quote:

Originally posted by Zild What I usually do is match the gain levels. Then I beatmatch with the EQs at 12 o'clock and the gain matched. Then cut the gain down far enough so that I know when I pick up the fader it won't peak my gain structure. Then, I proceed to mix the tracks smoothly using mainly a combination of the gain knobs and a high pass filter on the outgoing song. I touch the EQs slightly to keep my gain structure tight or to boost/cut certain elements of a song.

that sounds like it might help out with my problem i just mentioned, i might start messing around with that then.

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Originally posted by jupiterone What I usually do is do what sounds good to my ears.

same here, but so far what sounds good is the same move over and over, and i just want to try different ideas

thanks everyone for feedback

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Originally posted by Beat Blog I have 3-4 methods, but my current fav, since I have been mixing a lot of progressive: 1. Incoming track: turn mid and high to 0%, start it playing. 2. Push the fader slowly up on the incoming track, while slowly turning down the bass EQ on the current track, to slowly switch the bass lines. I try to do this in exactly one phrase, it sounds better. 3. Turn the hi and mid eqs up/down on incoming and outgoing tracks in short bursts of 10% or so at the end of every bar. 4. Slowly push the outgoing fader down.

What are you mixing off of? Sounds to me like this method would be good for an ableton mix where you know that the beats are matched; but on vinyl or CD, i would think that you lose the ability to do the necessary real-time correction to keep the beats perfectly in line.

On another note, I think it's useful to point out that the EQ method totally depends on the genre or even individual track that is being played. The above method of (essentially) cross-fading basslines works well for progressive; but for dirtier-sounding tracks like electro house, the basslines often clash too much to have them both playing at equal volume at some point. It's better to use the cut-and-punch methods on these ones.

Also, I think a lot of the comments left thus far assume that the hi's/mid's/low's on the two tracks that are being mixed are the same. You don't want to have a very noticable rise or fall in volume at any range between tracks. So, the simple method of ultimately getting the knobs on the incoming track to 12 o'clock is not necessarily the best method.

Like one of your fellow TA's mentioned earlier, use your ears. But, when you start playing in clubs and such, the sound is often soooooo loud that you can't judge the individual EQ ranges as well. Although super-loud systems will drown out a lot of the dynamics, it does bring me to my second point: know your tracks and trust your instinct.

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Something thats been working good for me as of late.. I'm still learning, but this one is sounding best to me right now...


Once you have your tracks lined up (shouldnt even have to say this, but I am anyway ) I turn Bass/Mid all the way to 0% on incoming track.. I leave highs at about 50%. I also dont use fader, I use volume sliders only.

I start bring the volume up to about where the current track is at and i start working the bass in, I try to get the bass to match so that you cant tell its there, and then slowly bring other bass out. I try to do this in a fashion that the average Joe wont realize the bass is on the new track and not the current.

Then I start to bring the highs up so that you can hear some of the elements of the new track. The harder part to me is playing with the mids, thats the body of the track. You have to be carefull with this method because if you kill the mid to fast on the outgoing track, you lose something in the sound. On the outgoing track ill usualy bring the highs down to about 50%, and once there i get the low/mid out in different ways. Depending on the track, ill just kill them quickly for a fast sounding change, or moderatly. If your mid/low are at 0% that almost kills the volume/sound of the track, then just rbing your volume to 0.

Thats my current working method anyway, only been doing this about 6 months or so.. but still learning.

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Originally posted by phizzle The harder part to me is playing with the mids, thats the body of the track.

So true. Mids are by far the most difficult.

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Originally posted by DJChrisB Also, I think a lot of the comments left thus far assume that the hi's/mid's/low's on the two tracks that are being mixed are the same. You don't want to have a very noticable rise or fall in volume at any range between tracks. So, the simple method of ultimately getting the knobs on the incoming track to 12 o'clock is not necessarily the best method.

isn't that what the point of the gains are though? to match the volume of the incoming track to the current track? to my understanding, for the most part if you match the volumes of the two tracks with the gains, then you could get the eq's to 12 o'clock and it shouldn't sound bad.

i'm sure there are exceptions depending on the track, such as the incoming track having extra high high's compared to the average.

quote:

Originally posted by JD8180 isn't that what the point of the gains are though? to match the volume of the incoming track to the current track? to my understanding, for the most part if you match the volumes of the two tracks with the gains, then you could get the eq's to 12 o'clock and it shouldn't sound bad. i'm sure there are exceptions depending on the track, such as the incoming track having extra high high's compared to the average.

While matching the overall track gain will get you close to what you need, you need to keep in mind where the volume is coming from. In some tracks, nearly all of the volume is in the lows (call this track 1). In others that are not as bassy, there is much more volume density in the mids (call this track 2). So, if you have track 1 playing and you want to mix in track 2, the EQ-Low knob on track 2 should end up higher than you had it on track 1, but the EQ-Mid knob should be lower. This will help you keep your volume level across each range. That makes the mix much smoother and less obvious that there are two distinct tracks being played. Does that make sense?

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ya i get what you're saying now

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Originally posted by Hasneez found this on youtube a while back.. it might help http://youtube.com/watch?v=wcX_bWSvKMw

that vid you put up the lights on the mixer dont work unless he has it in pluged in booth master 2.

i leave the bass at the 9 oclock position bring the upader up then start replacing record 1s bass with 2 then ass the track fadrs out replace the elements usualy leavin highs til last maybe using a little bit more than is needed just so record 1 ending isnt so noticable, but it depends on the track an your style, best way is spinback record 1 an slam in record 2 haha

thanks go out to everyone of you!

youve got no idea how much of a lesson this has been, ssssssooooo well explained! that video + others on the same topic really did help, there is only so much you can learn from reading.... but this info is fantastic! im deffinatley going to refer back to this as a refference!

thanks to all of you! youve helped me out a tonn!

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