So you want to be the next Tiesto, Digweed, or Oakenfold? This beginner's guide will give you a start, but it isn't going to happen overnight. To succeed at anything, it takes hard work, dedication, and most importantly patience. So if you're ready to drive friends, family, and yourself insane, read on...

Though I'm sure you all know this, it's best to begin with the basics. However if you want to skip this section, just jump to the "BEATMATCHING" section below.

The original way to play the music is through two turntables and a mixer although CD decks have become increasingly popular. There are two very different types of turntables or decks: belt drives & direct drives and it's important to know the difference.

On a belt drive turntable, a rubber band enables the platter to rotate much like a car's fan belt make the blades spin. This turntable has major disadvantages. It takes too long to get up to speed and when changing a record's pitch, it can have a poor response and cause problems. Belt drive turntables are considered to be very poor quality and not recommended for those serious about DJing though many still opt for this type of deck because it costs less You may just want to save your money and buy the direct drive decks since chances are you'll eventually want to upgrade anyway.

A direct drive turntable is powered by a motor directly under the plotter, hence the name direct drive. This turntable is at the top end of the spectrum and therefore costs more. However you get what you pay for, which in this case is better quality.
However they don't have the same disadvantages as the belt drive decks. Instead they quickly get up to speed and respond well to pitch changes. Direct drives are especially important if you are going to scratch or spin hip-hop and other related genres.

Now that you are familiar with the types of turntables, I can explain its features.

FEATURES

The 45 RPM (rotations perminute) adaptor is there so 45 RPM vinyl can be played on your deck. It makes the centre spindle wider to play the different format and although most people have no need for it, it is still there just in case.

The platter is the place that the record will sit on. It rotates along with the record and helps play the music. The speed of the platter can be adjusted using the pitch control on the right hand side of your turntable.

The centre spindle is the metal bar that sticks up in the center of your deck. You slot your record onto it and can use it to make a slight speed adjustments by twisting and turning.

Around the edge of your platter are lots of dots called strobe dots. They will spin around and can be viewed in red when the strobe light shines on them. When the pitch slider is at O, the platter will spin at 33rpm. When this happens the dots won't spin as they usually do, which is how you can be sure the platter is rotating 33 times per minute. And the strobe light shines the red light onto the strobe dots.

The slip mat is designed to slip in between the platter and the record. It grips the platter and the vinyl, but when you press the vinyl it will stop rotating and the platter will keep going around.

The anti-skate control is used to adjust the force of the tone arm trying to slide across the vinyl away from the center.

The stylus is the needle which runs in the grooves of you record. When the stylus (needle) vibrates, it send the vibrations to the cartridge. The cartridge then changes the vibrations into an electric current that is then changed into sound.

The counter weight determines how much pressure is applied to the vinyl. There should be a good amount of stylus on it. The weight should be set so it's not too heavy and won't wear out the stylus. However if the weight is too light, the stylus won't hold the groove of the vinyl.

A dust cover is highly recommended to ensure the safety of the decks. Trust me, these are very useful things.

The target light is a small light you can shine across your turntable when there's not enough light.

The pitch control is where the speed on the platter is set. It's used to make a smoother mix when bringing two songs together. The pitch of the record can usually be changed by about +/- 8% on most standard turntables.

The tore arm is a long metal bar which has the stylus (needle) and cartridge connected to it at one end and the counterweight connected to it at the other. It's metal so it can conduct the electrical current sent from the cartridge.

The mixer is the piece of DJing equipment whose name is pretty self explanitory. It is used to mix songs together and fade in and out as well as adjust the volume, bass, treble, and mid levels.

Most people choose a mid-priced mixer that has approximately 284 channels and measures between 10 and 95 inches. Your mixer can be converted to turntables, hi-fi, amps, samplers, tape machines, along with many others. It all depends on how many channels you have. The more channels, the more things you can plug in.

While DJing, headphones are essential when cueing (introducing a new song). I suggest the Sony MDR-V6's or the Sony MDR-V7506's, both of which are closed phones recommended by audiophiles everywhere. The main difference between the two is price and the fact that the latter has a gold-plated plug. The V6's can be found used for approximately $45 while the 7506's are a little more pricey at $65 used.

The Following names are at the top DJ equipment manufacturing.

Technics
Vestax
Citronic
Gemini
Stanton
KAM
Numark
Pioneer
Korg

BEATMATCHING

Now it's time for beatmatching. The first thing to understand is that all dance music is rigidly arranged into bars. There are 4 beats to every bar. If you listen to a track you will notice that something will change on the track after a multiple of 8 beats. For Example...after 16 beats, hi hats are introduced. After 32 beats, crash symbols are introduced, and after 64 beats, vocals are introduced. As you can see these are all multiples of 8.

The key to beatmatching is to run the beats of two different tracks at the same time so they sound synchronized and smooth. It is not sufficient to match any random beats together. The first beat of a bar in track one must be matched with the first beat of a bar in track two.

The BPM (Beats Per Minute) of the two tracks you're mixing should obviously be similar. If you are unsure about the BPM, check the record label or just count the beats yourself. A typical house or trance record will have run about 135 BPM so if you mix in a track with a BPM of about 130 -140, you can't go wrong.

Though you may be able to get both records running at the same speed, if you mix one into the other without taking into account the position of both, you're screwed. Remember you're aiming to keep the mix smooth and undetectable.

MIXING

If you don't have two decks, a mixer, headphones, and a few records in front of you, just pretend for now. Turn on all your equipment and make sure that you have slipmats placed on each turntable. Put two records on the decks and move the crossfader over to the left deck. We will be playing out live through the left deck. Try to ensure that you pick two records with distinct beats so it is easier to beatmatch. Some people even use two copies of the same tune when starting.

Check if the pitch slider is at 0. It should be, but if not set it to 0 now. Start the left deck and put the needle on the edge of the record. Do not touch this deck after this has been done as it will mess up the mix. Any changes you make should be carried out on the right deck.

The left deck should be playing and you should be counting the beats trying to get them fixed in your head.

Set the cue mix dial (controls the headphones) so that only the right deck is heard in the headphones. Most DJs have their headphones only covering one ear but whatever you find more comfortable is best.

If you decide to have them covering only one ear you will find you have music from the right deck playing through your headphones and you should be able to hear the left deck through your free ear.

If you haven't already any music playing on the right deck, put a record on now. This is the tune you will be mixing in so once again it's a good idea to pick one with a distinct beat.

You will now need to find a point on the record to mix into. Choose a point somewhere near the start of the record. The first bass drum on the track is ideal. When you find this beat, using your hand rock (move) the record back and forth over the beat so you can get a good feel for it. When you have counted your beats and are ready to mix in, push the record forward so that the beat you were rocking over occurs at the same time as the first beat of the bar you were mixing into. This process is called "pushing off" although it's referred to as many different things such as the send off and the throw.

Now you may think all that crap sounds simple, but after a few attempts, you might disagree. For example, if you push off too hard that messes up the mix and if you don't push hard enough, you'll encounter more problems.

It's hard at first, but after a good bit of practice you should be able to come to grips with this skill. Ok, so you've just pushed off a record, however you haven't done it well and the beats aren't properly matched. Weel, there are a few things you can do to get your mix back on track. Using the pitch control you can either slow down or speed up the track you just mixed in, or you can stop the track, bring it back to the beat you were mixing in, and repeat the process. Here is yet another option: using your hand, push the record to speed it up a bit. When doing this try not to touch the actual vinyl as you are likely to upset the stylus. When slowing it down, touch your finger against the edge of the record or even on the edge of the platter (the dots) and apply a bit of pressure.

When using this technique, remember that if you have to speed up the track by pushing it, then you will need to adjust the pitch slider to speed up the deck, otherwise they will start to gallop away from each other. The same applies if you have to slow the track down. Just decrease the speed on the pitch control.

GOING LIVE

If you've sorted out the problem and the beats are matched perfectly, then it's time to play it all out through the speakers. Adjust the cue mix dial so you can hear both tracks through your headphones. If they sound matched, then there's only one thing left to do: introduce the right deck using the crossfader.

Now you can finally drop your headphones around your neck and look smug as you congratulate yourself for pulling off a good mix.

ADVANCED MIXING

So you've got the basics down and want to learn more? You want your mixes to sound just like your favourite DJs? Check out this section for more advanced beatmatching.

For the moment, we will look at how to bring the tracks back in line with the pitch control. This method will require no contact with the vinyl. The only time you will get your hands on the record is when you take it out of the sleeve.

PICTURE THIS

You've just mixed in a track, but within a few seconds they start to drift apart and the dreaded galloping sound is back. This happened because one of the tracks is ahead or behind the other. You will often find it difficult to do this at the start, but after practice you will develop an ear for it and should be able to tell quite easily.

Lets say that the right deck is playing slower than the left. You will have to speed up the right deck so it is in line with the left one. To do this, use the pitch control. Move the pitch slider in very small amounts until you think that the tracks are back in line and running at the same speed. This is where you will reap the benefits of buying direct drive turntables. If you have purchased belt drives, you many find they don't hold their pitch well so though you may be doing exactly the right thing, the deck could be messing up the speed thus making your adjustments pointless.

In order to practice your adjusting, follow this simple exercise using two tracks of identical BPMs.

Instead of beatmatching with both pitch sliders at 0, keep one deck at 0 and move the slider on the cued deck by 2% so it will be faster. When you push off within a second or two you will notice the galloping. Now today you can cheat. You know that the deck is faster in this instance so you can slow it down by moving the pitch slider back by 2% to 0. It won't always be this easy though. In a real situation, you will have to concentrate and use the pitch slider in small amounts until the beats are aligned perfectly. A good way to make small adjustments with the pitch slider is to tap it gently with your fingers up or down.

DIFFERENT BPMs

When beatmatching, adjust two tracks with different BPMs so they run at the same speed. e.g. changing a 130BPM track to run at the same speed as your 140BPM track.

How is this done? Most DJs use the following method...

Lets assume you have two tracks in front of you. One is 130 BPM and the other is 135 BPM. Making sure the pitch slider is at 0, start the tune with 130 BPM. When you have your other tune cued and started at 0, the beats will start to gallop away. You can't just let this carry on so you need to speed up the 130 BPM track to run at 135 BPM. When you move the pitch slider to speed it up, nine times out of ten, you'll never get it exactly right and the tune won't be 135 BPM exactly. However you could be close. Are you fast or slow? You'll need to be able to differentiate between the two. Just concentrate grasshopper.

Once you've increased the speed of the tune, cue up the track again and push off. If the galloping occurs again, is it because the track is fast or slow. If you can't tell which, use trial and error. Increase the pitch using the slider. Cue up the track and push off again. If the galloping is back and sounds worse than before, then the track is running too fast and you will need to slow it down. If it is sounding better, then it's a matter of fine-tuning it in your headphones until you've got the beats matched. If your adjustments are too large, try tapping the fader in small amounts with your finger.

To help you determine if the track is too fast or slow it can sometimes help to tap your foot in time to the beat of the track you're mixing into. Then ask yourself , "Did the thud happen before of after I tapped?"

If you've tried the above and have the hang of it, then try it in reverse and mix the 135 BPM tune into the 130 BPM tune.

Now that you're on your way and have a better understanding of what it's all about, I can offer one final piece of advice: practice, practice & more practice. It's the only way to improve.