FREE ESSAY ON BEAT MATCHING

BEAT MATCHING

Beat Matching
Everyone has seen or heard a DJ perform at some point in their life. The type of disc
jockey I am referring to isn't a radio DJ that just plays songs for people to listen to.
I am referring to what is best know as a "club" DJ; one that uses two turntables and a
mixer. Most people don't even pay attention to what exactly the DJ is doing behind the
turntables; and to tell the truth most people don't care. The final product produced is
good music that is blended together to make a continuous mix of music. It is not a very
easy process to accomplish even though everyone thinks that it is easy and that anyone
can do it. The process that a DJ goes through when they are mixing is a process called
beat matching. Beat matching is a very complex process and takes an extreme amount of
practice. The process includes about sixteen steps, but can be described in four steps:
play one record on the turntable and listen to other record in the headphones, "grab the
beat" of one record and release it on beat with the other record using the pitch control,
analyze then re-analyze the two records, and finally blend the two records using the
cross-fader. If you don't know how to match beats it is almost certain you will not
succeed as a DJ.
The main equipment used by a professional DJ is two turntables hooked up to mixer in the
middle with a cross-fader for selection. There is other equipment used such as CD mixers,
but the main type is the turntable set-up. The main purpose of this process is to make
one record blend with the other record at the same speed to create one sound. The first
step in the process is to play one record off of one turntable through the main sound
system. The cross-fader on the mixer should be to the side of the turntable that is
playing. At the same time play the second record through the mixer using the cue switch
on the mixer. That record will not be playing out of the main sound system, but it will
be playing in the headphones that are connected to the mixer. By listening to one record
in the headphones this gives you the opportunity to listen to a record before you play
it. It also allows you to start the main step in the beat matching process.
Once you have selected the record you want to play next you must match the beat to the
record that is playing out of the main sound system. The way to do is by "grabbing the
beat" of the record in the headphones and releasing it with the record playing. Almost
all records are produced with a four/four beat for easier mixing. "Grabbing the beat,"
means to use your hand on the record and move it back and forth with beat of the record
playing. When the record playing repeats the four/four beat you release the second record
on the first count of the four/four. Once you have accomplished that the next step is to
use the pitch control on the second record to speed up, or slow down the record to the
same speed as the record playing. That is the part of mixing that takes years and years
of practice to perfect. There is a lot more to it, but that is the main step in the beat
matching process. The rest of it is relatively easy, but can also be very difficult at
the same time.
The final step in the whole beat matching process is to mix the two records together. It
is always important to analyze and re-analyze the beats to make sure they are matched
before you bring the record in. To mix the two records you use the cross-fader on the
mixer. The record that is playing in the headphones should slowly be brought in using the
cross-fader. If everything went as planned both records should be playing at the same
time out of the main sound system. It should not sound like two records; it should sound
like one. The only difficult part of this part is knowing when to mix out of the record
and cross to the one that was playing in the headphones. The only way of perfecting it is
to practice. After you complete the mix you start the whole process again.
As you can see beat matching is a very complex process and can only be mastered by
practice. It may seem simple to someone who is watching a DJ play, but is actually a very
hard process to complete. Once you have learned to match beats it becomes extremely fun
and you won't want to stop. Even though there are a countless amount of steps it can all
be summed up in four steps: playing the records, "grabbing the beat", analyzing the
record and mixing them together. Maybe by reading this you will give a little more credit
to the DJ's that produce continuous dance mixes for everyone to enjoy.
Bibliography
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