Newbie speedbumps

[SirReal]

I kinda disagree with the whole "Mixed in key" debate. While it is/can be useful, it's really only makes a difference if you use "key Lock". DJ's programed harmonically solid mixes for YEARS with turntables and CDJ's before key lock was even around. It's another aspect of using your ears and having an inherent understanding of phrasing, something which many newer DJ's today are lacking. Anyone try using key lock on a really good system while mixing a track that's more than 3-4% past it's nominal? The phasing and chorusing is obvious, distracting & annoying.

[squidot]

Totally disagree, I don't think mixing in key is important at all. Either 2 tracks together sound good, or they don't. The key isn't going to determine that at all. Instrumentation, individual instrument parts, different rhythms would be more of a determining factor than the key. I can see where it may come in handy when you don't know what to play next so you just pick something in the same key but I don't think its an important factor when it comes to learning how to mix. To each his own.

well, we will agree to disagree because the key does help determine if a mix will work more often than not in my experience (depending on what type of music i'm playing). it's not like it has nothing to do with making a good mix because that is not true imo. i will agree that your ear is the most important factor and just because mik says something is in key is not a good enough reason to just let it fly.

I wasn't generalizing most EDM producers. It just seems to me that I read a thread every other day thats says "I am a DJ/producer...." My point is, just because you bought maschine, FL Studio, Ableton, etc. and can program a drum pattern, add a bassline and some samples doesn't make you a producer. Most real producers do have some musical background. I agree, through trial and error, creativity, someone without a technical musical background can create something thats sounds great. The pros and cons of technology means more so called DJs and more so called producers but the cream always rises to the top.

i pretty much agree with this and maybe i'm just reading too many threads and articles lately generalizing these things and it gets to be a bit of a pet peeve of mine. that's just the way it came off to me. there are a lot of good producers who know their stuff and their are a lot of beginners (and long time producers) who think they are great but really aren't. the 2nd group of people tends to bother me because they seem to be the first to harshly criticize something, yet they don't understand their own abilities and weaknesses.

I'll give ya that, I went a little too far with that 1 but I would still argue that overall rhythms are more of a driving force behind EDM than melody.

As far as my own so called productions. I am not a producer, Quincy Jones is a producer. I make beats.

i can find many songs showing melody can be the driving force behind edm. a bunch of house music has the simplest, tightest quantized kick/snare meaning most of the groove comes from the melody. with what i listen to, i feel like it's split pretty evenly between the two, though. this could just be semantics territory we are in here.

my apologies if i went too far calling your own beats into question. i respect the fact that you are making songs (and dj mixes) and have them online for all to hear. i just started making beats/producing on a more serious level about a month ago, so i have nothing to even show in this dept yet. for me writing a bunch of little cool bits has always been pretty easy but making those sounds mean something within the context of a song is my main weakness. potent arrangement and breakdowns have always been tough for me, ever since i started tinkering with the guitar 20 years ago.

[squidot]

I kinda disagree with the whole "Mixed in key" debate. While it is/can be useful, it's really only makes a difference if you use "key Lock". DJ's programed harmonically solid mixes for YEARS with turntables and CDJ's before key lock was even around. It's another aspect of using your ears and having an inherent understanding of phrasing, something which many newer DJ's today are lacking. Anyone try using key lock on a really good system while mixing a track that's more than 3-4% past it's nominal? The phasing and chorusing is obvious, distracting & annoying.

i see your point, and i personally don't use keylock because i find that it does sound pretty bad, especially when you start getting around 3%. it always sounded god awful on my cdj-100s (at any %) and i just got tsp (2.5) and find that it causes pops when i have it on. usually if i stay under about 1.5% the keys still sound harmonically on point to me without using it. even if you don't use keylock you can refer to the 6% rule (http://community.mixedinkey.com/Topics/1767) but let's be real, not many people are going to be doing that properly on the fly. i'd rather just use my ears with trial and error.

[SirReal]

i'd rather just use my ears with trial and error.

It's that kind of mentality that will make you a solid DJ at the "end of the day". I'm not saying that you can't create an amazing mix with all the "bells & whistles", cuz, obviously, you can, but when you can do it without them then you're hearing and understanding music on a totally different level and it comes across to the "true heads" out there who are listening.

[backtothefront]

It's that kind of mentality that will make you a solid DJ at the "end of the day". I'm not saying that you can't create an amazing mix with all the "bells & whistles", cuz, obviously, you can, but when you can do it without them then you're hearing and understanding music on a totally different level and it comes across to the "true heads" out there who are listening.

Perfectly summerised, totally agree.

All these tools we have at our disposal are great in their own way but cannot make up for practice, listening to music and building up your knowledge. I sound like another old school DJ banging on about the 'good ol' days' but there is something to be said for taking away all the visual and audible cues and go back to 2 decks, mixer, speakers and bunch of tunes; the best way to learn how things work and don't work in my opinion. Of course this can be done with the latest kit, pick a load of tunes from your hard drive, load them up, turn the screen away and mix.

[BradCee]

this thread is starting to sound like this thread. OP only asked for a bit of advice.. lol