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help with eqing when (dj) mixing?
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spudgun
Started Topics :
6
Posts :
53
Posted : Dec 29, 2005 07:48
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i need some serious help with this one.
i've just started mixing recently and i think i'm starting to get the hang of beat matching, but when i try to blend the 2 tracks together, no matter what i do things seem to clash.
if i leave to much eq in, sounds clash. if i take to much out, it sounds too weak.
so i'm hoping someone can give me a few tips for getting those nice long seemless mixes.
like, where abouts do you have the incoming bass eq, how quick do you bring it in, etc etc?
i know it depends on the track your mixing, but just any general tips would be much appreciated. |
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etnarama
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
96
Posts :
510
Posted : Dec 29, 2005 14:04
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PRACTICE
And thank you for doing beatmatching!!
The eq depends on the type of tracks you play, it depends! sometimes you eq in one way and the other time its different, its purely up to you.
I always explain this way, the bass controls the kick and bassline, the mids control the snares and a bit of the kick, bassline,synths and the high the hats, and synths. So depending of how you are mixing you can start adding new elements of the new track. You can start adding the high or even the bass, its interely up to what you are hearing, so if you like what you are hearing, thats a good mix!!
Well i hope i was helpful, and listen to mixes as well as trying to understand what are they doing |
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Lord Deo
Started Topics :
7
Posts :
215
Posted : Dec 29, 2005 17:14
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Yep,
etnarama said it, practice.
major mistake dj's usually make is thinking, louder the music - better the mixing. but in reallity when you boost the signal you risk introducing distortion into it - which in return will cause more frequency clashes. so keep everything in optimal range: not too loud and not too low.
also listen very carefully to both: master and cued track. listen and try to visualize it: like stereo field of tracks, how low the basses are, how high hats go, how snappy snares are, synths etc etc. being able to listen will give you advantige of deconstucting mix in your head just before you start touching anything on mixer.
in general, when doing blends (long mixes), if you get frequency clashes, what you do is: you just swap the freqeuncies from master to cued track.
i've explained this technique in previous posts.
It's quite simple, but just like everything requires practice and ability to listen.
technically:
you set the bass or whatever frequency is clashing, on cued track to minimum. then using volume fader or crossfader you slowly introduce cued track into the mix, but watch out don't let it come out too hot or it can ruin your mix. just let the cued track sit below the master track, slowly adjusting its volume so it can match to that of a master track. and then you swap the frequencies: if it's a bass - bring bass on cued track while reducing it from the master track etc. etc.
you get the picture. Remember timing is the key too. frequency swaps shouldn't be done in just any part of the song, rather swaping at the begining of each bar will make it sound perfect.
while mixing, you can do swaps on any EQ band even for short periods of time, completely deconstructing the mix, and building something new  but practice and practice 
also listen to mixes of other DJs, and try to deconstruct them, imagine how they mix and what are the techniques they've used.
 www.venomous2.com
www.myspace.com/venomous2
www.myspace.com/asymmetricnoisesyndrome |
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spudgun
Started Topics :
6
Posts :
53
Posted : Dec 30, 2005 11:42
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thanks a lot guys. that's some great advice.
i've just tried out a few mixes where i was really listening to the different sounds happening in both tracks and then tried to hide certain parts by eqing them out.
i definitely need the practice but i think it's sounding better already.
can i just ask a follow up question though...
so o.k., i get that if you have 2 opposing hihats, you want to drop one out and then switch somewhere in the mix. and i get that it works the same for the bass, but i'm not sure of what to do with the mid range?
because if i'm cutting the bass and i have the bass eq at zero, i still get a weak kick coming through because as you point out the mid range also controls a bit of the kick.
also the other way too. if i cut the high end completely, i still hear a kind of weak tsch tsch sound coming through.
so what i've been doing is... if i want to cut the bass, then i cut the low end completely and then turn the mid range back a touch too whilst leaving the high end in full... that's just an example of course because as you say each track is different, but i'm wondering if that sounds about right for what you would do with the mid range eq or would i be cutting other frequencies in the process?
i hope that makes sense.
anyway, i really appreciate the advice you've already given me... it's helped a lot.
cheers
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Lord Deo
Started Topics :
7
Posts :
215
Posted : Dec 30, 2005 17:45
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It does make sence
The rules i described above apply to mid range too.
actually the only rule when it comes to mixing is: "keep everything smooth".
Ok think of it this way: You got 3 band EQ for each track, that's like having 3 lego blocks. You take one out you put another one in, still keeping the form of the mix intact.
Of course when you reduce any given frequency to 0, you still gonna get some sound passing through it, but this is going to get masked and covered by frequencies of the loudest track (bass frequencies from mater track for instance will dominate over that tiny kick coming out of cued track).
Anway just listen to how you build your mix, if it sounds good go for it.
www.venomous2.com
www.myspace.com/venomous2
www.myspace.com/asymmetricnoisesyndrome |
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spudgun
Started Topics :
6
Posts :
53
Posted : Jan 1, 2006 04:35
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thanks for the help mate.
that makes sense that those weaker sounds would get masked by the more dominate track.
anyway, i've tried a few things out and it's definitely sounding better.
so thanks again and happy new years to ya!
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Lord Deo
Started Topics :
7
Posts :
215
Posted : Jan 2, 2006 06:25
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Lord Deo
Started Topics :
7
Posts :
215
Posted : Jan 3, 2006 22:40
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zafer
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
65
Posts :
290
Posted : Jan 3, 2006 22:51
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best results would you see if the time you spend on this forum you had spent on the decks: work, work, and work, and if you don't succeed: WORK
no words can tell what your ears can't hear!!!!
WORK WORK WORK WORK
it's only a matter of sacrifice no hints no tricks can help you, only help is to have with you someone able to mix that can correct you and show you paths
;-) wish you lots of luck, and remember, when it works it's soooooooo fucking like a flying saucerrrrr....
sdamm sdamm sdamm sdamm sdamm
try beatmaching with only the mid frequencies of the pfl song, and never turn your back on a drug
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Lord Deo
Started Topics :
7
Posts :
215
Posted : Jan 3, 2006 23:09
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Quote:
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On 2006-01-03 22:51, zafer wrote:
no hints no tricks can help you, only help is to have with you someone able to mix that can correct you and show you paths
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i wouldn't agree. besides guy already said that tips and pointers given in this topic helped him improve his technique.
some of the tricks i do, i also leared from tips given by others, i just expanded on them, to make them more challenging, more interesting.
i'm not saying don't be creative and do what others do, but knowing what others do and expandind on top of it, could be very helpfull when developing your own signature technique. at the end of the day, it's just matter of learning, and me personally i appreciate any source of knowledge, wheather it's something i read on message board or pulled on my deck by accident.
www.venomous2.com
www.myspace.com/venomous2
www.myspace.com/asymmetricnoisesyndrome |
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