Beginner wanting to do mashups! Both on-the-fly and production in spare time.
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  1. #1
    Tech Wizard
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    Default Beginner wanting to do mashups! Both on-the-fly and production in spare time.

    Hello,

    I want to get into producing mashups (and possibly original work) and doing mashups live on-the-fly.

    Mashups are my favorite genre and when i hear songs i always pick out songs that i would like to mash them up with.

    I am deciding between working on Ableton Live with a Launchpad or Traktor Pro 2 with a Vestax vci 100(or maybe some other midi controller - suggestions welcome!).

    I really want to learn to produce my own mashups and i know ableton is probably way better for that than traktor, but i also have a passion for performing mashups live. I have so many great ideas but none of the talent (yet) and i wan't to learn!

    Obviously i don't want to sink a ton of money into this hobby from the get go, but if what would you reccomend to someone who wants to do both production AND live on-the-fly mixing to create mashups?

    I feel like it is near impossible to do on-the-fly mashups live on ableton (the type that i would want to learn to dp), but traktor has no production qualities.

    This will only ever be a hobby for me and i would only be performing for my friends (and friends of friends) at parties so i am not aiming to be the next armin van buren, but i do really want to learn to produce my own mashups and learn techniques for doing mashups live on-the-fly.

    Thanks so much!

  2. #2
    Tech Wizard underwaterrobots's Avatar
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    Default i feel this thread was made for me to answer!

    Hey man, I am pretty much in the same boat as you.. I like making mashups as a hobby. So as you said, Traktor is better for on-the-fly, and also better for planning a mashup since you can instantly set cue points and loops and play around with arrangements. Maybe when you get really good, or come up with an exceptional idea, you can move on to Ableton to produce it in a more professional manner.

    As for midi controllers, you really only need a simple one to get started. I use the Launchpad because it is cheap and has so many buttons that you can map to cue points and transport controls. You can also get a Midi Fighter 3D or Kontrol F1 and mash up clips using Traktor's remix decks.

    Now for some shameless self-promotion... Here are two of my mashup routines using only a Launchpad in one case, and only a MF3D in another case. As you can see, you can develop fairly complex routines with just one simple controller.

    Midi Fighter 3D controlling a Remix Deck


    Launchpad controlling all 4 track decks


    I have a bunch of other mashup videos on my channel too, but those are simple examples. Again, I would start with one controller and add more modular controllers as you need them. The key is to have enough buttons to access all your cue points!

    Hope this helps.
    Last edited by underwaterrobots; 11-08-2012 at 01:57 AM.
    Check out my Youtube channel for controllerism routines, mashups, tutorials, etc. using Midi Fighters and other tasty gear.

    http://www.youtube.com/user/underwaterrobots

  3. #3
    Tech Wizard
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    Default

    Wow! thats really cool! I didn't realize that you could control traktor so easily with a launchpad! But the launchpad has no knobs or faders, so how do you do FX and transitions? I feel like there's a lot you simply cannot do without a conventional midi controller for traktor (with dedicated knobs for high, mid, low, gain, FX, etc).

    EDIT: Just took a look at your PSY/LMFAO/Space Jam mashup..... I am simpyl amazed, that was incredible! How long did it take to set up all those cue points and memorize them? I feel like its incredible work getting all the controllers set up with traktor.
    Last edited by silman; 11-08-2012 at 02:06 AM.

  4. #4
    Tech Wizard
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    Default

    where do you get your accapellas and instrumentals? great quality and work btw

  5. #5
    Tech Guru jprime's Avatar
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    Default

    Ableton for edits....straight serato/DVS for straight mashups with no (or minimal) edits here...









    One for Movember yo!

  6. #6

    Default

    And with the new and relatively cheap NI F1 controller you could control a lot of clips in Traktor.

    Just make sure people could dance to the mashups at live events, otherwise this will fizzle.
    ---
    Contact me if you have a cool musical idea. @kentsandvik

  7. #7
    Tech Mentor lucasmanning's Avatar
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    Default

    Mixed in key mashup - great bit of software
    CDJ 2000s + DJM 2000

    Check out my Mixes : Soundcloud

  8. #8
    Tech Wizard underwaterrobots's Avatar
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    Default

    Thanks for checking out my videos, guys!

    Quote Originally Posted by silman View Post
    Wow! thats really cool! I didn't realize that you could control traktor so easily with a launchpad! But the launchpad has no knobs or faders, so how do you do FX and transitions? I feel like there's a lot you simply cannot do without a conventional midi controller for traktor (with dedicated knobs for high, mid, low, gain, FX, etc).

    EDIT: Just took a look at your PSY/LMFAO/Space Jam mashup..... I am simpyl amazed, that was incredible! How long did it take to set up all those cue points and memorize them? I feel like its incredible work getting all the controllers set up with traktor.
    I use the Launchpad purely for transport functions. I use Midi Fighters for effects. I don't have a mixer. So for these mashup routines, I set the EQs beforehand and then obviously can't change them during the performance unless it's with my mouse.

    It took me about 20 hours to map all of the Launchpad's buttons and colors for my own purposes. (I had no previous mapping experience). I am a nerd. Also, each performance routine took about 10-15 hours to develop, practice, film, and edit. Sooo yeah it is a lot of work. Controllerism ain't easy, despite what it looks like on the surface.

    Quote Originally Posted by mmullen68 View Post
    where do you get your accapellas and instrumentals? great quality and work btw
    Through Google search, I can usually find them on music blogs or Soundcloud. If not, I rip them from Youtube. So yeah, not great sound quality... I wouldn't play most of them live on a nice sound system. But for making fun mashup videos on Youtube, it's fine.
    Check out my Youtube channel for controllerism routines, mashups, tutorials, etc. using Midi Fighters and other tasty gear.

    http://www.youtube.com/user/underwaterrobots

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