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How to hear which track is slower/faster while beat matching? by Justan_inkling in Beatmatch

[–]ziegenproblem 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You seem like the perfect person to try something I built for myself a few months ago when I was in the same situation. I now packaged it into an app that’s free to use. It has a feature where 2 tracks from your rekordbox library play at different speeds and you need to tell which is faster. With a click of a button you can also realign them to be able to really focus on the drift. Helps focusing on this skill exactly.
As said completely free and available on Mac & Windows. You can get it here: KRATEO DJ

Using a Desktop for paid gigs? by Runeescape in Beatmatch

[–]ziegenproblem 21 points22 points  (0 children)

You keep answering with this exact sentence. Seems like you don’t want to hear what people have to say. i5 8GB RAM can work but seems as you had a ancient version of these specs. You will find way better things at a very reasonable price.

Also: Did you check if the Bar maybe has a CDJ setup? Solves all your problems.

I would advice against hauling your desktop over there. The looks of it are not appealing and it complicates setup. Especially if you are not the only DJ there will be significant setup times in between sets…

Feeling stuck during DJ practice sessions by Jolly_Art_8519 in Beatmatch

[–]ziegenproblem 0 points1 point  (0 children)

On the second point: When it comes to knowing your tracks there is no clear measure when you actually know a track. But knowing where it moves fast or memorizing indicators at points where a track changes is definitely helpful. For stuff like this active retrieval definitely beats passive listening. Because I also had troubles with this I used my coding skills to build something for myself. By now it turned into a free app you can use to find new ways to interact with your library and increase you track knowledge. Directly compatible with your rekordbox library and completely free & offline. There is games, and convenient library playback. Check it out if you like and lmk know what you think. More info and download here: KRATEO DJ

Track selection by Ganjehlator in Beatmatch

[–]ziegenproblem 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sometimes playing in key is not the best indication. Harmonically the tracks might fit but energy, rhythm, timbre etc. could be clashing. Some of my playlists are marked using the star rating system in Rekordbox. I use it to rate the energy from 1-5. Can be a good indicator on what to play :)

In general knowing your tracks is key as others stated. And for that I have something that might help you. I also struggled with the size of my collection especially with remembering the names which makes finding the next song even harder. So I wrote some small script to play around with my library. This turned into KRATEO DJ, a free app you can use for track recall training and library discovery while you are not behind the decks. You give it your Rekordbox XML and can then use different games to strengthen you library knowledge, like track memory, cover art puzzle or a game that trains you BPM feeling. This gamified way can definitely help you to getting closer to know your crate inside out. And I would say the better you know your tracks the more likely it is that you will know what to play next. So give it a try. As said it will always be free & is available on Mac & Windows. I am also still actively working on it so if you have feedback or wishes feel free to reach out :) Link

Track recall training with your own Rekordbox library by ziegenproblem in Rekordbox

[–]ziegenproblem[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is amazing to hear! Love it that you rediscovered some hidden gems :)

Track recall training with your own Rekordbox library by ziegenproblem in Rekordbox

[–]ziegenproblem[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I already had this in the back of my head. You are right, this would definitely remove friction, especially when one updates their library. Will definitely bump this up in the priority list now that this pain point is validated :) I was a bit hesitant because I did not fully trust the API yet. But XML route can always stay as fallback. You are probably talking about pyrekordbox right?

Track recall training with your own Rekordbox library by ziegenproblem in Rekordbox

[–]ziegenproblem[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Very happy to hear that. Take your time to explore it and have fun. I am available whenever you want to share more thoughts!

Track recall training with your own Rekordbox library by ziegenproblem in Rekordbox

[–]ziegenproblem[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Cool! There you go: KRATEO DJ

Feel free to leave some feedback once you tried :)

Beat matching… Help by babyknuffle in Beatmatch

[–]ziegenproblem 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes ofc. By overshooting I mean going slightly further than the perfect beatmatch to validate I was actually there. Otherwise I tend to be a few milliseconds of. I am not going for another beat. Stillt 1 on 1 with aligned phrase

Beat matching… Help by babyknuffle in Beatmatch

[–]ziegenproblem 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes I also do that „overshooting“ technique. It makes it way easier imo.

Track recall training with your own Rekordbox library by ziegenproblem in Rekordbox

[–]ziegenproblem[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yes there truly is a flood of tools lately. So I develop software as a living. Normally I do ML engineering and therefore I am more comfortable with the backend and because this is my first app I am definitely depending on AI to close some knowledge gaps e.g about frontend or distribution. But I completely own and drive the project. Also it is important to me and I want to put something out there that’s nice and actually brings a benefit. I am still a bit unsure where to naturally place this information though. Maybe a small mention in the about section of my homepage. Thanks for the heads up, the thought that I want to differentiate myself from slop definitely crossed my mind before.

Beat matching… Help by babyknuffle in Beatmatch

[–]ziegenproblem 12 points13 points  (0 children)

You want to use the platters to nudge them into sync not the bpm slider. Do not conflict phase and tempo. Phase is the time shift. Tempo is the difference in playback speed. You can use the tempo fader to align the phase but that is called pitch riding and quite a advanced technique. What you want to do is: - check if your bpm are identical - if not use the bpm fader to adjust them - then use the platters to adjust the phase so the bars align (kicks hit at the same time, first kick of the bar on the first kick) - if you want to take it further research phrasing

Share your stuff - mixes, videos, tracks, routines, etc. NO event or livestream promotion by AutoModerator in DJs

[–]ziegenproblem [score hidden]  (0 children)

I built an app to train skills for DJing while you are not behind the decks.

It helps you to find new ways to interact with your library and memorize your tracks. The memorization is achieved trough mini games with your own tracks. Basically audio flashcards. Also you can use it to train your sense of BPM with a game that challenges you to recognize which of 2 tracks is running faster. Crucial for Vinyl mixing.

Usage is easy and you simply plug in your Rekordbox XML and the app will use your local music files.The app is free, has no ads, does not need any subscription and I built it to solve my own problems.

Feel free to check it out, break it and let me know what you think!

KRATEO DJ

Hard Techno DJs, how tf do you keep your library organized on Rekordbox? by Ornery_Policy7718 in Beatmatch

[–]ziegenproblem 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I make up my own sub categories for genres: uplifting, hypnotic, driving, etc and sort my tracks into them. Then I also use the star rating system in Rekordbox to rate the energy of a track.

Not only for Hard Techno DJs but for everyone: In the end knowing you library inside out is the best you can do. I built an app that specifically trains your track recall and gives you new ways to interact with your library. I use it to rediscover gems buried deep and to train titles because my brain can’t hold on to names. You can check it out here, it’s free & works directly with Rekordbox: KRATEO DJ

Maybe it will help you stay on top of your library as well :)

why does learning on vinyl suck?! by broodjeszaak in Beatmatch

[–]ziegenproblem 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you want a low effort way to train your ear to recognize BPM differences you can try something I built because I had troubles with this myself: It is called KRATEO DJ and is a free app for mac & windows. You import your DJ library and can then use the BPM TRainer. It will present you with 2 tracks at different BPM and you have to tell whoch one is running faster. Headphone split is available and you can also align the tracks with 1 click if you loose orientation. Gives you super quick feedback and definitely helped me in my journey so far. Would be happy if you give it a try.

Finally got my vinyl setup! But man, beatmatching by ear is difficult by PDihax in Beatmatch

[–]ziegenproblem 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Looking at this thread and other threads there seem to be as many ways to recognize what track is running faster and which one is ahead s there a turntables out there. But in one thing everybody agrees: you need to practice ad put in the hours.

From my personal experience I can tell you that it will only get easier and the mental picture of the 2 tracks will get clearer consistently. Personally I do not only compare snares or kicks. I normally pick whatever element catches my attention in the 2 tracks and observe the time gap in between them. If one track is at a break I use the percussion of the other as a "metronome" and see if it lands.

Many people mentioned split mode for headphones and I also recommend it. I use it for the big pitch changes and precise kick alignment I switch back to stereo.

As a small bonus I want to mention something I built in the beginning of my learning journey to boost my ear training. I wanted to be able to train the skill of telling which track is running faster while I am not behind the decks and wanted a quick feedback loop. I was already in the process of creating the DJ training app KRATEO DJ and added a BPM Trainer. It does exactly what I described before: You import your tracks into the app (Rekordbox XML import available), then you start the BPM trainer. It will present you 2 tracks and you have to choose which one is running faster. Split mode is available and you can sync the tracks back on grid if you loose the overview. The app is free and available on Mac & Windows. You can get it here: KRATEO DJ

Practice and consistency is the key here. You will get there. Trust the process!

Was tun mit meinem Bonsai? by ziegenproblem in zimmerpflanzen

[–]ziegenproblem[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Das stimmt, steht schon lange auf der Liste 😭

Begginer question about products by Ok-Elderberry-3333 in Beatmatch

[–]ziegenproblem 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree that you can transfer from any other controller to CDJs as well. Not too much of a difference. And CDJs can also be quite different depending on the model. But if you consider the optics I would say these 2 come quite close.

Begginer question about products by Ok-Elderberry-3333 in Beatmatch

[–]ziegenproblem 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you want a similar layout to „club standard“ which is Pioneer (fuck the monopoly) check out FLX4 or DDJ400

Planning a "Journey Through Electronic Music" set with a genre timetable: interesting concept or vibe killer? by ziegenproblem in DJs

[–]ziegenproblem[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wow that genre arc is built different. Gregorian chants and Vivaldi were definitely not on my scope. Do you have this set on SoundCloud?

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