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-- what do u do?

what do u do?

1. intro cue track on full/almost full volume and correct if u happen to intro it at the wrong time
2. intro cue track at no volume and bring it full/almost full at a number of beats later, once u have made sure they r running same speed

i do #1 but almost always need to fix it up..

usually 2 as it is less likely to make the set sound wank. 1 is only really viable if you happen to be really good at slapping a record in bang on the beat

#2. although a while ago i would do #1 (i did happen to be really good at slapping a record in bang on the beat hehe) but after it sounds pretty shit a few times, you learn to stop doing it this way hehe

#2 for sure

but a very very ocasional #1 never does any harm

i try and not confine myself to always this or always that...there is a place for every dj technique at some point

#2 99% of the time
#1 occassionaly when im mixing drum n bass

A lot of times I will do version 2 but I also use 1. The other thing I do if I have been talking to one of the other DJs is a slightly different version of 2, i.e. starting cue track, then beat matching it and mixing all in one swoop. It's alway worth being able to match quickly.

Cheers
Nem

it really matters how dramatic you want the transition to be . . . do you want it to slowly change to a new song, or do you want to introduce a new track fully and get rid of the old one? it varies from situation to situation, do what sounds best for the mix.

my $.02

quote:

Originally posted by opianstate it really matters how dramatic you want the transition to be . . . do you want it to slowly change to a new song, or do you want to introduce a new track fully and get rid of the old one? it varies from situation to situation, do what sounds best for the mix. my $.02

I would disagree with you there... you can be equally dramatic with both methods.. the difference is that you can't be subtle with the first. You can achieve the same effect with method 2 and probably make it sound better than one. Match it and then slam up the fader. Will probably sound much tighter.

Cheers
Nem

i do both! #1 only if im familiar with the track

i usually do 2...

hey,

what do you guys do for mixing in and out of long beatless parts? i've been having some trouble with a couple of tracks like that. they have long string sections and stuff...and i can't seem to get the beat to stick to it...any suggestions? the songs do go great together...

quote:

Originally posted by Floorfiller what do you guys do for mixing in and out of long beatless parts? i've been having some trouble with a couple of tracks like that. they have long string sections and stuff...and i can't seem to get the beat to stick to it...any suggestions? the songs do go great together...

when theres no percussion in the tune, you obviously have to look for other elements in the track to mix off of, for example the strings you mentioned.

Well, most of the time there is usually a chord change or something of that sort which indicates a change. The changes usually occur on beat, when i hear this change ill do a "thump thump.. " (kickbeat) in my head and align the kicks in the my head until the tunes are matches. The chord changes of the strings (Ex.) allow me to do that beat matching in my head.. Hard to explain lol sorry if you didnt get all of that.

I think thats a good explanation of how it's done man. Unless u got sum kinda bpm counter in your head

quote:

Originally posted by Floorfiller what do you guys do for mixing in and out of long beatless parts? i've been having some trouble with a couple of tracks like that. they have long string sections and stuff...and i can't seem to get the beat to stick to it...any suggestions? the songs do go great together...

\

If the tracks only have sections of without beats (the part you want to mix) and other parts have a beat, I beatmatch with the section that has a beat. Now since they are beatmatched you can cue it from the part that has no beats and just push off at the start of a phrase and you should be OK.

This is sometimes what I do to beat match tracks that have some breaks but some 4 on the floor beat (like Micro - Sound Barrier).

Mixing Beatless sections...

To be honest, that's one of those things that is a little taboo... what I mean is, just because you can doesn't always mean you should.

Personally I think sticking a beat in with a breakdown is about the worst thing you can do. There couldn't be a worse place to mix from. It's sounds unatural in most cases and totally wrecks the energy of the track.
It also sounds cheap in most cases.

If you really want to do creative stuff with 'beatless' sections, do it with harmonies not beats. The exception would be if you matched a break beat style rythm something that totally changes the feel and gives it a new feel. But putting a straight 4/4 is pointless. But don't use it as an oportunity to mix in a new track. The one thing that a lot of DJs very often underestimate is the crowds desire to hear those bits in tracks and you may be surprised at the amount of annoyed expressions you get from peoples faces if you do stuff like that.

You also have to ask yourself, are you playing this track for people to like it or to show how clever you are?

Something you may want to look at is this.
Play a track up to a break down, but just as the breakdown starts replace it with a lesser (but still popular) tracks breakdown. What happens is that you have built up peoples expectations a little and then almost let them down but not totally disapointed them. Then about two tracks later do the same again but replacing a mediocre breakdown with the one you denied them to begin with. This time the reaction will be mental as they thought they weren't going to hear it. Only do this once in a night as again you will piss people off if you do it too much. If you play around I'm sure you will find something like this.

We all have different styles and there are always exceptions to every rule so do remember that I am generalising here. There will be a few 'beatless mixes' that sound good but it for the most part it sounds amateurish in my book.

My two euros worth.
Nem

yeh i do agree with nem on mixing in and out of breakdowns with other tunes kicks.. i mean theres next to no point in doing it , otherwise the original tune itself would of had them.

In addition playing breakdowns without a bass drum can give the a crowd a breather from the "bang tsi bang tsi" all night, and let their arms go in the air for a while

However, like Nem said also, its a a nice trick to have up your sleeve when u can tease the crowd with another track on a breakdown and leave them wanting more in anticipation.

Actually if you happen to have the PVD set at trance energy available on the site here, listen to the Modulations - Spirits breakdown section, and you can hear the Three Drives - Carrera 2 being brought in, it sorta delays the breakdown and makes it shorter , therefore creating more energy within the mix.

Shouldnt be done too often as it can make you predicatable.

But in my earlier point i was referring to beat matching a kick from one tune to a non-existant kick in another through other elements other than percussion. This would come in handy if you missed the chance in a track to do simple kick to kick matching through one reason or another, or if the cued track doesnt have a lot of percussion in it.

Shit i rambled :S

yer i would say nem and eternal are right. but one thing i ocasionaly do is kill all bass most mid and a little treble on the incoming tune and as the breakdown comes to a close bring up the channel fader to create an extra bit of build up to the breakdown exit.

heh nice tip dukes cheers ill give it a try tomoz .. not just now tho bit late and my flatmate 'll probable assrape me as revenge

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