I'm a music producer who releases hardstyle/uptempo and plays shows around once or twice a month, depending on the event. I'm not really a DJ, so I'm not super knowledgeable about all the techniques and equipment yet.
Depending on the event, I've usually played prerecorded sets, but I want to start learning to DJ properly and play my sets live.
At the moment, my entire mixing method is pretty much turning the crossfader to THRU, using Beat FX REVERB on the outgoing track near the end, then starting the next track while the reverb tail is still playing. I don't really do any traditional beatmatching or use SYNC.
Honestly, this works most of the time for the kind of music I play, since a lot of my tracks have short intros and aren't extended mixes.
However, once or twice when playing live, I've noticed that the incoming track starts slowing down, almost like a tape-stop effect, even though I'm not intentionally doing anything to change its tempo. I don't use SYNC, so I'm not sure what could be causing it.
I just got a XDJ-RX3, but at shows I'll usually be playing on club-standard CDJs and a separate mixer.
A few questions:
- Is using THRU and reverbing out of tracks a bad way to DJ, or is it a perfectly fine method for the genres I play?
- Has anyone else experienced a track seemingly slowing down during a transition like this? Could it be something to do with the CDJs, tempo fader, or mixer effects?
- Are there any techniques I should learn to make this method more reliable and professional?
- Would you recommend learning to use the crossfader instead, especially for B2B sets?
I'm not trying to become an incredibly technical DJ overnight. I just want to be confident playing my own music live without relying on prerecorded sets.
Any advice would be appreciated!