I find that most of the demo mixes I download from forum members tend to be very bland. In fact, even a lot of the professionals mix CD's can be a bit dull. An example would be Armin's last 3 ASOT CD's - I find that when I see him live he is far more interesting than on these CD's, when he's only got 3 minutes to pick the next track, as opposed to weeks!

So, I just wondered what your thoughts were on how to make a really good demo - whether its trance, house, prog, psy, techno or a mixture.

In my opinion, you need to vary your sound and genra, but only a small amount. For example, in an 80 minute CD, I dont want to only hear epic trance as it will most likely get boring and predictable; but on the other hand, if you try and go from progressive into trance into tech trance into psy, its just not going to flow very well, and you wont find yourself really 'getting into' any of the sounds atall. So instead, you need to find a mood for your CD, and try and stick to that, but remembering to vary the sounds that each song brings.

The other major thing for me is the mixing. Most trance DJ's especially seem to think that mixing is just about getting beats in time, so you can move from tune to tune seemlessly. While on a mix CD, accuracy is important, there are other important factors in the mix. Certain tunes sound class when you play them togeather. This means that (with trance) instead of getting one moment in a tune from the breakdown, then it just winds down and you wait for the breakdown in the next tune, you have another 'moment' in between. Therefore, instead of say 14 highlights in your cd, you have potentially 26! You can usualy achieve this by mixing in key, and going for longer transitions, starting your mix while the melody or riff of the first track is still going.

What are your thoughts?

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Originally posted by JonDC In my opinion, you need to vary your sound and genra, but only a small amount. For example, in an 80 minute CD, I dont want to only hear epic trance as it will most likely get boring and predictable; but on the other hand, if you try and go from progressive into trance into tech trance into psy, its just not going to flow very well, and you wont find yourself really 'getting into' any of the sounds atall. So instead, you need to find a mood for your CD, and try and stick to that, but remembering to vary the sounds that each song brings.

I don't agree. I try to use different style of trance in my mixes and I think it works pretty well. Check out my mix in my sig and see for yourself. A mix with 100 mins with epic only or psy only can be quite boring. Alot of my favourite DJs are those who mix different styles.

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My new oldskool TRANCE mix!

You sound like you've never seen a good DJ...

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Originally posted by ******** Seplling don't demonstrate intelligence and educatoin - knowing does.

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Originally posted by Clovis You sound like you've never seen a good DJ...

Aww come on man, everyone's seen Tiesto at least once

Comes down to comfort zones, most people have a fairly narrow palate when it comes to music, if they go out to dance and hear to house, trance or whatever. That's generally all Joe and Jane public want to hear and its a bit hard to make them like something wouldn't they touch on normally. Music lovers and other such open minded bohemian animals you can get away with a bit more in terms of genre mangling mixing.

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You sound like you've never seen a good DJ...

care to elaborate?
baring in mind im talking about 80 minute mix CD's, not live sets

Last edited by JonDC on Sep-05-2007 at 11:43

Very briefly because I need to crawl into bed.
Depends to whom you're targeting with that mix, what is the audience you're going to serve it up too and will they consider it successful? Remember it's not DJ's that determine what the music should be, but the audience, some do a variety and have a following in their audience which likes what they do (like John 00 Flemming who mixes in a variety of trance genres), other's will have listeners which don't appreciate some genres, so they play that genre, those listeners will follow them (like Tiesto and Armin who tend to stick to the mostly more popular trance tracks)

Think the best way of describing it is trying to serve meat to vegetarians in a restaurant

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Originally posted by RebeL9 I don't agree. I try to use different style of trance in my mixes and I think it works pretty well. Check out my mix in my sig and see for yourself. A mix with 100 mins with epic only or psy only can be quite boring. Alot of my favourite DJs are those who mix different styles.

yea I see what you mean - I'll check out your mix shortly.
What I meant is I dont like it when styles are drastically varied. For example, if you look at 'White Label Euphoria' by J00F, although it incorporates all styles of trance and some progressive house, its all in the same vain - its all fairly deep and intellegent. So yea it works really well.

Its not the same as starting with Markus Schuls and ending on The Prophit, as I've herd some people do

Have you got any mixes of your own dude?

I think mixing blindly without a thought towards set structure, overall "feeling" trying to be expressed, is suicide. However, I've heard many a set in the dj promo forum that have been pretty damn good imo.

Of course it's all subjective anyhow.

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This is trance...
Jose Amnesia - The Eternal (Pulser Remix) / Chicane - Saltwater / Photon Project - Illumination / Gouryella - Tenshi / Altitude - Altitude (SHOKK Remix) / Rank 1 - Airwave / The Thrillseekers - Synaesthesia (En Motion Mix)

Can't say I can agree with OP at all. I've only been to like one event though I've heard quite a lot of sets here. They seem mostly good to me.

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Check out my Goa and psy Trance mixes!

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Originally posted by eRRaTiK Have you got any mixes of your own dude? I think mixing blindly without a thought towards set structure, overall "feeling" trying to be expressed, is suicide. However, I've heard many a set in the dj promo forum that have been pretty damn good imo. Of course it's all subjective anyhow.

oh yea theres always a few good ones too
one of my tougher mixes is here

http://www.megalev.co.uk/Music/DJ_J...nely_Places.mp3

I agree with the original poster.

Sometimes I hear mix cd's and radio shows it sounds like the DJ is on cruise control compared to what he does live.

DJs need to bring the interesting live aspects to studio recorded mixes. Instead of making the mixes simpler, as it seems, for example AVB does on ASOT, he should use ableton live to make the mixes more interesting. Like DE:9 Transitions, for instance.

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Originally posted by Clovis You sound like you've never seen a good DJ...

Indeed.

One would think that at this point people would know there's a small difference between a live set and a dj mix. Such is life.

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