Mixing Tips?

[Tekki]

I wouldn't beat match by individual beats or snares or whatever because what happens when these are not on the beat, for example, if a kick lies off beat and you try and sync it to the first beat of the track you are cueing into then you'll end up with staggered beats. Mix the whole piece of music, listen to the pattern or ryhthm in the sound and then try apply that to the tune you are listening to. It's important to pick tracks that mix well, otherwise you are setting yourself up for a bad mix. Sometimes two tracks that sound similar don't mix well because there is no contrast in the sound. Try complement a minimal sound with a more complex sound, that way it won't sound too cluttered. Imagine where the beats of one track should be placed in the other track. match up bpm, then rewind, then drop at the beggining of the first bar of the first set of 16/32/64 bars or whatever.

[surface_tension]

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?

First of all, I recommend 2 copies of Phaeleh - Fire, which can be purchased from the link in my signature.

Second of all, the reason that you should grab 2 copies of the same record to start with and practice, is because you could set them at the same pitch and start one, but if you can't drop the record exactly when you're supposed to, at the right spot in the record, it will be out of time. What then?

Do you just stare at the 2 records out of time? Not likely. I know most Dubstep DJ's are guilty of this, but we're trying to teach him NOT to be like most Dubstep DJ's and actually learn to mix. That is why 2 closely matched records is ideal. You will know exactly what the record is going to do. You can practice dropping the tune over and over at the right spot, then you can figure out the best way to speed which record up and or slow which record down.

Also, how is best to slow a record down or speed it up to match the beat?

It's a lot easier to focus on learning the basics if you don't have 2 different tunes. You're not supposed to be jumping up and thinking that you have 2 tunes now that you can beatmatch and then run off and start to find gigs. God knows theres nuff people who do that already.

[Tekki]

kode9 has written about how there is a space where two tracks blend together to make something different than those two tunes alone. so selection is crucial, and leads to good mixing anyway. I imagine the tune in my head, and then hear how something can be blended with it. I know other dj who think about it in terms of interlocking beat structures, and then others who like to have a clean cut from one tune to another. I reckon enjoying it is a massive part of it.

[numbskull]

kode9 has written about how there is a space where two tracks blend together to make something different than those two tunes alone. so selection is crucial, and leads to good mixing anyway. I imagine the tune in my head, and then hear how something can be blended with it. I know other dj who think about it in terms of interlocking beat structures, and then others who like to have a clean cut from one tune to another. I reckon enjoying it is a massive part of it.

yeah its called double dropping example if you drop the start of skream - the shinein into the first beat of the breakdown on emalkay - explicit they both kick in together and it sounds off the wall!!!!!!!!!!!!!