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I recently learned that DJs today just press a button to mix two tracks. Growing up mixing and beat matching used to be a skill to be proud of. Now it's just a

by nanna 2y ago

I recently learned that DJs today just press a button to mix two tracks. Growing up mixing and beat matching used to be a skill to be proud of. Now it's just a button. So I was told.

Mashimo 2y ago
There are even vinyl DJs around. You can use sync, but I don't think it's that widespread.
- te_chris 2y ago
  I mean I DJ vinyl but if I’m playing digital I’m absolutely using sync
- 42772827 2y ago
  I was in a tiny bar in Seoul a few years ago where the bar tender was also the DJ. This guy would go from making drinks to picking up a pair of headphones and cuing up the next track, pulling vinyl from a shelf. One of the coolest things I’ve seen.
- fragmede 2y ago
  It depends on the age of the DJ's career. There's a lot of ego involved with being a DJ, and using sync is seen as somehow "lesser" because it takes no skill to hit sync, or even just visually match bpm numbers and the beat on the screen. Nevermind that there's a ton more to being a good DJ, for people that grew up with vinyl, the loss of the need to beat match by ear means you can become a DJ without having that particular skill. So older DJs with more established careers judge the younger newcomers for not having that skill, but for DJs that have only ever used digital and have never had to carry a milk crate of records around, they've never not had the sync button. And they don't feel any shame when using it.
input_sh 2y ago
There's no skill involved in pitching the two nearly-identical-in-BPM tracks and nudging them into rhythm. Put any sync button DJ in front of a proper CDJ setup, give them a couple of hours to practice and they will be able to pull off a set. Most importantly: it is the least important part of the job. Nobody in the crowd gives a shit about whether or not you're using the sync button, it makes no difference to them. They're not there to stare at you, most of the time they can't even see what you're doing.
- c16 2y ago
  > Put any sync button DJ in front of a proper CDJ setup, give them a couple of hours to practice and they will be able to pull off a set. Please observe Grimes at Cochella: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E01QyNHBpcc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E01QyNHBpcc
  - 4ggr0 2y ago
    "give them a couple of hours to practice" != Spontaneously having to figure out a different workflow in front of thousands of people :D (yes, she reacted suboptimally, just don't think it's fair to use here)
  - 6stringmerc 2y ago
    Grimes isn’t a DJ she’s a self-admitted meth user who diddles around with a lot of hardware most people can’t afford in the first place and the results appeal to a very minor market (as evidenced by being dropped by her label and no critically or market acclaimed releases in 10 years or so). Grimes is a performance artist who dabbled in music. She’s not a musician. Imogen Heap is a musician.
- Jgrubb 2y ago
  Amazing - every word of what you just said is wrong.
  - input_sh 2y ago
    I would love to see some actual counter-arguments!
- shlant 2y ago
  not sure why you are being downvoted. Beat-matching is the most straightforward and least interesting part of being/experiencing a DJ. I think every DJ needs to know how to do it but IMO most of the overemphasis on beat-matching comes from cringe gatekeeping. To me, it's akin to thinking an actor remembering their lines is the focus of acting. Mixing vinyl well is definitely an impressive skill but I (and I suspect the vast majority of people) don't care at all about how people are mixing tracks (until it's to the detriment of the music). Most people care about what makes them dance and/or feel something.
basisword 2y ago
If that person tells you things again, I wouldn't take their word for it.

by nanna 2y ago

I recently learned that DJs today just press a button to mix two tracks. Growing up mixing and beat matching used to be a skill to be proud of. Now it's just a button. So I was told.

Mashimo 2y ago

There are even vinyl DJs around. You can use sync, but I don't think it's that widespread.

te_chris 2y ago
I mean I DJ vinyl but if I’m playing digital I’m absolutely using sync
42772827 2y ago
I was in a tiny bar in Seoul a few years ago where the bar tender was also the DJ. This guy would go from making drinks to picking up a pair of headphones and cuing up the next track, pulling vinyl from a shelf. One of the coolest things I’ve seen.
fragmede 2y ago
It depends on the age of the DJ's career. There's a lot of ego involved with being a DJ, and using sync is seen as somehow "lesser" because it takes no skill to hit sync, or even just visually match bpm numbers and the beat on the screen. Nevermind that there's a ton more to being a good DJ, for people that grew up with vinyl, the loss of the need to beat match by ear means you can become a DJ without having that particular skill. So older DJs with more established careers judge the younger newcomers for not having that skill, but for DJs that have only ever used digital and have never had to carry a milk crate of records around, they've never not had the sync button. And they don't feel any shame when using it.

input_sh 2y ago

There's no skill involved in pitching the two nearly-identical-in-BPM tracks and nudging them into rhythm. Put any sync button DJ in front of a proper CDJ setup, give them a couple of hours to practice and they will be able to pull off a set. Most importantly: it is the least important part of the job. Nobody in the crowd gives a shit about whether or not you're using the sync button, it makes no difference to them. They're not there to stare at you, most of the time they can't even see what you're doing.

c16 2y ago
> Put any sync button DJ in front of a proper CDJ setup, give them a couple of hours to practice and they will be able to pull off a set. Please observe Grimes at Cochella: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E01QyNHBpcc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E01QyNHBpcc
- 4ggr0 2y ago
  "give them a couple of hours to practice" != Spontaneously having to figure out a different workflow in front of thousands of people :D (yes, she reacted suboptimally, just don't think it's fair to use here)
- 6stringmerc 2y ago
  Grimes isn’t a DJ she’s a self-admitted meth user who diddles around with a lot of hardware most people can’t afford in the first place and the results appeal to a very minor market (as evidenced by being dropped by her label and no critically or market acclaimed releases in 10 years or so). Grimes is a performance artist who dabbled in music. She’s not a musician. Imogen Heap is a musician.
Jgrubb 2y ago
Amazing - every word of what you just said is wrong.
- input_sh 2y ago
  I would love to see some actual counter-arguments!
shlant 2y ago
not sure why you are being downvoted. Beat-matching is the most straightforward and least interesting part of being/experiencing a DJ. I think every DJ needs to know how to do it but IMO most of the overemphasis on beat-matching comes from cringe gatekeeping. To me, it's akin to thinking an actor remembering their lines is the focus of acting. Mixing vinyl well is definitely an impressive skill but I (and I suspect the vast majority of people) don't care at all about how people are mixing tracks (until it's to the detriment of the music). Most people care about what makes them dance and/or feel something.

basisword 2y ago

If that person tells you things again, I wouldn't take their word for it.