Mission 031
Preparing a Live Set
From library to stage — the professional checklist.
An hour of prep beats four hours of panic. Walk in with a plan; walk out with a story.
+50 XP
// WHAT IT DOES
Set prep = picking, analysing, organising and rehearsing tracks before the gig.
Steps: shortlist 2× the tracks you'll need, analyse all in rekordbox, sort into playlist by intended order, set cues + loops.
Rehearse 3–4 key transitions but leave room for live decisions.
Think of it like → A chef preps mise en place before service. Knives sharp, ingredients chopped, sauces ready. Then the cooking flows.
▸ WHY YOU CARE
- • Removes 90% of in-the-moment thinking — frees you to read crowd.
- • Catches bad grids, missing tracks, key clashes in advance.
- • Confidence boost — you've already mentally played the set.
// SEE & HEAR IT
No simulator for this mission — read & quiz only.
▸ HOW IT WORKS
▸ Signal flow — watch the dot
▸ SIGNAL FLOW
Glowing dot = your signal travelling through Live.
▸ LISTEN FOR
- • Unanalysed tracks in your set = bad grids waiting to happen
- • Single USB only = single point of failure
- • No anchor markers = navigation issue live
▸ WALKTHROUGH (5 steps)
- 1. DO: Confirm gig details: 90 min, peak slot, tech house.▸ LISTEN: Sets the lens for selection.
- 2. DO: Shortlist 50 tech-house tracks from your library.▸ LISTEN: More than you need — gives live flexibility.
- 3. DO: Analyse all in rekordbox, verify beat grids on the 20 strongest.▸ LISTEN: Bad grid = no SYNC, no clean cues.
- 4. DO: Create playlist 'Gig - VenueName - Date', drag tracks in intended order, mark 4 anchors.▸ LISTEN: Plan visible at a glance live.
- 5. DO: Export playlist to 2 USBs (FAT32), test load on a CDJ if possible, pack headphones.▸ LISTEN: Redundancy + verification = no panic at the booth.
▸ COMMON MISTAKES
- ✗ Prepping the night before only.
- ✗ Trusting one USB.
- ✗ Leaving cues unset.
- ✗ Over-prepping rigidly with no live flexibility.
// QUIZ (QUICK)
Question 1 / 40 correct
Researching the event before a gig means