Mix Club - The Remedial Class

Dubman

Along_the_Wire
I only used 2 bar loops. And only used them if I was running out of time before the track ended whilst I was bringing the second track in.
I’m sure the creative lads on here use loops to play throughout a track in the background to build up layers.

Along_the_Wire

Dubman I only used 2 bar loops.

Christ!

Mad_Cyril

Dubman Is that 8 beats in total Dubbers? Am the same

Dubman

Along_the_Wire
How many bars are you looping. A full phrase.

Mad_Cyril

Along_the_Wire

If I use them coming in it’s just to control my entry point - I can’t be fucking arsed with cue points and file preparation (don’t want to learn to be a data entry clerk) so helps in that respect.

They can be great mixing out if you find a long transition that works but I find using by default leads to them being relied on as a comfort blanket - resulting in long painful mixes and energy kill.

Dubman

Mad_Cyril
Yes mate

NasserAlazzawi

Along_the_Wire

I normally either go

I’m running out of time, the rhythm / groove is the same in 4 beats as it is in 8, so I just hold the Left Yellow IN button down to get 4 loops

The track is telling a story across at least 16/32 beats so I press the left yellow IN which automatically gives 4 beats, but very quickly hit the CALL (RIGHT ARROW) button once (8 beats) twice (16 beats) 3 times (32 beats)

If I land on 32 beats, for most tracks in most genres you’ve often got the bulk of the entire track just repeating forever - so you can work out where to mix out.

There’s something called Phrase Mixing and I’m not sure I have this exactly right, but I’m sure I do it in my head - starting to play / mix where there’s a ‘musical change’ - often around the crescendo of a sound, the end of a breakdown, or followed by a crash of a hi-hat or vocal stab or bassline or ‘something’ obvious that it starting the next phrase again.

Along_the_Wire

NasserAlazzawi Phrase Mixing

This is what I normally do, but it can still sound messy, especially in the mids

Along_the_Wire

Dubman just trying to create a cleaner transition - 32 beats can be messy as the incoming track builds. I’m just curious what people do, I’m enjoying messing about to be honest.

Mad_Cyril

Dubman I did read that book you recommended! I just always doubt myself with this kind of shit!!

NasserAlazzawi

If you do go for 2 or 4 or 8 beats you typically have to ‘move on’ into the next track really quickly before it goes from being in a nice place in the track to really boring.

If you skip along to 16 or 32 beats you actually give yourself a longer time to blend with.

The other option is to just start mixing sooner deliberately. I often mix from around 2 mins or 1min 30 now so that I’m not rushing, unlike if I leave 30 or 60 seconds remaining - where a loop is necessary but in many tracks its the seriously boring part of the track you don’t want repeating.

Earlier Mixing = keeping the exciting energy going.

NasserAlazzawi

Along_the_Wire 32 bars can be messy as the incoming track builds

True - oen way to get around that is use the Hot Cues to warn the energy is going to drop (or avoid a really strong part of the outgoing track) - I flag them to myself if a tracks energy changes enough.

When I first play a track on the XZ, I punch in the area I’d like to be mixing out by if the energy dies off.

I use:

A for ‘where a tracks first beat really is’ for weird beatless intros (rare)
B to indicate where the main energy of a track kicks in (handy for choosing tracks, I skip through my playlist and tap B until I get the right track with the right sounding key and groove for where I want to take the set)
C to indicate ‘start mixing out here’ if the energy drops early
(rare) D for ’must mix out by now, the energy continues to very late but suddenly drops with very little time left

The USB stick carries the Hot Cue markers so they appear on the CDJs at club gigs like I’ve done here on Friday (look inside the waveform and you see Green markers)

Dubman

Along_the_Wire
8 bars does seem a lot. When I used to record a mix I’d set que points on where to start the second track I was bringing in. So all the phrases matched. I’m sure Damo,Danny and Hannu would know more.

Amps

Along_the_Wire Depends on the track and where in the track you are looping. But the answer is phrases, loop so the phrase works one way or the other.

Re the cue points thing, you can have tons of fun with these. Again, minimal sounding stuff, that you can layer up works best.

NasserAlazzawi

Along_the_Wire

Wonder if you can get any joy with how I deal with this.

Sometimes I hit Sweep (next to Filter) and just take it to around 11 o clock, same on the other track, and when the bassline kicks in on the next track I move the Sweep up to 12 o clock and finish EQing with a punch in on the bassline.

I find doing that gives the mids and highs a little room to breathe on most tracks.

whatever

Along_the_Wire

Depends on the phrasing contained in the tune and how many bars it is, plus what makes sense in terms of vocals/melody etc, but if in doubt I use 4 bars (16 beats). If you follow the phrasing of the tune, that should indicate what is likely to work. On an intro, I would only use it if it was a really short intro or if it goes into something that could be jarring in the mix like a big vocal etc. For an outro, I would only use it to keep the energy where if I suspect it will end abruptly and the other tune hasn’t had a chance to pick up the pace. Can also work on very rhythmic/percussive tracks where you need to bleed it out slowly because the sudden shift would be too much of a drop.

Along_the_Wire

Interesting stuff fellas, work to do this end. Cheers

Amps

Amps I’d like to put myself forward for the ‘Captain of the Month’ award for December. If someone can action this on the spread sheet, it would be most appreciated.

NasserAlazzawi

Amps I’ll do it hun x

Mad_Cyril

Amps
See you as more of a guest speaker if I’m honest Amps.

This is remedial class..

Captain of the month is for that rare occasion when one of us gets lucky, actually produces a listenable transition, then looks around like a bemused dog when it surprises itself farting.

Unless you’re getting the boat console out for an end of term party…

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