everytime i mix....

**whenyournex2me** · **everytime i mix.... -** 09-13-08, 01:43 AM

im getting lost as to how much i should mix two tracks together.... if im over mixing it now.... when i first started mixing. and learning songs and basic beatmatching,,,, thats what i was concerned of.... but now i think to muxh about hte mix,...? does this make sence? i know alot of djs have said to just go with the flow...

but being im trying to actually make things come out right... what can i do to help improve my transitions? practice?

ahh i played for a few hours today. im happy to say that i played alot of records i havent played in a while... mostly tance, and welll trance... lol

after knowing how to beatmatch, whats next? what should i focus on to get the mixes tight, and perfect...?

you djs out there have a hard life. i thought it was easy cause its not like physical labor,, like my work. but after 5 hours of mixing, here and there or everyday, i realized its not an easy job. i think i get too complecated with the mixes...

how can i improve where im at? i wish i had a dj that took me under his wing. ive only been learning from practice. i jsut wish i could perfect things from the first record to the last.... all smooth.

i guess i should practice some more...

DJ_Eezergud · 09-13-08, 08:51 AM

when we chill in nyc dude hit me up for some quality practice time with ya, you got a hella lot of passion and id love to be able to help ya out personally

but as far as to help ya now,
after beat matching its really about learning the art of mixing and developing your own style,
i suggest, (if you havent already) to research the format on each style of music you spin, get to know your records obviously and start getting into key mixing,
trance is a interesting form of music to mix because its very complex, its not minimal like breaks or acid house, theres a lot going on in it and really for trance u neeeeed to be key mixing.
listen to your basslines and your synth lines, try to mix so that the two records compliment each other and dont clash *key mixing again ha*
when i mix i imagine each different instrument in the song as threads, and i "tie" them together with the records, thats probably confusing lol.
also listen to little effects in the songs these can provide great transition points, em for instance if u check out my possibly mix, *i dont really like that mix but this is a good example* when just be comes on, when she says just be, i start bringing in the second track *save the last trance for me* those two play off each othre for a bit, and then when she says just be the second time, i throw insave the last trance in full force, i think that came out beautifully and might give ya a idea what im tryin to say :P

Ablist One · 09-13-08, 01:34 PM

its really up to you. after beatmatching, styles is the only thing left.

the most important thing to learn is that every single mix requires a different touch. every song is different and if you get used to doing a mix the same way, your sets will lose interest and flavor. you need to get at least 5-10 different ways to mix out of a record, and practice them enough so that at any time, you can decide which one to use.

some mixes deserve to keep mixing four 4 minutes, and some deserve only 30 seconds. you have to get good at deciding on the fly what should happen.

the single best piece of advice is to KNOW YOUR SONGS. if you dont know whats about to happen in the music, then you cant prepare for it and if it suprises you, there's no way to plan ahead and make a really good mix. every song that you use, you should play on its own and sit and listen to what happens in it. weird volume changes, strange beat structures, odd breaks and stumbles can happen in records you never thought; i've had records for years that i only played a certain part of, and decide to mix a different way one day and have it fuck me up because i didnt know what happened at the end of the song. once you know your songs well enough, you will come up with ne ideas that you didnt have before about how to do cool mixes.

the last thing for right now (i have to go to work) is always work each mix backward. if you have two songs that sound good together, always try to mix them the other way around and see if that comes out better or worse. djing in front of a crowd, you will almost always want to try something crazy just to see if it turn out cool, and if you only ever mix a certain record one way, it will inhibit you.

more later, i gotta go!

**whenyournex2me** · 08:48 PM

you know, this site is the only place ive gotten advise thats in a positive way. i love that.... and both you words are taken to my heart... just so you know. im absent on gxg cause ive been mixing

alot.....

practice... and i got a few recorded for your enjoyment. ill get them up when im done in my groove, and share.... plur

edit....

what do you all think about mixing vocal tracks together?

Ablist One · 09-15-08, 10:45 PM

thats touchy. if the vocals are in the same key and dont clash, i LOVE it. but if they overlap too much it gets really ugly really fast. the best ones are the mixes where each track has a *short* vocal clip, (not singing all through, dont mix two songs that sing all the way through, theres no way that turns out good) and they hit right after one another.

listen to the first mix on the "madman" set i just posted in the downloads section. the first song has a guy singing, then the next has a girl singing. almost exactly when he quits, she start up and he's silent while she sings but its still mixes for another minutes or so. that wasn't an accident, i sat down and mixed it a few different ways to see when the best time to drop the record would be.

and that was what i wanted to add earlier, the most important thing you do besides match the beat is where you drop the record. if you know where you dropped it and the main part comes in too late, then do the mix again and this time drop it a measure early. if thats too soon, do it a little later next time until you get it right. eventually you will get really good at knowing when to drop and you wont have to think about it so much.

DJ_Eezergud · 09-15-08, 11:05 PM

i think albist covererd all that quiet well, except for the fact that i will add different styles of music do change that as far as vocals for instance, in hardcore, people seem to like overlapping vocals *as long as there in key* and arent tooooo messy, but a good rule of thumb is, dont do it ha

DJ WALDO · 09-16-08, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJ_Eezergud

i think albist covererd all that quiet well, except for the fact that i will add different styles of music do change that as far as vocals for instance, in hardcore, people seem to like overlapping vocals *as long as there in key* and arent tooooo messy, but a good rule of thumb is, dont do it ha

Professor Ablist has spoken....

I agree with DJ_Eezergud....just dont do it. Until you learn about musical "key" and pitch its a good idea to stay away from mixing 2 vocal samples. I do it occasionally, but it's usually sampling that i do to kinda "tease" the listener into the next track. its like "here it comes....here it comes...AHH THERE IT GOES...i love that track!!!!"

High Jack · 09-16-08, 12:08 PM

practice.

hearing the same keys and pitch of vocals is just an afterthought. the root of that would be mixing just two records in the same pitch/key. what really sounds good is if play trax that ascend or descend the scale, but all of that comes later. as well as playing complicated mixes. if u let ur skill develop gradually you will learn more. i got that advice from a vet that has played professionally for 15 yrs. for now just keep practicing.

Sylus · 09-16-08, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJ WALDO

Professor Ablist has spoken....

I agree with DJ_Eezergud....just dont do it. Until you learn about musical "key" and pitch its a good idea to stay away from mixing 2 vocal samples. I do it occasionally, but it's usually sampling that i do to kinda "tease" the listener into the next track. its like "here it comes....here it comes...AHH THERE IT GOES...i love that track!!!!"

I love doing that!

**whenyournex2me** · 09-16-08, 09:40 PM

well i dont have mixed in key,,, yet and i understand harmonic mixing is essential for professional mixing or djs... and i have learned a lil bit about it, some from you here on gxg and some from ellaskins. on youtube. although i dont go on djtutor.com

i checked out mixedinkey.com today, and ill be gettign it asap. i have some records i think you all will like but i want to know that im mixing it properly. i dont like mxing the vocals,,,, but i do like mixing vocal tracks back to back.... if the story relates,,, or hte journey is similar, or back and forth... some tracks o got with vocals would be like a female singing about lost love, and then i have another i want to mix after, with a male about finding love....

i feel this can help stimulate the crowd, but i have to make sure im doing it correctly.