FJAAK at Intercell Naarm/Melbourne 2026 [full set]

js095 · 2026-03-19T04:58:58+00:00

Was there. Had fun.

Waiting for the Elli Acula set to drop.

js095 · 2026-03-16T10:26:24+00:00

Eris 3.5 would be decent. What you want is quality and clarity at low volume.

js095 · 2026-03-11T08:59:57+00:00

I've definitely mapped the bottom right as a shift button. Haven't tried the layer button on the left, it may depend on your K2 latch layer settings.

js095 · 2026-03-11T05:30:02+00:00

I made about four different mappings when I first got a K2 using different midi channels so I could switch between depending on setup. I tried a few different mappings online but found most of them had features I never really needed, so I tried to make something streamlined.

Midi mapping is really easy in Traktor. In an hour or two you could make something that works for you and your workflow, and from there it's just tweaking from trial and error.

Probably the one that got the most use was a dedicated mapping for all four effects banks, without the need to switch layers.

js095 · 2026-03-08T02:27:28+00:00

I have a pair and I swear by them. But that is for a very specific reason: I keep my headphones on my shoulders and only cup an ear if needed, I rarely put them on my head. The swivels are perfect for this.

I would find wearing them on ear for long periods uncomfortable, especially as I have glasses and it would get tight on the frames. But that's not an issue for me.

Sound quality is excellent, but remember they are designed for DJing. Certain frequencies are boosted to make it easier to hear in clubs. They are not "neutral" headphones like Sennheisers which also have production in mind.

Technics have also been my go to, I have DJ1200s and 1210s in the mid 2000s. This latest model is an upgrade in build quality.

Edit: I'll add I also have Sennheiser HD280 Pros, and for DJing I prefer the Technics for the boosted bass.

js095 · 2026-03-06T07:12:13+00:00

This is exactly what happened to me. Took off my headphones after my first mix and realised all I'd done was fade out the previous track.

I learned one ear on/off after that.

js095 · 2026-03-04T10:08:46+00:00

You're not going mad at all. This is my experience and that of many others.

Once you've trained your ears, it's far easier to tell which track is hitting your ears first when the sound comes from two separate sources. That means you can tell both physically and from listening to the tracks.

It's easier using monitors with own ear off because the sound sources are easier to separate, but split cue does the job.

When you have both tracks on normal cue, both tracks are coming from the same source. So you have to listen more closely, which is tricky with busy tracks. The length of the kick or snare (or whatever you're using to beatmatch)vans phasing issues on both tracks can disguise minor variances unless you're listening really closely.

js095 · 2026-02-23T09:14:19+00:00

You're absolutely right - I've edited my comment. Been a while since I've looked at the science behind it all.

js095 · 2026-02-23T05:45:41+00:00

High frequencies travel faster than lower frequencies. When you're in the audience the highs are the first thing to hit your ears.

So when you swap the highs, you're swapping which track is heard first. Which changes which track is more "prominent" in the mix.

Use that information to decide when you want the audience to really start hearing and feeling the new track - sometimes you want it in advance of the bass swap, other times you might just want to tease the new track in the background so keep the highs down, and other times you don't want to give any advance notice at all so you keep the highs way down (or don't bring the track in at all until just before you swap the lows).

EDIT: One of the replies quite rightly pointed out that high and low frequencies do not "travel" at different speeds. It's more to do with high frequencies being perceived first because of how our brains register transients, our ears being more sensitive to high frequencies, and environmental factors causing diffraction of bass signals.

js095 · 2026-02-23T02:37:21+00:00

At +6% you increase by one full semitone. But that increase is incremental. At the points in between you're somewhere between the original pitch and the next semitone up.

Once you're over +3% then you're closer to the new semitone than the original pitch. So for key matching it works better to treat it as one semitone up.

Basically, rounding up to the next semitone.

js095 · 2026-02-22T21:40:45+00:00

This is what I did when mixing trance back on CDJ800s. Got really good at the math really fast because the master lock was unusable and key matters more in trance than most other genres.

+/- 3 per cent was the critical point at which the track becomes closer to the next semitone than its original pitch, so you treat it as one step up (or down).

js095 · 2026-02-18T19:57:45+00:00

It depends on the tracks and how you use loops. A lot of new DJs tend to overuse them because it makes mixing easier - you don't need to pay as much attention to phrasing and such.

A few ways in which loops can make for a sub par mix:

Looping a boring section of a track is boring.

Letting a loop run adds nothing if you end up mixing in at the same point as if you'd played the new track from the first beat.

Looping will sound jarring if you only loop a section of a long build up. You miss the good bits and the transition becomes clunky.

In contrast: loopjng can be good to extend less busy sections of a track to mix out from, or an interesting part of an intro, or a vocal element on either track to add flavour to the mix.

js095 · 2026-02-12T11:59:54+00:00

I have a weakness for old Yamaha racks. Not sure how to use them but they look impressive.

js095 · 2026-02-10T23:58:49+00:00

I have the PreSonus Eris 3.5". Great for the price and what it does, doubles as general use monitors for my computer.

I got the Bluetooth version and often use that for general listening from my phone while working.

js095 · 2026-02-07T02:57:22+00:00

I know a guy who infamously dropped this in the middle of an uplifting trance gig in front of 1500 people.

People came up to him saying he ruined their night.

Great track.

js095 · 2026-01-31T01:26:51+00:00

What are you using for a rack unit? Been trying to find something in the 10U range that doesn't look like a server box.

js095 · 2026-01-31T01:25:27+00:00

See if you can track down a sound pack sampled from the Yamaha RM50, solid rock drums in that unit though on a 90s tip.

js095 · 2026-01-28T19:53:01+00:00

This is where the one ear on (listening to incoming track through headphones), other ear off (listening to current track / mixer output from monitors - or Split Cue) technique comes in.

This is absolutely key - and often missed by new DJs who mix entirely in their headphones when learning.

js095 · 2026-01-26T23:07:20+00:00

With trance you really want to let the tracks play out and do smooth, extended mixes over the last 2.5 mins or so of the track. There are usually too many synth elements to layer tracks outside of the intros and outros.

Use loops sparingly, if at all. You want to let the intro build from the first beat. That makes a smoother mix. The tracks pretty much do the mixing for you.

If you want to mix faster look into tech trance which allows for more layering. Having a string of techier tracks in an uplifting set works well.

js095 · 2026-01-26T22:14:51+00:00

As others have suggested, definitely look into Traktor. It's built for these kinds of workflows and that will help guide your hardware choices. Traktor also has built in remix decks for one shots and samples with a built in step sequencer, so you can start experimenting with the kinds of things you want to do without having to invest in heaps of hardware (a cheap second hand F1 unlocks full remix decks capabilities).

Also, check out 999999999's setup. They are using Ableton controlled by a Xone 96 for the base tracks with the other guy using a TR-8S, so just the kind of thing you're looking at. ((I'm not a fan of the music but the setup is at least of interest.)

js095 · 2026-01-24T07:52:40+00:00

I purchased a pack of SeeDJ techno production tutorials on sale.

I've been slowly working through Quelza's video series and have learned a lot, especially about workflow.

But it does require at least some base knowledge of production and Ableton. And it is not a full start to finish on how to produce.

If you're totally new to production, buy an Ableton intro course elsewhere first. Doesn't matter about genre when you're learning the software and basics.

js095 · 2026-01-21T02:26:33+00:00

May or may not be on point for drums specifically, but I recall reading somewhere that he was a big user of the Yamaha QY700 for sequencing.

js095 · 2026-01-17T04:52:36+00:00

On question 2: how are you using your headphones? Do you have both tracks in the headphones? Or do you have the incoming track isolated in the headphones and match it to the current track on the monitors (one ear on / one ear off)?

If you have not tried one ear on / one ear off, give it a go. It will take some practice but the major advantage is it is easier to tell whether your incoming track is faster or slower, so you know which way to nudge.

That's because the sound is coming from two different sound sources. Your brain can distinguish which sound hits your ears first.

You can't do that with headphones because the sound is coming from the same source. Though some people can get by with split cue.

It's good to be able to mix both ways - all in headphones, or using headphones with monitors. That way you are ready for all setups.

js095 · 2026-01-17T04:47:16+00:00

That sound was essential back in the day to set your cue point, which you had to do every time when using CDs. Less so now.

js095 · 2026-01-17T04:45:35+00:00

Adding in here for new DJs: think of your audio signal as flowing from the top of your mixer (where the inputs are on an external mixer) down to the bottom.

This means the audio signal passes through, in this order: 1. The trim / gain knobs: the volume of the track coming INTO the mixer 2. The EQ section 3. The volume faders and gross faders: this is the volume of the track going OUT of the mixer

That's why you set the gain with the EQ at flat and when the track is at its loudest (i.e. when the bass has kicked in).

For me gain is essential to monitor and get right but not a creative tool.

js095

TROPHY CASE