice!) I now appreciate how blending those tracks seemlessly as one finishes and another starts is a damn sight harder than it looks!

I have spent most of my life in bands and thus have been less than polite on occassion when discussing the noble art of DJ'ing. As such, I take this opportunity say sorry.........DJ'ing .............it's officially harder than drumming! (no drummer jokes please........I've heard them all!!)

[Ecstatic Events]

If you are a drummer, surely beatmixing would be a breeze for you? I must be mistaken????

It took me a few years practice until the "penny dropped" and I no longer wanted to launch my 1210's through the bedroom window.

For me it's all about training your brain to seperate sounds from each ear.

Once you can do that, it's easy.

Without sounding like I'm up my own backside, I can mix with my eyes (or should that be ears!) closed.

To coin a DJ tutors phrase..... Practice and Enjoy *cringe*

[djsns]

I guess you will be learning this faster than most of us with your rhythm skills from your drumming experience. Changing "musical instrument" will always challenge your skills, but you will mange quicker than newbies without any real experience.

I felt a bit of this myself recently when changing my software platform and HW-controller. Different look and feel made me fumble a bit through the first gigs after the change. :o

Same thing from vinyl to CD and from CD onto the digital format with my first HW-controller...

"I hated every minute of training, but I said, ''Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'' - Muhammad Ali

:D

[Eski75]

Yeah, I think part of my issue is that I'm mostly specialising in indie/alternative which is generally more guitar than beat driven.

[Corabar Steve]

Yeah, I think part of my issue is that I'm mostly specialising in indie/alternative which is generally more guitar than beat driven.
Which is something that doesn't really need to be beat mixed anyway. As long as you don't swing wildly from one extreme of the genres to the other & back again (The Housemartins to Nine Inch Nails to the Smiths to Slipknot is never going to sound good to anyone regardless of their tastes) you'll be fine.

[Digital Jack]

Hey Eski75 , is drumming as exhausting as it looks ?

[Eski75]

Hi Jack.............pretty much yes! I used to have to shout at the band occassionally to slip a slowy in to recover.

That said, I'm not exactly Usain Bolt in the fitness stakes!

Depends on the music, those old jazz and big band drummers used to drive me nuts.........play so fast and never break a sweat! All in a suit too, none of this shorts and t-shirt buisness!

[Eski75]

Thanks Steve.............do you guys have a song order in your head/written down when you start then or do you go with the flow?

[ppentertainments]

Words of wisdom - don't make it harder than it is ;)

[Corabar Steve]

Thanks Steve.............do you guys have a song order in your head/written down when you start then or do you go with the flow?
When I was doing nights similar to the sort you want to do, I always worked out a few mini sets in advance just in case. Used a couple to start the night then see what people were responding to / requesting & work with that.