How are you transitioning Top 40?
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  1. #1
    Tech Guru Gryz's Avatar
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    Default How are you transitioning Top 40?

    I am not a top 40 fan, but realize I will sooner or later have to play it.

    As it stands, I am doing my own thing where I layer some Top 40 over an EDM track, trance, progressive house, whatever, and do so by mixing them in key. This makes for an interesting sound, and something no one else has heard, and also give me the ability to bring in the new dance track by using the previous trance or house tracks normal 4-4 beat and mixes in very nicely.

    With Top 40 ranging in BPM from 90 to 120 or whatever, and a varied melodic beat, how are you transitioning between two T40 songs? A quick switch of the crossfader? That would just sound to abrupt to me....
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  2. #2
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    Find some top 40 remixes if your like me and like to jump between house and top 40 often. Also, just keep the transitions short and pay attention to the phrasing of the lyrics while mixing out a top 40 song. You could also do a backspin to jump from varied BPM's or use the echo freeze trick in traktor.
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  3. #3
    Tech Mentor djsakebomb's Avatar
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    I usually do what both OP and Abyrne7 do.
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  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Abyrne7 View Post
    just keep the transitions short and pay attention to the phrasing of the lyrics while mixing out a top 40 song
    This times 100.

    Top 40 and Hip Hop is not "mixed" like house song with long transitions. I usually tranistion between hip hop songs on 8 beats, sometimes four and it's all about the phrasing of lyrics to keep the vibe going. Count the beats man.

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  5. #5
    DJTT Tankard fullenglishpint's Avatar
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    I agree with Abyrne, if all else fails echo freeze is your friend.
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  6. #6
    Tech Guru jakeintox's Avatar
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    Agree with all above. Go for short transitions and don't worry too much. If your crowd wants to hear top 40 they probably won't care how it's mixed as long as they get the songs they heard in the car on the way to the club. Many top 40 tracks have intros with no beat, I use those tracks to jump between bpms.

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  7. #7
    Tech Guru completej's Avatar
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    you can also get the hook or chorus of a top 40 ~90bpm, loop, increase in bpm ~125+, bring in your EDM of whatever flavor, then slowly filter / drop vol on top 40, and slowly work your way out of the top 40 corner you were previously backed into. :P
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  8. #8
    DJTT Tankard fullenglishpint's Avatar
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    a 90bpm vocal sped up to 125? crikey, that would sound crazy!
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  9. #9
    Tech Guru completej's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by fullenglishpint View Post
    a 90bpm vocal sped up to 125? crikey, that would sound crazy!
    CDJ-400 has this wonderful button Pitch Lock on it. Quite an advantage.
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  10. #10
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    find phrases without any definable beat, like a pad sweep or something and then loop it and bring in the new track over that (this usually only works if you're going from top 40 to EDM) otherwise an echo freeze (as mentioned), a smash cut (just wham the crossfader across at the right moment, if the two tracks have the same key this can often work), wait for one song to end and then start the next one straight away (defeats the purpose of djing but is a handy last resort)
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