DJ Jose mix tape - Like

This is a non-stop mix of some of my favourite tunes. I really love all these tracks old and new. I still play it as often as I can. Turn up the volume coz some of the tracks have got some kick a@$ basslines. Its a no nonsense mix. Straight to the point.  Enjoy and comment if you have any comments :) This mix is for promo use only and not to be sold! For your own listening pleasure!

How to DJ with Mixing techniques

Mixing is a pretty straight forward thing. The main objective is to get both the beats to sync and sound like one. In order to achieve this, you need to first set or get your bpms right. I talked about bpms in the previous post. Unlike bpms, where you can start counting the beats at any part of the song, mixing requires you to catch the first beat of the song. It is important to understand that you will need lots and lots of patience. This can be a very slow and frustrating time but once you've mastered this skill and continuously have the passion for music, dj'ing can be very rewarding. Also, before you carry on reading, ready yourself with your headphones. Always remember, one side is to listen to the current song playing on air and the other is for listening to your headphone. So, don't use both cups, just have one on. Learn to differentiate both songs. You need to be able to separate both songs. Its is kinda like tapping with one hand and sliding with the other at the same time. 

Cueing and mixing

• The first thing you do is get two songs from the same genre. Try to get two songs that are instrumental. This will be a lot more easier for you to learn to mix as there will not be any vocals to confuse you.
• Let the first song play and prepare to cue the second song. Now, you need to find the first beat of the song. This is very important. Catching the first beat is very simple. Play the second track and when you hear the first beat 'doop' (beat sound), pause the track. Now slowly turn the platter back until you hear the beat sounding 'doop doop doop doop' really fast. This is the sound of the beginning of the beat, the edge. Once you've got that, hit the cue button. Congratulations, you've just got you'r first cue!
• With the advantage of having a bpm counter on either your cdj (most do), you can already pre-drag your pitch control to the desired bpm. It's a matter of getting the perfect pitch. Since we are only gonna learn to beat mix now, don't concern yourself with bar mixing for now. 
• Ok, once you've got your first beat ready, which should be on standby or cue'd and you've pre-adjusted your bpm, lets mix. Listen to the first song playing, time yourself to the beat. I recommend you tapping your hand or feet to the beat. When your ready, on the next beat, hit play. Now because you've already pre-adjusted your bpm, it should sync with the first song or it may just be a little bit off. Ok, so you got the two songs playing,  

For a more detailed explanation, I will post a video soon (cam is broke) on how to cue and mix. 

Professional and Bedroom DJ

15 years ago, I decided that I wanted to be a professional DJ. Not a day goes by that I regret that decision. Its been a tremendous ride. More fun and excitement than downs. So its your turn to decide if you wanna be a professional DJ or just a bedroom DJ. Now they both have their perks. Lets break it down and try to understand more.

• Bedroom DJ – What is a bedroom DJ? Well quite literally, your a DJ that plays mostly in his bedroom or studio and only does it as a hobby. On the other hand you can be a bedroom DJ and do gigs once in a while.

• Professional DJ – Now there are a couple of ways to look at this. One is where your the resident DJ and work at a particular club on a full time basis. Meaning, just like any other job, you’re required to be at the club almost every night and rock the club when there are no guest DJs. Now this can be boring as you are spinning almost every night and also playing the same tunes every night. So you need to find a way to keep it fresh. Now, a lot of the successful DJs are more towards being guest DJs. Meaning they play at many different clubs all over the world. I’m sure that’s what you aspire to do.

So whichever way you choose, give it your all and aim for the skies. Remember, it’s your passion and always keep your music fresh and updated.