Begginner DJ Tips
Tuesdays are DJ Tips days on Lets Go Big tunes, from beginner to expert, they are bound to be of help.
*tips from https://passionatedj.com/how-to-become-a-dj-ultimate-guide/
Step 6: Recording a Mix
Once you gain a bit of confidence in your mixing, it’s time to record yourself and analyze it. Let’s use the knowledge you’ve gained thus far, and see what you sound like!
How To Record Your DJ Set
Laptop DJs generally have it easy, here. Most DJ software is capable of recording your set with the click of a button.
Another option is to use an external handheld recorder such as the Zoom ZH1. Then, you could connect from your mixer or controller’s Record Out ports to the recorder, using a cheap RCA adapter cable like this:
A decent portable recorder will cost between $70 and $200. However, with a compatible Pioneer mixer, you can use the DJM-REC app to easily record mixes using your iPad or iPhone.
Lastly, you could also record directly from your Record Out ports into a computer’s audio interface, using your favorite studio software (or Audacity, it’s free!).
First Mix: Recording Tips
Recording a bedroom mix is, obviously, a little bit different than playing in front of an audience. Some of the skills which are important in a live setting, such as reading a crowd, do not apply when recording a personal mix.
However, you can use this opportunity to think about telling a story with your set. This doesn’t mean it has to be an all-out concept mix. Just think about how you want to start, where you want to be when you finish, and how you want to get there.
Perhaps you can imagine that you are in front of a crowd, and play that scenario out in your head.
This is where we teach ourselves not to be mediocre. Novice DJs tend to hammer out their “banger” tracks, one after another, for an hour or two. There’s no sense of ebb and flow; no sense of direction. Most people find this boring and tiresome.
Of course, you are the DJ and you have the creative license to play however you wish! But, I suggest learning how to think of a DJ set in the context of the whole instead of its individual parts… this is what separates decent DJs from great ones.
I like to approach a recorded mix like a great artist album. It’s not entirely flat, but it’s entirely cohesive.
This is the point where you can experiment, try different things, and see what works. Try recording a mix, putting it away for a few days or a week, and then coming back to listen to it.
Believe me, it’s much easier to be objective when listening to your mix when you wait a while before listening to it!
If you’re like me, you’ll be pleasantly surprised that some of those mistakes don’t sound nearly as bad as you thought they did while recording it!
Recommended Listening:
Recording Mixes (And Why We Don’t): The Passionate DJ Podcast, Ep. 95 Inspiration: The Passionate DJ Podcast, Ep. 125
I hope there were of some help. Check back in next week to see what DJ tips we have in stall for you