Ten Minute Dance Mix - Lots of Criticism Needed

[bobalandi]

Hey everyone, I'm really new to mixing and I'm trying to get better so I threw together this mix in 10 minutes with a few songs just so I could get some constructive criticism about whether I had a good choice of songs,and ways that I could make the mix more smooth because I know there's a lot more I could be doing.

Here is my mix:

The tracklist is:
-Turbulence - Lil John, Steve Aoki, Laidback Luke
-Don't Wanna Go Home - Jason Derulo
-Dancing in the Backseat - 3lau
-My Feelings for You - Avicii & Sebastien Drums

Some of the things I've noticed already and I could improve on are:
1. When I transitioned into "Don't Wanna Go Home" I didn't transition into a part that had much of a bassline so it quieted down quite a bit.
2. The transition from "Don't Wanna Go Home" to "Dancing in the Backseat" happened a little later than I wanted it to so the vocals started to mix.

What else could I do better? Thanks for any advice.

[Synaptic Flow]

I will give this a listen sometime this evening.

[bobalandi]

Thank you! I look forward to your criticism.

[Synaptic Flow]

I am not a professional DJ. I have only done about 12 public DJ performances. I am a good listener and analyzer of things , and have been producing electronic music since 1999.

In my opinion, the first transition should've had the beat going on song 2 instead of going into a beat-less part. It didn't sound terrible though.

Also your crossfades are way too fast. That is my opinion again. Different people have different ideas on this. I like to enjoy both songs playing together for awhile. I mainly DJ deep house or electro house. I like a minimum of 30 seconds where you can here both songs. Usually I lean more towards 45 seconds.

Again, going into that last song the transition was way too quick.

Also, when a song is being mixed out, you want to pick a place where it's fading out will compliment the incoming song. The incoming song's should be fully faded in right when the full meat of the song hits. This is hard to explain. Maybe the more experienced members here could explain better. If I had your songs, I would do a mix to show you what I mean.

What software and controller are you using? I was just curious about your setup and all.

Needless to say, practice and lots of it, is the key to getting better. Don't get discouraged. Take advice. Don't be broken down by those who give their advice in a harsh and inconsiderate matter. You will run into those people everywhere. Just keep it up and rely on those who really show that they want to help you get better.

Good luck!

[Synaptic Flow]

PS: The songs weren't really my type, although I liked the first one, due to the re-use of a classic vocal line. That is extremely subjective though. Your taste is your own. I find that there is always someone who gripes about the style that I play and I feel that their taste in music is no better than mine.

I wouldn't worry too much about people's opinion on your style of music. Just do what you do. When you get to a point of playing out live, you will need to know what the audience in a given venue is likely to respond to. If you're lucky, you'll just be getting booked to play the style that represents you.

I wouldn't want to take a paying gig to play hip hip for example. I just play deep house, electro house, and occassionally drum and bass. That lets me know I'm not going to be able to play these types of music at the typical "just here to get laid" type of nightclub.

[bobalandi]

Thanks for all the great advice, I'm using the Kontrol S2 with Traktor by the way.

[bobbylight]

Turbulence to Don't Wanna Go Home: If you have the 6 minute original mix, after about 5:23, loop Turbulence and keep it playing through the first verse of Don't Wanna Go Home and when the chorus drops, cut Turbulence.

Don't Wanna Go Home into Dancing in the Backseat: Be smooth man. Don't force even if you feel rushed or late. If you miss a cue to mix in or out, just echo freeze into the next song.

Dancing in the Backseat to My Feelings For You: Seems fine.

If my comments came off harsh, that was not my intention. I'm just trying not to sugarcoat and tell you exactly what you need to know and give you food for thought. This is a good party mix so keep it up.

[bobalandi]

You didn't come off harsh at all, I just tried the mix again following your tips, I appreciate all your advice! Really helpful!

[bobbylight]

Glad I could be helpful. Keep it up.

[bobalandi]

So I've been trying to take your tips into consideration the last few days even more and this was my product today, does it sound better? If so, what else could I do to improve on it?