Mixed in Key | Digital DJ Tips

January 5th, 2013 Training

Your Questions: Am I Relying On Key Mixing Too Much?

by Phil Morse

Software such as Mixed In Key has popularised harmonic mixing for DJs, but it’s not the only way to slice and dice your music for your DJ sets.

Digital DJ Tips reader David writes: “I’m confused! I’ve spent the past few months researching the art of digital DJing, having followed your Learn To DJ Free email course and purchased the How To Digital DJ Fast video learning. I have also catalogued a lot of my collection using Mixed in Key, and have worked on small mixes using djay.

“I have a lot of chilled Ibiza-style tunes and was thinking of moving through a set from say a Crazy P tune (Sweet Feeling) taking in some old skool soul (George Benson, Soul II Soul) and then moving onto some funkier Fred Falke/Louis la Roche, then slowing down towards the end of the set. I guess I need to get the structure of the set sorted in my head! But in particular, I think I’m focusing too much on getting the key changes right, whilst wanting to get some specific tunes in… am I over complicating it? Should I just let the music do the talking?”

42 Comments »

November 14th, 2012 Reviews

Review & Video: Mixed In Key iMashup For iPad & iPhone

by DJ Hombre

Mixed in Key’s new iMashup brings its Mashup software to iPad users.

If you’ve always wanted to try your hand at mashups but never felt confident enough to do it, then maybe you’ve already heard of Mixed In Key Mashup. Now the company has launched an iOS version: iMashup.

It’s a trimmed down take on the full-strength package (here’s our original review of Mixed in Key Mashup if you’re interested) – perfect for those on the move or without access to a laptop. So how easy is it to use and what are the results like? Let’s take a closer look…

12 Comments »

April 6th, 2012 News & Opinion

Think Sync Is Killing DJing? Look Away Now!

by Phil Morse

So you think “sync” is killing the art of DJing? That without a DJ manually matching the tempos of two pieces of music, the skill has gone and the doors have been opened for the unwashed masses to trample all over your sacred ground? Boy, you’re very likely going to hate Mixed In Key Mashup 1.5, announced this week. With this release, the package has come of age, and brings powerful, easy, harmonically matched mashup-making to the masses.

(Not familiar with the software? Take a look at the company’s new promo video above. Otherwise, read on for what’s new and why it matters.)

26 Comments »

February 8th, 2012 Reviews

Review: Mixed In Key Mashup Software

by Phil Morse

Mashups made easy? That's the promise of Mashup, from Mixed in Key. We thought the best way to test it was to take their "five minute mashup" challenge.

Mashups are a bit of a holy grail, aren’t they? DJs are always being told they should get into production, start making music, do more than just play records.

Trouble is, most DJs are still hooked on the immediacy of DJing. Great next tune, throw it on, find another, throw it on. To these guys, the music collection is everything. Production, with all its promises of long nights in the studio going over the same thing time and time again, no crowd, no reaction – well, it’s just not particularly appealing.

57 Comments »

February 7th, 2012 Reviews

Review: Keyfinder Key Detection Software

by Phil Morse

Keyfinder detects musical key, but also lets you get under the bonnet to see how it's done it.

Intrigued by key mixing, or “harmonic mixing”? Want to try it out without spending money on an established piece of software such as Mixed in Key or beaTunes? If so, you may be interested in Keyfinder, an open-source key detection program for Mac and (in beta) for Windows too.

It’s not as polished as Mixed in Key or beaTunes, but it’s easy enough to use, and anecdotally produced results which are in the same ballpark as far as accuracy goes. Let’s take a closer look…

40 Comments »

January 7th, 2012 Training

Your Questions: Is There An Auto-Key Function In Traktor?

by Phil Morse

The key rotaries in Traktor - but you'll have to do the adjustments manually as there's no auto function.

Digital DJ Tips reader Samuel asks: “Do you know of any kind of ‘auto-key’ function in Traktor? A function that automatically adjusts the key when I load a song in another key?

“I mean, Traktor has autogain and autosync, so why isnt there an autokey or autotune feature too? Do you think Native Instruments would be open to suggestions to add this function, as it’s something I would definitely use!”

25 Comments »

May 27th, 2011 DJ Culture

Beginners’ Guide: The 1-2-3 of Mixing In Key

by Phil Morse

Using simple software and this clever little visual aid, any DJ can easily mix in key.

You may have heard “mixing in key”, or “harmonic mixing”, mentioned by DJs. You may even be dimly aware of what it means – that it’s about making sure tunes match musically in order to mix them more smoothly.

But if you’ve never done this before, you may think it’s hard to do, or that if you’re not able to play a musical instrument, you’ll not be able to work out all the stuff with scales and notes that’s necessary to achieve this type of mix. Luckily, nothing could be further from the truth, and today, we’ll show you how you too can use harmonic mixing in your sets.

60 Comments »

May 20th, 2011 DJ Culture

Beginners’ Guide To Keylocking

by Phil Morse

The yellow musical note in Traktor Pro 2 that tells you your track is "keylocked" - but what are the dos and don'ts of keylocking?

Several readers have asked about keylocking recently. This is typical, from Max in Serbia/Montenegro: “I know what keylock does and how it works but I (and a lot of other DJs) have no idea when I am supposed to use it. If there are certain guidelines or ‘rules’, it would be awesome if you helped us get educated about that because there isn’t much info about it on the net.”

If you’re one of those DJs who always looks at that little “keylock” button but feels unsure about how or when to use it, this is for you:

26 Comments »

October 25th, 2010 Software

Platinum Notes 3 Review: The MP3 Strikes Back!

by Phil Morse

'Vinyl is the path to the dark side. Named must your fear be before banish it you can.'

If you’ve ever DJed in a club next to vinyl DJs, you’ll know that MP3s can sometimes sound flat, dull and muddy alongside the classic, warm quality of well-pressed vinyl. CDs too can often sound better than MP3s.

In an environment where sound quality is everything, anything that can make your MP3s sing sweeter has to be welcomed. Platinum Notes 3 (US$98) is the latest version of a program designed to make MP3s sound better. It’s from the same people who make Mixed in Key (US$58), the harmonic mixing software that lets DJs easily create musically perfect mixes.

32 Comments »

October 1st, 2010 DJ Culture

Mixed in Key Competition Winners

by Phil Morse

For the last month, Digital DJ Tips has been running a free draw to win one of three copies of Mixed in Key (US$58), the software that lets digital DJs apply harmonic mixing to their tune selections for smoother DJ sets.

We’re pleased to announce the winners. John Clear from Chunan, T’Ai-Wan in Taiwan; Rikelvin Rivers Rodriguez of San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Rob Howes, of Nottingham, UK, have all been drawn out of the hat randomly from the scores of entries we received, and will all be receiving a copy of Mixed in Key for either PC or Mac depending on their preference.

No Comments »

September 4th, 2010 DJ Culture

Win One of 3 Copies of Mixed in Key, Worth $58 Each!

by Phil Morse

Mixed in Key 4 will help you to perform better sounding mixes.

The people at Mixed in Key saw our recent Mixed in Key 4 review, and were so impressed with the knowledge, enthusiasm and feedback from the Digital DJ Tips readers that they offered us 3 copies of their software (PC or Mac) to give away.

We’ve decide to hold a draw over on the brand-new Digital DJ Tips Facebook Page. It’s easy to enter and the draw will be held on September 30, 2010.

No Comments »

August 31st, 2010 Software

Mixed In Key Review – Part 2

by Phil Morse

Palm Beach made a great venue for me to test out mixing in key for the first time.

In my Mixed in Key Review – Part 1, I looked at the theory behind mixing in key and how Mixed in Key (US$58) can help DJs to take advantage of harmonic mixing to play better sets. In this part I’m going to put it all to the test by DJing at a proper gig for the first time using the Mixed in Key / Camelot wheel system.

I’ve got only one rule: every mix has to be harmonically matched using my new-found musical data. I’m about to show you all the mistakes so you don’t have to make them yourself!

30 Comments »

August 30th, 2010 Software

Mixed In Key Review – Part 1

by Phil Morse

Pete Tong endorses Mixed in Key; as a DJ tool it is definitely worth at least considering it for improving your sets.

Mixing in key is something that lots of DJs vaguely know they ought to have a go at. Top DJs mention mixing in key, and many commercial mix CDs use key mixing. In some scenes, like trance, where the melodic content of music is really important, mixing in key is quite widely accepted; and for all DJs, it can make your mixes smoother and more professional-sounding.

Nonetheless, for most mixing in key with software like Mixed in Key remains somewhere between a mystery and an ideal. While some DJs come from a musical background, many don’t, and for those, any tool that can help them do it must be worth investigating.

14 Comments »