DJ Tips: What Is Split Cue?
Split cue is a cue button found on many newer mixers (from Pioneer DJ and Denon DJ alike). It lets you analyse the tracks you're mixing on two different decks, making beatmatching more convenient.
When you use split cue on your mixer, each channel is heard in one ear: channel 1 on one side, channel 2 on the other. This lets you hear both at the same time (in your headphones only, separate from the speakers). That way you can easily tell which track is faster and which is slower, and beatmatching gets much easier.
Unlike single-ear cueing, both decks are heard through the headphones, so with split cue you need to wear both earcups.
Although split cue has lots of advantages, not every mixer has it, so you can't rely on this method alone.
Learning with the split cue button is one thing; relying on it as your go-to technique is something else entirely. After all, you don't want to be caught out on a mixer without split cue, or one that can't help you beatmatch.
Muse Inc recommends that if you find split cue helpful, use it to learn and practise, but once you can beatmatch well, switch to single-ear cueing as soon as you can.
At home, split cue is always easier to hear, but when you're working in a club with the PA system booming, the best approach is to listen with one ear, so you can match the beats precisely and also check whether the bass, treble and mids are balanced.
Digital DJ Tips
