The dictionary
Why not here? DJ speak, in plain words.
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Tempo and pitch
Also beatmixing
Lining up two songs so their beats hit at the same time.
On the decks Matching tempo and timing by ear, with the pitch fader and small nudges. A sync button does it for you on gear that has one.
See also Nudge Pitch fader
In Deckie Deckie does not beatmatch; it tells you where to set the pitch, so beatmatching is quick.
Topics
Moves Heard from DJs
Also a cappella, pella, vocal
A singing part with no beat under it, played on its own or laid over another song’s beat.
On the decks Spelled “acapella” in DJ pools and on forums. DJs lay one over an instrumental, or ride it into a stretch of the playing song where nobody sings.
See also Vocal‑free gap Vocal‑free bars Long blend
In Deckie The crate file records vocal‑free gaps of 8 bars or more, where an acapella could fit. Deckie makes no acapellas; pointing at the gap on screen is planned.
Moves Heard from DJs
Also spinback, spin back, rewind
The record is spun backwards for a beat with a whoosh, and the next song lands on the hit.
On the decks Both words are used. Video tutorials say “spinback” and “backspin”; UK and trance DJs tend to say spinback, US DJs and turntablists backspin. Fun, DJs agree, but cheesy if overused.
See also Vinyl brake
In Deckie Planned “Backspin”, among the cut moves in setup.
Structure and time
Also measure
A group of beats, usually four, that repeats.
On the decks DJs count blends in bars: 8‑bar, 16‑bar, 32‑bar.
In Deckie Blend lengths are labelled in bars. Most songs are four beats to the bar, but Deckie records the real number for each song, since some are in three.
Moves Heard from DJs
Only one song carries the deep bass at a time, so at some point the bass jumps from the old song to the new one.
On the decks Kill the bass of the incoming song, then trade the two at the start of a phrase. DJs say “swap the basslines” or “switch the lows”, and the forum rule of thumb is never two basslines at once.
Also called switch lows (forums), bass switch (forums), kill the bass (all, the incoming side), swap the basslines (house forums), EQ swap, low swap, hard swap (slang)
In Deckie Every blend Deckie suggests includes a bass swap; the label names the length of the blend, not the swap.
Structure and time
Also kick, count
The steady pulse you tap your foot to.
On the decks One count. Four make a bar in most dance music.
In Deckie The analysis lists every beat and fits a steady grid to them.
Sound and analysis
Also beatgrid, grid
A ruler of evenly spaced beats laid over the song.
On the decks “Shaky beat grid” is a common DJ complaint: sync and quantize rely on the grid.
See also Beat Transition track
In Deckie Deckie fits one steady grid to the beats it hears and scores how well it fits. Bars and mix windows are measured against it; a poor fit makes Deckie prefer cuts and echo outs over blends.
Tempo and pitch
Also beatmixing
Lining up two songs so their beats hit at the same time.
On the decks Matching tempo and timing by ear, with the pitch fader and small nudges. A sync button does it for you on gear that has one.
See also Nudge Pitch fader
In Deckie Deckie does not beatmatch; it tells you where to set the pitch, so beatmatching is quick.
Moves Heard from DJs
The two songs overlap for a while, and the low end moves from one to the other halfway through.
On the decks “Blend” is the everyday verb: DJs “blend tunes” with filters and EQ, around 16 bars in house. In hip‑hop mixtapes a blend is an acapella laid over another record’s beat.
Also called mix (all), beatmix, 16‑bar bass swap, EQ swap
See also Long blend Short blend Bass swap
In Deckie Shown as “Blend · 16 bars”, the middle length. The bar count is there so a hip‑hop DJ, for whom a blend means something else, reads it the house way.
Tempo and pitch
Also beats per minute
How many beats a song has in a minute; a number for how fast it feels.
On the decks The tempo as a number. DJs talk about gaps in BPM when they are small: within 3 BPM is easy.
See also Tempo Pitch fader
In Deckie Shown for the playing song at the deck’s current pitch, not at the song’s original speed, and on each pick beside the pitch to set.
Structure and time
Also break, the down
The quiet part in a dance track where the drums drop away.
On the decks The stripped‑back section before a drop.
See also Build Drop Song structure
In Deckie Deckie’s analysis finds the sections of a song and marks quiet ones in the middle as breaks.
Structure and time
Also build‑up, riser
The part where the music climbs and tension grows.
On the decks The climb back after a breakdown, often with risers.
In Deckie Not labelled separately today. Section energy shows the climb.
Key and harmony
A clock face of keys numbered 1 to 12, so you can see at a glance which songs fit.
On the decks Codes 1A to 12B from Mixed In Key (A for minor, B for major); a step of +2 is what it calls an “energy boost”. Traktor’s Open Key is the same wheel, numbered differently.
Also called Camelot, Open Key, key code, 8A
See also Neighbour Relative key
In Deckie Deckie shows keys as Camelot codes and judges two songs by how far apart they sit on the wheel.
Moves Heard from DJs
Flicking between the two songs a bar or two at a time before letting the new one take over.
On the decks DJs “cut and chop” with the crossfader, switching back and forth between two songs. Not “chopped and screwed”, a slowed‑down style from Houston.
Also called cutting back and forth (forums), chop mix, fader cuts, switching back and forth (forums)
See also Hard cut Confidence
In Deckie Planned “Chop · back and forth” among the move tiles. Deckie cannot follow chops yet: it waits until one song clearly takes over before it changes the screen.
Recognition
Also sure, likely, unsure
How sure Deckie is that it has the right song.
See also Recognition
In Deckie The status line says sure, likely or unsure, from how many recent matches agree and how well their timing lines up. A new song replaces the old one on screen only once it clearly wins: a few seconds after a cut, about 10 seconds into a blend.
Deckie’s own words
Also bag, record box, playlist
A group of songs a DJ pulls together, for a gig or for life. It can be the whole library.
On the decks Your bag: the records you brought.
See also Library Crate file Fingerprint Disc and folder
In Deckie The crate is the songs; the crate file is what Deckie knows about them. Deckie Desk reads your crate and writes a crate file. Edits, bootlegs, live sets and burned CDs count the same as releases.
Deckie’s own words
Also .deckiecrate
What Deckie Desk writes from a crate: one file that carries everything Deckie knows about your songs, but not the songs themselves.
On the decks Like rekordbox’s USB export without the music.
See also Crate Library Deckie Desk Privacy promise Fingerprint
In Deckie Analysis, names and fingerprints, never audio. It moves by AirDrop, iCloud Drive or Files, with no server in between. Never called just “the crate”: the crate is the songs.
Deckie’s own words
Also CUE, .cue
A small text file that marks where each song starts in a recording.
On the decks The cue sheet that splits a mix into tracks in a player.
In Deckie Planned an export from the set log. Not to be confused with a cue point on a deck.
Moves Heard from DJs
The new song starts exactly on the first beat of a musical section, so the switch lands where it feels natural.
On the decks “Drop it on the one”, DJs say: start the new song on the first beat of a phrase. “Drop on the four” is when its singing starts a beat early.
Also called drop it on the one (hip‑hop, open format), on the one, dropmix, drop mixing (DJ schools)
See also Hard cut Downbeat Drop
In Deckie Planned As a kind of hard cut. Deckie uses “drop” only in this phrase, because alone it also means the big moment in a dance track.
Deckie’s own words
A DJ booth companion: Deckie Desk on a Mac and Deckie Booth on an iPad. Deckie, as in deckhand.
In Deckie Made by App Hold Media. Deckie alone is the whole product.
Deckie’s own words
Also the iPad app, booth view
The iPad app, beside the decks during a set.
On the decks The booth is where the DJ stands.
See also Deckie Desk Picks
In Deckie Listens to the room, names the playing song, reads the pitch and ranks what could come next. Pin a pick, turn the Shuffle dial, or search the rest of the crate.
Deckie’s own words
Also the Mac app
The Mac app where you prepare your music at home.
On the decks DJs call this prep: analysing, naming, sorting.
See also Crate file
In Deckie Point it at a folder: it analyses the songs, makes their fingerprints, lets you fix names and sort songs into discs and folders, and writes the crate file. Name changes live in the crate file, never in your music files. A list of songs it could not name is planned.
Deckie’s own words
How the songs are laid out for a night: discs, each with numbered folders, the way your player shows them.
On the decks Where the record lives: disc 2, folder 6, track 4.
Also called CD, USB folder, track number, disc chips
See also Crate Deckie Desk
In Deckie Sorted in Deckie Desk, in the order your player shows them. Deckie Booth names the playing song with its disc, folder and track, lists the discs on its CDs tab, and gives each disc a chip to switch it on or off in the picks; All adds songs on no disc.
Structure and time
Also the one, one
The first and strongest beat of each group.
On the decks Beat one of a bar. “On the one” means the first beat of a phrase, not just any bar.
See also Cut on the one Phrase
In Deckie Cuts land on the downbeat, so the analysis finds the first beat of every bar.
Structure and time
The big moment when everything comes back in.
On the decks Where everything lands. Also a verb, as in “drop it on the one”, and a radio jingle.
See also Build Cut on the one
In Deckie Deckie uses “drop” only in “drop it on the one”, to avoid the confusion.
Moves Deckie’s own phrase
Also delay in, echoed entry, echo entry
The next song arrives through an echo: its first hits ring in over the playing song before it lands clean on the beat.
On the decks The mirror of echo out: send the next song’s first hits through an echo timed to the beat, then turn the echo off as it lands on the one. Tutorials teach the pieces but give it no name; “echo in” is Deckie’s.
See also Echo out Tease Scratch in
In Deckie Planned “Echo in”, a move tile paired with Echo out, suggested when the playing song has a steady beat and the next one starts sparse.
Moves Heard from DJs
The old song stops on a beat and its echo keeps ringing while the new song starts.
On the decks Said as “echo out” or “echoed out” on forums and in video titles; “echo freeze” holds the tail. Stop the old song on the one and let its echo ring under the new one.
Also called echoed out (verb, forums), echo freeze (Traktor, rekordbox users), delay out, freeze (Traktor), wash‑out (tutorials), FX out
See also Reverb wash Loop roll Picks Echo in
In Deckie Shown as “Echo out”, when the singing would clash or the song ends without a steady beat.
Structure and time Deckie’s own phrase
Also dry vocal, vocal breakdown, the vocal on its own
A stretch where the voice carries on while the drums and bass drop away.
On the decks Producers say “the vocal is exposed” or “dry vocal”; DJs call the same bars a breakdown with vocals. Loud and clear, so it clashes with any other voice and sits well over a beat‑only intro.
See also Vocal‑free bars Vocal‑free gap Intro
In Deckie The crate file marks bars where the voice is left on its own, estimated from the low end and how busy the drums are, and labelled as an estimate.
Moves Heard from DJs
One song gets quieter while the next gets louder. The first thing anyone learns.
On the decks DJs say “fade out”, “crossfade” or “feather out”; mobile and wedding DJs ask for a “radio‑style fade”. No beatmatching needed.
Also called crossfade (all), fade out (all), feather out (forums), segue (radio, mobile), radio‑style fade (wedding DJs), fade mix
See also Blend Song chain
In Deckie Planned a move tile in setup called “Fade”, the name DJs are taught, rather than “fade mix”, which some DJs use for a blend.
Structure and time
Also fade ending, cold ending
A song ending by slowly getting quieter rather than stopping.
On the decks The radio ending. Useless for a blend, because there is nothing steady to blend over.
See also Mix‑out window Outro
In Deckie Detected by the analysis. With a fade, the mix‑out window ends before the fade begins.
Tempo and pitch Deckie’s own phrase
The speed you would clap along to, which can be half or double what a machine counts.
On the decks DJs say half time and double time: a slow song tagged 70 BPM may be played at 140 by feel. “Felt tempo” is Deckie’s name for the idea.
See also Half time How you mix
In Deckie When Deckie’s own reading is exactly half or double the tempo written in the file, it takes the file’s. Learning how each DJ hears tempo is planned.
Moves Heard from DJs
The playing song gets thinner and thinner, as if heard through a wall, while the next one rises underneath.
On the decks DJs say “filter sweep” or “sweep the filter to high pass”: cut the lows until only the thin top is left. “Filter fade” is the tutorial name.
Also called filter fade (tutorials), sweep the filter (forums), lo‑cut (Pioneer DJs), HPF out, sweep out, filter mix
In Deckie Shown as “Filter sweep”, the word DJs say. Deckie avoids “filter out”, which a DJ trying an early version did not understand.
Recognition
Also audio fingerprint, signature
A compact sound print of a song that a device can match what it hears against, without holding the song.
On the decks How song‑finder apps recognise music. A fingerprint cannot be turned back into audio.
See also Crate file
In Deckie Deckie Desk makes one from each of your songs, a few tens of kilobytes each, and they travel in the crate file. On the iPad, Apple’s ShazamKit matches against those alone, offline: Deckie carries no catalogue of other music. Today each matches within about 4 percent of the song’s own speed; covering the whole pitch fader is planned.
Moves Heard from DJs
Two songs can match even when one is twice as fast as the other, because every second beat lines up.
On the decks Drum and bass and trap DJs say “halftime”; DJs mixing hip‑hop into dance music talk about “doubling” the slow song. 87 BPM against 174, 95 against 190.
Also called halftime (drum and bass, trap), double time, doubling (forums), 2x
See also Felt tempo
In Deckie A pick says “half time” or “double time” when one tempo is half or double the other. Such pairs rank a little lower than straight ones.
Moves Heard from DJs
One song stops and the next starts at once, with no overlap.
On the decks DJs just say “cut”: “quick cuts”, or “scratch and cut to the next track”. “Hard cut” is the plain‑English name.
Also called cut (all), quick cut (hip‑hop, open format), drop (US hip‑hop: drop the next record), slam, stop/start (tutorials)
See also Cut on the one Slam Vinyl brake Confidence
In Deckie Shown as “Hard cut”, never “hard break”. It is the fallback when the tempos or the beats cannot be matched.
Structure and time Heard from DJs
Also the chorus, the bit everyone knows, drop
The most recognisable few bars of a song, the part the crowd sings back.
On the decks Everyday DJ and producer word; in EDM the drop plays the same role. Teasing the hook of the next song is a classic move.
In Deckie Deckie’s analysis proposes up to three likely hooks per song, from repetition, loudness and singing; confirming one with a tap is planned. It cannot know which line people know by heart: that is not in the audio.
Deckie’s own words
A page that shows what Deckie has learned about how you mix, with undo.
See also Song chain
In Deckie Planned about a dozen habits learned on the device, such as how far you push the pitch, how strict you are about key and how long you blend, and settings in DJ words, such as blends or cuts first, and whether two vocals may overlap. Learning moves only a small mark beside each setting, never one you set, and says what it changed. A saved pair teaches it most.
Key and harmony
Also compatible, harmonically compatible
Two songs that sound good played together.
On the decks Same Camelot code, one step round the wheel, or the swap between A and B. Anything else risks a clash.
See also Key clash Neighbour Relative key
In Deckie A pick’s line warns when the keys clash and stays quiet when they fit. A key setting that can put in‑key picks first is planned.
Structure and time
Also DJ intro, intro edit
The opening of a song, before the main part.
On the decks A DJ intro is bars of beat only at the start, made for mixing in. Pop originals often have none.
See also Mix‑in window Vocal‑free bars
In Deckie “Clean 16‑bar intro” is one of the reasons Deckie gives. A short intro gets a flag and narrows the moves.
Deckie’s own words
Also join view, join waveform
A picture of the end of this song over the start of the next, lined up where they would meet.
On the decks Like seeing the two waveforms stacked on a CDJ screen.
See also Picks Mix‑in window Minimal
In Deckie Drawn for each pick, with the beat and bar lines. Tapping it cycles the next song’s start: mix‑in, track start, steady beat, then every 8 bars.
Key and harmony
Also tonal centre, key code
The home note a song is built around, which makes some songs sound good together and others sour.
On the decks The home note, plus major or minor. DJs say “key” for the music and “pitch” for the fader.
See also Camelot wheel In key Key clash Picks
In Deckie Each song gets a key, shown as a Camelot code, with any key change marked. No key reader is right every time, most often mixing up major and minor, so Deckie marks a key it is unsure of. A clash is a warning, not a score to chase.
Key and harmony
Also clash, keys clash
Two songs in keys that sound sour together.
On the decks The DJ word for keys that do not fit. On purpose it can add tension; by accident it sounds forced.
In Deckie A pick’s line says “key clash”. Planned: a key setting with three choices, Off, Flag clashes and In key first; In key first also stops the longest blends on a clash.
Tempo and pitch
A switch that lets you speed a song up without making the singer sound higher.
On the decks Keeps the key while the tempo changes. Pioneer calls it MASTER TEMPO; Serato and Traktor say Keylock. With it off, a faster record also sounds higher, the old vinyl way.
Also called master tempo, keylock, pitch lock, MT, time stretch
In Deckie Deckie reads the pitch either way: with key lock off, from how much higher or lower the song sounds; with it on, from how fast the song runs ahead of the clock. Today a key‑locked change past about 4 or 5 percent may not be recognised. A setup question about key lock is planned.
Moves Tutorial word
Also Pitch ‘n Time, tonal shift, pitch shift
Moving a song up or down one note so it sits in tune with the other.
On the decks A word from the gear: KEY SHIFT on Pioneer’s CDJ‑3000, Pitch ‘n Time in Serato. DJs rarely change a song’s key, and when they do it is by one semitone.
See also Key Key clash Semitone
In Deckie Shown as “Key shift +1” (or −1, ±2), when a small shift turns a clash into a match.
Deckie’s own words
Also collection, my music
All the music a DJ owns.
On the decks Your whole collection, at home. A crate is what you pull from it.
See also Crate Crate file Privacy promise
In Deckie The music itself: audio files on your own disks. Deckie reads it at home and never moves or changes it.
Moves Heard from DJs
Both songs play together for a long stretch, a minute or more, so the change is hard to hear.
On the decks Forum DJs say “long blends” or “long mixes”, and one puts the aim as “long and smooth, perfectly in phrase”. 16 to 32 bars is the house and techno default.
Also called long mix (house, techno, drum and bass), long and smooth (forums), seamless blend (tutorials), progressive mix, 32‑bar
See also Blend Short blend Bass swap Vocal‑free bars
In Deckie Shown as “Long blend · 32 bars”, and only when both songs have long ends without singing and their tempos are close.
Moves Heard from DJs
The last beat repeats faster and faster, like a drum roll, and the next song lands on the hit.
On the decks Said as is, from the pad names in Serato and on Pioneer gear; Traktor users say Beatmasher. Not Serato’s old “Roll Out”, which is a brake‑style effect.
Also called roll (Pioneer), slip roll (Pioneer DJM), Beatmasher (Traktor users), beat roll, stutter
See also Echo out Reverb wash
In Deckie Planned “Loop roll”, with the effect exits among the move tiles in setup.
Sound and analysis
Also loudness, LU, integrated loudness
A measure of how loud a song feels, not just how high its peaks go.
On the decks The broadcast loudness standard.
In Deckie Measured for each song and each bar. It draws the waves, and compares how hard two songs hit at the handover.
Deckie’s own words
A switch that hides the small waveforms so the screen is calmer.
On the decks A calmer screen for a dark booth.
See also Simple and Full Join wave
In Deckie Same screen, same picks: the playing song keeps its wave and each pick becomes a compact pill with title, artist, folder, BPM and pitch, and the move.
Structure and time
Also IN, intro window
The stretch at the start of a song that is best for bringing it in.
On the decks Where you would start the next song: a clean intro, ideally without singing.
See also Mix‑out window Vocal‑free bars Intro
In Deckie Marked IN on the song’s wave, 8, 16 or 32 bars long depending on how much intro there is without singing. Tapping a pick’s wave tries other start points.
Structure and time
Also SYNC, outro window
The stretch near the end of a song that is best for handing over.
On the decks Where you would start bringing the next song in: a clean outro, before the record ends or fades.
See also Sync area Mix‑in window Fade‑out
In Deckie Marked SYNC on the wave (the place, not the sync button), sized like the mix‑in window and ending before any fade‑out.
Key and harmony
Also key change, truck driver’s gear change
When a song changes key partway through, often a lift for the last chorus.
On the decks A key change inside the track; in pop, often a step up for the last chorus.
See also Song structure Confidence
In Deckie Deckie reads the key through the song and starts a new one only when the music moves and stays there. It also reads the key at each end of the song, where the mixing happens: a song that steps up for its last chorus ends in another key.
Moves
Also transition, move menu, move options
A way of getting from one song to the next, such as a blend, an echo out or a cut.
See also How you mix Picks
In Deckie Each pick carries up to three moves, best first; the booth shows the first two. A setting to put blends or cuts first is planned.
Moves Deckie’s own phrase
The two songs’ speeds are too far apart to match, so getting from one to the other needs a special edit or a clean cut.
On the decks There is no single DJ word. DJs reach for a “transition track” (“starts at 92 BPM and somehow transitions to 126”), or just cut, which forum DJs call the easiest way.
Also called transition track (forums), transition edit (DJ pools), tempo‑change track, no beat‑match
See also Transition track Hard cut Half time
In Deckie Deckie’s label for two songs whose tempos are too far apart to match. Such pairs rank low by design.
Key and harmony
Also ±1, plus or minus one
A key right next to this one on the wheel; it usually sounds smooth.
On the decks Same letter, number one up or down: 8A to 7A or 9A. One of the three smooth moves.
See also Camelot wheel In key
In Deckie Ranked nearly as well as the same key.
Tempo and pitch
A small push on the record to fix beats that are slightly out of step.
On the decks Push the platter or jog wheel to fix the timing. Riding the pitch means correcting with the fader alone, which is not for beginners.
Also called pitch bend, riding the pitch, throwing, tempo bend
See also Beatmatching Key lock
In Deckie Not shown. Small wobbles from nudging are why the pitch Deckie reads with key lock on is rounded to half a percent.
Sound and analysis Heard from DJs
Also open‑format DJ, multi‑genre
A DJ, or a set, that moves across genres instead of staying in one.
On the decks “Open format” is the scene’s own name, all over DJ forums.
See also Picks
In Deckie Planned a setting from “Stay in lane” to “Open format”, which changes how much style and sound count in the picks.
Structure and time
Also DJ outro, outro edit
The closing part of a song as it winds down.
On the decks Bars of beat only at the end of a DJ edit, made for mixing out.
See also Mix‑out window Fade‑out
In Deckie Where Deckie looks for the best place to hand over, measured from where the music really ends, not from silence. A short or sung outro points toward an echo out or a cut.
Structure and time
A musical paragraph, usually 8, 16 or 32 bars, after which something changes.
On the decks Blocks of 8, 16 or 32 bars. Phrasing, or phrase mixing, is lining transitions up with them so changes land where the music expects.
Also called phrasing, phrase mixing, phrase matching, phrase grid, 8 bars
In Deckie Deckie lines a ruler of 8‑bar steps up with where the music actually changes, aims each transition at the start of a phrase, and checks that both songs have room for a phrase‑length blend.
Deckie’s own words
Also up next, suggestions
The songs Deckie thinks could come next, with how to bring them in.
On the decks “Up next”, in the booth: what could go next from your bag.
See also Shortlist Join wave Pin
In Deckie New picks with every song, best first: title, disc and folder, tempo and pitch, a wave of the transition and a line with the move. Each is ranked on tempo, key, energy, singing, phrase, sound, rhythm and style, tempo most; the number is never shown. Long‑press a pick for the reasons. Options, never a verdict.
Structure and time Tutorial word
Also comes in on the four, before the one, anacrusis
A sung note or two that start just before the first beat of a bar and lead into it.
On the decks Music schools say anacrusis; DJs say the vocal “comes in on the four”. It matters when you drop a vocal on the one: the drop has to land a beat early or the first word is lost.
See also Drop Vocal‑free bars Vocal hand‑off
In Deckie Written into the crate file as the first sung beat, with a pickup flag when it falls on beat 4 just before a downbeat. A line on screen such as “Vocal starts a beat before bar 9” is planned.
Deckie’s own words
Also next
Tap a pick to mark it as the one you are going to play.
On the decks Cueing it up in your head.
See also Picks How you mix
In Deckie The card moves to “Next” at the top; tap again to unpin. A pinned pick keeps its chosen start point. Counting pins as a signal for learning is planned.
Tempo and pitch
Also pitch, tempo fader, TEMPO
The slider on a turntable or CDJ that makes the song play faster or slower.
On the decks The fader you set, and ride, to match tempos. It reads in percent, plus or minus.
See also Pitch range Key lock
In Deckie Deckie reads it by listening: each pick says where to set the next deck (“pitch +4.0%”), and the status line shows the playing deck’s pitch.
Tempo and pitch
How far the pitch fader can push the speed up or down.
On the decks The fader’s reach. Pioneer steps are ±6, ±10 (the CDJ default), ±16 and WIDE (±100); Serato and Rane say ±8, ±16, ±50.
Also called tempo range, ±6, ±10, ±16, WIDE, more beat range
See also Pitch fader
In Deckie Planned asked in setup, so the picks Deckie calls matchable are ones your fader can reach, with a one‑tap “Widen the beat range” during a set. Today Deckie works to ±16.
Deckie’s own words
Also no account, no upload
Your music, and your taste, stay on your own devices.
On the decks DJs worry that their choices become someone else’s product.
See also Crate file Fingerprint
In Deckie “Your music stays on your iPad. No account. No upload. Works with no signal.” What Deckie learns about your taste is planned to be yours to see, export and delete. A planned helper that suggests song names from public music databases will be off unless you ask, and sends no audio.
Recognition
Also track ID, song recognition, time to identification
Working out which song is playing from the sound alone.
See also Deckie
In Deckie Deckie Booth names the song from your crate after a few seconds of music; the aim is within 15 seconds for most songs. Not yet measured in a loud room: a level meter helps place the iPad, and you can tap a song to set it by hand.
Key and harmony
Also A to B, relative major, relative minor
The major and minor versions of a key that share all their notes.
On the decks Same Camelot number, A to B or back. Smooth, with a change of mood.
See also Camelot wheel In key
In Deckie Ranked a little below a neighbour. It is also the mistake key readers make most: the right home note, the wrong mode.
Moves Tutorial word
The last moment of the old song is thrown into a big hall sound and left to fade under the new song.
On the decks “Wash‑out” is the tutorial word. DJs describe it without a name: turn the reverb up until the mix “turns into mush”, then drop the next song into the tail.
Also called reverb tail (forums), reverb throw, reverb out, wash‑out (tutorials), FX out
In Deckie Planned “Reverb wash”, one of the effect exits among the move tiles in setup.
Deckie’s own words
Also keeper, good pair
Two songs you know sound great together, saved with a note.
On the decks The pair you write down on the night so you remember it.
See also How you mix Picks
In Deckie Planned shown first when its first song is playing, and the strongest learning signal: it moves defaults at once.
Moves Heard from DJs
Also scratch and cut, scratch stab, cutting
A quick scratch noise as punctuation before the next song starts.
On the decks Said as “scratch in” a song, or “scratch and cut to the next track” in hip‑hop threads: a short baby, chirp or transform scratch before the new song lands.
See also Hard cut Song chain Tease
In Deckie Planned a second‑tap flavour on the cut tiles in setup, for DJs who would answer “scratch”.
Tempo and pitch
Also one semitone, half step
The smallest step between two notes. Speed a record up by about 6 percent and every note goes up one semitone.
On the decks Why DJs with key lock off keep within 5 or 6 percent: past that, the key has moved a semitone.
See also Key lock Key shift Key
In Deckie Planned without key lock a pitch change moves the key too, so Deckie will count a 6 percent change as a key move when it checks whether two songs agree.
Deckie’s own words
Also set recording, REC
A record of the set: the audio and a timeline of what played when.
On the decks Your recording, with the tracklist done for you.
In Deckie Deckie Booth records the set from the same microphone it listens with, beside a log of time, song, disc location, pitch and confidence. A small REC timer pauses or resumes it. The files are the DJ’s own.
Moves Deckie’s own phrase
A quick overlap, a few bars long, where the next song slides in and takes over.
On the decks There is no single DJ word: forum DJs say “short overlap”, “quick mix” or “fast bass swap”. “Short blend” is Deckie’s plain name for an 8‑bar blend.
Also called fast bass swap (forums), short overlap (forums), 8‑bar mix, EQ mix
In Deckie Shown as “Short blend · 8 bars”. Not “quick blend”: to a hip‑hop DJ a quick mix means playing 30 to 90 seconds of each record.
Deckie’s own words
Also More, rest of the crate
The songs Deckie keeps ready for the playing song: the best tenth of the crate.
On the decks The records you would pull from the bag for what is playing.
See also Picks Shuffle Simple and Full Disc and folder
In Deckie Never fewer than 10, leaving out anything played in the last 12 and any disc switched off. Simple shows the first 5, Full the first 10; the rest wait under More, which runs on through the whole crate and has a search.
Deckie’s own words
Also Shuffle dial
A dial that mixes some chance into the order of the picks.
See also Shortlist Picks How you mix
In Deckie From 0 to 100 percent. At 0 the shortlist is in score order; at 100 it is a fair shuffle; in between, the better songs tend to stay near the top. A pinned song stays first.
Deckie’s own words
Also picks shown
How many picks the first screen shows.
On the decks Fewer on screen in a dark booth; more when there is time to read.
See also Shortlist Minimal How you mix
In Deckie Simple shows 5 picks, Full shows 10. The rest of the shortlist waits under More.
Moves Heard from DJs
A sudden switch at the end of a section with no fade at all.
On the decks Heard as “slam it in” or “slam the next song in”; hip‑hop DJs say “hip hop slam”. Not “slamming the faders”, which means pushing a fader to the top for show.
Also called hip hop slam (US hip‑hop), slam it in, drop on the one, end‑to‑end (tutorials)
See also Hard cut Cut on the one
In Deckie Planned “Slam it in”, the open‑format flavour of the cut.
Deckie’s own words
Also onboarding chain, move tiles
Setup by example: pick a few songs in order and tap how you would mix each one.
See also How you mix
In Deckie Planned three to five songs from the DJ’s crate, then tiles for each change: blends, effect exits, cuts, and “Not sure” or “Something else” so no one has to guess. Under five minutes with the gear questions.
Sound and analysis
Also sections, segments
The parts a song is made of: intro, main part, break, outro.
On the decks rekordbox labels phrases Intro, Up, Down, Chorus and Outro for dance music.
In Deckie Deckie’s analysis finds where the music changes; the phrases and the mix windows are built on top.
Sound and analysis
Also genre, era, kind
What kind of music a song is: dance remix or pop original, which decade.
On the decks Style and era matter as much as key. A disco edit and a country original do not sit together.
See also Picks Timbre Open format
In Deckie A song’s family (dance or pop) and era, where the crate file has them, count toward a pick. How songs sound is compared separately.
Structure and time
Deckie’s note telling you when the best place to hand over is coming.
On the decks DJs call it the window to start the next record in.
See also Mix‑out window Picks
In Deckie A small note under the wave: “sync area in 0:37”, then “sync area · 16 bars left”. It replaced a countdown, because Deckie recommends rather than prescribes.
Moves Heard from DJs
A few seconds of the next song’s hook are dropped in and pulled away again, so the crowd knows what is coming.
On the decks Heard as “teasing it for a bit, then finally dropped the track”. Hip‑hop DJs have a version, the “sample stab drop”: hit a sample of the next record on the downbeat, then drop it.
Also called teasing (forums), teaser, sample stab drop (hip‑hop forums), stab (forums)
See also Hard cut Echo in Scratch in
In Deckie Planned “Tease it”, a second‑tap flavour on the cut tiles in setup.
Tempo and pitch
Also speed, BPM
How fast the music goes.
On the decks Pioneer labels the CDJ fader TEMPO; vinyl and Serato DJs call the same fader pitch.
See also BPM Pitch fader Felt tempo
In Deckie Deckie says “pitch” for the fader, the word most DJs use, and “tempo” for the speed of the music.
Moves Tutorial word
Also ride the pitch, pitch ramp, ramped blend
While both songs play, the speed is slowly slid from the old song’s pace to the new one’s.
On the decks Tutorials name it; DJs describe it: “build up the tempo”, or ride the pitch through a break. One tutorial goes from 104 to 126 BPM over 16 bars.
See also Pitch fader
In Deckie Shown as “Ramp the tempo”, when the tempos are too far apart to set once but close enough to drift across.
Sound and analysis
Also sound, texture
What a song sounds like overall, its colour and texture.
On the decks Whether two records sit in the same sonic world.
See also Picks
In Deckie Deckie compares how two songs sound overall, ranked against the rest of the crate.
Deckie’s own words
The list of songs played in a set, in order, with times.
On the decks What people ask for after every mix.
See also Set log
In Deckie Written as the set goes, one line per song, beside the recording. A cue sheet and a tracklist ready to paste into Mixcloud are planned exports.
Tempo and pitch Heard from DJs
Also transition edit, tempo‑change track
A special version of a song made to speed up or slow down inside itself, so the DJ can get from one tempo to another.
On the decks DJs reach for a “pre‑made transition track” to get from 92 to 126 BPM: an edit, often from a DJ pool, that changes tempo inside itself.
See also Needs a bridge
In Deckie Deckie’s word for the record, never for the change between two songs. Its analysis measures each song’s start and end tempo, so it sees the change.
Sound and analysis
Also dBTP
The loudest instant of a song, measured carefully enough to catch clipping.
On the decks The real top of the waveform, in decibels.
See also LUFS
In Deckie Measured and stored for each song. Deckie Booth does not show it.
Moves Heard from DJs
The song slows to a stop like a record player switched off, then the next song cuts in.
On the decks DJs say “hit the brake” or “the brake effect”. Pioneer prints VINYL BRAKE, and forum posts often spell it “Vinyl Break”.
Also called brake (hit the brake), brake effect, power down, tape stop (Traktor users), roll out (Serato Scratch Live, a brake‑style effect), Vinyl Break (common misspelling)
In Deckie Shown as “Vinyl brake”, never “brake” alone, which looks like a typo for “break”.
Moves Deckie’s own phrase
Also vocal to vocal, let the vocal finish, clean vocal swap
The old song’s singing stops and the new song’s singing starts, on the beat, so two voices never overlap.
On the decks DJs say “let the vocal finish, then bring the next one in”, or mix “vocal to vocal” without a clash. There is no single word for it.
See also Pickup Echo out Vocal‑free bars Picks
In Deckie Planned a line such as “Last word at bar 93, beat 3; next vocal starts at bar 9”, from what the crate file already holds.
Structure and time
Also instrumental bars, beat‑only bars, vocal activity
The bars at the edge of a song with no singing.
On the decks Room to blend without two voices fighting.
See also Long blend Pickup Vocal‑free gap
In Deckie Counted at each end of the song. Blends of 16 bars or more need that many; too few flags a short intro or outro. The crate file also says what those bars hold: beat only, a riser or pad, a fade, or singing from bar 1.
Structure and time Deckie’s own phrase
Also the breakdown, the instrumental section, where the vocal drops out
Eight bars or more in the middle of a song with no singing.
On the decks DJs say “the breakdown”, “the instrumental bit” or “where the vocal drops out”. Room to bring a second song in mid‑track, to loop, or to lay an acapella.
See also Vocal‑free bars Phrase Acapella Exposed vocal
In Deckie Recorded in the crate file, starting at the next 8‑bar step. Not the same as vocal‑free bars, which sit at the ends of a song.
No word matches
Every DJ starts somewhere: try a shorter word, or another name for it.
