As a DJ, you have to be unique. To have something the others done. That thing could be a classy selection, a specific mixing technique, or an acapella. Acapellas - the isolated vocal stems of a track - are an established way to bring your own flavor to a track, set or mashup. Let’s get into a few ways in which acapellas bring the heat.
Transitions
Acapellas are great for atmospheric transitions between tracks or to bridge two different tempos in your set. When used in isolation, they can be stuttered, mangled, stretched and otherwise affected to create a palette cleanser between tracks or tempos. Tricks like this should be used sparingly, but can create the type of moment that stops conversations and gets people excited about whatever you’re about to drop. Just a couple of things you figure out when learning to DJ.
Mashups
The best part about acapellas is finding a matching key and simply plugging them into other tracks. Tracks they weren’t designed for. For example, playing an acapella in G over a track in C creates an interval difference which teases the audience. Try it out. Use acapellas to create these moments can result in some stellar mixes.
Fun!
It’s a fact that vocal music is more interesting than instrumental music. No doubt about it. Acapellas make human ears perk up (especially when they contain those saucy lyrics). A beautiful female voice caked in reverb with a banging beat is a great way to get people onto the floor. Use acapellas for DJ mix transitions and to show them you know your stuff.
All major DJ software is now equipped to incorporate acapellas into your set. Grab some acapellas from Voclr.it or Acapellas4u. If you’re stuck in Track A/B mode or want to otherwise level up your set, using acapellas in your DJ sets is your next step. Checking out one of the DJ courses from DJ Courses Online is another good way to level up!