Alternative Transitioning Techniques?

[voyer]

Hey guys,

Fairly new to all this, but fairly confident in my (basic) beatmatching and EQ'ing abilities.

However I have been finding that I mix songs together in very similar ways every time I do a transition.
I end up playing the first track through until the break before a second drop, where I mix in the second track then cut the crossfader to the new track at whatever obligatory vocal sample comes before the first drop of the new song.

How, as a beginner, can I mix this up?

Any help would be appreciated.

[Sigma]

One simple way to add some variation is to make use of the faders on your mixer/controller, particularly the crossfader, as it allows you to easily switch channels or have both channels playing at once, so you can do that rhythmically during the transition.

There are lots of ways to add variation using EQs, filters, effects, scratching, and making good use of the faders. A lot of it is also about not being trapped in the mindset of "OK, so I'll overlap these tracks for X number of bars" every time, because sometimes a short transition works better than a longer one. In fact, sometimes just slamming from one track straight to the other works better than doing a long blend.

Regarding the fader thing though, which is a good place to start, here's an example of ksound doing that in a current battle on here: -



Skip to about 11 minutes in (although he does it throughout, so you could watch it all) and watch the next transition he does. He uses the line fader to sometimes take one of the tracks out of the mix, then bring it back in again. Combined with good EQing and the occasional use of a filter, that makes a big difference compared to just overlapping the 2 tracks for X number of bars and just standing there waiting to take one song out of the mix.

[Sigma]

Just to add to the above, a lot of it is about variation and subtlety. A mix that's just straight up "blend for X number of bars then take 1 track out" is boring from a technical point of view, but a mix that's packed full of technical stuff - particularly if it's the same thing done repeatedly - can grate on people's nerves, so it's all about finding a good balance.

I've used this analogy before, but it's like adding seasoning to a meal. If you add none, the meal is bland. If you add too much, you ruin it and some people might find it inedible. For instance, some n00bs will overuse the same effect, including at times where it's not appropriate, which is the equivalent of dumping a ton of salt into every meal - not good. The more you practice, the more you will develop variation, but also, the more you'll know how to use your techniques to the best effect so that you can please both your peers and regular Joes who don't notice the technical stuff so much - that's the place you want to be at.

[voyer]

thanks for the quick reply! i'll check out the video when I'm off work and keep you guys updated with progress

[Maxey]

I'm a fan of mashing up tracks live, ill often play two drops together if they fit though there is a danger of this sounding messy. Skism is a good example of someone who does really creative mixing if dubstep is your thing.

[kaly11]

great video

[ocdjg10]

I think there are several factors that you have to consider too. Firstly, what are you using? CDJs, turntables, mixer, effects? Assuming you have a modest and simple design much like what I had when I started out (2 decks and a mixer, pre serato); when I started out I used to experiement with entering new songs in at different times in the outgoing song. For example at the first chorus or after a certain verse. I also played around with instrumental/accapellas, like dropping the beat of song "A" leaving just the accappella and starting a new song "B" with its beat under the outgoing song "A". That was with hiphop.

Now my house and trance side I started playing with the bass/mid/highs drops and the duration times of the blends themselves. If yo learn enough little tricks you can incorporate them all in your set and use them at different times giving your sound more depth. I hope that helps a little.

[LALaw]

I'll give you a very specific example that showed me just how well layering songs can be done

1. When Love Takes Over
2. Umbrella

With about 4:30 left on track 1, I started bringing in track 2. The songs mashed so well together that you would swear they were meant to go together. Try and experiment, and you'll never know what could work