Hi all,

Here is the full interview with multimedia and video clips:

http://www.mixedinkey.com/Shane54_P...xing_HowTo.aspx




Mixed In Key sits down with Shane 54, one of the most respected electronic DJs and Trance producers from Hungary.  Shane 54 is considered a master of Ableton Live and has used harmonic mixing for many years.


What was your earliest memorable experience with music?

That would have to be listening to Jean Michel Jarre when I was about 5.   My dad had a huge Revox reel to reel machine that I used mostly with headphones.  I used to listen to Oxygene all the time, even in bed at night.  Those reels were pretty hypnotic you know...


What did you like about it?

That album (and later Equinoxe) sounded like it was from another planet.  For that period it was popular background music on Hungarian TV for space documentaries.  For me it had (and still has) a really spacey feel.  I think those songs have probably been encoded into my DNA. 


How did you start producing dance music?

I was 19 and still in High School when the pop band I was in released our first album.  I always paid attention to the dance records of the time, and tried to make dance-compatible pop tunes.  I was responsible for the sound of the band, so I got into production very early.  As the singer of the band after 3 successful albums I decided to go solo, and make my own stuff.

(There's always one person in boybands who does that...)

In 2000, I remixed "Gold" by Spandau Ballet for EMI UK and it got great feedback.  I thought that focusing on dance music (as opposed to Hungarian pop tunes) would make sense.




Yakov tells me that you are an Ableton Live master. Do you have any tricks or favorite techniques that you could share with us?

I really like to play with the automation envelopes.  It is one of the strongest points when you're producing stuff.  In Live 7, Ableton gave us multiple envelopes, a feature I've been looking forward to.

I love how you can save a MIDI loop alongside all its settings including the VST instrument.  You can build a library of your favorite clips very easily.  You can then preview the loop (along with the sound you created it with) or drag it directly into any arrangement.  It works just like an audio loops.  It is perfect for saving sequences or favorite sounds for instant access.  I have a lot of my favorite sequences, effects, and sounds lined up like that in Live.

When I'm DJing, I use a color code for each musical key.  I can decide at a glance if one tune fits into another.  The minor and major versions of a particular key share the same color.


What do you like to use the automation for?
I use a lot of loops, but I modify them.  I put them on top of each other first, and then start twiddling around with the start points.  I use volume envelopes so I can mute / lower certain elements to create more organic sounds. 




I know you like synths, do you have a favorite? How do you feel about soft synths vs. hardware?
The expensive, non-reachable (by mortals) synths (like the ARP 2600 or the Moog Modular) will always be huge in software, as for a fraction of the price you get a good representation of a great synth.  Since the originals are pretty rare, most of the time head to head comparisons are impossible. 

At the end of the day if I like the sound of it, I don't care if the reviewer says softsynths are "thin" or not as heavy sounding as the original units.  I also enjoy the luxury of being able to recall any setting easily.

Even though I love software, I was a big fan of the 303.  Mine had Kenton MIDI, so I could play it from a keyboard, which made the filter behave differently than when it was run from its sequencer.  I also loved my Roland SH-101 (grey) and I still miss it sometimes.  I still have a MicroKorg, a Yamaha FB02 and a Roland JP-8080.  The G2 key is broken on my MIDI keyboard since a 200 GB hard drive fell on it years ago.


(Editors note:  Please back up your data. You never know when your hard drive will fall on your favorite synth)


I'm currently waiting for a Simmons SDS-5, which needs to get back from repair before I can get my hands on it. I'm pretty excited, I just love that sound...





 
I have seen the "Altass El" video on YouTube, and I love that guitar.  Is it real?

Ah yes, that was a real guitar.  When it comes to instruments, it depends on the song whether or not you can use sampled/synthesized sounds.  Sometimes you just have to play an instrument if you want it done properly.  On the other hand, sometimes the worst sampled piano works best in a track as opposed to a nice multi-GB piano library.


So where do you start a new piece?  With the drums, bass, or melody?
There is no strict rule.  When I do a remix, I usually start with the vocals and a bass drum / bass / pad combo, so I can have a nice chord structure before any additional stuff.  When I write a song, it's a different matter.  Anything can serve as a basis of a song; a melody, a loop, a bass sound, a chord from a Star Wars soundtrack CD.  You might change the first parts later, but if it fires you up, then it's just fine.



How do you use Mixed In Key when you're mixing?

When a track arrives to my computer, the first thing I do is run it through Mixed In Key to determine the key.  If it's not loud enough, it goes to Platinum Notes afterwards.  I rename the files with MIK so the key is listed first.  Mixed In Key made my life so much easier.  I remember flicking through hundreds of files with a piano sound to determine the keys.  No more of that, it was a lifesaver.


Are there any harmonic mixing methods that you like to share with us?

I like to overlap melodies as much as possible.  It is never-ending fun to hear two tunes playing well together.  But there is no rule for this. 

I would put tracks together if they don't match according to the chart, but sound good anyway. I like to go up and down on the Camelot chart, but I sometimes use 2 steps instead of 1 i.e. 4A -> 6A.


Could you tell me how you make your mash-ups?

If it's a track from the 80s, a little low-end filtering should do the trick.  The other tune (if it's a dance track) has significantly more low end so it simply "masks" the other track’s drums this way.  The best tool for this kind of technique is definitely EQ.  You can attenuate certain frequencies that will bring up a character that brings out the filtered tune.  One track brings the low end, and the other brings the rest.  With mash ups you can really do whatever you want, there are no rules.  Even though you won't be able to release your masterpieces it is always great fun, and they are definite winners in the club.


How did you make the Shane54 Megamix on the Mixed In Key website?
Well, it was a challenge to squeeze as many tracks into 5 minutes as possible.  It took me like 3 days to finish it, but I surely had a lot of fun combining tunes you'd never imagine go well together.  The automation curves were insane. The tracks are just snippets of their originals, mostly edited, looped and eq'd to death. 

At the peak I think there's 6 tracks sounding at once, and there are at least two tracks at any moment.  They’re always changing and evolving, but that’s what I like about it.

I made a video for the megamix as well. It was a great experience and a nice way for me to remember last summer.  The video was posted on YouTube.








What do you bring with you when performing?

I have a Nostromo N52 game controller, which I use for simplifying key commands, starting clips, EQ kill buttons, and stuff like that.  You can program any key command in any program and assign it to any of the controller keys.  I also have an M-Audio FW-410 interface, and a Faderfox LV-1 midi controller. 
The latter is used for return effects tweaking (delay, reverb) and Supatrigga (beat mashing free plugin).


Have you ever seen a DJ who just blew your mind?

Fatboy Slim. No question. He is like no one else I’ve ever seen. He was blending all kinds of music like it was natural.


How did you start the Laptop DJ television show?

In August 2006, I was at the Streetparade in Zurich, Switzerland.  While I was chilling with friends in the V.I.P. area I thought that if I had a camera, that would make a very interesting documentary.  I had a couple shows on different channels in Hungary before.  When I got the chance to make one on Cool TV, I pitched my idea to them.  They liked the idea, so we started making it. 

So far, we've traveled to 3 different continents, filmed 43 episodes, and saw some of the most legendary parties in the world.  It is good fun to make the show.  You can watch some of it at myspace.com/laptopdj


Do you have any advice for new DJ/producers?

Don't be afraid to try weird unusual ways of doing things.  Always ask yourself what makes you special from the audience's point of view.  These days everyone gets so much info about music, it is hard to stand out.

As a dj you have to produce your own tunes more than ever.  If you have a hit, you can go out and play everywhere.  If you can continue making good stuff, you're making your living with what you love best, music.

But I don't think I should be giving advice, it's more of an opinion... ; )


To hear more of Shane 54's work, please visit his Homepage at www.LaptopDJ.net


Shane 54 uses Mixed In Key harmonic mixing software for Windows and Mac.


In case you haven't heard his productions, check out Beatport -- my fav. is Souvenir De Chine.

Last edited by nennon on Dec-12-2007 at 08:31

love his remix of personal jesus

quote:

Originally posted by RapidFire love his remix of personal jesus

Was that officially released? I keep coming across tunes that I didn't even know about... There's a bunch of cool Trance tracks in his podcasts, but I think they are all exclusive to him.

nah its a bootleg.

Interesting read. I've used Rapid Evolution and even then, sometimes the tunes that are supposedly in key, don't sound right together.

cool interview...hungary represent!

not this again

___________________
April 10: Late Night Suffern Train
June 09: Sohan's Double Fudge Brownie Mix
GUIDO FISTPUMP ANTHEMS MIX
lol@theinternet

Are you fucking serious?

Haven't we been through this shit 40 times before?

UWM, nobody is looking to start a flame war. Shane 54 he has contributed a lot to the dance music scene and it's interesting to see what he's using for DJ mixing. I had no idea about the game controller until recently -- I think that's very cool. Interviews are good if you want to get an insight into your favorite producers.

About harmonic mixing in general -- It's a technique that's used by 4 out of 5 DJs in the DJ Mag top five list. Pretty much every Trance DJ is on-board, yet few talk about it because the subject doesn't come up in most interviews. I would really like to hear how Paul Van Dyk is using it in his sets, given that he's one of the most technically-advanced people and we look up to him. If you look at the DJ Mag top 20, more than 50% of DJs swear by the technique.

wait, so are you guys (mixedinkey) journalists?

We write for a community of over 12,000 registered DJs. Since we're one of the top queries on search engines for harmonic mixing, we post a lot of information and lessons online.

We've written a couple of articles that have gotten over 30,000 views each, and they are still growing. I think that since the topic of harmonic mixing has been covered enough in technical detail, so it's much more interesting to read how DJs like Paul Van Dyk are using it. We're interviewing more DJs soon. Up next is Kaskade, the producer behind "Late Night Alumni" and a ton of other projects:

http://www.discogs.com/artist/Kaskade

He is going to share some of his favorite production techniques and how he gets that Hed Kandi / Ministry of Sound vibe in his records.

But basically you're still just looking to get traffic to your website.