Learn Vinyl Mixing with DJ JaBig

Big on Vinyl is a private coaching service by international DJ JaBig, spinning vinyl since 1994, dedicated exclusively to vinyl DJing and mixing, for yourself or for an audience.

What is it exactly?

Big on Vinyl is an in-person, hands-on lesson on professional turntables and a mixer where you will learn how to spin vinyl records from scratch (pun, accidental yet très à propos).

The measurable goal at the end of the solo or multiple sessions is for participants to be able to spin a vinyl-only DJ set with impeccable technical prowess.

No matter your experience or expertise, the private coaching, in English ou en français, is tailored to the individual (one person) or small group (up to four participants).

Also available is a special 90-minute intensive session for career DJs with experience on digital platforms, since they already have the parallel expertise and can simply train privately back home thereon with the occasional check-in session (assuming they can beatmatch by ear and not rely on the auto-sync functions).

These advanced sessions eschew DJing basics and get straight to the technical aspect of mixing vinyl.

Who is it for?

Most clients are existing DJs whose expertise and experience lies in digital DJing and who want to learn the analog way to add to their repertoire, akin to an experienced driver of automatic cars who wants to learn manual, or stick or standard as they say in North America.

If you are an aspiring DJ who wants to start on vinyl from scratch, this is for you too, as this is exactly how JaBig started in 1994 as well as those who entered the scene long before digital DJing took over.

Nota Bene: learning to DJ on digital media is MUCH easier (see: DJing101.com) and more efficient, however learning the traditional vinyl way is the most effective.

Lastly, a growing number of record collectors in this vinyl revival era are not interested in becoming professional DJs and simply want to learn the craft to be able to play vinyl for themselves or loved ones from the comfort of their homes.

How long will it take to master vinyl mixing?

JaBig has coached hundreds of aspiring and career DJs one-on-one and in small classes over thirty years, from classmates in secondary school to fellow professional DJs whilst on tour, at home in Vancouver and during seasonal residencies in Montréal and London, UK.

From this experience, vinyl mixing mastery comes down to three factors:

1) Existing musical or DJing expertise & experience 2) Learning aptitude, retention & pace 3) Commitment.

An experienced DJ who already beatmatches by ear and in vinyl mode on the latest CDJ-3000X players, in other words who does not rely on the beat-sync button which is controversial in some DJing circles, should grasp mixing vinyl records within the hour with ensuing mastery through continuous at-home practice.

A participant who struggles with tapping their foot to the beat from the get-go, only has one session a week (hence prone to starting from scratch each class), has no equipment at home for the prescribed daily short DJ set practice and has more pressing life priorities?

It could take a decade, if ever!

It’s up to you how long you want it to take to master mixing vinyl.

JaBig will take care of 1) and 2). Your vinyl mixing timeline will depend on 3).

Will I learn to scratch?

No.

Scratch DJing, better known as turntablism, is a different artform altogether. Scratching, beat juggling and cutting turn the turntable into an instrument in ways that are quite frankly mind-boggling.

While it happens on the same Technics SL-1200s or other capable decks, they are positioned differently (in what is known as battle mode) and paired with a specific type of DJ mixer. It is closer to musicianship than to DJing in the traditional sense and it has its own teachers.

Big on Vinyl with JaBig is about the other side of the craft: selecting records, mixing them and playing a DJ set.

Do I need my own DJ equipment or vinyl records?

You do not.

However it will make the learning process much faster since most of the skill comes from practice rather than theory or demonstration, depending on one’s learning ability.

Admittedly, not everyone owns two decks and a mixer, or much of a vinyl collection, for various reasons such as testing the waters or existing DJs on digital medium.

You will have access to premium equipment that graces the world’s nightclubs and other venues where DJs perform. Namely Technics SL-1200 turntables, the industry standard for over four decades, paired with a rotary or standard DJ mixer depending on your style and preference.

You are encouraged to grow your own record collection first and foremost, then invest in equipment to be able to practise independently.

Where does the learning take place?

This is up to the client.

The session can take place at your location such as home, workplace, school, community centre, rented venue and so forth, which means that the host will have to travel to you with DJing equipment in tow (if the client does not have their own or rented it) that will also need to be installed and disassembled at the end of the session, so additional time will be required.

Some clients learn better in the comfort of their own homes or safe spaces, or they just prefer it that way and rightfully so, and are very comfortable with the premium pricing attached to this personalised level of service.

(Keep in mind City of Vancouver’s *notorious* Noise Control By-law 6555)

Generally speaking however, the sessions happen at the studio in Vancouver or a designated venue where clients travel to for their one-hour session.

Please note that any student under 18 years old has to be accompanied by an adult who must remain present in the room.

(Over the years no offence has ever been taken when they bring their own noise-cancelling headphones to listen to something else.)

Can I book a quick consultation instead?

Yes, of course!

Sometimes, aspiring vinyl DJs in Vancouver or abroad who practise on their own are stuck on something that can be explained over a quick video, phone call or email. Scheduling a full in-person class would be a tad overkill.

A 15-minute or 30-minute consulting session is the solution that has proven to be pretty efficient over the years, with more time slots booked depending on the complexity of the matter.

This consultancy can also be about anything related to vinyl DJing and mixing, such as help building a collection, vetting a seller or deal, advice on what equipment to get and even career questions.

Please note that some issues might require in-person, hands-on sessions if they are too technical to address remotely.

How much does it cost?

Big on Vinyl session pricing in Canadian dollars (CAD) is based on:

• The number of sessions per package purchased
• The number of attendees
• The length of each session
• Whether it happens at the studio or your own location and where that is
• Whether you have your own DJ equipment and records or they need to be delivered and installed
• Whether you are a complete beginner or a professional digital DJ wanting to learn to spin vinyl

At the DJ studio in Vancouver

Solo (1 person) — 60 minutes
Single session: $250 per person per hour
Five-session block: $110 per hour per person
Ten-session block: $100 per hour per person

Duo (2 people) — 75 minutes
Single session: $185 per person
Five-session block: $85 per hour per person
Ten-session block: $75 per hour per person

Small group (3 or 4 people) — 120 minutes
Single session: $80 per hour per person
Five-session block: $50 per hour per person
Ten-session block: $40 per hour per person

One-Off Single Intensive Session for Existing DJs
90 minutes, one person, tailored and technical: $500

At your location

Studio rates above apply, plus a fee covering travel to and from your location as well as the use, delivery, installation and teardown of the DJ equipment.

Delivery fee halved if you own or provide turntables, mixer, cartridges, slipmats, headphones and monitors to specification.

City of Vancouver: $225
Metro Vancouver: $300
Elsewhere in British Columbia, Canada or abroad: quoted individually, accommodation extra

Who is JaBig?

JaBig is an internationally touring DJ who has been DJing since 1994 and working professionally since 1999, with a catalogue beyond 400 mixes and more than 200 million streams.

As soon as he started rocking dancefloors at house parties in secondary school, he began showing his classmates how to DJ. The private coaching grew quietly in parallel with his international bookings.

Three decades on, he has shown and taught thousands of people how to DJ in private classes (now known as Big on Vinyl), group activities, workshops and as a guest lecturer.

A number of his students and protégés went on to become high profile DJs playing packed stadiums and festivals, heights JaBig himself will never reach. The student surpassing the master is the ultimate teaching validation, a chapeau bas (hats off) for the Montrealer who now calls Vancouver home.

What’s his secret?

JaBig is all about teaching the fundamentals in a way that they become so natural that they pave the way for a student’s own signature style. His expertise lies in simplifying complex concepts so that once understood, they become ingrained.

On top of his motivational-style approach, JaBig also offers career guidance such as positioning and how to get bookings, and will often introduce his students to the right people who know that his students are beyond proficient.

In his spare time, JaBig is an avid cyclist and he brings the same intensity to this discipline, as evidenced by his fixed-gear bicycle ride across Canada in winter to break a Guinness World Record, later followed by one around the USA and culminating in crossing Europe from Norway to Spain. He is also an environmental portrait and landscape photographer and a rather opinionated writer.

Full bio : www.JaBig.com

Why had I never heard of Big on Vinyl?

Simply because despite teaching aspiring and existing DJs how to mix with vinyl records, JaBig never made it official as it was a parallel side project to his career.

In recent years, there has been a strong vinyl revival with people getting into or returning to collecting records, and nightclubs the world over bringing back Technics SL-1200 turntables to the DJ booth as vinyl-only sets saw a resurgence, as evidenced by JaBig’s own bookings that had him showing up to gigs with record bags and crates again as if it were the nineties.

To address the growing demand from music lovers and digital DJs messaging him for vinyl mixing lessons, Big on Vinyl was launched as a formal entity.

You might have only just heard of Big on Vinyl, however the person behind it has been teaching people worldwide to mix vinyl for 32 years as of 2026, if one wants to keep a proper record.

How do I get started?

If you would like to learn vinyl DJing or mixing with JaBig or if you have additional questions, please contact him at jabig@jabig.com to get the wheels (of steel) spinning.