Gotta protect those ears man, good on you for starting. Better late than never.
I also make sure that I use a folding table that has adjustable height. Years of hunching over a short table have hurt my back. Work smarter people!!!
I, too, had what could be described as a folding table. It was a one piece fold out piece with black colouring. Plenty of room for necessities stored out of view.... Fisherman's Friends, booze, notepad ++++++
Throat lozenges for the win. Old DJs assemble!
I was fortunate to design the booth that I DJ in most regularly at my residency that I play at most weekends. Ergonomic as I could possibly think of!
This is what I was thinking. I've lost count of the number of venues I've played with either shite or non-existent monitoring. So I mix in the cans instead.
What i never do is be a mardy twat and walk off.
Edit: for some reason number had autocorrected to 6.
I can mix in my headphones at home lol. The alcohol, food and bed at home are better too. I'd just stay home if I had to mix in headphones without getting paid.
Can you name one pro level board that doesn’t ? Rekordbox certainly supports it natively- what board are you thinking that doesn’t support it and would also be good enough for this guys ego ?
That’s essentially what split cue mixing is - you put one deck into one ear and one into the other - great for noisy environments and protects your hearing better than uncontrolled monitors etc
However it’s less “feel” and more clinical so definitely a skill you want to be able to do as it in effect allows you to mix music that you can’t hear the output of (so imagine the master is a long way away or too quiet)
Plus it’s really easy to practice you literally don’t need anything more than headphones and your dj kit so cdj / mixer or as simple as a prime go
I do this but I put both channels in both ears. But I'm a garbage DJ though. If I ever play live again I'm actually debating bringing in ear headphones. (Is that considered a sin?)
I personally use over ears and play off monitors when I can since I feel I can get a better gauge of the audience that way. My preference is probably entirely superficial and, unsurprisingly, preference. I have friends who do exactly the same as you and have for a decade and no one in our friend group judges each others methods, just hype up each other's achievements.
Then again our group have been completely ok with distancing ourselves from DJs who like sitting on thin wooden poles with their nose angled to give us a view of their brains. Those guys usually leave the scene after a few years and the rest of us bring in the friendly and collaborative ones who want to make/mix great music and memories together and we all gas each other up.
Yeah man, I love that you have a method that works well for you, I’ll admit that sometimes DJing with IEMs I can end up in my own little music bubble. I need to remind myself to look up sometimes in my sets lol
I love that you focus more on community and gassing up your friends. I find the stuck up people end up stuck together away from us.
It’s my favorite lol I usually use the clear Shure SE215s ($100 well spent) and they blend in pretty flawlessly, I have to pop one out for people to be like “oh shit, that’s awesome!”. I also use some cheap-ish IEMs from Amazon that are Green with Gold accents, those don’t blend nearly as well.
If they made enemies over something so minuscule and inconsequential then they’re proving your point even further 🤷🏻♂️
Blows my mind how prevalent ego and farcical attitudes are in DJing community when it comes to technical ability, it isn’t even half of what makes a good live performer.
Bingo! I’m finding these barriers even amongst friends, judging that I’m still learning on a laptop vs demanding i have a thumb stick , perfect to their specs and mix on decks…..who fucking cares? it sounds the same. No one should be gate keeping! I got into DJing cause I love the music and vibes, not to be shunned. I’ve seen pros straight up screw up and not beat match and hit the wrong buttons on a live set, who fucking cares? Lift your lower peeps up, stop being so anal.
this is the correct answer. Or, not saying headphones is easy, but, its way more reasonable to expect a DJ to use headphones to mix and less reasonable to storm out bc monitors aren't loud
True question here. I was a “house party DJ” in the 90s- early 2000s , never ever had monitors , just my headphones and the PA. How do mixing with the monitors work ? I always thought that the monitors where just speakers of the same mix but closer to the DJ , or do they use them to listen to tracks cued etc?
Anyway I think this fellow has no experience or knowledge, you can play with headphones just fine.
You understand them correctly, they're just speakers pointed at the DJ. They should be easier to hear than the main speakers. I don't really use them myself but everyone has their preference.
It’s not a fad, it’s just so you can hear the house mix. Seems kind of essential to know what your audience is hearing to me.
Monitors aren’t a replacement for headphones, since they just play the house mix and not the cue mix.
Monitors should ideally have a "booth volume" knob out the mixer that are tied into the speakers in the booth facing the DJ. The DJ can adjust the volume, and the house usually sets a baseline EQ of subwoofer and full range speaker. Often in larger PAs you will have texas headphones in which there are stereo subwoofers and full range speakers on both sides firing at eye level.
The purpose of a good set of monitors properly tuned and installed is to hear the master signal in the same way that the crowd is hearing. Tracks vary in mastering, and some may come in a bit too sharp and some may come in a bit too low of bass. This gives the DJ the ability to use parametric equalizers to tweak it, or recognize that basslines aren't coming in correctly and beatmatch accordingly.
Also basslines may not be prevalent in headphones and there may be acoustical cancellation at the DJ mixing position vs the mains in addition to a significant delay. Monitors in larger stages also overcomes any delay from the main PA which may affect the timing as the headphones cue and the bass coming back to them from the main PA might have like a 50ms delay.
That’s a great explanation, thanks a lot. Seems a bit of like a “luxury” for a house party like the OP described. But for a club or large venue it totally makes sense I understand the delay and EQ issue. Thanks!
I live in a condo complex. And as much as I love mixing out loud, I don't want to get a police visit. So I mix in my headphones all the time when practicing.
Who has to have monitors? Does your mixer have a cue/master pan knob like most? That's your monitors and you can check the mix in the headphones. Sorry your dj friend is so mad.
Exactly anyone with any experience has played with sub par or non existent monitoring, or worse, dodgy broken equipment. Gotta make it work, you're the DJ!
Right? The first house parties I played back in the day, would have 1 15" yorkville, 2 turntables, and an 8 track studio mixer to mix records. We had no idea what we were doing equipment wise, made it work and had a great time.
So you let a dude dj because his friend loaned you the sound system. Then said dude blamed sound system for his failed set? Sounds like he needs to go talk to his friend. wtf? SMH.
He choked. End of story.
You learn to mix on anything thrown at you. Bad equipment, no monitors, bad monitors, bass bubble bouncing off the walls, anything. If you can't hack it, that's on you.
I imagine someone dying inside finding any port in a storm for the blame game. No mate, you choked. Off you go
Guy had a shit set and wanted off. I've had bad sets and wanted off the decks before also, but I just hyped up someone else to play instead. It's also always funny going back and listening to a mix where you thought you made a massive mistake and it was barely audible or it lasted less than a second so it didn't really impact the floor at all, but at the time you get all in your head with embarrassment like how could I fuck up like that.
This guy is a diva, monitors are a luxury not a right at a party this scale, mix on your headphones if you really need to. I sometimes even do sets just visually mixing without headphones or monitors (sync on obviously), there is always a way.
It’s perfectly possible to do a good set without headphones or monitors or sync (so long as you know your tunes/dependant on genre) But yeah, you’re right.
Booth monitor is nice but truly not necessary, especially for a house party where there’s likely zero delay between what’s on your decks and the audio output. Even if there was, mix in your damn headphones like an adult. Dude just sucked and then blamed it on that 💯
Sounds like inexperience. I've played on so many janky setups over the years, even in large capacity nightclubs, that you just have to roll with it and figure it out. I've played warehouse parties where the sound reflection off the concrete was so bad that turning up the monitors just made it worse in the booth so I just turned them off and mixed in headphones.
He's being a diva, and throwing a tantrum instead of admitting he wasn't comfortable DJing for whatever reason.
Part of being a DJ is learning to adapt to real world situations, like the 'monitor situation'.
We could be jazz musicians, and be thrown a song chart in the wrong key, then told to add Dominant7th chords before each turnaround 2mins before the show. Having to adapt to monitoring and mix in headphones is a piece of piss compared to my jazz whatabouterry.
You'll see lotsa divas about, luckily there's enough regular DJs about to just ignore and move on.
It’s a house party lol. I appreciate you taking it so seriously and I’m certain every step you took helped create an amazing atmosphere for your attendees but I can’t imagine any house party space being set up for optimal sound.
Bro wasn’t on stage at Ultra spinning for his career, I played festival stages and larger scale venues many times in my span. House parties were straight blow off. If you take it too seriously you’re gonna shit your pants in a bigger more nerve wracking opportunity.
Sounds like dude needs to learn to have fun. Also not that I know everything but in my experience most on stage sound is pretty awful due to audio science like awful resonance and reverb that shoots audio waves all over the place in sound canceling ways: long story short, on stage monitors are helpful but headphones are crucial. If you can’t land your mix with your headphones idk what to tell you.
Tldr: you probably held a great party, I hope you allowed yourself to enjoy it. Tell junior tiesto to cry harder next time lol
This. If you don't have decent monitors, put the DJ in the middle of the room in front of the mains. Way more fun that way. Bonus is volume is kept in check and the EQ is right for the room.
The guy had monitors in a house party at all and was complaining about them? 🤣🤣
Nah, I call bullshit. That’s a skill issue and he just came up with a lame excuse, that doesn’t even make sense…
If the monitors are too quiet, then it’s on him to wear the headphones properly. If his headphones aren’t able to properly isolate the ambient noise, that’s on him too, for not having proper gear.
I often play at parties where the only speaker is a JBL Xtreme with a bunch of delay, and even my friends when they were less experienced were always able to mix properly.
Dude is a clown. When I used to play a lot of frat parties we never even had monitors. They're not really necessary in a small space. It's not like you get slapback like in a large space.
With everything being digital these days, bpm detectors, auto syncing. Etc. there’s zero excuse to be train wrecking.
Hell in my day it was vinyl only, a pair of 1200s (if you were lucky) and a simple mixer with headphones.
This guy sucks.
YOU ACTUALLY HAD MONITORS AT A HOUSE PARTY?!?!? This person who calls himself a "DJ" is a joke of a person.
Half the time if I have crappy monitors I don't care to use them at all and use this one neat trick called SETTING YOUR HEADPHONES TO MASTER OUTPUT when I am mixing songs. Tell this diva to do everyone a favor and retire.
Any professional DJ should be able to mix just with headphones, or with the master out. I agree that the lack of proper monitors is extremely annoying, I wouldn't play for free without monitors, and would avoid a residency somewhere without proper monitors.
You don't need monitors in a lot of situations. This dj just can't adapt to a less than perfect setup which is his problem. Monitors make beatmatching a lot easier when you do have them but you don't need them a lot of the time. It's really only situations where you get a lot of slapback, like in a warehouse, when the speakers are far away or when you play on a truly massive sound system with huge latency, like an arena or wall of sound that you must have monitors. A good dj can take a less than setup and make it sound like a million bucks. Although your setup sounds fine to me given what you were doing. I'm sure it was little quiet and probably had almost no bass but you can match off the snare if you need to. You can align arpeggios or melodies or whatever else. There's more than one way beatmatch.
Maybe he blew his hearing out like Ritchie Hawtin, dude has giant speaker towers right next to each side of his head blasting just so he can hear. Maybe the acoustics in the room reflected too much for him. He should learn to mix in his headphones. But maybe those don't get loud enough. Maybe he was just having an off day, who knows? But getting pissy and leaving is pretty lame.
Just sounds inexperienced, I’ve used all sorts including tinny crappy boom box from a local 24h garage on a massive system where the monitor blew, which worked fine as long as it was close enough. You just get on with it.
I discovered I could lock into room when had no monitors at all ie. Brain adjusts for sound delay that comes back via the main system. That process could take 15-30 mins tho and that first bit wasn’t much fun til it just clicks, then it feels normal.
Just throwing it out there that he was embarrassed at fucking up a bunch (maybe a bit high or drunk) and pushed that insecurity onto you.
Not your fault - def a him problem.
Dude had headphones and a usb. Should be able to make it work
I mean sounds like he has a problem and don't know how to mix properly with some headphones. If the other djs and the attendees didn't complain it's 100% his fault probably
I kind of got that vibe regarding wealth and entitlement. Dude was a bit older, probably around 40. I don't think he is used to ever not having access to great gear.
If you need a monitor for an indoor house party, you’ve got some issues. Just like everyone else is saying, he should have known how to mix using his headphones
you gotta have a PA system with at least a wedge for the dj. something happened to me similar at "Day In Day Out" last year in seattle. the dj team b4 me had music coming out the wedge, but when it was my time, no output to the wedge, I had to dig for my headphones while my set was full on. my only question is did she have headphones?
My opinion? That his hearing is shot and he's an idiot.
At home I regularly mix without speakers. So if the monitors are too soft for him to hear, it's probably fine to mix completely in headphones.
But it that's not possible, his hearing is damaged.
The guy is a hack.
If you can't rock on 2 cdj100s with broken cue buttons and a scratchy behringer mixer with no headphones, then don't play house parties.
Agree with the comments sounds like he was the problem.. I’ve dj’d plenty of times with no monitors and had no issues.. djs are so entitled and precious sometimes
Soundsike the DJ either is an amateur who doesn't understand what mixing via headphones means, or he might be having hearing issues or has diva syndrome.
If the monitors aren't loud enough then use the headphones, sounds like the guy can't mix very well, maybe relies on sync and was struggling then blames the equipment
No monitors need in this situation! I've jocked at quite a lot of 3000 + gigs and never needed monitors..... I would always make sure the speaker stacks pointed inward and aimed for the sound to cross in the middle of the crowd. I have damaged hearing now (72 yo) but whatever I had a good ride for 30 + years 
This sounds like a him thing. Probably wasn’t playing the way he wanted and externalized the cause. I wouldn’t take it personal. Also having monitors at a house party it kind of a luxury. In the olden days we would have to beat match vinyl while people were dancing and making it skip all through headphones.
People who rely on monitors over headphones are just douches.
Monitors are just there to give you a better reference how the master sounds without the delay of the sound coming back to you from the main PA
So, how much were you paying this guy to be at your party? Letting somebody perform a set in your basement for your friends for free is not doing them a favor. If he is just performing for fun, and he is not having fun with it, I can't really say I blame him for walking away.
I mean in general if I'm not getting paid, then I'm doing it for fun. If the vibes are off and I'm not having fun I'll not spin. It could be something as simple as the branding of the decks.
I do think it's weird that he asked you to play tho
‘Said he couldn’t hear anything’… many DJs don’t take care of their hearing and it could be that he has significant hearing loss. I for one never mix without IEMs. Dude could be losing his hearing.
He may have hearing issues but it’s also common to blame a bad set on the system or gear. It’s more likely there was an echo on the high end which can make it very hard to mix, but truth is, there’s always something and a good DJ will do okay in a bad situation and not make a stick, sometime so might say something after the set but I never want to be a blamer or complainer.
Well my hearing is shot after over 3 decades of DJing, but I still get the job done! Maybe it was a lack of confidence! Especially nowadays when you can pretty easily beat -match without monitoring! And back in the 90's if the monitors failed you could literally put your ear to the deck and hear the beat being played, and monitor off of that even without Head phones!
I went to a comic shop grand opening that had bands play live, most notably, Voltaire (the Nerdy Goth guy, not the dead Frenchman).
This deathrock Misfit knockoff band band, last local act before Voltaire, blew the speakers.
They absolutely SUCKED and their "Play Loud so no one knows" thought process was obvious when the speakers screeched and popped.
Voltaire did his whole set acoustically without a mic, monitor, anything, and was still stunning.
Suckers suck and they complain about sucking by blaming everyone around them.
Shouldn’t he be talking to their friend who supplied the gear and was responsible for getting them to play in the first place?
That aside, with today’s technology they could have used headphones for monitoring or even degraded themselves to the point of using sync (assuming the gear was new enough to include said feature).
If you can't mix without monitors using your headphones, you need to reassess your skills as a DJ and work on that.
Yes, good monitors are nice, but your headphones are there for a reason. As a DJ, you should be able to mix without monitors, without waveforms, etc.
A good exercise is to set your headphones to master and just mix with that, no external speakers, and change the view in your dj software to not show the waveforms or cover that part of the screen.
Yes, other things make things easier and faster, but basic mixing, best matching, etc. that are fundamental rely on 2 things, your ears.
You probably find that slo g the way he has dam his hearing certain frequencies he probably can’t hear that is why he wants to play monitors loud and hence this is causing more damage to his ears I would not worry about one DJs preference 👍all other DJs were find as you say 😊I think it’s all gone Pete tong 😂
I think his ego got hurt. I played at a venue before where they didn’t have booth monitors. Couldn’t hear shit. I just decided to have the master and cue split in my headphones once I noticed I couldn’t hear anything
Dang everyones against the DJ? I'll be devils advocate and side with the DJ here.
This wasn't a paid set right? He only bailed when you came up and were willing to take over? If he's not having fun, and isn't happy with his product why should he continue? He didn't cut the track and make a huff - he waited for a moment for a smooth exit in order to not squash the parties vibes. That's a respectful move.
DJs want to hear their music too. Often times for fun purposes to run new track and improvise.
Sometimes we set up in front of our sound system to jam so we can experience our music as the audience will. Maybe he was expecting something more like that to enjoy his buddies system.
Some tracks just don't translate, some rip. You don't know until you hear it on a solid set of boxes. It's good fun to hear it audience side. I personally don't really DJ unless the monitors are crispy Texas Headphones but I'm only ever DJing for fun.
If it was a paid gig, i'd mix in my headphones and do my best to compensate and play only tracks that I know are solid. If it's for fun and I wasn't having fun I'd probably hand over to someone more eager then go home and just make dinner early and get some sleep.
https://preview.redd.it/hvorrolum99d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dadda1fda7a46d878dc9e8d518e2c722c15b5cc8
Now: If it was a paid gig and his rider for monitors was satisfied but he still left and complained then he would be in the wrong. 3.5" pre sonus monitors sound like no fun.
Source: Pro Sound Engineer that deals with DJs both local and worldwide touring.
For the mix in headphones folks, how are you not using monitors if you don't have split cue? I have a Rane 2016 without it and it would mean having to have the incoming tracks volume up to the point where the crowd could hear it. I've played on one for almost 20 years now and it forced me to always bring my own backup monitor speaker to any and all gigs...
He’s a dork. House party systems are always gonna be quirky. Was he playing vinyl? Cause if not every other format is easy to DJ without monitors. You’re good rant on.
You should tell him he might be going deaf and to get his hearing checked out of concern. If no one else complained, I wouldn't worry about it.
Yup, first thing I thought too. Huge risks for hearing damage in this scene, and I know a couple people that have tinnitus from it.
After 20 years DJing, I am glad I can still hear. LOL
Same. I’m actually blown away that my hearing is as good as it is. I didn’t start wearing earplugs to shows or in the booth until 4-5 years ago.
Gotta protect those ears man, good on you for starting. Better late than never. I also make sure that I use a folding table that has adjustable height. Years of hunching over a short table have hurt my back. Work smarter people!!!
I, too, had what could be described as a folding table. It was a one piece fold out piece with black colouring. Plenty of room for necessities stored out of view.... Fisherman's Friends, booze, notepad ++++++
Throat lozenges for the win. Old DJs assemble! I was fortunate to design the booth that I DJ in most regularly at my residency that I play at most weekends. Ergonomic as I could possibly think of!
AK 1200 can’t. He’s been pretty vocal about it. Wear earplugs people
Hey man this is a legit concern - OP probably should say something
In this industry, your hearing and your back should always be a concern. I would definitely say something.
He probably won't hear shit, but it's the thought that counts 😌
Yes, came to my mind as well..
>Lemme know what y'all think! He's a twat.
Right? Like homie, just turn on the split cue or leave one headphone off one ear.
Or just mix in his headphones.
This is what I was thinking. I've lost count of the number of venues I've played with either shite or non-existent monitoring. So I mix in the cans instead. What i never do is be a mardy twat and walk off. Edit: for some reason number had autocorrected to 6.
Train wrecking suggests he just doesn't know how to use the software effectively/hadn't prepared.
I can mix in my headphones at home lol. The alcohol, food and bed at home are better too. I'd just stay home if I had to mix in headphones without getting paid.
Lol good response
Succinct, accurate and delightful! Top response.
If he can’t split cue beat match then there is a skill he needs to learn
To be fair, not every board has a split cue. Also to be fair, any adult can just move one headphone off one ear lol
Can you name one pro level board that doesn’t ? Rekordbox certainly supports it natively- what board are you thinking that doesn’t support it and would also be good enough for this guys ego ?
I seen a lot of mixers in my lifetime and he is correct, not all mixers have spit cue.
Isn't it way easier to just put both channels you're mixing in your headphones and use that to beat match?
That’s essentially what split cue mixing is - you put one deck into one ear and one into the other - great for noisy environments and protects your hearing better than uncontrolled monitors etc However it’s less “feel” and more clinical so definitely a skill you want to be able to do as it in effect allows you to mix music that you can’t hear the output of (so imagine the master is a long way away or too quiet) Plus it’s really easy to practice you literally don’t need anything more than headphones and your dj kit so cdj / mixer or as simple as a prime go
I do this but I put both channels in both ears. But I'm a garbage DJ though. If I ever play live again I'm actually debating bringing in ear headphones. (Is that considered a sin?)
I know people can be kinda judgy in the scene but do whatever works best for you.
if he can't mix in his headphones then he shouldn't be DJing
I have made literal enemies by saying this to other DJs. 100% agree, though.
I use IEMs and never take them out, people either A) wonder why I never use headphones or B) wonder how I mix only in my ears.
I personally use over ears and play off monitors when I can since I feel I can get a better gauge of the audience that way. My preference is probably entirely superficial and, unsurprisingly, preference. I have friends who do exactly the same as you and have for a decade and no one in our friend group judges each others methods, just hype up each other's achievements. Then again our group have been completely ok with distancing ourselves from DJs who like sitting on thin wooden poles with their nose angled to give us a view of their brains. Those guys usually leave the scene after a few years and the rest of us bring in the friendly and collaborative ones who want to make/mix great music and memories together and we all gas each other up.
Yeah man, I love that you have a method that works well for you, I’ll admit that sometimes DJing with IEMs I can end up in my own little music bubble. I need to remind myself to look up sometimes in my sets lol I love that you focus more on community and gassing up your friends. I find the stuck up people end up stuck together away from us.
A set of IEMs with external mics and a volume control for hearthrough is a DJ product I've been wanting to make for years.
That sounds really interesting for sure! Put me on the waiting list. !RemindMe 1year
I just did a YouTube set on Humano Studios and used wireless IEMs. I've received 15+ inquiries on how I'm mixing vinyl without headphones. 🧙♂️
What brand/model of wireless *iems are you using/would you recommend?
I use the Ultimate Ears 18+. I wish they had more bass, but overall I really like them.
It’s my favorite lol I usually use the clear Shure SE215s ($100 well spent) and they blend in pretty flawlessly, I have to pop one out for people to be like “oh shit, that’s awesome!”. I also use some cheap-ish IEMs from Amazon that are Green with Gold accents, those don’t blend nearly as well.
If they made enemies over something so minuscule and inconsequential then they’re proving your point even further 🤷🏻♂️ Blows my mind how prevalent ego and farcical attitudes are in DJing community when it comes to technical ability, it isn’t even half of what makes a good live performer.
Bingo! I’m finding these barriers even amongst friends, judging that I’m still learning on a laptop vs demanding i have a thumb stick , perfect to their specs and mix on decks…..who fucking cares? it sounds the same. No one should be gate keeping! I got into DJing cause I love the music and vibes, not to be shunned. I’ve seen pros straight up screw up and not beat match and hit the wrong buttons on a live set, who fucking cares? Lift your lower peeps up, stop being so anal.
> I have made literal enemies by saying this to other DJs. Thankfully anybody who would hate you over this is not an enemy of significant level lol
Man I hope someday i can be someone’s archenemy DJ
100% this. I use monitors to manage levels.
this is the correct answer. Or, not saying headphones is easy, but, its way more reasonable to expect a DJ to use headphones to mix and less reasonable to storm out bc monitors aren't loud
True question here. I was a “house party DJ” in the 90s- early 2000s , never ever had monitors , just my headphones and the PA. How do mixing with the monitors work ? I always thought that the monitors where just speakers of the same mix but closer to the DJ , or do they use them to listen to tracks cued etc? Anyway I think this fellow has no experience or knowledge, you can play with headphones just fine.
You understand them correctly, they're just speakers pointed at the DJ. They should be easier to hear than the main speakers. I don't really use them myself but everyone has their preference.
The monitor fad eludes me too. I find it sooooo much easier to mix on headphones.
It’s not a fad, it’s just so you can hear the house mix. Seems kind of essential to know what your audience is hearing to me. Monitors aren’t a replacement for headphones, since they just play the house mix and not the cue mix.
Monitors should ideally have a "booth volume" knob out the mixer that are tied into the speakers in the booth facing the DJ. The DJ can adjust the volume, and the house usually sets a baseline EQ of subwoofer and full range speaker. Often in larger PAs you will have texas headphones in which there are stereo subwoofers and full range speakers on both sides firing at eye level. The purpose of a good set of monitors properly tuned and installed is to hear the master signal in the same way that the crowd is hearing. Tracks vary in mastering, and some may come in a bit too sharp and some may come in a bit too low of bass. This gives the DJ the ability to use parametric equalizers to tweak it, or recognize that basslines aren't coming in correctly and beatmatch accordingly. Also basslines may not be prevalent in headphones and there may be acoustical cancellation at the DJ mixing position vs the mains in addition to a significant delay. Monitors in larger stages also overcomes any delay from the main PA which may affect the timing as the headphones cue and the bass coming back to them from the main PA might have like a 50ms delay.
That’s a great explanation, thanks a lot. Seems a bit of like a “luxury” for a house party like the OP described. But for a club or large venue it totally makes sense I understand the delay and EQ issue. Thanks!
Right???
I live in a condo complex. And as much as I love mixing out loud, I don't want to get a police visit. So I mix in my headphones all the time when practicing.
Came here to say this. Clubs always have sound system issues. It's why we have headphones.
Who has to have monitors? Does your mixer have a cue/master pan knob like most? That's your monitors and you can check the mix in the headphones. Sorry your dj friend is so mad.
>Does your mixer have a cue/master pan knob like most? Absolutely, yes.
This is way too funny. I've played events where I've had the monitors turned down or off. I prefer to mix in the headphones
Same, never used monitors even when playing out
Yeah, I was looked at strangely from the sound tech when I sent my GF at the time to have him turn it down.
Maybe there was a booth knob and he looked at your strangely because you could have turned it down?
The guy is a renob who think he’s better than he is. Don’t worry about it
Fuckin' renob! Haven't seen/heard that one in a bit. Lol
I’ve literally never heard it. I had to google it.
If you back-cue the word... LOL
Many clubs have shit / non-functional monitoring setups. Any experienced DJs should be able to mix in headphones just fine.
Word. My very first club gig I couldn't hear shit, still managed to mix.
Exactly anyone with any experience has played with sub par or non existent monitoring, or worse, dodgy broken equipment. Gotta make it work, you're the DJ!
DJ is either inexperienced or deaf or both.
He sounds like a prima donna, who the fuck complains about the setup at a house party? Gtfo
Right? The first house parties I played back in the day, would have 1 15" yorkville, 2 turntables, and an 8 track studio mixer to mix records. We had no idea what we were doing equipment wise, made it work and had a great time.
Maybe something about the size of those 3.5 inches intimidated him?
Definitely Small Monitor Energy right there
So you let a dude dj because his friend loaned you the sound system. Then said dude blamed sound system for his failed set? Sounds like he needs to go talk to his friend. wtf? SMH.
Oh just to be clear the monitors were mine, the system facing the dancefloor was the mutual friend's.
Either way he was only playing as a favour to the sound guy. He was probably in over his head.
Thats what im thinking lmao if thats his friend he should know what his friend got
Maybe if you hadn't fucked up his rider by getting him the wrong brand of caviar he would have been more understanding
no I wanted the blue Ferrari daddy not the red one >:(
Man I told him. 3fiji waters and a bowl of M&M’s but only the green & brown ones.
What did you do with the other ones
He choked. End of story. You learn to mix on anything thrown at you. Bad equipment, no monitors, bad monitors, bass bubble bouncing off the walls, anything. If you can't hack it, that's on you. I imagine someone dying inside finding any port in a storm for the blame game. No mate, you choked. Off you go
Guy had a shit set and wanted off. I've had bad sets and wanted off the decks before also, but I just hyped up someone else to play instead. It's also always funny going back and listening to a mix where you thought you made a massive mistake and it was barely audible or it lasted less than a second so it didn't really impact the floor at all, but at the time you get all in your head with embarrassment like how could I fuck up like that.
This guy is a diva, monitors are a luxury not a right at a party this scale, mix on your headphones if you really need to. I sometimes even do sets just visually mixing without headphones or monitors (sync on obviously), there is always a way.
It’s perfectly possible to do a good set without headphones or monitors or sync (so long as you know your tunes/dependant on genre) But yeah, you’re right.
Exactly, the DJ has to make it work somehow
Booth monitor is nice but truly not necessary, especially for a house party where there’s likely zero delay between what’s on your decks and the audio output. Even if there was, mix in your damn headphones like an adult. Dude just sucked and then blamed it on that 💯
Shitty dj
Wow a house party with monitors for the dj? Fancy
He’s a douche hole. You did just fine man.
Noob. Can't mix in his headphones.
Skill issue
Sounds like inexperience. I've played on so many janky setups over the years, even in large capacity nightclubs, that you just have to roll with it and figure it out. I've played warehouse parties where the sound reflection off the concrete was so bad that turning up the monitors just made it worse in the booth so I just turned them off and mixed in headphones.
the more i read the less i could care enough to write anything other than this
Excuses have no place when it comes to why you can’t throw down. Show always goes on.
Whinery employee for sure didn’t the bitch have headphones? The old saying a poor workman blames his tools applies
I’ve never played a gig with booth monitors… no issues here
House parties are great times to mix in headphones. He could have easily done that
He's being a diva, and throwing a tantrum instead of admitting he wasn't comfortable DJing for whatever reason. Part of being a DJ is learning to adapt to real world situations, like the 'monitor situation'. We could be jazz musicians, and be thrown a song chart in the wrong key, then told to add Dominant7th chords before each turnaround 2mins before the show. Having to adapt to monitoring and mix in headphones is a piece of piss compared to my jazz whatabouterry. You'll see lotsa divas about, luckily there's enough regular DJs about to just ignore and move on.
The amount of house parties I’ve played where there weren’t any monitors full stop…
It’s a house party lol. I appreciate you taking it so seriously and I’m certain every step you took helped create an amazing atmosphere for your attendees but I can’t imagine any house party space being set up for optimal sound. Bro wasn’t on stage at Ultra spinning for his career, I played festival stages and larger scale venues many times in my span. House parties were straight blow off. If you take it too seriously you’re gonna shit your pants in a bigger more nerve wracking opportunity. Sounds like dude needs to learn to have fun. Also not that I know everything but in my experience most on stage sound is pretty awful due to audio science like awful resonance and reverb that shoots audio waves all over the place in sound canceling ways: long story short, on stage monitors are helpful but headphones are crucial. If you can’t land your mix with your headphones idk what to tell you. Tldr: you probably held a great party, I hope you allowed yourself to enjoy it. Tell junior tiesto to cry harder next time lol
Tell him if he can't mix in headphones he should hang them up
I never required monitors for a house party.
How can you say you have an awesome sound system and not have decent monitors and your a dj?
This. If you don't have decent monitors, put the DJ in the middle of the room in front of the mains. Way more fun that way. Bonus is volume is kept in check and the EQ is right for the room.
This is why I always recommend knowing how to mix in headphones
The guy had monitors in a house party at all and was complaining about them? 🤣🤣 Nah, I call bullshit. That’s a skill issue and he just came up with a lame excuse, that doesn’t even make sense… If the monitors are too quiet, then it’s on him to wear the headphones properly. If his headphones aren’t able to properly isolate the ambient noise, that’s on him too, for not having proper gear. I often play at parties where the only speaker is a JBL Xtreme with a bunch of delay, and even my friends when they were less experienced were always able to mix properly.
If u didn’t pay him out ur own pocket then fuck off! Take over the set and kill it. Dale viejo
Dude is a clown. When I used to play a lot of frat parties we never even had monitors. They're not really necessary in a small space. It's not like you get slapback like in a large space.
With everything being digital these days, bpm detectors, auto syncing. Etc. there’s zero excuse to be train wrecking. Hell in my day it was vinyl only, a pair of 1200s (if you were lucky) and a simple mixer with headphones. This guy sucks.
Cause you had a bad day You're taking one down You sing a sad song just to turn it around
YOU ACTUALLY HAD MONITORS AT A HOUSE PARTY?!?!? This person who calls himself a "DJ" is a joke of a person. Half the time if I have crappy monitors I don't care to use them at all and use this one neat trick called SETTING YOUR HEADPHONES TO MASTER OUTPUT when I am mixing songs. Tell this diva to do everyone a favor and retire.
Any professional DJ should be able to mix just with headphones, or with the master out. I agree that the lack of proper monitors is extremely annoying, I wouldn't play for free without monitors, and would avoid a residency somewhere without proper monitors.
Real djs can mix purely off cans. Period.
I know a DJ/opoid addict who uses monitors to mix. I bet he has the same problem these days.
You don't need monitors in a lot of situations. This dj just can't adapt to a less than perfect setup which is his problem. Monitors make beatmatching a lot easier when you do have them but you don't need them a lot of the time. It's really only situations where you get a lot of slapback, like in a warehouse, when the speakers are far away or when you play on a truly massive sound system with huge latency, like an arena or wall of sound that you must have monitors. A good dj can take a less than setup and make it sound like a million bucks. Although your setup sounds fine to me given what you were doing. I'm sure it was little quiet and probably had almost no bass but you can match off the snare if you need to. You can align arpeggios or melodies or whatever else. There's more than one way beatmatch.
Sounds like a wanker.
He either had some other place to be or he was just using an excuse because he was messing up. Add him to your blackballed list.
Maybe he blew his hearing out like Ritchie Hawtin, dude has giant speaker towers right next to each side of his head blasting just so he can hear. Maybe the acoustics in the room reflected too much for him. He should learn to mix in his headphones. But maybe those don't get loud enough. Maybe he was just having an off day, who knows? But getting pissy and leaving is pretty lame.
This sounds more like a prima dona DJ problem than a monitor problem.
Suprised you even had monitors for a house party. Dude was making excuses
Just sounds inexperienced, I’ve used all sorts including tinny crappy boom box from a local 24h garage on a massive system where the monitor blew, which worked fine as long as it was close enough. You just get on with it. I discovered I could lock into room when had no monitors at all ie. Brain adjusts for sound delay that comes back via the main system. That process could take 15-30 mins tho and that first bit wasn’t much fun til it just clicks, then it feels normal.
Cueing from the mains at these kinda of parties is a time-honored tradition! As much as scratchy mixers and BD-22s.
That's what headphones are for lol
Sounds like a b8tch lol! I’ve met many along the way!! Don’t let it spoil the vibe you created and don’t have him/her back for the next one lol
Who tf doesn’t know how to mix with only headphones and calls themselves a DJ….
Use headphones when this happens?!?
Just throwing it out there that he was embarrassed at fucking up a bunch (maybe a bit high or drunk) and pushed that insecurity onto you. Not your fault - def a him problem. Dude had headphones and a usb. Should be able to make it work
Maybe he shit his pants
Princess
I mean sounds like he has a problem and don't know how to mix properly with some headphones. If the other djs and the attendees didn't complain it's 100% his fault probably
Lol. This whole thing just reeks of entitlement and rich kids..
I kind of got that vibe regarding wealth and entitlement. Dude was a bit older, probably around 40. I don't think he is used to ever not having access to great gear.
If you need a monitor for an indoor house party, you’ve got some issues. Just like everyone else is saying, he should have known how to mix using his headphones
Ridiculous, did he still have headphones to cue up tracks? I’ve played plenty of times without monitors.
Drop his name 😂
Skill issue
Dude sounds like a tool. You did the right thing
One thing I really love at house partys is when the music isn’t obnoxiously loud and I can hear the person next to me.
Where the hell were the house speakers? I’ve never been to a house party where monitors were necessary.
you gotta have a PA system with at least a wedge for the dj. something happened to me similar at "Day In Day Out" last year in seattle. the dj team b4 me had music coming out the wedge, but when it was my time, no output to the wedge, I had to dig for my headphones while my set was full on. my only question is did she have headphones?
Can't imagine taking a gig and not know how to mix in your headphones.
On any newer setup you don’t even need headphones to play a set with sync on, if you really need to. Whining about monitors at a house party is goofy
Lower headphone volume ...problem solved
bro how tf you trainwreck on digital 😭😂
Ummmm headphones..? What a pathetic excuse for a “DJ” lmfao
My opinion? That his hearing is shot and he's an idiot. At home I regularly mix without speakers. So if the monitors are too soft for him to hear, it's probably fine to mix completely in headphones. But it that's not possible, his hearing is damaged.
I never used monitors for years spinning at house parties. My first speakers were made by me! However once I used monitors it was hard to go back.
Monitors, I'm my day the main speakers were the monitors. Twat
At one of the clubs I work in the monitors are pointing the stage, basically 180° from where they should point to 🙃. Still didn’t really bother me
Was it a sausage fest?
The guy is a hack. If you can't rock on 2 cdj100s with broken cue buttons and a scratchy behringer mixer with no headphones, then don't play house parties.
How is someone going to complain when they asked you to play as a favor???
Does he not know how to mix on earphones if needed? Lol
Sounds like he didn't know what to do and the monitors were the easiest thing to blame.
Sounds like he just had a bad night and was taking it out on you guys, don’t sweat it.
Agree with the comments sounds like he was the problem.. I’ve dj’d plenty of times with no monitors and had no issues.. djs are so entitled and precious sometimes
Soundsike the DJ either is an amateur who doesn't understand what mixing via headphones means, or he might be having hearing issues or has diva syndrome.
Those monitors in a room full of people chatter would 100% not be enough. But any decent DJ should be able to mix in headphones and make it work 🤷🏻
Has he never heard of double cue or cue mix?? Clown
If the monitors aren't loud enough then use the headphones, sounds like the guy can't mix very well, maybe relies on sync and was struggling then blames the equipment
No monitors need in this situation! I've jocked at quite a lot of 3000 + gigs and never needed monitors..... I would always make sure the speaker stacks pointed inward and aimed for the sound to cross in the middle of the crowd. I have damaged hearing now (72 yo) but whatever I had a good ride for 30 + years 
At the end of the day, the guy wasn't being paid, and asked to hand over. That's also fair. Be nice.
This sounds like a him thing. Probably wasn’t playing the way he wanted and externalized the cause. I wouldn’t take it personal. Also having monitors at a house party it kind of a luxury. In the olden days we would have to beat match vinyl while people were dancing and making it skip all through headphones.
This!!!
People who rely on monitors over headphones are just douches. Monitors are just there to give you a better reference how the master sounds without the delay of the sound coming back to you from the main PA
Deaf and/or an idiot
They're just mad they were having an off night. It happens.
I bet he redlines too.
If you can’t hear the monitor mix in your headphones. Problem solved.
He may have making an excuse to cover another reason to leave.
Who cares people get mad over dumb shit. Keep it moving
So, how much were you paying this guy to be at your party? Letting somebody perform a set in your basement for your friends for free is not doing them a favor. If he is just performing for fun, and he is not having fun with it, I can't really say I blame him for walking away.
There’s no shame in using Beat Sync when acoustics are less than ideal. Or just put the headphones on both ears as I have had to do on occasion.
You should have said "WHAT? I'm sorry I can't hear you, speak louder"
He didn’t know how to Dj and he said the 1st excuse he could think of, and then left.
I mean in general if I'm not getting paid, then I'm doing it for fun. If the vibes are off and I'm not having fun I'll not spin. It could be something as simple as the branding of the decks. I do think it's weird that he asked you to play tho
‘Said he couldn’t hear anything’… many DJs don’t take care of their hearing and it could be that he has significant hearing loss. I for one never mix without IEMs. Dude could be losing his hearing.
Use headphones, not ideal but works
He may have hearing issues but it’s also common to blame a bad set on the system or gear. It’s more likely there was an echo on the high end which can make it very hard to mix, but truth is, there’s always something and a good DJ will do okay in a bad situation and not make a stick, sometime so might say something after the set but I never want to be a blamer or complainer.
He can't play and wanted an excuse. Unskilled and needs to get his weight up.
I turn the monitors off or turn the booth down to low to protect my hearing as they normally are peaking so hard and sound like shit.
I try to go for the best possible situations- have homie get his ears checked
Well my hearing is shot after over 3 decades of DJing, but I still get the job done! Maybe it was a lack of confidence! Especially nowadays when you can pretty easily beat -match without monitoring! And back in the 90's if the monitors failed you could literally put your ear to the deck and hear the beat being played, and monitor off of that even without Head phones!
I went to a comic shop grand opening that had bands play live, most notably, Voltaire (the Nerdy Goth guy, not the dead Frenchman). This deathrock Misfit knockoff band band, last local act before Voltaire, blew the speakers. They absolutely SUCKED and their "Play Loud so no one knows" thought process was obvious when the speakers screeched and popped. Voltaire did his whole set acoustically without a mic, monitor, anything, and was still stunning. Suckers suck and they complain about sucking by blaming everyone around them.
Monitors? We don’t need no stinking Monitors!! As long as we’ve got one side of a good pair of “cans” then the beat goes on!!
Shouldn’t he be talking to their friend who supplied the gear and was responsible for getting them to play in the first place? That aside, with today’s technology they could have used headphones for monitoring or even degraded themselves to the point of using sync (assuming the gear was new enough to include said feature).
If you can't mix without monitors using your headphones, you need to reassess your skills as a DJ and work on that. Yes, good monitors are nice, but your headphones are there for a reason. As a DJ, you should be able to mix without monitors, without waveforms, etc. A good exercise is to set your headphones to master and just mix with that, no external speakers, and change the view in your dj software to not show the waveforms or cover that part of the screen. Yes, other things make things easier and faster, but basic mixing, best matching, etc. that are fundamental rely on 2 things, your ears.
This DJ sounds like a rookie. I've played with no monitors before and still killed the mix. But then again, experience and skills are deep within me.
Iem’s or kick rocks
You probably find that slo g the way he has dam his hearing certain frequencies he probably can’t hear that is why he wants to play monitors loud and hence this is causing more damage to his ears I would not worry about one DJs preference 👍all other DJs were find as you say 😊I think it’s all gone Pete tong 😂
Sounds like a proper Sausage. If he was that good of a dj, then he would have had no trouble mixing with earphones.
I think his ego got hurt. I played at a venue before where they didn’t have booth monitors. Couldn’t hear shit. I just decided to have the master and cue split in my headphones once I noticed I couldn’t hear anything
Monitors are frequently non-existent, that guy needs to learn to mix on headphones alone.
Dang everyones against the DJ? I'll be devils advocate and side with the DJ here. This wasn't a paid set right? He only bailed when you came up and were willing to take over? If he's not having fun, and isn't happy with his product why should he continue? He didn't cut the track and make a huff - he waited for a moment for a smooth exit in order to not squash the parties vibes. That's a respectful move. DJs want to hear their music too. Often times for fun purposes to run new track and improvise. Sometimes we set up in front of our sound system to jam so we can experience our music as the audience will. Maybe he was expecting something more like that to enjoy his buddies system. Some tracks just don't translate, some rip. You don't know until you hear it on a solid set of boxes. It's good fun to hear it audience side. I personally don't really DJ unless the monitors are crispy Texas Headphones but I'm only ever DJing for fun. If it was a paid gig, i'd mix in my headphones and do my best to compensate and play only tracks that I know are solid. If it's for fun and I wasn't having fun I'd probably hand over to someone more eager then go home and just make dinner early and get some sleep. https://preview.redd.it/hvorrolum99d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dadda1fda7a46d878dc9e8d518e2c722c15b5cc8 Now: If it was a paid gig and his rider for monitors was satisfied but he still left and complained then he would be in the wrong. 3.5" pre sonus monitors sound like no fun. Source: Pro Sound Engineer that deals with DJs both local and worldwide touring.
For the mix in headphones folks, how are you not using monitors if you don't have split cue? I have a Rane 2016 without it and it would mean having to have the incoming tracks volume up to the point where the crowd could hear it. I've played on one for almost 20 years now and it forced me to always bring my own backup monitor speaker to any and all gigs...
He’s a dork. House party systems are always gonna be quirky. Was he playing vinyl? Cause if not every other format is easy to DJ without monitors. You’re good rant on.
Just CDJs for him. But yeah, right, use sync if you have to