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-- do you really have to "KNOW" you tracks to mix well???
do you really have to "KNOW" you tracks to mix well???
i hear so many people say that you must "KNOW" your tracks very well to mix clean. and i can only asume that this doesn't hurt, but i have heard of many big name dj's getting new tracks or fresh remixes and playing them for the first time at a club, does "KNOWING YOUR TRACK" become second nature after awhile, to were you can play a track for the first time and not have to know anything about it??
Knowing basic track structure is a good thing. Knowing your tracks is something that should be part of it, but if you're good, you should be able to mix a song the first time you hear it. You can't rely on being 100% familiar with every song you play.
It's good to know if it launches into a huge breakdown somewhere and then comes back with a breakbeat, or if the tempo changes, or something weird like that. I usually listen to new acquisitions at least once before I start trying to mix with them.
knowing where the breakdowns are, where the track drops off the melody at the end, where you can mix out after the first breakdown. With experience you'll notice these when you first listen to the track.
You can get away with it as long as there's nothing structurally unusual about the song. If there's one of those fake climaxes in a breakdown (you know, where the melody drops off to nothing for a measure or two before actually dropping the OMGWTF part of the song in?) you can look like a major dumbass while jumping around, leading the crowd to begin prancing around when there's dead silence. 
well if it is a very solid, powerful tune you dont want to mix it into a less powerful tune. you know your tunes, you should know what sounds good together and what doesnt
If like me you play out at least three four times a week and practice at home too then it doesn't take much to get to know a track. Also once you have been doing it for a while you get to learn the more common structures in trance music. They don't vary all that much so once you are familiar with it, it works in most cases. It's only if the producer does something really outlandish that you might pay the price for going live with it.
I think people tend to confuse knowing their tunes with understanding the general structure of dance music. I can mix tunes without knowing them and so will you when you learn the general rules. You should be able to hear what is going on in the track, if it's getting ready to build again or drop off. It comes with time and much repetition.
To summarise, it will always be better to know your tracks but it can be done without. If you are a new DJ i.e. only played for about 3 or 4 years then you may still rely on knowing your tunes. Natural talent comes into it as does dedication. For the ones of you who are more dedicated you will no doubt pick this up a lot quicker but for the person who is commited perhaps to once or twice a week it will take longer.
Cheers
Nem
the first thing i do when i get my records home is mix them. i have no trouble mixing tracks which i do not know, but i suppose its a bit different with techno, as there isn't always a particular bit of the track designated to mix from/to.
as others have said, it is very handy to know which tracks have funny bits in, where they may do few extra beats at the end of the breakdown, or have a short 2 bar bridge etc etc.. you need to know when those bitches are coming!
You dont' NEED to know your music to mix well, but to do creative things you NEED to know your music well. It's not that hard to mix most EDM well because most of it follows a structure, and you can count it in your head.
I grew up listening to Freestyle(Pretty Tony, Cybotron, Afrika Bambatta, Johnny O, Stevie B) and Miami Bass and booty.
I started DJing with trance, and learned with countrin measures and what not. I tried DJing the above and found that counting with those types of songs doesn't work. I decided to go by feel, as I know the music very well and it worked out much better because of the style of the music.
So, in conclusion it depends on the type of music you're going to spin
Craig
I agree with alot said above. I do feel its good to know your reks well. Comes in handy for jugglin beats, and inserts. I personally listen to each track until i know the song inside and out. That way when I spin solo, or tag team, i know what each record is going to do. You can also creat good build ups as well and less breakdowns =P
agreed 
you can also get to know your producers to a certain extent. most producers make the same kind of music with similar beats and you can get to know their style after awhile.
for an example.. the Thrillseekers have been rolling out hits for awhile and the overall feeling of their songs seems the same to me. So I can throw on a Thrillseeker track that i've never heard before and still be able to mix it quite well.
Although, as mentioned above, you can never really be sure if the breakdown is gonna leave you hanging or when the appropriate time to mix is unless you listen to the song at least once..
pEy
Knowing the songs you play is always an advantage.
I think pretty much any dj can mix a song they've never heard before, but the art of mixing is to pick songs that really go together well, and I don't think that's possible if you don't know the songs.
| quote: |
| Originally posted by tu_face the first thing i do when i get my records home is mix them. |
Well for me i even though i dont have my own setup and just been practising with Virtual DJ software at home and using decks at a studio to practice i like to just "go with the flow" lol i dont plan much and im buying cdj1000s soon and that shows the build ups and break downs in a song so i can just choose any song and mix away!
I recall an article by John '00' Fleming in which he made an excellent point: knowing your tunes is sort of the equivalent of using a map for your set. You'll still sometimes be able to find your way round your set if you don't know yout tracks but if you learn your tunes, you'll get where you want to go a lot better. 
Or something like that. 
Just another point to add... when you are mixing vinyl you can normaly see the build up, break downs and peaks.
Well said Firstborn! Why cant i simplify things like that? 
| quote: |
| Originally posted by joegalvan Well said Firstborn! Why cant i simplify things like that? |
| quote: |
| Originally posted by Dirk W. tu_face and I are a lot alike whether he wants to admit it or not. |
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