How well do you know the tracks you are mixing

[keithace]

At long last...somebody who understands

It's still not a very good way to teach someone how to mix or understand song structure... (not talking about student's post)

[buggles]

Feel and format are not one in the same. One song can make the next sound so sweet, or leave it out to dry. It's all about context and if you really want to take it there, try bringing tracks in from the breakdown instead of the intro or mix 3 at once. Got to be creative.

[soundinmotiondj]

Well, to be honest, music IS structured in a certain way...

BINGO!

I find that I can keep somewhere between 300 and 500 songs in my head at any given time. Mostly that depends on how focused I have been on practicing and listening over the last 6 to 8 weeks.

Even so, now that tools are providing a spectrum of the full song waveform...that is a HUGE help when mixing "on the fly"...as opposed to a "set routine" that is more rehearsed.

But, even without the prep and the software tools, I am unconsciously counting the music the whole time. Within 8 or 16 beats I can tell where I am within a phrase, etc. That is something that comes with practice and experience.

[keithace]

Feel and format are not one in the same. One song can make the next sound so sweet, or leave it out to dry. It's all about context and if you really want to take it there, try bringing tracks in from the breakdown instead of the intro or mix 3 at once. Got to be creative.

5 year vet....21 posts...love you sir...

[Soul Bait]

Understanding the structure of music doesn't mean you don't need to know your tracks. What it means is that knowing your tracks becomes a lot easier. You still need to know how each track builds up and progresses.

[Jester]

Theres a difference between not knowing what your playing and not knowing what bar the bass dissapears. I am on about the latter. Can you go through your library and automatically say what bar the bass drops out, or when the crispy hi hats dissapear on the top of your head?

not everybody plays dubstep mate. mixing is not a maths lesson.

[TonyRome]

Not so sound overly diplomatic, but I agree with all sides. Some genres (EDM mostly) have a distinct structure, but as noted, this is just a guideline NOT a rule. It may or may not be the best mix...so, knowing your tracks are essential.
Using software helps all of this out a great deal... You can watch the wave to see breaks (as long as the producer didn't slam the into a giant rectangle in "mastering"). One thing I do with every track is put cue points at important sections (intro, first verse, chorus, break, loops, anything else interesting). Allows me to know where things are and to get to the goods faster if I need to.

Either way, use the guideline,but LEARN your tracks. A true professional knows their way around any situation.

Now, how much did this guy cost? Because, I think we all deserve a cut of that fee for filling in the blanks

[calgarc]

I have a weekly podcast i do. I pop it on my phone and listen to it almost every day while i go for my walk/bike in the afternoon. i know each and every one of my songs as a result.

[d4rren]

I think its both important to know the songs and also the structure. I always identify the tracls that have a more complex intro/outro and focus my attention them more, whilst the ones which have a formatted structure, i just rely on the formula more. It works for me. Creative? No...but who is these days. I paid the guy £200 for a 4 day course. Im glad i went, as its working for me and thats the most important thing. And i never mentioned anything about telling a story, just basic mixing from a tecnical view