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liwsk
Starting Member
United Kingdom
5 posts
Joined: Jan, 2004
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 Posted - 2004/07/10 : 16:25:51
ive just spent 2hrs trying to mix my first 2 tunes together and im about to go mad! i dont think i even managed to get them at the same speed lol. anyone got any advice or tips on starting to mix- i really need it!
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Dave Murray
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
3,675 posts
Joined: Jan, 2003
136 hardcore releases
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 Posted - 2004/07/10 : 17:54:15
Keep practising
It takes alot of time.
________
kthxbye
__________________________________
<3 Trance
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JeremyC
New Member
United States
43 posts
Joined: Jul, 2004
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Posted - 2004/07/10 : 17:57:15
yeah, mixing is hard when you first get started. It took me a while to get it down, but you will eventually.
I figure you tried a lot in two hours, but I'll try and tell you what I did. I started out with a record that had a fairly consistent beat going through it, very little breakdown so that I would always have something to match against. Then I took another record that also had very little breakdown.
Its important to know the records and realize that most of them are set up in a relatively predictable pattern. Phasing is a term you might already know. Basically, its realizing that most songs can be broken down into 32 or 64 bar sections and if you want to mix well, you will usually mix in and out, over the end of one 32 or 64 section of one song, and the beginning of the other.
That sounds really complicated, but your ear will pick it up rather quickly, so no need to actuallly count. Just listen for when a new sound comes in or a beat seems to hit harder than usual. Anyways, from here, you can actually start attempting to mix.
Keep the first record locked in at +-0. Most tables have something like a Quartz lock that will keep it at this speed.
Then start cueing up the second record. Find where the first kick starts on the second record(its good to have a record that starts with the kick going.)
listen to this in the headphones while the other track is playing. its good to run the beat back and forth under the needle to get used to cueing. When one of those sections I talked about before ends, let the record go so that it starts as the first beat of the new section starts. I usually started right after the intro to the first record. Sounds complicated, but once you do it, you'll know you did it right. Then, its time to try and try and try again. I suggest you use one ear piece on and one off. This makes differentiating the sound a lot easier. To actually beatmatch, figure out if record 2 is going slower or faster. if its going faster, you'll notice that the beats are ahead of those in record 1. This can be hard to tell, but listen for those phases I was telling you about before. If it seems like one record is hitting a breakdown while the other is in the middle of a 32 bar section, then you'll know something is off.
If record 2 is going too fast, you're gonna need to slow the record down. I suggest moving the slider to -4 or so. Now retest. Is it too slow or too fast now? keep doing this back and forth until you end up getting the pitch correct. The idea is to make smaller and smaller corrections until you get it narrowed down to the right pitch.
Now, important things to remember.
1. These records are always moving, a lot like two cars. I always think about what its like when you're trying to ride next to someone. If they're in front of you, you need to speed up a lot at first to catch up with them, then slow down to stay next to them at their speed. The same thing happens with records. If a new record is slower than the one thats currently playing, you need to speed up fast to catch up, but then you'll slow down the pitch again to keep things in time. And of course, you can flip this around the other way when the second record is faster than the one currently playing.
2. I highly suggest that you DO NOT touch the pitch control on the 1st record. That tends to only complicate things, and you will rarely, if ever change the pitch of a song going through the speakers during a set.
3. Make sure the Quartz lock is OFF for the 2nd record. Something my gf forgot to do and got realy frustrated about. No matter where she moved the pitch control she couldn't get the beats to match because it wasn't actually moving.
4. Its gonna take a while. So don't get too discouraged and try, try again. I felt bad for my roomate when I was first learning, but you will get it eventually.
Hopefully that helps and good luck, keep us up to date on how things go.
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Menion
Average Member
Sweden
237 posts
Joined: Sep, 2002
68 hardcore releases
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 Posted - 2004/07/10 : 18:02:45
Everyone goes through the same thing, the trick is just to not give up, it will come to you. If it was dead easy it wouldn't be fun, right? And you will go crazy/happy the first time you do a beatmatch. 
Just have the fader in the middle and let the two tracks play, it will sound bad cause they're not the same speed. Consentrate on one of the decks, try to figure you if it's slower and faster than the other track. Easiest way to do this it to move the pitch up or down a bit and listen for the kicks to line up.
If you still cant find it, try with two other tracks. Some tracks are more difficult to mix than others.
Good luck! 
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Menion
Average Member
Sweden
237 posts
Joined: Sep, 2002
68 hardcore releases
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Posted - 2004/07/10 : 18:08:15
awww... I'm such a slow typer....
Read everything JeremyC wrote carefully 10 times then try again!
quote:
Originally posted by JeremyC:
3. Make sure the Quartz lock is OFF for the 2nd record. Something my gf forgot to do and got realy frustrated about. No matter where she moved the pitch control she couldn't get the beats to match because it wasn't actually moving.
Haha, I can only imagine the frustration! 
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JeremyC
New Member
United States
43 posts
Joined: Jul, 2004
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Posted - 2004/07/10 : 20:17:21
sorry Menion on getting that up so quick. I definitely wrote that twice and thought to myself, someone else is already gonna have this posted by the time I'm finished. oh well, and sorry if things got confusing in there, I tend to get a little wordy sometimes.
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dj switchback
Senior Member
United Kingdom
363 posts
Joined: Jul, 2004
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Posted - 2004/07/10 : 22:29:09
It really is all down to the more you do it the better you become. I remember when i first started (95) i would get a couple of old Impact records and spend hours and hours trying to get the mix perfect. When all the Bonkers 1 material came out it was a nightmare for me. I had spent the best part of a year perfecting the breakbeat style mixing,then to be hit with tunes that were 170bpm. The one mix that stands out for me was playing the Brisk remix of "Now Is The Time" and trying to mix in "Wonderland" by Force & Styles. It got to a point where i nearly gave the whole thing up i got that annoyed. But after i got it, it was plain sailing from there. Keep at it mate, it does become a piece of cake.Good luck.
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Dave Murray
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
3,675 posts
Joined: Jan, 2003
136 hardcore releases
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Posted - 2004/07/10 : 23:12:17
quote:
Originally posted by JeremyC:
yeah, mixing is hard when you first get started. It took me a while to get it down, but you will eventually.
I figure you tried a lot in two hours, but I'll try and tell you what I did. I started out with a record that had a fairly consistent beat going through it, very little breakdown so that I would always have something to match against. Then I took another record that also had very little breakdown.
Its important to know the records and realize that most of them are set up in a relatively predictable pattern. Phasing is a term you might already know. Basically, its realizing that most songs can be broken down into 32 or 64 bar sections and if you want to mix well, you will usually mix in and out, over the end of one 32 or 64 section of one song, and the beginning of the other.
That sounds really complicated, but your ear will pick it up rather quickly, so no need to actuallly count. Just listen for when a new sound comes in or a beat seems to hit harder than usual. Anyways, from here, you can actually start attempting to mix.
Keep the first record locked in at +-0. Most tables have something like a Quartz lock that will keep it at this speed.
Then start cueing up the second record. Find where the first kick starts on the second record(its good to have a record that starts with the kick going.)
listen to this in the headphones while the other track is playing. its good to run the beat back and forth under the needle to get used to cueing. When one of those sections I talked about before ends, let the record go so that it starts as the first beat of the new section starts. I usually started right after the intro to the first record. Sounds complicated, but once you do it, you'll know you did it right. Then, its time to try and try and try again. I suggest you use one ear piece on and one off. This makes differentiating the sound a lot easier. To actually beatmatch, figure out if record 2 is going slower or faster. if its going faster, you'll notice that the beats are ahead of those in record 1. This can be hard to tell, but listen for those phases I was telling you about before. If it seems like one record is hitting a breakdown while the other is in the middle of a 32 bar section, then you'll know something is off.
If record 2 is going too fast, you're gonna need to slow the record down. I suggest moving the slider to -4 or so. Now retest. Is it too slow or too fast now? keep doing this back and forth until you end up getting the pitch correct. The idea is to make smaller and smaller corrections until you get it narrowed down to the right pitch.
Now, important things to remember.
1. These records are always moving, a lot like two cars. I always think about what its like when you're trying to ride next to someone. If they're in front of you, you need to speed up a lot at first to catch up with them, then slow down to stay next to them at their speed. The same thing happens with records. If a new record is slower than the one thats currently playing, you need to speed up fast to catch up, but then you'll slow down the pitch again to keep things in time. And of course, you can flip this around the other way when the second record is faster than the one currently playing.
2. I highly suggest that you DO NOT touch the pitch control on the 1st record. That tends to only complicate things, and you will rarely, if ever change the pitch of a song going through the speakers during a set.
3. Make sure the Quartz lock is OFF for the 2nd record. Something my gf forgot to do and got realy frustrated about. No matter where she moved the pitch control she couldn't get the beats to match because it wasn't actually moving.
4. Its gonna take a while. So don't get too discouraged and try, try again. I felt bad for my roomate when I was first learning, but you will get it eventually.
Hopefully that helps and good luck, keep us up to date on how things go.
This is really great information, i would of typed something like this but however i dont have the patience  .
________
kthxbye
__________________________________
<3 Trance
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capone13
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
1,302 posts
Joined: Mar, 2004
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 Posted - 2004/07/11 : 10:53:42
Very good Jeremy mate, lots of detailed information there!!
DJ J-me
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JeremyC
New Member
United States
43 posts
Joined: Jul, 2004
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Posted - 2004/07/11 : 17:16:30
Thanks, it does help to have a job where you're looked in a cage for 7 hours at a time sometimes
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djsytronik
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
883 posts
Joined: Mar, 2004
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Posted - 2004/07/11 : 19:34:32
Jeremy C, great information you have typed out for liwsk, it is great that you spent the time writing that out.
Well Done 
==============
DJ Sytronik
www.dabassline.com
Drum And Bass N Hardcore In Da Place
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liwsk
Starting Member
United Kingdom
5 posts
Joined: Jan, 2004
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 Posted - 2004/07/12 : 16:00:28
wow! thanks for all the help everyone, particually jeremyc. luckily the only 2 records ive got are my absolute faves so i wont get sick of them! will keep at it and let u know if i ever manage the mix-cheers!
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Sean Apollo
Advanced Member
United States
1,687 posts
Joined: Jul, 2003
143 hardcore releases
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Posted - 2004/07/12 : 23:25:32
I don't think alot of people relize how much talent mixing takes. Pratice is the main key, it WILL be frustrating at first. I have been playing for years and I still get frustrated at times. Pratice, it will pay off.
------------------------
http://djseanapollo.tripod.com
"All Systems Go..Are you ready for the Hardcore?"
http://www.hardcoreforya.net
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- Sean Apollo
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Brian K
Advanced Member
United States
8,663 posts
Joined: Sep, 2001
528 hardcore releases
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Posted - 2004/07/13 : 00:38:47
once you get beatmatching down then you get to work on the hard part: making your set interesting
"we'll delete the weak"
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"we'll delete the weak"
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