Harmonic Mixing
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Endo replied on Sun Feb 17, 2008 @ 2:04pm |
 Coolness: 48165 | 
Harmonic Mixing is the future of DJing. A lot more DJ’s are mixing harmonically these days including Dubfire, Pete Tong, Paul Van Dyke, Tiesto, Sasha, John Digweed, and many more of the worlds top DJ’s. A skilled DJ has the ability to accurately guess which songs will be in key with one another since they know their records so well, but now there is a system that will take the guessing out of your mixing. There is the traditionally method of Harmonic Mixing which a lot of people are familiar with, but my system goes beyond the traditional system of harmonic mixing and will guarantee your tracks will be in key, no matter what PITCH each turntable is on! What Is Harmonic Mixing? A Harmonic mix is when two songs in the same key, or complimenting keys are mixed together to give the mix a musical effect that the songs are “singing together” The best way to find the key of your record is to play each song on the piano and figure out which scale fits the song best (e.x. Am). The easiest way to do this is find what you think is the root note of the song is, then play a major and minor scale and see which one fits best. The piano method is the most accurate way of figuring out the key. However, there is also a program that will analyze the key of the song for you called MIXED IN KEY [ www.mixedinkey.com ] Not only does mixed in key tell you what key the track is in, but it will also write the key into the tracks ID3 information so it will show up in Programs such as Traktor DJ Studio in the key column, or it will even write the key before the track or artist name. This allows you to sort your playlists by key. If you know the key of your record, you can assign them a keycode in the Camelot Easy mix chart (Shown Above). The Camelot’s Easy Mix Chart is a replica of the “circle of fifths” (F, C, G, D, A, E, F etc). Using the Camelots Easy mix chart is like going around a clock. You can mix a record with another record in the same key (keycode), or a record that is either to the left, right, above or below that keycode in the Camelot chart, like going around a clock. Different mixes have different effects on the energy of the room. For example, mixing a fifth up (1A to 2A) will raise the energy of the room. Mixing a 5th down (2A to 1A) will make the mix sing together but it will take the energy “deeper”. In musical terms, a record will mix with another record that is in the same key, its subdominant key, relative minor or major key, or a fifth up. You may also wait for a percussive section of the song and mix in a record that is in a key a half step up, or the next note up in the chromatic scale. This will create the feeling of a Modulation, and the new key will provide a sense of renewed energy because it is using a new set of notes. Using Camelot Sound’s “Easy Mix” chart will help take the guessing out of your record selection and allow you to make harmonic mixes quickly, and on the fly. Why Is Harmonic Mixing Inaccurate? The major problem with using the traditional harmonic mixing method is that to mix records and beatmatch, you must alter the tempo of one record to match the tempo of the other. Changing the tempo of a record will change the pitch, and will also change the KEY of each record. If the tempo is increased or decreased by 6%, the record will be in a new key that is a semitone, or half step higher. Lets say for example you are playing two records that are both in the same key (A minor). They should mix together harmonically no matter what right? Wrong! If there is a 6% difference in pitch (one turntable on -1% and the other on +5%), they will both be in a different key a half step apart and your mix will most likely sound terrible! There is a workaround for this and it is called KEY LOCK. Key lock will lock the key of your record no matter what the tempo of your track is, and will make the traditional system of harmonic mixing accurate, EXCEPT, when you slow a record down on key lock, most of the time the sound quality is degraded and sounds “digital” and you can hear what are called “artifacts” in the sound. If you are using Key Lock in a digital DJ program this can also be very CPU heavy. I have created a new system of Harmonic Mixing! My solution to this problem is called ENDO KEY. The ENDO KEY is the NEW KEY of a record at a SET TEMPO (BPM). It does NOT matter what tempo you use as your RELATIVE TEMPO as long as every track is calculated at this BPM value. I use 140 BPM. Keep in mind, I put my drum and bass at 140 BPM, my breaks at 140 BPM, and my downtempo at 140 BPM. This is just a reference tempo. No matter what BPM I Choose, the effect will always be the same! To EFFECTIVELY mix harmonically without key lock, you need to mix a record with another record in a complimenting ENDO KEY. Once I figure out the Key of all my records at 140 BPM (or whatever relative tempo you choose), I then assign the new key at 140 BPM a keycode in the Camelot Easy Mix Chart (shown above). There is an easy way to figure out the key of your records at the relative BPM inside Traktor 3 (Traktor DJ Studio). In the Traktor preferences there is an option to display the key inside the decks. Traktor will actually tell you if your playing the song in the original key, or a new key. To activate this, you go into your preferences, appearance, file info options, and choose to show the key. Now if your turntable is at +6% the “key” field in the decks will say +1, which means you are a half step up. This may sound like a lot of work, but hard work pays off and you can HEAR the difference. I have done this for almost 4000 of my tracks, and now I never have to think about pitch difference when I’m harmonic mixing. All I have to do is count from 1 to 12 and I can strategically plan my DJ sets this way. It is the science behind party rocking! ---------------------------------------------- Mike Henderson DJ Endo East Coast Product Specialist Native Instruments Tour Manager for Dubfire of Deep Dish Mixes Available at: [ www.myspace.com ] For Bookings Contact: Mike@DJEndo.com |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» recoil replied on Sun Feb 17, 2008 @ 5:34pm |
 Coolness: 86455 | meh - I dont need a chart to mix harmonically - I just use my ears |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Deadfunk replied on Sun Feb 17, 2008 @ 5:56pm |
 Coolness: 152955 | this is pretty interesting, but when mixing 8-9 min track @ 140 bpm, you have time to mix harmonically, but when its 6 min long 180 bpm, you have to choose your other track too quick, and i dont like preparing sets in advance, because you never know what will make the crowd goes in ever different night/parties
but i think ill give it a try. |
| I'm feeling hardcore right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Basilisk replied on Sun Feb 17, 2008 @ 6:06pm |
 Coolness: 47305 | I've heard this all before... but as far as I'm concerned, nothing beats Rapid Evolution 2 if you take the time to use it properly. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» MURDOCK_ROCK replied on Mon Feb 18, 2008 @ 2:31pm |
 Coolness: 83825 | i've seen this chart many times before.
but have always been a little bit tone deaf when it comes to figuring out what key my records are in. lately i've been playing alot more digital .wav files recently and have been using the key lock on my cd player to speed up hip hop and slow down dnb to tempos ranging from 120-140 in most cases. obviously i've been getting a bit of digital distortion doing this so i'm finding endo's method very insight full. i'm not a tractor user. but i'm now considering looking for a software that can determine the key and reset the bpm to something a little more my speed (a way of knowing the what key i'm putting it in if i bring it back to if i bring it back to the original bpm after a mix would be helpfull too). is tractor the best software for this? can i do this in logic (possibly with the apple loops utility)? and is there a decent freeware alternative for mac if appleloops won't cut it? if anyone can post a good tutorial on the easiest way to do this without racking my brain too hard i would be forever grateful. thanks!!! also if i change the id3 tag so it displays the key is there a way to make it viewable on my cdj-800 when my files are burnt as c.d. audio? thanks in advance!! |
| I'm feeling republican right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Bad_Chemistry replied on Tue Feb 19, 2008 @ 4:41am |
 Coolness: 73035 | It's a lot easier said then done, and it's not as black and white as that. If your doing a studio, like ableton, mix, then yeah go for it, but for live mixing, it's a little harder.
Obviously knowing your music and which songs are in similar keys helps, but guess what... you can have two songs in the same key playing together that'll sound like absolute crap. hmmmm let's use for example... Cm If both tracks are let's say ideally both in c minor and they both are at the same tempo (probably not too hard to find if your playing tiesto actually, I think like 85% of his tracks are in c major) and you play them together, it doesn't necessarily mean they will mix harmonically. Why? because one track could be playing D# and the other E, which sound like horse shit together played in a chord, but guess what, it's all part of the same scale. Normally the way I do it while mixing, is after i beat match my tracks, I listen to it with the other track with key lock (master tempo on pioneers)on and off, an decide which works better. I think the best way to do it though, especially live is with your ears. Certain tracks mix well together, cuz guess what, there harmonics work well together, that's what knowing which tracks mix well together is all about, and is 1/2 the art of dj'ing. A chart isn't gonna help your mixes. and if I understand your so called, "endo key" which you have quite pompously named after yourself... your basically taking all your tracks and setting them at 140 bpm in traktor, and writing down which key it's in? Clever I guess, but nothing breathtaking. But then doesn't that force you to play all your tracks at 140 bpm in your mix, and have them all be in the same key...? that makes for a pretty boring mix if you ask me. What I would like to see are cd players with a key adjust slider, that will let me adjust the key of my tracks. Like an on the fly pitch shift, that won't affect the tempo. That my friend is the future of dj'ing. |
| I'm feeling wtf charles? right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» nothingnopenope replied on Tue Feb 19, 2008 @ 4:46am |
 Coolness: 201175 | it's the circle of fifths |
| I'm feeling gangsta right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Choda_Bean replied on Fri Feb 22, 2008 @ 3:08am |
 Coolness: 219920 | Originally Posted By DMTIO "CERTAIN TRACKS MIX WELL TOGETHER, CUZ GUESS WHAT, THERE HARMONICS WORK WELL TOGETHER, THAT'S WHAT KNOWING WHICH TRACKS MIX WELL TOGETHER IS ALL ABOUT, AND IS 1/2 THE ART OF DJ'ING."
half the art of djing is knowing which tracks harmonize together? half as in, 50%???? i dont think so... if i preplanned a whole set just to make sure that they all harmonized together, the set would suck balls....(altho it would have its moments...) Originally Posted By DMTio
"What I would like to see are cd players with a key adjust slider, that will let me adjust the key of my tracks. Like an on the fly pitch shift, that won't affect the tempo. That my friend is the future of dj'ing." -theres turntables that have this option...the people that use them dont make them 50% better djs unfortunately... Update » Choda_Bean wrote on Fri Feb 22, 2008 @ 3:15am not trying to knock the art of harmonizing, however, if 50% is all about harmonizing, what about being a good selector.....what about being a flawless mixer.....turntabalism skillz.......knowing how to use any mixer that a venue might throw at [ you.....us ] fx's, backspins, stops, etc.....do all these things fall into the 15% importance margains, or am i being too anal about your 50% example... |
| I'm feeling your nuts right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Screwhead replied on Fri Feb 22, 2008 @ 3:11am |
 Coolness: 685540 | I think that most DJs who aren't tone-deaf can at the very least mix tunes that don't sound like utter garbage together.. IMO you don't need to study keys and learn harmonies to be able to tell if 2 tunes leads don't go together and sound like total shit. |
| I'm feeling fuckin' crazy right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Touz replied on Mon Feb 25, 2008 @ 8:50pm |
 Coolness: 46295 | Why Is Harmonic Mixing Inaccurate? The major problem with using the traditional harmonic mixing method is that to mix records and beatmatch, you must alter the tempo of one record to match the tempo of the other. Changing the tempo of a record will change the pitch, and will also change the KEY of each record. If the tempo is increased or decreased by 6%, the record will be in a new key that is a semitone, or half step higher. Lets say for example you are playing two records that are both in the same key (A minor). They should mix together harmonically no matter what right? Wrong! If there is a 6% difference in pitch (one turntable on -1% and the other on +5%), they will both be in a different key a half step apart and your mix will most likely sound terrible!
That is why there is a technique called modulation mix: ADVANCED TECHNIQUE #2: MODULATION MIXES As explained in the Harmonic Keys Overlay Chart, a modulation mix provides exciting results by jumping a half step or whole step on the chromatic scale without significant changes in speed. For example, a half step jump (seven keycodes) may be from E-Flat Minor (keycode 2A) to E-Minor (keycode 9A). A whole step jump (two keycodes) may be from E-Flat Minor to F-Minor. This type of mix can give quite a tangible lift to the energy on your floor. CAUTION: Do NOT attempt to overlay bass lines/melody in modulation mixes, only percussion segments of one source. Make sure the mix is complete when the new bassline/melody starts. Following the same procedures you can also modulate from a minor to a major key, or vice versa. taken from: [ www.harmonic-mixing.com ] In the situation you described (one turntable on -1% and the other on +5%), and both tracks are in the same key, you just do a modulation mix and that's it ! I use Rapid Evolution 2, very useful application and if all your mixes are at 140 BPM, no BPM variations, what a boring mix it will be !! |
| I'm feeling home, sweet home right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» ufot replied on Tue Feb 26, 2008 @ 11:06am |
 Coolness: 93050 | In the situation you described (one turntable on -1% and the other on +5%), and both tracks are in the same key, you just do a modulation mix and that's it ! I use Rapid Evolution 2, very useful application and if all your mixes are at 140 BPM, no BPM variations, what a boring mix it will be !!
you are not taking into account the fact that not all records are pressed at the same speeds or spacing, tracks at different rpms and with different spacing allow for harmonizing and modulating mixes. Not to mention that even if u keep the same bpm an entire set, if you have tracks with breakdowns and washes, it can provide enough variation... nyways, the harmonic mixing technic is good, but I agree with what a lot of people said; IMO there is no correct(other than the obvious synching of rhythms/beats) or "best" technic of mixing, part of a mix isnt just the message a dj is trying to communicate to an audience, its the vibe of said DJ, everyone has a different story and a different way of telling it. Ufot-I miss jazz |
| I'm feeling lies wif da hax!! right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Bad_Chemistry replied on Tue Feb 26, 2008 @ 9:11pm |
| Coolness: 73035 | Originally Posted By DJ_DIALECT
or am i being too anal about your 50% example... pretty much. I mean, being able to get tracks sounding good together, having leads that build off each other and what not is an important part of mixing? no? If your songs just don't sound good together there's no amount of skill that's gonna make that mix sound tight. (right you probably have some trick, I'm being general) Turntabilism is on a whole different level, and I think these people deserve more then to just be called djs. As far as everything else you mentioned yeah, i agree with you, let's say not 50% maybe 40? 30? Honestly? and yeah I've seen the turntables before, just there fairly un-common; correct me if i'm wrong. I haven't seen any at any event I've gone too... ever. |
| I'm feeling wtf charles? right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» clown replied on Wed Feb 27, 2008 @ 2:09pm |
 Coolness: 221715 | Bleh, this isn'y math class here people.. practice mixing tracks that you like will eventually lead your brain to go "hey, shit, wouldn't this song sound great with that song???" !!
if i need to invest DAYS replaying keys on a piano i don't own to find the ENDO KEY ??? i think i should maybe just stop mixing.. lol.. harmonic mixing is good, but i mean, as dj's we should already be playing tracks that sound good together !!! :p |
| I'm feeling rewire 4, march 22nd right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Screwhead replied on Wed Feb 27, 2008 @ 2:15pm |
| Coolness: 685540 | yeah, I mean, most people, specifically, most DJs, already have a fairly good ear if they know how to mix, and finding tracks that sound good together isn't exactly rocket-surgery. |
| I'm feeling fuckin' crazy right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» ufot replied on Wed Feb 27, 2008 @ 3:22pm |
| Coolness: 93050 | tell me more about this rocket-surgery... :)
Ufot-lets go boom-boom-shake-da-room |
| I'm feeling lies wif da hax!! right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» MURDOCK_ROCK replied on Wed Feb 27, 2008 @ 3:26pm |
| Coolness: 83825 | i was at gig the other night and all these Swedish bikini models came up to me after my set and were all like...
"great set!!! you were totally making all of our panties so wet that you could probably smell it up in the dj booth... too bad you mixed that f-sharp into that d-minor on the last tune. up untill that point we were going to take you back to our suite at the ritz where we were going to drug you with mdma and viagra and rape the living shit out of you in the hot tub until the cops come." and i was all like... "shit not again!!!" |
| I'm feeling republican right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» PitaGore replied on Wed Feb 27, 2008 @ 5:31pm |
 Coolness: 471755 | shit happens hey ?! lol |
| I'm feeling !!upbeats!!!!!!!!!! right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» clown replied on Thu Feb 28, 2008 @ 12:21pm |
| Coolness: 221715 | your nutz George !! :p hahaahha |
| I'm feeling rewire 4, march 22nd right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Omni replied on Thu Feb 28, 2008 @ 2:57pm |
 Coolness: 87525 | Hehe, I loled. |
| I'm feeling yay right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Bad_Chemistry replied on Thu Feb 28, 2008 @ 4:44pm |
| Coolness: 73035 | hahaha |
| I'm feeling wtf charles? right now.. | |
Harmonic Mixing
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