Mixing Tips?

[_boring]

as TeReKeTe said /\/\/\
the easiest way to parctice beat matching is to get 2 copies of the same tune - and a basic 4/4 house tune is prob the easiest

i don't understand how that's good advice

if you have 2 copies of the same tune you just have to set the pitch the same on both decks and you're set

what's to learn there?

duuurrrrppppppp, you will learn cueing (the physical motion) obviously, and if you hit the cue wrong, you have to correct the pitch. and i dont think he means mixing them starting eachother at the same time, but intro to outro etc.

and fuck trying to learn with house if you want DJ dubstep.

[Tekki]

know the track structure, so listen to your tunes without mixing (I didn't dj at first, the first tunes I bought were early tempa and dmz, played on an old sanyo belt drive turntable; I listened to them over and over again). Be able to find the beat of a track. Don't get put off by off beats or swing, as there will be a basic rhythm pulsing through any track, no matter how complicated it seems. get a 'feel' for the track, good mixing isn't just matching up bpms (but it does require this), it's about blending sounds the way YOU want to hear them. Don't copy anyone else's mixing style, just develop your own. I never change the pitch of the track that I am mixing into, because I want a set tempo. if you hear the beat is out, push or slow the track that your are cueing into time, then adjust the tempo with pitch. learn to gauge the necessary change in pitch from what you can HEAR not what the picth guage tells you. select records that you actually LIKE, not just the ones that are popularised as 'big tunes', otherwise it will become mechanical and boring. know how to navigate your mixer, it's where the fine tuning goes on.

[fairieswearboots]

as TeReKeTe said /\/\/\
the easiest way to parctice beat matching is to get 2 copies of the same tune - and a basic 4/4 house tune is prob the easiest

i don't understand how that's good advice

if you have 2 copies of the same tune you just have to set the pitch the same on both decks and you're set

what's to learn there?

duuurrrrppppppp, you will learn cueing (the physical motion) obviously, and if you hit the cue wrong, you have to correct the pitch. and i dont think he means mixing them starting eachother at the same time, but intro to outro etc.
and fuck trying to learn with house if you want DJ dubstep.

He said he is struggling with beatmatching: that is the basics -
as -boring said it helps you understand about cueing,
mixing one record in half way through the other or into/out of the breakdown etc

I suggested 4x4 as its the easiest place to start

[mumble]

You just got to practice really, like any other skill.

I used to find myself getting really frustrated if I trainrecked or wasnt mixing very well but then I realised Im in my bedroom alone....

Id say when your practicing go into it with a relaxed mood rather then thinking Ive got to mix every tune perfectly, youll enjoy it more this way.

[spek lives]

I've been mixing for only a few month's but was taught by some well known heads out here in NYC. best advice they gave me was to always cue on the 1, create some exercises with your pitch control, and most importantly (which most have mentioned) learn your tracks from start to end. measure the intro's, break's, and outro's. they will give you a blueprint of where to mix in and out of.

good luck.

[HGLDT]

^^Dont do that, sync up the first kick of every bar.

can someone explain to me why that's better? i'm genuinely interested not being an asshole

[Hibbie]

as TeReKeTe said /\/\/\
the easiest way to parctice beat matching is to get 2 copies of the same tune - and a basic 4/4 house tune is prob the easiest

i don't understand how that's good advice

if you have 2 copies of the same tune you just have to set the pitch the same on both decks and you're set

what's to learn there?

gota agree with south3rn, btw 'this is floating' is epic, one of my fav tunes to mix!

[beerz]

^^Dont do that, sync up the first kick of every bar.

nooo turn down mid n bass n sync the hats. obviously depends on the tune and if the hats are quantized but if they are then the hats are the most occuring drum hit so u can mix a lot quicker and easier. no point mixing the kicks cos theres like half a bar of you guessing if its synced due to there not being any kick playing. if u get? lol

[numbskull]

you need to cue on your "one" (the first beat of every 16) so like 1234 1234 1234 1234 and then in with the one keep counting and keep your rhythm should help you know weather you need to slightly slow or speed up your tune and asjust pitch accordingly dont match the snares leads into some nasty mixes and can proper fuck your head up coz you can end up two or 3 bars out and it sounds proper poo

[numbskull]

^^Dont do that, sync up the first kick of every bar.

nooo turn down mid n bass n sync the hats. obviously depends on the tune and if the hats are quantized but if they are then the hats are the most occuring drum hit so u can mix a lot quicker and easier. no point mixing the kicks cos theres like half a bar of you guessing if its synced due to there not being any kick playing. if u get? lol

dont do this if you wanna mix well and double drop alot of your mixes

[pidge]

^^Dont do that, sync up the first kick of every bar.

can someone explain to me why that's better? i'm genuinely interested not being an asshole

What Numbskull said.

edit: actually after having a mix what I mean is you should cue with the first kick but then sync the snares once you've dropped the track in.

[steshine]

There's nothing else to it other than learning all the records back to front and practice. I agree with the first beat thing, not so sure about the hi-hats advice though. As rule most records work in multiples of 8 bars. Once you've got the cueing sorted it's all about EQing, if you have to bass lines going at the same time it tends to get pretty messy and loud, might not be able to tell in your bedroom, but come a soundsystem it'll make a difference. This thread could go on forever because there is just too many techniques to discuss, just do what you're comfortable with.

[oddfellow]

What everyone else has said

Also....

Record your mixes. This is really important even when you can beatmatch because it will let you hear it how others do. Play it back and if you can bounce along to it then its all good

[jrj2020]

i know im repeating what other have said but practice practice practice! Also record your mixes and listen back, it'll give you an idea of what you're doing right/wrong.

Stick at it though - im the sort of guy who is lazy as shit and won't stick at ANYTHING, but mixing was my one exception and it's still my favourite thing to do after 4 years. Serious funtime when you pull off a sick mix that has the dancefloor going!

[jimitheexploder]

Just keep buying music you like and practis mixing with it.

I kinda started mixing with nu-skool breaks stuff as I was really into it, I found it just as easy mixing breaks as the 4x4 stuff as I just felt it more.

Eventualy the beat matching will just click, then it's just knowing your tracks and having an ear for what you think sounds good blended together.

Happy mixing

[_boring]

nice thread

[benjybars]

you need to cue on your "one" (the first beat of every 16) so like 1234 1234 1234 1234 and then in with the one keep counting and keep your rhythm should help you know weather you need to slightly slow or speed up your tune and asjust pitch accordingly dont match the snares leads into some nasty mixes and can proper fuck your head up coz you can end up two or 3 bars out and it sounds proper poo

yeah the first few of months i was trying to mix from the snares cos they were the most obvious sounds and it seemed safer and easier... but i've only improved in the last couple of months since ALWAYS mixing in from the first beat. also not all dubstep tunes have a big snare on the third beat so if they haven't and you're only used to mixing from the snares then you're buggered. plus if u wanna mix grime and garage along with the dubstep then you can't just rely on snares occuring at the same place. so yeah - all about mixing from the ones...

another thing that's helped me alot is actually counting 1234 on each of the beats - not nodding my head or tapping my foot, but actually counting the beats (even do it out loud - no one's gonna hear you in your bedroom anyway).

[uncledog]

WOW , I never expected all this feedback. Thanks a lot everybody I'm def sticking to it and really appreciate the advice.

[beerz]

^^Dont do that, sync up the first kick of every bar.

nooo turn down mid n bass n sync the hats. obviously depends on the tune and if the hats are quantized but if they are then the hats are the most occuring drum hit so u can mix a lot quicker and easier. no point mixing the kicks cos theres like half a bar of you guessing if its synced due to there not being any kick playing. if u get? lol

dont do this if you wanna mix well and double drop alot of your mixes

lol guess its juss two opinions but how will mixing hi hats not allow you to double drop or mix well? end of the day its not how u do it but what you do. u mite as well learn how to mix on the kicks/snares and then when u get good enough move onto hats.

[numbskull]