Equipment and techniques
Several techniques are used by DJs as a means to better mix and blend recorded music. These techniques primarily include the cuing, equalization, and audio mixing of two or more sound sources. The complexity and frequency of special techniques depends largely on the setting in which a DJ is working. Radio DJs are less likely to focus on music-mixing procedures than club DJs, who rely on a smooth transition between songs using a range of techniques.
Club DJ turntable techniques include beat matching, phrasing, and slip-cueing to preserve energy on a dance floor. Turntables embodies the art of cutting, beat juggling, scratching, needle drops, phase shifting, back spinning, and more to perform the transitions and overdubs of samples in a more creative manner. Although turntables is often considered a use of the turntable as a musical instrument rather than a tool for blending recorded music. Professional DJs may use harmonic mixing to choose songs that are in compatible musical keys.
DJ gear may consist of:
- Sound recordings in a DJ’s preferred medium Compact Discs, computer media files etc and a combination of two devices or only one, if playback is digital to play sound recordings. For alternating back and forth to create a continuous playback of music a Dj also need record players, Compact Disc players, computer media players such as an MP3 player etc.
- A sound system for amplification or broadcasting of the recordings.
- A DJ mixer which is an electronic usually 2 or 4 channel audio mixer with a cross fader used to smoothly go from one song to another using two or more playback devices.
- Headphones used to listen to one recording while the other recording is being played to the audience and optionally a microphone so that the DJ can introduce songs and speak to the audience.
There are also some other equipment can be added to the basic DJ setup providing unique sound manipulations. Such as:
- Electronic affects units like delay, reverb, octave, equalizer, chorus etc. Some club DJs use a sub-harmonic synthesizer effect which either doubles low frequencies with energy added an octave lower or synthesizes harmonics such that the impression of a very low bass sound is added to the mix.
- A computerized performance system, which can be used with vinyl emulation software to manipulate digital files on the computer in real time.
- Multi-stylus head shells, which allow a DJ to play different grooves of the same record at the same time.
- Special DJ digital controller hardware can manipulate digital files on a PC or laptop.
- Samplers, sequencers, electronic musical keyboards or drum machines.
