I'm so grateful that people like you take the time to make these videos and put them up. I just got hired to DJ a Funk/Disco night, and all the music I have didn't line up properly (due to lack of metronome, I'm sure). I was going to have a really hard time trying to keep them in time while mixing and doing so much else at once, and now I am finally at ease with tracks that stay in sync with one another properly. Thank you.
I started with good ole technics, a Vestax PMC, and vinyl in the early 2000's. I took my knocks and remember throwing my shoe across the room many a time in frustration trying to learn to be a good DJ and develop that Live Ear. It was a lot of hard work and embarrassment, but the process taught me a lot about the essence of the Art. I used to study what Oakey, Ferry, Tall Paul, VDM, PVD, Signum, and all the prime DJ's at the time were doing as it related to composition, arrangement, proper transitioning, emotional ebb & flow, and most importantly, the development of the Story. While I am a purist at heart, I dont see the problem with leveraging the technology out there to augment your skills. That being said, if your foundation is built on these convenience tools instead of learning the core principles, the cracks will show in the arrangement and mixing progression. DJ's with a primed ear will hear amateur hour from a mile away no matter how technically sound the set is. Personally, I think there are a lot of tools out there that are so cumbersome they aren't even worth my time, and nothing will ever replace the live ear.
Some Dj's use sync to make their job easier and walk away with £200 a night, 3 nights a week like me. 17 years DJing Vinyl, CD and laptop on my CV Sync is for work, Syncs off when playing stuff i actually like at home Neither is right or wrong just convenient
I enjoyed the presentation which I came across by accident. I come from a DJing background in London, England (primarily, Reggae) where we didn't even use two decks. We kept the dancefloor moving with the careful use of effects, the mic and the speed of changing records for the next track - they weren't always dub (white label) plates - they were most often a selected track on an album. I don't have and opinion about "Real DJs" (there are great vinyl as well as digital DJs) because times are what they are and the world (including its movers and shakers [DJs, in our case]) either change with it or are the influencers of change (and DJs are both). Playing music today is very different (technically) from what it was in the 60s and 70s (hen I was most influenced) but the objective and end results are the same...an active dancefloor and folks leaving like they just had the best night of their lives. I'm far from an expert when it comes to using two decks or controllers but I really enjoy doing what we do and seeing folks have a great time (complaining that their feet are sore but they'll see us next time). When I first used a controller I used sync like it was going out of fashion...I've forgotten it's there now because I've implemented my old school ear. Always ready to learn...here's to you Chris and all DJs around the world.
Omg thank you, I didn't know I could set multiple bpms on one track on Serato. This is such an awesome feature as I have noticed my pre-2000 tracks almost all slip in bpm. This is super useful for even producing, once I get all of the various bpms set... i can actually physically sharpen the bpms of older songs, reload them as mixable songs with newer songs, with no slip!!! That is amazing!!!
Sync allows DJs to spend more time mixing additional music into their mixes and less time manually syncing. Sure, the top DJs don't need to do this because they spend 1000's or hours perfecting their sets. For the average DJ though this is an amazing feature and really lets creativity flow a lot easier, especially when you are just playing tracks on the fly from requests and didn't really put together a specific "set" of tracks for your event.
Thank you for this video, I have been checking out your other videos and even though the content may not always be relevant to to me you have a style that makes sense and I always learn a little something. I have recently started to manually beat grid where necessary and have learned a lot through experimenting. I would suggest anyone who is new to beatgridding check out this video. Just for clarification, I use sync as little as I can but, it does have its place.
Oh that's right, because the more manual work you put in the more of a "real" DJ you are, like syncing by ear right? No disrespect to guys that have that skill down pat, but really just get with the times and use the new features that are available to you. Cause at the end of the day, whether you sync by ear or auto, people don't care. They just wanna hear music and dance!
Miggy Miggy - Perfectly said. No one is in the dj booth at a club verifying that you aren't using sync. Play good music and keep the party live. No one cares how you do that except dj snobs. Fact.
Short Fuse Music - It is what it is. I'm not taking anything away from anyone. DJs are going to dj how they want to and bitching about it is a waste of time. I personally don't use sync that much but I have on occasion. I just don't think it's that big of a deal. Sync doesn't scratch for you or bring in the mix at the proper time. Sync doesn't even work properly if your beat grids are misaligned. DJing is different from when I started in the 1980s. Everything changes. Why did people think things will stay the same? They never do.
because its part of the performance.its a show of skill.would you be fine if a drummers snare would occasionally hit itself if hes off beat?or if a guitarists guitar would strum itself?would you ride a bike with training wheels on it?would you play baseball with one of them pedestal things that hold the ball in place so you can swing at a stationary target? yes,things have changed and theres nothing wrong with that.im not anti technology,anti digital,im not advocating everything should be 100% analog and vinyl...BUT! we arent talking about different ways of doing things here...we are talking about automation that dumbs down the whole process(a process that is already a joke in it of itself)..lets face it,DJs that arent "turntablists or scratch DJs" do next to nothing.just pretend to push buttons around 95% of the time...and now you wanna make these edm- pushing buffoons' lives even easier than they already are? your mentality is "it makes things easier so why not?"..but you know whats EVEN easier?stop DJing,download somebodys elses set,sit back and listen to it(if least effort/maximum result is the final goal)...and at the end of the day..isnt is supposed to be part of the FUN?if people find these things tedious maybe they shouldnt be doin em in the first place..whats the point if you want everything to be automated and involve as little skill as possible?
Miggy Miggy - Is this Milli or Vanilli? Beat syncing is like lip syncing. The talent is lost and severely disrespected with that attitude. Yeah it's a tool that can serve as an aid in the learning stages (like training wheels), but man at some point you need to grow up and learn the craft instead of treating your audience like ignorant sheep. Otherwise keep comments like that to yourself because you make "real" DJs look like shit.
Short Fuse Music - Fuck yeah. People today are lazy as hell. That's not even just about mixing. Cars are going to be automated soon enough along with many many other things we used to have to learn and train for. What the hell is the point of doing something if you're not DOING anything?? Jesus.. that's more of a rant but this topic is just another indication of it all. Don't let it go too far guys.
So I bought a DDM 4000 from this professional DJ who started DJing with traktor. I asked him the same question I've asked other DJs in and around the city. Is sync really that bad? They say no. In fact a lot of the newer DJs actually got their basics like structure, EQ, mixing in/out (other than beatmatching) down a lot faster in traktor using sync, taking time off later to learn beatmatching separately. Maybe it shortens the learning curve by a significant margin? Personally learning beatmatching sucked. I always thought why do I need to learn this when I can try other stuff while traktor takes care of that for me. Nevertheless its a skill, so I learnt it. No offense to the big daddies of DJing, just saying.
Oh man.. this helped so much. I'm from traktor & switch over to a djm s11 n 2 reloop 8000 n miss scratching haha. But I was so lost with this sync. I may have bitten off more than I can chew... but I will figure serato out!!
I agree... Djing is an art that some have and some don't... With this technology anyone with a computer can be a DJ... I use serrations for convinince reasons but I always disable the automatch feature..
Sync has it's faults as well. I prefer to be in control. When you do it manually you are in control and it also helps you to keep your attention on the mix. I've messed up more times with using sync than i have with beatmatching
Hblocktreehunna actually find it stupid. You can't stop the advancement of technology. Dj-ing is the only art form where we shun every single technological advancement in the field. It makes us look so pretentious and insecure. All the "old school" guys would be very happy if we were stuck in the vinyl age and all dj-ing could ever amount to was mixing one song into the next.
Palasako I know what u mean technogical advancements are great and in fairness even on the serato homepage they acknowledged sync is controversial but u can just turn it off every Dj should be able to beatmatch we can't all be turntabilists and I'll be the first to admit vinyl's limitations but I understand that general skill level is on the decline and on a performance level it detracts from the enjoyment of the Dj but does it affect the listener probably not. My 2p worth
mdove89 YES, but the way i see it, if your going to use sync button, do mashups with loops in your songs, and use samples, and effects to create something original and cool. THe possibilities are endless with the amount of equipment out there.
thank you so much for this video! I ALWAYS wondered how to beatgrid transition tracks! However, I am still a little confused between the simple and smart sync functions and what is the significance of the "quantize preferences"?
The dvs drifting is probably a bug. I had a very similar issue with my old ns6 about a year ago. NS6 on Serato DJ drifting out of sync with sync buttons pressed you should probably open a help ticket for that so they will look at it. For me it was happening without using sync but when I noticed it was happening even with sync I knew something was wrong.
This serato dj tutorial is good i like how u explained it down. I got one question for you, right b4 ur tutorial is about to be finished, when u switch to the turntables were u still using serato dj. If so its possible to use the tables with it. Write back and let me know whats up and how is done. thanks.
Yes you can use turntables with Serato. You need a DVS device Serato sells SL2 for two channels about $500 or up to SL4 for 4. Or get a mixer with Serato DVS installed cheapest mixer is the Akai pro and for 250 but you have to pay extra 100 for the DVS upgrade. you also need coded Vinyls that play a code read by the DVS to sync with the software.
Thanks for the video. I'm just getting to grips with Serato DJ and noticed a few functions don't work until you do the beatgridding. Yellow notice on the bottom of the screen. This will be helpful as I add my tunes into Serato, make up my crates, and do other preparations. Am I right in assuming that the more advances sync in Serato is somewhat like snap and quantize in Traktor? I never really paid much attention to how it worked in Intro. I'm teaching myself manual beatmatching as part of my practice and have never used sync for more than a tool to help get the tempo close and allow myself time for other stuff. Picked up on nudging right away, by not having my timing down on drops... :) In this kind of usage, would I be better just using simple sync rather than smart sync. Still going to apply the beatgrids so that I can use the other features that are tied in with that. Any input would be welcomed, thanks again for the sync tutorial... :) Keep shining.
0:50 :))))) But wait... I really need this because man... It's my first software and I know nothing so this is like first aid for me. I like the interface of VDJ more, but the sound of VDJ is not good from my perspective. Thank's for the video and for the good attitude. Cheers
For tracks that change tempo, I totally get the downbeat markers but this is so fucking tedious for simple tracks that use a drum machine. The auto grids in Traktor are perfect 99% of the time.
I use the ns6 the grid controls are right on the mixer. Just line up the first beat hold delete hit beat grid once to clear release the delete and then hit beat grid and ya done
if you set a new warp marker once the BPM has steadied to 110 as you do from (5:25-5:53), aren't you telling it still that the BPM is being altered so that is why is gives you the 110.2 at the end instead of the correct 110.0?
When I place a marker the grid moves with it so when I slid back to check it the bpm drops or raises, it drives me mad. Does this just mean I have to place more markers down to get it right?
I'm experiencing a bit of an issue with the warp markers. 1) I set the grid to the first downbeat - no problems - solid 128 grid is created. 2) I move to the spot where I want to place the next (warp) marker as the tempo will start to decrease from there, but for some reason the marker is not set to that particular point for it goes a millimeter or two behind the spot I wanted to set it. On top of that the newly set warp marker F's up the grid behind it. What on earth am I doing wrong?
When it comes to house or techno beat grades are usually easy to set. The ones I have problems with are the r&b and classic. For instance George Clinton we got the funk And Earth wind and Fire, let's Groove tonight. I just can't sit the beat grid on those songs. I know I still like old school.
Hi Chris, Great video...Thank you for posting! I have a quick question for you . . . Is there an option in Serato to "Refresh my iTunes" library while DJ'ing a gig? For example, if I'm at a gig and someone requests a song I don't own & I download it thru iTunes . . . Is there an option to refresh the library or am I stuck with having to locate the file on my hard drive and drop it in? Thanks for your help!
What if "Edit Grid" is not even an option to pick. I'm using Serato Dj Pro and there is no EDIT GRID next to repeat. PLEASE HELP ME. Do I have to pay more for the edit grid feature?
so when you have a changing tempo in a track and set the beatgrid..does it stay at the same tempo all the time? (time stretching? otherwise whats the point of beatgridding a track which shifts in tempo..dont get it
Not only is sync bad in sdj as mentioned in the video so is The manual loop feature in SDJ. You can be as accurate as possible when setting the in and out and 9 times out of 10 the serato engine messes it up and that's with the song beatgridded to perfection . That's why I'm sticking with Virtual DJ , you can be deaf and the Smart loop feature sets the loop accurately every time when doing it manually , not to mention I didn't have to beat grid my whole library incase I want to use a sync feature . I don't understand why people swear by Serato. In today's world of Digital DJing VDJ is by far the superior software
im transitioning from using an older cdj model with scratch live, to a ddj-sx2 with serato dj. My biggest (and only complaint) is the dissapearence of the beat matching wav section that you have where it normally would be, the top middle right under the serato dj logo. Is there a simple option that I'm simply missing or is this something that is the result of having more advanced hardware? Please advise! thank you so much, love the vids
Hi this doesn't work for me. When I warp the grid like you show and have it on smart sync and have the sync button switched on on my controller It keeps the song playing at 128 bpms! what am I doing wrong?!?
Interesting video, thank you. I really like the beat grid features of Serato for Transition Tracks and so on but the Smart Sync seems to be too fiddly for me. Which other software offers good Sync along with the dynamic beats grids? Traktor appears to only use static beatgrids.
Wow. So I have over 18,000 songs. I gotta go through every one of them and eventually do this to all? Wtf! That doesn't seem right. I don't have this type of problem with vdj at all. Serato isn't good at detecting bpm.
+DJ Mizzy You don't have to do anything in this video if you don't feel like it's necessary. This tutorial is simply for people who care to do such a thing. Just like in VDJ, Sync still works without beatgridding. But the option is still there for people who want to take advantage of it. VDJ is actually more limited because you can't beatgrid at all with it. That said, I started off with VDJ, so when I switched to Serato I didn't even bother with beatgrids, because just like you I'm so used to mixing without them. All I do is load up a track, then within seconds Serato has determined the BPM and Key for me, just like VDJ does. No beatgridding required.
I know this is a late reply but I have found some tracks that have a weird intro so when Serato analyzes for the beat grid it doesn't match properly. I would say you only have to do this with tracks that do not analyze properly and the beat grid is messed up. For me it has been pretty rare.
Hey Mojaxx, this is an old video so I'm just wondering is this still how you chose to grid your music? Has there been any advancements? I've struggled in the last messing with grids as I'd set it all the what I change later in the track would mess with what I set earlier. But the downbeat markers seem to be the key to locking in what you've altered?
Hi there, short question : when i edit beatgrids, i set the first markers and adjust the beat grids, then when i put a second one (the bpm change), it makes the adjustments I made in the first part move and therefore, i am not able to get what I want ... Any idea what is the problem ?
I would use sync for more complex mixes but I couldn’t get it to work.I also can’t get Serato to work at all for video these days.At the moment I’m on vdj .I can record video mixes without the need to record onto a separate drive from the one I read from and no stutter crunch or crash.My mac is old but vdj is fine while the worlds number one can’t even play video without losing its shit.Even when the video worked I couldn’t get sync to work so I beatmatch just fine with my ear.When I play live I fuck up a little just to let people know that I am actually working
See how at around 8:06 your beat grid continuously scrolls? Mine doesn't do that. It loads a set of bars and scrolls. It randomly started doing this and I don't know how to change the beat grid to scroll how yours does in the video.
You know how their is one songs playing? How do you make it so you can mash two songs together on the Scratch Live app aka Serato? I'm 13 and my dad is a DJ. He has been for like 20+ years. I want to follow in his steps and be a DJ too. I am asking this question cause the sooner I start the better I will be. Thank you.
Unfortunately Serato labels the track's bpm from the longest consistent stretch of beat-grid within that track. It's a bit annoying because you really want the track's beginning bpm labeled rather than what it transitions to.
No smart sync for dvs yet. All sync has added it more work for the Dj. I would like to have sp-6 sync to use like a remix deck but other than that I will continue to mix by ear. It has worked for me since the 90's.
Ney, I'm using a reloop beatmix 2 and serato dj intro, i was using it fine but now the waveform will not appear and the tracks aren't playing, any ideas?
How do you stretch out the beatmarkers as shown in 5:00? When I put downbeat markers on the breakdown on sync, the track slows down creating a laggish type sound Please help Cheers!
i use turntable reloop 4000 md3 and mixer reloop rex 22 I with sl3 and serato dj lastest version and doesn't matter what i try it won't synch match won't synch perfectly im getting pissed off feel like throwing it thought the window . i set up the anti skating and blabla it still skip getting frustrated feel disappointed to have sold my ns7 for that
How do I keep a steady BPM for all ma tracks bcoz anytime I change track then the BPM changes and I find it difficult to sync it. Its not like Virtual DJ as you can simply do it correctly... Thanks
anyone have any idea why my serato cant find anyone of my iTunes songs or even VTdj? all the songs play fine in iTunes but no where else. They all say error. I did hit the change iTunes media folder and that's when it happened. I just don't understand how to make them work again?
Such an informative video! 4 years later and I still come back to this. THANK YOU!
I'm so grateful that people like you take the time to make these videos and put them up. I just got hired to DJ a Funk/Disco night, and all the music I have didn't line up properly (due to lack of metronome, I'm sure). I was going to have a really hard time trying to keep them in time while mixing and doing so much else at once, and now I am finally at ease with tracks that stay in sync with one another properly. Thank you.
I started with good ole technics, a Vestax PMC, and vinyl in the early 2000's. I took my knocks and remember throwing my shoe across the room many a time in frustration trying to learn to be a good DJ and develop that Live Ear. It was a lot of hard work and embarrassment, but the process taught me a lot about the essence of the Art. I used to study what Oakey, Ferry, Tall Paul, VDM, PVD, Signum, and all the prime DJ's at the time were doing as it related to composition, arrangement, proper transitioning, emotional ebb & flow, and most importantly, the development of the Story. While I am a purist at heart, I dont see the problem with leveraging the technology out there to augment your skills. That being said, if your foundation is built on these convenience tools instead of learning the core principles, the cracks will show in the arrangement and mixing progression. DJ's with a primed ear will hear amateur hour from a mile away no matter how technically sound the set is. Personally, I think there are a lot of tools out there that are so cumbersome they aren't even worth my time, and nothing will ever replace the live ear.
thanks for the beatgrid tutorial m8, i was having trouble getting the proper bpm for some of my tracks
Some Dj's use sync to make their job easier and walk away with £200 a night, 3 nights a week like me. 17 years DJing Vinyl, CD and laptop on my CV
Sync is for work, Syncs off when playing stuff i actually like at home
Neither is right or wrong just convenient
i find manually beatmatching to be easier than sync for some reason
Chris you're the fucking best, mate i can't tolerate anyone else's tutorials you always tell me exactly what I want to know
I enjoyed the presentation which I came across by accident. I come from a DJing background in London, England (primarily, Reggae) where we didn't even use two decks. We kept the dancefloor moving with the careful use of effects, the mic and the speed of changing records for the next track - they weren't always dub (white label) plates - they were most often a selected track on an album. I don't have and opinion about "Real DJs" (there are great vinyl as well as digital DJs) because times are what they are and the world (including its movers and shakers [DJs, in our case]) either change with it or are the influencers of change (and DJs are both). Playing music today is very different (technically) from what it was in the 60s and 70s (hen I was most influenced) but the objective and end results are the same...an active dancefloor and folks leaving like they just had the best night of their lives. I'm far from an expert when it comes to using two decks or controllers but I really enjoy doing what we do and seeing folks have a great time (complaining that their feet are sore but they'll see us next time).
When I first used a controller I used sync like it was going out of fashion...I've forgotten it's there now because I've implemented my old school ear. Always ready to learn...here's to you Chris and all DJs around the world.
Omg thank you, I didn't know I could set multiple bpms on one track on Serato. This is such an awesome feature as I have noticed my pre-2000 tracks almost all slip in bpm. This is super useful for even producing, once I get all of the various bpms set... i can actually physically sharpen the bpms of older songs, reload them as mixable songs with newer songs, with no slip!!! That is amazing!!!
Whether you like sync or not, this is a great video. Keep up the good work!!!
Very informative. Well explained and great song to use for training purpose with the complex beat grid since it has 2 different BPM's.
certainly helpful. as a dee-jay i tend to rally like Serato not that other software is bad, but serato get's it done and looks good doing it.
This is still good in 2016, shortcuts do not work anymore but it is really easy with Set and Clear options in Serato. Thanks!
Thank you It helped me a lot. I kept wondering why the heck the sync turned off all the time, now I know. Regards
Excellent video as usual Chris. Just moved from turntables to cdjs+serato - sync was a bit alien to me !
Thanks guys.. I didn't even know the software was capable of kinda understating fluctuating tempos like that! Very helpful.
Sync allows DJs to spend more time mixing additional music into their mixes and less time manually syncing. Sure, the top DJs don't need to do this because they spend 1000's or hours perfecting their sets. For the average DJ though this is an amazing feature and really lets creativity flow a lot easier, especially when you are just playing tracks on the fly from requests and didn't really put together a specific "set" of tracks for your event.
Manually mixing isn't exactly hard is it mate? Especially with bpms displayed etc...
Exactly what I needed. I have a track that changes tempo so this was ace, thank you.
Very valuable video, thank you! I really have been wanting to adjust beatgrid on a lot of my tracks for the sake of quantize and slicer.
Thank you for this video, I have been checking out your other videos and even though the content may not always be relevant to to me you have a style that makes sense and I always learn a little something. I have recently started to manually beat grid where necessary and have learned a lot through experimenting. I would suggest anyone who is new to beatgridding check out this video. Just for clarification, I use sync as little as I can but, it does have its place.
Oh that's right, because the more manual work you put in the more of a "real" DJ you are, like syncing by ear right? No disrespect to guys that have that skill down pat, but really just get with the times and use the new features that are available to you. Cause at the end of the day, whether you sync by ear or auto, people don't care. They just wanna hear music and dance!
Miggy Miggy - Perfectly said. No one is in the dj booth at a club verifying that you aren't using sync. Play good music and keep the party live. No one cares how you do that except dj snobs. Fact.
Short Fuse Music - It is what it is. I'm not taking anything away from anyone. DJs are going to dj how they want to and bitching about it is a waste of time. I personally don't use sync that much but I have on occasion. I just don't think it's that big of a deal. Sync doesn't scratch for you or bring in the mix at the proper time. Sync doesn't even work properly if your beat grids are misaligned. DJing is different from when I started in the 1980s. Everything changes. Why did people think things will stay the same? They never do.
because its part of the performance.its a show of skill.would you be fine if a drummers snare would occasionally hit itself if hes off beat?or if a guitarists guitar would strum itself?would you ride a bike with training wheels on it?would you play baseball with one of them pedestal things that hold the ball in place so you can swing at a stationary target?
yes,things have changed and theres nothing wrong with that.im not anti technology,anti digital,im not advocating everything should be 100% analog and vinyl...BUT!
we arent talking about different ways of doing things here...we are talking about automation that dumbs down the whole process(a process that is already a joke in it of itself)..lets face it,DJs that arent "turntablists or scratch DJs" do next to nothing.just pretend to push buttons around 95% of the time...and now you wanna make these edm- pushing buffoons' lives even easier than they already are?
your mentality is "it makes things easier so why not?"..but you know whats EVEN easier?stop DJing,download somebodys elses set,sit back and listen to it(if least effort/maximum result is the final goal)...and at the end of the day..isnt is supposed to be part of the FUN?if people find these things tedious maybe they shouldnt be doin em in the first place..whats the point if you want everything to be automated and involve as little skill as possible?
Miggy Miggy - Is this Milli or Vanilli? Beat syncing is like lip syncing. The talent is lost and severely disrespected with that attitude. Yeah it's a tool that can serve as an aid in the learning stages (like training wheels), but man at some point you need to grow up and learn the craft instead of treating your audience like ignorant sheep. Otherwise keep comments like that to yourself because you make "real" DJs look like shit.
Short Fuse Music - Fuck yeah. People today are lazy as hell. That's not even just about mixing. Cars are going to be automated soon enough along with many many other things we used to have to learn and train for. What the hell is the point of doing something if you're not DOING anything?? Jesus.. that's more of a rant but this topic is just another indication of it all. Don't let it go too far guys.
Wow. This whole time I didn't know about the down beat marker. Thank you. All my transition tracks are off. I've got some work to do.
So I bought a DDM 4000 from this professional DJ who started DJing with traktor. I asked him the same question I've asked other DJs in and around the city. Is sync really that bad? They say no. In fact a lot of the newer DJs actually got their basics like structure, EQ, mixing in/out (other than beatmatching) down a lot faster in traktor using sync, taking time off later to learn beatmatching separately. Maybe it shortens the learning curve by a significant margin? Personally learning beatmatching sucked. I always thought why do I need to learn this when I can try other stuff while traktor takes care of that for me. Nevertheless its a skill, so I learnt it. No offense to the big daddies of DJing, just saying.
Oh man.. this helped so much. I'm from traktor & switch over to a djm s11 n 2 reloop 8000 n miss scratching haha. But I was so lost with this sync. I may have bitten off more than I can chew... but I will figure serato out!!
Yea Traktor’s sync is more accurate and easier
very nice explanation about the beatgrid
thanks
I agree... Djing is an art that some have and some don't... With this technology anyone with a computer can be a DJ... I use serrations for convinince reasons but I always disable the automatch feature..
Thanks Dj Chris...I like using them...need to find your slicer-mode...
Wow thnks.. did not knew you can perfect beatgrid transition tracks 👌🏽
Sync has it's faults as well. I prefer to be in control. When you do it manually you are in control and it also helps you to keep your attention on the mix. I've messed up more times with using sync than i have with beatmatching
same, i dont understand why "talented" djs feel so threatened by sync.... at least that's what i see, cuz sync can be a bitch
Hblocktreehunna actually find it stupid. You can't stop the advancement of technology. Dj-ing is the only art form where we shun every single technological advancement in the field. It makes us look so pretentious and insecure. All the "old school" guys would be very happy if we were stuck in the vinyl age and all dj-ing could ever amount to was mixing one song into the next.
Palasako I know what u mean technogical advancements are great and in fairness even on the serato homepage they acknowledged sync is controversial but u can just turn it off every Dj should be able to beatmatch we can't all be turntabilists and I'll be the first to admit vinyl's limitations but I understand that general skill level is on the decline and on a performance level it detracts from the enjoyment of the Dj but does it affect the listener probably not. My 2p worth
mdove89 YES, but the way i see it, if your going to use sync button, do mashups with loops in your songs, and use samples, and effects to create something original and cool. THe possibilities are endless with the amount of equipment out there.
Agreed
Thanks for making this video great help.
thank you so much for this video! I ALWAYS wondered how to beatgrid transition tracks! However, I am still a little confused between the simple and smart sync functions and what is the significance of the "quantize preferences"?
You are an excellent instructor thank you!!
This is what Traktor needs. Traktor needs a way to set multiple beatgrids that change in BPM.
So helpfull, thank you. Could you please explain, why you sometimes Mark a downbeat with a „X“, in ihrer cases you just use the arrow keys.
Thank you! I needed this 😅❤
They should make videos on how to properly use the Slicer, Loop Roll etc.
They already did.
Just found this, nice tut, cheers
Excellent tutorial. Though beatgridding is easier in traktor.
If you don't mind may I ask what record pool do you use.? You have some pretty good music. I would appreciate it, thank you.
The dvs drifting is probably a bug. I had a very similar issue with my old ns6 about a year ago. NS6 on Serato DJ drifting out of sync with sync buttons pressed
you should probably open a help ticket for that so they will look at it. For me it was happening without using sync but when I noticed it was happening even with sync I knew something was wrong.
Sweet setup bro, that looks nice
Great video man thank u
This serato dj tutorial is good i like how u explained it down. I got one question for you, right b4 ur tutorial is about to be finished, when u switch to the turntables were u still using serato dj. If so its possible to use the tables with it. Write back and let me know whats up and how is done. thanks.
Yes you can use turntables with Serato. You need a DVS device Serato sells SL2 for two channels about $500 or up to SL4 for 4. Or get a mixer with Serato DVS installed cheapest mixer is the Akai pro and for 250 but you have to pay extra 100 for the DVS upgrade. you also need coded Vinyls that play a code read by the DVS to sync with the software.
Have been using serato dj for x amount of years....never thought about using the sync until now. Question....does the sync work with control CDs????
Thanks for the video. I'm just getting to grips with Serato DJ and noticed a few functions don't work until you do the beatgridding. Yellow notice on the bottom of the screen. This will be helpful as I add my tunes into Serato, make up my crates, and do other preparations. Am I right in assuming that the more advances sync in Serato is somewhat like snap and quantize in Traktor? I never really paid much attention to how it worked in Intro. I'm teaching myself manual beatmatching as part of my practice and have never used sync for more than a tool to help get the tempo close and allow myself time for other stuff. Picked up on nudging right away, by not having my timing down on drops... :) In this kind of usage, would I be better just using simple sync rather than smart sync. Still going to apply the beatgrids so that I can use the other features that are tied in with that. Any input would be welcomed, thanks again for the sync tutorial... :) Keep shining.
0:50 :))))) But wait... I really need this because man... It's my first software and I know nothing so this is like first aid for me.
I like the interface of VDJ more, but the sound of VDJ is not good from my perspective.
Thank's for the video and for the good attitude. Cheers
thanks mate! this is very useful, especially now trying to correct funky music :) cheers~~
Thanks for posting this, very helpful.
For tracks that change tempo, I totally get the downbeat markers but this is so fucking tedious for simple tracks that use a drum machine. The auto grids in Traktor are perfect 99% of the time.
Thank you, boss!
I use the ns6 the grid controls are right on the mixer. Just line up the first beat hold delete hit beat grid once to clear release the delete and then hit beat grid and ya done
Fkn awesome. Thanks for the beatgridding tutorial!
if you set a new warp marker once the BPM has steadied to 110 as you do from (5:25-5:53), aren't you telling it still that the BPM is being altered so that is why is gives you the 110.2 at the end instead of the correct 110.0?
When I place a marker the grid moves with it so when I slid back to check it the bpm drops or raises, it drives me mad. Does this just mean I have to place more markers down to get it right?
This video really helped me out, thank you!
I'm experiencing a bit of an issue with the warp markers.
1) I set the grid to the first downbeat - no problems - solid 128 grid is created.
2) I move to the spot where I want to place the next (warp) marker as the tempo will start to decrease from there, but for some reason the marker is not set to that particular point for it goes a millimeter or two behind the spot I wanted to set it. On top of that the newly set warp marker F's up the grid behind it. What on earth am I doing wrong?
what's the difference i put the same BPM looking to the screen and using simple sync?
i really don't understand the problem... :/
when beat gridding do you skip the intro if there are no drums under it, and start at the first drum hit?
When it comes to house or techno beat grades are usually easy to set.
The ones I have problems with are the r&b and classic. For instance George Clinton we got the funk And Earth wind and Fire, let's Groove tonight.
I just can't sit the beat grid on those songs.
I know I still like old school.
Set the snare
Very helpful, thanks
I love sync!
can you show this transition song that you synced in a demonstration synced with your controller transitioning from another song?
Hi Chris,
Great video...Thank you for posting! I have a quick question for you . . . Is there an option in Serato to "Refresh my iTunes" library while DJ'ing a gig? For example, if I'm at a gig and someone requests a song I don't own & I download it thru iTunes . . . Is there an option to refresh the library or am I stuck with having to locate the file on my hard drive and drop it in?
Thanks for your help!
I believe you can just drag it from your itunes library straight to serato
nice vid I've an issue my auto bpm recognition is not displaying. Bpm shows in library once analysed but not on virt turntable. Any Ideas?
What if "Edit Grid" is not even an option to pick. I'm using Serato Dj Pro and there is no EDIT GRID next to repeat. PLEASE HELP ME. Do I have to pay more for the edit grid feature?
so when you have a changing tempo in a track and set the beatgrid..does it stay at the same tempo all the time? (time stretching? otherwise whats the point of beatgridding a track which shifts in tempo..dont get it
Not only is sync bad in sdj as mentioned in the video so is The manual loop feature in SDJ. You can be as accurate as possible when setting the in and out and 9 times out of 10 the serato engine messes it up and that's with the song beatgridded to perfection . That's why I'm sticking with Virtual DJ , you can be deaf and the Smart loop feature sets the loop accurately every time when doing it manually , not to mention I didn't have to beat grid my whole library incase I want to use a sync feature . I don't understand why people swear by Serato. In today's world of Digital DJing VDJ is by far the superior software
im transitioning from using an older cdj model with scratch live, to a ddj-sx2 with serato dj. My biggest (and only complaint) is the dissapearence of the beat matching wav section that you have where it normally would be, the top middle right under the serato dj logo. Is there a simple option that I'm simply missing or is this something that is the result of having more advanced hardware? Please advise! thank you so much, love the vids
Hi this doesn't work for me. When I warp the grid like you show and have it on smart sync and have the sync button switched on on my controller It keeps the song playing at 128 bpms! what am I doing wrong?!?
Interesting video, thank you. I really like the beat grid features of Serato for Transition Tracks and so on but the Smart Sync seems to be too fiddly for me. Which other software offers good Sync along with the dynamic beats grids? Traktor appears to only use static beatgrids.
Nice, but Traktor best "auto beatgrids".
veolque te sigues especializando en lo fuerte tuyo el SYNC felicitaciones jajajaja
Wow. So I have over 18,000 songs. I gotta go through every one of them and eventually do this to all? Wtf! That doesn't seem right. I don't have this type of problem with vdj at all. Serato isn't good at detecting bpm.
+DJ Mizzy You don't have to do anything in this video if you don't feel like it's necessary. This tutorial is simply for people who care to do such a thing. Just like in VDJ, Sync still works without beatgridding. But the option is still there for people who want to take advantage of it. VDJ is actually more limited because you can't beatgrid at all with it. That said, I started off with VDJ, so when I switched to Serato I didn't even bother with beatgrids, because just like you I'm so used to mixing without them. All I do is load up a track, then within seconds Serato has determined the BPM and Key for me, just like VDJ does. No beatgridding required.
I know this is a late reply but I have found some tracks that have a weird intro so when Serato analyzes for the beat grid it doesn't match properly. I would say you only have to do this with tracks that do not analyze properly and the beat grid is messed up. For me it has been pretty rare.
Agree. VDJ beat grid and sync is way better
You can adjust beatgrid in vdj
Hey Mojaxx, this is an old video so I'm just wondering is this still how you chose to grid your music? Has there been any advancements? I've struggled in the last messing with grids as I'd set it all the what I change later in the track would mess with what I set earlier. But the downbeat markers seem to be the key to locking in what you've altered?
great video. thanks
Hi there, short question : when i edit beatgrids, i set the first markers and adjust the beat grids, then when i put a second one (the bpm change), it makes the adjustments I made in the first part move and therefore, i am not able to get what I want ... Any idea what is the problem ?
I would use sync for more complex mixes but I couldn’t get it to work.I also can’t get Serato to work at all for video these days.At the moment I’m on vdj .I can record video mixes without the need to record onto a separate drive from the one I read from and no stutter crunch or crash.My mac is old but vdj is fine while the worlds number one can’t even play video without losing its shit.Even when the video worked I couldn’t get sync to work so I beatmatch just fine with my ear.When I play live I fuck up a little just to let people know that I am actually working
See how at around 8:06 your beat grid continuously scrolls? Mine doesn't do that. It loads a set of bars and scrolls. It randomly started doing this and I don't know how to change the beat grid to scroll how yours does in the video.
So Analyzing tracks doesn’t do this automatically?
You know how their is one songs playing? How do you make it so you can mash two songs together on the Scratch Live app aka Serato? I'm 13 and my dad is a DJ. He has been for like 20+ years. I want to follow in his steps and be a DJ too. I am asking this question cause the sooner I start the better I will be. Thank you.
1 year or more
Why not ask your dad, fam?
My sync doesn't lock one deck is faster and the other goes slow ..
Dj intro lite ..how do I fix sync problem
left arrow key doesn't work for me, using a MacBook pro with Pioneer DDJ-Sx2
Thank you my man
Sync is for teaching beginners to mix house music.
Where can I find Serato DJ Pro keyboard shortcuts?
when i change the beat grid the bpm changes?how can i keep a steady bpm?
That's what I'd like to know.. I have my transition tracks labeled by Starting-BPM... I don't want to change that.
Unfortunately Serato labels the track's bpm from the longest consistent stretch of beat-grid within that track.
It's a bit annoying because you really want the track's beginning bpm labeled rather than what it transitions to.
Thank for the help🙌🏽
nice tips..
No smart sync for dvs yet. All sync has added it more work for the Dj. I would like to have sp-6 sync to use like a remix deck but other than that I will continue to mix by ear. It has worked for me since the 90's.
Ney, I'm using a reloop beatmix 2 and serato dj intro, i was using it fine but now the waveform will not appear and the tracks aren't playing, any ideas?
very helpful. Thank you!
great tutorial!
the looping and synch funtions suck big time in serato, traktor is spot on with the looping and synch mode
How is Surato liked to the decks?
How do you stretch out the beatmarkers as shown in 5:00?
When I put downbeat markers on the breakdown on sync, the track slows down creating a laggish type sound
Please help
Cheers!
i use turntable reloop 4000 md3 and mixer reloop rex 22 I with sl3 and serato dj lastest version and doesn't matter what i try it won't synch match won't synch perfectly im getting pissed off feel like throwing it thought the window . i set up the anti skating and blabla it still skip getting frustrated feel disappointed to have sold my ns7 for that
Thanks
How do I keep a steady BPM for all ma tracks bcoz anytime I change track then the BPM changes and I find it difficult to sync it. Its not like Virtual DJ as you can simply do it correctly... Thanks
my bpm is not showing up on my numark platinum controller there are 3 lines where the numbers supposed to be . anyone knows why
what if you place the x on wrong spot and want to delete it how can you do that?
awesom video
anyone have any idea why my serato cant find anyone of my iTunes songs or even VTdj? all the songs play fine in iTunes but no where else. They all say error. I did hit the change iTunes media folder and that's when it happened. I just don't understand how to make them work again?
Great video, how do you get your mouse to pulse?