Stop Just Being a DJ Start to Become a DJ and Producer During Your Mix Set

0:00 You've got so many different steps in between, it's ama

Right, if you can hear strange noises in the background it's because my little kitten has started to have a go with the other cat and even though they get on he's a bit like, humbug leave me alone I'm trying to sleep. Anyway, moving straight on, the tune I've got here is from Karmic Power Records KPR 268 and it's entitled Gotta Keep On. So, right, what I'm doing here, now this is sort of a random video, it's a little bit like delving into actual production. Now, I honestly think that the days of just a DJ and just a producer are gone now. You've got so many different steps in between, it's amazing because if you've got the likes of a controller with some effects then you can indeed start to become almost like a producer.

You might not be making your own track, but you're definitely going to be able to make your own sounds. Why can't you make your own track? Well, because of course you're using other people's music. Unless, of course, you've got your own program and then you're playing that which means you are a producer anyway. But, by using the effects and changing parameter of sounds you can completely change the track that you're playing. Now, I've formed a loop here. At the break, I'm going to sweep, listen.

1:39 Normally you'd probably just use minimum to sort of 12

Okay, so what have I done? I've got the sweep function which I think is probably the next best thing to filter. I've set that to the low position. I'm using the XDJ-XZ and then I was using the effects frequency, also using the echo and using the level depth. Set that to maximum. Now, normally you'd probably just use minimum to sort of 12. Well, not really. Minimum because then you're not using it at all. But, anything from above your 7 o'clock position, 7, 30, 8, 9, 10 and so on up to 12 is fine. Anything over and it does tend to sound a little bit too much. But, of course, I'm using the effects frequency which means that I've got that effect over just the high, the mid or the low or low and high, mid and so on.

But, if you don't have the effect frequency buttons, you can still use your low, mid and high. So, let me demonstrate here by using the EQ. So, that's not as good. So, what have I done here? I've taken a track. Now, let's listen to just the beginning of the track. Okay. So, this is Gotta Keep On Club Mix right from the beginning.

Now, it has got a little bit of that salsa kind of feel. But, what I've been able to do is just give it a definite Brazilian salsa type. So, what I've been able to do is just give it a definite Brazilian salsa type of feel by using the level, depth and the echo over the loop. That's without the effect. Now, let's put the effect in the echo. Now, I've got that. See, I've got that high. Now, if you're not familiar with Brazilian style music, the greater part of that is the percussion. It's all about the percussion. It's about the drums. It's about that drumming in between the beats. So, I've taken a regular... If I just put the loop on there and set now the colour effect to 12 o'clock. So, everything is at 12 o'clock.

No effect. Nothing at all. Have a listen.

4:48 Slowly turn the sweep

Slowly turn the sweep. Let's engage the echo.

And we can hear this. There's more feel. The highs are a lot more pronounced. Imagine if I had a third deck now. I'm now into almost production. It's a mix, but it's production because I'm layering sounds and tracks over each other. All right. Just a bit of an insight here, okay? And again, this video here isn't about how you should definitely do it. This is about what you can do if you just put your mind to it. Because the tech we have today is only getting better. And we no longer have just the DJ or just the producer. There is everything in the middle. In other words, the left deck is the DJ. The right deck is the producer. Guess what you've got in the middle? You've got a whole load of buttony twisty knobby upy downy effects bits from the transition from the DJ through to the producer.

Have fun. Practice and enjoy. Thank you.

This transcript was produced automatically from the audio of the video and may contain mistakes.