Mini House Mix

2009-01-21T08:02:00.007-05:00

So I have decided that no mix will ever be "perfected" at least not with my current lack of skill. I spent a solid 5 hours on the decks last night and started recording some of my mixing, came up with this 25 minute House mix and decided to post it looking for feedback. The mix features some commercial songs remixed as well as some more underground house artists such as Ryan Galbriath.

Tracklist;
S.K.A.M. - The Riddle (Alex Costa Remix)
Rihanna - S.O.S. (Digital Dog Mix)
Ryan Galbriath - Smuggling Duds (Lazy Rich Remix)
Ilan Bluestone feat. Leibo - Filthy Geezer
Robbie Rivera - Escape (Jochen Pash Norm Remix)
Kurd Maverick - Blue Monday (Taylor and Gallahan Remix)

LINK

Please let me know what you think, I have already been informed that there might be too much bass during transitions. I am going to practice working the EQs more because of this. I also believe the transition from track 4 into track 5 went off, or the songs don't go well together, or maybe both.

My Current Gear / The Gear I Want

2009-01-20T14:33:00.000-05:00

Still no mix, I have decided to wait and perfect it a little more. I have only been mixing on my decks for a little over a month, my goal was to have a good mix down and recorded at or around the 2 month mark. I figure there is no point rushing to post something I am not completely happy with.

So, I decided I would throw up some information on the gear I use, as well as the gear I want. First of all I did my research and went for something "middle of the road" with regards to quality. I didn't want to outgrow the features and be required to buy new equipment right away. On the other hand however I was not really sure how much time I would spend on the decks so I could not justify going top of the line. I also struggled with which media I should go with, Vinyl or CD. I decided CD because it expands my available tracks to be unlimited really. While Vinyl is cool and has a much cooler appeal it is so expensive and a pain in the ass to carry around. I am getting some turntables as well though so I can mix in some old gems every once in awhile.

Alright, so after all countless hours researching I decided to pick up the Stanton C.324 CD decks with the Stanton M.212 2 channel mixer.
The C.324 is Stanton's flagship CD deck and has vinyl emulation which allows you to manipulate your media just like it was on a turntable. I use this mode for cueing as well as playing around with some scratching. It has DSP effects, including filter, flanger, echo, ect as well as a sampler and sequencer. It also boasts a BPM counter (which I try not to use) and 100% pitch control with key lock.
The Stanton M.212 mixer is pretty basic and is the first thing I intend on upgrading. For now it suits my needs but as I am going to add turntables and a drum machine this 2 channel mixer will no longer be of any use. I really want a 4 channel "House" style mixer. Pioneer is the leader when it comes to their DJM-800 mixer. This mixer retails for just over the $2000 mark US making it closer to $2500 here in Canada. A few companies such as Behringer and Mackie have attempted to clone this mixer with a cheaper version. Behringer failed as their reputation is that of poor quality. Mackie however has produced the D.4 Pro which is the mixer I would love to see sitting in between my decks. Although it does not have as many features when it comes to effects it is a very well built piece of equipment and includes one of the best crossfaders that ships stock on a mixer to date. It also has many more options for outputs and inputs as well as full firewire support making it ideal for recording and connecting many different devices. See the below image for the Mackie D.4 Pro mixer, you can see how closely it resembles the Pioneer DJM-800 which is pictured above and to the right.
If anyone who is reading this is thinking about purchasing any of the gear I mentioned and has questions feel free to email me or comment. I don't think a remix / DJ studio can ever be complete as there will always be new gear I will want to add. I think for a beginner I chose a good setup and I am very happy with everything so far.

First Post / Upcoming Mix

2009-01-13T14:50:00.000-05:00

Hey,

I decided to blog it up so I have a place I can direct everyone for checking out my mixes. At the moment I am putting some finishing touches on a short mix involving a few very commercial remixes as well as some underground house.

Since I don't have anything of my own to post up, I found this gem today. Enjoy!

Dj Keith L

Mini House Mix

My Current Gear / The Gear I Want

First Post / Upcoming Mix