Mixing in Key: Golden Rule(s)
DJTT,
What is the trick to mixing in key?
Is it that you can’t mix Major/Minor, or is it flats and sharps?
I seem to have forgotten, so if you have an answer or a link where this has been talked about previously it would be much appreciated.
Any advice on mixing in key for those of you who don’t use “Mixed in Key?”
It’s basic musical theory. I believe there’s a ‘Mixed In Key’ tutorial on their website that’s available for all.
Apart from this… learn some theory.
+1. Without music theory, relying solely on the Camel wheel or whatever the hell you call it isn’t going to go over too well.
Ditch the numbering system they use and learn your chords, both minor and major. And of course the golden rule is to experiment and have fun!
I’d just like to add that it isn’t the number system that pisses me off, it’s those who use it and don’t understand why and refuse to learn.
Mostapha (sp?), a forum member, had made a great post somewhere. It touched on music theory outside of the Camelot wheel. I’ll try to find the post and if I find some musical theory books (in my search) I will post back here with what I find.
Can anyone recommend some books on “musical theory”?
Trust your ear more than any piece of software…
This^. Yes.
I recently did a mix and only had one miss-mix, but it was a key issue rather than a mixing issue, and so I’m trying to figure out what I did based on the “Mixing in Key no-no’s”. I can’t tell if it was a major/minor conflict or maybe a sharp/flat conflict.
I just use these digital DJ fashion accessories called headphones and cue tracks and make sure they sound good together instead of letting an arbitrary ID3 tag system dictate how I choose songs and mix.
There is a chap I know how has been mixing for years and is a technically proficient DJ but is TONE DEAF. MIK would do wonders for his but I daren’t suggest it. The scary thing is, he plays out all the time and people love his stuff. He’s a good mate but some of his mixes make me want to throw myself under a train.
which software would people suggest to go further than what mixed in key does then? I understand the limitations of mixed in key and have to use my own ear alongside it’s aid. but is there a piece of software which shows your further info where you can add the details yourself into the name and info of the track
Not sure what you mean, if you use trainspotter to tag your tracks it pulls they key from beatport and tags it with that though.
At the moment i use mixed in key to change the tracks names i download. I then have to use my ear for the final acceptance in mixing 2 tracks together of course. but is there a piece of software that can analyze how the beat is structured lets say
Analyze how the beat is structured, what do you mean? Like beatgridding?
do you want us to find and mix the tracks for you?
look at his setup in his sig…
i call bullshit..
Any software that draws a waveform, you just need to learn how to read it but I think you should really trust/train your ears instead of looking for aid for everything.
no you’ve missed the point of the question. Firstly i self learnt how to harmonically mix on vinyl like 10 years back now. I can hear the two independent tracks and make judgement on their harmonic clarity together or not. Of course i can and still do this. I also have the aid of seeing a waveform to further identify patterns. But i was more on about software that could identify beat structure. to tell you if the 3rd 3rd beat was off lets say or at a different key. and not just by showing a waveform, but by adding info into the id tag or name
^^^This as well! 
I think youre asking for quite a lot of info in the ID3 tag there man. Keying up every beat, etc. Thats gonna get real heavy, real quick.
There is nothing out there that im aware of that will key the 3rd kick in each tune or point out any nuances, simply because all it has to go on is a waveform. MIK5 can tell you if there are key changes in a song, thats about it atm.
The crux of the matter is that you are better than any current software or hardware. Computers cant hear, and they only operate within confined areas of logic already set out by people that only see the problem from their perspective.
What logic would you use to determine your own needs? You have to describe it in a way where all you have to go on is a waveform . . .
the mathematical equation is doable. I’m guessing it’d be done by a precise beat grid and bpm then the factor/value of miss alignment, be it either time or key. I agree it would be heavy work. i was just wondering if anything already existed. I guess i goes into waveform searching which is an emerging search format just like google googles bought shape and form searching to the masses
I’m pretty sure it was these. They were when we got off on a tangent in the setup pics thread.