Saving a Mix when it all starts to go wrong Techniques Discuss Saving a Mix when it all starts to go wrong in the DJ Forum forums; I thought it would be usefull to have a few tips and tricks to try for when it all starts to go wrong mid mix here are some I thought ...

[jfunk]

I thought it would be usefull to have a few tips and tricks to try for when it all starts to go wrong mid mix

here are some I thought of

If the beats start to lose sync during a mix


1. If you have nearly faded the new record in and it starts to slip, but you don’t just want to slam it across, try slowly dropping the base level on the track fading out and continuing to cross fade. This makes the clashing drum beats less pronounced and sound smoother than suddenly just cutting it all together. 2. If you want to speed up or slow down the record whilst mid mix, try doing it without touching the platter. When you jog it forward by pushing on the platter you will hear the whole tune goes up and down in pitch all of a sudden as the deck tries to compensate. Here are a couple of other ways to do it.

3. Use the pitch control on the deck. Move it in the appropriate direction +/- then back to roughly where it was. This will temporarily speed up/slow down the deck thus getting it back in phase without a pronounced woooeeeeww type effect.

4. I know on 1210s you can use the 33 and 45 buttons. Hold the 33 and tap the 45 to nudge it forward a bit for example.


5. You could use the all time classic – the REEWIND – always fun especially with 2 step and hard house. Grab the record you are fading out of and spin it sharply backwards. If done correctly it can sound cool if done badly at least it will give everyone a good laugh.



If the record is in the wrong key


Sometimes even if you have perfect beat matching the two melodies or vocals can clash and sound like a collection of cats being stretched on the rack. This is due to the music being in a different key. The easiest way of stopping this is to mix the two when the melody drops out or before it starts and make sure you finish the mix before it kicks back in again. Sometimes cutting the midrange can lessen the effect. Top DJs MIX in key which means they chose tracks that are in complementary keys at appropriate BPMs this means you can take 2 good tunes ant turn them into 1 great one live.

If you get needle beard

It happens to the best of us you play a few classic choons and before you know it --- shock horror you spot that you have needle beard ( a build up of dust and fluff on the stylus ).this can cause the record to sound muffled and in severe cases the record will skate across the platter - and it's all over. Obviously the best thing to do is not to get into that situation by keeping your tunes dust free, your styluses clean and carrying a carbon brush in your record bag/box. But once it has happened I find a sharp blow directly towards the needle will clear it before it all goes wrong

If you stop the wrong record.


1. I know it sounds stupid but we have all done it at some point - mixed into a new tune and then stopped the one that is playing instead of the one that we are taking off. DISASTER. This is difficult to get out of without everyone knowing you have ballsed it up. The best one I ever saw was when myself and a friend were playing at quite a packed club. The crowd were really worked up and my friend just mixed in a real cracker and then heaven forbid got confused and picked the needle up on the one that was playing. I thought it was un-savable when in a blink of an eye he held the record above his head and faced the crowd. They went mental, thinking he was refusing to play it until they screamed for more at which point he slammed it back on the deck and carried on. Good times.

If you can think of any more I can update my website with just let me know

[DJ_Elroy]

-Learn to ride the pitch. That's the best way to get a smooth mix.
-If you need to slow something down in a hurry, apply a little pressure to the side of the platter. -It usually sounds better to slow a tune down than to try push it faster.
-I'd say using the 33/45 button is a bad idea.
-Cutting the bass out and replacing it with the other is usually done anyway - that's what mixing is all about


Hahaha I've picked up the needle off the live record before. Luckily it was only at a house party. I don't know how I'd handle it if it was a club gig

[DSjM]

Unless its a trainwreck.. in which case just cut the fucker.

most of the time the crowd wont notice, and will forget as soon as the incoming track kicks in.

[Ian_k]

ultimatly its just a case of trying to drift the 2 tracks back together , and concentrate more :-)

[muscularmatt]

Originally Posted by jfunk

...just mixed in a real cracker and then heaven forbid got confused and picked the needle up on the one that was playing. I thought it was un-savable when in a blink of an eye he held the record above his head and faced the crowd. They went mental, thinking he was refusing to play it until they screamed for more at which point he slammed it back on the deck and carried on. Good times.

LOL!

Phuckin' legend man! I'd a loved to have seen that