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Topic: Blending without acappellas and instrumentals (mixes posted)

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We all know the best way to blend two songs is to use the acappella version of one song and the instrumental version of the other song. This works best if the phrasing of the songs matchup, same key, etc. Well sometimes I like to blend two songs and I don't have the acappella/instrumental version of either,... so I fake it.

Here is a mix I made with blends, using only regular versions of the songs. It starts off stong and goes horribly wrong :-) ,.. Comments welcome anyway. I may redo it and remove the mistakes but for now it illustrates my point:

http://www.anewsome.com/2005-12-09-Blend.mp3

I'm a hip-hop DJ in case you are wondering.
 
Posted Sat 10 Dec 05 @ 7:39 am
The start is NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICE :)

And its doesn't go all wrong ..
I liked the mix...in total :) I know its DAMN hard to try copy what you did...
Man, scratching and releasing on beat... lining up the songs that fast ... :)

I would have been dancing on the dancefloor, and giving you wet looks...... hehe ;)

It's almost a mega-mix this... where lots of songs are mixed into eachother....

could have been a couple of great mash-up out of this mix, if you can get the acapella and instrumental.... ;)

http://www.gybo.org (get your bootleg on)
AWESOME place for mash-ups and mixes like that
 
Posted Sat 10 Dec 05 @ 1:14 pm
Sounded really good. It has a style of a DJ here in Chicago by the name of DJ Speed. Really good flow, smooth mix and nice transitions. Don't sweet the errors. As DJs are ears are trained to detect and point out minor mistakes in any mix, whether it be pitch adjustments or incorrect beatmatching...but I don't know if I could of done it any better. But the people on the dance floor don't notice and don't care about any of the above. They want good music that makes them dance. That's what that mix was.

Yeah wet looks...lots of wet looks...


MS
 
Posted Sat 10 Dec 05 @ 2:29 pm
listen2PRO InfinityMember since 2005
i do that stuff all the time, really your just droppin' an extra beat(makes the song more bumpin) and this a great way of making a mix flow nicely. Infact i would rather mix like that then have an acappella and instrumental mixed since you can just unloop the beat and just let the song play out instead of getting another cued up quick or use the sampler. good job........i knew that george michael was gonna be dropped in the mix on that one
 
Posted Sat 10 Dec 05 @ 3:32 pm
Good advice guys. I listened to the mix again and you're all right. Too many mistakes. So I redid it into something I think is a little more listenable. It's basically the same mix as before but now I "keep the mix moving" by getting out of that George Michael after the first verse and I drop a couple more songs in there. You can still see I'm a little quick on scratch and release while I'm in the SWV song. But hey, this is mixed live without multitrack, overdubs or edits. DJs who keep it real can relate I'm sure. Anyway, if you listened to it before, check it again and I'll be listening for critics.

http://www.anewsome.com/2005-12-09-Blend-2.mp3

The original mix will be taken down. You guys are KILLING my DSL line :-)
 
Posted Sat 10 Dec 05 @ 5:15 pm
Anewsome,

I never got to hear either mix since none of the links work. Just upload it to Yousendit.com and post the links here. That way it wont affect your dsl line.


Killabee44
 
Posted Sat 10 Dec 05 @ 5:26 pm
Guess we killed his DSL line.... ;) The link never starts.... hehe...


Hopefully we will see Anewsome online again soon, when his DSL provider forgives him :) LOOOL :)
 
Posted Sat 10 Dec 05 @ 5:35 pm
dj_cashPRO InfinityMember since 2004
I think you are right there dj-in-norway.. I wanted to litsen to his mix... tested 2 links...

"The Requested page blablabla"
 
Posted Sat 10 Dec 05 @ 11:31 pm
 
Posted Sun 11 Dec 05 @ 12:31 am
Well I had to drive 1 hour to a client's site, where my DNS is hosted and fix the problem. You guys can happily go back to killing my DSL line now...
 
Posted Sun 11 Dec 05 @ 2:12 am
May I know what's the name of song after the george michael part?
 
Posted Sun 11 Dec 05 @ 7:15 am
George Michael is played over a loop of "SWV - Right Here (Human Nature Remix)". After that, it's Malcolm Mclaren - She's Looking Like A Hobo.
 
Posted Sun 11 Dec 05 @ 7:58 am
what can I say....

I like it a lot... :)

you should join VDJ Radio Team, Anewsome ;)

You would fit right in there with the great Big Sizzle, White Devil, Andre and the other American/Canadian DJs:)


Any dj at this forum, that wanna take the challenge to do that live after you, would soon apreciate your mix and skills :)


It was for most part perfect, and any little "misses" are all in the nature of a live mix...
This is what a dancefloor can digg, and get mad on the floor to ...


Wish I could have been there New Years Eve, and see you in action in that cool dj booth at that upscale place you mentioned in another thread ;) Bet it looks and sounds aweseome... ;)
 
Posted Sun 11 Dec 05 @ 12:38 pm
I continue to listen to mixtapes from DJs who are OBVIOUSLY not doing this stuff live. The mix I made could have been so much more perfect if I multitracked it and made it perfect with no mistakes. You can also mix tracks a lot *tighter* when you multitrack it, so you don't have the 8 bars of dead time while you put on another track. I don't know about you, but for me,.. LIVE is what it's all about. I'll accept a few mistakes here and there because I know that I did it live and in 1 take with no after edits whatsoever (I trim silence front & back + normalize,.. that's it).

The promotions company I am working with, finding gigs with, wants me to make a demo CD to be part of my press kit. Obviously they think the demo CD should be free of errors (translated, multitracked) in order to present my work in the best light. However, I am vehemently opposed to doing any pseudo-live or non-live mixes.

It's a moral dilema for me. So what about you guys, do you drop off your demos edited and error free or do you go strictly live and take the chance that you are competing for a gig with a DJ who cheats (multitracks),.. or do you give in to peer pressure and make your own psuedo-live, partially computer edited and multitracked piece of genuis?

Or even worse than a non-love mix,.. how about the recent trend from DJs who USE SOMEONE ELSES MIX AS THEIR OWN, when they are dropping off demo tapes? Unbelievable.
 
Posted Sun 11 Dec 05 @ 5:06 pm
Well Anewsome everyone needs a demo. It is just a compilation of some of your best stuff. A high light reel if you want. All artists have demos. For a singer, it's not that the song is perfect and the music is well constructed. But that the voice is flawless...great stage presence...sings on cue. As for a DJs it is important that he knows the song...all the bridges, breaks and intros, the atmosphere, how to present himself. How to interact with the crowd...outgoing. Not just skills. Again like I said earlier...fellow DJs rate another on skill. Regular folks rate it on music selection and mood of the set.
I have had some of my worst sets on VDJ Radio(in my eyes) and my wife thought that it was one of the best. I have had some well mixed pre-thought sets that was the shit(in my eyes) and she thought...uh it was OK.

A demo just gets you into the door my friend, but your "YOU" keeps you there and spreads the word to open new ones...



MS
 
Posted Sun 11 Dec 05 @ 5:41 pm


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