Learning to DJ - Dubstep edition

mr peach · Post by **mr peach** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 5:06 am

i am tempted to buy some decks and leanr how to mix. is dubstep a good music to learn with?

the fact that this genre specifically makes me want to learn how to DJ seems a good sign.

always been put off by thinking i will be shit, cost of buying records, etc etc. but the idea of having dubstep on viynl just seems so right. and music this good seems worth trying and possibly failing for.

viceroy · Post by **viceroy** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 5:11 am

I've never djed dubstep, but I don't imagin it being much different than any other style.

Just go with what you like. That's what I did when I got into dnb, been djing that for years.

Now Ive gotten into this music and I think there is no turning back.

The bass is to sick to pass up.

doomstep · Post by **doomstep** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 5:11 am

I was in your exact position 3 mnths ago bro ... but I couldn't fight it, I couldn't sleep at night knowing there were so many great records coming out ... mixing dubstep ain't easy tho ... but there is nothing like jumping in the deep end ...

... and even if you suck at mixing you'll still have a dope as record collection

dj $hy · Post by **dj $hy** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 8:48 am

The slower the music the harder it is to mix it.

I started on DnB many years ago now (15!) and slowed down until I reached UKG al those years ago.

I'd imagine that as long as you know the tracks you mixing you'll be fine...

Mixing id just under production for me now-a-days but I still mix everyday. Its a hoddie I'll take to my grave.

So my answer...GET SOME DECKS

r33lc4sh · Post by **r33lc4sh** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 8:54 am

DJ $hy wrote:The slower the music the harder it is to mix it.

true

[b]racket · Post by **[b]racket** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 9:22 am

Mixing records is the easy part. Its like riding a bike - once you learn you never forget i reckon.

Its finding tracks that blend seamlessly that requires the work to be put in...

gutter · Post by **gutter** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 9:34 am

Dubstep inspired me to get back on the decks after nearly 10 years away. It's been a constant battle ever since. I find it very hard, nothing like mixing the old 4/4 techno stuff i was djing back in the day. But it's getting there slowly. Be prepared for lots of frustration, but then thing'll start to click into place. Like the man said, once you've got the basics, the tricky bit is finding the nice blends etc.

r33lc4sh · Post by **r33lc4sh** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 9:45 am

the tricky part in mixing dubstep is that in various tracks, snares show up in different places of the bar - so sometimes it is harder to find a track wich will fit in the blend than to beatmatch it

colm · Post by **colm** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 9:55 am

r33lc4sh wrote:the tricky part in mixing dubstep is that in various tracks, snares show up in different places of the bar - so sometimes it is harder to find a track wich will fit in the blend than to beatmatch it

yeah definitely. i haven't mixed dubstep before but i plan on starting. i've been mixing dnb for years and mismatched steps sound strange there but they sound much worse in the dubstep mixes i've heard because the snares are so important and make up so much of the beat.

andythetwig · Post by **andythetwig** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 10:10 am

^If you're having probelms with the snares, and it's one of those tunes which ends/begins with pure beats, do fast crossfades each half bar or so, create your own rhythm... dub weapon by slaughter mob is superb for this

(this doesn't work if there's long pad sounds...)

colm · Post by **colm** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 10:12 am

andythetwig wrote:^If you're having probelms with the snares, and it's one of those tunes which ends/begins with pure beats, do fast crossfades each half bar or so, create your own rhythm... dub weapon by slaughter mob is superb for this

(this doesn't work if there's long pad sounds...)

yeah on pretty much every dubstep mix i've heard, you can hear the dj fucking with the platter in mixes, so you get the pads making that horrible pitch correction type noise.

[b]racket · Post by **[b]racket** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 10:48 am

^^^

That cant be helped at times....its either that or clang the fuck out of the mix. I know which one i would rather hear...i can deal with a little bit of platter push.

colm · Post by **colm** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 11:09 am

[b]racket wrote:^^^

That cant be helped at times....its either that or clang the fuck out of the mix. I know which one i would rather hear...i can deal with a little bit of platter push.

oh yeah of course! it's pretty much inevitable with sparse beats.

stealth · Post by **stealth** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 11:37 am

Dubstep is quite hard to 'mix' in the traditional way, especially if you've never mixed before. I think the main problem is the fact that alot of the tunes are 'syncopated' (they have that garage-type swing beat), which makes it a bit more difficult to mix generally and produces those off-key snares if mixed with non-syncopated track (like a search & destroy track for example)

With a bit of practice though, you'll soon understand what goes and what doesn't and thats when the fun begins !

Good luck matey !

orson · Post by **orson** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 11:57 am

listen to youngsta ....... he knows how to mix

[b]racket · Post by **[b]racket** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 12:03 pm

orson wrote:listen to youngsta ....... he knows how to mix

Word. He gets some real interesting results with his beat juggling...

gena · Post by **gena** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 12:05 pm

r33lc4sh wrote:
DJ $hy wrote:The slower the music the harder it is to mix it.
true

I agree! Even a small slip or mistake appears more obvious.
Don't let it stop you from trying though!

joenicedj · Post by **joenicedj** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 12:21 pm

one word....practice.

the nut · Post by **the nut** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 12:34 pm

Its all about the great zen art of mixing without actually mixing.

I use reggae siren, delay, a reverb effect + do quite a bit of spinbacks/ stops etc.
Most mixes I dont actually beatmatch properly. Leaves you a bit more free to concentrate on tune selection, and it tends to present every tune in the mix a bit better.
When tunes are built this sparse + melodic it just doesnt always work well to layer them on each other.

+ After all, when was the last time you heard a roots dj beatmatch?

gutter · Post by **gutter** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 12:45 pm

btw, i've never used cd deks before but i'm thinking of giving it a go when i play out next month, simply cos i wanna rep a heap of unreleased beats and can't afford to cut a load of plates yet. what's the main differences in terms of 'playability'..assume it's gonna be industry standard Pioneers. would someone who's only ever played off vinyl really struggle to use them? does it take a lot of practice to use them?

Learning to DJ - Dubstep edition

Learning to DJ - Dubstep edition

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