New to mixing drum 'n bass...problems! Help!
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 15
  1. #1
    Tech Mentor
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    223

    Default New to mixing drum 'n bass...problems! Help!

    Recently I have been interested in starting to get into mixing drum 'n bass. I come from a progressive house/trance/electro house background and feel quite comfortable with those genres...but drum 'n bass is giving me heck.

    The main problem for me is simple EQ transitions. Unlike progressive, the volume isn't necessarily primarily in the lows...it seems to be more in the highs and mids. However, I'm learning that the lows are still necessary to cut for when a new track comes in. The thing is though, if I cut the highs AND the lows of a new track...I can barely hear it coming in. I don't know where the real punch of the track is so when I try to do a low transition where I fully bring in the low and cut the one of the old track...I hardly notice it. If I slightly reduce the lows and highs it's just too loud and goes into the red.

    Simply put I need some help on learning how to do basic transitions for DnB.

    Another thing, I find that if I am playing one DnB track at standard EQ along with another in which the lows are cut...it's way too loud. In general when I am playing 2 tracks it's way too loud. The only way I can reduce the master volume is to reduce the volume of one track...but then I can't play 2 songs simultaneously with EQ changes for a dynamic mix. However if I cut the highs and the lows of the new track completely...it's way too quiet and I can barely notice the new track!

    Basically it's a clusterf**k of volume issues.

    Can somebody give me a bit of a lesson here to help me out? I'd really appreciate it.

    Btw I tend to listen to liquid DnB...stuff kind of like

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjwN3B617tg

    or

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d7JVXu9bac

    So not super bassy but not ALL highs...

    Help!

  2. #2

    Default

    Odd that you say that Drum and Bass has most of the sound in the highs and mids but then I get down to the new hospital tracks and see what you are talking about. One thing I do is use the crossfader rather than the linear faders and then eq mix in everything. Also if you do it harmonically (ie in key) you will be able to have longer mixes especially with songs like those two...If I get done with work at a decent hour this evening I will attempt to make a quick drum and bass mix using songs like that...not that I'm any sort of DJ god but I think I might be able to help you sort the harmonic blending thing, and I have a few of those hospital tunes....

    Be easy
    My Soundcloud: Bigheadmike

    Quote Originally Posted by photojojo View Post
    The whole DJ scene has been built on the backbones of people losing their warranty.
    Quote Originally Posted by Flash101uk View Post
    Mixing is a lot like farting. If you have to force it, its probably shit!

  3. #3
    Tech Mentor
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    223

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by bigheadmikelove View Post
    Odd that you say that Drum and Bass has most of the sound in the highs and mids but then I get down to the new hospital tracks and see what you are talking about. One thing I do is use the crossfader rather than the linear faders and then eq mix in everything. Also if you do it harmonically (ie in key) you will be able to have longer mixes especially with songs like those two...If I get done with work at a decent hour this evening I will attempt to make a quick drum and bass mix using songs like that...not that I'm any sort of DJ god but I think I might be able to help you sort the harmonic blending thing, and I have a few of those hospital tunes....

    Be easy
    That would be cool. Yeah simply put, my two main questions are:

    1. How do I do a standard transition for DnB?
    - For progressive house the standard is to just cut the lows of the new one, switch lows, then fade out the old track. I find this doesn't really work for DnB with a lot of the volume being in highs/mids...yet if I do that for prog house technique for highs it just sounds weird.

    2. How do I get two songs playing at the same time so that it's not too loud but not too quiet? In terms of EQs...

    Again if anybody can help me here I would realllly appreciate it.

    Oh and I'll follow you on soundcloud mike, thanks for your reply.

    EDIT:

    I mix harmonically btw mike so there is no concern with that.
    Last edited by rt24; 04-22-2011 at 02:15 AM.

  4. #4
    Tech Mentor
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    223

    Default

    Little bump...any tips please?

  5. #5
    Tech Convert _FMRL_'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    naptropolis
    Posts
    10

    Default

    ummmm...what happened here? i made this epic post like two-three hrs ago and now it's not there??? did it get deleted?? or am i going crazy?
    "Think for yourself and question authority."
    -Timothy Leary-

  6. #6
    Tech Mentor
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    223

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by _FMRL_ View Post
    ummmm...what happened here? i made this epic post like two-three hrs ago and now it's not there??? did it get deleted?? or am i going crazy?
    Did you Submit Reply or just preview post?

    Edit:

    Been messing around and I notice that turning down both the mids and lows get rid of that oomph in the track...perhaps transitions with using both mids and lows might be what DnB needs as opposed to the bass-heavy progressive house where just lows will do it...
    Last edited by rt24; 04-22-2011 at 03:34 PM.

  7. #7
    Tech Convert _FMRL_'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    naptropolis
    Posts
    10

    Default

    i don't know what happened...i pretty much explained how i eq dnb while mixing, the tricks, the treats, etc. i'm procrastinating atm considering i'm supposed to be in class but i'll give you a quick audio explanation if you have the bandwidth and the time to listen. when i get out of class i'll try and give it another go with the typed explanation, but until then i can just link you to some stuff i've done recently so you can get a better glimpse by ear of what i do to minimize/compensate for varying eq freq's/volume levels/mastering quality, etc.

    http://www.zaptownmag.com/2011/03/the-mixdown-g

    that's a mix i did for an online scene blog/mag here in indy...if it wasn't good they wouldn't post it, trust me

    http://www.mediafire.com/?do02cccc11ibr4q

    that's just a quick mini-mix i rinsed yesterday while i was bored. i'm trying to record everything, even practice sessions so i can listen later and figure out what works/what doesn't, etc. listening later in earbuds, even passively, can really help you determine leveling issues that are botching your mixes

    http://soundcloud.com/fmrl

    and that's my soundcloud page that has a couple of other joints i've done in the not-so-distant past. if you want to keep digging, you can go to dnbradio.com and search "FMRL" in the podcast section. it'll pull up all of the archived shows for the past few years. some are not worth the download, i'll admit, considering the majority of the time i'm just goofin' off. i save the fire for stuff like the zaptown mix and real gigs around town

    when i get out of class i'll give another rundown of the method i've found to work the best...hopefully by then you've given a listen and can have a better idea of where i'm coming from

    ez,

    -g-
    "Think for yourself and question authority."
    -Timothy Leary-

  8. #8
    Tech Mentor
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    223

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by _FMRL_ View Post
    i don't know what happened...i pretty much explained how i eq dnb while mixing, the tricks, the treats, etc. i'm procrastinating atm considering i'm supposed to be in class but i'll give you a quick audio explanation if you have the bandwidth and the time to listen. when i get out of class i'll try and give it another go with the typed explanation, but until then i can just link you to some stuff i've done recently so you can get a better glimpse by ear of what i do to minimize/compensate for varying eq freq's/volume levels/mastering quality, etc.

    http://www.zaptownmag.com/2011/03/the-mixdown-g

    that's a mix i did for an online scene blog/mag here in indy...if it wasn't good they wouldn't post it, trust me

    http://www.mediafire.com/?do02cccc11ibr4q

    that's just a quick mini-mix i rinsed yesterday while i was bored. i'm trying to record everything, even practice sessions so i can listen later and figure out what works/what doesn't, etc. listening later in earbuds, even passively, can really help you determine leveling issues that are botching your mixes

    http://soundcloud.com/fmrl

    and that's my soundcloud page that has a couple of other joints i've done in the not-so-distant past. if you want to keep digging, you can go to dnbradio.com and search "FMRL" in the podcast section. it'll pull up all of the archived shows for the past few years. some are not worth the download, i'll admit, considering the majority of the time i'm just goofin' off. i save the fire for stuff like the zaptown mix and real gigs around town

    when i get out of class i'll give another rundown of the method i've found to work the best...hopefully by then you've given a listen and can have a better idea of where i'm coming from

    ez,

    -g-
    Sounds awesome thanks! I am checking out your stuff right now.

  9. #9
    Tech Convert _FMRL_'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    naptropolis
    Posts
    10

    Default

    so...if you still have questions i can try and clear some things up for you
    "Think for yourself and question authority."
    -Timothy Leary-

  10. #10
    Tech Convert _FMRL_'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    naptropolis
    Posts
    10

    Default

    also, i see you have a ddm4000 i just got mine about a month ago but haven't even attempted to tinker w/ the midi/sampler/etc. i also see you have two midi fighter controllers how are those working out for you? from the tutorial videos i've watched, they look pretty nifty!
    "Think for yourself and question authority."
    -Timothy Leary-

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •