Ok, i have a question, i can sort of key music when its playing, but the way i key it is by the sort of sound i would associate with that sort of 'tone', and of course this isnt a great way because i can often get it slightly off and the mix sounds, well just wrong. I want to know how to key music,

also i cant remember the key of every record, so do you harmonic mixers right it on the cover or something?

cheers for the help.

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just starting keying my tunes to see if it benifits my mixing and this is how im doing it..

...track on my turntable, set pitch to 0%, record, open wav in 'mixed in key' (search google on this app. it keys your track), then open wav in some kind of app that detects BPM (traktor for me) then write both on a small label and stick to cover. Its tedious but seems to work..

One thing ive been doing to is keying some tracks at +4% since they sound blatantly shit at 0% and im never going to want to play them at anything less than +4%.

You my notice im checking the bpm too. Well since your keying the track and writing the info on the sleeve you might aswell write down its bpm too.

Been playing around with keying my tracks all day. My mixing seems a little better like it sounds a bit more smooth/tighter. Probably cos im now not trying to mix one track at +1% into a track thats at +7% and out of key

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TECHICS 1210 MK2's // DENON DN-S3000's // NUMARK AXIS 2 // STANTON SMX501 // 2x TOSHIBA LAPTOP 2.6G // TRAKTOR 2.0
ELECTRO HOUSE // TECH HOUSE // TECH TRANCE // HARD TRANCE // EUPH TRANCE

im guessing the key will not change too much maybe every 5%, in which case it would go up a key at around that and or down depending on speeding up or down?

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quote:

Originally posted by AndySmith im guessing the key will not change too much maybe every 5%, in which case it would go up a key at around that and or down depending on speeding up or down?

I thought I read somewhere it doesnt change til around +4%. I was thinking of a method earlier of keying tracks on the fly... That would be pretty cool and easily do-able.


A little test I done though...

three drives - greece 2000 (original mix) (132.1bpm @ 0%) = 8A
three drives - greece 2000 (original mix) (137.6bpm @ +4%) = 8A

seems ok... but wait....

radical noiz feat adeva - in and out (extended remix) (128.7bpm @ 0%) = 3A
radical noiz feat adeva - in and out (extended remix) (134.7bpm @ +4%) = 8A

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TECHICS 1210 MK2's // DENON DN-S3000's // NUMARK AXIS 2 // STANTON SMX501 // 2x TOSHIBA LAPTOP 2.6G // TRAKTOR 2.0
ELECTRO HOUSE // TECH HOUSE // TECH TRANCE // HARD TRANCE // EUPH TRANCE

quote:

Originally posted by trancecadet I thought I read somewhere it doesnt change til around +4% of the original pitch so thats what ive gone by. So if ive keyed a track at +4% then if i stick within 0% to +8% I should be ok. Hopefully someone will come along and clarify that.. A little test I done though... three drives - greece 2000 (original mix) (132.1bpm @ 0%) = 8A three drives - greece 2000 (original mix) (137.6bpm @ +4%) = 8A seems ok... but wait.... radical noiz feat adeva - in and out (extended remix) (128.7bpm @ 0%%) = 3A radical noiz feat adeva - in and out (extended remix) (134.7bpm @ +4%%) = 8A

I suppose it depends on whether the key was at the top of the key or bottem? can only use it as a guide anyway, still use ear to carify.?

Also i was thinking in keys in terms of Am, C#, etc, but i suppose using easy key system thing is easier to know what goes with what?

Good idea

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there is a whole sticky for these questions fellas.

anyway...

never key tunes pitched at anything but zero. key them at zero & if youre pitching up/down a lot just keep that in mind when youre mixing. a key changes at around 6%, so if youre keying at 4% its going to be closer to the next semi tone (i think, im not sure about the exact terminology). thus a 3A will be closer to a 10A, not an 8A.

yes, i write all my keys on the sleeves of my records, and organise them in my box in key order.

anywayz, everything youve ever wanted to know about keying is in the sticky

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OK Here's how to do it.
Next day off, wake up have some breaky, make a coffee and start at pg 1 on the sticky, skip the 'these are the key of my tracks' bits, and concentrate on the info parts, and you will understand pretty much everything except how to 'hear it' yourself. That comes with practice, and it only took me a couple of weeks to get it sorted.
Don't trust software untill it becomes 100% accurate.
If you come up with questions after that, pop 'em in the sticky. you'll get a reply.