5 DJ MISTAKES I HEAR ALL THE TIME
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- čas přidán 6. 08. 2024
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►TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Intro
0:05 - Mistake #1
0:50 - Mistake #2
02:00 - Mistake #3
02:55 - Mistake #4
03:38 - Mistake #5
►SCRIPT
Number 1
There are so many DJ’s out there who think that high level DJ’ing is all about touching knobs, scratching, using effects and doing cool DJ tricks.
Because the objective of every DJ is to make the crowd happy with their song selection. Choosing the right song and playing it at the right time, is the main highlight of a DJ set.
So techniques like scratching, using effects and doing cool DJ tricks, should rather be thought of as tools you can use to help compliment your DJ set.
So use those techniques sparingly and remember that less is always more when it comes to catering to a crowd who just wants to dance, and enjoy their music.
Number 2
So just because you know how to beat match songs, doesn’t mean you should always be mixing at any section you want in a song.
Knowing where and when to mix is a skill every DJ should master. Because once you understand proper song structure, your transitions will just flow.
And one way to master song structure is thru using DJ edited tracks which have 32 beat intros and outros.
Now because most songs have set number of beats per chorus, verse, bridge and outro section. All you gotta do to mix perfectly, is trigger your next song’s intro at the start of any of those sections.
Number 3
A common mistake I see new DJ’s make when they DJ live for the first time, is that they’re too hyper focused on their DJ’ing and getting each transition perfectly right. By strictly focusing on their performance rather than the crowd, they’re pretty much DJ’ing for just themselves.
And the crowd whom you should be trying to make happy and dance, suffers!
And I totally get it. New DJ’s don’t wanna train wreck their first gig. So they follow a strict safe playlist, but the thing is, DJ’ing is a live performance and crowd reading and rocking, is the reason why DJ’s get hired in the first place.
Number 4
As a DJ it’s your responsibility to give the audience the best sounding audio you can. And one pretty common way DJ’s ruin their audio is when they red line. Which means when you bring your volume meters to the red.
When you mixer connects to a professional sound system, that sound system is calibrated to the audio levels the mixer is supposed to give off. So when you redline, you may not hear the distortion or clipping, but whatever sound your outputting will only be amplified by the sound system. Making your red lining output sound a lot more evident thru clipping and distortion.
Number 5
You may not think this, but you can actually hear the difference between songs ripped from CZcams and soundcloud, compared to songs downloaded from DJ record pools, iTunes, etc.
You see when you rip songs from the internet, what you’re getting is baked audio intended to be played on your phone, laptop or TV.
So when you do DJ and play your CZcams and Soundcloud rips, they may sound fine in your home studio, but when you get hooked up to a professional club system, that have speakers and subwoofers the size of a car, that’s the time, you’ll really hear the quality of your audio rips.
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#1: using air horn to transition every song!
Hahahaha! Pet peeve!
🤣
Ay good tip thanks alot, I shall use this
*cries in FLX-6*
airohrn is cringe imo, and should only be used once per set if you can help it
The worst part about understanding song structure is once it becomes second nature, wrestling with your brain about wanting to mix now vs. waiting for the right time to mix. All great points ... good stuff!
I always face this
exactly
Best tip was about engaging with the crowd, when I first started DJing, I was so focused on getting transitions to be perfect or keeping in line with my playlist, that I usually never got complimented!
Thanks for sharing!
I have my first show tomorrow and I recorded myself earlier to get an idea of what I would look like. It was not pretty lol. I was hunched over the decks and never looked up once.
Going to make sure to keep visually checking in with the crowd.
@@lizarapp243 how’d the show go?
@@lizarapp243 ya how was it
DJ Carlo has the BEST information for DJs out there. He's not hung up on showcasing how much gigs he gets or how much equipment/gear he has.
Woot! Woot! Thanks for the kind words!
True..
yes, this is most true... if I won the lotto jackpot in my country, I would definitely ask him to DJ my wedding, or just simply MC it and give him the night off
Well this just showed that he never stay in his comfort zone. He doesn't afraid to share what he have as a DJ and keeps explore any possibilities for new gigs. He keep trying from new sets, songs, genre, to even different software. Even trying every combination of every sets can provide.
Yeah true. Great guy, great videos.
I really liked how you talked about reading the crowd and engaging them. Not to take a gig too seriously, and make sure everyone is having fun!
That’s the top priority! The crowd! Thanks for sharing your thoughts as well!
Tip #1: “Don’t use lots of effects”
*Laidback Luke has left the chat*
Oh em! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Naw allot of djs don't use effects use effects coming from a hip hop dj
James Zabiela uses them, but you can hear that he uses them very properly.
He apparently does this because he'd get bored otherwise. He pulls it off well though.
@@BiggusNickus no its not because he gets bored lol, its just his style, his way of being Unique and stand out.
An additional point for "Don't redline", if you aim generally for +3db when you're playing it will allow you enough headroom to crank up the quieter tracks that may have been mastered either badly or quieter without edging into the red.
you're the best DJ Carlo!! your voice is so soothing and the way you break topics down makes me not feel so overwhelmed. thank you!
Ohhh thanks for the feedback! That feel great for me! I’ll continue what I’ve been doing!
If you are not doing any of those things, whats the difference between a newbie DJ and a Spotify playlist?......boooom so perfectly said man🔥✈️👏🏼
Facts i dont want to pay someone to come play a playlist at my party with fancy equipment i need all the nooks to come with the service
I like how you emphasized song selection and mixing to the songs structure. Many people don't realize how important that is
True! Even when I started out, I just kept playing whatever I felt like. There's a science in the music that makes for a great set!
Picking when to mix songs is honestly the key to making sets flow so much better. I've seen many DJs I even work alongside just pick halfway through a verse or 3 beats before the end of a chorus to just drop and start and brand new song. That small change of lining up sections and right phrasing makes the difference
WELL SAID!!
NIce point. But you have to make sure that the next track you drop in this type of mixing is a catchy tune or a very popular one. You don't wanna clear the dancefloor with some tracks that aren't top if you know what I mean. Like drop it on the hook for example.
@@4791_ Oh absolutely, if it's not something most of your crowd already knows well, it won't hit
Them points are really small but have a huge impact on a DJ which are hell important 👍 Thankyou Master once again👍🥰
Yay! That’s the most important thing! Wish you all the best!
Google global truth project and click "The Present" tab to see the truth about life/death in four pages
You'r the master and this is spot on advice for beginners, I've seen the occasional pro try something out on the night without prep and lose the floor. I think your tip about over doing it on your first gig with a crowd was a really good one, bedroom mixers don't realise how different working a crowded dance floor is to doing mixups in your bedroom, like you said, your mixing and scratching might be amazing but without the right music and atmosphere which you create your set will be toast.
Perfect! Thanks for sharing your thoughts too! I appreciate it! Cheers!
I've mentioned several of these to other DJs in my area. I think they are starting to take notice. I will refer them to this video: it's a one-stop-shop! Good Stuff
Always fun and informative videos. Thank you DJ Carlo!
Lodi ung channel mo lang talaga ang pinaka maraming info para sa mga bagong DJ!
I love how you are more about helping those starting out, rather than showcasing your gigs, talent, etc.
Kaya LODI kita eh!
thanks for appreciating my effort! glad it's helping a lot of aspiring djs!
Redlining was definitely my favorite tip, I honestly rarely even think about it when I mix half the time. I just know that red light = bad so avoid, but not the actual effects of it
Much like a DJ set begins with prep, the event begins with a sound check which will involve gain staging. Good gain staging will not only minimise clipping, but it will also grant you headroom and finer control over your levels.
the only ones I did (and I got my ddj-400 last month) was redlining and ripping. Thanks for a great video!
Woot! Thanks for watching! Glad you're learning a thing or two from this!
"Crowd rocking is why DJ gets hired in the first place"
This resonates so much to me. At first I was always so disappointed to "not be able to show my cool techno transitions", or having to abandon a certain genre very quickly because crowd was not responsive.
But then one understands that what matters is people dancing and having a good time. They won't remember techno transitions if they are not in the mood.
Vibe check of the room is what makes a DJ and a crowd happy !
Watching this makes me glad I dj lofi hip hop. You can get away with so much 😩😂. Thank you for the tips. Your videos have been informative lately even though I'm in a totally different music scene.
No problem! You got this! Just keep on practicing! And continue applying what you learned here!
Good points and you master the skills of givning advice and tips without putting people down.. 👍🏽🎶👍🏽
I appreciate that! Thanks for the support! Cheers!
Thanx DJ Carlo, I enjoy your videos, very informative my friend, especially where I'm an up & coming/ learning Skratch DJ, much love & respect my ninja....... 👍👊💪🙏😎
Rock on! Great to hear! Glad to help!
Excellent video. Thank you.
As a sound engineer I (used to) work at festivals and clubs. To all newbies! please listen to this Guy!
It drives me nuts when dj’s redline and/or play crappy quality files. Please do the right thing and buy the music you play and buy only WAV. or aiff. that way you support the artist, you will sound good, not destroy the crowd ears and you won’t look/sound like an amateur.
Woooot! Thankkks for emphasizing the importance of this! Cheers!
DJ Carlo Atendido I agree with the statement but where can I find a song or an edit or bootleg or ID when you can’t find it on Apple Music or other places to get music?
justanotherguy
Beatport, junodownload, traxsource. To name a few.
Always check if you can buy WAV. Or aiff. Try to stay away from mp3.
Also check the bandcamp of you favo artists. Sometimes they give tracks away for free.
Anthony Amrein 24bit!😍 thats awesome, did not know that, thanks!
@@nvp-music thank you so much man!
Been djing for a couple years and ive made it a very big point to listen to my next track and ajust the volume for the deck its playing on
Solid advice! Thank you DJ Carlo!!
I love this I'm still a noob I've done weddings and pool parties but I am never too arrogant to know that I need to always learn! This video is exactly what I needed thank you!
Awww! Thank you! Glad to know you’re okay with this! Good luck with your wedding gigs!
Mistake 2 needs to be taken into consideration, as I mix generally older happy hardcore some of the tracks have longer beats before the drop so its a case of fade mixing when mixing from new hardcore tracks to old due to how new ones are produced to around 3 to 4 minutes where as the older stuff is around 6 to 7 minutes
Thanks for the tips bro!👊
Thank you for all this tips
I'm a DJ too and your tips help me become more perfection in my career
Redlining is I think the most important tip for new DJ’s especially if they don’t dabble in producing there own music. Made that mistake due to my own ignorance back in the day and seen it too many times. Great tip for new DJ’s 👍🏼
Great vid C! Thanks for sharing brother!
Thanks for watching!
These are actually pretty good tips thank you
I really needed to hear number 3 today. Recording a mix and doing it live are completely different.
Glad you can related! Started off needing everything to be perfect as well, but once I let go and had fun, so did everyone else!
Great video! Thanks ♥️
Great tips. Thx a lot for this Video! 😎🎧🔊🔊🔊👌
You're welcome! Glad you found the tips helpful!
Nice informative video. Very well explained. If I may, as a dj with a bit of experience, the technique I use, since I am self taught, is to first listen where your next track is going to begin (first drop or bridge) and then start it when your current track has that remaining time. For example, if your incoming track has its first drop at around 1 minute, then start it 1 minute before your outgoing track ends. Obviously taking into account that it's music, so think phrases instead of just time.
Yes! Thanks for sharing!
I create playlist or mini sets, but just enough to get me started. So maybe like 5 songs I have planned. It really helps with nerves and confidence. After I get that warm up in I'm ready to jam 😎
i only plan my first song
Nice tips for beginners!🎉 really dig the perfectionist one, i suffered from that for a while❤
Yup! I feel like a lot of people needed to hear these!
Always love your tips, Carlo ♥
Glad you like them! Thanks for watching!
For Mistake #2:
If you have time to spare and don't wanna calculate bars so that the breaks align perfectly.. you could simply hold the jog wheel of the second track around the break and when the break of the first song hits you immediately release the second break, then use the EQ to your advantage
Personally, I find it as a good technique as I am more of a "visual memory person" and I only know the structure of songs by the visual, not by the actual number of bars each phrase has.
What do you guys think of this method?
That's a great method too, but doesn't apply to each songs... and it's also kinda lazy. I do it if I don't have an extended version. If you have an extended mix, it would be better to mix it.
If you know your songs, you don't need any visual aids. You would already know its structure, and thus don't have to know any actual number of bars etc.
hey man, another great one! quick question, can you do some videos on traktor? i know that maybe theres an investment there, to get the controllers, but its really hard to find good content on traktor with quality teaching and editing.
A DJ that moves and shows they are really into the music they are playing entices the crowd to get into it as well. A DJ that just stands there as if they are bored shows the crowd something else so they will be less likely to dance.
Record everything you do(gigs and practice), listen to it repeatedly and critique your own mixes. It is how you learn.
Thanks man i have improved a lot over the last few months still mess up but all part of the journey
Glad to hear it! You got this!
and in a club situation, don't get into a panic if you *do* late-mix now and again. there are ways of correcting it and covering it up (backspins, filter out, phasing and such). I've heard some really dodgy mixing back in the day from old-skool vinyl house DJs, but did it affect everyone's enjoyment of the party? not in the slightest :)
many djs are introverts so hiding behind the decks and computer is kind of comforting but its always a good idea to try and loosen up and react to the crowd but as with all things its a balance .Some djs seem to put on a mix of their productions and then jump around throwing cake and party poppers at the crowd others are very focused on their juggling and scratching and forget that there are people there.I tend to be a hider especially if things get busy but if the crowd is friendly then i might come out of my shell ...a bit.
haha true! thanks for sharing this!
The best example of this I saw live was the legendary Dave Clarke. Mans a major introvert, will rarely look at the crowd or even crack a smile. However, he can move crowds the same. I tend not to be very flashy on my gigs plus a lot of stages are quite separate from the crowd.
@@GPS08 The mans serious about his music but he knows his shit and the crowd love him for it.Theres nothing wrong with a dj using his knowledge and skill and concentrating hard on his work .If this means he works they dance and he barely looks up from what he doing then so be it if it works for him and his crowd.There great communicators that will get the crowd moving by being a bit more of a showman like Norman Cooke who is also great but like everyone else all djs are all different and some might wonder what pills Dave Clarke had taken if he started waving his hands about and throwing stuff at his audience ..Like the song says .Just gice the dj a break
@@DanielleKingdjdinosaur - I never said there was something wrong. I was just giving a contrast of a very well known (legendary status imo) DJ such as Dave Clarke who doesn't engage with the crowd that much but still has crowds moving for hours and begging for more. I've seen him live, that's why I gave him as an example cos I experienced it. I've also seen Norman Cooke (Fatboy Slim) live at a festival in Portugal, can't remember if he went as Norman or Fatboy Slim. Technically, he's crap (at least that night he was), beatmatch off abrupt cuts etc... But the crowd was going crazy with the show, cos he's a good showman. He's the opposite of Dave Clarke.
@@GPS08 I never said it either.I was in full agreement with you.Norman is a showman and he has a very different style of mixing to Mr Clarke.Both have their merits and we can all have an off day..I would say in how i mix though not in music style im closer to the introverted concentration on the mix style as i can get lost in the flow as it were.I like both djs and like i said like people djs are all different thank god.
Thanks mate.short concise and helpful
Glad you liked it!
Thanks Brotha!!! I am learning a lot 😉 but one trick its also the equalizer mixing it with a disc
Glad you're learning a lot from the vids bud!
Thanks for the video
For sure Darold. Did you ever commit any of the mistakes here?
Carlo you’re the best man I’ve learnt a lot from watching your videos🤘🏾👏🏾DJ Walker
Female DJ love the U.K
Hope you got some ideas from the video Walker!
great video man.
Spot on everyone should watch this when they get started.
Thanks Erik! Glad the video made sense to you. More people really need to know about these.
Great video! Can I get your honest opinion on the XDJ-XZ? There’s a big debate on whether the XDJ-XZ or the Denon Prime 4 is better than the other. What do you think? I’m trying to decide on what to get next
You’re the man Carlo thanks for all this knowledge
You're welcome Matt! Glad you learned something new from the video!
sir,many Dj's remix songs and just kill the originality of it.They tend to forget that the most simplest of beats can rock the crowd if they are timed perfectly at the perfect eve.(You have taught a lot in your videos to tell this)
That is so true! The crowd is the king! Thanks for watching!
I am starting on DJ Equipment so all the information in the video are helping me🙂
Hey Carlos , thanks alot for tips.
What is the best way to mimic or test as club sound system, if my mix would sounds good or not?
Thank you sir
Although I don't know English well, dj carlo has helped me a lot ❤️
All the tips is my fav. All of them will help me so much.
Thanks alot bro^_^
Glad you find them useful! Thanks for visiting!
The Perfect Description of a Good DJ
Will keep these tips in mind
Amazing video edukacition forr dj
Nice
Such an underated DJ for what he can do
Aww thanks! I am glad you visited my channel!
0:05 absolutely right some people only use fx to mix which literally doesn't make sense they never use equalizer I personally love equalizer and loops for fx I usually use bliss/noise and echo and even u also do the same
Thank you Sir!
The quality of this video is amazing! Do you create all the interstitial footage with the cool motion graphics?
Thanks! !!
thanks info.👍👍
#4 is a game changer. about 6 months ago, i switched to bought mp3's, and the difference is amazing! I'm still working on #5..lol.
Go for WAV and you will hear the difference again
@@markgriff9053 He's right. If you are buying music, you might as well get lossless files. If for some reason you can't use a lossless file, you can always transcode it to MP-3. But you can't go from MP-3 to lossless.
Cool Video again :)
300k subs man! Good shit!
Thankkkks mate for the support!
Thanx dj carlo 😍😍😍😋
Thanks for watching too!
Great tips, I'll keep these in mind.
My favourite tip was....pay for good quality audio tracks.
That is a must! Thanks for watching my videos! Cheers!
imo ripping tracks off websides is fine for DJs who just get started, they will not perform on hi fi sound systems and you can barely hear the difference, i started like that and havent got a big gig till now since 2004, most of my lib is still ripped off songs from my Original Vinyl collection to mix with MP3, bcuz its just simply too expensive to buy all of them in high quality and since im mostly mixing with Vinyl you only have the presses that you purchased back then - most oldschool tracks dont have a good digital copy, you have to do that mostly yourself which not rly increases the quality of the Track, so this tip is very bad actually - i know this is based on modern DJing but we Oldschool guys dont have the Luxury to purchase a Hardtrance/Hardstyle track from the early 2k's with amazing quality online - it simply doasnt exist.
Carlos thank you very much for the very detailed description for every of the 5 mistakes mentioned! It was so useful to visually see the right points in the song where it’s best to start song transitions! I confess I took a screenshot of that :) also, I subscribed to BPM supreme DJ pool a couple of months ago. However, it happens that many times they don’t have the songs that I am looking for, and this causes me to look for other options which could be mp3 song converters. As my goal would be to have good quality songs in my playlists (something that unfortunately cannot be achieved with mp3 converters) what do you usually do when you cannot find the song you’re looking for on BPM supreme? Are you subscribed to various DJ pools? Any recommendations would be greatly appeciated!🙏🏼
It really just depends on what music genres you play. For me I use beat port when I can’t find music on the record pool. You can find just about any edm song on beat port with great quality. IK you can use iTunes too but their files are only in MP3’s but they are high quality files. Best of luck
great to know!
Ripping songs from CZcams I learned the difference couple days ago and is killing me cuz i have alot of those but I understand if want to do this big i have to do it right
Good job
Thank u for this tips
You're welcome bud! Hope you learned something from the video!
@@djcarlo u have a fan here supporting ❤️❤️
Bro youve helped me learn so much from what beginner deck to get to how to dj properly so thank you
Wow! That’s nice to know! Cheers!
Thank you for pointing out mistake #1. Being a wedding and corporate event DJ for over 6 years I can say that playing the right music at the right time is what it all comes down to. Everything else is secondary.
Indeed! It's actually one of the fundamentals of being a great DJ. I never mention it anymore because it's pretty much a given! Hahaha
I love your videos
Yay! Great to hear this!
I really appreciated that, as I did not realize that the tracks I'm mixing are copies. I use crossdj for android on my phone. Since the phone speaker cannot reproduce the subs all my mixes sound shrill harsh and basically suck without the xtra low end. I like to sync loops and lay down my own beats tho, not looking to club dj , instead create something new. DJ app has filters , but no trim knob , just gain on the tables input...?
Wow the redlining piece reminds me of my first gig. I was playing at a community event and was connecting to my amp via balanced XLR. Forgot to put the attenuator pad on the amp, meanwhile my gain is set at like 11:00 - let's just say it wasn't a pleasant noise :). Live and learn and always keep getting better :)
Hi i love ur mix
Woot! Thanks for loving this!
Starting out, I have a separate folder for all my ripped tracks so I know which ones to switch out later.
That's pretty clever!
Your video always helps to improve...
Glad to know that it does! Cheers!
Quick question
In the future will you make a video on doing a hard trance mix?
Would love to see it because im a big fan on hard trance music
if you dont know it try this channel: czcams.com/users/TrueHardtranceSounds
i have always tried to avoid redlining and thats why i like warm ups.Its more laid back you can experiment and you dont follow some nut job trying to destroy every ones hearing.Even if i am on later i will bring things down by doing a gradual change in speed and volume on whats on and maybe an echo out and then give people a breather with a slow builder if i have a bit of time this works well because even later in the night a bit of a dip and then build up can be a good thing.
thanks for sharing!
2:41 - when you're getting paid for the request but they didn't have money 😅
Oh em! That feeling rightttt? Hahaha!
This is very helpful 👌🏾
Woot! Thanks for watching! Glad it was helpful!
what a cool playlist
Thanks Saranga! Hahahaha
Hi Carlo, thanks for sharing this video! For me understand the song structure and where I should make the mix is fundamental. In other videos you have shown some techniques that are very useful (Intro vs Chorus, Intro vs Outro, etc). Do you have other techniques to share? Or do you intend to make a video explaining only song structure? Thanks!
Sorry Carlo, maybe i was not clear enough in my previous comment. In a song i can identify the Intro, outro and breakdowns but I have problems to identify the chorus, verse, bridge, build-ups. Because of that, i ask If you think in make a tutorial explaining only about this topic or can you recommend any video to help me with that? Tks
Good suggestion for the next video! Thanks for letting me know! Yeah, it took me some time to naturally feel what section was what. That's why it was just easier to always mix during the chorus or outro!
Answered!
Carlo has our back !
Another "keeper" to my best DJ tips collection :-)
You're the best dj ever!
Wow, thanks!
good video bro. but where would you say its the best place to get music?
My house
Haz con subtítulos en español eres el mejor canal para enseñar cosas de dj 🙏😮💨
i m from Poland you are the best!!
Wow, thanks! You're the best too! Sending my love to Poland!
The redline is one of my pet hates with djs!! Hate seeing the red when I’m playing but some people don’t care and ruin good sound systems that you play on
Spot on! Glad you shared the same thoughts!
you know that most Vinyl tracks from the pre loudness war required to be played in redline to sound actually good right? back then you could do that without damaging your ears or the systems.
With regards to red lining and distortion, you need to learn the difference between volume controls and gain controls. They both adjust the loudness of the signal, so most people don't think there's much of a difference between them, but there is. Only gain controls can distort the signal, while volume controls can't. The reason for this is gain controls are on the input of a component and volume controls are on the output. If you have too much gain, that's what causes distortion and break up. That's how a guitar amp works. They have a gain control and a volume control. You increase the gain to get the desired amount of distortion. Once you have that, then you use the volume control to set the loudness. While excessive gain may sound good for a guitar, it doesn't for just about anything else.
Every system is different, so the first thing you need to do is follow the signal chain from start to finish, and make note of all the "volume controls". After that, you determine which ones are really volume controls, and which ones are gain. At that point, you set your gain structure, making sure the signal isn't being overdriven with gain anywhere in the system. After that, of course, you use the volume controls to set how loud you want the music.
Its also worth noting that you sometimes walk into a venue and have to trouble shoot an issue a system that you didn't set up. Always go back to isolating your gains, and start there. That's always how you are going to fix the problem. You will also be working with people that take care of the house system, so its usually a joint effort. Your night will go so much easier if you can show these people that you understand what the issues are. Be ready to show them "these are my gains. these are my volumes, etc...". Once they see you're competent, they stop treating you like a problem, and are much more willing to work with you.
Hey Carlo do you happen to know how to make that falloff sound when/after a scratch