Back spinning
Encyclopedia
Back spinning describes the act of manually manipulating a vinyl record (currently playing on a turntable
), using enough force to cause the record to spin backward (despite the rotation of the platter beneath it). It is often used in DJing; many DJs use specialty slipmats so that friction will be reduced between the record and the platter. Back spinning is used to "rewind" the sound on a record to a previous point in the audio, to slip cue
or cut music mixed live by a DJ, or in beat juggling
(see: turntablism
).
Usually, the sound of a backspin is a shrill, reversed version of the audio being bypassed. Since the sound easily stands out against other forms of music or ambient noise due to its uniqueness, it is usually muted by creative use of a DJ mixer
. However, the sound is sometimes used as a sound effect
, especially in its attachment to DJs and surrounding cultures such as hip hop
.
Phonograph
The phonograph record player, or gramophone is a device introduced in 1877 that has had continued common use for reproducing sound recordings, although when first developed, the phonograph was used to both record and reproduce sounds...
), using enough force to cause the record to spin backward (despite the rotation of the platter beneath it). It is often used in DJing; many DJs use specialty slipmats so that friction will be reduced between the record and the platter. Back spinning is used to "rewind" the sound on a record to a previous point in the audio, to slip cue
Slip-cueing
Slip-cueing is a turntable-based DJ technique that consists of holding a record still while the platter rotates underneath the slipmat and releasing it at the right moment. This way the record accelerates to the right speed almost immediately, without waiting for the heavy platter to start up...
or cut music mixed live by a DJ, or in beat juggling
Beat juggling
Beat juggling is the act of manipulating two or more samples , in order to create a unique composition, using multiple turntables and one or more mixers. This can involve pauses, scratching, backspins and delays...
(see: turntablism
Turntablism
Turntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating music using phonograph turntables and a DJ mixer.The word 'turntablist' was coined in 1995 by DJ Babu to describe the difference between a DJ who just plays records, and one who performs by touching and moving the records, stylus and mixer...
).
Usually, the sound of a backspin is a shrill, reversed version of the audio being bypassed. Since the sound easily stands out against other forms of music or ambient noise due to its uniqueness, it is usually muted by creative use of a DJ mixer
DJ mixer
A DJ mixer is a type of audio mixing console used by disc jockeys.The key features that differentiate a DJ mixer from other types of audio mixers are the ability to redirect a non-playing source to headphones and the presence of a crossfader, which allows for an easier transition between two sources...
. However, the sound is sometimes used as a sound effect
Sound effect
For the album by The Jam, see Sound Affects.Sound effects or audio effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds, or sound processes used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media...
, especially in its attachment to DJs and surrounding cultures such as hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
.