Manipulating Vinyl

Manipulating Vinyl

Getting the incoming record at exactly the same speed (or 'pitch', it's the same thing) as the current record is not enough. You also need to to line up the incoming record so that they are in phase: Synchronised. In other words: The beats of both records need to be heard as one. Even if you have the pitch of the records exactly right, if one record is lagging behind, you still hear a dreadful double bass.

As you can see, the shift between these two waveforms doesn't change much over time: Both records have the same speed, but one is ahead of the other.

In order to get the incoming record in phase with the current one, you have to be able to temporarily slow down or speed up the record: Giving it an extra push to catch up, or brake to slow it down.

In the figure you can see record 2 lagging behind record 1. Assuming that channel 1 is open (that is: record 1 is played over the speakers) you have to manipulate record 2. In this case it has to be sped up temporarily. There are various ways to do this, each with their own benefits and drawbacks:

• 1 - Push the rim of the turntable to speed up, or press it to let the friction slow the record down.
• 2 - Put a finger on the label of the record and push clockwise to speed up, push counter clockwise to slow down.
• 3 - Grab the hub/axle and squeeze. Like #2, twist it in the right direction. (This is of no use if you have sweatty fingers.)
• 4 - (Rare one, can not always be used) Switch from 33 rpm briefly to 45 rpm and back to speed up, 45 -> 33 -> 45 to slow down.
• 5 - Pitch bending. Tricky technique, but very effective once you've mastered it. Not recommended for beginners. [See the ADVANCED Section]

And to get right to the point of explaining:

· Method #1 is the most powerful one. It is effective for the whole range, from very small differences in phase to whole beats. BUT... Since it is so powerful, the impact on sound is also dramatic. If you need to correct a record on an open channel (playing over the speakers) it is best to use another method. The audience is likely to hear method #1, which is of course something you wish to avoid. Sometimes one can not avoid it though... especially when you are still inexperienced.

As alternative to slow down you can firmly tap the rim. Less audible, but also less controlable. Flicking a finger forward along the rim can push the record forward. Same applies here too: less accurate and less audible.

· Methods #2 and #3 are for minor corrections. The change in pitch is less audible, but the difference you can make up is also smaller.

· Method #4 is an exotic one. Personally I do not use it. I will not go into details about this one.

If you master method #5, you can make the perfect transitions. The combination of #1 and #5 is used by a lot of top-class DJs. Method #1 to get it approximately right, and #5 to annihilate any difference left. If this is executed correctly, the audience can hear NO glitches and/or changes in pitch whatsoever. In other words: perfect mixing. Then again, if you use method #1 to perfection before you start to make the transition, the crowd will hear no glitches or changes in pitch either. This would be more perfect mixing (!).