The worst part about understanding song structure is once it becomes second nature, wrestling with your brain about wanting to mix now vs. waiting for the right time to mix. All great points ... good stuff!
Best tip was about engaging with the crowd, when I first started DJing, I was so focused on getting transitions to be perfect or keeping in line with my playlist, that I usually never got complimented!
I have my first show tomorrow and I recorded myself earlier to get an idea of what I would look like. It was not pretty lol. I was hunched over the decks and never looked up once. Going to make sure to keep visually checking in with the crowd.
yes, this is most true... if I won the lotto jackpot in my country, I would definitely ask him to DJ my wedding, or just simply MC it and give him the night off
Well this just showed that he never stay in his comfort zone. He doesn't afraid to share what he have as a DJ and keeps explore any possibilities for new gigs. He keep trying from new sets, songs, genre, to even different software. Even trying every combination of every sets can provide.
An additional point for "Don't redline", if you aim generally for +3db when you're playing it will allow you enough headroom to crank up the quieter tracks that may have been mastered either badly or quieter without edging into the red.
Picking when to mix songs is honestly the key to making sets flow so much better. I've seen many DJs I even work alongside just pick halfway through a verse or 3 beats before the end of a chorus to just drop and start and brand new song. That small change of lining up sections and right phrasing makes the difference
NIce point. But you have to make sure that the next track you drop in this type of mixing is a catchy tune or a very popular one. You don't wanna clear the dancefloor with some tracks that aren't top if you know what I mean. Like drop it on the hook for example.
Lodi ung channel mo lang talaga ang pinaka maraming info para sa mga bagong DJ! I love how you are more about helping those starting out, rather than showcasing your gigs, talent, etc. Kaya LODI kita eh!
As a sound engineer I (used to) work at festivals and clubs. To all newbies! please listen to this Guy! It drives me nuts when dj’s redline and/or play crappy quality files. Please do the right thing and buy the music you play and buy only WAV. or aiff. that way you support the artist, you will sound good, not destroy the crowd ears and you won’t look/sound like an amateur.
DJ Carlo Atendido I agree with the statement but where can I find a song or an edit or bootleg or ID when you can’t find it on Apple Music or other places to get music?
justanotherguy Beatport, junodownload, traxsource. To name a few. Always check if you can buy WAV. Or aiff. Try to stay away from mp3. Also check the bandcamp of you favo artists. Sometimes they give tracks away for free.
You'r the master and this is spot on advice for beginners, I've seen the occasional pro try something out on the night without prep and lose the floor. I think your tip about over doing it on your first gig with a crowd was a really good one, bedroom mixers don't realise how different working a crowded dance floor is to doing mixups in your bedroom, like you said, your mixing and scratching might be amazing but without the right music and atmosphere which you create your set will be toast.
For Mistake #2: If you have time to spare and don't wanna calculate bars so that the breaks align perfectly.. you could simply hold the jog wheel of the second track around the break and when the break of the first song hits you immediately release the second break, then use the EQ to your advantage Personally, I find it as a good technique as I am more of a "visual memory person" and I only know the structure of songs by the visual, not by the actual number of bars each phrase has. What do you guys think of this method?
That's a great method too, but doesn't apply to each songs... and it's also kinda lazy. I do it if I don't have an extended version. If you have an extended mix, it would be better to mix it. If you know your songs, you don't need any visual aids. You would already know its structure, and thus don't have to know any actual number of bars etc.
and in a club situation, don't get into a panic if you *do* late-mix now and again. there are ways of correcting it and covering it up (backspins, filter out, phasing and such). I've heard some really dodgy mixing back in the day from old-skool vinyl house DJs, but did it affect everyone's enjoyment of the party? not in the slightest :)
"Crowd rocking is why DJ gets hired in the first place" This resonates so much to me. At first I was always so disappointed to "not be able to show my cool techno transitions", or having to abandon a certain genre very quickly because crowd was not responsive. But then one understands that what matters is people dancing and having a good time. They won't remember techno transitions if they are not in the mood. Vibe check of the room is what makes a DJ and a crowd happy !
Redlining was definitely my favorite tip, I honestly rarely even think about it when I mix half the time. I just know that red light = bad so avoid, but not the actual effects of it
Much like a DJ set begins with prep, the event begins with a sound check which will involve gain staging. Good gain staging will not only minimise clipping, but it will also grant you headroom and finer control over your levels.
I love this I'm still a noob I've done weddings and pool parties but I am never too arrogant to know that I need to always learn! This video is exactly what I needed thank you!
many djs are introverts so hiding behind the decks and computer is kind of comforting but its always a good idea to try and loosen up and react to the crowd but as with all things its a balance .Some djs seem to put on a mix of their productions and then jump around throwing cake and party poppers at the crowd others are very focused on their juggling and scratching and forget that there are people there.I tend to be a hider especially if things get busy but if the crowd is friendly then i might come out of my shell ...a bit.
The best example of this I saw live was the legendary Dave Clarke. Mans a major introvert, will rarely look at the crowd or even crack a smile. However, he can move crowds the same. I tend not to be very flashy on my gigs plus a lot of stages are quite separate from the crowd.
@@GPS08 The mans serious about his music but he knows his shit and the crowd love him for it.Theres nothing wrong with a dj using his knowledge and skill and concentrating hard on his work .If this means he works they dance and he barely looks up from what he doing then so be it if it works for him and his crowd.There great communicators that will get the crowd moving by being a bit more of a showman like Norman Cooke who is also great but like everyone else all djs are all different and some might wonder what pills Dave Clarke had taken if he started waving his hands about and throwing stuff at his audience ..Like the song says .Just gice the dj a break
@@DanielleKingdjdinosaur - I never said there was something wrong. I was just giving a contrast of a very well known (legendary status imo) DJ such as Dave Clarke who doesn't engage with the crowd that much but still has crowds moving for hours and begging for more. I've seen him live, that's why I gave him as an example cos I experienced it. I've also seen Norman Cooke (Fatboy Slim) live at a festival in Portugal, can't remember if he went as Norman or Fatboy Slim. Technically, he's crap (at least that night he was), beatmatch off abrupt cuts etc... But the crowd was going crazy with the show, cos he's a good showman. He's the opposite of Dave Clarke.
@@GPS08 I never said it either.I was in full agreement with you.Norman is a showman and he has a very different style of mixing to Mr Clarke.Both have their merits and we can all have an off day..I would say in how i mix though not in music style im closer to the introverted concentration on the mix style as i can get lost in the flow as it were.I like both djs and like i said like people djs are all different thank god.
A DJ that moves and shows they are really into the music they are playing entices the crowd to get into it as well. A DJ that just stands there as if they are bored shows the crowd something else so they will be less likely to dance. Record everything you do(gigs and practice), listen to it repeatedly and critique your own mixes. It is how you learn.
Nice informative video. Very well explained. If I may, as a dj with a bit of experience, the technique I use, since I am self taught, is to first listen where your next track is going to begin (first drop or bridge) and then start it when your current track has that remaining time. For example, if your incoming track has its first drop at around 1 minute, then start it 1 minute before your outgoing track ends. Obviously taking into account that it's music, so think phrases instead of just time.
I create playlist or mini sets, but just enough to get me started. So maybe like 5 songs I have planned. It really helps with nerves and confidence. After I get that warm up in I'm ready to jam 😎
Thank you for pointing out mistake #1. Being a wedding and corporate event DJ for over 6 years I can say that playing the right music at the right time is what it all comes down to. Everything else is secondary.
Mistake 2 needs to be taken into consideration, as I mix generally older happy hardcore some of the tracks have longer beats before the drop so its a case of fade mixing when mixing from new hardcore tracks to old due to how new ones are produced to around 3 to 4 minutes where as the older stuff is around 6 to 7 minutes
sir,many Dj's remix songs and just kill the originality of it.They tend to forget that the most simplest of beats can rock the crowd if they are timed perfectly at the perfect eve.(You have taught a lot in your videos to tell this)
I am literally just starting and have no intention of djing professionally. What I'm struggling with is choosing the mix point of 2 tracks. That part was really helpful.
imo ripping tracks off websides is fine for DJs who just get started, they will not perform on hi fi sound systems and you can barely hear the difference, i started like that and havent got a big gig till now since 2004, most of my lib is still ripped off songs from my Original Vinyl collection to mix with MP3, bcuz its just simply too expensive to buy all of them in high quality and since im mostly mixing with Vinyl you only have the presses that you purchased back then - most oldschool tracks dont have a good digital copy, you have to do that mostly yourself which not rly increases the quality of the Track, so this tip is very bad actually - i know this is based on modern DJing but we Oldschool guys dont have the Luxury to purchase a Hardtrance/Hardstyle track from the early 2k's with amazing quality online - it simply doasnt exist.
Hey carlo wanted to just thank you for everything, I don't know what I would do without you ,you are truly a legend and I thank you for the time and effort you put into all ur videos to help us all ,stay safe ✌
With regards to red lining and distortion, you need to learn the difference between volume controls and gain controls. They both adjust the loudness of the signal, so most people don't think there's much of a difference between them, but there is. Only gain controls can distort the signal, while volume controls can't. The reason for this is gain controls are on the input of a component and volume controls are on the output. If you have too much gain, that's what causes distortion and break up. That's how a guitar amp works. They have a gain control and a volume control. You increase the gain to get the desired amount of distortion. Once you have that, then you use the volume control to set the loudness. While excessive gain may sound good for a guitar, it doesn't for just about anything else. Every system is different, so the first thing you need to do is follow the signal chain from start to finish, and make note of all the "volume controls". After that, you determine which ones are really volume controls, and which ones are gain. At that point, you set your gain structure, making sure the signal isn't being overdriven with gain anywhere in the system. After that, of course, you use the volume controls to set how loud you want the music. Its also worth noting that you sometimes walk into a venue and have to trouble shoot an issue a system that you didn't set up. Always go back to isolating your gains, and start there. That's always how you are going to fix the problem. You will also be working with people that take care of the house system, so its usually a joint effort. Your night will go so much easier if you can show these people that you understand what the issues are. Be ready to show them "these are my gains. these are my volumes, etc...". Once they see you're competent, they stop treating you like a problem, and are much more willing to work with you.
Correct bro. I remember when I overused effects, its more annoying than entertaining 😂😅. Great reminder and suggestions. The kind of music is what really the audience will look for👌🤟💗🇵🇭. BTW, is it a must to turn down the low pass filter of the exiting song as you transition to the next song? Many thanks 😊😊
My top 5 pet hates with DJs 1) Being late and unprepared 2) Aux cord jockeys. No explanation required 3) Equipment snobs 4) Bangers in the opening slot 5) Redliners
The redline is one of my pet hates with djs!! Hate seeing the red when I’m playing but some people don’t care and ruin good sound systems that you play on
you know that most Vinyl tracks from the pre loudness war required to be played in redline to sound actually good right? back then you could do that without damaging your ears or the systems.
I'd say ripping songs is ok if you just want to dj as a hobby/ to your friends for free but DON'T rip songs if you plan on getting paid/ playing in big venues with good sound systems. For example i've just started out and so far just want to keep this as a hobby so i don't see a point in paying for songs when there's no way i'll get that money back. If i wanted to try and play at a club of course i'd start paying for the songs i want to play.
Good point I did the same. The only issue I had was I had a bunch of Rip music with music from a music pool. So now you have to go to all your music and find what was ripped and what was downloaded from a record pool. Pain in the ass!!###
Ali3Nati0n xx only if you have spotify premium you get 320kbps, free on desktop is 160kbps and on mobile it even goes down to 96kbps. They advertise the premium account (320kbps) as high quality but although it sounds decent it by far high quality. Just pay for your tracks and buy WAV. or aiff.
Watching this makes me glad I dj lofi hip hop. You can get away with so much 😩😂. Thank you for the tips. Your videos have been informative lately even though I'm in a totally different music scene.
I recorded myself djing at home and was horrified 😂 never looked up once, hover hands, did way too much and constantly touched my face. After that, I had a friend FaceTime me while I played and she talked to my while I did it and I felt so much calmer. Interaction is so important!
Hahahaha, very true! When you're DJing for a wall, you don't know what you're gonna be doing after the first few minutes. Having that human aspect in there makes it so SO much more fun!
Ripping songs from UA-cam I learned the difference couple days ago and is killing me cuz i have alot of those but I understand if want to do this big i have to do it right
@@markgriff9053 He's right. If you are buying music, you might as well get lossless files. If for some reason you can't use a lossless file, you can always transcode it to MP-3. But you can't go from MP-3 to lossless.
0:05 absolutely right some people only use fx to mix which literally doesn't make sense they never use equalizer I personally love equalizer and loops for fx I usually use bliss/noise and echo and even u also do the same
I don't even care if the quality of ripped tunes is the same, even if it's better, if you want to be part of the music scene, support the artists that make djing possible. Buy their tunes. Without them we would all be playing our own tunes and nothing else. Support the scene. (edit - whichever scene you're into) Hope you guys are all well and good!
Number 5 is a must . My only tip I can give out is Learn to Mix with your Gains. It Will Help with Not Over Powering the Next Mix and through the night the sound system won't be getting louder and louder. Just remember when you start playing out turn the gain right down increase your slider then turn your gain Slowly up. You will then find a comfortable Level where both tracks roll nicely together. You can't always go with Meters and what your Laptop says, Trust your Ears :)
or you simply learn the gain lvls of the different tracks you own, thats what ive done, some tracks i have to Duck up the knob till 45° to max to get a noticeable impact and other overmastered tracks like some acid techno from Asys i have to turn down less that half the Knob tho, but if you learn the seperate lvls of each track you recognize them instantly if you see the track name, trust me, takes time but you feel more confident. even on different systems, this way you dont have to adjust so much if you play on a different system.
Carlos thank you very much for the very detailed description for every of the 5 mistakes mentioned! It was so useful to visually see the right points in the song where it’s best to start song transitions! I confess I took a screenshot of that :) also, I subscribed to BPM supreme DJ pool a couple of months ago. However, it happens that many times they don’t have the songs that I am looking for, and this causes me to look for other options which could be mp3 song converters. As my goal would be to have good quality songs in my playlists (something that unfortunately cannot be achieved with mp3 converters) what do you usually do when you cannot find the song you’re looking for on BPM supreme? Are you subscribed to various DJ pools? Any recommendations would be greatly appeciated!🙏🏼
It really just depends on what music genres you play. For me I use beat port when I can’t find music on the record pool. You can find just about any edm song on beat port with great quality. IK you can use iTunes too but their files are only in MP3’s but they are high quality files. Best of luck
@@djcarlo Totally get it. People in the club are there to enjoy and have fun. They just want to listen to their favorite beats. Now you transition using a filter or effects or with a reverse spin, they don't really care.
I bet he won't pin this!!! 2:27 1. dj city rocks 2.drop it like it's cold 3. DJ not BJ? 4. kodak flm 5. no problems and solutions 6. You found an easter egg in this video 7. my DJ secret 8. play this if you want grandmas to dance 9. play this if you want to dance with the grandmas 10. put your hands down 11. one two three sit 12. duck duck goose 13. this is a banger 14. this is a gang banger 15. bad and boogey 16. dj horns x 1000000 17. awkward moans 18. still not📯 19. why is this here 20. she never loved you 21. go home and f 22. I have alcoholism 23. just farted 24. STILL READING!? 25. call 9/11 so I can dance 26. kanyes secret collab with paris hilton 27. awkward dance time
Redlining is I think the most important tip for new DJ’s especially if they don’t dabble in producing there own music. Made that mistake due to my own ignorance back in the day and seen it too many times. Great tip for new DJ’s 👍🏼
about Ripping songs off UA-cam i things its best when your still a beginner that moment when you just bought your fist controller for example. Because its still early to spend money on thing you a'int sure of. best for when your still practicing only.
If you must rip from UA-cam, first learn how to use youtube-dl - it's way more powerful and hiqh quality than what you find on the internet. That usually spits out OPUS, which most software doesn't recognise, so you should convert it to MP3 or OGG as high quality as you can get (320kbps for mp3, 500kbps for ogg). You'll get a file equal in quality to a 192kbps mp3 generated from a lossless master.
I've mentioned several of these to other DJs in my area. I think they are starting to take notice. I will refer them to this video: it's a one-stop-shop! Good Stuff
Any sort of fidgeting DJing is annoying, I could outplay most DJs by instantly knowing what to play next using Vinyl or CD, now I've seen and purchased the Pioneer Rx2 I'm back interested again. Having all 3 setups and connected is perfect 👌
All these tips are great but the main two I would say is knowing your music and knowing your crowd. I been Djing for 30 years and I was at a party as a guest where a kid from this generation was playing old school music. He was doing ok but he played Black Sheep "The choice is yours" and man he transitioned out of the song at the "engine engine number 9 part". The crowd went ballistic. They wanted to hang him. LOL But he didn't know the song and didn't know that is the part everyone waits on so he cut it out because he had already played two verses and hooks of the song. Other thing is knowing the crowd. I always have a set playlist but I also have a playlist of bangers. I always did clubs and parties so I made sure to have the latest club banger or hit on my playlist that would go with the crowd and if the crowd was super hyped. I made sure I played what they liked so I went against my set playlist.
I'm not a DJ but one tip for the introverts - just as for performing musicians it's important for the audience to see that you're getting off on the music. So, even if you're too shy to jump around, exaggerate your body movements so they can see you're having fun too.
#3 so right! but its really hard to avoid it as a beginner. If he doesn't know how to mix well the songs. The solution tho.. is to practice at home on random songs, and not in a particular playlist? Or.. simply both?
Some people can’t afford to buy tracks so have no choice to rip but people go wrong by ripping to mp3, rip to wav then you don’t have any issue, also use audacity to clear up muddy tracks
In all fairness, I did mention that I started out with ripping too. Getting legit high quality tracks is totally worth it though once the gigs start coming in!
@@djcarlo definitely, I keep multiple folders one for rips and others for when I manage to buy the odd track. But I always make sure they are wav files. Also being a happy hardcore DJ myself it is harder to buy certain tracks online as companies like Apple and Spotify don’t supply the tracks I need so I have to try and go direct to the artist in which some cases is impossible or rip. As an example DJ gammer track into the future is not on any platform to buy so that would be a case of ripping unless I had vinyl
i have always tried to avoid redlining and thats why i like warm ups.Its more laid back you can experiment and you dont follow some nut job trying to destroy every ones hearing.Even if i am on later i will bring things down by doing a gradual change in speed and volume on whats on and maybe an echo out and then give people a breather with a slow builder if i have a bit of time this works well because even later in the night a bit of a dip and then build up can be a good thing.
Glad you addressed the quality issue. That is the biggest argument I have with other DJs. "My shit sounds fine from UA-cam!" No, it doesn't. When you DL/rip crap, you get crap. Use Spek or Fakin' The Funk to analyze your music files. Throw out any mp3 under 320kbps. Unless it was ripped as VBR, but that's another conversation.
Wow the redlining piece reminds me of my first gig. I was playing at a community event and was connecting to my amp via balanced XLR. Forgot to put the attenuator pad on the amp, meanwhile my gain is set at like 11:00 - let's just say it wasn't a pleasant noise :). Live and learn and always keep getting better :)
Thanx DJ Carlo, I enjoy your videos, very informative my friend, especially where I'm an up & coming/ learning Skratch DJ, much love & respect my ninja....... 👍👊💪🙏😎
#1: using air horn to transition every song!
Hahahaha! Pet peeve!
🤣
Ay good tip thanks alot, I shall use this
*cries in FLX-6*
airohrn is cringe imo, and should only be used once per set if you can help it
The worst part about understanding song structure is once it becomes second nature, wrestling with your brain about wanting to mix now vs. waiting for the right time to mix. All great points ... good stuff!
I always face this
exactly
Best tip was about engaging with the crowd, when I first started DJing, I was so focused on getting transitions to be perfect or keeping in line with my playlist, that I usually never got complimented!
Thanks for sharing!
I have my first show tomorrow and I recorded myself earlier to get an idea of what I would look like. It was not pretty lol. I was hunched over the decks and never looked up once.
Going to make sure to keep visually checking in with the crowd.
@@lizarapp243 how’d the show go?
@@lizarapp243 ya how was it
DJ Carlo has the BEST information for DJs out there. He's not hung up on showcasing how much gigs he gets or how much equipment/gear he has.
Woot! Woot! Thanks for the kind words!
True..
yes, this is most true... if I won the lotto jackpot in my country, I would definitely ask him to DJ my wedding, or just simply MC it and give him the night off
Well this just showed that he never stay in his comfort zone. He doesn't afraid to share what he have as a DJ and keeps explore any possibilities for new gigs. He keep trying from new sets, songs, genre, to even different software. Even trying every combination of every sets can provide.
Yeah true. Great guy, great videos.
An additional point for "Don't redline", if you aim generally for +3db when you're playing it will allow you enough headroom to crank up the quieter tracks that may have been mastered either badly or quieter without edging into the red.
If you are not doing any of those things, whats the difference between a newbie DJ and a Spotify playlist?......boooom so perfectly said man🔥✈️👏🏼
Facts i dont want to pay someone to come play a playlist at my party with fancy equipment i need all the nooks to come with the service
Picking when to mix songs is honestly the key to making sets flow so much better. I've seen many DJs I even work alongside just pick halfway through a verse or 3 beats before the end of a chorus to just drop and start and brand new song. That small change of lining up sections and right phrasing makes the difference
WELL SAID!!
NIce point. But you have to make sure that the next track you drop in this type of mixing is a catchy tune or a very popular one. You don't wanna clear the dancefloor with some tracks that aren't top if you know what I mean. Like drop it on the hook for example.
@@4791_ Oh absolutely, if it's not something most of your crowd already knows well, it won't hit
I really liked how you talked about reading the crowd and engaging them. Not to take a gig too seriously, and make sure everyone is having fun!
That’s the top priority! The crowd! Thanks for sharing your thoughts as well!
Them points are really small but have a huge impact on a DJ which are hell important 👍 Thankyou Master once again👍🥰
Yay! That’s the most important thing! Wish you all the best!
Google global truth project and click "The Present" tab to see the truth about life/death in four pages
Lodi ung channel mo lang talaga ang pinaka maraming info para sa mga bagong DJ!
I love how you are more about helping those starting out, rather than showcasing your gigs, talent, etc.
Kaya LODI kita eh!
thanks for appreciating my effort! glad it's helping a lot of aspiring djs!
As a sound engineer I (used to) work at festivals and clubs. To all newbies! please listen to this Guy!
It drives me nuts when dj’s redline and/or play crappy quality files. Please do the right thing and buy the music you play and buy only WAV. or aiff. that way you support the artist, you will sound good, not destroy the crowd ears and you won’t look/sound like an amateur.
Woooot! Thankkks for emphasizing the importance of this! Cheers!
DJ Carlo Atendido I agree with the statement but where can I find a song or an edit or bootleg or ID when you can’t find it on Apple Music or other places to get music?
justanotherguy
Beatport, junodownload, traxsource. To name a few.
Always check if you can buy WAV. Or aiff. Try to stay away from mp3.
Also check the bandcamp of you favo artists. Sometimes they give tracks away for free.
Anthony Amrein 24bit!😍 thats awesome, did not know that, thanks!
@@nvp-music thank you so much man!
You'r the master and this is spot on advice for beginners, I've seen the occasional pro try something out on the night without prep and lose the floor. I think your tip about over doing it on your first gig with a crowd was a really good one, bedroom mixers don't realise how different working a crowded dance floor is to doing mixups in your bedroom, like you said, your mixing and scratching might be amazing but without the right music and atmosphere which you create your set will be toast.
Perfect! Thanks for sharing your thoughts too! I appreciate it! Cheers!
Tip #1: “Don’t use lots of effects”
*Laidback Luke has left the chat*
Oh em! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Naw allot of djs don't use effects use effects coming from a hip hop dj
James Zabiela uses them, but you can hear that he uses them very properly.
He apparently does this because he'd get bored otherwise. He pulls it off well though.
@@BiggusNickus no its not because he gets bored lol, its just his style, his way of being Unique and stand out.
I like how you emphasized song selection and mixing to the songs structure. Many people don't realize how important that is
True! Even when I started out, I just kept playing whatever I felt like. There's a science in the music that makes for a great set!
For Mistake #2:
If you have time to spare and don't wanna calculate bars so that the breaks align perfectly.. you could simply hold the jog wheel of the second track around the break and when the break of the first song hits you immediately release the second break, then use the EQ to your advantage
Personally, I find it as a good technique as I am more of a "visual memory person" and I only know the structure of songs by the visual, not by the actual number of bars each phrase has.
What do you guys think of this method?
That's a great method too, but doesn't apply to each songs... and it's also kinda lazy. I do it if I don't have an extended version. If you have an extended mix, it would be better to mix it.
If you know your songs, you don't need any visual aids. You would already know its structure, and thus don't have to know any actual number of bars etc.
and in a club situation, don't get into a panic if you *do* late-mix now and again. there are ways of correcting it and covering it up (backspins, filter out, phasing and such). I've heard some really dodgy mixing back in the day from old-skool vinyl house DJs, but did it affect everyone's enjoyment of the party? not in the slightest :)
"Crowd rocking is why DJ gets hired in the first place"
This resonates so much to me. At first I was always so disappointed to "not be able to show my cool techno transitions", or having to abandon a certain genre very quickly because crowd was not responsive.
But then one understands that what matters is people dancing and having a good time. They won't remember techno transitions if they are not in the mood.
Vibe check of the room is what makes a DJ and a crowd happy !
you're the best DJ Carlo!! your voice is so soothing and the way you break topics down makes me not feel so overwhelmed. thank you!
Ohhh thanks for the feedback! That feel great for me! I’ll continue what I’ve been doing!
Redlining was definitely my favorite tip, I honestly rarely even think about it when I mix half the time. I just know that red light = bad so avoid, but not the actual effects of it
Much like a DJ set begins with prep, the event begins with a sound check which will involve gain staging. Good gain staging will not only minimise clipping, but it will also grant you headroom and finer control over your levels.
the only ones I did (and I got my ddj-400 last month) was redlining and ripping. Thanks for a great video!
Woot! Thanks for watching! Glad you're learning a thing or two from this!
I really needed to hear number 3 today. Recording a mix and doing it live are completely different.
Glad you can related! Started off needing everything to be perfect as well, but once I let go and had fun, so did everyone else!
I love this I'm still a noob I've done weddings and pool parties but I am never too arrogant to know that I need to always learn! This video is exactly what I needed thank you!
Awww! Thank you! Glad to know you’re okay with this! Good luck with your wedding gigs!
many djs are introverts so hiding behind the decks and computer is kind of comforting but its always a good idea to try and loosen up and react to the crowd but as with all things its a balance .Some djs seem to put on a mix of their productions and then jump around throwing cake and party poppers at the crowd others are very focused on their juggling and scratching and forget that there are people there.I tend to be a hider especially if things get busy but if the crowd is friendly then i might come out of my shell ...a bit.
haha true! thanks for sharing this!
The best example of this I saw live was the legendary Dave Clarke. Mans a major introvert, will rarely look at the crowd or even crack a smile. However, he can move crowds the same. I tend not to be very flashy on my gigs plus a lot of stages are quite separate from the crowd.
@@GPS08 The mans serious about his music but he knows his shit and the crowd love him for it.Theres nothing wrong with a dj using his knowledge and skill and concentrating hard on his work .If this means he works they dance and he barely looks up from what he doing then so be it if it works for him and his crowd.There great communicators that will get the crowd moving by being a bit more of a showman like Norman Cooke who is also great but like everyone else all djs are all different and some might wonder what pills Dave Clarke had taken if he started waving his hands about and throwing stuff at his audience ..Like the song says .Just gice the dj a break
@@DanielleKingdjdinosaur - I never said there was something wrong. I was just giving a contrast of a very well known (legendary status imo) DJ such as Dave Clarke who doesn't engage with the crowd that much but still has crowds moving for hours and begging for more. I've seen him live, that's why I gave him as an example cos I experienced it. I've also seen Norman Cooke (Fatboy Slim) live at a festival in Portugal, can't remember if he went as Norman or Fatboy Slim. Technically, he's crap (at least that night he was), beatmatch off abrupt cuts etc... But the crowd was going crazy with the show, cos he's a good showman. He's the opposite of Dave Clarke.
@@GPS08 I never said it either.I was in full agreement with you.Norman is a showman and he has a very different style of mixing to Mr Clarke.Both have their merits and we can all have an off day..I would say in how i mix though not in music style im closer to the introverted concentration on the mix style as i can get lost in the flow as it were.I like both djs and like i said like people djs are all different thank god.
A DJ that moves and shows they are really into the music they are playing entices the crowd to get into it as well. A DJ that just stands there as if they are bored shows the crowd something else so they will be less likely to dance.
Record everything you do(gigs and practice), listen to it repeatedly and critique your own mixes. It is how you learn.
Nice informative video. Very well explained. If I may, as a dj with a bit of experience, the technique I use, since I am self taught, is to first listen where your next track is going to begin (first drop or bridge) and then start it when your current track has that remaining time. For example, if your incoming track has its first drop at around 1 minute, then start it 1 minute before your outgoing track ends. Obviously taking into account that it's music, so think phrases instead of just time.
Yes! Thanks for sharing!
I create playlist or mini sets, but just enough to get me started. So maybe like 5 songs I have planned. It really helps with nerves and confidence. After I get that warm up in I'm ready to jam 😎
i only plan my first song
Carlo you’re the best man I’ve learnt a lot from watching your videos🤘🏾👏🏾DJ Walker
Female DJ love the U.K
Hope you got some ideas from the video Walker!
Spot on everyone should watch this when they get started.
Thanks Erik! Glad the video made sense to you. More people really need to know about these.
Nice tips for beginners!🎉 really dig the perfectionist one, i suffered from that for a while❤
Yup! I feel like a lot of people needed to hear these!
Thank you for pointing out mistake #1. Being a wedding and corporate event DJ for over 6 years I can say that playing the right music at the right time is what it all comes down to. Everything else is secondary.
Indeed! It's actually one of the fundamentals of being a great DJ. I never mention it anymore because it's pretty much a given! Hahaha
Mistake 2 needs to be taken into consideration, as I mix generally older happy hardcore some of the tracks have longer beats before the drop so its a case of fade mixing when mixing from new hardcore tracks to old due to how new ones are produced to around 3 to 4 minutes where as the older stuff is around 6 to 7 minutes
sir,many Dj's remix songs and just kill the originality of it.They tend to forget that the most simplest of beats can rock the crowd if they are timed perfectly at the perfect eve.(You have taught a lot in your videos to tell this)
That is so true! The crowd is the king! Thanks for watching!
I am literally just starting and have no intention of djing professionally. What I'm struggling with is choosing the mix point of 2 tracks. That part was really helpful.
great that it helped! have fun in your journey!
Good points and you master the skills of givning advice and tips without putting people down.. 👍🏽🎶👍🏽
I appreciate that! Thanks for the support! Cheers!
Great tips, I'll keep these in mind.
My favourite tip was....pay for good quality audio tracks.
That is a must! Thanks for watching my videos! Cheers!
imo ripping tracks off websides is fine for DJs who just get started, they will not perform on hi fi sound systems and you can barely hear the difference, i started like that and havent got a big gig till now since 2004, most of my lib is still ripped off songs from my Original Vinyl collection to mix with MP3, bcuz its just simply too expensive to buy all of them in high quality and since im mostly mixing with Vinyl you only have the presses that you purchased back then - most oldschool tracks dont have a good digital copy, you have to do that mostly yourself which not rly increases the quality of the Track, so this tip is very bad actually - i know this is based on modern DJing but we Oldschool guys dont have the Luxury to purchase a Hardtrance/Hardstyle track from the early 2k's with amazing quality online - it simply doasnt exist.
Thanks man i have improved a lot over the last few months still mess up but all part of the journey
Glad to hear it! You got this!
Hey carlo wanted to just thank you for everything, I don't know what I would do without you ,you are truly a legend and I thank you for the time and effort you put into all ur videos to help us all ,stay safe ✌
With regards to red lining and distortion, you need to learn the difference between volume controls and gain controls. They both adjust the loudness of the signal, so most people don't think there's much of a difference between them, but there is. Only gain controls can distort the signal, while volume controls can't. The reason for this is gain controls are on the input of a component and volume controls are on the output. If you have too much gain, that's what causes distortion and break up. That's how a guitar amp works. They have a gain control and a volume control. You increase the gain to get the desired amount of distortion. Once you have that, then you use the volume control to set the loudness. While excessive gain may sound good for a guitar, it doesn't for just about anything else.
Every system is different, so the first thing you need to do is follow the signal chain from start to finish, and make note of all the "volume controls". After that, you determine which ones are really volume controls, and which ones are gain. At that point, you set your gain structure, making sure the signal isn't being overdriven with gain anywhere in the system. After that, of course, you use the volume controls to set how loud you want the music.
Its also worth noting that you sometimes walk into a venue and have to trouble shoot an issue a system that you didn't set up. Always go back to isolating your gains, and start there. That's always how you are going to fix the problem. You will also be working with people that take care of the house system, so its usually a joint effort. Your night will go so much easier if you can show these people that you understand what the issues are. Be ready to show them "these are my gains. these are my volumes, etc...". Once they see you're competent, they stop treating you like a problem, and are much more willing to work with you.
Correct bro. I remember when I overused effects, its more annoying than entertaining 😂😅. Great reminder and suggestions. The kind of music is what really the audience will look for👌🤟💗🇵🇭. BTW, is it a must to turn down the low pass filter of the exiting song as you transition to the next song? Many thanks 😊😊
Everything in moderation! And not necessarily. It depends on your mixing style!
Bro youve helped me learn so much from what beginner deck to get to how to dj properly so thank you
Wow! That’s nice to know! Cheers!
My top 5 pet hates with DJs
1) Being late and unprepared
2) Aux cord jockeys. No explanation required
3) Equipment snobs
4) Bangers in the opening slot
5) Redliners
thanks for sharing your list!
2:41 - when you're getting paid for the request but they didn't have money 😅
Oh em! That feeling rightttt? Hahaha!
The redline is one of my pet hates with djs!! Hate seeing the red when I’m playing but some people don’t care and ruin good sound systems that you play on
Spot on! Glad you shared the same thoughts!
you know that most Vinyl tracks from the pre loudness war required to be played in redline to sound actually good right? back then you could do that without damaging your ears or the systems.
The quality of this video is amazing! Do you create all the interstitial footage with the cool motion graphics?
Thanks! !!
Been djing for a couple years and ive made it a very big point to listen to my next track and ajust the volume for the deck its playing on
Number 1 is the music to the crowd. 2nd is knowing when to transition the next song. One thing I learnt is that people don't like djs scratching alot.
Gets annoying as hell in a club especially since alot of the sounds systems used in clubs makes scratching sound horrible.
All your points are valid! Thanks for sharing! Woot!
I'd say ripping songs is ok if you just want to dj as a hobby/ to your friends for free but DON'T rip songs if you plan on getting paid/ playing in big venues with good sound systems.
For example i've just started out and so far just want to keep this as a hobby so i don't see a point in paying for songs when there's no way i'll get that money back. If i wanted to try and play at a club of course i'd start paying for the songs i want to play.
Good point! That is true! Thanks for sharing that!
Good point I did the same. The only issue I had was I had a bunch of Rip music with music from a music pool. So now you have to go to all your music and find what was ripped and what was downloaded from a record pool. Pain in the ass!!###
You spend all that money on equipment to push crap out of it.
If your going to do something do it at 100
@@djcarlo I get 320kbps tracks from Spotify. Is that good enough or would it be better from Beatport or something? Thanks
Ali3Nati0n xx only if you have spotify premium you get 320kbps, free on desktop is 160kbps and on mobile it even goes down to 96kbps.
They advertise the premium account (320kbps) as high quality but although it sounds decent it by far high quality. Just pay for your tracks and buy WAV. or aiff.
Watching this makes me glad I dj lofi hip hop. You can get away with so much 😩😂. Thank you for the tips. Your videos have been informative lately even though I'm in a totally different music scene.
No problem! You got this! Just keep on practicing! And continue applying what you learned here!
I recorded myself djing at home and was horrified 😂 never looked up once, hover hands, did way too much and constantly touched my face.
After that, I had a friend FaceTime me while I played and she talked to my while I did it and I felt so much calmer. Interaction is so important!
Hahahaha, very true! When you're DJing for a wall, you don't know what you're gonna be doing after the first few minutes. Having that human aspect in there makes it so SO much more fun!
Thanks Brotha!!! I am learning a lot 😉 but one trick its also the equalizer mixing it with a disc
Glad you're learning a lot from the vids bud!
EVERY POINT WAS SPOT ON! 👍🏽
Just true observations!
Ripping songs from UA-cam I learned the difference couple days ago and is killing me cuz i have alot of those but I understand if want to do this big i have to do it right
#4 is a game changer. about 6 months ago, i switched to bought mp3's, and the difference is amazing! I'm still working on #5..lol.
Go for WAV and you will hear the difference again
@@markgriff9053 He's right. If you are buying music, you might as well get lossless files. If for some reason you can't use a lossless file, you can always transcode it to MP-3. But you can't go from MP-3 to lossless.
100%did all of these starting out but you learn eventually
That’s the spirit! Thanks for watching and for sharing your thoughts!
Only a real one would admit it 💯
3:50 - Terrorcore DJs - "You aren't supposed to do that?"
Lol! Thanks for watching! Cheers!
Starting out, I have a separate folder for all my ripped tracks so I know which ones to switch out later.
That's pretty clever!
0:05 absolutely right some people only use fx to mix which literally doesn't make sense they never use equalizer I personally love equalizer and loops for fx I usually use bliss/noise and echo and even u also do the same
Nice
Such an underated DJ for what he can do
Aww thanks! I am glad you visited my channel!
I don't even care if the quality of ripped tunes is the same, even if it's better, if you want to be part of the music scene, support the artists that make djing possible. Buy their tunes. Without them we would all be playing our own tunes and nothing else. Support the scene. (edit - whichever scene you're into)
Hope you guys are all well and good!
You have a great mindset! Stay awesome!
Number 5 is a must . My only tip I can give out is Learn to Mix with your Gains. It Will Help with Not Over Powering the Next Mix and through the night the sound system won't be getting louder and louder. Just remember when you start playing out turn the gain right down increase your slider then turn your gain Slowly up. You will then find a comfortable Level where both tracks roll nicely together. You can't always go with Meters and what your Laptop says, Trust your Ears :)
or you simply learn the gain lvls of the different tracks you own, thats what ive done, some tracks i have to Duck up the knob till 45° to max to get a noticeable impact and other overmastered tracks like some acid techno from Asys i have to turn down less that half the Knob tho, but if you learn the seperate lvls of each track you recognize them instantly if you see the track name, trust me, takes time but you feel more confident. even on different systems, this way you dont have to adjust so much if you play on a different system.
Great tips. Thx a lot for this Video! 😎🎧🔊🔊🔊👌
You're welcome! Glad you found the tips helpful!
Carlos thank you very much for the very detailed description for every of the 5 mistakes mentioned! It was so useful to visually see the right points in the song where it’s best to start song transitions! I confess I took a screenshot of that :) also, I subscribed to BPM supreme DJ pool a couple of months ago. However, it happens that many times they don’t have the songs that I am looking for, and this causes me to look for other options which could be mp3 song converters. As my goal would be to have good quality songs in my playlists (something that unfortunately cannot be achieved with mp3 converters) what do you usually do when you cannot find the song you’re looking for on BPM supreme? Are you subscribed to various DJ pools? Any recommendations would be greatly appeciated!🙏🏼
It really just depends on what music genres you play. For me I use beat port when I can’t find music on the record pool. You can find just about any edm song on beat port with great quality. IK you can use iTunes too but their files are only in MP3’s but they are high quality files. Best of luck
great to know!
500% agree with TIP #1 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
There's a time and place for everything! Despite all my videos showing tips and tricks galore, my actual club sets are waaaaaay less routine-y hahaha
@@djcarlo Totally get it. People in the club are there to enjoy and have fun. They just want to listen to their favorite beats. Now you transition using a filter or effects or with a reverse spin, they don't really care.
#3 you right, but many popular DJs use same playlists on different festivals
I bet he won't pin this!!!
2:27
1. dj city rocks
2.drop it like it's cold
3. DJ not BJ?
4. kodak flm
5. no problems and solutions
6. You found an easter egg in this video
7. my DJ secret
8. play this if you want grandmas to dance
9. play this if you want to dance with the grandmas
10. put your hands down
11. one two three sit
12. duck duck goose
13. this is a banger
14. this is a gang banger
15. bad and boogey
16. dj horns x 1000000
17. awkward moans
18. still not📯
19. why is this here
20. she never loved you
21. go home and f
22. I have alcoholism
23. just farted
24. STILL READING!?
25. call 9/11 so I can dance
26. kanyes secret collab with paris hilton
27. awkward dance time
Heheh ♥ I wanna save this as a Easter egg 🥚
0:32 a wild DJ Lazy Boy appeared lol
Call it a cameo, hahaha
You’re the man Carlo thanks for all this knowledge
You're welcome Matt! Glad you learned something new from the video!
All 5 are definitely valid points
Thanks for agreeing! I appreciate you being here!
Redlining is I think the most important tip for new DJ’s especially if they don’t dabble in producing there own music. Made that mistake due to my own ignorance back in the day and seen it too many times. Great tip for new DJ’s 👍🏼
about Ripping songs off UA-cam i things its best when your still a beginner that moment when you just bought your fist controller for example. Because its still early to spend money on thing you a'int sure of. best for when your still practicing only.
Very true! Thanks for that tip!
If you must rip from UA-cam, first learn how to use youtube-dl - it's way more powerful and hiqh quality than what you find on the internet. That usually spits out OPUS, which most software doesn't recognise, so you should convert it to MP3 or OGG as high quality as you can get (320kbps for mp3, 500kbps for ogg). You'll get a file equal in quality to a 192kbps mp3 generated from a lossless master.
I've mentioned several of these to other DJs in my area. I think they are starting to take notice. I will refer them to this video: it's a one-stop-shop! Good Stuff
what a cool playlist
Thanks Saranga! Hahahaha
Another tip I learned this weekend: When you use a limiter it can distort the speaker sound of your pushing the limiter too hard
Oh! Good tip! Thanks for sharing that Will!
Any sort of fidgeting DJing is annoying, I could outplay most DJs by instantly knowing what to play next using Vinyl or CD, now I've seen and purchased the Pioneer Rx2 I'm back interested again. Having all 3 setups and connected is perfect 👌
that's awesome man! I'm sure you're an amazing DJ! keep it up!
All these tips are great but the main two I would say is knowing your music and knowing your crowd. I been Djing for 30 years and I was at a party as a guest where a kid from this generation was playing old school music. He was doing ok but he played Black Sheep "The choice is yours" and man he transitioned out of the song at the "engine engine number 9 part". The crowd went ballistic. They wanted to hang him. LOL But he didn't know the song and didn't know that is the part everyone waits on so he cut it out because he had already played two verses and hooks of the song.
Other thing is knowing the crowd. I always have a set playlist but I also have a playlist of bangers. I always did clubs and parties so I made sure to have the latest club banger or hit on my playlist that would go with the crowd and if the crowd was super hyped. I made sure I played what they liked so I went against my set playlist.
Yep that is why a DJ should know his tunes..good advice mate from a fellow old skooler
2:28 you found an easter egg in this video
The Perfect Description of a Good DJ
When other DJ play a track that they never heard before is so "tadaaaa surprise MDFKA" 😂✌️✌️✌️✌️
hahaha! surpriiiise!
I'm not a DJ but one tip for the introverts - just as for performing musicians it's important for the audience to see that you're getting off on the music. So, even if you're too shy to jump around, exaggerate your body movements so they can see you're having fun too.
Just started my music channel thank you so much man I hope I get big like you Carlo thank you for everything
Wow! That’s great to know! Cheers!
Happy Tuesday, I'm not giving up as a DJ, so I must be careful
Never give up buddy!
Thanks mate.short concise and helpful
Glad you liked it!
300k subs man! Good shit!
Thankkkks mate for the support!
I am starting on DJ Equipment so all the information in the video are helping me🙂
#3 so right! but its really hard to avoid it as a beginner. If he doesn't know how to mix well the songs. The solution tho.. is to practice at home on random songs, and not in a particular playlist? Or.. simply both?
Practice and familiarity I'd say! Also, learning to just let loose and have fun!
You're the best dj ever!
Wow, thanks!
i feel the redline was the best tip
i m from Poland you are the best!!
Wow, thanks! You're the best too! Sending my love to Poland!
Some people can’t afford to buy tracks so have no choice to rip but people go wrong by ripping to mp3, rip to wav then you don’t have any issue, also use audacity to clear up muddy tracks
In all fairness, I did mention that I started out with ripping too. Getting legit high quality tracks is totally worth it though once the gigs start coming in!
@@djcarlo definitely, I keep multiple folders one for rips and others for when I manage to buy the odd track.
But I always make sure they are wav files.
Also being a happy hardcore DJ myself it is harder to buy certain tracks online as companies like Apple and Spotify don’t supply the tracks I need so I have to try and go direct to the artist in which some cases is impossible or rip.
As an example DJ gammer track into the future is not on any platform to buy so that would be a case of ripping unless I had vinyl
ALL #5 POINTS SPOT ON! Well Said!! #2 is my BIGGEST Pet peeve!
i have always tried to avoid redlining and thats why i like warm ups.Its more laid back you can experiment and you dont follow some nut job trying to destroy every ones hearing.Even if i am on later i will bring things down by doing a gradual change in speed and volume on whats on and maybe an echo out and then give people a breather with a slow builder if i have a bit of time this works well because even later in the night a bit of a dip and then build up can be a good thing.
thanks for sharing!
Going to have to say ripping , I can definitely hear the sound differences
Yes yes! Thanks for sharing your opinion!
Glad you addressed the quality issue. That is the biggest argument I have with other DJs. "My shit sounds fine from UA-cam!" No, it doesn't. When you DL/rip crap, you get crap. Use Spek or Fakin' The Funk to analyze your music files. Throw out any mp3 under 320kbps. Unless it was ripped as VBR, but that's another conversation.
Wow the redlining piece reminds me of my first gig. I was playing at a community event and was connecting to my amp via balanced XLR. Forgot to put the attenuator pad on the amp, meanwhile my gain is set at like 11:00 - let's just say it wasn't a pleasant noise :). Live and learn and always keep getting better :)
Thanx DJ Carlo, I enjoy your videos, very informative my friend, especially where I'm an up & coming/ learning Skratch DJ, much love & respect my ninja....... 👍👊💪🙏😎
Rock on! Great to hear! Glad to help!
Thank you for all this tips
I'm a DJ too and your tips help me become more perfection in my career
Thanks for the tips bro!👊
Quick question
In the future will you make a video on doing a hard trance mix?
Would love to see it because im a big fan on hard trance music
if you dont know it try this channel: ua-cam.com/users/TrueHardtranceSounds
Excellent video. Thank you.
Although I don't know English well, dj carlo has helped me a lot ❤️