Tips and tricks on how to mix DnB??
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  1. #1
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    Default Tips and tricks on how to mix DnB??

    Hey I want to learn how to mix DnB a little.
    I currently mix mostly house prog. house, so im used to the music flowing into eachother. Which to my knowledge DnB mixing is alot of harsh cutting etc?

  2. #2
    Tech Mentor Paka Ono's Avatar
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    While the quick cuts/back and forth is a style used by a lot of DnB DJs it's not the only one.

    DnB has a lot more breakdowns making smooth flows between tracks pretty easy but makes cue points a lot more important.

    And most DnB tracks fall between 170-176BPM which makes beat matching easy.

    Hope that helps

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    Tech Guru Nesquigs's Avatar
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    ive been dabbling with DnB myself, more trying to get a decent library of tracks i know and like....

    but are you saying cutting a track completely at the breakdown and letting the other track's breakdown play? or overlapping? as ive had varying results with this technique (but as my collection is small, its kinda hard)
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  4. #4
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    I think it depends on the style of dnb your throwing down. You can scratch or cut it up for a quick transition.

    I like to play a lot of neurofunk, so i actually prefer to drag out the mix for awhile. Find two tracks that go together, line up a breakdown and the beginning or a breakdown in the next track , mix over the breakdown, let those fuckers drop at the same time, and than ride that bitch for awhile until you find a decent spot to fade out. Thats just one suggestion...hope it helps.

    Like Paka said, cue points in DnB are very important, its not as forgiving as say house or techno. But when things get lined up and u get that wicked mix going on, it'll definitely give ya the tingles

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    Watch/listen to one of Andy C's live sets and take notes.

    It all depends on your own style and what "emotion" you want the mix to exhibit. If you're mixing some liquid tracks and you want to keep that smooth, flowing vibe going you might want to get a nice blend going. Or if you're dropping some heavy tracks it may be more effective to do quick cuts between them.

    Get to know your tracks well and just practice mixing them frequently. You'll eventually get a feel for what works for you and your music.
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  6. #6
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    it's not really that different from mixing house, other than +/- 30 bpm.


    the tracks are all made for djs just like house, so the tunes will flow together fine if your on time. you can also do quick cuts and fx like hiphop and whatever too, but it's not like it's the only way.

  7. #7
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    The only real problem i find mixing dnb is lining up the highs on two busier tracks, dropping the eq on the incoming track helps a lot to keep it from sounding like junk, then work it in as I drop the channel fader on previous track.
    I don't really cut hard unless there is a reason, like chopping between two hard phrases, or stealing an accent beat from the other table, most of the time the crossfader sits in the middle and the channels do all the work.
    When I'm lost in where to find the 1 beat again, I just wait for it to break down and drop on the first kick. I've been fond of setting markers on tracks with a long second half as sometimes it isn't super apparent where the cue point is by looking at the waveform.

  8. #8
    Tech Guru Alex Wild's Avatar
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    Beatmatching dnb can be hard because its so fast once it starts to drift it clangs hard!
    The mixing techniques arent much different to other genre's, but as others said, it depends what style you're mixing. For me its all about the EQ and levels used to blend the tracks and maintain impact when you move into the next song.
    Having said that, if its jump up or classic tunes a hard cut can be really effective too.
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  9. #9
    Tech Guru DigitalDevil's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by duerr View Post
    it's not really that different from mixing house, other than +/- 30 bpm.


    the tracks are all made for djs just like house, so the tunes will flow together fine if your on time. you can also do quick cuts and fx like hiphop and whatever too, but it's not like it's the only way.
    +1; it really isn't that different and there are lots of different styles. You can still just mix 32 bar intros and outros like other genres, with liquid you can do long harmonic mixes (matching keys and matching breaks means you can pretty much play tracks right on top of each other), you can do quick double drop cuts with more of the harder sounds... You can do whatever you want. Listen to some mixes to get a better understanding.

    Here's a starting point - http://soundcloud.com/das-boy/2003-0...high-contrast/
    Last edited by DigitalDevil; 10-08-2011 at 05:52 AM.

  10. #10
    Tech Guru Bassline Brine's Avatar
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    I figured it out after going out for an evening, getting blasted, and then fucking around at home for awhile. Just give it time imo.

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