How To DJ and Make a Mix
The main thing that DJs do is make mixes. This can be a live mix done at the event or a pre-recorded mix for a virtual event. Mixes typically have some kind of theme or layout. This can be based on genre such as a dubstep mix or a house mix, but it can also be based on vibe or feel, like a heavy and aggressive mix or a psychedelic and chilled-out mix. Some mixes will start off with slower beats per minute (BPM) songs and gradually get faster, or vice versa. Sometimes a DJ will make a very intricate opening section where they quickly jump back and forth between a selection of songs or include story-telling audio to hype up the listener for what is to come. The real magic in mixes though is when DJs will layer multiple songs on top of each other. In electronic bass music, when two drops are played simultaneously it is called a double. DJ controllers, mixers, and CDJs are used to actually mix the songs together and the output can be recorded.
So, how do you actually make a mix? First, you will need songs. You can organize these songs in folders called crates. They are called crates because traditionally DJs would use physical vinyl records and these would be grouped and stored in milk crates. For an hour-long mix, you will need about 30 to 60 songs, depending on how quickly you transition between them. What I like to do first is determine what kind of mix I am going to make, then gather my favorite songs that would fit. I usually grab more than I would actually need, so I have options. Next, I will determine which song or combination of songs I want to open with. Once that is selected, I will look at the key and BPM of these songs to determine where I can go from there.
When mixing from one song to another, you will want them to have similar BPMs. This way, there is not a drastic or very noticeable difference in speed. For example, if you are playing a dubstep song at 145BPM, you can easily transition to another song that is also at 145BPM by lining up the beat grid. Many songs are in 4/4 time, which means there are four beats per measure. This is the beat grid, one, two, three, four, repeat. So when the first dubstep song finishes the drop, you would start a part of the next song on 1 at the same time the first song hits 1. If the BPMs are different, the song currently playing will set the BPM and the other will be adjusted to that BPM (if you use sync on both tracks, otherwise you can line them up manually by adjusting the BPM on the second and timing accordingly). You can then make the second song the main song and adjust its BPM manually to bring it to the correct speed, and the other song will adjust to match.
Key should also be a consideration. When you mix one song into another song with the same key (or an adjacent key) it is called harmonic mixing. Put simply, it sounds better when songs are mixed harmonically because they will not be as different and clashing. If you know the circle of fifths, harmonic mixing will be easy. You can also refer to something called the Camelot Wheel, which assigns a number and letter to each key. For example, E Major is 12B on the Camelot Wheel and is on the outer circle. This means you can harmonically mix into one of three keys which are adjacent either on the outside wheel or inside wheel. 11B (A Major) and 1B (B Major) are adjacent on the outside wheel which contains major keys, and 12A (D-Flat Minor) is adjacent on the inside wheel which contains minor keys.
When I make doubles, I like to use songs with the same key and similar BPM. I will cut the low end of one song, so the bass frequencies do not become oversaturated and muddy. You can line up the buildups for both songs and play them at the same time, possibly cutting one song during the pre-drop sample and then bringing it back for the drop. You will want one song to have a low and focus, and the other song to have more of a mid or high-end focus. Not all songs sound good together, and you may have to experiment with which parts of the songs to play together. For transitions, I like to play the intro or buildup of a song right after the drop for the song currently playing ends. I will also sometimes start the other song during the current song's drop, so the transition is even smoother. Whatever song you are mixing in should have the lows cut until it's a good time to turn the current song's lows down and the new song's lows up.
Much like making music, there are always multiple "right" ways to mix, so it ultimately comes down to which songs you are mixing and your preferred transitions. For example, you could also cut a song completely with an echo effect or wheelback and then start the next song. You can also mix a 128BPM song into a 174BPM song if you'd like, the transition will just likely be trickier. Be mindful of the beat structure as songs like house are "four on the floor" (kick - kick - kick - kick) while songs like dubstep are halftime (kick - snare - kick - snare). You could also play a 70BPM song in time with a 140BPM song, as they will line up on the beat grid. There's even more "DJ math" you could utilize, such as playing an 80BPM song with a 120BPM song. The first song will go through 3 measures for each 2 measures the second song goes through.
Loops are another consideration. You can loop a select number of measures in one song while you mix in another. You can even shorten the loop each time it plays to make an artificial buildup. It can also be fun to have a soundboard set up, either within a song with set cue points (buttons you can press that jump to a specific part of the song) or individually pre-mapped to specific FX buttons. You can use these sounds as pre-drop samples or just throughout the song. It's common to use a loop from one song with a specific word and then transition to another song with the same word or a continuation of the phrase. The perfect mix does not exist, so remember more than anything to just have fun with it. If it's something you really enjoy, odds are that others will enjoy it as well. You just need to find your audience, someone out there will catch your vibe.
Author: Psidemica
Published: 2024-02-14
Edited: N/A
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