For beginner DJ’s, mixing different genres can be a difficult task. Rather than relying on premade transition tracks though, there are some rules every DJ can follow to make the process easier!
Phrasing
Timing your mix right is essential regardless of the genre you play. By counting the beats and bars in the tracks you play ensures the next track enters at the correct time.
Getting used to the phrase change at the end of 16 or 32 bars is essential to time the transition correctly. Using the change in a track as the natural place to introduce a new song.
Echo Out
Now we know where to make the transition happen, we need to introduce an echo. The echo helps smooth the transition between the tracks, creating a smooth bridge for the listener. Timing the echo correctly is key, ensuring it captures the last beat perfectly.
Set the echo out to one beat and activate the echo on the last beat of the outgoing track. Remember to close the fader after the first beat to create the correct effect.
Hot Cue
Now the outgoing track is taken care of, we need to focus on where to start the next track. Placing hot cues at key moments in our tracks aids where to start the next track.
There are often times where mixing straight into the hook or chorus will be preferable to say mixing in the intro. Make sure you set hot cues on both the intro and the hook, allowing either choice whilst in the mix.
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