How do YOU mix?

[Hi Im Shy]

When I first started I watched EVERY Traktor YouTube video I could get my hands on. I felt the ones that helped me improve the most were 15-30 minute mixes where I could focus on their transitions and effect use. There is such a massive lack of videos for DJ'ing in Ableton that feature the actual hands and controller. It's taken me a massive amount of trial and error to get my setup and am always looking to improve it. How do you guys mix? How do you guys transition? What were some big breakthroughs for you? How do you control your master tempo? Do you have any videos of you mixing?



Here is a year old video of how I mixed. Template has changed a lot since then as has my track selection . What would you change? What do you use your jogs for? Tips? Tricks? Thanks in advanced!

[William Gibson]

I started out 2 years ago with no idea how to use live (never used it before), an apc40 and the ill gates template. That was the biggest hindrance for me looking back in retrospect. With a powerful DAW and a super powerful script it was very easy for me to get lost in everything. The breakthrough for me was getting an ohm rgb and the will marshal script. It dosnt get any more straight forward and simple then that.

I have spent the first year and a half not touching any effects but working on phrasing, EQing, and choppimg all my songs up into parts for live remixing. It has only been the last 6 months that I started messing with effects racks.

For transitions of bpm I use a bpm m4l script. I love jumpimg all over the place with bpm. I dont stick with 1 genre and I dont stick with 1 bpm. Im kind of all over the place.

I have went through a bunch of gear but my rbg slim and midi fighter pro is really what is standing the test of time. I guess I could actually post a pic of my gear since I have been here so long...

[Schalenberg]

I have no idea what language you're speaking, Will. But yeah, show us your gear son!

[William Gibson]

I have no idea what language you're speaking, Will. But yeah, show us your gear son!

Pics posted in gear section.

Shy, Just watched your mix vid. Good shit. I dont think I could ever record a mix of what Im doing. It would be to boring to watch. I touch knobs about half as much as you. Im lazy as hell. I just cut lows and mids out of incoming track and bring it in with a LPF then swap the EQs and and use one of a few effects chains to wash out the last track. I have went to record something several times then been like, "no one wants to see this..."

[Hi Im Shy]

Pics posted in gear section.

Shy, Just watched your mix vid. Good shit. I dont think I could ever record a mix of what Im doing. It would be to boring to watch. I touch knobs about half as much as you. Im lazy as hell. I just cut lows and mids out of incoming track and bring it in with a LPF then swap the EQs and and use one of a few effects chains to wash out the last track. I have went to record something several times then been like, "no one wants to see this..."

I want to see it even if it just sparks one idea it was well worth the time invested. Most of the knob touching is just trying to tweak the EQ's to what sounds good to my ear. The only effect I used in that video is the Fade to grey which honestly is a godsend IMO. That's funny you started out nearly the same way as me. APC40 + a Frankenstein merger of Dave Winnel and Will Marshal templates. Like you say there is a steep learning curve when it comes to finding your own way vs out of the box setup software (Traktor, Serato, Etc) You mentioned a BPM M4L script. How does that work? Thanks for your insight!

[William Gibson]

Do you use Will Marshal's "fade to grey"? It has a nice ping pong effect on it and is really silky.

As for the tempo script, I use this one:
http://www.maxforlive.com/library/de...-automator-mod
Makes it really easy to jump all over the place with songs. Check it out, super easy to use and super effective.

[bc6]

Hmmmmmm.

[William Gibson]

Do you use Will Marshal's "fade to grey"? It has a nice ping pong effect on it and is really silky.

As for the tempo script, I use this one:
http://www.maxforlive.com/library/de...-automator-mod
Makes it really easy to jump all over the place with songs. Check it out, super easy to use and super effective.

Here is the vid on that script:

[Hi Im Shy]

Do you use Will Marshal's "fade to grey"? It has a nice ping pong effect on it and is really silky.

As for the tempo script, I use this one:
http://www.maxforlive.com/library/de...-automator-mod
Makes it really easy to jump all over the place with songs. Check it out, super easy to use and super effective.

Yup out of all of Wills Effects the Fade to Grey is the only one that made it over into my own template. I actually use a RMX-1000 VST mapped to the large filter knobs. YES! this script looks absolutely amazing thanks so much for this it's small things like this that make huge breakthroughs in your flow. Time to get mixing!

[William Gibson]

Glad I could help, Shy.

I have wanted to get a gopro for a while now to record some other stuff. Maybe its time I get one and put one of the mounts on the wall right behind my kit and start filming some mixes...