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a lot of BPM variation in a Live set
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golem
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Dec 16, 2011 17:55:52
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what do you think, how much BPM variation is still sounding good in a dance stage set...?
Most of the stuff I do is 145, but fastest is 147 and lately I have done a lot of stuff around 134-136. I first tried these tunes in 145 but they do not sound good so fast, I they are at their best in 134-136.
I think I hear a lot of BPM changes with e.g. pop music lives but almost never with psytrance. So what do you think, can a primetime set work if there is so much variation in BPM and even if you feel that three tunes have souls so connected that they should be after one another, but still have huge BPM difference (first tune 145, second, 136, third again 145)..
I have lately experimented a lot of BPM changes in DJ sets but only of max 5BPM. And that still works, I think.
And I definitely would not want to make the slow tunes faster by pitching because it would make them too different what they are supposed to be.
 
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Padmapani
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Posted : Dec 16, 2011 19:21
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well, with trance music you need a steady beat to get into the tranced out state while dancing. and you will totally lose that if you go from 145 to 136 and back. i guess over the course of one hour you could work yourself up from 136 to 145 but certainly not from one track to the other if you want to keep the flow and the people on the dancefloor. generally going up in bpm during a set is much more acceptable on the dancefloor than going down.
as pop music focuses on totally different aspects bpm changes aren't that important there. you'll hardly see people trance dancing to justin bieber  |
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loki
IsraTrance Junior Member
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Posted : Dec 16, 2011 19:33
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hm, i wouldn't go very far on the bpm count on trance.
the breakbeat/fusion/whatever stuff I like making sounds roughly the same at 130bpm or 180 bpm, so it barely matters. but with trance, it's the steady thump that gets you riffing on the dancefloor.
however, as with all things, try it out!
Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room. ~Kurt Vonnegut
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willsanquil
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Dec 16, 2011 20:19
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for a trance experience I find quick BPM changes to be too unsettling and jumpy - I like a slow progression up or down, so slow that you don't realize its happening.
That being said, I very often play tracks +/- 10 BPM from their original (usually slower) and thanks to Ableton's stretch wizardry it sounds awesome.
If you want to make an apple pie from scratch...you must first invent the universe
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Nectarios
Martian Arts
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Posted : Dec 17, 2011 14:18
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Our 2 hour live set in Sol Fest last summer, went from 142 and progressed slowly to 145.
Everybody was dancing so it worked.
Peace out.
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Colin OOOD
Moderator
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Posted : Dec 17, 2011 15:17
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PoM
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Dec 17, 2011 15:52
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bpm variation are really cool man ! not sure it s suited for todays robots though..but back in the day it was usual and i think everyone was liking it..great memories from these live set starting with their slow tunes..even minutes of slow ambient/chill tunes sometimes as you need a introduction to cut the bpm smoothly.(i m talking big variaton of bpm)
it s better for a true storie , a real trip.
check transwave or xdream live tbe party on youtube for example but i have afraid everyhting is too formated today, the music and the ppl |
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makus
Overdream
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Posted : Dec 18, 2011 00:03
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imo, if you build a really trippy set you may go wild with tempos.
if u r more dance oriented - better keep it steady, or growing towards the end a bit.
www.overdreamstudio.com |
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COMET SHELL
IsraTrance Junior Member
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Posted : Dec 18, 2011 00:29
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Quote:
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On 2011-12-17 15:17, Colin OOOD wrote:
It's not unusual for OOOD main-floor live sets to go from 138 bpm (Frogology) to 150 (Starseeker), although if we're playing at peak time we'd probably keep the pace up a bit more at the beginning. Maybe it's easier with an actual band on stage, but if you know what you're doing you can build a dancefloor and keep a flow going over a wide range of tempos.
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FROGOLOGY 
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mudpeople
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Dec 26, 2011 07:58
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It depends on what sort of overall mood I want, what timeslot, the general atmosphere of the party, and who is before and after me. The great thing about playing a live (as opposed to a dj set) is you can fit the sound to the party's, I mean, if you want to. Personally I always love it when all the acts' sets flow smoothly, I find it easier to get lost in the music that way, as opposed to wildly varied atmospheres breaking up the hypnosis.
But sometimes it works to change things up abruptly, by no means should it be avoided altogether. Its good to experiment and find things that work and things that feel awkward to you personally.
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Cardinals Cartel
Black Machine
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Posted : Dec 26, 2011 09:48
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This is not necessary . If you realy want built your set be that way so this is not matter if one minute will be 133 And other who come on 128 or so , This is all about how its sound 'In the ear' Can be bad can be good , Its about how pro you are thats all , You can add many/Alot of sounds instead the bass kik (After 138) Wait 10 secunds And attack 150 . All can be all can happen And this is all about how it sound and fit Thats all , Not more , Can be interesting , Can be worse , You are the producer And if you know how to make this combination of weird + Creativity together im pro , Why not .
Strange sound good if it sound good ..
But any way (can be)/Will sound funny When you can't get the same deepness
of sounds at 130 bpm and 160 So here's the right answer ! .
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Wizack Twizack
Wizack Twizack
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Posted : Dec 26, 2011 17:04
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I have always worked my set up in tempo.
from everything from 130 to 146, too 145 to 155.
I think its nice to start with something heavy and build it from there, although after the first "slow" one i jump kinda fast to more dance oriented tempos, like 130-140 and then slower progression up. 80% of my wizack tracks are around 145bpm anyway.
cheers!
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skyhighatrist
skyhighatrist
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Posted : Dec 27, 2011 12:42
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I generally go up too. My tracks are mainly 146-150 bpm but generally play them at 150 unless there's a particular need to play slower (time of day, to fit in with other ppl playing before/after me, length of set, etc). at the end when i go upwards on the bpm i have a couple of 160 bpm tracks but usually end up playing them about 155 ish, depending on the crowd's reaction ie i make a judgement at the time to see if i can push it  also, if possible, i like to leave the set at a bpm that the next person can follow without too much of a change. luckily the tracks sound ok slower. tbh many tracks sound better a bit slower rather than quicker. it makes the bass end fatter. the most i speed up a track is 4 bpm (from 146 to 150). the most i'll slow down is 8 bpm (from 160 to 152).
In my skyhighnting project, the tracks range from 120 to 135. this is too much for an hours set so usually in that situation i either start a bit faster or finish a bit slower or a bit of both.
http://www.catawampus-records.co.uk/Catawampus_Records/Skyhighatrist.html |
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Xamanist
Xamanist
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Posted : Dec 27, 2011 17:22
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My tracks range from 140 to 150 bpm, and from a groovier progressive mood to psychedelic forest sounds, so it's a problem I face too.
If I play at the beginning of the night I go more or less from the slower tracks to the fastest ones, with some minor exceptions.
If I play in the beginning of the day I try to slow this down slowly and make a smooth ambient change to daytime music.
If I play in the middle of the night I take more risks, trying to build a flow based on the story and not so much on the bpm. It's hard...
I decided to do so because at night the previous act normally ends at 160 BPM, so anything I play will be slower LOL...
So I play a trippy 140 bpm track to keep the mood but wake people up from the night train  Then followed by some fast tracks not to lose their attention for too much time.
After people catch the story of the live and sound it's easier to make bpm changes without losing crowd reaction IMO.
Sérgio Xamanist
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soundcloud.com/xamanist |
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