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Djing

Pete Tong DJ Academy at ADE 2024: Bigger and Better Than Ever

We are thrilled to announce that Pete Tong DJ Academy will be back at Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) 2024, continuing our journey of nurturing and showcasing the next generation of electronic music talent. After the tremendous success of last year’s participation, this year we are raising the bar even higher with a series of exciting events and collaborations.

Official Rooftop Party at NHOW Amsterdam: Pete Tong & Future Talent DJs

Date: Wednesday, October 16, 2024
Location: NHOW Amsterdam (Official ADE Venue)

In collaboration with Rooftop Tapes Amsterdam and Boogie House, we are hosting an exclusive official party at one of the most iconic ADE locations—NHOW Amsterdam. Joining Pete Tong will be some of our most promising Future Talents, showcasing their skills in an unforgettable night of music and celebration. Expect a vibrant mix of fresh beats and cutting-edge DJ performances under the Amsterdam sky.

Pete Tong DJ Academy Talent Showcase Party at Hard Rock Cafe Amsterdam

Date: Thursday, October 17, 2024
Location: Hard Rock Cafe Amsterdam

On Thursday, the festivities continue with a Hard Rock Fellow Party featuring Pete Tong DJ Academy’s Future Talent Artists (FTA) and selected students from our Academy.
This exclusive event will highlight DJs selected from a tailored Talent Pool activity and will play alongside with Future Talents Students from 2023 and 2024, ensuring another great network opportunity.
The night promises a unique blend of rising stars and seasoned performers, set against the backdrop of the iconic Hard Rock Cafe.

ADE Lab: Innovating with Alpha Theta & Tribe XR

Throughout the event, Pete Tong DJ Academy will also be part of ADE Lab in collaboration with Alpha Theta and Tribe XR, bringing innovation to the forefront of music education and performance. Stay tuned as we introduce cutting-edge technology that empowers both beginners and professionals to master their craft through immersive, hands-on experiences.

Join Us at ADE 2024

Whether you’re an aspiring DJ, a music lover, or an industry professional, Pete Tong DJ Academy’s presence at ADE 2024 promises a mix of education, inspiration, and unforgettable live performances. We can’t wait to see you there!

 

Not a PTDJA student but want to partecipate?

Leave your contact details to be contacted for free by one of our Tutors. Learn more about our academy and the opportunities in the Talent Pool.

Categories
Djing

Play at Ibiza Classics w/ Pete Tong & Groove Armada

At the Pete Tong DJ Academy, we believe that nurturing talent goes beyond the classroom.

That’s why we are happy to invite you to submit your best DJ set to play with our Founder: Pete Tong.

Our mission is to provide our students with unique and exciting opportunities to showcase their skills, gain real-world experience, and connect with the global DJ community.

That’s why we’ve developed a comprehensive Talent Pool program designed to engage and develop our students throughout the year. 

Plenty of Opportunities, Exclusive for Our Students: 

Whether you’re just starting your DJ journey or you’re already an advanced performer, the Pete Tong DJ Academy offers a plethora of opportunities tailored to help you grow from day one. Our Talent Pool activities are designed to be engaging and developmental, allowing you to continuously refine your skills and gain new experiences.

As a student of the Pete Tong DJ Academy, you can participate in a variety of weekly and monthly challenges that are exclusive to our community. These activities provide a consistent platform for practice, feedback, and improvement.

Not a PTDJA student but want to partecipate?

Leave your contact details to be contacted for free by one of our Tutors. Learn more about our academy and the opportunities in the Talent Pool.

Opportunities for All Levels: From Beginners to Advanced DJs

Every week, we challenge our students with creative and technical tasks designed to push boundaries and enhance their DJing abilities. From curating themed sets to experimenting with new sounds, these weekly activities keep you engaged and constantly improving.

Each month, our exclusive Apple DJ Mixes activity gives you the chance to create and submit a DJ mix that could be featured on Apple Music. This not only provides a platform to reach a wider audience but also helps you build a professional portfolio of your work. It’s an opportunity to get your mixes out into the world and start making a name for yourself.

The Future Talent Awards:

The Future Talent Awards is a prestigious annual event that celebrates the top talent from our academy. The top ten students are selected by our esteemed tutors, including Carl Cox, Nicole Moudaber, Adam Beyer, TSHA, Jamie Jones and partners such as Pacha, Beatport, and many more.
These winners receive career-building support and opportunities to play alongside these industry giants at global events. 

New opportunity:
Play at Ibiza Classics with Pete Tong!

As a new Talent Pool activity, our students have the chance to play a warmup set at the Ibiza Classics event with Pete Tong!

Here’s how you can participate:

  • Record Your Set: Record a 60-minute HOUSE MUSIC video DJ set tailored specifically for Ibiza Classics

  • Submit Your Set: Login to the student area to submit your set

Discover more about the gig here below:

Not a PTDJA student but want to partecipate?

Leave your contact details to be contacted for free by one of our Tutors. Learn more about our academy and the opportunities in the Talent Pool.

Categories
Dj Tips & Tricks Djing Mixing Student Activities

Mix in Key & the Camelot wheel

What does it mean to mix in a harmonic key? What does it mean for a DJ to make passages with songs in different keys? How can the Camelot wheel help?

INDEX

  • Premise
  • What it means to mix in key
  • How to identify the key in a track
  • The Camelot Wheel
  • The effects of an in-key mix and the different ways of passing from one key to another
  • Conclusions

Premise

The basic premise when it comes to mixing in key is that: IT IS NOT STRICTLY NECESSARY TO MIX ALL THE TRACKS IN KEY.

Although a DJ set in key is often synonymous with a high-quality mixed sequence, it is not an essential condition for the success of a DJ set.

In fact, very often it is not necessary to mix two tracks ’in key’ for a change to be of good quality and ’aesthetically pleasing’. Rather, it is essential for DJs to ask themselves the question: is it better to choose the next track according to the logic of harmonic compatibility, or to put on the right track for the dance floor?

What it means to mix in key

Mixing in key simply means composing a sequence mixed between tracks in ’compatible’ harmonic keys, following the rule of the Circle of Fifths.

How to identify the key of a track

To date, various tools are available for identifying the harmonic key of a track: from specialised software (such as Mixed In Key), to the functions offered by mixing software such as the analysis of tracks offered by Rekordbox, Serato or Traktor, or even the latest generation modular CDJs that have this analysis function integrated into their firmware.

The Camelot Wheel

The Camelot Wheel is an ingenious way to learn or review the rule of the circle of fifths, in a simple and intuitive way.

The Camelot wheel is divided into:

LETTERS: letters distinguish between major (B) and minor (A), arranged in two rings.

NUMBERS: each number is accompanied by the respective letter, in segments around the ring.

COLOURS: to help the user to distinguish the ‘compatible keys’ at a glance

How do you read a Camelot Wheel? Once we know the combination of NUMBER and LETTER, we can then move on to the Camelot Wheel. Let’s assume that we have our track in 9A, we can move on the same letter A (therefore always in the ring of minor keys) but moving higher and lower than the previous one. So, from 9A you can go to 8A and 10A. Furthermore, you can move from the minor A key to the major B key without altering the number. So, from 9A we can go to 9B.

The effects of an in-key mix

Below we briefly explain what it means to mix in key, and what impact this type of mixing has on the listener:

  • Mix in the same key: if the tracks are perfectly compatible it will seem as if the tracks are a single composition.
  • Mix by raising the key by one point: the tracks remain in harmony. The effect on the track is to increase the energy, as in a crescendo.
  • Mix by decreasing the key by one point: the tracks remain in harmony; the track will not have the sensation of a crescendo but the change will be perceived by the dance floor.
  • Scale change from minor to major (e.g., From 7A> 7B – D min.> F Maj): this is a type of harmonic mixing where the change of energy and mood for the track will be self-evident.
  • Change of note but in the same ring: changing key in the same ring (I.e., remaining in major or minor) is always a “clean” change and also in this case the change of mood will be perceived by your listeners. 
  • Move 3 notes anti-clockwise on the same ring: this change will be pleasant and will give a good increase of energy on the track (e.g., 12B> 9B – E Maj> G Maj) 
  • Modulation Mixing: moving to the opposite side of the ring by increasing 7 steps on the Camelot wheel. This type of transition is suitable if you perform on outro or intro that does not contain melodic elements (such as basses, pads, leads) but which only have rhythmic parts with drums and possibly percussion. This mix will give an increase in energy to the track.
  • Energy Boost Mixing – moving two steps clockwise on the same ring (e.g., 6A> 8A – G Min> A Min): this type of transition will give the kind of tension to the crowd known as: “Hands in the air” 
  • Changing ring, also increasing or decreasing by a note (5B> 4A – E-Flat Maj> F min): this is the best method to go from a major to a minor key and vice versa. 

Conclusions

To conclude, it is not always necessary to make changes between songs in compatible keys, but it is an interesting exercise, as well as an excellent tip for being able to make dynamic changes during a DJ set.

Categories
Dj Tips & Tricks Djing

3 Useful DJ Tips from The Pete Tong DJ academy

Push your DJ skills with these 3 useful dj tips for a perfect mix.

Protect your hearing! 

Wear earplugs and choose headphones with comfortable and large ear cups in order to isolate you from the monitors and avoid ear damage due to excessive volume. 

During a mix you can flip constantly between CUE and MASTER channels in your headphone channel.

Learn more HERE

Earplugs devices

Check your setup before start to play/LED indicator

It’s important to check the console or your setup (or both!) before you start to play. Check the knobs (turn all knobs to the middle), check the fader volumes (in order to avoid errors while you’re listening the cue deck preview) and ask the sound engineer if the CDJs are connected via ethernet.

Learn more HERE

Mix in key and the Camelot wheel. How to use them and when

Keep an eye on the key of your track and remember the Camelot Wheel colours; it’s important to mix tracks with a compatible key. The numbers represent the key and the letters represent minor (A) and major (B). The Camelot Wheel is based on the circle of fifths. Modular new generation consoles and many apps (such as Rekordbox, Serato, etc.) can scan and analyse the key and the BPM of your tracks, so you don’t need a third application but remember: the accuracy of these analyses is not 100%.

Learn more HERE 

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