20/03/2025
Wise words! Take note!
Optimising Sound Quality in DJ Sets:
Judging from personal experience in the field, I feel this issue needs attention. Achieving great sound is a game of small, incremental gains in different areas that add up, especially when mixing several tracks simultaneously. Here’s what I do:
1. Play well-produced material. This is hard to judge until you try a track on a big system back-to-back with proven bangers. Poor bass mixing and too much compression are the most common causes for failure.
1. Disable 'Master Tempo' and 'Key Shift' functions on CDJ players - these ruin your bass and create digital artefacts. Almost every dj uses them, often for creative reasons. It comes at a price.
2. Wav/Aif files only. 320kbps mp3 files sound as good to the untrained ear - don’t let that fool you. Subconsciously, people feel the difference.
3. Use a quality mixer. My favourites are the Pioneer DJM-V10 or boutique rotary mixers. I prefer them over Xone 96/92, DJM-900/A9 and other big brand offerings.
4. Channel and master gain levels can dip into the ‘red’ but should never stay there or, worse, clip the signal. Instead, let the front-of-house mixer add volume if needed. This prevents distortion.
5. Avoid pushing EQ’s beyond 0 dB (12 o’clock). Use them as subtractive tools to cut unwanted frequencies rather than boosting preferred ones.
6. Avoid channel compression (the small k**b above the channel eq’s) on the Pioneer DJM-V10.
7. Establish open, positive communication with the in-house sound engineer before your set. You want them to feel comfortable to communicate tips and issues. Teamwork makes the dream work.
These are just personal opinions. I’m curious to hear your ideas and preferences.
Love, Pat