Quick hands eq technique?

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Quick hands eq technique?
Posted on: 09.07.2013 by Marnie Foye
I've had the chance to watch some bigger name DJ's from a vantage point where I can see what they are doing. I've noticed many of them doing what I can only describe as quick hands. Their hands will move quickly back and forth between the different eq knobs with 8 or more touches over the course of a second or two. Sander Van Doorn in particular did it a lot. Their hands move so fast I have a hard time seeing how they are even turning the knob when they do this, but I'd assume the changes they are making are small.

What exactly are they doing? Is it a way to modify a lot of parameters subtly at once, or is it all for show?
Rolanda Clodfelder
12.07.2013
Originally Posted by TWD
There's fidgeting, but what I've seen Sander and others do is a completely different level from what Ean is doing in the video posted. You can see him do it almost every transition. There's a good example in this video at 23m where you see his hands close up.



And it's not like he's not doing anything. You can hear the sound change, but I doubt every touch is actually doing something.
Dem knobs is hot.
Kristofer Krauel
11.07.2013
Originally Posted by NewManSoon
What is with DJ's licking their fingers every 2 seconds.. ugh!
Nothing like saliva to give you extra grip when touching knobs!!!!

Originally Posted by b1sh0p
I have that habit when I'm really feeling it. It's not OCD as much as its just wanting to move and keeping a rhythm. It's goes along with bobbing my head like crazy.
Thats a really good point. I also believe its part of feeling "involved" with the mix.
Evie Scheuermann
10.07.2013
Originally Posted by NewManSoon
What is with DJ's licking their fingers every 2 seconds.. ugh!
I'm guilty of that one, vinyl is tougher to grip with uber dry fingers
Tera Baragan
10.07.2013
Originally Posted by djproben
^^^I agree; I was just saying that you can do a long drawn out eq mix with slow smooth motions OR you can do the same mix and look a lot busier going back and forth between EQs on each channel and making minor adjustments one at a time. Same mix, same styles of music, but one will look a lot busier than the other. But yeah, certainly most people will do longer mixes with trance than they do with hip hop. (I believe you can do nice long blends with dubstep too if you know your stuff, but yeah most mixing in that genre tends to be pretty quick too).
For me playing glitch hop a lot you only have so long to mix in, when I have played breakbeat or electro you have tons more time to mess with eqs and such.
Meg Reinoehl
11.07.2013
Originally Posted by djproben
fixed that for you Truly I don't believe it's dependent on the kind of music at all; some DJs really like heavy eqing during longer mixes, and others don't. You can mix with eqs in a long slow manner with hands on one or two at a time, or you can do the same thing by going back and forth between each knob, adjusting a little at a time as you go, which will look a lot busier. It makes a subtle difference that you can probably notice if as a listener you know both songs and are watching what the DJ's doing, but chances are you wouldn't know the difference listening to a random mix.
I believe that some genres sound "better" when mixed a certain way. This, of course, changes from genre to genre. For example, with trance or progressive where the mixes are long and drawn out and can easily last over a minute, I see DJs do very slow and gradual EQing the entire time. One track slowly mixes into the next one. Then you have genres like dubstep and hardcore where mixes are fast and abrupt because of how the intros/outros are structured. If you were to take this fast mixing style and do it with progressive, for example, it would sound really awkward.

I'm not trying to say that each genre has to be mixed a certain way, but I believe that djfunke was trying to point out the different mixing styles of each genre.
Lilliana Perris
10.07.2013
Originally Posted by mdcdesign
Holy fuck, I thought _I_ was bad with the knob touching.
Who's knobs you touching then?

Would call the cops I would!

Cassie Sangermano
10.07.2013
Originally Posted by kooper1980

My weird thing is that im paranoid that i dont have the channel down when cueing. even if I can see the channel fader is down I still take my headphones off and mash the cue button a few times to reassure myself that no sound is bleeding through to the main output.
I do this ALL the time! Even though I can see the channel fader is down/crossfader is on the other side (and I always keep my finger on the side of it to make sure it doesn't move when I'm cueing a song) I still take the headphones off and check, just in case!!

I did have it once where I had accidentally moved one of the crossfader assign switches on the front of my MC6000, I was cueing away and the whole crowd could hear it! Wasn't until I noticed that they were giving me dodgy looks that I realised!
Rolanda Clodfelder
12.07.2013
Originally Posted by TWD
There's fidgeting, but what I've seen Sander and others do is a completely different level from what Ean is doing in the video posted. You can see him do it almost every transition. There's a good example in this video at 23m where you see his hands close up.



And it's not like he's not doing anything. You can hear the sound change, but I doubt every touch is actually doing something.
Dem knobs is hot.
Marnie Foye
12.07.2013		There's fidgeting, but what I've seen Sander and others do is a completely different level from what Ean is doing in the video posted. You can see him do it almost every transition. There's a good example in this video at 23m where you see his hands close up.



And it's not like he's not doing anything. You can hear the sound change, but I doubt every touch is actually doing something.
Kristofer Krauel
11.07.2013
Originally Posted by NewManSoon
What is with DJ's licking their fingers every 2 seconds.. ugh!
Nothing like saliva to give you extra grip when touching knobs!!!!

Originally Posted by b1sh0p
I have that habit when I'm really feeling it. It's not OCD as much as its just wanting to move and keeping a rhythm. It's goes along with bobbing my head like crazy.
Thats a really good point. I also believe its part of feeling "involved" with the mix.
Sonja Roybal
10.07.2013		I have that habit when I'm really feeling it. It's not OCD as much as its just wanting to move and keeping a rhythm. It's goes along with bobbing my head like crazy.
Evie Scheuermann
10.07.2013
Originally Posted by NewManSoon
What is with DJ's licking their fingers every 2 seconds.. ugh!
I'm guilty of that one, vinyl is tougher to grip with uber dry fingers
Rocco Fiveash
10.07.2013		What is with DJ's licking their fingers every 2 seconds.. ugh!
Tera Baragan
10.07.2013
Originally Posted by djproben
^^^I agree; I was just saying that you can do a long drawn out eq mix with slow smooth motions OR you can do the same mix and look a lot busier going back and forth between EQs on each channel and making minor adjustments one at a time. Same mix, same styles of music, but one will look a lot busier than the other. But yeah, certainly most people will do longer mixes with trance than they do with hip hop. (I believe you can do nice long blends with dubstep too if you know your stuff, but yeah most mixing in that genre tends to be pretty quick too).
For me playing glitch hop a lot you only have so long to mix in, when I have played breakbeat or electro you have tons more time to mess with eqs and such.
Danae Dumler
10.07.2013		^^^I agree; I was just saying that you can do a long drawn out eq mix with slow smooth motions OR you can do the same mix and look a lot busier going back and forth between EQs on each channel and making minor adjustments one at a time. Same mix, same styles of music, but one will look a lot busier than the other. But yeah, certainly most people will do longer mixes with trance than they do with hip hop. (I believe you can do nice long blends with dubstep too if you know your stuff, but yeah most mixing in that genre tends to be pretty quick too).
Meg Reinoehl
11.07.2013
Originally Posted by djproben
fixed that for you Truly I don't believe it's dependent on the kind of music at all; some DJs really like heavy eqing during longer mixes, and others don't. You can mix with eqs in a long slow manner with hands on one or two at a time, or you can do the same thing by going back and forth between each knob, adjusting a little at a time as you go, which will look a lot busier. It makes a subtle difference that you can probably notice if as a listener you know both songs and are watching what the DJ's doing, but chances are you wouldn't know the difference listening to a random mix.
I believe that some genres sound "better" when mixed a certain way. This, of course, changes from genre to genre. For example, with trance or progressive where the mixes are long and drawn out and can easily last over a minute, I see DJs do very slow and gradual EQing the entire time. One track slowly mixes into the next one. Then you have genres like dubstep and hardcore where mixes are fast and abrupt because of how the intros/outros are structured. If you were to take this fast mixing style and do it with progressive, for example, it would sound really awkward.

I'm not trying to say that each genre has to be mixed a certain way, but I believe that djfunke was trying to point out the different mixing styles of each genre.
Lilliana Perris
10.07.2013
Originally Posted by mdcdesign
Holy fuck, I thought _I_ was bad with the knob touching.
Who's knobs you touching then?

Would call the cops I would!

Cassie Sangermano
10.07.2013
Originally Posted by kooper1980

My weird thing is that im paranoid that i dont have the channel down when cueing. even if I can see the channel fader is down I still take my headphones off and mash the cue button a few times to reassure myself that no sound is bleeding through to the main output.
I do this ALL the time! Even though I can see the channel fader is down/crossfader is on the other side (and I always keep my finger on the side of it to make sure it doesn't move when I'm cueing a song) I still take the headphones off and check, just in case!!

I did have it once where I had accidentally moved one of the crossfader assign switches on the front of my MC6000, I was cueing away and the whole crowd could hear it! Wasn't until I noticed that they were giving me dodgy looks that I realised!
Ashanti Andreacchio
10.07.2013		I don't do much EQ touching but I catch myself all the time counting out loud while mixing
Doreen Schurle
10.07.2013
Originally Posted by MaxOne
Ean golden (I love the guy) is pretty guilty of this

Holy fuck, I thought _I_ was bad with the knob touching.

I get the feeling this might be one of those secret embarrassments that all DJs are guilty of but don't tell anyone. Like the foot tapping.
Kristofer Krauel
10.07.2013		Part of it is definitely a reassurance thing. In that vid of Ean, to me it seems (at least with the filter knob) that hes checking that its centred. The EQ twitching I'm not so sure about. I could understand during a mix put not when its just the one track playing.

My weird thing is that im paranoid that i dont have the channel down when cueing. even if I can see the channel fader is down I still take my headphones off and mash the cue button a few times to reassure myself that no sound is bleeding through to the main output.
Brunilda Kora
10.07.2013		I hate compulsive tweaking. It REEKS of insecurity.
Lilliana Perris
10.07.2013
Originally Posted by Jester
bloody eccentric OCDJ's
This ^^, I cue....cut the bass.....start it up.....slap it in....swap the bass....use the filter....and pull out the old track.

LOL

But seriously, that is pretty much it, unless there is a clash somewhere. Then you really gotta use the EQ's.

Also depends on what type of music you playing, and whether you are doing long transitions etc.
Latoria Kavulich
10.07.2013		bloody eccentric OCDJ's
Celestine Porebski
10.07.2013
Originally Posted by djproben
(Edit): Also about the battle mixer - get a Rane or Ecler if you want a battle mixer that handles eq VERY nicely. I have a TTM56 and I LOVE the eqs on that. And Eclers are even nicer. Not all battle mixers have shitty eqs
I can second this for Ecler. I have a Nuo 2.0 and it's quite nice. I didn't necessarily want a battle mixer, but the Nuo just seemed like a good choice in general (after my Xone 42 was stolen last year )

Had to get used to the metering though, apparently you have to keep the cue meter one bar below the master meters to achieve the same volume. Well, but once you know it, you know it - so no problems there.
Nedra Fresneda
10.07.2013
Originally Posted by 031999
Haha I'm always constantly checking to see if my faders are down when I'm cueing, that's about it.
Even with the S4's "on air" indicator I still did it
Hipolito Scionti
10.07.2013		Ean golden (I love the guy) is pretty guilty of this

Tawna Ulmen
10.07.2013		I have a habit of just reaching out and touching EQ knobs. Its like their magnetic or something. Its a symptom of digital DJing. Im pretty sure I didn't have the time back in the day on vinyl.
Danae Dumler
10.07.2013
Originally Posted by djfunke
The amount of eqing that you do depends entirely on the amount of eqing you do.
fixed that for you Truly I don't believe it's dependent on the kind of music at all; some DJs really like heavy eqing during longer mixes, and others don't. You can mix with eqs in a long slow manner with hands on one or two at a time, or you can do the same thing by going back and forth between each knob, adjusting a little at a time as you go, which will look a lot busier. It makes a subtle difference that you can probably notice if as a listener you know both songs and are watching what the DJ's doing, but chances are you wouldn't know the difference listening to a random mix.

Then there's also the DJs who like to pointlessly switch out the midrange or a filter during every mix (or even use a full mix isolator aggressively for similar effect) just to remind the crowd that they're doing something. Can't stand that myself, heh... though plenty of otherwise very good (and well known) DJs do it constantly and nobody really seems to take the piss out of them for it.

(Edit): Also about the battle mixer - get a Rane or Ecler if you want a battle mixer that handles eq VERY nicely. I have a TTM56 and I LOVE the eqs on that. And Eclers are even nicer. Not all battle mixers have shitty eqs
Ninfa Mazariegos
10.07.2013		The amount of eqing that you do depends entirely on the music that you play and the mixer use. I use a battle mixer and find the eq's almost useless for anything other than preventing thud rumble. Traktors filters do a better job than it to cut bass while still leaving depth to male voices.
Lanie Priske
09.07.2013
Originally Posted by 031999
Haha I'm always constantly checking to see if my faders are down when I'm cueing, that's about it.
Hahaha. I do the exact same thing
Latoria Kavulich
09.07.2013
Originally Posted by TWD
What exactly are they doing?
nothing.
Nana Mohs
09.07.2013		I'm always making sure my filter is centered. I have a bad habit of leaving it slightly askew
Lannie Kutay
09.07.2013		Haha I'm always constantly checking to see if my faders are down when I'm cueing, that's about it.
Lanie Priske
09.07.2013		^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

So true... Lol
Kellie Myrum
09.07.2013		It's DJ rule number one: Always look like your doing something
Tera Baragan
09.07.2013		Its something that house and djs with long transitions do often.

In midtempo a filter is more benificial for the 8 -16 bars you have to mix in.
Nga Mcquarter
09.07.2013		I do it, sometimes unconsciously (is that a word? xD) but sometimes also in order to appear that I'm doing something else than just standing there when it's not a transition xD
Hellen Mindrup
09.07.2013		I just slap my mixer to stand out against other DJ's
Janyce Henningson
09.07.2013		Insecurity.

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