DJ Beatmatching and Tempo Control 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is 'tapping' used for in DJ beatmatching preparation?
- Activating loop points
- Manually entering BPM by tapping a button in time with the beat (Correct answer)
- Setting cue points
- Testing EQ response
Correct answer: Manually entering BPM by tapping a button in time with the beat
Tap BPM allows a DJ to manually determine a track's tempo by tapping a button in time with the beat, useful when auto-detection is inaccurate.
Question 2: In DJ mixing, what is a 'grid' or 'beat grid'?
- A visual display of frequency spectrum
- A mapped series of beat markers aligned to the track's tempo for sync and looping (Correct answer)
- The crossfader movement pattern
- A waveform display layout
Correct answer: A mapped series of beat markers aligned to the track's tempo for sync and looping
A beat grid is a set of markers placed precisely on each beat of a track, enabling accurate sync, looping, and quantized cue points in DJ software.
Question 3: What technique involves briefly touching or dragging the vinyl label to slow a record down and correct phase?
- Needle drop
- Platter push
- Dragging or braking (Correct answer)
- Backspin
Correct answer: Dragging or braking
Dragging or braking the platter by touching the vinyl or label slows the record to correct a rushing track and realign the phase.
Question 4: What does 'double-time' mean when describing a track's feel relative to its BPM?
- Playing a track at twice its original speed
- A rhythm that feels twice as fast as the counted BPM due to subdivision (Correct answer)
- Mixing two tracks with double the BPM difference
- Using two tempo faders simultaneously
Correct answer: A rhythm that feels twice as fast as the counted BPM due to subdivision
Double-time refers to music that feels rhythmically twice as fast as its stated BPM, because the musical emphasis falls on subdivisions between beats.
Question 5: What is 'pitch bending' on a CDJ?
- Permanently changing the track's key
- Temporarily speeding up or slowing down playback to nudge tracks into phase alignment (Correct answer)
- Adjusting the waveform display pitch scale
- Changing EQ center frequencies
Correct answer: Temporarily speeding up or slowing down playback to nudge tracks into phase alignment
Pitch bending temporarily speeds up or slows down a CDJ's playback by pressing the jog wheel, allowing fine phase correction without changing the set pitch.
Question 6: What is the relationship between a track at 128 BPM and one at 64 BPM?
- They are one semitone apart
- The 128 BPM track is exactly double the tempo of the 64 BPM track (Correct answer)
- They are harmonically related by a fifth
- They cannot be mixed together
Correct answer: The 128 BPM track is exactly double the tempo of the 64 BPM track
128 BPM is exactly double 64 BPM, meaning every beat of the 64 BPM track aligns with every other beat of the 128 BPM track.
DJ Beatmatching and Tempo Control 2
What is 'tapping' used for in DJ beatmatching preparation?