Phase 6:
The First Clean Mix
Beatmatching is the technique. A clean mix is the result. Here you learn the full workflow, from loading the next track to the finished transition.
A transition that happens in the middle of a phrase always sounds wrong — no matter how technically clean it is. Transitions on the phrase always sound right.
What you learn in this phase
Understanding the cue workflow end to end
The complete DJ routine from loading a track to bringing it in
Previewing the next track and setting the start point
Checking in your headphones before the track becomes audible
Matching gain levels
Level matching — track B neither louder nor quieter than track A
The simple cut (hard switch)
Track A muted instantly, track B in instantly — only with clean beat alignment
The fader blend (smooth mix-in)
Slowly pushing the channel fader up — the most classic transition of all
Transitioning at the start of a phrase
Always on beat 1 of a 16-bar phrase — never in the middle
Using the outro of track A and the intro of track B
The natural mixing zone — use as much of it as you can
Recording your first 10 clean mixes
Record, listen back, be honest — that is the fastest way to learn
What you can do after this phase
Every sentence is phrased so that you can check it yourself — on your own tracks, with a number rather than a feeling.
Runs the complete cue workflow 3 times in a row without skipping a step.
Cues up 10 tracks and matches their level before they are mixed in.
Executes 5 cuts on the start of a phrase — at least 4 of them without an audible jump.
Plays 10 transitions and hits the start of a 16-bar phrase on at least 8 of them.
Runs outro and intro in parallel for 32 bars and has recorded 10 of their own mixes in which the improvement is audible.
Practical assessment: the first mix on tape
This is how you finish the phase on the gear — as a self-check with criteria you count off on your own material. The quiz tests what you know; this shows what you can do.
Record a mix with 5 transitions and listen back to it once in full — the recording is your piece of work.
The recording contains 5 transitions, at least 4 of them hitting the start of a 16-bar phrase.
At least 1 transition runs outro and intro in parallel for 32 bars.
Listening back, 2 places are noted that should be better next time.
Keep the recording: it's your progress archive — and the basis for real feedback from people, once that exists here.
XP reward
225 XP
after completing this phase + passing the quiz