Justin Haze Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 Just wondering how many of you guys use it or have tried it? I have recently got the Mixed in Key program after seeing a demo of it on the net and i have to say its very impressive when you put harmonic mixing into practice, you can achieve almost seamless and super long (if you want) mixes. Definately worth worth having a look if you already havent. The only downer is the prep that goes into achieve a totally harmonic set Heres a link to the site.. http://www.mixedinkey.com/HowTo.aspx And heres Laptop DJ`s demo mix for the site using Mixed in Key http://www.mixedinkey.com/downloads/Shane_...In_Key_demo.mp3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judge Mental Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 Never seen the point to be honest, I'd rather use my head and my ear to know what tune to play, not be told what to mix by a wee plastic label on my records. There really is no need, so why waste your time? Half the time a mix sounds better if it comes in just off key anyways. Waste of time and effort, lotta crap! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigsteve Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 Might as well get robots to come along and do the mixing! Lets get back to the basics :thumbsup: (OK so if I had my way we'd all still be using vinyl ) I'm not sure about this, but surely as soon as you play a tune pitched other than at 0, the key is going to change anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Kane Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 I know that Armin uses this a lot along with some other big names, I just go on a hunch & my experience of a track. Changing the key & therefore atmosphere at the right time is essential anyway to be a good DJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonman Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 to me a good dj is someone who plays good tunes. The mixing can pipe down. That should take a back seat. The best mixers are hip hop dj's... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briggsy Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Harmonic mixing sounds good - but at the same time, after a while, it becomes boring. Matt Darey is a very good harmonic mixer. Sometimes, when DJ's place too much emphasis on mixing in key, they play tunes that compliment the other perfectly time and time again - and the set becomes a bit tedious because its not been constructed around the dance floor - instead, too much thought has been put into building the set without it ever moving out of key. I think two or three good harmonic mixes are fine, and then a risk needs to come in to move the set on a notch. Eddie Halliwell is a prime example of how it can be done - he mixes in complimenting 'off-keys' - rather than mixing a key of c to a key of c, he'll mix a key of c into a key of g (just an example) - and they'll sound good without clashing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neuro Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 How often have you been in a club, anticipating a new record about to be mixed in, the DJ switches the basslines to the new one and the tune sounds like the new record is made for the other, it fits so well? No clashes in sight! In most cases, a record in a certain key will... * mix perfectly with another record in exactly the same key (called its 'tonic', for you music buffs ) * mix really well with one in a minor key three steps down (this is its 'relative minor', which shares almost all the same notes) * mix well with one in a key five steps up (or four down, actually, called its 'sub-dominant key') * mix well with one in a key seven steps up (or five down, called the original key's 'dominant') * mix well with one in exactly the same key (obviously! ...and its called its 'tonic' key) The steps in this case are semitones - the distance between the notes on a piano keyboard. Clearly, when you change the tempo (speed) of a record, you also change it's pitch (its notes and key), so if you're mixing records with different speeds, you will push them out of harmony. You can get round this digitally on CDJs I think (like the master tempo function) but in doing so the sound quality of the record you're manipulating deteriorates quite rapidly. In small doses, I am a massive fan of harmonic mixing, because it can create a fantastic atmosphere of endless tunes working together, working some very emotive moments. Having said that, harmonic mixing is not as applicable these days because, well, there isn't a lot of lovely scrunchy melodic trance around like the good old times, unfortunately... However, if you want a nice example, I'd say Ferry & PvD's combo-mix here for Jules is a good one, although there are only a couple of mixes which are done harmonically: http://www.judgejulesarchive.co.uk/archive...mp;showfile=109 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briggsy Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Am I right in thinking that 'Mixed In Key' only lets you run an MP3 file through it to give you the key of a tune? If it only tells you the key of an MP3 then its fairly pointless because if you run tunes like Super8 & Tab - Needs To Feel, or Team SR - Leaving London through it, then you won't achieve much because they were recorded at a slow pace of around 130bpm - but everyone plays them at around 136-138bpm. The key that it tells you it is will be irrelevant because once you've pitched it up by 6%, that key will change - so you're no better off than you were before because you won't know its key at the pace you want to play it at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neuro Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 If you have (an awful lot of) time, you can work them out for yourself using a keyboard by finding the root and making a triad chord, thereby showing you what key it is. Alternatively, if you have perfect pitch, you can already 'hear' what key a record is in your head and thus can select it accordingly, providing the speed you have remembered it as is spot on. I actually have absolute perfect pitch myself, as some of you know, I guess from all the musical background I have had when I was younger. It's great for sightreading purposes but I've never tried it as a DJ, because, well, I don't DJ (yet!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Kane Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 but everyone plays them at around 136-138bpm. Only you bosh monkeys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briggsy Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Yeah, I come from a musical background too (Steel band, Piano, Violin - all back in the day) so i'm fairly good with keys. Tune selection always was my strongest side of DJ'ing. I think people with a musical background always have a better knowledge of what tunes mix with which, and end up being the quicker learners as a result. I think it also highlights why producer-DJ's such as Matt Darey and Richard Durand always have perfect mixes that always compliment each other too - they know exactly what tune works well with another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briggsy Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Only you bosh monkeys They do though - i've never heard any DJ play Super8 & Tab - Needs To Feel (Wippenburg remix) at the pace it was recorded at - its far too slow. Everyone plays it much faster. Even Markus Schulz played it pacey at his solo set in Amsterdam in June. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Kane Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 They do though - i've never heard any DJ play Super8 & Tab - Needs To Feel (Wippenburg remix) at the pace it was recorded at - its far too slow. Everyone plays it much faster. Even Markus Schulz played it pacey at his solo set in Amsterdam in June. I don't own either of those tracks so don't know, always enjoy airing my 'bosh monkeys' quote though. Schulz in general plays much faster now than he used to, both club sets & radio sets. My general bpm ranges from 130 - 135, I never really go any faster than 135 as too many of the tracks I play would sound terrible sped up so significantly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjorn Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 They do though - i've never heard any DJ play Super8 & Tab - Needs To Feel (Wippenburg remix) at the pace it was recorded at - its far too slow. Everyone plays it much faster. Even Markus Schulz played it pacey at his solo set in Amsterdam in June. the first time i ever heard it played it was at 134pm exactly - Si Patterson played it on his warm-up at crasher, i was bouncing around next to him as he played it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Haze Posted January 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 I personally think that i would possibly use harmonic mixing for something like a demo cd etc just to make it sound extra special, but apart from that the planning involved cheeses me off too much - i like to go with the flow and play what i bloody well like when i like!!! As for increasing the pitch and altering the key - as long as you dont go above 3% i dont think the key changes to dramatically (so i read) and its helps to use the master tempo feature on the cdj`s to counter act unwanted key change. I think as a DJ or musician its worth learning and understanding the principle but as i thought most have read about or tried but most of us dont widely put it into practice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briggsy Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 I don't think it takes a great deal of preperation - if you write the key down on the CD, and the tempo needed to reach that key (ie, 138bpm - key c), then, if the tune your playing is in the key of c and its around 138bpm, then you can simply find another cd that has 138bpm, key c written on it. I still find perfect key mixing sounds boring though, hence why I don't do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uberduck Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Oakey used to get all hung up on 'harmonic' mixing but then we all know what happened to him so it hardly keeps you at the top! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briggsy Posted January 10, 2008 Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 Oakie struggles with normal mixing these days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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