Beginners Question - I can't mix very "creatively"

S

SuBKA

Member
Joined
May 20, 2013
Location
Germany
Hey everyone,
So after producing for almost a year I started mixing about 1 month ago and I enjoy doing it a lot. I made some progress and I don't screw up so much anymore but I have one major problem, especially when mixing Drum & Bass (sometimes I mix House and Dubstep too): I pretty much find no other way mixing than kicking in the first tune, waiting for it to drop and then when the drop has come to an end I kick in the beginning of the next song and so on and I pretty much find no other way than doing it this way. Most double drops I try sound like they're fighting each other and don't sing together too well.
Does anybody have advice or help for me? :)
Here's a mix I made a few weeks ago as an example:
 
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I think the key is to just listen to some of your favourite DJ's and listen to how they mix.. their are a lot of different ways to drop a tune, the key is knowing the structure of each tune you're playing. I had a similar kind of problem when I first started when I was dropping tunes at the same point on every mix and it resulted in my mixes always having a moments breathe after every tune before the next one dropped, so I just started memorizing the structure of every tune I played and devised new ways of mixing them; having two tunes drop at the same time, having one dropping when one enters the breakdown, dropping one as one finishes its breakdown, etc.

As far as double drops sounding bad go.. to some extent focusing on EQ'ing and levels will take you a long way but some tunes will just not mix well, it's a fact of life. When I double drop (it's probably bad advice, i'm not exactly a mixing veteran) I usually always have one tune lower in volume than the other, or the bass EQ on one tune turned all the way down, with the mids boosted a little to make up for it.. usually makes double drops sound clean at least, but sometimes a little hollow. The key thing is song choice really mate, and scanning through the 'favourite double drops' thread on this forum to find some sick double drops to steal from someone else.
 
never have 2 basses up except fot when both tunes are in their breakdowns and don't have a lot going on in the sub regions (ie always have one low eq down), the absolutely rare occasions when it does work on a double drop (like one in a million times) is just not worth it

also yeah learn the structure of your tunes, you can easily start them after every 16 bars (usually takes ~22 seconds in dnb and can be identified by the addition o new elements or short breaks or whatever, they are not hard to notice) without them sounding too weird, although some tunes just aren't meant to be mixed together
 
I think the key is to just listen to some of your favourite DJ's and listen to how they mix..
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^^this
i could mix well before but then i got internet and started listening to more mixes and in turn started getting better with double dropping and also just how to take songs out when just mixing the next track as a roller
 
Have you ever been to a rave? What was your favorite set? Check out some video's of that artists sets, see what theyre doing, look for inspiration from their performance. My biggest inspiration would be one of Frictions sets from Shogun @ Cable in 2012, so so sickkk. Whenever i get disillusioned with dnb/mixing or when i think things are getting a bit samey, i just fire up youtube and find soem friction sets and im right back into it :D
 
PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE !!!!
 
have you looked at the harmonic mixing write up on chemical records?

harmonicMixingBigImage.jpg


To select a compatible song, choose a keycode within one "hour" of your current keycode. If you are in 8A, you can play 7A, 8A or 9A next. If you are in 12A, you can play 11A, 12A or 1A. This mix will be smooth every time.
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i use this more as a reference than mixing strictly based off it. so your 2 tunes aren't "fighting each other" as youve stated.
 
your all the trolls, be talking about harmonics and ranges and all the other bollox, most people are kicking back hanging out in parks getting stoned when they are 16, then move on to pimping their £350 ford focus for the first car, and keep the atmosphere in the club rolling from 1 dj through to the next, kicking back in the VIP room for 30 mins before your on, unless you have been around and know whats going on just by looking at the people, cos you dont plan sets, because the atmosphere is alway changing

all your so called youth street scenes are dead, hardcore is where the party at
 
Record yourself a lot. Lately I have been trying to bone up on being able to to just play so I can move off in different directions, instead of meticulously planning stuff.

So I pick out say 20 tunes into a list, then I hit record and try to do something with those 20 tunes, I dont care about mistakes or anything, I might keep mixing one tune until I find a nice one with it. The trick comes in going back and listening, what worked? What didnt? Anything in there that could be polished up a bit more? Write stuff down you hear in the playback, nice mixes. Build yourself a little library of notes, read em every now and again, maybe before you mix.
But in this process you should always keep trying new things, eventually through a bit of practice you will start getting better at picking out your 20 tracks, and knowing how your mix will go before you start.

Rightly or wrongly the technical skill of djing is being simplified, so to stand out I think you have to come down to selection, for me good selection will always win out if I am on the dancefloor. Your mix should be a journey, with you filling in the links to the different destinations you take your crowd.

I find it useful at least at some stage to put a tag on my tunes with a brief description of its style, deep, dark, upbeat etc etc.

Taking that little bit of time to think about your selection before hand, even if it is just a decision on a vibe, and then giving yourself a list to work from.

Always record and always listen with a critical ear.
 
tewky1 said:
The trick comes in going back and listening, what worked? What didnt? Anything in there that could be polished up a bit more? Write stuff down you hear in the playback, nice mixes. Build yourself a little library of notes, read em every now and again, maybe before you mix.
Click to expand...


Good advice, my mixing has vastly improved since recording and noting down good mixes and intro length etc.
 
Guys, guys! Hahaha, calm down. I don't smoke weed, but i like to use coffeine to improve my reaction time and coordination when mixing.
Yes, I use the Camelot wheel for mixing, but I do not use Mixed In Key, I use a free program called keyfinder and assigned the right camelot code to each key.
 
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