DJ Dictionary : Technical Terms Balancing Levels – This will mainly be applicable in a club or major venue. Basically, this is the technique used to make your music as loud as possible without damaging the speakers or making your music sound distorted. Bass – Also known as the lows, this is going to be the most important part of a track when you are “beat matching” Bassline – this is the foundation for any song in dance music, and it’s produced by the bass. Beat Matching – this is going to be one of the most important techniques you can master as a DJ. It consists of setting two or more songs at the same speed/tempo/pitch so that they sound like just one song. Break – A change in a song where some instruments stop playing, or where the beat switches. A common break would be a removal of the bass, or the “lows”. CDJ – A CD player that allows analog control of music playing from CDs, usually using a recreation of a typical vinyl turntable. Chorus – This is the part of a song (with vocals) that is typically repeated a few times. A lot of the time, this is the only part of a song that many audience members know, and these lyrics will often be the most effective when trying to mix and mash. Copyright – Because the lines between DJ and producer are blending these days, it’s important to note what a copyright is. It’s legal proof that someone owns a track. Anyone intending to use it must ask permission or pay first. Fortunately for many DJs, this is not enforced so much in the EDM world. Cross-fader – This tool allows you to fade between two songs by simply moving a toggle to one side or the other. Cue – This is basically a tool used when you want to prepare the next song to be played. On most mixers, the cue button lets you set the point at which a song will start playing. Once you have set this cue, you keep tapping the cue button until the beat in your headphones is matched with the beat that’s playing on the speakers. Cut – Transition to a new song instantly without beat matching. Only do this at a good spot, like a break (as mentioned above) for example. Deck – This is the main player, using CDs or vinyls. Sometimes called a turntable. Digital Vinyl System (DVS) – This system operates through DJ software being run on a computer. However, it can be controlled by CDJs or vinyl turntables that are hooked up. EQ – This is a set of controls that allows you to impose different frequencies on your songs. The range usually includes highs/treble, mids and lows. Fader – Increases or decreases volume of a song smoothly. FX – Controls that allow you to alter the sounds in your song in various ways. They include: Flanger: Also known as the Paris Hilton effect (just kidding). It’s an audio effect produced by combining a delayed signal with the original and continuously varying the delay to create additional overtones. Jargon aside, it basically creates a noise that creates and distorts the beat, sometimes producing a “whoosh” noise. Good for use before a big drop. Phaser: This creates a sweeping effect on a track. Gainer: This control increases or reduces the output level of your tracks, providing for extra movement in volume. Echo: This is pretty self-explanatory à it adds an echo to your track Delay: Creates the illusion that the same track is playing twice, one with a slight delay. This creates repetition Reverb: Creates the effect that a track/sound is being vibrated or disturbed Looping: This will allow you to loop a track so that it repeats a few notes. You can usually choose between 16½, ¼, 1/8, 1/16, and 1/32. Headphone Monitor – This control allows you to choose which channel the sound is heard in your headphones. Hook – This is often the most recognizable part of a song. This is what you might hear people humming along to. Intro – The beginning of a song, before any of its sounds have really started. For the start of a mix you might want a song with a good intro. Loop – Any part of a song that you repeat. This can often become the gateway to a new song, or the part that you use to beatmatch. Low – The bottom end of the frequency spectrum. This is also known as the bass. High: The highest part of the frequency spectrum. Isolated highs will have no bass, just melodic aspects. Mid: The middle part of the frequency range. Can be controlled by EQ controls.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 04:00:01 +0000
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