Mixing in Key

[jeroenliebregts]

i have a question about this:

As far as i know records are produced on different tempos, and some of them are 'tonal' enough to say they are written in a certain key. But as soon as the music is pressed on vinyl, tempo and key are connected.
So how do you mix an 136 bpm record with a 137 bpm record of the same key?

[TechMouse]

i have a question about this:

As far as i know records are produced on different tempos, and some of them are 'tonal' enough to say they are written in a certain key. But as soon as the music is pressed on vinyl, tempo and key are connected.
So how do you mix an 136 bpm record with a 137 bpm record of the same key?

That's the thing jeroen, it's all about relative key.

They have to be in-key at the same BPM.

The easiest way to tell this is to beatmatch them and see if it clangs or not.

There really is no point using analytical tools, your ears are your best bet.

Very rarely will a track be in perfect C, or perfect G minor or whatever.

It'll be microtones out.

[jeroenliebregts]

i understand, but i just cant believe such coincidence ever happens... It has to be so precise.

[TechMouse]

i understand, but i just cant believe such coincidence ever happens... It has to be so precise.

It does happen.

I've got a breaks bootleg of Satisfaction by Benni Benassi which is bang on with my copy of The Sound of the Big Baboo by Laurent Garnier, for example.

I used to spend hours mixing all my records together to work out if there were pairings like that. I ended up with quite a few.

[loopdon]

That's the thing jeroen, it's all about relative key.

They have to be in-key at the same BPM.

The easiest way to tell this is to beatmatch them and see if it clangs or not.

There really is no point using analytical tools, your ears are your best bet.

Very rarely will a track be in perfect C, or perfect G minor or whatever.

It'll be microtones out.

i think quite a lot of more melodic stuff, esp. made by people with classical training is pretty much spot on when it comes to this. not that i have had that training, mind you.

[TechMouse]

i think quite a lot of more melodic stuff, esp. made by people with classical training is pretty much spot on when it comes to this. not that i have had that training, mind you.

Depends if they cut the laquer at precisely the right BPM though, innit.

Plus, I bet no-one's 1210's run at exactly the same speeds.

[loopdon]

right. but nowadays we don't have to rely on decks to play to crowds, do we? :)

i don't want to get into arguments here, really, so i will leave it at that.

i just think one should at least give the entire topic of mixing in key

a thought and then see if one

a) wants

b) can

c) will at times/when appropriate

incorporate this knowledge into the process of producing/playing out.

as Mark said this isn't the final conclusion. just because you sort stuff by bpm/key doesn't mean you don't have to use it always. but it might help SOME people. of course doing stuff by ear can provide just the same kin of results. i reckon i did all that stuff sub-consciously before i ever thought about all this stuff, hehe.

[loopdon]

i have a question about this:

As far as i know records are produced on different tempos, and some of them are 'tonal' enough to say they are written in a certain key. But as soon as the music is pressed on vinyl, tempo and key are connected.
So how do you mix an 136 bpm record with a 137 bpm record of the same key?

this is a good read on the entire subject:

http://www.harmonic-mixing.com/index.mv

http://www.harmonic-mixing.com/overview/overview.mv

your question is possibly answered here:

http://www.harmonic-mixing.com/overview/advanced.mv

this is the easy-mix thang:

http://www.harmonic-mixing.com/overview/easymix.mv

[stjohn]

i have a question about this:

As far as i know records are produced on different tempos, and some of them are 'tonal' enough to say they are written in a certain key. But as soon as the music is pressed on vinyl, tempo and key are connected.
So how do you mix an 136 bpm record with a 137 bpm record of the same key?

well this 3 % on the pitch fader for a semitone thing is supposed to cover that....

the Equal temparate scale is divided into 12 equal frequencies/pitches, so 3 % would apply to 3 x 12 = 96, which is close enough to 100%

if you stuck to this rule while mixing, im sure it could wokr.....but as i said earlier.... rules rules..

[fac]

3 x 12 = 96

[stjohn]

and i was doing so well at sounding intelligent
dont know where i came up with that... anyone shed light on this 3% thing then???

[conor256]

and i was doing so well at sounding intelligent
dont know where i came up with that... anyone shed light on this 3% thing then???

all though yer sums didnt add up there mate i think you should get 10/10 for attempts.......... it sounded mathmetically possible until the maths were pointed out to be crap :) .... he he