SmiTTTen

To the OP

The harmonic mixing being obligatory is somewhat overzealous. To try and dictate HOW someone mixes is counter-productive. It doesn’t matter what kit you use or what techniques are deployed as long as the end result is a product that works. On the technical side, those tools don’t always get the key right so if you insist on policing that you may well up with a mix that is guaranteed to have mixes that are out of key. It’s also a little offensive to those Djs who have actually been doing this for 10-20 or years and use their ear over an algorithm.

As for transitioning between mixes, again, I wouldn’t get remotely hung up on how a DJ should make that transition. We have a 32 bar rule that simply means the Dj should leave at least 32 bars of non-mixed music at the end of the track. This is mostly aimed at preventing cut-up/mash-up kids from leading out with an untenable section. Part of the fun comes from “getting out of” a particularly tricky track which ultimately leads to the most creative mixes.

As for stitching tracks together, we have had hit and miss results there. While it saves time it can have a negative impact on the quality of the mix and we have also seen beginning and ends of mixes inadvertently clipped off. Using a DAW also encourages the DJ to fix levels and clips in their mix which has the effect of degrading the overall mix by the time it is completed. Out policy is: if a Djs slot is WAY off in terms of level we ask them to re-do it. If time does not permit we roll the mix back a slot and then jump to the next Dj.

Rather than dictating what goes in, execute editorial standards on what comes out. In the IMTC Collective we have had a DJs re-do their mix when they have not been up to par. Select 3 key players as ears for the mix and have them QA each piece. Also, dont share the mix as it is in progress. Each DJ should hear the music with fresh ears. Its also cuts down on Djs complaining about the mix being taken a certain way or one Dj using a track another Dj was going to use. Less earache all round. Don’t be frightened to pull a slot or ask someone to redo. If they cant handle that feedback they are in the wrong game. Oh, and If you think that harmonics will be the issue, look again. It will be gain and levels that will be the real killer 😀

Almost back on track

Forgot to share this. It’s several months old and we may have tweaked the process since then but it’s a start:
http://themixtrain.wordpress.com/how-to-and-faq/

Happy to get involved. I have a group set up for exactly this kind of thing.

http://themixtrain.wordpress.com/

We’ve also done a good few of them so have some experience in putting these things together 🙂 You guys would still publish wherever you want and call it what you want – I just happen to have a platform and some people that can help.

Add http://www.facebook.com/mixtrain as a friend of facebook and I can add you all to the group. The group is where everything gets managed.

😀

if you want to get the pulse of the crowd you need to go a few times. I would pay way more attention to the residents than the guests. The residents are there on a regular basis and will be looking to create a relationship with the crowd every week. A good resident will deliver a set that mostly caters to the core needs of the crowd while taking them on excursions into more experimental territory. A good resident will know how far he can push it before he needs to bring them back into “what they came for”. A good resident will build the trust of the crowd. The more the crowd trusts you, the further they will let you take them. so, check out what the residents are doing.

Guests don’t and can’t worry as much. They are not there on a regular basis and the crowd will expect (even if they don’t always like) a different style or vibe from a guest. As a DJ, If you have a distinct style you need to have some faith that the person booking you understands what you play and feels it will complement the line up that night. Don’t be the trance guy showing up to a drum and bass night.

The more underground Djs I have played with all have a passion for music and more importantly, new and exciting music. They want to take the crowd somewhere new. The sad fact is that many crowds can be quite conservative in their tastes. They want the “killer Saturday night” and not a lesson in music appreciation.

Treat your crowd like a 3 year old and your experimental tunes like vegetables. You want them to eat their vegetables but you can’t just put down a plate of cabbage and expect them to dive in and eat it up. You have to disguise ’em, cut ’em up, blend them with something they like and gradually up the quantity.

I’m surprised it took this long for that comment to pop up.