DJ Mixing 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does 'EQ sweeping' help a DJ identify in a problematic frequency range?
- The loudest track in the set
- The exact frequency causing muddiness or harshness (Correct answer)
- The BPM of the incoming track
- The gain staging of the master output
Correct answer: The exact frequency causing muddiness or harshness
EQ sweeping involves boosting a narrow band and moving it across the frequency spectrum to pinpoint problem frequencies before cutting them.
Question 2: In DJ mixing, what is a 'ghost mix'?
- Playing a track at zero volume to practice blending
- A mix recorded without an audience
- A transition where the outgoing track is inaudible to the crowd but audible in headphones (Correct answer)
- Using reverb to create a fading effect
Correct answer: A transition where the outgoing track is inaudible to the crowd but audible in headphones
A ghost mix lets the DJ monitor the blend in headphones before bringing it into the main mix, ensuring a clean transition.
Question 3: Which technique involves gradually increasing the bass of an incoming track while simultaneously reducing it on the outgoing track?
- EQ transition (Correct answer)
- Spinback
- Loop roll
- Filter sweep
Correct answer: EQ transition
An EQ transition swaps the low-end between tracks to avoid bass clash and create a smooth handoff.
Question 4: What is the primary function of a high-pass filter (HPF) when applied during a mix?
- Boosts high-frequency transients
- Removes frequencies below the cutoff point (Correct answer)
- Increases the overall volume of the track
- Adds harmonic distortion to the signal
Correct answer: Removes frequencies below the cutoff point
A high-pass filter cuts low frequencies below the set cutoff, useful for thinning out a track or preventing bass build-up.
Question 5: When a DJ says a mix 'lacks energy,' which of the following is most likely the cause?
- The BPM is too fast
- The tracks are not harmonically compatible
- The gain levels are mismatched or the transition is too gradual (Correct answer)
- The sample rate is set incorrectly
Correct answer: The gain levels are mismatched or the transition is too gradual
Energy drops often happen when gain levels between tracks are unbalanced or when transitions drag on too long without a dynamic shift.
Question 6: What is 'phase cancellation' and how does it affect a DJ mix?
- It amplifies bass frequencies unexpectedly
- It causes certain frequencies to cancel out, making the mix sound thin (Correct answer)
- It increases the stereo width of a track
- It creates a flanger effect on the mix
Correct answer: It causes certain frequencies to cancel out, making the mix sound thin
Phase cancellation occurs when two identical or similar audio signals are out of phase, causing their waveforms to partially or fully cancel each other.
Question 7: Which mixing approach is most effective when blending a track with a strong vocal hook into an instrumental breakdown?
- Drop the vocal track in hard on the downbeat
- Start the vocal track early and let it fade in slowly over the breakdown (Correct answer)
- Cut all EQ on the incoming track first
- Apply a spinback before the vocal enters
Correct answer: Start the vocal track early and let it fade in slowly over the breakdown
Fading a vocal track in over a breakdown builds anticipation and avoids an abrupt clash of two busy elements.
DJ Mixing 2
What does 'EQ sweeping' help a DJ identify in a problematic frequency range?