Beyond Beatmatching
Beyond Beatmatching
Beyond Beatmatching
Introduction
How To Use Harmonic Mixing + Interview with Mark Davis,
creator of the Camelot Wheel
Integrate Mixed In Key With Your DJ Gear
Visualize the Structure Of Dance Music
Control the Energy Level
Find And Play Unique Tracks + Interview with DJ Sasha +
Interview with Mark Walker and Brian Tappert from Traxsource
Create Your Own Mashups + Interview with DJ Prince
Use Advanced Harmonic Mixing Techniques + Interview with
DJ Enferno
Build the Perfect DJ Laptop
Mix a Flawless DJ Set + Interview with Markus Schulz
Learn How To DJ In Nightclubs + Interview with Biz Martinez,
talent booker for LIV Nightclub
Build Your Brand + Interview with Ani Quinn
Expand Your Reach With Social Media + Interview with Karl
Detken
Work with Your DJ Team + Interview with Ash Pournouri, Avicii's
manager
Where to Go From Here
About the Authors
Bonus content:
Promote Your Musician and DJ Pages with Facebook
Promoted Posts
1. Introduction
Since 2006, we've helped thousands of people learn new
DJ techniques. During that time, we've also
communicated closely with our fans, and we've noticed
that they often ask questions like: "How can I use
harmonic mixing in my DJ sets?" "What is the best
Macbook for DJing?" or "How do I get booked in large
nightclubs?"
Eric and I have met and spoken with a lot of DJs over the
years, and we think we have a good idea of what makes
certain artists stand out. We'll talk about what makes a
DJ memorable. We'll also show you how to use social
media to build a larger fan base. And to help us tell our
story, we've interviewed some of the top innovators in
the business. Each one of them has plenty to say about
how you can succeed in the art of DJing.
What it is:
2. Labeling all your music with the key results, so you can
find the key quickly
After you've tried mixing two songs in the same key code,
try a mix that's off-key. If you play a song in 5A and mix
it into a song with a 10A key code, for example, you'll
notice the difference immediately. The clashing pitch
between the two songs creates an uncomfortable
dissonance.
3. Every time you mix between songs in the same key, it'll
sound perfect. For example, when you mix a track in 5A
into another track in 5A, this mix will always be in key.
4. For compatible mixes, think of the numbers on the
Camelot Wheel like the hours on a clock. Go forward or
backward one hour, and you'll have a harmonically
compatible mix. So if you're in 5A, you can mix into 4A or
6A.
5. You can also change the letter but keep the same
number, and your mix will still be compatible. For
example, 5A can mix into 5B, and 5B can mix back into
5A.
6. Any time you're mixing, you have four possible
compatible keys to choose from. You can stay in the same
key, you can add or subtract one "hour," or you can
switch from A to B and from B to A.
Ableton Live
Ableton Live is a little harder to use for harmonic mixing
than other DJ software because it doesn't show the
metadata for each file. Here are three successful
approaches that we've discovered:
Phrases
A phrase is a segment of music, whether a melody or a
rhythm, that has a complete musical sense of its own. Put
more simply, it has a natural sense of structural
completeness --a beginning, a middle and an end. For
example, you might hear a synth melody that repeats
multiple times. Each repetition is probably a phrase; it
usually consists of 32 or 64 beats (8 or 16 bars), but it can
be shorter. It's like a sentence, where each beat is like a
word.
Rhythm
Tempo (Italian for "time") tells us how fast a piece of
music is being played or should be played. It's usually
measured in beats per minute (BPM) and has a strong
effect on how the mood of a particular piece of music
comes across. The faster the tempo, presumably, the
more emotion and urgency you're directing at the dance
floor.
But rhythm is about more than just beats and tempo.
Ideally, you want people to groove to your music for as
long as possible, but you don't want to wear them out.
Along those lines, we like to think of rhythm as a
landscape with peaks and valleys. At the peaks, you're
telling your audience when to get excited; at the valleys,
you're giving them a chance to breathe. The best DJs use
rhythm in this way to their advantage. Whether they're
dropping in a banging percussive break during a peak, or
scaling back to a lone four-on-the-floor kick during a
valley, they're always thinking about managing the
energy level and rhythmic flow of their set.
If you let "Pressure" play all the way through until the
64-beat outro, and then begin to mix in the 64-beat intro
of "Turn It Down," this is what the waveforms look like:
Mixing intros over outros is the simplest mix you can do.
On the plus side, it's fairly easy and straightforward. The
down side is that you're playing the full six minutes of
each track, so your crowd might start to get bored.
Don't let the music play nonstop without a break. Let the
breakdown play through and don't mix anything
new over it; your audience needs a chance to rest.
When the beats are very close to each other--if the phase
is narrow but not quite perfect--you'll hear weird effects
like flanging or beat cancellation. Flanging sounds like a
jet taking off, which is good if you want that audio effect,
but not good if it happens unexpectedly. Even worse,
with beat cancellation, your drums will suddenly
disappear. You might also get a random beat
amplification effect where the beat becomes twice as loud
as any other part of the song. In other words, phasing can
cause havoc.
Here are some visual examples. The red and blue waves
display two similar waves that are out of phase. In the
context of a DJ mix, this would cause confusion on the
dance floor. Your audience needs to know which beat
they are dancing to; bad phasing makes them stumble
and lose the groove.
Classic Examples
Before we move on, here's a short list of some great DJ
performances that illustrate how you can maintain a
solid level of energy throughout your set:
Since most DJs have access to the same music, you have
to be willing to spend time curating your collection.
Anyone can download the Beatport Top 100 and throw
on a playlist, but a seasoned crate digger like Diplo or DJ
Shadow will spend countless hours in used record stores,
and even years looking for a diamond in the rough that
no one else has thought to sample or mix into a set.
Careful song selection and commitment to your craft,
whether you're searching, shopping or mixing, are
essential if you hope to develop a sound that's yours
alone.
If you use Pioneer rekordbox, you can set hot cue and
loop points, beat grids, color codes, and add all the ID3
information so it appears automatically on any CDJ-
2000 display. The Quantize feature makes loop and cue
points snap to the beat, ensuring beat-perfect loops and
cues. rekordbox also enables you to export prepared
tracks to a USB or SD card, and will load waveforms
instantly onto the CDJ.
It had 50,000 hits within two days, and I was all over the
media with headlines like "DJ with a reconciliation
song," "DJ wants Plumbo and Madcon to be friends," "DJ
Prince could be the DJ for the United Nations' Conflict
Department," and the list goes on. Radio stations picked
it up. This was the first time one of my mashups created
such a media storm and so much hype, which is kind of
nice. I think Plumbo and Madcon are friends now, but I
don't think they will ever make a song together.
The rule is always the same and will work with any key,
and the effect on the dance floor is immediate. Your
audience will subconsciously note the lift and will
generally respond positively to the boost. But again, as
with mixing in related keys, the technique may not work
with every song, so practicing beforehand is essential.
Jumping two semitones tends to be a bit safer than a
one-semitone mix, but both will work well if you manage
your mix with your ears open.
Enferno:
Winning the
DMC title was a
dream come true
for me as a
turntablist and
as a DJ. After
that, I started
getting my first
bookings to
perform outside
of my own city,
Washington,
D.C. That was a
big step for me. But to be honest, most people in the club
world aren't familiar with the DMC. I've had to keep
pushing the envelope creatively with my music and my
Live Remix Project, which is the primary reason for my
success today.
Getting Started
If you're new to DJing--and even if you're upgrading to a
new system--we recommend the simplest setup possible.
Start with a minimalist approach and set out to do as
much as you can with a minimum of equipment (such as
one MacBook Pro and a MIDI controller, or two CDJs
and a mixer). You should choose the setup that's most
comfortable for you, but again, be flexible enough to
adapt to any equipment so you're prepared to play at any
venue.
If you can, try them all before you choose what works
best for you.
The one down side of solid state is the price. Apple's own
configuration specs list a 128GB solid state hard drive for
$200, but if you want to double the size to 256GB, the
price triples to a whopping $600. If the prospect of
paying that kind of money for a hard drive makes you
wince, here's what you can do: hack your own.
Headphones
Even though many DJs treat them as an afterthought,
headphones are one of the most important pieces of your
DJ setup. Find a comfortable pair of closed-back
headphones that don't hurt your ears after you've worn
them for a half-hour or more. With this in mind, you
should buy from a store that accepts returns if you don't
think the headphones are 100% comfortable.
Custom Earplugs
If you're going to spend multiple nights each week
listening to loud music, we strongly recommend custom
earplugs. You only have one set of ears, and hearing loss
is irreversible. These earplugs can be expensive because
they're shaped to fit your ear, but the bonus is they
maintain sound quality while reducing the decibel level.
Companies like Etymotic will take an impression of your
ear cavity to make an earplug that fits your ear
perfectly.15 We've used many custom earplugs over the
years, so here's the most basic advice: a Google search for
"hearing aid near (your zip code)" should turn up some
options near where you live. It's typically a lab that caters
to people with hearing loss, but they are happy to
accommodate a musician or a DJ.
Soundcards
An external soundcard makes your audio sound clean,
speeds up your laptop's processing power, and provides
system stability. Some DJ controllers or other hardware
such as the Pioneer CDJ-2000 include a built-in
soundcard. Check your manufacturer's guide if you think
you already have one.
Most of the world's top DJs use the same technique. The
next time you listen to your favorite DJ's live set,
mixtape, or podcast, listen carefully to the transitions. If
you have the tracks, run them through Mixed In Key and
study the mix. Was each transition harmonically
compatible?
Creating the Perfect DJ Mix
If you haven't noticed by now, we like analyzing music,
and one trend we've discovered is that many successful
mixes follow a certain formula. We've pored over the
mixes created by hundreds of top DJs, and uncovered a
sequence that they appear to rely on frequently. These
are the magic ingredients that can help you create the
perfect DJ mix:
Markus: I'll play the main riff and the "big" parts of the
song.
Let's talk about the "art of the opening." Let's say
you have a great opening DJ who's warming up
the room and you're about to start playing in 20
minutes. What should he do at the end of his set?
There are two types of DJs. One is the guy who had a hit
record and goes on tour as a result. Most of the time
these guys will play one or two-hour sets, and that's it.
They have to learn how to DJ in order to perform because
they have a hit record.
Club Lighting
Biz: Some resident DJs like Ross One have been with us
since year one. He's our most versatile DJ and usually
plays our indie dance/hip-hop nights. Mednas is our go-
to house music guy. He has an understanding and
knowledge of how to warm up a room and play alongside
the big names. Both these guys are talented enough to
headline their own nights, but they also know the
importance of playing their roles alongside special
guests. On top of that, they're human music
encyclopedias in their respective genres.
Biz: Get out, network, and see and hear what's hot--but
also get in the studio and make music. Guys like Calvin
Harris and Avicii have acquired large followings because
they produce big records and play a lot of their own
music, from remixes to originals to edits. That's what
makes them special, and that's what gets them gigs. Eat,
sleep, and breathe music.
Biz: Again, get out and network. Get your music in the
right hands and get noticed. Promote and market
yourself or find someone to help you. Once you land the
gig, make sure you deliver and build from there. Be
patient, learn how to take criticism, gather experience,
and evolve. Chances are, as incredible as your mom says
you are, you ain't no genius.
Do you ever get a phone call from a top DJ's
agent saying, "We'll be in Miami in three months.
Do you have a gig available?" Is that common
practice?
Understanding Nightlife
Nightlife is big business. A 2004 report from Audience
Research & Analysis calculated that the nightlife industry
in New York City alone generated an estimated $9.7
billion in economic activity, $2.6 billion in earnings
(primarily wages), and 95,500 jobs on a yearly basis.19
The same study found that annual attendance at NYC
nightlife venues totaled an estimated 65,445,000
admissions, which was "more than three times the
attendance of all New York City's sports teams
combined."20
No matter how talented or technically adept you might
be, if you're going to embark on a career as a DJ, you
need to understand how the nightlife industry really
works. It may look like a constant party on the surface,
but a club is in business to make money. Employees at
the best nightclubs are sociable, smart professionals who
often don't drink on the job. This is a hospitality
industry, and the music, atmosphere, aesthetics and staff
are all meant to help the bottom line.
Ani: I used to get to the club early and get set up before
the doors were open, but now I have openers and closers.
I typically hit them up to see how the night is looking so I
know what to expect when I get there. I usually arrive
around 12:30 a.m. and then go on right at peak time. I
immediately try to bring the energy up a few notches. I
have a bunch of great openers that I use. They know not
to play certain records, but I'm not opposed to them
running a few of the bigger tracks. I know I can go on and
still kill the party, even if the DJ spinning before me
really has the crowd rocking.
Before you don your headphones and run out looking for
a graffiti-covered wall or a crowded club where you can
do your Christ pose for the camera, think about some of
your favorite DJ flyers. Most of the major headlining DJs
portray a provocative and sophisticated look, but they're
not afraid to invoke a little humor when the occasion
calls for it. Here's a flyer promoting Kaskade at the
Marquee Las Vegas. What image do you think it conveys?
Keep in mind that your DJ photos will be printed on
flyers, so the edges need to blend to black or white easily.
Waist-up or headshot photos are often the best, and
unless you can afford a new photo shoot every six
months, try to go for a timeless look.
Check out these two pics of David Guetta. One was taken
earlier in his career, and the other was taken in 2011, the
year he was voted No. 1 in the DJ Mag Top 100 poll.
Which one looks more current and professional?
A short, one-page bio that also lists the genres you play,
current gigs and any residencies
When you assemble your press kit, think about what your
marketable strengths are, and how you can highlight
them. Are you a performer? Are you technically amazing?
Are you really, really attractive? Whatever the hook is,
exploit it to the utmost, but don't go over the top. With
your one-page bio, the best opening is a clear, distinct
message or mission statement about what you do and
where you want to take your art. Keep it short and
succinct; business people usually don't have the time to
read a long essay.
Always consider the age, location, gender, and musical
taste of your audience, and show your first draft to your
friends for their input.
And by the way, don't forget that for all the virtual
interaction that happens online, we live in a real world
too. Talk to people at your gigs, and dance with the crowd
when you're not playing. Go see other musicians and
support the local scene. Be yourself and be authentic, and
you'll find that people will want to listen to what you have
to say.
Curating Your Online Presence
Setting up your blog, Facebook page or Twitter profile
isn't the hard part. The real question is how do you
generate activity? How do you establish a committed
following, and then how do you engage with them?
Test the waters. Before you dive in, it's a good idea to
familiarize yourself with what's happening in social
media, especially with how it relates to music, technology
and e-commerce. If you're new to Facebook and Twitter,
follow the artist pages and feeds of the DJs you admire,
and take note of what they're talking about. Visit their
blogs if they have them, and seek out blogs by industry
executives, music journalists and fans who are interested
in your genre of music.
The question is, how do you get Twitter to really work for
you? The key, as with any social media platform, is to
curate your presence with a strategy in mind. If you have
a website, you can start by posting your Twitter feed
there, and including your website address in your Twitter
bio (next to your profile pic). Cross-connections like
these can help drive traffic to your website, but they're
also important because they give potential fans multiple
points of entry for learning more about you.
Building your followers on Twitter takes time and
diligence. Stick to the 4:1 ratio we outlined above, and
retweet posts that are interesting to you whenever you
can; more often than not, you'll be rewarded with a new
follower (or two). Take a look at the Twitter feeds of
other DJs as well, and follow your favorites. If you're new
to DJing, who knows? One of them might hear a mix set
you posted, and invite you to open a gig.
The expenses don't even end there. Many DJs will spend
hours networking and meeting with club managers or
promoters every week. Others will travel long distances
to gigs and pay the cost out of their own pocket.
And then there are the cons. To pay the bills, you might
have to accept gigs working at venues you don't like,
playing music you don't want to play. You aren't covered
by medical insurance, so you'll have to pay out-of-pocket
expenses. Taxation is also tricky. Yes, you can write off a
lot of your expenses as a small business owner, but you
have to track receipts closely throughout the year. Since
most of your gigs will not take taxes out of your income,
you will likely have to pay a large lump sum in taxes at
the end of the year. The best advice we can offer: be
prepared to manage your finances wisely.
How did the two of you meet, and how did this
partnership begin?
But before you even think about taking this step, it's
important to consider two basic questions: How does an
agency make money, and how are you going to benefit
the agency? For example, if an agent wants to make
$50,000 per year, and takes a 10 percent cut from each
DJ gig he books, he would need to book a DJ at least 500
times at $1000 per night just to make his gross annual
salary (that's before taxes). So put yourself in the agent's
shoes. Can you generate enough work to justify that
business relationship?
Put simply, an agency is probably not the way to go
unless you have the potential to secure global bookings.
You don't need an agent's help if you're just playing in
one city. Agents only come into play when you're
negotiating with big clubs, in multiple cities.