I love your videos, its like to talking to me directly. Wish you would do more drum and bass videos! I started with DDJ400 now got my pro gears (MK2, and nexus900) but trying to learn the methods from youtube videos, cause until now I was just literally mixing. and I want to be a pro DJ from next year. Got connections so could get a gig now, but Im still not ready. I moved to dnb in 2020 after 20 yrs tech house and I am in love with all sub genres. Dnb is the most colorful music genre.
Phil: “I will be DJ’ing live, mixing one track into the other, when you get right to the top, your not even doing that” *James Hype has entered the chat*
Please keep up the great work. We love how you do what you do. I've personally missed your videos and I appreciate your years of dedication to everyone.
My clubbing years were from 2002 to 2010 and majority of djs if not all were still using vynal, sometimes the mixing wasn't perfect but the heart and feel of the sets was there. I personally think when things are to perfect it can take the feel away. I dj myself with vynal and usb and just go with what feels good at the time at the end of the day its sll about the tunes
The secret: mix in key and mix a lot of time with your library adding sometimes some songs, after that and after years, you'll be more relaxed with mixing and choicing of your songs
I WISH THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN THE VERY FIRST DJ TUTORIAL I WOULD HAVE WATCHED!!! Anyway… SOOOO #GRATEFUL TO HAVE WATCHED IT ONLY 3 months into it !!! #THANKSPhil 🙏🙏🙏🎶🎶🎶🎧🎧🎧🕺🏻🕺🏻🕺🏻🔥🔥🔥
very helpful video thank you so much! i’m a beginner and i’ve watched your tutorials and you make it so easy to understand! you make it sound so simple! thank you! 🔥
Really enjoyed this video. I use a similar process. Nice to get confirmation. I prefer short intros/outros with saved loops. Use saved Flips to shorten tracks if needed. Hope the Ministry of Sound went well. Hope to visit London and spend an evening there.
I was thinking that when using Mixed in Key software would be better to organize the bulk of the set order there. Matching key, energy and tempo. Of course your ears will have the final decision 😉
Phil - great video. Interesting question, when you play on a roster like this, does the promoter limit the songs you can play? I have always wondered, say your are one of the first DJ's on, how do you not clash with your song/music selection with other DJ's playing after you ?
I’d like for you to expand on the “when you get to the top you’re not even doing that” when you talk about mixing records live. Drop the names! Who’s up there pressing play?
As a learning This is great for validating you are doing the right things… I think with exception of Mixed in key and Platinum Notes I’m already doing all the steps you talk about in prep for my radio show and mixes… will look into those programs once payday comes around. 👍
Dont put too much emphasis on the tracks key when mixing. It all depends where you mix, and the key is determined by the "tonal center" of all the various notes combined. If your mixing before or after any melody, which you should be doing, the key would be your bass kick, which isn't always going to be the same key as the tonal center or melody. Kick could be tuned to a synth, vocal, or nothing, and not the overall melody. Use your ears, if the tracks sounds good together where your mixing, key is a non factor. Just as an example "Day tripper' from the Beatles is in the key of E, yet most of the notes are in G, but during the blues riff, it is in E. Some of the most famous techno, hip hop, rock, blues, jazz, etc., tracks in history jump to various key changes out of the "normal" major scale and sound good doing it.
I’ve been djing for 25 years for my own enjoyment and playing in parties and i want to play at certain clubs. New software is allowing me to make the mashups live and riffing everything. The thing is i run out of time and maybe my brain power dont allow me to mix 4 song at the same time. But i lack a lot of things like playlist in a set format. My point is… is it doable? To make mashups live with no ableton just stems and a huge library?
Thanks Phill great Vid!! Plus greetings From Chicago mate! Super needed!! Huge favor im a Local open format DJ.. Could You make vid inside Real club to let people know about The shock your body goes into once play in Real dance club🙏🏻 Plus regarding How to set The monitors inside club etc Huge Thanks 👋
For 28 years I've been mostly preparing sets for gigs. Do I ever pivot yes, into other playlists usually, before cue points, i would burn a cd with a slap at every cute point and memorize them. But even before all this tech, we tried to match keys, it was much harder not being classically trained. Always use platinum notes and mixed in key. It should be part of your process when adding any track to your library. As cute points for bass change and skip points and drop. Drops can be deceiving.
That I was knew it all the time thanks for that , but when you go djing I need to have apple mac laptop or I can use Windows operating system? Can you make it video of this ?and also second question when you djing can you record all night what you been played ? 😊
does anyone know a software that can automatically put cue points in your songs (I'm using beatport link) if there is a software that does this? Lexicon doesn't do it unfortunately.
I’m think long to change to rekordbox. What’s de difference between memory points and hot cue. What I can understand is basically to extend your cue points. Is that right ?
Phil - how do you organize your music library on your machine during the PN/MIK process? It's becoming a hassle, moving tracks from folder to folder to folder. since these apps will reanalyze and create duplicates of duplicates if you add the same folder to them again.
Unfortunately the answer is no because Platinum 4 generates a new file for each track meaning we must rebuild everything in Rekordbox which is a bummer
Exactly, Trim adjusting is baked into my work flow, i set a cue point or sample an existing one I've already set previously to know where im mixing from, Figure out how long ill be mixing said track in before i complete a transition. SET TRIM. Then commence mixing said track when the time is right. Its literally like a 10 - 15 second process to do all of that
@Budsta most clubs dont like DJs messing with the trim/gain knobs because they usually leave them in the red and distort the sound coming out of the speakers. Seems like its smart to avoid touching the trim knobs and only work with faders...
@@tastyboi2163 What!? Do you just make shit up? If a track is mastered lower then you have to use the trim to bring it up in the mix in the headphones, and using your level LEDs as guidance. Then you use your faders to bring it up into the main mix. You clown.
If it put my existing tunes through platinum notes and then put them back into rekordbox, will it completely reset all the hot cues on the tracks and remove them from all the files I've organised them in currently also? Thanks, great video!
why do you mess with professionally mastered tracks and run them via some volume normalization? when you start playing with equalizer, it will mess with your volume anyway so a track with no bass will be quiet and you will have to up the gain anyway.
I'm glad someone finally admitted that mixing in key is not as relevant as is claimed. If you're worried about mixing in key, you're not doing it right.
see that long & tedious process he had to go through just to preview & prep? You can cut that work flow time in half with Denon. Stream straight off of Beatport, Beatsource & Tidal. Analyze & render waveforms, beat grids, BPM & key in 2-3 seconds & boom... you're auditioning new tunes. But yeah, let's do it the long & hard way because the Decks that doesn't have the ability to cut your workflow down to next to nothing are the "Industry Standard"
I used to go through this same monotonous process when I had a Nexus rig. It took the fun of it. I don't mind putting in the work but supposedly if you're doing something you love then it doesn't feel like work...that process felt like work. Once I swapped Nexus rig out for Denon SC6000s it reinvigorated DJ'ing for me. It made it fun again.
I've been Djng Since 81'I never pre plan my sets when i do a party i play to the crowd u must be new to the craft i come the analog turntable days and i use a controller and serato since 2011
Serato will set your tracks to a certain DB, just go to the setting and select your desired DB and it will raise or lower the volume of your tracks to get everything the same volume. It's not perfect, but it's pretty damn good, unless you have a crap quality track that no amount of boosting will fix.
Totally. It's depressing to see what djing has become. These so called Djs just run everything through software, turn up on the night, press play and then wave their hands in the air. It's a fu*king joke.
Please reveal the truth about why pro DJs never touch the tempo faders. Do they have it preset in Ableton or something? I am super curious about this one.
I don’t like premixing my mash ups and things like that. I would rather perform on the fly and even risk mistakes than do all the work in the studio and just stand there and jump around for an hour.
I think the question is what's the better option for the final listener? I don't think they really care if it's 100% live or not, they just wanna enjoy the music. I say this also because I'm a beginner DJ (I'm actually a producer) and would do lots of mistakes if I would go for the 100% live route.
What he is doing is pre arranging the track for his mix, not pre recording. Personally I think a DJ that knows their music, and can read the crowd and has the experience will be better just going with the flow. It keeps you on your toes and is much more spontaneous. But for the less confident/experienced maybe keep some pre arranged playlists. I remember early on forgetting my bit of paper and winging it, learnt that 25 years ago.
Haha, you find yourself playing with the trim knobs when all you want to do is DJing? Since when adjusting the correct output level with the trims is not DJing? Why don't you auto EQ your tracks so that hassle is out of the way too?
How many Dennons are in clubs? Ummm... Laidback Lukes prob the only person who uses them over Pioneer. Cool decks, but home use only really. Just the reality on industry standard.
This all feels way too much liek 'DJ by numbers'. Not knocking you, I appreciate with the kind of gigs you are playing people have certain expectations. Spontaneity and unexpectedness can lead to some really interesting places. Preparation is still important regardless of how you play.
Lol, adjusting trim levels is disruptive. Are you serious, man? The whole process of DJing is EQing and doing your levels on the fly. That is the fun part. Sorry, this guy is a big joke!
That whole process is unnecessary & most mundane sounding thing ever. Half that hullabaloo you're doing is so much prep, more like pre-production. Extending intro in Ableton, trims & gains... can't be bothered with that. You might as well pre-record the set, let it play & pretend to twist knobs & mash buttons. You sucked the fun out of spinning. Sometimes I wonder if I made the right choice with opting for a Denon rig over a Pioneer rig...not so much after hearing this. Can you not save a loop on those things? No auto-gain or normalize feature?
Enjoyed the video? 🎧🎶 Take your DJ skills to the next level by clicking here: philharrismusic.com/upgrade!
I love the honesty of this video! Make it as easy as possible! The tip about extending the intro in Ableton is fire!!🔥🔥🔥
This is literally what I have been doing. I’m completely self taught.
I love your videos, its like to talking to me directly. Wish you would do more drum and bass videos! I started with DDJ400 now got my pro gears (MK2, and nexus900) but trying to learn the methods from youtube videos, cause until now I was just literally mixing. and I want to be a pro DJ from next year. Got connections so could get a gig now, but Im still not ready. I moved to dnb in 2020 after 20 yrs tech house and I am in love with all sub genres. Dnb is the most colorful music genre.
Phil: “I will be DJ’ing live, mixing one track into the other, when you get right to the top, your not even doing that”
*James Hype has entered the chat*
This was sooo helpful!!! Thank you
Please keep up the great work. We love how you do what you do. I've personally missed your videos and I appreciate your years of dedication to everyone.
My clubbing years were from 2002 to 2010 and majority of djs if not all were still using vynal, sometimes the mixing wasn't perfect but the heart and feel of the sets was there. I personally think when things are to perfect it can take the feel away. I dj myself with vynal and usb and just go with what feels good at the time at the end of the day its sll about the tunes
cool story bro.
The secret: mix in key and mix a lot of time with your library adding sometimes some songs, after that and after years, you'll be more relaxed with mixing and choicing of your songs
this is awesome advice!
now i just have to figure out if im lazier to put in the prep or lazier to do the extra work while im playing...
I love the process, keep it up Phil.
Phil is the Neil Buchanan of the DJ world. A true artist
Great tips! Thanks for running through it in detail. Would love to see a tutorial on the mash ups in Ableton. Thanks, Phil!
Really pro tips and very useful, thanks friend 👏👏🎧 and keep going 👍
I WISH THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN THE VERY FIRST DJ TUTORIAL I WOULD HAVE WATCHED!!!
Anyway… SOOOO #GRATEFUL TO HAVE WATCHED IT ONLY 3 months into it !!!
#THANKSPhil 🙏🙏🙏🎶🎶🎶🎧🎧🎧🕺🏻🕺🏻🕺🏻🔥🔥🔥
Thanks for sharing Phil. The Platinum Notes tip was great!
very helpful video thank you so much! i’m a beginner and i’ve watched your tutorials and you make it so easy to understand! you make it sound so simple! thank you! 🔥
Really enjoyed this video. I use a similar process. Nice to get confirmation. I prefer short intros/outros with saved loops. Use saved Flips to shorten tracks if needed. Hope the Ministry of Sound went well. Hope to visit London and spend an evening there.
I was thinking that when using Mixed in Key software would be better to organize the bulk of the set order there. Matching key, energy and tempo. Of course your ears will have the final decision 😉
Phil - great video. Interesting question, when you play on a roster like this, does the promoter limit the songs you can play? I have always wondered, say your are one of the first DJ's on, how do you not clash with your song/music selection with other DJ's playing after you ?
Favorite tip was the analyzing tracks outside of your program..
Great information and tips as always. Thank you for sharing.
Love it. Preparation is key.
Nice Video!!! Really beginner friendly. Thanks!!
very helpful! thank you!
the police siren startled the shit out of me
I’d like for you to expand on the “when you get to the top you’re not even doing that” when you talk about mixing records live. Drop the names! Who’s up there pressing play?
As a learning This is great for validating you are doing the right things… I think with exception of Mixed in key and Platinum Notes I’m already doing all the steps you talk about in prep for my radio show and mixes… will look into those programs once payday comes around. 👍
Great video Phil 👍
8:49 rekordbox does that as well if you don't have Ableton Live! awesome tips thank you!
How do you do this in rekordbox?
Actually, brillant! Thanks.
Dont put too much emphasis on the tracks key when mixing. It all depends where you mix, and the key is determined by the "tonal center" of all the various notes combined. If your mixing before or after any melody, which you should be doing, the key would be your bass kick, which isn't always going to be the same key as the tonal center or melody. Kick could be tuned to a synth, vocal, or nothing, and not the overall melody. Use your ears, if the tracks sounds good together where your mixing, key is a non factor.
Just as an example "Day tripper' from the Beatles is in the key of E, yet most of the notes are in G, but during the blues riff, it is in E. Some of the most famous techno, hip hop, rock, blues, jazz, etc., tracks in history jump to various key changes out of the "normal" major scale and sound good doing it.
Love it broski.
right now i’m just using youtube rips. saving up for a new usb and buying music. my mixer is a ddj sx
This will be very handy in future
Bro casually said yeah I know a ton of other djs, you know, David guetta and such
I’ve been djing for 25 years for my own enjoyment and playing in parties and i want to play at certain clubs. New software is allowing me to make the mashups live and riffing everything. The thing is i run out of time and maybe my brain power dont allow me to mix 4 song at the same time. But i lack a lot of things like playlist in a set format. My point is… is it doable? To make mashups live with no ableton just stems and a huge library?
Workflow is on point
This really helps me thanks
Dope video. How many songs do you play in a set for a festival give or take?
Thanks Phill great Vid!! Plus greetings From Chicago mate!
Super needed!!
Huge favor im a Local open format DJ..
Could You make vid inside Real club to let people know about
The shock your body goes into
once play in Real dance club🙏🏻
Plus regarding How to set The
monitors inside club etc
Huge Thanks 👋
Is there any cheaper or free program like platinum notes?!
Is that playlist available yet?
What event are you DJing at MoS? Will be great to come down if I am around!
For 28 years I've been mostly preparing sets for gigs. Do I ever pivot yes, into other playlists usually, before cue points, i would burn a cd with a slap at every cute point and memorize them. But even before all this tech, we tried to match keys, it was much harder not being classically trained. Always use platinum notes and mixed in key. It should be part of your process when adding any track to your library. As cute points for bass change and skip points and drop. Drops can be deceiving.
That I was knew it all the time thanks for that , but when you go djing I need to have apple mac laptop or I can use Windows operating system? Can you make it video of this ?and also second question when you djing can you record all night what you been played ? 😊
does platinum notes hurt audio quality?
Hei Phill, which kind of controller is better to start, the DDJ 1000 or you can recommend one that you prefer.
Thanks.
Hey Phil! Thanks for sharing. Quick question : When I use PN with acappelas they go way too loud. Do you change the gain? Enjoy your gig at Ministry.
does anyone know a software that can automatically put cue points in your songs (I'm using beatport link) if there is a software that does this? Lexicon doesn't do it unfortunately.
I’m think long to change to rekordbox. What’s de difference between memory points and hot cue. What I can understand is basically to extend your cue points. Is that right ?
Phil - how do you organize your music library on your machine during the PN/MIK process? It's becoming a hassle, moving tracks from folder to folder to folder. since these apps will reanalyze and create duplicates of duplicates if you add the same folder to them again.
Have you noticed any loss in sound quality when using Platinum Notes normalisation?
Sounds good
so are those apps you'r using are to be purchased? or free? like "platinum notes", "mixedIn key" etc.? and hw much tho?
Can you use platinum 4 also later in the process? I got all my tracks analysed+ que pointed already in record box
Same.
I think you have to re-cue all the song but I might be wrong
Unfortunately the answer is no because Platinum 4 generates a new file for each track meaning we must rebuild everything in Rekordbox which is a bummer
do you need to pau for every song on beat port even though i already pay for Spotify
A good Dj will always check and change his trims on the mixers. Skipping this part is just lazy.
Exactly, Trim adjusting is baked into my work flow, i set a cue point or sample an existing one I've already set previously to know where im mixing from, Figure out how long ill be mixing said track in before i complete a transition. SET TRIM. Then commence mixing said track when the time is right. Its literally like a 10 - 15 second process to do all of that
@Budsta most clubs dont like DJs messing with the trim/gain knobs because they usually leave them in the red and distort the sound coming out of the speakers. Seems like its smart to avoid touching the trim knobs and only work with faders...
100%. It's one of the skills of a DJ. DJ Phil calls it disruptive haha
@@tastyboi2163 What!? Do you just make shit up? If a track is mastered lower then you have to use the trim to bring it up in the mix in the headphones, and using your level LEDs as guidance. Then you use your faders to bring it up into the main mix. You clown.
If it put my existing tunes through platinum notes and then put them back into rekordbox, will it completely reset all the hot cues on the tracks and remove them from all the files I've organised them in currently also? Thanks, great video!
yeah its not really worth it, just adjust your trims and dont rely so much on software to do so much for you..
why do you mess with professionally mastered tracks and run them via some volume normalization? when you start playing with equalizer, it will mess with your volume anyway so a track with no bass will be quiet and you will have to up the gain anyway.
This and the point of set extremele preparared for 1 hour (so the crowd doesn't exist) sounds like a prerecorded set....
Let’s go!
This is helpful as Fuck. Thanks
LOVE VIDEO and have took some of your courses and yes make mash-up as song for live play etc . Godbless DJFREECAN
hey how can i make a instrumental of songs that has already been mixed and has a lot of echo in it from when the song was recorded using XTRAX STEMS
What camera do you use?
I'm glad someone finally admitted that mixing in key is not as relevant as is claimed. If you're worried about mixing in key, you're not doing it right.
But I appreciate this none the less.
Wow, I just use my ears and pitch slider
see that long & tedious process he had to go through just to preview & prep? You can cut that work flow time in half with Denon. Stream straight off of Beatport, Beatsource & Tidal. Analyze & render waveforms, beat grids, BPM & key in 2-3 seconds & boom... you're auditioning new tunes. But yeah, let's do it the long & hard way because the Decks that doesn't have the ability to cut your workflow down to next to nothing are the "Industry Standard"
I used to go through this same monotonous process when I had a Nexus rig. It took the fun of it. I don't mind putting in the work but supposedly if you're doing something you love then it doesn't feel like work...that process felt like work. Once I swapped Nexus rig out for Denon SC6000s it reinvigorated DJ'ing for me. It made it fun again.
Nice job, perfect 🥩🥩🍟🍔🍺🍔🍕 There will be time to come to me.
Do you skate also?
I've been Djng Since 81'I never pre plan my sets when i do a party i play to the crowd u must be new to the craft i come the analog turntable days and i use a controller and serato since 2011
Serato will set your tracks to a certain DB, just go to the setting and select your desired DB and it will raise or lower the volume of your tracks to get everything the same volume. It's not perfect, but it's pretty damn good, unless you have a crap quality track that no amount of boosting will fix.
Top Top 10
And this, dear people, is how you suck the life out of a dj set - imo.
Totally. It's depressing to see what djing has become. These so called Djs just run everything through software, turn up on the night, press play and then wave their hands in the air. It's a fu*king joke.
Please reveal the truth about why pro DJs never touch the tempo faders. Do they have it preset in Ableton or something? I am super curious about this one.
I believe they beat sync? I have never DJed in my life so its a wild guess.
I cant decide… MIx in Key or in Musical Note 😂
Am I the only DJ who prefers keys as letters and not numbers?
🤘🏾👏🏾👍🏾
Why extend the intro in ableton when you can just loop the 4 bars while dj’ing?
He literally answered that lol
@@evanmassimino3416 haha wtf, paused the video to ask this question just before he went to explain it lol
Sounds more being lazy than it being easier. It’s literally pressing 2 buttons…..
I don’t like premixing my mash ups and things like that. I would rather perform on the fly and even risk mistakes than do all the work in the studio and just stand there and jump around for an hour.
I think the question is what's the better option for the final listener? I don't think they really care if it's 100% live or not, they just wanna enjoy the music. I say this also because I'm a beginner DJ (I'm actually a producer) and would do lots of mistakes if I would go for the 100% live route.
@@zentonemusic wdym? you are getting paid to play live lol. Promoters will never book you again if they see you have a pre made set
@@vxsionmusic probably his meaning is he do all the mashup things at home and played it safe. Not every place have 3-4 decks to do the hard stuff tho
@@vxsionmusic my buddy runs a lot of shows, he says 95 percent of the sets are pre made or pre recorded.
What he is doing is pre arranging the track for his mix, not pre recording.
Personally I think a DJ that knows their music, and can read the crowd and has the experience will be better just going with the flow. It keeps you on your toes and is much more spontaneous.
But for the less confident/experienced maybe keep some pre arranged playlists. I remember early on forgetting my bit of paper and winging it, learnt that 25 years ago.
Haha, you find yourself playing with the trim knobs when all you want to do is DJing? Since when adjusting the correct output level with the trims is not DJing? Why don't you auto EQ your tracks so that hassle is out of the way too?
Do you want me just to mix the set for you ? Lol
💥💥💥💥💥💥
🤙🤙
How many Dennons are in clubs? Ummm... Laidback Lukes prob the only person who uses them over Pioneer. Cool decks, but home use only really. Just the reality on industry standard.
Oookay...
This all feels way too much liek 'DJ by numbers'. Not knocking you, I appreciate with the kind of gigs you are playing people have certain expectations. Spontaneity and unexpectedness can lead to some really interesting places. Preparation is still important regardless of how you play.
First 😮💨
Lol, adjusting trim levels is disruptive. Are you serious, man? The whole process of DJing is EQing and doing your levels on the fly. That is the fun part. Sorry, this guy is a big joke!
That whole process is unnecessary & most mundane sounding thing ever. Half that hullabaloo you're doing is so much prep, more like pre-production. Extending intro in Ableton, trims & gains... can't be bothered with that. You might as well pre-record the set, let it play & pretend to twist knobs & mash buttons. You sucked the fun out of spinning. Sometimes I wonder if I made the right choice with opting for a Denon rig over a Pioneer rig...not so much after hearing this. Can you not save a loop on those things? No auto-gain or normalize feature?