Constant offset
A ● ● ● ●
B ● ● ● ●
Both decks move at the same speed, but their beats start in different positions. A small nudge can line them up and the correction lasts.
Listening lesson · no equipment required
Offset or drift?
Two beats can be out of line for different reasons. Hear what a nudge fixes—and why the problem returns when the speeds do not match.
Back to the beginner routeOne problem changes position. The other changes speed.
Continuing drift
A ● ● ● ●
B ● ● ● ●
One deck moves faster or slower. A nudge helps briefly, but the gap grows again. Correct speed, then correct the remaining position.
Listen, adjust, compare.
These are original synthesized teaching rhythms, not commercial tracks. A is the reference at 120 BPM. B has a different tone so you can follow it. Changes here describe this simulation, not your reaction time or performance on real decks.
B starts one quarter of a beat ahead. Both decks are at 120 BPM.
Audio starts only when you press Play. Set your device volume low first.
Change B’s speed
Changing speed does not instantly fix the position. These teaching sounds use speed changes; no pitch-preserving key lock is simulated.
Change B’s position
Each nudge moves B by 1/16 of a beat. Back makes B less far ahead; forward brings it closer when it is behind. It does not change B’s tempo.
Try: in the first example, nudge B back four times. Stop, reset, and see whether you can hear the correction without the visual guide.
A position
B position
B is 0.250 beats ahead of A.
Bars show position within four beats; the text keeps the full difference, including whole-beat slips. Visual updates are approximate. Turn this guide off to focus on listening.
Three short experiments.
Make one correction last.
Select “Same speed, B ahead,” play, then nudge B back. Stop when the beats settle together. Reset and repeat while listening for the double hit becoming one.
Notice a correction that does not last.
Select “B gradually falls behind.” Let it play, then nudge forward. Keep listening: the gap returns because B is still slower. This is the clue that position was not the only problem.
Fix speed, then position.
Match B to 120 BPM, then nudge until the beats settle. Watch whether the correction stays in place. Try the faster example and reverse your correction.
Keep the lesson.
Take it to your next session: ask your friend to show a small timing offset and a small speed mismatch on their setup. Predict whether a nudge will last. The exact jog-wheel and tempo behavior depends on their equipment.