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Re: Kaos versus Tranceaddict247 27 July 2003
| quote: | Originally posted by Dj Flesch
Mix 1
4/4pts + 2pts Intro Track
This has been by far the best intro track that I have ever heard for two reasons. 1. It gets right down into it in a short time frame and doesn’t start off with a boring base beat. 2. The track itself is very short and after only over a minute I am listening to a transition.
10/10pts Consistent Beatmatching
Beatmatching was consistently right on. You can still improve, but most of the time it is very hard to notice any beatmatching problems.
8/10pts Consistent Phrasematching
Here probably the biggest problem of your set. Phrasematching doesn’t only mean matching beat 1 of 4 of the live track with 1 of 4 with the cue track. A phrase is more than just 4 beats. It consists of 16, 32 or 64 beats. If you mix in on these points, then the transitions will feel and sound more natural. If you listen to your set the transitions are right on the mark with beatmatching and matching beat 1 of 4 of the live track with 1 of 4 of the cue track. You may, however, still hear something that is slightly off and you don’t know what it is. This is because you don’t have beat 1 of 16/32/64 of the live track phrase matched with beat 1 of 16/32/64 of the cue track. This is by far the biggest problem that I have with your set. Now, saying that, know that this is a very subtle problem and unless you have a very well trained ear, you won’t even know that something is slightly wrong. It is a comment meant to show were you can improve (because that is what I think this whole comp is about), not to slam on your incredible set.
8/10pts Track Key Matching, Volume Matching and Gain Structure
This is the only other area of mixing that you can really improve upon (based on this set anyway). You need to learn how to improve the smoothness of your transitions through use of your equalizer. Instead of lowering the volume of the whole track to make the transition, use quick turns of the fader/volume sliders to bring the cue track in, then use quick turns on the equalizer of the live track to fade it out. The whole key to doing this has two points. First, everything that you do must be done IN PHRASE! Secondly, the instruments that are playing in the live track cannot clash with the instruments that are playing in the cue track. You can eliminate this clashing by utilizing the eqs better. Take the mid and highs down on the live track after you mix the bass beat in from the cue track, but before the main instruments start playing in the cue track. Give it about 4-8 beats of slow down. Not too many beats to loose energy and not too few beats to make the two tracks slam together too tightly. The volumes on your transitions are very close to perfection and the tracks all go pretty well together.
6/10pts Track Selection
Your track selection is good, but…
As far as style goes, the only problem that I have with your set is that I have heard almost every single track that you have played. Sure I’m a Dj too, but I listen to online trance radio quite a lot and all of those tracks, while good, have been played over and over again.
8/10pts +2pts Mixing Style/Originality
Again, the track selection and originality have a lot in common. Your mixing style though, earns you bonus points! I much enjoyed how quickly you brought up the set and how quickly your transitions were in the beginning. Four transitions in under 10 minutes! Very impressive. Also, know that I don’t give out +2 bonus points regularly and you have earned +2 twice on this set so far! Way to fit around 14-17 tracks into under 60 minutes!
5/5pts Sound Quality
The sound quality is very good. There are minor flaws here and there that you could probably fix with better equing or mastering, but I won’t take off for any of that.
2/3pts Effects
The teaser of Rank 1 – Breathing is very good within Paul Oakenfold - Southern Sun. Other than that, I didn’t hear any effects.
5/5pts Track Order
The order was thought out quite well and works great for this set.
3/3pts Exit Track
The track is very high in energy and it ends with a bit of energy too. It doesn’t just end in 60 seconds of bass beat and you end it with a flange effect too. Very nice.
Total = 63/70 = 90%
Mix 2
3/4pts Intro Track
Starts off with just a plain bass beat and takes a while to start up, though less than most others.
7/10pts Consistent Beatmatching
Your beatmatching is a problem. You are close, but still off enough to make it noticeable. Don’t get me wrong, you are not an amateur beatmatching, but you are not a professional one either.
9/10pts Consistent Phrasematching
As with mix1, you have the same phrasematching problems. Though you don’t have them as often.
6/10pts Track Key Matching, Volume Matching and Gain Structure
The equing is the same as mix1, though you are not as good as mix1 was with eliminating the clashing of instruments between the two tracks. You must really take my advise and start playing with the mid and high eq knobs in order to eliminate track clashings such as were in your mix. The volume of the bass beat was also a problem in your mixing.
8/10pts Track Selection
I think that the tracks you used were pretty good. A lot of them were either new or refreshing to me. Not many of these tracks are overplayed, yet they are all pretty decent. You didn’t have any really great tracks though. One problem is that you switch from progressive trance to house—and just for one track.
6/10pts Mixing Style/Originality
The mixing was only so-so. The way you mix is just like everyone else. You let all of the tracks play out and you took 22 mins longer than mix1 to get about the same number of tracks in.
4/5pts Sound Quality
There are some tracks that are very flat—probably MP3s, and while I know that we are allowed to use any medium available, sound quality still plays into my judging—I noticed it! I also noticed a few blips and skips during your set.
1/3pts Effects
Just incase I didn’t catch some effects, here is a point.
2/5pts Track Order
The tracks that you have are all pretty good, but the problem is the order. The problem isn’t the fact that the tracks don’t mesh well with the right amount of energy, the problem is that the bass beats of the tracks don’t blend very well. You go from a heavy beat to a light then back to a heavy. Either use the Eqs to help with this or find other tracks/use a different order to mix them.
2/3pts Exit Track
The lack of beatmatching took away from the last transition, but the track was good and had a good level of energy for a way to end this set. The track just slowly dies though, it doesn’t end originally. It just winds down with a bass beat etc. It wasn’t bad but there are plenty other way to end a set better.
Total = 48/70 = 69%
Now remember, I am not judging your mix on an absolute scale. I am judging the sets relative to each other versus the vision of what my “perfect” set is. Both sets are good, but mix1 really blew mix2 away! Both of you have stuff to work on, so I hope you enjoyed the critique and have learned from it!
As the scoring states, I declare Mix1 the winner of this event! |
Good job trance! yea- I admit- this wasnt my best effort.
I appreciate your comments though. Well noted.
Practice Practice!
I am on CD's actually- I just bought Decks and will have them Tues- only spun on vinyl a couple times- so should be interesting!
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I've never felt alone... 'Till I met you
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