Harmonic Mixing – Am I missing something?

[MrPopinjay]

So wait, are you the guys who sell MIK?

[Camelot]

So wait, are you the guys who sell MIK?

Not at all. MIK is a relative newcomer to the harmonic mixing scene. Camelot has been keying music with professional musicians since the 1980's, and now offers an online harmonic mixing database with over 65,000 records at www.camelotsound.com. Please email camelotATgte.net for FREE trial access to this work-in-progress resource.

Thanks for asking!

[mostapha]

Virtually all modern music uses the diatonic scale (do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do), which is represented by the Circle of Fifths (see Circle of fifths - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Also see Diatonic scale - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Using "real keys," rather than Camelot notation (based on the Circle of Fifths), is MUCH more difficult. Memorizing compatible keys based on diatonic key signature rather than keycodes GREATLY lengthens the learning curve.

"Harmonic Keys," which introduced harmonic mixing to the DJ community in the 1980's, advocated memorization of an overlay chart to select compatible mixes. Camelot streamlined the process in 1991 with our Easymix System, which makes selecting compatible keys as easy as telling time.

Learning music theory and keying your own music may be more effective, but may require THOUSANDS of hours to attain the skills necessary to key music with greater accuracy than key detection software like MixedInKey.

Further, you can mix 2A to 6A or any other combination as long as you mix atonal segments. Whenever both track segments contain tonal music, however, any such mixes will be dissonant unless they are harmonically compatible.

I'm sorry. I've known the real names for the circle of fifths since I was seven. I guess that's too hard for DJs. You're right. They should limit themselves and not know anything about what's going on and continue to listen to BS that while technically correct (mostly) says nothing relevant. Well…except for basically every fact in that post. They're all wrong in one way or another.

You're one of my pet peeves when it comes to DJs on the internet.

[Ross]

I'm sorry. I've known the real names for the circle of fifths since I was seven. I guess that's too hard for DJs. You're right. They should limit themselves and not know anything about what's going on and continue to listen to BS that while technically correct (mostly) says nothing relevant. Well…except for basically every fact in that post. They're all wrong in one way or another.

You're one of my pet peeves when it comes to DJs on the internet.

It pisses me off when people say 'mix harmonically'. It's like they're just looking for harmonic mixing rather than what sounds good. Annoyingly I have now started keying all the tracks I buy, but it's curiosity really... Most of the time I find they aren't 'harmonic' with the last track. Who gives a fuck?

[geminimech]

[popcorn]Buttered and ready[/popcorn]

[kooper1980]

Here's my system. Pick a track that might work, listen in the headphones? Does it work? No? Pick another. Yes? Mixing time.

Perfect system if you ask me!! And it works!!

[MrPopinjay]

Why thank you, it took a long time to carefully put together such a complex and delicate system

[Ross]

[popcorn]Buttered and ready[/popcorn]

Condom at the ready, no need for lube. I'm having a poshy.

[geminimech]

Condom at the ready, no need for lube. I'm having a poshy.

:O

[lethal_pizzle]

Wow, an argument about nothing. Well done everybody.

We're programmed to find notes that are in the harmonic series consonant and notes that aren't disconsonant. Music theory is just a way to try and explain and communicate this fundamental fact.

So you can quite easily:
- try loads of records until you find one that works
- learn music theory, key your tracks so you don't have to try so many records
- learn the 'camelot system' (which is basically just a version of the circle of fifths aspirated for people like DJ's who don't need to know what key this track is in, and what key the next track is in, but rather 'what are the relative harmonic keys to this track') so you don't have to try so many records

...but at the end of the day your brain will tell you when it "goes" and when it "doesn't" (unless you're one of those DJ's who thinks it is OK to mix without headphones/monitor - in which case your audience will tell you).

Everyone appears to be arguing about what type of vehicle they used to get to the party when the important thing is actually that they got to the party on time.

People who haven't checked the songs go together (no monitor) or have blindly followed the camelot key may well end up at a crappy party a block away, but that's down to the incorrect use of the tools rather than the tools themselves.