in theory, all music has a time pattern. so for electronica, all we need to do is find this pattern, synch it with another record, in order to mix it. thats theory, but what about practice?

for mixing 4/4, i was taught on the first day that the basic method is to adjust the pitch on the deck to as close as i can, then grab my vinyl, and find the beat, cue it up, and release it in time. then, apply any corrections. so i basically do this, when i grab my vinyl, i find the first beat, and start pulling it back and forth on the lives tracks first beat, do it till the fourth, and release it on the next 1st. so, it works. i know there are other methods, but thats not the point of this thread.

what about for breaks? should i just find my time and do my thing as best i can, or are there any tips you could suggest? i ask because on my first day mixing, i would just try to correct the cued track into synchronization, not actually put it there. a friend taught me the basic methods. all my friends have records that are 4x4, except one who recently acquired some breaks because the tracks were just TOO good not to buy, and got a couple rare ones too (like a sean q6 whitelabel, "Out in the Shed", the one that is on James Zabiela's last album) and we've all tried to mix them, only one of us is succesful at it. he just sort of tries to adapt to the track, and sort of goes at it as if it were 4x4, but he says he doesnt really know if there is any method to follow like the way i described above.

any suggestions?

___________________
check out my guest mix for OndaSonora Podcast (aug.2009)

Breaks is a bit different to beatmatch with. You can't rely on the bass beats since they are syncopated. Instead, I listen to the snare drums and hi-hats on 2nd and 4th beat. In other words, when you have a 1-2-3-4 count. The snares will occur during the 2 and 4 count. I can also imagine and feel the beat as if it were in 4x4. A little practice will help you to get used to beatmatching breaks its really not that much different. once you can mix breaks, I found that mixing 4x4 was very easy.

So basically, its the same process.
1. Find the first beat of the measure.
2. Let the record.
3. Speed up or slow down the record according to the sound of the snares rather than the bass beats.
4. Correct the pitch as it is necessary.
5. Repeat until you have a perfect beatmatch

Check my sig for a mix i just made with breaks.

___________________
Breaks/Prog Mix 3-15-04

^^ what he said

i've found that when i mix breaks i really have to "feel it" more. i usually end up really getting my head bobbing and feeling the tracks that i am mixing. ya definitely gotten use what you can to tell if the tracks are in time (like the snares or whatever) i've found that when they are in time it just sounds right but if they get alittle bit off it can get ugly really quick.

quote:

Originally posted by dartman i've found that when i mix breaks i really have to "feel it" more. i usually end up really getting my head bobbing and feeling the tracks that i am mixing.

definitely. i never mixed breaks, but then one day i was bored and played only b-sides and breakbeats, and i had a blast doing it. i really got into it and did the head bob and stuff, and it was no problem to mix. alot of the transitions actually sounded really good. try cutting the bass from one track at a time and switch them around, its great messin with beats that arent a straight 4.

well good luck and happy mixing

___________________
| Download LIVE WNUR 89.3fm Set | bio

When mixing breaks with regular 4/4 lisen to the snares going on the 2,and 4. The bass drum on breaks tracks sometimes lines up with a 4/4 with an extra beat inbetwwen the 3 and four. Sometimes they don't. Try taking most of the bass out of the breaks track mixing in and blancing every thing out until The breaks track is at full volume with out the bass then crash in the bass from the breaks track and take the 4/4 out ( preferably on the end of a 16-32bar phrase) so there is some other change in the track in order to make mix less noticeable. hope that made cence. peace and chicken grease

Can't spell

I've found success in listening to the bass beats, despite the popular opinion that you shouldn't. The way I do it is by listening to the first bass kick of the 4/4 bar of the breakbeat and see if it lines up with the first bass kick of the 4/4 bar of the outgoing song (whether it be a breakbeat song or a regular one). You can usually tell if it's off or not, you just got to filter out the rest of the noise =).

___________________

Snares is the most accurate way to beatmatch breaks. Sometimes the bass beats hit on different half counts so they really aren't reliable

___________________
Breaks/Prog Mix 3-15-04

breaks is still just as 4/4 as trance, just the beats are not evenly spread. you should get out of the habit of using bass kicks to beatmatch with, and just use whatever sticks out the most and is easiest to find the rhythm of

not only will this help you mix breaks, but in a lot of tracks sometimes the kicks can be muddy and not as clean as other parts of the rhythm

___________________
MUGGETS

quote:

Originally posted by tu_face not only will this help you mix breaks, but in a lot of tracks sometimes the kicks can be muddy and not as clean as other parts of the rhythm

i love my mdr-v700s

___________________
| Download LIVE WNUR 89.3fm Set | bio

quote:

Originally posted by tu_face breaks is still just as 4/4 as trance, just the beats are not evenly spread. you should get out of the habit of using bass kicks to beatmatch with, and just use whatever sticks out the most and is easiest to find the rhythm of not only will this help you mix breaks, but in a lot of tracks sometimes the kicks can be muddy and not as clean as other parts of the rhythm

I totally agree with this. If you can get the hi hats lined up then the bass will be well matched. On the other hand lining up the kick drums is going to be more difficult and you are probably more likely to have to make a correction in the mix. I always think of it like this ... the hi hats or cymbals or whatever are very short, but the kick drum is smeared out in time and so it is harder to clearly line them up ... but then again i am no musician, i am not even sure that i am using this terminology correctly ... this is just what works for me.

This is a really great book and I swear by it:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...291843?v=glance

It explains EVERYTHING you need to know including diagrams of what they're talking about. One of my m8's let me borrow it and it took me about an entire day to go through. It's a pretty thick book, but def. well worth the read, even if you've been spinning for years.

___________________
http://531.am

quote:

Originally posted by DJ Cubano This is a really great book and I swear by it: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...291843?v=glance It explains EVERYTHING you need to know including diagrams of what they're talking about. One of my m8's let me borrow it and it took me about an entire day to go through. It's a pretty thick book, but def. well worth the read, even if you've been spinning for years.

Yeah i agree. I have this book and have found it helpful. Although i think the title is stupid and if it wasnt so good i wouldnt have bought it just because of the title.