KNOW YOUR GEAR
This control determines how loud a channel is in the mix.
What is the channel fader?
Signal flow describes the path this travels through your DJ setup.
Audio/Sound
This common connection is used to plug headphones into DJ equipment.
A: What is a headphone jack?
DJs use this control to gradually move between Deck A and Deck B.
A: What is the crossfader?
These three letters tell a DJ how fast or slow a song is.
A: What is BPM?
This spinning controller surface allows DJs to manipulate or navigate a track.
What is the jog wheel?
In a basic setup, the music starts at the laptop/software and is controlled next by this device.
What is the DJ controller?
These red-and-white connectors are commonly used for left and right audio.
A: What are RCA cables?
DJs listen to a song privately before the audience hears it using this function.
A: What is cueing?
The exact location within a song that a DJ saves for quick access is called this.
A: What is a cue point/hot cue?
These three controls usually allow you to adjust the highs, mids and lows of a track
What is EQ?
Put these in order: speakers, controller, laptop.
A: What is laptop → controller → speakers?
This balanced three-pin connection is commonly used for professional speakers and audio equipment.
A: What is XLR?
Getting two songs moving at the same tempo is called this.
A: What is beatmatching?
A group of repeated beats that DJs count to understand musical structure is commonly called this.
A: What is a phrase?
This control changes the speed/BPM of a track.
What is the tempo/pitch fader?
If your controller shows activity but nothing is coming from the speakers, checking the entire path from source to output is called this.
A: What is troubleshooting the signal flow?
This type of cable carries digital information between a computer and most DJ controllers.
A: What is USB?
DJs often reduce this frequency range on one song when transitioning basslines between tracks.
A: What are the lows/bass?
The ability to hear the next track in headphones while the audience hears something different is called this.
A: What is headphone cueing/monitoring?
This section of the controller typically contains channel faders, EQ, gain and the crossfader.
. A: What is the mixer section?
Give a complete basic signal path from music library to the audience.
A: What is laptop/software → controller → master output → speakers → audience?
You have a controller with RCA master outputs but a powered speaker with an XLR input. What do you need to connect them?
A: What is an RCA-to-XLR cable/adapter?
Two tracks are both playing at 120 BPM but their kicks are hitting at different times. What still needs to be corrected?
A: What is beat alignment/phase?
DJs use this technique to organize music into groups such as intro, verse, chorus and outro before deciding where to transition.
A: What is song structure/phrasing?