I am currently using a PCDJ "TRAKTOR" and a DJ controller "DDJ-ERGO". I, however, think the mixing way described here would be similar way even if you are using other PCDJ devices, or not only in PCDJ style but also kind of CDJ styles. I also think same thing can be said for other music genre like House, Techno, Electro, Psychedelic, etc. as in a genre of 4-beat-dance-music, not only for Trance.
Okay, well.. this is my way of mixing Trance tracks.
An image below is a display of the TRAKTOR as you may know. A track in left side just has started playing after being mixed with previous track. As soon as mixing is finished from previous track, next track should be set in another side, the right side in this image. This is because the next track needs to be checked and arranged by monitoring with headphone.
Firstly, the next track should be set 2 things. One is match the BPM (Beat per minute) to the track now playing. The other one is to set a CUE, which is a starting point of the next track when we tap the START button.
Once they are set, the next track need to be checked whether or not the beats match to the current playing track by headphone monitoring playing the next track for a while. I think the easiest way to check the synchronization of both tracks is to hear the Kick (Bass drum) sounds. If the beats are not matched, the BPM needs to be changed slightly or beat-grids, if needed, are also moved / arranged.
Of course you can use the "sync" function as well. But please note the beat-grid created automatically by TRAKTOR is not perfect. It is not so many but we sometimes need to move or arrange it. Or just to play the next track with slight forward or backward position like an image below. Please believe the sound you can hear with your ears, not a display you can see with your eyes.
Once the setting of the next track is finished, we can do anything we like until the current playing track comes close to the ending part. It's up to you what you do. Looking for the next track, playing with effects, DJ performance, Sleeping... Oops, sleeping may not be good, I think.
Next track is started once the current playing track comes close to the ending part, or any position you like is also okay. Please choose the starting point according to your DJ style.
After final checking for the matching of the beats by monitoring, all the equalizers "LOW", "MID" and "HI" are set to the lowest position and the channel feeder is raised to the highest position.
Listening to both the sound you can hear in the floor / DJ booth and the sound you can hear in monitoring headphone, mixing is conducted by equalizing of "LOW", "MID" and "HI".
Please note the equalizing / mixing affects directly to the sound in the floor. If the equalizing / mixing is done smoothly, the sound changes smoothly. If the equalizing / mixing is rough, the sound in the floor changes roughly. But the most important thing for mixing is the beat matching. So I think it is okay that equalizing by only using the "LOW" for the first step if using all the LOW / MID / HI is difficult for you. I also did so when I was a newcomer.
After finishing the equalizing, the channel feeder of the former playing track is downed to the lowest position.
The display of the TRAKTOR is like an image below.
Okay, finally, we did mixing from the track on left side to the track on right side. Please choose the next track and set to the left side.
As I mentioned in the beginning part of this article, this mixing way is just my way, so it is just for your reference. You can do as you like with your own DJ style. Unique style could make unique mixing and unique sound. It's up to you.
Enjoy DJing !!
[Oi] [iiii] [Oi]
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