# Keep the mix you heard.

Try a Neon Meridian crossfader experiment to understand live DJ recordings, original deck transfers, beat grids and pitch-preserving tempo changes in Resonant.

Canonical page: https://resonant-appsoverflow.web.app/learn/dj-recording-vs-deck-audio/
By AppsOverFlow
Guide updated: 2026-10-12

A DJ performance and its source tracks are different things. This short listening exercise shows which button preserves your transition and which gives you the original audio for a fresh arrangement.

## Choose the result you want

Record captures the studio output as you perform. Crossfader moves, EQ, filter, echo and playback changes become part of the recorded sound. The resulting take can be trimmed or mixed, but its individual knob moves are not separate editable automation.

Add decks to tune editor sends the loaded original audio sources to the timeline. It does not send a recording of the performance or copy its crossfader moves. This is useful when you want to rearrange sections, but it explains why the result may sound different from the DJ console.

|What you want to keep|Use|What reaches the editor|
|---|---|---|
|The transition you performed|Record, then add that saved take|One mixed audio recording|
|The original audio on each deck|Add decks to tune editor|Separate source clips|
|Your later timeline edits|Download editable in Tune Editor|An arrangement you can reopen|

## Try the difference with Neon Meridian

Neon Meridian is an original 32-bar demo at 110 BPM. Deck A carries rhythm; deck B carries bass, chords and melody. Because the parts were written to work together, you can concentrate on the crossfader rather than finding two matching songs. The demo replaces the audio currently on the decks, so finish and download any performance you want to keep first.

1. **Hear both parts.** Choose Play Neon Meridian. Leave the crossfader in the middle and listen to the combined arrangement. Move it fully toward A, then B, to identify what disappears at either end.

2. **Record a clear change.** Put the crossfader toward A and press Record above the console. Count four steady beats, move gradually through the middle, then finish toward B. Press Stop on the recorder after a short phrase and choose Pause both.

3. **Check the evidence by ear.** Open Recordings and play your take. It should begin with the rhythm side and finish with the melodic side. If both remain equally prominent throughout, repeat with a more definite crossfader movement.

4. **Compare with the sources.** Choose Add decks to tune editor. Listen to the two source clips at their chosen timeline positions. Your recorded transition is not applied to them. To edit the transition itself, use the saved performance take instead.

**Listen, then check:** Compare at a comfortable, similar listening level. A louder version can seem more exciting even when its timing or balance is worse. Keep your device volume steady and use the clip or deck levels to make the comparison useful.

## A matching tempo is only half the job

For your own tracks, review Track BPM in each deck’s Beat grid. Detect BPM supplies an estimate, not a guarantee. If the beat sounds twice as fast as the number suggests, check the half or double tempo choices, or use Tap BPM. Next, find a clear first downbeat and set First downbeat in seconds or mark the current position.

Match B tempo to A changes deck B’s speed. Sync beats · B to A also aligns its beat phase to A and starts playback. This is a one-time alignment, not a system that continually repairs an inaccurate grid. Listen to several bars: a repeated doubled kick or a flam that grows over time means the tempo or starting beat needs another look.

Turn on Key lock if you want to change tempo while retaining the track’s musical pitch. Wait for local preparation to finish. This processing supports mono or stereo audio up to three minutes and 64 MiB decoded, at sample rates up to 96 kHz. A small compressed file can become much larger after decoding.

## Finish with one deliberate edit

Bring the recorded performance into Tune Editor, trim any silence before the transition and add a short Fade out if the ending cuts off abruptly. Export WAV for a listening copy. Download editable if you also want to keep your timeline decisions.

The browser DJ has no separate headphone cue output. Check unfamiliar tracks before performing and keep the first transition simple. A balanced, well-timed fade is a useful result even without extra effects.

[Open DJ machine](https://resonant-appsoverflow.web.app/studio/dj/)

## A few useful answers

### Why did my DJ effects disappear in Tune Editor?

Add decks to tune editor transfers original sources, not the live effects or crossfader performance. Record the live mix and add that saved take to preserve what you heard.

### Does Sync beats keep two songs synchronized for the whole mix?

Sync beats aligns deck B to deck A once. Incorrect BPM estimates or changing tempos can cause later drift, so check the beat grid and listen after syncing.

## Learning guides

- [Eight notes. Your first arrangement.](https://resonant-appsoverflow.web.app/learn/first-piano-arrangement/)
- [Keep the mix you heard.](https://resonant-appsoverflow.web.app/learn/dj-recording-vs-deck-audio/)
- [Your voice, in the right place.](https://resonant-appsoverflow.web.app/learn/record-karaoke/)
- [Keep the idea. Fix the interruption.](https://resonant-appsoverflow.web.app/learn/audio-and-backup-help/)

[Learning hub](https://resonant-appsoverflow.web.app/learn/)
[Report a confusing step](https://appsoverflow.web.app/contact/)