Mastering the Soundboard (Part 1)

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Review and master every channel and source on the soundboard. This is your class if you want to elevate your game. We’ll cover the new CD Player, playing vinyl, broadcasting remote events and more. 

Mastering the Soundboard: Part 1 (of 2)

Part 1 is a hands-on studio skills course that trains DJs to run a clean, confident show on KFFR/KWTR. The focus is on practical on-air operation: cueing correctly, keeping levels consistent, switching sources smoothly, and using core tools (DAD, iPad, CD, tape, vinyl) to make shows sound intentional.

Focus: Studio operations and on-air craftsmanship. By the end, DJs can cue correctly, control levels, run beds under voice, use DAD (music + sound effects), operate the CD player and iPad safely (Spotify/Zoom/YouTube), use tape + studio mixer, and use vinyl with intention (including transitions and cleaning).

Participants can:

  1. Preview audio with CUE/PFL, then turn it off and confirm what’s actually live.

  2. Hit consistent levels (the sweet spot) across sources without clipping or sudden jumps.

  3. Talk cleanly over background music beds and fade them intentionally.

  4. Use the CD player (CD, Bluetooth, aux) and record a show.

  5. Use the station iPad for Spotify, Zoom audio, and YouTube while managing loudness risk.

  6. Search and cue music in DAD fast, and find sound effects/bumpers to enhance a show tastefully.

  7. Run tape into the studio mixer, gain stage it, and send a stable signal to the console.

  8. Run vinyl end-to-end: cueing, two-deck transitions, and record cleaning.

In this session, DJs learn and practice:

  • Cue/PFL discipline: preview audio in headphones, then turn cue off before going live

  • Levels and the “sweet spot”: gain vs fader, avoiding clipping, matching loudness across sources

  • Talking with background music (“music under”)

    • how to set a bed level, keep speech intelligible, and fade cleanly in/out of breaks

  • Playback workflows for the CD player (CD, Bluetooth, aux) and the station iPad (Spotify, Zoom, YouTube)

  • Recording every show for self-review and improvement

  • DAD searching and cueing

    • fast music search and prep

    • finding and using sound effects/bumpers in DAD to enhance a show without clutter

    • basic “layout disappeared” recovery

  • Tape deck + studio mixer basics (gain staging and why the mixer matters)

  • Vinyl fundamentals — using it with intention

    • cueing and transitions

    • practical “vinyl moments,” like opening/closing a show or a featured end-of-set track

    • record cleaning workflow

  • Monitoring in headphones vs speakers so DJs always know what they’re hearing

#Talk #Programming #Music

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