Technical mixing?
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  1. #1

    Default Technical mixing?

    Deadmau5 stated:

    Quote Originally Posted by Deadmau5
    It puts me to fucking sleep, to be quite honest; I don’t really see the technical merit in playing two songs at the same speed together and it bores me to fucking tears and hopefully, with all due respect to the DJ type that will fucking go the way of the dinosaur, I'd like them to dis-a-fucking-pear! It's so middle man, they’re like fucking lawyers! You need them, but they’re fucking cunts. God bless them, they’re my number one customer right, so I’m not gonna go dis every fucking DJ. But to say you become this massive, "up on a podium" performer by playing other peoples productions, at the same speed as someone else's productions and fading between the two of them, I don’t get it...
    With that, most people state that technical things such as beat-matching are crucial to mixing, but where do the technical aspects come into play as conservative (or how do you see traditional mixing as a close-minded standard)? If this doesn't make any sense, allow me to reiterate; why is traditional mixing so important to most DJ's? At some point we begin to sound almost the same by trying to follow a specific pattern. I suppose that the topic for discussion would be how many of you stay within the traditional mixing boundaries?

    Sorry if this doesn't make any sense!

  2. #2
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    Techniques such as beatmatching are essential but by no means are on their own in the arsenal of techniques a dj has. It is crucial because without matching the beats your mix will sound like $h!t. It isn't that beatmatching is what every dj does so they all sound the same, beatmatching is just the foundation then you can put your own style on top of that. If that makes any sense?

  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bkag View Post
    Techniques such as beatmatching are essential but by no means are on their own in the arsenal of techniques a dj has. It is crucial because without matching the beats your mix will sound like $h!t. It isn't that beatmatching is what every dj does so they all sound the same, beatmatching is just the foundation then you can put your own style on top of that. If that makes any sense?
    Beatmatching was an example, when I was writing the original post, I couldn't think of anything else at the time. However, what I was trying to say is that mixing has become so uniform these days. So besides when the next song comes into play, where does the uniqueness come into play (besides the timing)?

  4. #4
    Tech Mentor jimbob5000's Avatar
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    Well, I usually tend to write very long posts, so I'll try to keep this short for once:

    Deadmau5 is a f***ing c*** with no concept of what DJing is about. The end.



    p.s.: http://www.djtechtools.com/forum/sho...light=deadmau5

  5. #5
    Tech Guru Bassline Brine's Avatar
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    Well, a HUGE part of it is SELECTION.

    I've seen a fair bit of DJ's who can mix just fine, the phrasing is fine, but the tune selection is absolute shite. When I go to local Dubstep nights, for instance, there's one DJ that absolutely rips it every time. And most of the other "residents" while having various levels of skill, absolutely destroy the flow with their tune selection.

    I'd also add to say that FX can be a great addition, or a very big downer, on any mix. It's all about being smart when using them.
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  6. #6
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    Surely the uniqueness comes from the artists ability to select the songs as much as it is to mash/mix/transition between them.

    If you were to look at it generally a producer like Deadmau5 does the same thing but with loops/leads.

    The way he suggests DJs who emphasise the importance of beatmatching and blending are somehow "Dinosaurs" is ridiculous. The same basic principles apply to his own "craft", keeping time, avoiding key clashes.

    The technicalities of mixing are fundamental aspects of how music works that anybody working with music should be aware of.

  7. #7
    Filterkat
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    Quote Originally Posted by phaserjunkie View Post
    Beatmatching was an example, when I was writing the original post, I couldn't think of anything else at the time. However, what I was trying to say is that mixing has become so uniform these days. So besides when the next song comes into play, where does the uniqueness come into play (besides the timing)?
    id have to agree with this, hence why im usually very dissapointed when i go out clubbing. Quite an alarming amount of DJ's in the clubs have no concept of track selection, building a set, mixing in key and all the stuff which i personally find very important... which pisses me off quite frankly... ive even been to a club night where the DJ had absolutely no concept of timing, as in like bars/beats and all that... sure, he could match the kicks together... but he probably didnt have a clue what a "bar" was... well... he probably knew about the bar downstairs serving vodka redbulls but thats about it...

    Ive been to a club night and the whole night they played nothing but bangers... i mean, sure... every set needs its bangers, but theyre meant to be the peak/highlight of the set... when you play nothing but bangers all night, they loose their effect...

    its like if you went to an expensive restaurant and ate a good meal, you would be impressed... but if you went and ate there every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it would lose its effect.

    When im playing in a club, i try and keep things interesting by doing live remixes/bootlegs of songs, and using interesting effect chains, looping and yeah... all that "controllerism" shit you cant traditionaly do on a set of normal CDJ's and a mixer...

    i kind of see Deadmau5's point though, about the typical "cue,play,pitch" DJ's... especially the ones who dont put any efforts into their sets... i mean, you can tell when a DJ has spent hours before his set preparing his songs and mixes, compared to one that just rocks up at the club with his USB stick, and goes... hmmm... i wonder what im going to play now...
    Fucking pisses me off and makes me wonder, how do these guys get booked for these gigs, in these big venues?

    anyway...

    /End Rant

  8. #8
    Tech Mentor PartyMcFly's Avatar
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    Making the party a lot of fun with music, making the environment conducive to drinking, dancing, celebrating, and phone number exchanging is really all there is to DJing.

    From there you can go into specifics like beatmatching and blending. Then onto more interesting things if you fancy.

    This guy clearly has it in his head that DJs see themselves as a sort of performing artist. For the most part, they're not, and let's kid neither him nor ourselves. There are exceptions out there, the Ean Goldens and the AMs and so on, of course.

    The dude is a producer/performer who relies on expensive technology and the drugs you're taking to keep your attention at a live performance.

    He isn't a party DJ and doesn't really pay any bother to the fact that they have a place in the world, so his comments are completely irrelevant. I'm not offended but I'm putting this guy on mute in the future for his idea that he's made DJs obsolete in this world.

  9. #9
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    it just shows that deadmau5 knows f$%k all about club culture.he's a computer geek at heart not a musician in my opinion.

  10. #10
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    well his live shows are known as some of the most boring so it's no surprize he doesn't get djing.

    with that said his reservations do have a certain amount of merrit... most djs don't really push themselves to be better than average which isn't impressive at all. zero structure to their mixes, homogenous single genre track selection, caning flavour of the month tunes, simple factory mixing techniques, no originality or personal style whatsoever...

    but clearly he's missed the plot if he thinks he can shoot down guys like Z-Trip, Coldcut, Q-Bert etc. etc.

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