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Overwhelming..

Is anyone else out there like me? I like stuff from Roger Sanchezzy house all the way to Carl Cox funky techno. And as such my collection varies accordingly.

But I feel its all overwhelming. When I put on a track, I spend about 1-3 minutes only looking for the next perfect track that will match rythms and everything, then when I've found it, I put it on, and I spend the next 3rd of the record beatmatching.

So I always end up mixing during the last 3rd (usually less) of the first track. Most of my times goes from trying to figure out what goes next. Should I play a funky house set? Should I play the most banging techno (ala Carl Cox) to impress people I give my cd too? Plus I usually start off with warm house and everything, but I build up quickly to the faster banging beats...but then I back myself into a corner since I have no track that can top the previous one. But then again I don't want my set to be all progressive and boring, I want it to have punch, otherwise why would anyone listen to it?

So basically by the time I pickout the tune and beathmatch..I have no room to be creative. Anyone else out there? Or am I just..

Just sounds to me like you need more music to choose from.

agreed

get some more banging tunes! tons out there!



also try to organize ur music collection so u dont have to spend THAT much time looking for a track

Try and think a track ahead - before you go on (or start a mix at home or whatever) decide what your first 2 or 3 tracks will be, then learn to think what track 4 will be while you're mixing in track 2/3 etc.

Sometimes this means knowing your collection really well, but you could just try and think of the kind of track you want to go next, so when you've done your mix and you're flicking through your box/wallet, a track that fits that description should jump right out at you, rather than thinking "where should I take this now?" while you paw through your collection.

personally, when i'm playing out I generally have an idea of where i want my set to be 2 or 3 tracks from where I'm at in the moment. As long as you're thinking ahead a bit it helps to generate better flow.

Wouldn't harmonic mixing help with this decision making? I don't harmonic mix (but someday I want to try), don't mix right now cause no equipment (saving up for new stuff) but i've read that it will make choosing tracks much easier. Although they might not always be tracks that would flow together. But if you can choose tracks that are harmonically correct and also flow together, then that's great. But try to look for energy. If you want to build energy, keeping put on tracks that allow it to build, or just think how you feel at the time. If your playing for a crowd, see how the crowd reacts to certain tracks and I am sure that would help.

no one has a definite favorite genre of music, you just need to buy and pick tracks that work well togethor, and plan better until you can make good decisions on the fly.

it's that simple...you're overwhelming yourself by trying to fit all your favorite tunes togethor i think.

quote:

Originally posted by Spirit5 Wouldn't harmonic mixing help with this decision making? I don't harmonic mix (but someday I want to try), don't mix right now cause no equipment (saving up for new stuff) but i've read that it will make choosing tracks much easier. Although they might not always be tracks that would flow together. But if you can choose tracks that are harmonically correct and also flow together, then that's great. But try to look for energy. If you want to build energy, keeping put on tracks that allow it to build, or just think how you feel at the time. If your playing for a crowd, see how the crowd reacts to certain tracks and I am sure that would help.

I harmonically mix and it still requires you to know music because there are so many options when harmonically mixing not just the normal 1A to 1B or 12A or 2A, you can go +7 or +2 also I believe

And pace yourself.
And read the crowd.

quote:

Originally posted by everett I harmonically mix and it still requires you to know music because there are so many options when harmonically mixing not just the normal 1A to 1B or 12A or 2A, you can go +7 or +2 also I believe

Of course it does, but putting tracks together harmonically and knowing which ones work together can make it easier picking out tracks, rather than just picking out tracks based upon feel, energy level etc. Ones that work together harmonically....by mixing melodies and not just beats..basslines etc. Otherwise it can be a trial and error process. One track might sound like it would work, but it might not.

quote:

Originally posted by ASFSE it's that simple...you're overwhelming yourself by trying to fit all your favorite tunes togethor i think.

I think you pretty much summed me up. I'll have house tunes that I love...but then I'll have my favorite techno tracks. All I'm thinking is how to put them all together to make it work. (Even though there is no way to do that...at least for a one hour mix) What would you suggest...?

About organizing record boxes (at home). I'm thinking I should do that with mine...by artist or something. How does everyone organize their record box? (I'm mainly interested in records...my cds just go in the wallet)

quote:

Originally posted by Ministerio I think you pretty much summed me up. I'll have house tunes that I love...but then I'll have my favorite techno tracks. All I'm thinking is how to put them all together to make it work. (Even though there is no way to do that...at least for a one hour mix) What would you suggest...?

There's a reason why most serious DJ compilation mixes are two discs or more. It's just tough as hell to cram diverse musical tastes into the span of an 80 minute mix.

My advice to you: focus on getting gigs where you can either play long sets where you can use that diversity to it's fullest potential, or get gigs at various points of the night (i.e. warmup, some peaktime, etc). Look at Danny Howells. He plays so much different shit, especially in hig longer sets (ambient to chillout to deep house to tech/electro/progressive/funky/tribal/whatever house to techno and back again).

quote:

Originally posted by everett I harmonically mix and it still requires you to know music because there are so many options when harmonically mixing not just the normal 1A to 1B or 12A or 2A, you can go +7 or +2 also I believe

+2 Is a major 2nd I believe....sooo I don't think that'd sound too fantastic

Try this. When your mixing, start pulling tracks out that are going to possibly build up to a nice set thru the next 3-4 tracks, and take them and put them in the front of your binder in the order you think they should be played. Just understand that you will sometimes not end up playing these in the order you think they should go, because there are going to be some quick last minute decisions, sometimes. For instance, you have a track playing that you just mixed in, other track is finished. You should already have at least 2 tracks in the front of your binder that you pulled from different slots in your binder and moved them up to the first page of your binder cause you thought they would go well with the track you just mixed in. Even take 4 tracks that you think would work well together and move them to the front, or do more than that if you want. Just try to build with the placement of the tracks. Go somewhere with your set. Hope I explained this well. Its hard to explain sometimes. Try to stay a step ahead, if you know what I mean? Try to feel your music, too.

quote:

Originally posted by Raveaddict19 +2 Is a major 2nd I believe....sooo I don't think that'd sound too fantastic

Depends if you're talking +2 semitones, +2 notes of the scale or +2 numbers in the Camelot scale - +2 notes of a (minor) scale (e.g. Cm to Ebm) is a minor 3rd, which does work in certain circumstances, normally when there's minimal harmonic content, but +2 semitones or +2 numbers on the Camelot scale would be a major 2nd, which would sound gash (that doesn't mean you can't mix it - just that you'd probably have to be pretty sharp with the mix and do a fair amount of EQing to avoid a clash).

*cough* beatmatch quicker *cough*

Jay

quote:

Originally posted by veezee *cough* beatmatch quicker *cough* Jay

+1

don't think too much into it, just go with the flow dude.

quote:

Originally posted by Ministerio I think you pretty much summed me up. I'll have house tunes that I love...but then I'll have my favorite techno tracks. All I'm thinking is how to put them all together to make it work. (Even though there is no way to do that...at least for a one hour mix) What would you suggest...?

generally your techno tracks will go at the end because they are usually at a higher tempo & my flow is always from low to high tempo.

...so I end up with the house tracks (125-130) up front & finish it off with the trance tracks (130-140).

That's what I did with my latest tribal/progressive/trance set called "Fuze"...you can check it out at http://PatrickKroft.com

Regards,
Patrick

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