Acapella - A track containing only vocals - no background music.
Anti-skating - A control to keep a turntables stylus centred within a records groove.
Balance Control - A control that adjusts the left/right balance of your sound.
Bass - The low frequency normally associated with the kick drum and bass.
Beat Matching - A mixing technique used to establish a similar tempo with two or more tracks.
Beats Per Minute (BPM) - The number of beats per minute, a standard measure of tempo.
Belt Drive - A turntable driven by a belt using a pulley system to rotate its platter.
Booth - The area where the DJ & their equipment are in an event or club.
Cartridge – The part that holds the stylus in place on your turntable.
Channel – Referring to the channel within which audio is to be played on your DJ mixer.
Counterweight - The adjustable weight mounted at the rear end of the tonearm on a turntable.
Crossfader - A transitional slide control on a mixer for fading in one channel while simultaneously fading out another.
Cuing - Listening to a track through headphones while playing another through the sound system.
Decks - Another term for turntables.
Demo - A promotional mix sent to potential bookings.
Droppin In a Track - The process of mixing in the next track cue'd up.
Direct Drive - A motor system used to rotate a turntables platter.
EQ Controls - Controls that allow the filtering of differing frequencies on your DJ mixer.
Fade - A gradual increase or reduction in the level of the audio signal.
Fader – On a DJ mixer this refers to a sliding control used to adjust the volume of your tracks.
Flight case - A light weight, hard wearing carry case for a DJs equipment, vinyls and CDs.
Gain Control - A control which increases or reduces the output level of your tracks giving extra movement in volume.
Genre - A category of music e.g. Techno, House, Hip Hop, D&B, Trance, Hard House etc.
Headshell – The adaptor used to hold the cartridge in place on the tonearm of a turntable.
High Frequencies – The high frequencies of your track controlled by your EQ controls.
Kill Switch - A switch or button to turn on and off output or individual frequency ranges within a channel, i.e. treble, mid and bass.
Line Input - An input used by an audio devise
Master – The master (main) volume control of your mixer.
Mid-Range Frequencies – Frequencies that fit between the bass and high frequencies.
MIDI - A signal used by electronic instruments to broadcast information to each other.
Monitor - A speaker in the DJ booth that allows the DJ to hear without the delays or echoes.
Needle - A term referring to a turntables stylus.
Phono Connection – A connection used by turntables.
Pitch- The speed at which a track plays.
Pitch control - The control on your DJ equipment used to alter the speed of your tracks.
Platter or Plate - The top section of a turntable driven by its motor or belt.
Promo - A pre-released version of a track.
Sampler - A device used to record samples of music.
Slipmat - A felt-type material used to reduce friction between the turntables plate and the vinyl.
Spinning - The act of mixing recorded songs together - obviously associated with how records "spin" on the turntable.
Stylus - The part of a turntables arm that makes contact with the vinyl being played.
Technics 1200's – Direct-drive turntable that is the industry standard.
Tempo – The speed of your music
Time Code – The time structure within which music is created.
Tone Arm - The pivoting arm on a turntable.
Tracking - The ability of a stylus to follow the grooves of a vinyl.
