ULTRA 2015: The Pre-mix. The shot heard around the world.

**Thumper** · 03-31-2015, 05:19 PM

I'm a bit lost right at the start. why did a few seconds long power outage make him cancel the rest of the set? Not following.

Massive edit.

Don't mind me. Just didn't read it right.

**calgarc** · 03-31-2015, 07:00 PM

http://wundergroundmusic.com/tiesto-...-authenticity/ and so it begins...

**calgarc** · 03-31-2015, 07:03 PM

Originally Posted by happydan

http://wundergroundmusic.com/tiesto-...-authenticity/

beat me to it lol

**Jimslaton** · 04-06-2015, 04:44 PM

OK, lets backup. This thread wasn't so much about "if" he had a pre-mix rather than "how". How do these guys typically do pre-mix? Do the do it in a DAW? Are they simply doing re-edits of songs and then mixing them live? Or are they actually doing all their mixing before hand? This was the real purpose of this thread. I call bull shit on most of you for not really knowing what is going on. Who knows how the pre-mix really happens? Hardwell did a lot of pre-edits to the tracks he played but they were not pre-mixed. Anybody know the workflow used?

**031999** · 04-06-2015, 04:50 PM

Originally Posted by Jimslaton

OK, lets backup. This thread wasn't so much about "if" he had a pre-mix rather than "how". How do these guys typically do pre-mix? Do the do it in a DAW? Are they simply doing re-edits of songs and then mixing them live? Or are they actually doing all their mixing before hand? This was the real purpose of this thread. I call bull shit on most of you for not really knowing what is going on. Who knows how the pre-mix really happens? Hardwell did a lot of pre-edits to the tracks he played but they were not pre-mixed. Anybody know the workflow used?

Both of those things you mentioned are used, some will use Ableton and just lay out the the tracks in timeline mode. Others It might take a couple of try's to get it right with real mixing, and then they use the best recording, and have the engineers generate SMTP time code from it to run the light-shows.

Dan did also mention another way of synching live mixing up with the lights, which looks pretty cool. (i believe it was in this thread or maybe another)

**dsquareddan** · 04-06-2015, 05:01 PM

the software used by visuals & lighting guru's in the big festivals when the DJ's are playing with Rekordbox on CDJ's is called ProDJ Tap

http://download.eiglive.com/TC-Supply-PRODJ-TAP-V2.pdf

**Jimslaton** · 04-07-2015, 06:59 PM

@dsquareddan & 031999,

Thanks for you response.

The same thread over any other forums like the DJforums.com has become a pissing contest about if pre-mixing is right or wrong. I'm trying to get experienced DJ/Producers to discuss the typical workflow of these "Famous" DJs that are making pre-edits or pre-mixes before their big events. I don't care to know people's opinion on who does or does not pre-mix or if its righty or wrong. It's apparent that these DJs are mostly Re-editing the tracks they are going to play for their set with that being called a "Pre-Mix". I'm interested in the typical workflow for this process, software mostly used, where they get their stems, etc. Sorry I wasn't clear enough in my original post.

**Jimslaton** · 04-07-2015, 07:05 PM

Originally Posted by dsquareddan

the software used by visuals & lighting guru's in the big festivals when the DJ's are playing with Rekordbox on CDJ's is called ProDJ Tap

http://download.eiglive.com/TC-Supply-PRODJ-TAP-V2.pdf

With this response I am wanting to start another thread but I'll just keep it here. Can this ProDJ Tap software be used for smaller lighting setups at a small club, church, skating rinks, etc. If not what software do guys use for smaller venues? Anybody have experience working with ProDJ Tap or other sync software like this?

**dsquareddan** · 04-08-2015, 02:15 AM

Originally Posted by Jimslaton

With this response I am wanting to start another thread but I'll just keep it here. Can this ProDJ Tap software be used for smaller lighting setups at a small club, church, skating rinks, etc. If not what software do guys use for smaller venues? Anybody have experience working with ProDJ Tap or other sync software like this?

I messaged them and they wanted like $500 a month for the license...so it's a bit out of my price range.

For smaller venues you just do it live. VJing is a reactive art form. you have a library of visuals that you are familiar with and you try to translate what you're hearing in the music into a visual form that's audio reactive. a lot of VJ software can analyze the audio input to determine BPM. It's not a 100% perfect sync, but if you're good enough at it, it is pretty damn close that no one can tell.

For visuals, most use either Resolume, VDMX or Modul8. there's a lot of lighting software out there too, but main one's i've seen used are M-PC or LightJockey

**Daniboy** · 04-08-2015, 07:45 PM

Originally Posted by Jimslaton

OK, lets backup. This thread wasn't so much about "if" he had a pre-mix rather than "how". How do these guys typically do pre-mix? Do the do it in a DAW?

Yes.

Originally Posted by Jimslaton

Are they simply doing re-edits of songs and then mixing them live? Or are they actually doing all their mixing before hand?

Mixing beforehand.

Originally Posted by Jimslaton

This was the real purpose of this thread. I call bull shit on most of you for not really knowing what is going on. Who knows how the pre-mix really happens?

I know.

Originally Posted by Jimslaton

Hardwell did a lot of pre-edits to the tracks he played but they were not pre-mixed. Anybody know the workflow used?

Bullshit, he pre-mixes.

They all pre-mix, some fake it better some fake it worse.