Does longer = better

  • Thread starter Thread starter Sk091
  • Start date Start date
S

Sk091

Guest
Does longer = better. Another technical question with regards to mixing. Does anyone think that the length of the mixing from one track to the next corresponds with how "Good" a dj should be considered to be. Ie., leaving a mix for longer is harder and takes a lot more concentration, but fading it sooner is easier and safer. I think that the average mixes between tracks by most djs are between 4-5 minutes whereas some djs, like Derrick Carter, hold them for a lot longer (7-9+ min) almost to their breaking point. My question is, along with technical flawlessnes, and creative mixing techniques, should another criteria for judging "Good" djs be how long they hold their mixes.
 
I think your a lil bit off the mark to be honest, 4-5 mins for a mix is rarely done unless your talking about people like umek who like to play 2 songs at the same time. The majority of soulful/vocal house is designed for mixes between 30 secs to about 1:30, deeper or more progressive genre's tend to be a bit longer but its not always the case. 7-9 mins though... I have no idea where u get that from, the majority of house music is under 9 mins IMO.

To answer your question, longer does not equal better IMO. You can argue about beat matching etc but i would much rather hear a smooth mix with some individual style rather than the previous song messing up the chorus of the current song..
 
I agree that obviously longer does not necassarily equal better - especially as pertaining to soulful house because the vocals can get jumbled up - but technically playing two songs at the same time is holding a mix for a given duration. Some Djs like Derrick Carter, Dj Sneak, Todd Terry, Richie Hawtin, do it sometimes going back and forth between the given songs. I agree 9 min its pushing it but on the other hand 30sec is way too short and while smooth mixing goes without saying for any of the best djs, like you said only the best ones can do it without messing up.

As for 4-5 minutes being way too long I completely disagree. Ive just relistened to Cosmic Disco after not having heard it for over 5 years and most of Carter's mixes are well over 4-min in fact I just timed one of his mixes at well over 6 minutes and I have heard him hold mixes for even longer. Regardless, its all a matter of preference but sometimes in my opinion the conventional short fades can get boring and repetative. [/quote]
 
I have about a hundred house tunes that are best mixed at 30-45 secs. The Chords, bass and sometimes vocals come in after 30 secs. Personally i dont really like long mixes, maybe once or twice in a set but sometimes i find dj's get a bit excessive with them and i'd much rather hear one tune on its own.
 
it does really depend on what style of music you are playing i guess.

long mixing of house (as already mentioned) can get tricky because the melody usually starts quite early on in the piece of music... although if you have your keys right you can play two on top of each other if one of them isn't too busy & more on the treble congo/bongo sound... i love mixing up 2 @ the same time :twisted:

long mixing of prog & techno is a lot easier because the music is written with that in mind IMHO.....
 
dam0 said:
... i'd much rather hear one tune on its own.
Click to expand...
Good point. Some songs you just dont wanna mess with and they're better heard alone. :D

Also I totally agree with the notion that "busy", complex songs are alot harder to mix longer than more minimal songs, like say some tribal or techno. ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top