Mostapha's Setup

[Ryan Ruel]

Nice choice on the Rane. Love mine. You get used to the metering very quickly. The single blinking LED for each track is actually all you need.

Just got an F1 myself. Go on beatport and DL a few remix sets to get started, it helps you realize quickly what you can do with it. Actually making a remix set yourself is a little bit of work, but I get the possibilities now. I had actually bought one when they first came out, and sold it because I just wasn't using it, but decided to re-explore the idea.

[mostapha]

So, I actually enjoy the F1 a lot. Right now, it's a couple little things that I pulled out of a few tracks I really like but don't want to play that often...plus some loops I made in maschine. The most used one-by far-is just a boom bap pattern that I add over breakdowns. So, it's still a big change and a bit of a "rest" compared to the house beat but doesn't have the entire beat die as much as a lot of breakdowns do.

And, yeah....love the Rane. With Traktor, there's more than enough metering just from the record signal.

[Ryan Ruel]

Maschine is great for remix sets. I had bought a bunch of the Maschine add-on's but never did much with them. I just turned some of the better sample patterns I really liked into a remix set, worked out great.

That's an awesome idea for preventing those annoying freaking breakdowns that come out of nowhere and last way too long. Or you could have some generic'ish sounding loops in the remix deck for when you want to get out of some track you decide you don't like or what not.

[mostapha]

Yeah. I don't do the live remixing thing. I have a bunch of free remix sets and a few I paid for, but....the remix decks just aren't that good for that. If I wanted to play like that, I'd still be spinning with Live, probably with something like an APC40.

I've finally come around to what nem0nic was saying years ago....that kind of thing is cool, but it's not DJing. And it's also just not what I want to do. Haivng a 3rd deck that's just another deck and a 4th deck that's made for those little thins that it seems dumb to waste a full deck on...that works for me.

The still weird thing is that I haven't touched my TTs since the day I got Traktor Scratch. It seems like I really just don't care anymore.

[Ryan Ruel]

I don't think many people really do the live remix thing... how many times have people talked the big talk, but you never hear anyone doing it. Well, almost nobody.

[mostapha]

Yeah, exactly. That kind of thing just doesn't work in practice.

I mean...Tarekith did that with his original stuff. And I'm sure there are some other people performing like that with original material. A few years ago, when I first started with Live, that was the plan. But getting stems alone was trouble. When I could get them, the in-track transitions were haphazard at best. And the whole thing just didn't do what I wanted it to.

It's definitely an outlet for wanting to get into production but not really being able to finish a track. But apart from that....I see it as better for adding little bits.

[kooper1980]

I agree. I personally think the remix decks work well for just adding a familiar sound across your mix. Whether it's additional hats or even toms/clav sounds for extra percussion. I've been experimenting with this lately and using the same sound with varying beat patterns. So far ive been impressed.

[mostapha]

I have mixed feelings about leaving something going too long. Yeah...it gives your set some cohesion, but...unless you're playing really oldschool trance or drone, too much repition is probably boring.

[SlayForMoney]

It's definitely an outlet for wanting to get into production but not really being able to finish a track..

I think you've hit the nail on the head with this

[kooper1980]

I have mixed feelings about leaving something going too long. Yeah...it gives your set some cohesion, but...unless you're playing really oldschool trance or drone, too much repition is probably boring.

I totally get what you are saying. Its a fine line. of course though you would be bringing the cohesive sound in and out throughout the mix. leaving it playing constantly would get seriously boring as you have said. Annoying even.