I don’t really know much about the process of remixing a song but I can imagine it is a process that is like editing a video – layering tracks, adding beats, etc. They are clearly not doing that kind of editing live so they are basically playing something that’s already had some amount of that already done.
So what are they doing live besides maybe mixing between songs?
I just don’t understand what all the knob fiddling is about.
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Depending on the genre and DJ, some of them are not only blending togerher two or more existing tracks with the aid of the faders, filters and effects, but actively creating new beats and tracks with a drum computer and synth. Thats quite rare tho and not really used at events with the more popular music cause people there want to hear the tracks they know. I saw that technique get used some times by techno or trance DJs.
They just press play and listen to audiobooks on the headphones for the entirety of the show.
some of DJs adjust their sets and presets according to crowd reactions. Some are constrained by their light show
Gotta link this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCpHiWwA2Rg to highlight what a very skilled DJ is capable of. You can see whats happening in real time. He used a [Vestax PMC-500](https://medias.audiofanzine.com/images/normal/vestax-pmc-500-2221148.jpg) mixer and 3 vinyl decks. You can look up what the mixer allows you to do, but compared to the modern days its actually kind of basic. Hence why (I think) Jeff’s Exhibitionist mix is seen as one of the greatest of all time.
Have to say though, Techno specifically lends itself for this type of fast paced almost free form mixing. Music genres where tracks themselves have a fixed pattern from intro – buildup – the drop – outro, the mixing style is obviously different and slower.
I think everything is done in advance (music, pyro, etc), a couple of DJs have pretty much said so. The pretend to be doing stuff to create an illusion. Which I think they should.
So do djs actually make the music they play? Or do they just use other peoples stuff?
I’ve been to a show by Four Tet back in 2011 where he literally started the show by assigning out his MIDI keys and playing an instrument, capturing what was played, and building from there. He did it for a ton of stuff until he had a whole song in there and then he’d reverse, add, and play something else live to go with what was in the MIDI and playing on repeat.
One of the best EDM shows I’ve ever been to.
Here’s a really good video of how he puts things together: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEUGilncRJs
Depends. “Like Tiesto” for big arena shows could mean turning knobs on a piece of gear that isn’t even plugged in, in front a prerecorded set.
Or he’s changing volume levels of different frequency bands (bass, mids and highs) of multiple songs while deciding each track on the fly, changing their tempos manually by ear and blending from one to another, all so you hear one cohesive “set”.
It depends on both the person and the type of event how much they are doing and how much they are faking.
I recently came across this set by DJ Spell that blew me away and gave me a new respect for DJ’ing. Granted, I think the majority of DJs are nowhere near this talented, but I love that you can really see how much skill he puts into this.
A good DJ can play the mixer the same way a guitarist can play their instrument.
Every song has 3 layers:
– Lows (bass)
– Mids (vocals, instruments)
– Highs (cymbals, high hats).
Each song has a section on the mixer with 3 knobs that control the volume of these layers.
The DJ hits play on Song A, which the audience can hear through the speakers. They then hit play on the Song B, but keep the volume off so that they can only hear it in their headphones.
Once the beats are in sync, the DJ can then bring in the different layers of the new song by increasing the layer volume on the mixer. For example, you can blend songs together by using the Highs and Mids of Song B, and playing that over the Bass of Song A.
When they’re ready to transition to the next song, they cut the bass of Song A and bring in the bass of Song B.
They do this seamlessly over and over to create a 1.5hr set.
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