Cuing ritual

[mostapha]

I skip through a track to make sure that either it was the one I thought it was or that it's better for the next song than the one I wanted. I check for key clashes using buttons I have mapped to +/- Key by semitones…most of the time I barely bother. I drop cue points 1-4 at important structural points because Traktor's waveforms just aren't as detailed as Ableton's waveforms, and I like having the extra help…again, there are a lot of times I just don't bother. If there's any chopping I want to do, I drop cue points 5-8 to do it with either as cue points or to store loops.

I restart and listen a few times. And when it's time to mix in, I switch to monitoring the master output in my headphones/IEMs or take them off and listen to monitors if they're not insanely loud.

Oh yeah…and I cheat and use Sync. I spent enough time on Vinyl that I just don't care that the computer's doing that for me. If the beat grids aren't right…usually I pick a different track instead of fixing it because, again, I just don't care about keeping that part "real."

Honestly, not that much has changed from when I was on vinyl, except that I have hot cues and loops and the waveforms are more detailed than record grooves.

[Sounds in Space]

Oh yeah…and I cheat and use Sync. I spent enough time on Vinyl that I just don't care that the computer's doing that for me. If the beat grids aren't right…usually I pick a different track instead of fixing it because, again, I just don't care about keeping that part "real."

I use sync as well, I'm not bothered by it either. I would like to have a machine do all the busy work so I can have all the fun . Ean Golden always says that since there is so much more time freed up due to the cue button we can fill up out time with other things. So I'm trying to see what everyone does to fill their time under the headphones.

I've tried to mix exclusively under my headphones (Senhiser HD 280 Pro's) and have been successful until I play on a booming PA. I seem to mess up my levels more, and what I hear in My headphones generally does not seem to transpose onto the PA the same. Maybe it's just because They are pointed away from me, I don't really know. Is trusting your headphone something that takes practice, or is there some sort of trick?

[BradCee]

I've tried to mix exclusively under my headphones (Senhiser HD 280 Pro's) and have been successful until I play on a booming PA. I seem to mess up my levels more, and what I hear in My headphones generally does not seem to transpose onto the PA the same. Maybe it's just because They are pointed away from me, I don't really know. Is trusting your headphone something that takes practice, or is there some sort of trick?

it's a bit of trusting your ears via headphones and trusting the visual output of vu meters. also you have to remember if you use auto gain it will base most of it around the loudest sound in the track. so you could have a very subby (and for all intents and purposes loud) bassline which will push the overall level down to compensate the bass (that sounds right to me anyway...?). but when doing it by ear those same factors can occur...

[mostapha]

I use sync as well, I'm not bothered by it either. I would like to have a machine do all the busy work so I can have all the fun . Ean Golden always says that since there is so much more time freed up due to the cue button we can fill up out time with other things. So I'm trying to see what everyone does to fill their time under the headphones.

I've tried to mix exclusively under my headphones (Senhiser HD 280 Pro's) and have been successful until I play on a booming PA. I seem to mess up my levels more, and what I hear in My headphones generally does not seem to transpose onto the PA the same. Maybe it's just because They are pointed away from me, I don't really know. Is trusting your headphone something that takes practice, or is there some sort of trick?

I actually hate it when people say they use sync because it frees up time. I honestly only use it because it's easier.

I've said it once, I'll say it again: all the cue points and effects in the world pale in comparison to just playing a really good track. Nothing I've heard from the controllerist camp has come to sway me from that opinion. Obviously, I'm in the minority here…but don't ruin perfectly good tracks just because you don't have the balls to make your life easier and be okay with that. You want to do more…buy a groove box and get into live performances.

As for levels…umm…I own and generally use HD-25s. But I've also spun gigs with cheap etymotic IEMs ($~70) and $10 skullcandy earbuds (very small PA system…don't think they'd hold up in a club).

IMHO, it's all about using your meters. Ears fatigue…very quickly. Meters don't.

[exokinetic]

I actually hate it when people say they use sync because it frees up time. I honestly only use it because it's easier.

I've said it once, I'll say it again: all the cue points and effects in the world pale in comparison to just playing a really good track. Nothing I've heard from the controllerist camp has come to sway me from that opinion. Obviously, I'm in the minority here…but don't ruin perfectly good tracks just because you don't have the balls to make your life easier and be okay with that. You want to do more…buy a groove box and get into live performances.

Agreed, on so many levels...


And I usually spend the extra time:

A. Making sure the track I have chosen is really the right track, for the moment, and as a pair for the track that is currently playing.

B. Deciding where I would like the to align the structure of the two tracks.

Once those two objectives have been decided, its a matter of deciding how I want to tease the track in, then do it all over again when it feels right for the next tune.

[voetsch]

Well, beat matching for me (I am doing it manually) takes 25 seconds at most, if I do it quickly it works within 5 seconds, so I just enjoy the music, let it run until the mix point start my mix and so on and so forth.. If I am in the mood and the crowd is open for it I do some occasional cue point juggling or use some effects. Mostly I look busy, dance along with the crowd, talk to people, drink something (nothing alcoholic though, as it just messes up my sets and I got a slight tendency to overdo it) and of course looking for the right track to suit the mood..

[minimal]

I do long mixes, so key clashes are a no no.

Before mixing in a track I do +-2 steps on the key button to find the best note to have that track "sit-in" with the one that's playing (watch out for the mickey mouse vocals). Even with sync, a track sometimes has to be phased a little bit too. & of course, like everyone else here, eq down the bass, sometimes the highs (rarely eq up).

Agreed that a good song holds on its own. But tearing a song to pieces, looping, filters is lots of fun too at the right time.

I usually don't have that much spare time between mixes, usually dance my ass off or check the crowd to guess the right mood.

I stay away from the alcohol too, only water...and herb