Beat Matching V's Sync...

[SourceRaver]

Ok…so the debate about beat matching v’s sync gets really heated sometimes. What I’m looking for in this thread is a good analogy to try and explain the pros and cons of both. I personally don’t care what method you use but I want to help newbs understand the difference.

The best I can come up with is beat matching is like learning to drive a manual car whereas using sync is like learning to drive an automatic. The reasons being…

1) Learning to drive a manual is a harder initially, but once you have it, you have it for life.

2) Learning to drive an automatic is easier and gets you on the road faster.

3) Only having an automatic license restricts the type of car you can use.

4) With an automatic license, you don’t have to concentrate on gear changes so you can spend more time doing something else (i.e. enjoying the view).

5) Both types of license will get you from A to B, but working the gears up and down say through a mountain pass can be a real pleasure in itself.

6) Other drivers may think you’re incapable of learning complicated tasks if you only get an auto license.

7) Automatic license holders need to ask a manual driver to move their car if they park behind them in the driveway (doesnt really relate to Dj'ing but drives me CRAZY!)

Anyone else got a better analogy?

[Jaz]

Sync has No pro's, if you do it you are not a DJ, you may as well be nightlife

Anology hmmm, you can Polish a turd but it won't make it shine?

imagine your watching your girlfriend satisfy herself when you could be doing it for her and getting something out of it yourself , that's sync vs legit

[Cupe]

I have no idea what to do in these discussions..

I don't have sync, and don't understand how it works

[yizzle]

i think its a pretty good analogy.

like your OP says, if its an analogy for a beginner. then i think you have wrapped it up already

[legunner]

Sync has No pro's, if you do it you are not a DJ, you may as well be nightlife

Anology hmmm, you can Polish a turd but it won't make it shine?

imagine your watching your girlfriend satisfy herself when you could be doing it for her and getting something out of it yourself , that's sync vs legit

pretty much unless you use ableton (Or some other similar software) just dont do it?

[Scottie]

Tbh, for when i need to make a mix to send to someone I use visual aids to see if they're about the same bpm but I'll manually match them up.

But for when I'm just mucking around I'll do it all by ear, usually ends up sloppier but the only way to improve is more practice

IMO there isnt really a perfect analogy for it. it's like having training wheels on your bike vs. none - people who can ride without training wheels will have no problem riding one that does have training wheels, but it doesn't work the other way round.

[Cupe]

nah that ain't true

because I mix on vinyl decks, and when I get in front of CDJ's that can do everything automatically, I still have no clue what to do

[Scottie]

CDJ's have sync? confusedface.jpg

[Jaz]

Nah dude, No sync on cdjs, he means like auto loop bottons, auto cue etc vinyl has none of that

[russell]

nah that ain't true

because I mix on vinyl decks, and when I get in front of CDJ's that can do everything automatically, I still have no clue what to do

ditto. can't use cdj's to save myself.

[GREMM1S]

For those going from vinyl yo cdj, as long as you have them on vinyl mode its really the same just press play then cue how you would on vinyl, im not sure why this thread was created,

syncing = dj skills done by computer instead of manually

Edit the analogy is harder to understand than just telling people normally hahaha

[MelodyIlliterate]

One con. If the computer fucks up the bpm or where the kicks are on the track, then you have no way to correct it. Whereas when you have the skills. This would never happen to you

[GREMM1S]

One con. If the computer fucks up the bpm or where the kicks are on the track, then you have no way to correct it. Whereas when you have the skills. This would never happen to you

Yep and despite 90% of people that use controllers saying its for 'creativity and more time to do sampling etc etc', they use it because they actually cant or cant be bothered to learn how to beatmatch properly and are fucked when the software plays up.

There is a big attitude issue with so many of the new guys coming up feeling that they don't even need to understand basic principle of many aspects of djing and just jump straight on the controller and start doing gigs, it's disappointing but end of the day those guys that disrespect it end up being found out and don't get anywhere properly in a professional or long term sense.

[mattus123]

id compare sync vs no sync to playing a guitar and being able to restring and tune it yourself vs not being able to

as a guitarist, a very fundamental and basic component would be tuning the guitar, and re stringing it

at first its a pain in the ass, and youll get it wrong.. the more you do it though, the quicker you will become at it and the better you will be

you CAN play guitar without being able to tune and restring it, but like... you certainly wouldnt brag about it, as your not doing something that all guitarists SHOULD be able to do.

[MelodyIlliterate]

One con. If the computer fucks up the bpm or where the kicks are on the track, then you have no way to correct it. Whereas when you have the skills. This would never happen to you

Yep and despite 90% of people that use controllers saying its for 'creativity and more time to do sampling etc etc', they use it because they actually cant or cant be bothered to learn how to beatmatch properly and are fucked when the software plays up.

There is a big attitude issue with so many of the new guys coming up feeling that they don't even need to understand basic principle of many aspects of djing and just jump straight on the controller and start doing gigs, it's disappointing but end of the day those guys that disrespect it end up being found out and don't get anywhere properly in a professional or long term sense.

mmm i think its more of a mindset, than just new kids with controllers...

I've been djing for probably under a year still,

only gear is a DDJ S1,

and i learnt how to beatmatch/ still learning... never ever used the sync button...

only time i synced was when i was getting the concept of mixing when using VDJ before i got my S1... just for the face that it if fucking impossible to beat match with a mouse... bbelieve me i tried ..

I'm hoping im not the only new kid to the game that thinks the way i do... just a lazy mindset that relies on the sync feature

[GREMM1S]

Keyboard son lol use the arrows as a pitch bend and set up your pitch ratio in settings, haha used to be pro at vdj with a mouse and keyboard.

And good to hear you are learning both sides as well, the S1 is really one of only few controllers you can mix properly without sync anyway.

[MelodyIlliterate]

LOL fuck im retarded... first i was using the mouse to spin the record... then tried using the mouse to just move the waveform

*fuck this* bought my S1 lol

[GREMM1S]

haha yeah it's like that aye

[legunner]

One con. If the computer fucks up the bpm or where the kicks are on the track, then you have no way to correct it. Whereas when you have the skills. This would never happen to you

Yep and despite 90% of people that use controllers saying its for 'creativity and more time to do sampling etc etc', they use it because they actually cant or cant be bothered to learn how to beatmatch properly and are fucked when the software plays up.

There is a big attitude issue with so many of the new guys coming up feeling that they don't even need to understand basic principle of many aspects of djing and just jump straight on the controller and start doing gigs, it's disappointing but end of the day those guys that disrespect it end up being found out and don't get anywhere properly in a professional or long term sense.

mmm i think its more of a mindset, than just new kids with controllers...

I've been djing for probably under a year still,

only gear is a DDJ S1,

and i learnt how to beatmatch/ still learning... never ever used the sync button...

only time i synced was when i was getting the concept of mixing when using VDJ before i got my S1... just for the face that it if fucking impossible to beat match with a mouse... bbelieve me i tried ..

I'm hoping im not the only new kid to the game that thinks the way i do... just a lazy mindset that relies on the sync feature

kudos to you man

I found that when i used my s4 it had tiny faders and the bpm was automatically shown on screen anyway so i could either slide the pitch fader up or down or just click sync and do the same thing. After i while i just said man this is fucking boring. Convenient but boring. So i sold my s4 and getting cdjs again just so its fun again.

I was like you too with the vdj sync with my mouse and keyboard before i started hahaha

[GREMM1S]

Everyone starts there lol, i still use it to play with transitions and stuff quickly its pretty usefull

[legunner]

Everyone starts there lol, i still use it to play with transitions and stuff quickly its pretty usefull

haha i reckon i'd still use that over my cousins stanton scs4dj thing

[OxyKon]

I just quickly skimmed through every1's posts and coming from another vinyl dj, I'm like cupe and have no idea how the sync works, dont really care much for it either, I learnt on vinyl and had access to cdj's at a friends place back in the day so got to experience on them, never used a controller, my own personal opinion is there are no pros for sync mode, if you can't mix it normally, then don't do it, but that's just me

[Jaz]

I'm like cupe and have no idea how the sync works

very simple, DVS scans track like normal waveform, detects kicks, when sync is pressed it auto layers those kicks over 1 another from track A and track B creating a perfect nooby beatmatch

[GREMM1S]

Works in two ways;

Firstly it auto detects the bpm and when you press sync on the left deck its makes the pitch automatically adjust so that the bpm is the same.

It can also be pressed while the track is playing and if the track starts slipping off the beat where you would pitch bend or give the platter a push it will align the kicks and bars using a beatgrid that maps where the kicks are in a song

[Lurk6r]

I just quickly skimmed through every1's posts and coming from another vinyl dj, I'm like cupe and have no idea how the sync works, dont really care much for it either, I learnt on vinyl and had access to cdj's at a friends place back in the day so got to experience on them, never used a controller, my own personal opinion is there are no pros for sync mode, if you can't mix it normally, then don't do it, but that's just me

I'm coming from the exact opposite. My first exposure to music entertainment was fading between songs without beatmatching while working for a mobile "djing" company. My first mixing experience was the synch feature in algoriddm djay. That was the first time I understood the point of mixing two songs without letting the energy drop. I didn't have a controller, just laptop. I think that synch has made mixing more accessible to people, but thats it.

If anything, the best comparison is synch = wanking off. Instant gratification, but in the end, your just fucking yourself.