The Official Mix Techniques Thread!
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  1. #1
    Tech Mentor Villinus's Avatar
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    Default The Official Mix Techniques Thread!

    Ok, i've been wanting to post this one for a while. Here's the deal->

    Post at least one of your go-to mix techniques, be it beginner or advanced, any platform, plus some quick details on how to execute it properly in your set. Post pictures or video as needed!

    Simple enough, and if done properly it will make a great archive of techniques. I'll start with an easy one:


    Mix A->B using delay & EQ:

    On Deck A, slowly fade the bass out OR sweep the filter to high pass, while raising the wet/dry on your delay (i'm using Traktor). Once the track has a good amount of delay going, stop the track on a downbeat. Let the echo of the delay ride out and start your song on Deck B.

    This one's good for jumping between genres and big BPM jumps. It's the most seemless when Deck B is loaded with a dramatic intro or build without a beat (drums). Additionally, you can keep the Decks beatmatched and simply fade Deck A out as Deck B starts with the Delay and EQ, although it's a bit more difficult to keep things from getting muddy.

    As with any technique, experiment with some songs to get the feel.

  2. #2
    Tech Mentor Kobbe's Avatar
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    Heres a transition I used for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Works really well for dramatic tempo-changes, and when you feel like getting some filth on the dancefloor.

    Using Traktor;

    Play the tune on Deck A. When the (second) breakdown comes start spinning the "timestretch area" on the jogwheel as fast as you can counter clockwise. The tune will drop in tempo a lot, leaving you with mostly noise. Keep spinning, as soon as you stop the track will play at normal speed, you dont want that to happen. Start the next tune on Deck B. Now you have two choises;
    A) If tune B starts with noise, good for you. Just kill the sound on A when the beat drops.
    B) More melodic start of the tune? Slowly add in reverb and filter down track A at the same time.

    And dont forget to add some overdrive for that extra crunch!

  3. #3
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    I think that this thread is baller! I was honestly thinking about my mix techniques and how each one lends itself to the music itself and what it does for/to the crowd.

    A go to favorite mix technique for me for dropping a track over another is what i call the "sample stab drop". It works well when your wanting to either drop in a song with a different bpm, or even a different key. It also works GREAT for beatmatched tracks...
    Here is the break down:

    I normally use this as a way to bring in the build up or bangin part of a track over the outro or even a looped non-vocal chorus. Working it in over other vocals is tricky but it can be done!

    1) Set a cue point on a good sample to stab with...
    I tend to use a downbeat sample, it might be vocal or it might just be a sound.
    2) then before you want the actual track to drop, normally about 8-16 bars before, stab that sample once on the down beat
    3) do it again 4 bars later
    4) then 2 bar later
    5) then 1 bar later
    6) Etc, until your just crabbing your stab so you only have the beginning of the sample
    7) Do that crab for only about 1 beat and then drop the song and drop the bass out of the first (original) track and let that baby play
    8) now if you are changing tempo, or key sometimes it is better to just add a lil echo delay on the first track... otherwise you can gently fade out the first track and maybe even throw in some cuttin.

    I'll try to get a video up of this one, and of my other ideas about mixing technique.
    DJ ADub
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    NI Kontrol S4 + 2 MFClassics + 1 MFSpectra

  4. #4
    Tech Mentor Villinus's Avatar
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    ^^love it. Both great techniques I wouldn't have thought of. I actually heard the sample stab one just yesterday on the radio. The DJ was 'teasing' it for a bit, then finally dropped the track. Gonna practice these next time I mix

  5. #5
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    EQ the decks w/ delay on the mix-out track is defnitely my go to transition.
    really simple but sounds beautiful in almost any situation.


    i shared a nice tricky multi-bpm transition on another thread just recently i'll post below for anyone who missed it.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by duerr View Post
    a super cool trick is mixing tracks with a track that has a bpm divided or multiplied by 1.5

    ex.

    mix a 130bpm tune into a 86.7bpm tune ( /1.5 )

    or a 130 bpm tune into a 195 bpm tune ( X1.5 )

    it's triplets, so when you divide or multiply a bpm by 1.5 you get bpm that mixes into the original bpm at 3/4 instead of 4/4.

    it works best when the beat drops out and you're left with just some light percussion, vocal or fx elements of the original tune, so that you can mix into the beat of the tune that's playing at X1.5 time.

    the timing effect is the same as if you use a delay set at 3/4 or 3/8, it has that cool jazzy stagger to it.

  7. #7
    Tech Guru BradCee's Avatar
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    one that i whore to death

    effects chain; gater, lo-fi, delay

    cut/fade in new track (b)
    set 8 beat loop on outgoing track (a)
    drop gater on 'a'
    then either some delay followed by lo-fi or other way round on 'a'
    progessively reduce loop size (optional) on 'a'
    increase key and twist the filter knob in lo-cut direction (clockwise) on 'a'
    get it sounding messed up and glitchy
    when ready to cut, crank delay on 'a' all way up, stop deck and kill gater/lo-fi effects, leave delay to fade out

    few varied examples in this vid

    blatant plug

    Win 7 / 2x Reloop Contour / Numark M6 /Traktor Pro 2.5
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  8. #8
    Tech Guru BradCee's Avatar
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    maybe this should be FAQ'd?

    gonna link it in the will it blend thread, might come in useful to someone in there...

    Win 7 / 2x Reloop Contour / Numark M6 /Traktor Pro 2.5
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  9. #9

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    Good thread. I don't exactly have any special mix techniques, they're all fairly standard really - probably all already been mentioned. But good thread.

  10. #10
    Tech Guru ponyboy's Avatar
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    This is an excellent thread.
    Tony the Pony.
    My soundcloud page. House, mainly.

    Mixcloud & Website coming soon.

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