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Aight. This could become a long post, cause I can go on for days about the art of mixing. So bear with me.
So you've got two songs. I'll call the song that's playing Song A, and the song you're mixing in Song B.
First, let's talk beatmatching. You seem to have 'em pretty close, but you're not pushing off Song B on the first down beat of a bar on Song A. The down beat of a song in house music is ALWAYS the kick drum. The result is you get a machine gun sound as the down beats of Song A hit on the 1-2-3-4, while the down beats of Song B hit on the "Ands" (you know when counting beats, you can count eighth notes, 1-And-2-And-3-And-4-And, right?) So even though you may not technically be trainwrecking, you're still not matched up perfectly. BTW, this will sometimes happen accidentally when you're mixing. If this ever happens to you during a set while playing out, you can get out of it by doing a spinback. At the beginning of a phrase (see below), grab the platter of Song A, and pull it back (like playing it in reverse). While it's going backwards, cut out the channel, and it'll sound like you meant to do it.
Second, let's talk phrasing. Everything in music is based on phrases. Any new layer of sound comes in on a phrase, and any layer of sound is taken away on a phrase. You've got 32 count phrases (8 bars), and you've got 64 count phrases (16 bars). The first beat at the very beginning of the tune USUALLY starts a phrase (sometimes producers do sneaky things like start the tune with a 4th beat or shit like that). Right after a breakdown, the first down beat starts a new phrase. So, if you cue up Song B to the first beat (which is the start of a phrase), and Song A hits a breakdown, if you push off Song B right on the first beat that Song A comes out of the breakdown, you've got them perfectly phrased. If you want to wait a couple phrases, then you just have to count and wait out a full 32 or 64 or any multiple of those beats.
Phrasing is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING! If you don't have the two songs phrased, I don't care if the beats are matched perfectly, the mix is gonna sound bushleague. You'll have vocals running into each other, you'll have a wash coming in where it shouldn't. And you'll never be able to mix out smoothly.
OK, now the mixing part. I notice you fade out the channel quite a bit. Meaning, you just slowly bring the level down of Song A. That's ok, but it kills the flow. Once you have the phrasing down, the rule is ALWAYS mix in and out of the beginning of a phrase. You push off Song B at the beginning of a phrase. You hit the crossfader at the beginning of a phrase. You hold the mix for X number of phrases. You switch EQ levels at beginning of phrases. And finally, when you're ready, you cut out Song A at the beginning of a phrase. If you do that, you don't have to fade the channel out like you do. The effect of the tunes being phrased will automatically make your mix smooth. What I like to do is hold it until I get to a wash of some sort. Usually, this happens after the intro of a tune. Anywhere between 2 and 5 minutes into the song. So you hold it, play with the EQ levels to smooth the transition, and when a wash comes, BAM, fade out Song A, and you've got a money mix that'll have Sasha calling you God. But really, when to mix out of a song is really your preference. That really defines your style. The only rules you have to follow is a) have them beatmatched, and b) have them phrased and c) do EVERYTHING on a phrase (mix in, mix out, EQ's).
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12-14-01, 12:55 AM
Read Please 
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