How to Mix on CD - the followup to HOW TO BEATMIX

[playthatbeat]

It's time.

http://www.mrspring.info/vbulletin/s...=7011#post7011

[jasonmcareedj]

Nice read there!

Where is the first part?

[XL-R8]

christ i miss mixing vinyl man

[jasonmcareedj]

I can match my beats in a heartbeat, tis all this bars and frames or what ever it is that catch's me

[playthatbeat]

Well, everything is about the number 4. 4 Hi Hats per beat (in a modern 16-beat, as in trance), 4 beats to a bar, 4 bars to a phraze and the rest is multiples of 4. Just tap your foot along with the kickdrum and count 1,2,3,4 - and count how many time you do that before the track 'changes' - then You'll click with it.

Most tracks have obvious layers that build up as the track begins, and these new layers, or instruments, or variations, usually happen every 4 of something. Maybe it's 4 sets of 4 kick drums, maybe it's 4 sets of 16 kickdrums (4 bars) , but it's always to do with the 4, and there is usually a 'fill' at the end or start of these sections - watch out for the auld CRASH sound, it's a fav to put at the start of a section.

There was a horrible phaze in the early 90's where people inserted and extra 1,2,3,4 at the peak of the breakdown, or near the end of a track after the mini breakdown, this pissed me off. You were waiting for a CRASH and lo, after it was a stupid 1,2,3,4, ruining the timing - so i used to hold the next tune at the SECOND SNARE, not try and jam it in on the beat, but on like the 2nd clap - that way if i got caught out with an extra bar, i could wait and still not have my 4s all fuc*ed up...

Nowdays, electro tends to try and HIDE the 1,2,3,4 with clever shit, but trust me, it;'s still all 4 x 4

[jasonmcareedj]

So is there normally a change every 16 beats in trance?

[playthatbeat]

16 beats is 4 bars, as long as the time sig is 4/4 - 4 beats per bar! That's 1,2,3,4 done 4 times, so maybe, but the LOOP is usually 16 beats, with major changes for every 4 of them. Try it. i'm right. At the end of that 4 of 4 of 4 there is a big swooshy noise or a crash cymbel, or the kickdrum drops out in the next section - for another 4 x 4 x 4 usually, ending in a swoosh or roll to bring back the whole track again, or move on to the next section. THIS is how you mix, you not only sync the SPEEDS, but the ARRANGEMENTS to make the best mixes.