How to Beatmatch With Headphones

Beatmatching during a mix is a tough (but rewarding) challenge that could make or break any DJ-ing gig. To ease a little bit of the stress, use your headphones to monitor your mix as opposed to gauging everything with the live speakers and/or just one headphone channel. It makes things a little more comfortable, thus letting you concentrate more on making a seamless mix.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Records and/or CDs
• Turntables
• Mixer
• Headphones

1. Pick out two records and/or CDs of a similar genre. From those two, pick out two respective tracks that have similar beats and rhythms.

2. Plug your headphones into your mixer. There should be a balance option on your mixer that will split what you are hearing through your headphones in half--meaning that whatever is playing on the right deck will be heard though your right headphone channel and the same for the left side.

3. Put your mixer's cross-fade in the middle position so you'll be able to hear both tracks as they're playing.

4. Start up one of your tracks and let it play while listening to it on one side of your headphones. Listen for a good spot to bring in your second track, where the beats, bass and melodies will all synch up (usually during the last couple of bars of the first song).

5. Start the second track and, while monitoring it using the other headphone channel, find a good spot where it could blend in with the first track. Generally the best spot is at the exact point where the beat of the second track first kicks in. Adjust the speed of the second track by using the turntable's pitch control, to get it better in synch with the first track.

6. Get the second track in the right place and ready to be brought into the mix, then stop the record/CD (by either pausing it or by holding the platter).

7. Bring the second track in (at the best spot in the first track) by carefully letting the platter go or un-pausing the track. You should have two separate tracks playing at the same time at the same beat. If they are off just a little bit, go back to adjusting the pitch. If they are off too much, then just stop both tracks and start over.

8. Adjust the balance on your mixer so you can hear both tracks on both headphone channels.

9. Carefully take the first track completely out by either muting it or by moving the cross-fade all the way towards the second track's deck.

10. Repeat each step for every track in your mix.

Tips & Warnings

• * For novice beatmatchers who are picking out their tracks, it's easier to begin with something with a steady, constant beat like house music or trance. Breakbeat-oriented genres (like drum and bass and hip-hop) are a bit more complex and require a little different strategy. Depending on the tracks, you may have to play with the mixer's EQ (equalizers) when bringing the second track in, since you may have to lower bass in one track and increase it in the second track.

Resources

• DJ Tutor- Beatmixing With Only Headphones
• Advanced Beatmatching Directions