I love your videos, its like to talking to me directly. Wish you would do more drum and bass videos! I started with DDJ400 now got my pro gears (MK2, and nexus900) but trying to learn the methods from youtube videos, cause until now I was just literally mixing. and I want to be a pro DJ from next year. Got connections so could get a gig now, but Im still not ready. I moved to dnb in 2020 after 20 yrs tech house and I am in love with all sub genres. Dnb is the most colorful music genre.
Phil - great video. Interesting question, when you play on a roster like this, does the promoter limit the songs you can play? I have always wondered, say your are one of the first DJ's on, how do you not clash with your song/music selection with other DJ's playing after you ?
My clubbing years were from 2002 to 2010 and majority of djs if not all were still using vynal, sometimes the mixing wasn't perfect but the heart and feel of the sets was there. I personally think when things are to perfect it can take the feel away. I dj myself with vynal and usb and just go with what feels good at the time at the end of the day its sll about the tunes
Please keep up the great work. We love how you do what you do. I've personally missed your videos and I appreciate your years of dedication to everyone.
The secret: mix in key and mix a lot of time with your library adding sometimes some songs, after that and after years, you'll be more relaxed with mixing and choicing of your songs
I’ve been djing for 25 years for my own enjoyment and playing in parties and i want to play at certain clubs. New software is allowing me to make the mashups live and riffing everything. The thing is i run out of time and maybe my brain power dont allow me to mix 4 song at the same time. But i lack a lot of things like playlist in a set format. My point is… is it doable? To make mashups live with no ableton just stems and a huge library?
Really enjoyed this video. I use a similar process. Nice to get confirmation. I prefer short intros/outros with saved loops. Use saved Flips to shorten tracks if needed. Hope the Ministry of Sound went well. Hope to visit London and spend an evening there.
I was thinking that when using Mixed in Key software would be better to organize the bulk of the set order there. Matching key, energy and tempo. Of course your ears will have the final decision 😉
I WISH THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN THE VERY FIRST DJ TUTORIAL I WOULD HAVE WATCHED!!! Anyway… SOOOO #GRATEFUL TO HAVE WATCHED IT ONLY 3 months into it !!! #THANKSPhil 🙏🙏🙏🎶🎶🎶🎧🎧🎧🕺🏻🕺🏻🕺🏻🔥🔥🔥
very helpful video thank you so much! i’m a beginner and i’ve watched your tutorials and you make it so easy to understand! you make it sound so simple! thank you! 🔥
That I was knew it all the time thanks for that , but when you go djing I need to have apple mac laptop or I can use Windows operating system? Can you make it video of this ?and also second question when you djing can you record all night what you been played ? 😊
Phil: “I will be DJ’ing live, mixing one track into the other, when you get right to the top, your not even doing that” *James Hype has entered the chat*
I’d like for you to expand on the “when you get to the top you’re not even doing that” when you talk about mixing records live. Drop the names! Who’s up there pressing play?
Thanks Phill great Vid!! Plus greetings From Chicago mate! Super needed!! Huge favor im a Local open format DJ.. Could You make vid inside Real club to let people know about The shock your body goes into once play in Real dance club🙏🏻 Plus regarding How to set The monitors inside club etc Huge Thanks 👋
Dont put too much emphasis on the tracks key when mixing. It all depends where you mix, and the key is determined by the "tonal center" of all the various notes combined. If your mixing before or after any melody, which you should be doing, the key would be your bass kick, which isn't always going to be the same key as the tonal center or melody. Kick could be tuned to a synth, vocal, or nothing, and not the overall melody. Use your ears, if the tracks sounds good together where your mixing, key is a non factor. Just as an example "Day tripper' from the Beatles is in the key of E, yet most of the notes are in G, but during the blues riff, it is in E. Some of the most famous techno, hip hop, rock, blues, jazz, etc., tracks in history jump to various key changes out of the "normal" major scale and sound good doing it.
For 28 years I've been mostly preparing sets for gigs. Do I ever pivot yes, into other playlists usually, before cue points, i would burn a cd with a slap at every cute point and memorize them. But even before all this tech, we tried to match keys, it was much harder not being classically trained. Always use platinum notes and mixed in key. It should be part of your process when adding any track to your library. As cute points for bass change and skip points and drop. Drops can be deceiving.
I’m think long to change to rekordbox. What’s de difference between memory points and hot cue. What I can understand is basically to extend your cue points. Is that right ?
If it put my existing tunes through platinum notes and then put them back into rekordbox, will it completely reset all the hot cues on the tracks and remove them from all the files I've organised them in currently also? Thanks, great video!
Phil - how do you organize your music library on your machine during the PN/MIK process? It's becoming a hassle, moving tracks from folder to folder to folder. since these apps will reanalyze and create duplicates of duplicates if you add the same folder to them again.
does anyone know a software that can automatically put cue points in your songs (I'm using beatport link) if there is a software that does this? Lexicon doesn't do it unfortunately.
Unfortunately the answer is no because Platinum 4 generates a new file for each track meaning we must rebuild everything in Rekordbox which is a bummer
Please reveal the truth about why pro DJs never touch the tempo faders. Do they have it preset in Ableton or something? I am super curious about this one.
I've been Djng Since 81'I never pre plan my sets when i do a party i play to the crowd u must be new to the craft i come the analog turntable days and i use a controller and serato since 2011
As a learning This is great for validating you are doing the right things… I think with exception of Mixed in key and Platinum Notes I’m already doing all the steps you talk about in prep for my radio show and mixes… will look into those programs once payday comes around. 👍
why do you mess with professionally mastered tracks and run them via some volume normalization? when you start playing with equalizer, it will mess with your volume anyway so a track with no bass will be quiet and you will have to up the gain anyway.
I'm glad someone finally admitted that mixing in key is not as relevant as is claimed. If you're worried about mixing in key, you're not doing it right.
Serato will set your tracks to a certain DB, just go to the setting and select your desired DB and it will raise or lower the volume of your tracks to get everything the same volume. It's not perfect, but it's pretty damn good, unless you have a crap quality track that no amount of boosting will fix.
Exactly, Trim adjusting is baked into my work flow, i set a cue point or sample an existing one I've already set previously to know where im mixing from, Figure out how long ill be mixing said track in before i complete a transition. SET TRIM. Then commence mixing said track when the time is right. Its literally like a 10 - 15 second process to do all of that
@Budsta most clubs dont like DJs messing with the trim/gain knobs because they usually leave them in the red and distort the sound coming out of the speakers. Seems like its smart to avoid touching the trim knobs and only work with faders...
@@tastyboi2163 What!? Do you just make shit up? If a track is mastered lower then you have to use the trim to bring it up in the mix in the headphones, and using your level LEDs as guidance. Then you use your faders to bring it up into the main mix. You clown.
see that long & tedious process he had to go through just to preview & prep? You can cut that work flow time in half with Denon. Stream straight off of Beatport, Beatsource & Tidal. Analyze & render waveforms, beat grids, BPM & key in 2-3 seconds & boom... you're auditioning new tunes. But yeah, let's do it the long & hard way because the Decks that doesn't have the ability to cut your workflow down to next to nothing are the "Industry Standard"
I used to go through this same monotonous process when I had a Nexus rig. It took the fun of it. I don't mind putting in the work but supposedly if you're doing something you love then it doesn't feel like work...that process felt like work. Once I swapped Nexus rig out for Denon SC6000s it reinvigorated DJ'ing for me. It made it fun again.
Haha, you find yourself playing with the trim knobs when all you want to do is DJing? Since when adjusting the correct output level with the trims is not DJing? Why don't you auto EQ your tracks so that hassle is out of the way too?
I don’t like premixing my mash ups and things like that. I would rather perform on the fly and even risk mistakes than do all the work in the studio and just stand there and jump around for an hour.
I think the question is what's the better option for the final listener? I don't think they really care if it's 100% live or not, they just wanna enjoy the music. I say this also because I'm a beginner DJ (I'm actually a producer) and would do lots of mistakes if I would go for the 100% live route.
What he is doing is pre arranging the track for his mix, not pre recording. Personally I think a DJ that knows their music, and can read the crowd and has the experience will be better just going with the flow. It keeps you on your toes and is much more spontaneous. But for the less confident/experienced maybe keep some pre arranged playlists. I remember early on forgetting my bit of paper and winging it, learnt that 25 years ago.
How many Dennons are in clubs? Ummm... Laidback Lukes prob the only person who uses them over Pioneer. Cool decks, but home use only really. Just the reality on industry standard.
Totally. It's depressing to see what djing has become. These so called Djs just run everything through software, turn up on the night, press play and then wave their hands in the air. It's a fu*king joke.
This all feels way too much liek 'DJ by numbers'. Not knocking you, I appreciate with the kind of gigs you are playing people have certain expectations. Spontaneity and unexpectedness can lead to some really interesting places. Preparation is still important regardless of how you play.
Lol, adjusting trim levels is disruptive. Are you serious, man? The whole process of DJing is EQing and doing your levels on the fly. That is the fun part. Sorry, this guy is a big joke!
That whole process is unnecessary & most mundane sounding thing ever. Half that hullabaloo you're doing is so much prep, more like pre-production. Extending intro in Ableton, trims & gains... can't be bothered with that. You might as well pre-record the set, let it play & pretend to twist knobs & mash buttons. You sucked the fun out of spinning. Sometimes I wonder if I made the right choice with opting for a Denon rig over a Pioneer rig...not so much after hearing this. Can you not save a loop on those things? No auto-gain or normalize feature?
