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Question on BPM

Is it a general practice to stay around the same BPM?

For example, Lots of trance now runs at 130 to 136. While some runs from 126 to 128. Do you set a medium like say, 130 and stay at that BPM? or do you beat match your choons to the next song's bpm?

Second question on BPM,

House spins alot slower sometimes 126 vs trance at higher BPM sometimes 136, any recommendation how to mix the 2 together? I heard the best was to gradually slow down the songs, like every song slow down 2bpm all the way down to the house track?

quote:

Originally posted by manatsu Second question on BPM, House spins alot slower sometimes 126 vs trance at higher BPM sometimes 136, any recommendation how to mix the 2 together? I heard the best was to gradually slow down the songs, like every song slow down 2bpm all the way down to the house track?

House and trance don't blend well together (few exceptions). Just drop it in, or just finish the trance and bring in the house. Tell the crowd it's time for a CHANGE!

But honestly, do it well, since trance has an hour of break down. That part really piss' me off.

From experience so far:
Dont mix a 136BPM track down to 130. It will sound too slow.
Dont mix a 125BPM track up to 130. It will sound too busy.
Play the 126BPM trance trax at the start of the set & gradualy up their speed by ~2BPM & mix in faster trax as you go. That way you end up play both yous speeds by the end of the set.

I mix in prog-house & prog-trance from time to time, which are around the same BPM (~3bpm difference) But havent tried mixing straight up house & trance, so dont know if that will work.

most djs go 5% up during a 2hour set (example 130-136).
just dont do it all on one song it will sound ass.
theres no rule though but as stated earlier i would never go down, remember your trying to build to a crescendo.

My general rule is not going more or less than 1 bpm per song. Breakdowns are the best place to gradually increase the tempo. Don't do it in one shot though. If the song has 2 breakdowns, utilize this. .5 bpm on one breakdown and the other .5 on the other.

Generally its a matter of preference. Usually my podcasts start at around 136 and end at 140-141 for an hour long set.

if you play tracks a bit faster you can squeeze more in.

you might want to look into bridging genres/tracks. you wouldnt go house > Trance. but, house > prog house > prog trance > trance. its good to have some common elements i find. Also, trance is shit to dance to, too fast and breakdowns no good.

Thanks all for the advice. This info is awesome

quote:

Originally posted by palm i would never go down, remember your trying to build to a crescendo.

Really? I'm completely different. Depending on the length of the set of course. But I'll often takes things down a notch or two half way through a set to give the 'crowd' a breather and a small break so that i can build back up again.

In a way you get to build it up twice or trice times, giving the crowd two/three crescendos

But as always it's each to their own..

^
is that in a 1hr set?

quote:

Originally posted by n3lly Really? I'm completely different. Depending on the length of the set of course. But I'll often takes things down a notch or two half way through a set to give the 'crowd' a breather and a small break so that i can build back up again. In a way you get to build it up twice or trice times, giving the crowd two/three crescendos But as always it's each to their own..

well i never got a gig though. could be because all my promo-sets where a constant building never-ending marathon

quote:

Originally posted by recoil ^ is that in a 1hr set?

Maybe, it depends how i start the set off. I could start of relatively lively and break it down after 30min and build it up again.

But Personally i'd probably give the crowd a little breather every 40 odd min or so. There's nothing worse then banging it out and finding the dance floor is dwindling due to a lack of energy.

A good filler can help build a sets momentum to no end.

As always, this all purely personal preference and others might love a 2-3 hour marathon of banging tunes

i love a good set progression, but once im drunk & hear filler, im off to the bar to wipe all the sweat off & load up on booze & scope the room for potential wifes to be...

A lot of times the crowd wants a filler if its a long set. I know if im going to see someone awesome, i am always afraid of missing awesome tunes for a bathroom or bar break. So its good to know that your gonna have some fillers here and there.

^
YEA, at which point i raise my elbows & run back to the front of the dance floor screaming & nailing every **** in my way right in their fuken head!

THIS IS MY FLOOR!!!

quote:

Originally posted by recoil ^ YEA, at which point i raise my elbows & run back to the front of the dance floor screaming & nailing every **** in my way right in their fuken head! THIS IS MY FLOOR!!!

Like a true Aussie, no doubt wearing some form of fluoro clothing, most likely a wife beater.

Zinggg...

I'm only buzzing with you. I miss the days I used to end up in Revolver

quote:

Originally posted by palm most djs go 5% up during a 2hour set (example 130-136). just dont do it all on one song it will sound ass. theres no rule though but as stated earlier i would never go down, remember your trying to build to a crescendo.

I'm very new at mixing and this may seem like a very simple/silly question...

Say you want your set to stay in the range of 130-136 bpm, do you only select songs that are in that bpm range? Do you ever adjust the tempo of a song that is outside of this range to fit it into the 130-136 range?

For example, if you really like a song that is 138 bpm, would you slow it down to 136 to fit it into your desired range? Or would you simply not use the song?

Thing is I have seen that most DJ prep their set right? so they have the choons all planned out already. But me on the other hand still learning so to practice more beatmatching and mixing, I am just throwing up whatever CD there is and try to get it to connect.

One bad thing is that I suck at remembering the names of songs. I can be staring at a CD for 5 minutes and not remember how it sound like, but the second i hear it i remember...anyone have any advice on that? lol

quote:

Originally posted by Apeattack I'm very new at mixing and this may seem like a very simple/silly question... Say you want your set to stay in the range of 130-136 bpm, do you only select songs that are in that bpm range? Do you ever adjust the tempo of a song that is outside of this range to fit it into the 130-136 range? For example, if you really like a song that is 138 bpm, would you slow it down to 136 to fit it into your desired range? Or would you simply not use the song?

Of course. I've pitched songs up or down 7% at times, but not all tracks sound good after doing this. What setup are you using?

quote:

Originally posted by manatsu Thing is I have seen that most DJ prep their set right? so they have the choons all planned out already. But me on the other hand still learning so to practice more beatmatching and mixing, I am just throwing up whatever CD there is and try to get it to connect. One bad thing is that I suck at remembering the names of songs. I can be staring at a CD for 5 minutes and not remember how it sound like, but the second i hear it i remember...anyone have any advice on that? lol

Not as much as you would think. Basic "prepping" of a set usually involves selecting 40 or 50 tracks that you know work well together and want to play. After practice this becomes second nature.

Honestly,

First rule:

There are no rules.

As cheesy as it sounds. Just do what you think sounds good.

quote:

Originally posted by woscar Of course. I've pitched songs up or down 7% at times, but not all tracks sound good after doing this. What setup are you using?

haha... my question was more general in nature. I haven't even gotten a 'setup' yet.

I'm planning on getting the Numark OMNI Control soon. See this recent thread:
http://www.tranceaddict.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=543555&forumid=8&s=

quote:

Originally posted by recoil From experience so far: Dont mix a 136BPM track down to 130. It will sound too slow. Dont mix a 125BPM track up to 130. It will sound too busy.

Fair enough if that's how you prefer to work from your own experience, but I personally wouldn't set any rules like that - it depends on the track.

A track with the right groove can often work quite a lot slower and a track with sharp enough sounds (i.e. fast attacks) can work quite a lot faster. I regularly play 125 BPM tunes as fast as 132-135, going the other way is less common but I have in the past slowed tracks down by 6% or more (and the general consensus has been that it worked!)

I would generally say that unless you really know how to make it work, slowing your set down can really kill the energy, where as speeding up can give more energy. It generally works best done gradually still, but of course there are exceptions.

quote:

Originally posted by Apeattack haha... my question was more general in nature. I haven't even gotten a 'setup' yet. I'm planning on getting the Numark OMNI Control soon. See this recent thread: http://www.tranceaddict.com/forums/...55&forumid=8&s=

Oh OK. Was just asking because if you plan on using Traktor, then there's a function that keeps the track in the same key regardless of how much you speed it up or down. CDJs have the same function but it doesn't work as well as it does on Traktor.

What it does, basically, is prevent vocals from sounding like chimpmunks if you speed the track up or like Frankenstein if you slow it down. Of course, it doesn't affect only the vocals but you get the point.

quote:

Originally posted by Stu Cox Fair enough if that's how you prefer to work from your own experience, but I personally wouldn't set any rules like that - it depends on the track. A track with the right groove can often work quite a lot slower and a track with sharp enough sounds (i.e. fast attacks) can work quite a lot faster. I regularly play 125 BPM tunes as fast as 132-135, going the other way is less common but I have in the past slowed tracks down by 6% or more (and the general consensus has been that it worked!) I would generally say that unless you really know how to make it work, slowing your set down can really kill the energy, where as speeding up can give more energy. It generally works best done gradually still, but of course there are exceptions.

I agree, there are no set rules. And if there are, break them & see what happens, the world will keep spinning.
Thats just my prefered method.

I saw a friend speed up straight up trance trax by like 10% to mix in with psy & i noticed that if a track is sped up by 5%, for arguments sake, it doesnt sound quite right, but if u speed it up by 15-20%, it sounds like its supposed to be that fast. Almost a happy hardcore feel to it.
(this doesnt apply to all trax, ofcourse)

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