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Posted by sebjr on Jan-26-2003 05:49:

Mixing Prog and Breaks

Ok so I have a reasonable amount of prog stuff now I am also wanting to mix in some of my breaks tunes too. I am finding it difficult though I have only just started to get the hang of mixing 4/4 and the two step stuff is throwing me off. Anyone got any tips to make the learning curve easier?

Posted by Acid John on Jan-26-2003 06:08:

"I have only just started to get the hang of mixing 4/4"

so when ur talkin about breakbeats,r u talkin about actully beatmatching the songs, or just mixing one song over another?

Posted by CrackedLcd on Jan-26-2003 08:07:

I'm not inot prog, but I mix trance and breakz(I don't know what 2 step sound like)...most of the time in the set I will start out with the breakz....since there is always a bass drum then clap/snare I think of it as a 4/4...Most of the time the trance is slightly faster then the breakz....but before mix inot trance...I try to have the last to breakz songs be sorta trancey...like trance synthz or acid lines over break beatz...then over the last breakz song I bring the bass in while the breakz bass is killed so that there is the breaks mid and hi playing with a 4/4 kick and bline going....hope that helps...

Posted by sebjr on Jan-26-2003 10:50:

quote:
Originally posted by Acid John
"I have only just started to get the hang of mixing 4/4"

so when ur talkin about breakbeats,r u talkin about actully beatmatching the songs, or just mixing one song over another?

sorry I mean beat matching. You know how with normal breaks tracks its not 4/4, its 1-2, 1, 1-2, 1 that kinda thing, I find it real hard to match it up!

I try and ignore the '1' part so its like a 4/4 but it doesn't seem to work.

Posted by jonnycarcinogen on Jan-26-2003 11:38:

Maybe what you should do is ignore the bass beat and either use the hi hats and/or the snare as your guide. I mix breaks and generally I don't pay attention to bass beat as much as the treble sounds of the tracks. Breakbeat tracks still have four beats, there's just not a bass beat on each beat like with house and trance music. The one thing that remains constant is the fact that there will be a snare drum on every up beat. God, I'm even confusing myself...hope that helps somewhat.

Posted by webbie on Jan-26-2003 14:56:

When mixing breaks, just as so many others have described on this board
earlier (use the search-function. *hint hint*), its easier to mix by
listening to the hi-hats and mids then to try and listen to the
bass.

Altho you should question yourself if you really should start mixing
prog and breaks just in the beginning of your learning curve instead
of learning "normal" beatmatching first ?

Posted by Xquisite on Jan-29-2003 06:00:

u shouldnt always mix by form. The best way to mix progressive with breaks is...

Progressive is playing. You want to mix breaks in. In your headphones ignore the bass beat. Match the snares or high hats like an earlier poster said. If your mixer supports it, u might want to knock the bass down on your cued track, and try matching the snares or high hats. it hsould be easier to hear 'em. THen before you bring 'em in, kill the bass on the breaks track, beacuse you dotn want to introduce them too fast. Then get the timing down and kill the bass on the progressive track playing, and turn up the bass on the breaks track. People wont notice the difference cuz you got your highs matched which is how breaks are usually mixed.

easiest way to learn to mix prog breaks, get 2 hip hop records try to beat match them

Posted by MERiDiAN5i2 on Jan-29-2003 20:36:

pay attention to the highhats of course... as suggested.

problem is, with alot of trance, the highs are not well defined or not constant.

in this case, you'll notice every certain number of beats, a bass beat will match up. this can help.

with breaks, i try to match on the full audio spectrum.

I look for that beat that will match, every 4 or 8 beats... I get the highs to match, and also match on the melody.

just keep practicing, sometime soon you will be able to mix breaks into 4/4 without effort... you just have to get your ears used to it!

Posted by TBA on Jan-30-2003 05:24:

I suggest get some breaks and try mixing it with the one ear off one ear on method.

I think the most important part is to be able to recognise 2 separate beats at the same time. Then you will be able to mix anything. And practice, practice, practice is the only way.
I think of it kind of in the same way as a pianist trying to play a melody with the left hand that is independant to the melody of the right. Or a guitarist who plays a independant bassline with his thumb.

When you can do this you'll be able to beatmatch without drums or hi-hat. You can to it with vocals or just a melody line.