Pitch Bend
A brief tempo change made with the rim of the jog wheel.
Detailed explanation
Pitch bend (also called a nudge) is the short turn of the jog wheel rim. Forward = speed the track up briefly. Backward = slow it down briefly. The effect is temporary; afterwards the track returns to the BPM you set. It is what you use for phase alignment when beatmatching. Not to be confused with the tempo fader, which changes the BPM for good.
In practice
Pitch bend and nudge mean the same movement: a short correction without changing the set tempo. Many units also have two buttons for it that run the track a fraction faster or slower for as long as you hold them. Anyone who feels unsure on the jog wheel gets surprisingly far with those — the buttons meter it more evenly than a hand, but they lack the feel.
Assessment by the DJLearn editorial team — experience, not a sourced factual claim.
Related terms
Where to learn this
Learn beatmatching
The guide that covers this topic in depth.
Explained in this phase
Phase 5: Beatmatching — The Heart of It
Read on
Learn beatmatching →