The transition editor gives you precise control over how DJ.Studio transitions between each song. You can create unique transitions for each crossover in your mix.
You may also be looking for: transition, crossfade, blend, bass swap, EQ transition, transition preset, stems transition, lock transition, transition length, transition window, mix in, mix out.
Carousel is great for quick mixes with transition presets. The Studio is where you build detailed, custom transitions and automation. This video shows everything you need to know about the transition editor.
Quick answers
Question | Answer |
How do I change where a transition starts or ends? | Drag the handles of the blue transition frame. |
How do I make all transitions longer or shorter? | Set Transition Length at Settings > Transitions. |
Why is a transition red or green? | Red: tempo sync is off. Green: the transition is locked. |
How do I lock all transitions at once? | In the Tracklist tab: click the first track, Shift-click the last, right-click > Lock. |
Can I save my own transition? | Yes, as a preset in My Presets. See below. |
I don't see the Transition tab. | You're probably in a Mashup project. See the FAQ. |
Transition editing workflow
These are the basic steps to work on a transition. First, set where the transition starts and ends. Then shape how it sounds.
Click one of the blue transition frames to select it. (1 in the screenshot)
Drag the handle with the three dots, at the top left of the blue frame, to where you want the transition to start. (2)
Drag the header of the second track to the left or right, so it comes in where you want it. (3)
Drag the right handle of the blue frame to where you want the transition to end. When the playhead passes the right side of the frame, the first track stops. (4)
You can also set the length of the transition with the number of bars in the middle bar. (5)
Now shape the sound. The easiest way is the Transition tab at the bottom of the screen. (6) You can combine one of each type, for example Volume, Bass, Mid, High, Filter, Effect In and Effect Out, all in the same transition. Try the options and listen back until you're happy.
Want to draw a curve yourself? Choose Manual for that setting, and click and drag the line in the timeline.
To use stems in the transition, click the button with four stripes in the blue transition header. (7)
Happy with it? Click the lock icon in the transition header to lock it (8), and go to the next transition with the Next transition button in the middle bar.
The Transition tab
Use the Transition tab to combine transition presets into a smooth blend. It has four areas:
A. Equalizer
Presets for Volume, Bass, Mid and High. You can combine all four, each with its own preset.
B. Effects
More advanced effects: Noise, Effect In and Effect Out, Filter, and Side Chain.
C. Stems
Turn on stem separation for the transition, and set the transition separately for the drums, bass, melody and vocals.
D. My Presets
With DJ.Studio Pro or higher, you can save your own transition presets.
Build your transition in the timeline.
Click Save at the top left of the first preset column, and give it a name you'll recognize.
Your preset now shows in My Presets. Stem presets are orange, EQ and effect presets are grey.
You can use your own presets as the default transition style in Harmonize. You can also delete them here.
Preset curves
Most settings in the Transition tab can use these curves:
None: the setting isn't used in this transition.
Crossfade: the value slowly goes down for the first track and up for the second, at the same speed. A smooth fade from one to the other.
Fade In: the value slowly goes up for the second track. The first track doesn't change.
Fade Out: the value slowly goes down for the first track. The second track doesn't change.
Swap: the value switches from one track to the other at the crossing point. Drag the crossing point to where you want the swap.
Manual: draw your own curve with the automation line.
Preset strength
Each preset can be used at 25, 50, 75 or 100% strength. Click the percentage to change it. The percentage changes how fast and how strong the curve is.
The transition frame in the timeline
The blue transition frame is where you move and edit a transition.
Move the whole transition: drag the blue header at the top. The header also shows the keys of the two tracks.
Change the start and end: drag the left and right handles. Outside the handles, the track that isn't playing is muted.
Change where the second track comes in: drag the header of that track. Handy when you're happy with where the transition starts, but want the new track to come in somewhere else.
See what happens: the automation lines show the values of each transition setting.
Transition colors
Blue: a normal transition, with tempo sync on.
Red: tempo sync is off for this transition. You can change this per transition in the top right of the Transition tab.
Green: the transition is locked.
Drawing your own transition
With manual editing you're not limited to the preset curves, and you can make any transition you like (DJ.Studio Pro or higher).
Open the Transition tab.
Choose Manual for the setting you want to change.
Click the line to add points, and drag them left or right and up or down to set when and how much.
You can draw manual curves for all transition settings at the same time.
Tip: want a curved line? Hold Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) while you drag the line.
Edit one setting at a time (solo)
With several manual curves in one transition, it's hard to click the right line. Click the S to the right of a setting's name to solo it, so only that line can be edited.
Transition settings
Go to Settings > Transitions to set how new transitions work:
Default Transition: the transition style used when you add new tracks to a mix.
Transition Length In Bars: how long new transitions are. On Auto, the length follows the intro and outro of the tracks. Pick a fixed length, for example 32 bars, to use that length for every transition instead.
Synchronize Tempo: automatic beat matching. Only turn it off if you want to mix tracks without changing their speed. When it's off, the transition shows in red.
Tempo Transition: when the tempo change happens within the transition. Only used when Synchronize Tempo is on.
Full: the tempo starts changing at the start of the transition, and reaches the tempo of the second track at the end.
Second Half: the tempo only starts changing halfway through the transition.
Track beat mode: how tracks are stretched when their tempo changes. Default is Re-pitch.
Automatically select transition tab: switch to the Transition tab when the playhead reaches a transition. Turn it off if you'd rather keep your current tab open.
These are the defaults for new transitions. To change the tempo change of one transition, select it and use the tempo options in the top right of the Transition tab. See BPM Controls, Tips, and FAQs.
By default, each transition is placed where the outro of one track overlaps the intro of the next. To change where a single transition starts or ends, drag its transition frame in the Studio.
Locking transitions
When you're happy with a transition, click the lock icon in the transition header. A locked transition turns green.
A locked transition doesn't change anymore: not when you use Harmonize again to reorder the other tracks, and not in the tempo lane either. Tip: set the tempo lane to Manual and lock the transitions you want to keep exactly as they are.
Lock your whole mix at once: open the Tracklist tab, click the first track, hold Shift, click the last track, then right-click and choose Lock. To unlock, do the same and choose Unlock.
Automation
You can also add automation anywhere in a track, not only in a transition. See Automation Editing.
FAQs
How do I do a clean, full-volume drop?
Use a volume swap:
Select the transition, so the Transition tab opens at the bottom of the screen.
Click Equalizer > Volume > Swap.
Click the 1 to leave a short gap in the volume, of one or more beats.
Drag the vertical line in the transition to move the swap.
Can I save EQ curves as a preset and use them in other mixes?
Yes, with DJ.Studio Pro or higher.
In the Studio, select a transition.
Build your transition with the Equalizer and Effects areas of the Transition tab.
Click Save at the top left of the first preset column, and give it a name.
Your preset now shows in My Presets. Stem presets are orange, EQ and effect presets are grey.
To use your preset for a whole mix:
Click Harmonize.
Go to the Transitions step.
Choose your preset under Transition style.
Tracks you add later get this preset too.
How do I stop the Transition tab from opening by itself?
Go to Settings > Transitions and turn off Automatically select transition tab. The Studio then stays on the tab you had open when the playhead reaches a transition.
Can I change the volume of an effect, like the downsweep?
In the Studio, select the transition, so the Transition tab opens.
Go to Effects > Noise and choose Manual.
Click the Noise line to add points. The higher you place them, the louder the noise.
Why is the bass swap in the middle of the transition?
The bass swap is always in the middle by default, so it moves when you make the transition longer or shorter. To change it:
Drag the vertical line of the bass swap to where you want the swap.
Or leave out one, two or four beats in the swap, for more impact: in Equalizer > Bass > Swap, click the number after "Swap" a few times.
I don't see the Transition tab
You're probably in a Mashup project. Check the top left of your screen: if it says Mashup, Mashup projects have no transitions. For transitions, create a new DJ mix project.
How are transitions added?
In a DJ mix project, DJ.Studio adds a transition between every two tracks automatically. Where new tracks go depends on Settings > General > Insert tracks in DJ mix: After the selected track or At end of project. With After the selected track, first click the header of the track you want to add after (it turns yellow).
The music stops playing at the transition
If you used stems in that transition, go to Settings > Extensions and check that Stem Separation is installed. If it isn't, follow the steps on the screen.
Still stops? Play the mix until it stops, then send us your log file (Help > Send log file) and a screenshot of that transition in the Studio.
How do I change the default mix-in point for transitions?
There's no default mix-in point setting anymore: transitions are placed where intros and outros overlap. To change where a single transition starts, drag its transition frame in the Studio. To change how long transitions are, set Transition Length at Settings > Transitions.
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