Best way to mix trance with smooth transitions
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  1. #1

    Default Best way to mix trance with smooth transitions

    I'd like to get some feedback from those that mix trance music using Traktor Pro (or other software for that matter) how do you do your transitions from one track to next?

    Do you use channel faders only or X-fader?

    Do you kill the bass on one and bring it in the other? What bout Hi's and Mid's?

    Typically at what point on the track that is playing do you bring in the next track? With trance usually there is buildup, then breakdown, and then it will build again. Do you cue in the next track right after the 2nd build up again and bring it's volume all the way in at the 64 bar where you cut the bass off first tracking and up the bass on new track?

    If you give some feedback and pointers on what you to make smooth transitions from one track to next that would be helpful.

  2. #2
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    Are you joking? There could not be an easier to genre to mix. Trance doesn't even have a snare!

    If it's original mixes, it's generally 1:20, often 0:30, every track is different. Look at the track layout and turn on your minute markers and you can estimate a rough mix time. Just press sync, kill the bass, fade/drop it in, then pull bass from the first song as you add to the next, until you can fade the first song out.
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    These are the kind of decisions you get to make as the DJ. But, one comment: trance is a great example of a genre that benefits greatly from key mixing.

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    Tech Guru DarioJ's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Landsnark View Post
    trance is a great example of a genre that benefits greatly from key mixing.
    truth!
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    Tech Guru kooper1980's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sambo View Post
    Are you joking? There could not be an easier to genre to mix. Trance doesn't even have a snare!

    If it's original mixes, it's generally 1:20, often 0:30, every track is different. Look at the track layout and turn on your minute markers and you can estimate a rough mix time. Just press sync, kill the bass, fade/drop it in, then pull bass from the first song as you add to the next, until you can fade the first song out.
    I'd be interested to know what makes trance easier to mix than say house, minimal, techno or any of the other 4 to the floor genres? Snares don't make something easier or harder to mix.

    And agreed on the harmonics comment. The melodies found in any form of trance make harmonic mixing a preference.
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    Quote Originally Posted by kooper1980 View Post
    I'd be interested to know what makes trance easier to mix than say house, minimal, techno or any of the other 4 to the floor genres? Snares don't make something easier or harder to mix.

    And agreed on the harmonics comment. The melodies found in any form of trance make harmonic mixing a preference.
    A snare does make it harder to mix, because you've at least got to get the down beat right :P

    And yeah, definitely harmonic mixing with trance.
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    Tech Guru 031999's Avatar
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    With trance you gonna wanna do very long mix transitions, like 32 and sometimes 64 bar transitions. That will make it very fluid. Also when I mix trance I don't even use the faders I do it all with eq work, which is how I've been mixing a lot of stuff lately.

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by Landsnark View Post
    These are the kind of decisions you get to make as the DJ. But, one comment: trance is a great example of a genre that benefits greatly from key mixing.
    Quote Originally Posted by kooper1980 View Post
    I'd be interested to know what makes trance easier to mix than say house, minimal, techno or any of the other 4 to the floor genres? Snares don't make something easier or harder to mix.

    And agreed on the harmonics comment. The melodies found in any form of trance make harmonic mixing a preference.
    When you are saying "harmonic mixing" or "key mixing" are you saying I should have the key lock on or more along the lines of choosing songs that are within keys of each other to make smooth mixes and transitions? I think there is chart or method to follow that shows you can go 1 key before or after the current key you are playing that will keep the transitions smooth.
    Last edited by joemann002; 04-04-2013 at 08:54 PM.

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by 031999 View Post
    With trance you gonna wanna do very long mix transitions, like 32 and sometimes 64 bar transitions. That will make it very fluid. Also when I mix trance I don't even use the faders I do it all with eq work, which is how I've been mixing a lot of stuff lately.
    When you are just mixing with eqs how are your eqs setup? On the current track do you have the hi/mid/low at the 12 o'clock postion and on the track that you will bringing in do you have the low killed and hi/mid like at 9 o'clock position? Can you share a bit more details on how your do it? Do you have both channel faders at max then when just working with the eqs?

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    Quote Originally Posted by joemann002 View Post
    When you are just mixing with eqs how are your eqs setup? On the current track do you have the hi/mid/low at the 12 o'clock postion and on the track that you will bringing in do you have the low killed and hi/mid like at 9 o'clock position? Can you share a bit more details on how your do it? Do you have both channel faders at max then when just working with the eqs?
    When working with the long transitions, I usually have my current track with the eqs at roughly 12 o clock,but that varies based on how the track and the system sound. Then start my next track, get it beat matched, (you will need to have the fader down and the eqs up for this). Then kill your eqs and Raise the fader, then just work the track in with the eqs, and also pull the other track out with the eqs also.

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