Mixing Techniques...

[Stella Boy]

I just can't get down with messing with the platter :dontevengothere: . Pitch sliding is without a doubt the best way to tease an offbeat tune without it sounding ropey in the mix. That and using the 45rpm button when mixing a 33rpm tune in.

[Andy__C]

Since having my Vestax decks with the pitchbend joystick Ive started doing this on technics and it makes a big difference.......

using the joystick on the vestax, set to 1% pitch bend, you can't hear any tone change when adjusting, and I just got out of touching the platter at all (pluss I think my vestax are wicked with with the stick, but iffy if u touch the platter )....... - sometimes for quickness when I'm queing I'll prod the platter to give it a slow, but other than that.......

Not sure about pissing with the pitch live when two tune's are in mix...... I've never given that a go.... what is the exact effect ur aiming for - gettin one beat to be prominent either side of the other - back and fore?

[Voorheez]

Not sure about pissing with the pitch live when two tune's are in mix...... I've never given that a go.... what is the exact effect ur aiming for - gettin one beat to be prominent either side of the other - back and fore?

No idea on that one m8, it doesn't really sound like a very good idea to me

[Andy__C]

no I know - can imagine most people would think u'd just fuicked up the mix....... on purpose too if they were watchin what u were doing


Anyone got a sound clip of what this technique is on about......

[Voorheez]

I think it's probably a techno thing. I think it's basically what's also referred to as stuttering - bringing a track half a beat out then chopping it in at the end of a bar. Works best with two of the same tune, but i've never managed to pull it off and make it sound good.

[techno_smack]

how about this, when u have 2 records in the mix do a quick scratch on one of the records, basically a quick forward back on the first kick. If you do this right it will set that tune playin on the off beat of the other. takes a while to learn, but isnt as difficult as it sounds

i may not be dead on, so if its not quickly adjust it so its in time. Now u have both tunes playin on the off beat of the other. A bit of cutting with the crossfader works a treat here.

now the tricky part, what u have to do now is once again on the first beat of the bar do another little scratch and if all goes well this should set the tunes back in perfect sync. Although the 1st beat of record 1 will now be lined up with the 4th of record 2, if u see what i mean. Still sounds normall as long as there are no breakdowns coming up soon on either record.

if u find it difficult to get a tune to start playing on the off beat u can always try just redropping it while cueing up the first hi-hat rather than the kick.

Basically if u pull this off right it really does sound incredible, probally works best with loopy sort of techno or 2 of the same tune.

I will try and do an audio clip of what i mean, as im sure u have no idea what the hell im ravin on about.

[Evil G]

i've done it by accident - skipped the needle while mixing and it happened to land in a spot where the beats were exactly offset. i knew it was in time, so i let double beat for a while and fixed it quietly during the next breakdown. the trainspotters were confused. i was lucky!

[killarava2day]

how about this, when u have 2 records in the mix do a quick scratch on one of the records, basically a quick forward back on the first kick. If you do this right it will set that tune playin on the off beat of the other. takes a while to learn, but isnt as difficult as it sounds

i may not be dead on, so if its not quickly adjust it so its in time. Now u have both tunes playin on the off beat of the other. A bit of cutting with the crossfader works a treat here.

now the tricky part, what u have to do now is once again on the first beat of the bar do another little scratch and if all goes well this should set the tunes back in perfect sync. Although the 1st beat of record 1 will now be lined up with the 4th of record 2, if u see what i mean. Still sounds normall as long as there are no breakdowns coming up soon on either record.

if u find it difficult to get a tune to start playing on the off beat u can always try just redropping it while cueing up the first hi-hat rather than the kick.

Basically if u pull this off right it really does sound incredible, probally works best with loopy sort of techno or 2 of the same tune.

I will try and do an audio clip of what i mean, as im sure u have no idea what the hell im ravin on about.

I get what you mean.

Altough lately I've been trying this, probably exactly what your saying anyway but...

If your confident in dropping a track off cue in beat, then with two tracks mixed full in (loopy techno works well here), you've created a groove that's becoming boring, grab a record hold it one beat and drop it back in, live mind you, best effect, the reverse scratch sets up an edit like effect. Get it right and you've just created a whole new groove and fcuk it's satisfying as well.

[techno_smack]

yeah its cool, it adds some variation to the mix.

[TripleX]

can anyone explain that properly to me? ;)

Basically mate hes talking about getting beats matched using just the pitch slider, instead of touching the platter. this way you can get your beats matched in about 10 secs!
[/quote]

10sec me needs to learn this :lol:
lets see how long it takes :lol:

[killarava2day]

^^^ Ten seconds is pretty quick, obviously trained the ear very well to pick at exactly what speed and direction the beat is heading out at.

Spose that's the art after all, being able to read exactly where the track is headed after comparing the second beat to the first. Now I'd love to be able to do just that, unfortunately that's where the practice makes perfect thigy comes into effect. It can be done though, and respects to those of you who can read everything in that short space of time.

[killarava2day]

^ I think that both styles have their place. Although I reckon that with the subtle control with pitch as you mention, you can have alot of fun just jogging the mix, bringing one bass line forward, then moving it back and bringing the other track forward. Might not be right in your face but it can just change the whole feel of mix on the floor though...it's even better you can actually pull off a whole string of mixes like that for the entire set.

can anyone explain that properly to me? ;)

Ummm, it's like I suppose a controlled shifting of the two tracks. Sorta like not knowing that there are in fact two tracks in sync, then you suddenly hear one shift out, however you control a slight shift in the track and you get phasing effects with the kicks etc, then you control it back through into the other direction and you get a further enhancement of kicks, percussion etc. This is certainly a personal preference. I don't slam across tracks, back and forth, in and out. I just never went down that path, although I love being roached and listening to others doing just that