mixing in key... bit robot like?

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EvezDroppin

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Nov 16, 2008
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I know everyone is going to have a different opinion on this, interested on thoughts really.
Mixing in key makes for a nice sounding mix I am the first to admit that.
But does it not seem a bit robotic like to you, looking through your library of tunes to see which ones match then pairing them together until you've got a set list.
The way I see it is try out tunes in your box and simply using your knowledge as a DJ you will quite often tunes that go well together whether they are in key or not.
Just my opinion, how many people on here do the mixing in key?
 
I went through a stage of thinking mixing in key was the way forward, but got bored with the whole thing kinda quickly.
Sorta thought it takes part of the fun away from mixing, I much prefer to just pick out whatever tunes i feel like and listen out for the good mixes myself.
 
I now mix in key and its enabled me to find super phat mixes i just never would of thought of... Plus most of the mixes i've done in the past that i thought were big, when I checked their keys they were matchd perfectly.

I Think its a wicked tool but even if you don't like using it, it should be pulled out at those "writers block" times for a bit of inspiration (y)
 
Russla-DJ said:
I now mix in key and its enabled me to find super phat mixes i just never would of thought of... Plus most of the mixes i've done in the past that i thought were big, when I checked their keys they were matchd perfectly.

I Think its a wicked tool but even if you don't like using it, it should be pulled out at those "writers block" times for a bit of inspiration (y)
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This, i use serato and log all my keys, if Im ever wanting something a bit different ill sort by key and then ive got a bunch of tunes both I can potentially use that will sound decent, possibly ever rip the dance a new A hole...it works too.
 
surely though if you [hypothetically] start with a tune in one key that has a bpm of 176, then you bring in another tune that matches the key that is 172 and pitched up by like 6% or so, surely that will then change the key that it is in and therfore render the key matching useless? just a thought...
 
i think mixing in key has it's benefits,
but it takes something away from it if your just looking at tunes to check the key,
it does guarantee a good mix but it's not as fun,
i guess it's all opinion anyway
 
Mixing in key doesnt have to be done by getting a sheet full of key info for tunes, and making the decision on paper. What you mentioned at the end (knowing your tunes finding the ones that work well together) is right, but when they work together, 9 times out of 10, they will be in the same, or a related key.

Its not some new thing thats only come about recently, DJ's havnt been doing shite out of key mixes untill the charts were drawn up on chemical records, its just that a lot of people must not have understood that for two tunes to be working well togther then chances are they must have something musical in common.
 
Often when planning a mix to record, I will gather all the songs I want featured, play them on the PC and sort out an order, other times I just do a test mix and think of a song there and then to play, sometimes they work sometimes they don't.I did at one point try writing all the keys down from chem records, but found this tedious and ive found you don't always have to match up or get get near as possible to key for two songs to work. Its actually quite hard to fit in all the songs you want into a mix in a smooth key format.
 
Wellsy said:
Often when planning a mix to record, I will gather all the songs I want featured, play them on the PC and sort out an order, other times I just do a test mix and think of a song there and then to play, sometimes they work sometimes they don't.I did at one point try writing all the keys down from chem records, but found this tedious and ive found you don't always have to match up or get get near as possible to key for two songs to work. Its actually quite hard to fit in all the songs you want into a mix in a smooth key format.
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For real!

The amount of times I planned a mix in my head but when I actually put the mix together the tracks just don't work well togther.

I have a playlist of my current tunes on my Ipod, so when I'm travelling around I'm thinking about the next mix or radio show I'm gonna put together. I've never bothered with this key thing, I just use trial n erro rand my ears to see if two tunes mix well together.
 
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