10 Easy DJ Controller Tips & Tricks
DJ controllers are a great way to DJ without the need for heavy equipment and fancy lighting. They can be used in any type of situation, from a small gathering at your house to a large concert with thousands of people. DJing with a controller is not as easy as it may look though- there are many tricks that you can use to make DJing easier! In this blog post, we’re going to share 10 tips and tricks that will help you get started on DJing with your controller.
1. Learn the basics – know your mixer and learn how to use it
Learning the basics is important when DJing with a controller. You need to know how your mixer works and what you can do with it- from EQs to gain controls, learn them all! You also need to spend some time familiarizing yourself with your DJ software’s interface, which will allow you to control playback and music effects within the software.
2. Practice with friends and family before you play in public
Practicing DJing with friends and family is a great way to get comfortable DJing on your controller before you do it in front of strangers. You can practice the basics, like mixing tracks together or playing music from different genres without any pressure.
– DJ controllers are great for beginners because they don’t require expensive equipment such as turntables
3. Buy a DJ controller with built-in sound card for maximum portability
If you DJ often, it’s worth buying a DJ controller with its own sound card. This way, your laptop doesn’t have to be hooked up the whole time- if you’re in a smaller setting or venue that can’t accommodate for power cords and other equipment, this is perfect!
Many DJ controllers come equipped with their own sound cards built right into them so there are no extra wires to worry about plugging in. It also means that your mobility level increases because you don’t always need access to an outlet – another great feature for beginner DJs who want to get started quickly on learning DJing basics without having any fancy gear yet.
4. Create an exciting setlist that is easy to mix together
Creating DJing setlists is a great way to get started DJing with your controller. It’s important for these lists to be easy-to-mix, so that you can easily transition from one song into another without any trouble.
To make it easier on yourself when mixing songs together, create playlists of music by the same artist or genre as well as tracks by other artists. This will help increase the likelihood that two different tracks will blend seamlessly into one track rather than sound like they’re competing against each other.
Create an exciting setlist! If you want people to stay on the dance floor, DJing for a prolonged amount of time is not going to cut it. Instead, break your setlist up into three to four DJ mixes, so that you can play a new song every few minutes and keep the energy going.
5. Get familiar with different techniques like beat matching, scratching, looping, etc
If you DJ with a controller, there are many different techniques that can help you to DJ more efficiently and produce higher quality mixes.
Beat matching is the process of playing two tracks at the same tempo so they blend together seamlessly. The goal here is not to necessarily match pitch but rather beat- in other words, DJing beats on one track should coincide with DJing beats on another track as closely as possible without either speeding up or slowing down (think back and forth between 90 BPMs).
Scratching refers to varying parts of individual songs by moving them backwards or forwards rapidly while using turntables. This technique creates an effect similar to a record being scratched! Looping allows DJs who use controllers to create extended versions of individual songs by playing and replaying their own mix.
Looping is when you are DJing a song and repeating over certain portions of songs. DJ software is usually equipped with different loop options like “loop in/out,” which means that the DJ’s mix will continue to play even after they stop DJing, or “endless” loops, which allow the DJ to keep playing without interruption as long as he continues DJing.
-If you’re more of an experienced DJ who doesn’t want any sort of restrictions during your setlist, then go ahead and experiment with these techniques while mixing songs together!
6. Keep your laptop on a stand so you can see what’s happening on the screen when mixing
If you DJ with a laptop and controller, it’s important to keep your DJ software on display at all times. DJing for long periods of time can lead to neck pain, so make sure that when DJing from a laptop, there is space where the screen will be visible without having to strain or stretch out your neck too much! If possible, try placing something like a book under the stand in order to avoid any fatigue or soreness caused by viewing angle; this way you’ll know immediately what track is coming up next as well as if anything needs adjusting during the mix.
7. Map your DJ controller’s knobs and sliders to the software you’re using
Mapping DJ controller knobs and sliders to DJ software is one of the best DJ controller tips and tricks you need to know! This process can be done manually or with an automatic mapping feature that comes standard in most DJ controllers.
Customizing your controller’s settings will allow you better control over how a song plays, which means more options for mixing songs together at higher speeds without any trouble – perfect for experienced DJs!
If you are using an automatic DJ map function on your DJ controller then it should do all of this work automatically (as long as you stay within the parameters set by the manufacturer). The downside here is that these maps may not be optimized specifically for certain functions like scratching or looping. If possible, try experimenting with different manual mappings instead of using an automatic DJ map.
8. Create a custom preset for each type of track you plan on playing
Creating a DJ controller preset for each type of track you DJ with will make mixing songs together much easier! These can be created either manually or by using an automatic DJ map function (usually found in your software’s preferences section).
A great way to do this is set up customized presets for different genres, such as EDM and hip-hop. For example, if you are DJing at a nightclub on Friday night then it would probably be best to create DJ maps that allow scratching and seamless loops – these often need more tweaking than other types of tracks. On the other hand, if you’re playing at church Sunday morning and want to keep things sounding clean without any interruption during worship time, then choose DJ controls that don’t require too many tweaks.
9. Use looping to repeat sections of a song
DJs can DJ without a controller using turntables and/or CDJs, but if you DJ with DJ controllers then looping is the way to go! DJ controller tips and tricks like these allows DJs who use DJ software to create extended versions of individual songs by playing and replaying their own mix.
Looping involves backing or forwarding rapidly while using turntables. This technique creates an effect similar to a record being scratched! Looping also helps for transitioning between two different types of tracks (e.g. from hip-hop into dubstep) because it means that there will less gaps in sound when mixing them together at higher speeds during your setlist
10. Make use of effects such as reverb, echo, distortion, flanger, and phaser
DJ effects are awesome and DJ controllers often come with some built-in DJ effect techniques. These can be used to add a unique sound or customize the overall mix of your set.
One great example is using distortion; this DJ effect creates an edgy, gritty sound that sounds good when mixed in with bass-heavy tracks like dubstep! Reverb and echo are useful for creating long reverberations on lead vocals during choruses as well as adding depth to other parts of a song (e.g. background music). Flanger and phaser help DJs create more complex mixes by filtering frequencies from one track while simultaneously blending it together with another – perfect for those who want their songs to have rich textures!
DJ Controller Tips & Tricks: Summary
We hope you’ve found this guide to be helpful and informative. The tips and tricks we’ve shared should help take your DJ skills to the next level, no matter what type of controller or software setup you use. If there is anything else that you would like us to address in future guides please let us know! Have any questions about how a DJ controller can improve your set? Let our team of DJs answer them for you here today!