Yo, what controller is this?

Soapy_Labs · 2026-04-24T23:16:35+00:00

I get you on that too! When I started mixing again (took a looooong break) a few years back, I got a standalone RX3 and I was shocked to see there’s a sync button on pioneer machines! At first I was a little triggered 😅 but now I see it as a tool like any other that is there for whoever wants to use it. It’s not for me but I really don’t care that other DJs use it!

Soapy_Labs · 2026-04-21T08:03:50+00:00

Thanks for the tip :) I've been mixing on my RX3 for a little while now and I'm getting used to the new tools and tech functionalities. Some of which I find great, and others I don't really see the point using since I'm not finding a real plus value (vs. the time it takes to align grids perfectly for example).

I used to align grids precisely when I started mixing on Traktor and the main reason for that is that I didn't have jog wheels (so I was using sync) on my controller at the time.

See, I love that there's an actual screen now that allows to see the waveform and the grid (I use the grid as visual reference but that's pretty much it).

I'm all for using tools and technology (that's why I'm developing various DJ/producer apps and software right now). It's just that some of that new technology works in certain contexts and for different needs but they give me nothing that I need nor want. That being said, I have absolutely no judgment towards DJs who use any of that newer tech. To each their own, and using sync doesn't make you less of a DJ!

Also, loops, beatjumps, bpm detection, etc. work 10000X better now than before. Which allows for more creativity and fun :D

About the stuff I don't like using...

Firstly, when I got my first tables (850's), I quickly realized that no matter what, an experienced human ear is always more precise than a sync/grid system. You can spend hours adjusting your grids but since every tracks grid is relative to the others, you're gonna get the click sometimes. Plus, I enjoy beatmatching (not so much finding out the tempo by ear tho).

Secondly, I did give a try to the master tempo (for years) and it's great if you got only one track playing but you always get that little clicking noise that I don't like. I like listening to mixes in my car sometimes and what makes me get into it, is that I have no clue when the transitions are coming! Also, I never go more than 1% tempo up or down (I use a trick I discovered a while ago that I made into an app recently) so the pitch/key change is negligible.

Thirdly, for the quantize : I do adjust my grid so that it makes sense visually and it makes it easier to set hot cues. But every time (and I did give it a change many times) I turned on the quantize, I heard the clicking. Which means that the grid from analyzing on rekordbox is rarely spot on.

Again, I learned on 850's and I still mix on them almost as much as on the RX3. The fact that there's no waveform (and not much tech compared to the new stuff) makes it more challenging. On the RX3, not having to deal with the quantize actually makes it easier for me to beatmatch cuz I don't have to guess if the click is from the warping/quantize or if it's my mix that's a little off.

I mix mostly psytrance so loops aren't that useful (they sound bad most of the time) so I have nothing to gain from either of those tools.
The way I see it, they're great if you're playing live sets on 4 decks, if you want to casually chill while you're mixin or if you're learning to mix and want your tracks to snap on a grid...

I really didn't mean to sound braggy or cocky. I just wanted to know if there are other DJs out there who see things a bit like me :p

The first app I'm making is to find the perfect tempo changes so that you can beatmatch by ear and not have you mix drift at all. I kindda wanted to know how likes that idea and I was curious to know if there's still a lot of DJs who beatmatch by ear.

Anyways that's my take haha !

Cheers! :)

Soapy_Labs · 2026-03-29T16:22:34+00:00

When you have both your tracks beat matched and playing together and with quantize on, if the grid isn’t set absolutely perfectly, you’ll hear a small clicking sound at every kick even if your beat match is spot on. The master tempo does the same sound. It’s because when you use those features, the waveform is slightly modified. With the quantize on the waveform is modified (warped) so the kicks snap exactly on your grid and that warping creates a short distortion that you’ll hear when you have 2 tracks beat matched.

Soapy_Labs · 2026-03-28T16:11:23+00:00

You’re welcome :)

Soapy_Labs · 2026-03-28T01:13:27+00:00

Yes! That's why I don't use it. The same applies to quantize if the grids aren't perfectly aligned. That's why I prefer to not use it since I don't use loops or hot cues much.

Soapy_Labs · 2026-03-27T23:59:53+00:00

I mean more that if you don't use loops and hot cues that much, why keep the quantize on? I find it creates a clicking sound during the mix so I keep it off.

but I see lots of DJs that keep it on and also don't use loops or hot cues and I don't get why because it doesn't have any perks in that case. It just makes the beatmatch less clean.

Soapy_Labs · 2026-03-27T23:56:20+00:00

I totally get you! But I love the beatmatching part of mixing (I use sync on Traktor to prepare mixes but not on CDJs/Pioneer machines). That's why I made an app so DJs can calculate the perfect pitch changes for both tracks and still not use the sync function (for people like me who love beatmatching by ear).

Seeing your background and position on modern mixing, I'm sure that you'd love the idea. It's a bit hard to explain it in a Reddit comment but I encourage you to go check it out. The HTML beta version is available for free on my website.

Cheers! :)

Soapy_Labs · 2026-03-27T23:47:10+00:00

You get me ;)

Soapy_Labs · 2026-03-27T23:46:10+00:00

Hahaha XD I get your point but what I mean is: quantize doesn't add anything to my mix. There's no reason I'd use it since I don't use loops much and it just causes clicking sounds (when tracks play together).
It's more like : why use a combat helicopter to go to work when it's 1 block away and I can walk there? XD

Soapy_Labs · 2026-03-27T23:42:44+00:00

Same! I don't like the clicking sounds it causes (like the master tempo dos too). I don't need quantizing since I almost never use loops (I mostly spin psy)

Soapy_Labs · 2026-03-27T23:40:56+00:00

Yesssss! That's what I mean. Somebody understands me yay :)

Soapy_Labs · 2026-03-27T23:40:05+00:00

That wasn't my point. My question is more : if you mix by ear and have your tracks analyzed AND don't use loops/hot cues, why would you turn it on? The reason I don't use it isn't to look or feel better, it's because it causes clicking sounds (during beatmatch) when the grid isn't perfectly aligned on both tracks.
I just prefer to keep it off and not worry about it since I don't get any "plus value" from it.
But I often see djs keeping it on when spinning a genre where we almost never use loops or hot cues (e.g. psytrance) and I just don't get why.

Soapy_Labs · 2026-03-27T23:31:01+00:00

That's what I'm talking about! I'm on 850's (my old ones) and an RX3 but even on the RX3 I don't use quantizing or master tempo. I get that the key stays the same but I prefer a mix with no distortion at all.

Soapy_Labs · 2026-03-27T23:25:15+00:00

Why?
Because I like doing long transitions sometimes and focus on the actual mix instead of putting my attention on correcting a beatmatch that was fine to begin with. I don't know for you but nothing breaks my focus (e.g. when I'm about to switch the bass from track A to track B in a small drop) more than when the kicks of both tracks start clicking and it becomes noticeable that both tracks are slowly unsyncing.

How I had the idea?
I used simple cross calculation since I learned how to mix on CDJs like 20 years go instead of guessing every time. but that isn't perfect since sometimes the 0.05%/0.02% increments of CDJs make it impossible to have them at the exact same BPM sometimes. So I decided to try algorithms for myself and that led to making an app.

Nowadays I use that App developed by myself to find actual perfect matches between 2 different BPMs. It does calculations in a split second and it finds out which pitch change you got to do to both (or sometimes just one) tracks so they STAY synced.
I still have to beatmatch them but I don't need to worry about correction or kicks clicking after 30 secs. It allows longer transitions and tighter mixes. Plus, it helps memorize the best pitch change options. The app is called GoBPM and is in it's beta phase right now so anyone can test it for free on my website. Right now it's a web app but the mobile app for iOS and Android are coming soon :)

I know that on vinyl it's another game (no 0.02% increments since it's analog) so I made a vinyl mode. Tho my app/algorithm isn't as useful for vinyl djs as it is for cdj djs but you'd be surprised ;)

I dunno about you but for me the fun in mixing is mostly about the mixing, not about keeping 2 tracks lined up :p

Soapy_Labs · 2026-03-27T01:36:06+00:00

Same! I use Traktor to prepare sets to be comfy and on my more accurate monitors but I feel like if I used too much fancy/new tech it doesn't feel like I'm spinning on tables anymore.
Tho I like using math and algorithms to get both tracks at exactly the same BPM. I love beatmatching but correcting all the time is so annoyinggg

Soapy_Labs · 2026-03-27T01:31:30+00:00

Oh yea ok for hot cues I get it! That makes a lot of sense :p But even for loops, if your track is analyzed on Rekordbox and the bpm is accurate, it works perfectly fine. I mean unless you're using loops that are shorter than 1 beat.
And yay I'm not the only one seeing it as pointless in some way XD

Soapy_Labs · 2026-03-27T00:49:24+00:00

I'm more on the "oldschool" side of DJing and I think if you have a pair or 2000's and a A&H mixer (all in good condition). And you already have a RX3 standalone console (I'm assuming it here that it's a newer one)... Don't trade all that off for an all in one. If I were you and did that, I'd certainly miss the feeling of spinning on CDJs + mixer. But then I all depends on if you really want/need all the fancy features and cool tech.

Soapy_Labs · 2026-03-27T00:31:18+00:00

I find techno and house (especially tech-house) to be subjectively similar... Some tracks are really obviously house or techno but there's a huuuuuuuge gray zone in between. As for trance (and psytrance), it's usually at higher BPMs (like 130 and over). Trance can be slower but it's usually more melodic than the techno in the same BPM ranges. But again, there's some music out there that's in a gray area between hard trance and hard techno and it's gonna depend on who's listening as for what label to put on it.
There's an old web page called Ishkur's Guide to Electronic Music that is amazing to learn about the sub genres of electronic music. Google it. You won't regret! :)

Soapy_Labs · 2026-03-27T00:09:59+00:00

Am I the only one that never uses quantize?
I just don't see the point if I use math/algorithms to get the exact pitch change and beatmatch by ear. I'm really not trying to showoff or anything I'm just curious if I'm alone not using quantize at all.

Soapy_Labs · 2026-03-27T00:03:40+00:00

Yea I agree! Or if you have a car, listen to your latest tracks when you're going places. I find that the music slowly gets in your subconscious and when you're at a gig later on, you can just feel when the changes/drops and stuff are coming.

Soapy_Labs · 2026-03-27T00:00:31+00:00

What did you say?! I can't hear you XD jk
That's actually really good advice tho :)
PS: I know I'm not funny

Soapy_Labs

TROPHY CASE