Harmonic Mixing by Dubspot's DJ Endo - Pt. 1 'What Is Harmonic Mixing?'

[neversaygoodnight]

@DeeJayEndo Could you please explain why when changing energy levels you go 2 semitones up and 3 semitones down? Why not 2 both up and down? Thanks.

[marceloneri]

I'm DJ and also a musician

Harmonic mixing is great indeed but...

For centuries musicians use the system like "E minor", "D Minor", etc. Now this software comes with this "camelot keys" like "1A", "10 B" etc just to confuse us. Too bad DJ's can't learn the professional musician system. I mean, if you have to learn, do learn by a pattern already established...

[TheGhettostylus]

will this software find the key of any kind of song?..... I'm more into the old sample hip hop than dj'ing it would be nice to know the key of the sample so i can say add my own bass and instruments over the top :)

[amanhoubi]

Thankss



[ElectrikBear]

how would i view the code if i am not on tracktor? would i be able view the key number in ableton?

[DeeJayEndo]

@ElectrikBear You can choose to write the key before the file name, and you can view this in Ableton. Just be careful about renaming files because you can possibly break file paths.

[ElectrikBear]

@DeeJayEndo thanks for the response! great video btw

[TheSoundCenter]

The way I see this software, it gives DJs another excuse to just not listen to their music. If the key is determined for you, and you know what keys will sound good when mixed together, then what's the point in listening to your music, right? Just keep the club going with a new track you just downloaded :l Sure, you can process all of your music in mass to quickly determine the key. But why not listen to your music? Figure out the root note, determine its major or minor tonality and there ya go.

[DeeJayEndo]

@TheSoundCenter Who said we're not listening to our music? To be honest with the amount of music I buy on a regular basis, we don't have time anymore to test out each track with all of our other records because now we have thousands of tracks compared to hundreds (vinyl). This will help us find tracks FASTER that go well with whats playing. Doesn't mean we have to stick to the rules, but its a nice tool for programming your sets and sounds great on the dance floor.

[TheSoundCenter]

@DeeJayEndo Okay, okay, that makes sense. My apologies.

[FYICREW]

I batch analyze quite a few different file types and see this as intelligent catalog type software. you can create libraries based on anything, including the new ‘camelot system’ or by traditional keys. that’s an option in the settings.

I use it’s built in player to LISTEN to the track with the added benefit of seeing key changes all along the wave form. I understand your disdain, things are much easier, but that’s very aspect of being a musician from the engineer through producer to the stage.

[earthgreen101]

thank you DJ Endo! I'm not a dj yet but thinking about learning how to. What a wonderful educational video. Keep up the great work!

[turdlinger5000]

where do i get mixed in key for free

[DeeJayEndo]

@turdlinger5000 dude don't be cheap. $50 for a program that will save you hundreds of hours and change your life as a DJ is a small price to pay. Buy the program.

[turdlinger5000]

@DeeJayEndo your totally right man!

[tracedj]

clear concise tutorial. Very helpful!

[PUSH0HERE]

jajaja andá a estudiar armonía paaaaaaaa

[grobber13]

you can also play a good track instead of 4 shitty tracks at the same time

[DeeJayEndo]

@grobber13 or you can play and remix 4 amazing tracks live mixing elements from each song to make your own harmonic mashup.

[Vaelez]

"new choons 23" rofl

[TheNolimits29]

Hey i have a query. I've tested your theory of mixing in key and it works well but i was just wondering the way you said about creating an extremem energy boost by going form d flat minor to d minor thats 7 turns in the wheel. is that only effective when you stay in the same note. For example if im mixing a track in 6a and i go up 7 turns in the wheel to 1a is that ok can you go up 7 and down 7 in the wheel to create an extreme energy boost or is doing it in the same note better???

[DeeJayEndo]

@TheNolimits29 What I was referring to is going up one half step, which is one note on the piano. So you can go from a B to a C because there is no black key in between those two notes. Also you can go from an E to an F (No black note inbetween those notes either). If there is a black note in between the notes, or if the next note is a white note, you can use that key (ex F to F# or C# to D). Each time you go up a half step, this adds 7 to the number on the camelot wheel.

[TheNolimits29]

Excellent video. I dont use traktor but i put into practice what you said about harmonic mixing on the cdjs and it really works well i really appreciate it dude.

[iroh181]

I didn't know there was a thing to start the tracks on the downbeat.

I've been doing it by ear.

[DeeJayEndo]

@iroh181 Yup there is. They are called Load Markers. I put on on every track I play.

[TRANceBoy1995]

do i have to learn harmonic mixing even if i already have absolute pitch? 

[DeeJayEndo]

@TRANceBoy1995 Yes because even if you have absolute pitch, you can't sort your playlists by key, unless you write the keys into your tracks manually

[TheDubsteck]

I dont have money for mixed in key at this moment how can i get my harmonic mixing down?

[YoshiExcel]

@TheDubsteck If you have a keyboard you can use that to manually find keys of your tracks and it is much more accurate than Mixed In Key... If you want a free program, try Rapid Evolution 3. In my opinion its not as good as MiK5, but pretty damn good for being free. good luck.

[DeeJayEndo]

@TheDubsteck do whatever it takes to round up $60 for mixed in key. You'll thank me later. If you cant swing that there is a free alternative called rapid evolution but I haven't tested that fully yet.

[gtfreed]

This is a very well done tutorial, nice job.

[rupertshean]

remember that clashing is sometimes good also

[lxxMVPxxl]

So what's more important: harmonic mixing, or mixing songs with the same vibe ?? Thanks.

[DeeJayEndo]

@lxxMVPxxl Both are important. Programming is most important when your doing a DJ set so you need to pick tracks based on the vibe but also playing tracks in complimentary keys will help your set flow better.

[TheDenzalos]

Excellent video and article, many thanks DJ Endo! So far I've created my own 'key possibilities/options smart playlists' for all 'A' keys. These include ALL 10 suggested key change options from your article. I now want to run the same lists for my 'B' keys, but am not clear if all of the 10 options can be applied. Namely, how do I, or indeed can I change from: 1) Major to Minor in the same key 2) Go up a major third 3) Up a step in major? I would really appreciate any help you may give me.

[69foxx]

@TheDenzalos Endo's key change suggestions will work the same for A and B keys - they are very closely related musically. Endo probably uses minor keys in his examples as he said most of his tracks are in minor keys. Major keys tend to sound uplifting, and minor keys usually have a more mellow or sophisticated sound. To answer your Q's 1) yes 3 steps anti clockwise + move from B to A ring. 2) sounds OK, sounds a bit dissonant or mysterious tho. 3) yes both semi-tone or tone up sound OK in major.

[TheDenzalos]

@69foxx Thanks so much for your help. I REALLY appreciate your time! :O)

[cordeezyt]

your videos are mad helpful, you do a good job explaining things using examples.

[DeeJayEndo]

@cordeezyt Thanks! 

[PhatCat009]

I'm a little confused -- I always though the point of mixing was to achieve -- musical harmony in your tracks. When you say "harmonic mixing" are you referring specifically to the technique of preanalyzing all your tracks to know what key they're in?

[DeeJayEndo]

@PhatCat009 I'm talking about both! Analyzing your tracks to find out what key their in, and then playing tracks that are in the same or complimenting keys.

[prettyricks]

Thanks!

[deejaysoulution]

great tutorial

[DeeJayEndo]

@TheEverettRyan Great to hear! Mixing Harmonically will definitely help you stand out in the DJ world. Glad you enjoyed the video!

[djapeiron]

I don't like that. a good DJ, can do a great mix without this system.

now, everybody can be a superstar DJ.

It's like an guitar. You can't play guitar and you have a system who plays for you. great!

[DeeJayEndo]

@djapeiron Just because your mixing harmonically or in sync doesn't mean your a good DJ. However sorting your playlists by key will help you find tracks that go together well a lot quicker and is a great tool to help with programming a set.

[djapeiron]

@DeeJayEndo and @TheEverettRyan I agree with you about being a good DJ, you need more than sync …..But I like to keep time, listening the tracks, find out witch works great together. Preparing a setlist from 0 to 10. That is the beautiful thing of djing. (and mixing in clubs of course ;-) )

And my meaning about harmonic mixing is that you have help for this part. Only that!

[lambd01d]

@djapeiron I don't know why you feel so threatened by basic musical knowledge.

[BraylenTV]

Im new to this, just wondering if this will work in Serato Itch?

[DeeJayEndo]

@BraylenTV Yes it will work in Serato Itch because you can write into the Comments, Artist Name, or Track Title which will show up in Serato

[lestat77]

circle of fifths?

[yann27]

how come ure keys are written in traktor as 10A 12A etc and when i do this it's written as Dbm , Am etc...

I also convert em in camelot ?

[DeeJayEndo]

@yann27 You can change that in the mixed in key preferences. Go to View - Key System - and change it to Camelot Keys

[imaxipop]

Thanks, for all your help. I was wondering if I could make a request of another video. I would really appreciate it if you show me how to use the same key with different BPM. For instance, if an 8A key moving from a BPM of 110 to a BPM of 85, using the same key.

once again Thank you. Hope to see you @ the workshope.

[DeeJayEndo]

@imaxipop Hey man, I actually did an article on the Dubspot Blog all about this. Its called "Harmonic Mixing Part 2 Relative Key - Mixing without Key Lock" . Just google that and you should find it.

[betawaveschannel]

BEST VIDEO TUTORIAL EVER!!!!

[ffernandez16]

thank you for this vid



[djgarret]

would you put a song with other key (other than 7a) in order to hear the difference ?

[betawaveschannel]

Amazing

[DjBlaqkHat]

Does this work with ITCH!!!!!??????

[jenulicius]

someone please help..i beg u

the program wil not show me the key of the tunes..only the bpm :'(

some help??

ty in advance

[DeeJayEndo]

@jenulicius Check out the mixed in key preferences and make sure the "Key" is turned on.

[jenulicius]

@DeeJayEndo nah..no luck...i duno man..

well i didnt buy the programto be honest...culd this be the reason?

anywayz

[elektroooooo]

nice :) 

[rsjokes]

Good video mate, I already got this stuff, but it's good to reinforce the knowledge

[gamergrounds]

just purchase MIK and I got to say its the best thing ever!

[AmNothi]

Lmao, why did they rename the circle of fifths? They didn't create the shit, haha. King Arthur's dope ass round table of perfect fifths.

[DeeJayEndo]

@carldebonotabormla Actually I'm going to have to disagree with you... Most of the time if the track has only percussion, mixed in key analyzes it incorrectly. So what I'll do is figure out what the "root" note is of the track, then figure out the key from there (major or minor). Songs that are keyed correctly that have all percussion, when mixed harmonically sound amazing... especially when using 4 decks.

[neopandorex2]

@Splurgeyourheadoff also.. u might not always want to sound polished... being ghetto on the twin decks can actually bring a lot of heat to a mix...

but yeah most djs do it without having a name for it... the cool thing about the vid is that it explains a method..

[DubSpot]

@neopandorex2 agreed, there is a time and place for perfect stuff and also a time for stuff that's more fast and loose. I actually like to hear a DJ mixing and correcting the pitch as they go, it can make for a more exciting performance. That's a matter of artistic taste though.

[DubSpot]

@Splurgeyourheadoff obviously it's a creative choice so if you don't want to you don't have to. Also, you'll find that a lot of DJs who make good sounding mixes are actually doing harmonic mixing without knowing what it is. It's just sounds right when you mix two records that are in key. Conversely you may notice that you have two records matched correctly but it just sounds wrong/bad even though they are in time, that's because there is some melodic/harmonic element that's clashing.

[SSiadat187]

Try RAPID EVOLUTION ... its free.

[doobiecontinue]

i think the video should focus more on harmonic mixing and not a tutorial on how to find the key of ur songs. there is mayb 3 minutes where he explains the idea of harmonic mixing and roughly 7 minutes of him showing us how to use traktor and MIK...

[TheTurbinator]

Where is Pt. 2 ?

[beattzzz]

Great video.

Also, props for using a track by a little-known 90s dance group from Melbourne. I wasnt sure if anyone outside of Australia had ever heard of the original Pendulum :)

[bdb2010]

@beattzzz you have no idea how popular the old pendulum is (:

[jeremysmith91]

@beattzzz pendulum is perth bro

[beattzzz]

@jeremysmith91 Wrong Pendulum, dude. There was a group by the same name from Melbourne in the mid-90s, before the guys pushing clownstep.

[kingklabe]

Definitely a good idea if you play mainly melody-based tracks.

[cyutaeha]

Regarding MIK's accuracy, a little knowledge in music theory would allow to you to analyze a track's key when the program's accuracy seems questionable.

[DubSpot]

definitely, Endo also wrote a great article for the Dubspot blog about MIK's accuracy. Google 'endo mixed in key dubspot blog' it should be the top result.

[SeeDavePlay]

wow!! omg.. i had no idea!!! thx!

[VVooDz]

nice video... Now if only MIK would actually write the key in the ID3 tag.

In preferences I clicked amend comments... but MIK still doesn't update all the tracks.

[DeeJayEndo]

@VVooDz To get the tags to update, Right click on the Track Collection and choose "Check Consistancy". Or you can select a group of tracks and right click and choose "Edit", then hit the "OK" button WITHOUT TYPING ANYTHING IN, and all the tags will update. The other way is to double click on the track title and the tags will update just for that song. Also keep in mind there is a dedicated "Key" field in Traktor that Mixed in Key can write into. Choose this option in the mixed in key preferences

[VVooDz]

@DeeJayEndo - I worked out this updates some but not all tracks. Then I remembered AAC files don't have a Key field. So MIK can't update; only MP3 files. It all works now as long as I amend "comments" with MIK.

I'm really enjoying using MIK at gigs. I do get a bit pushed for time finding the next track as I don't like using sets and like to push and react to the crowd. It means I'm using sync a fair bit but that way I can concentrate more on important things like cue,loop,FX and mix.

[jernal024]

Hey Endo, thanks for putting this video together.

In the video you confirm the key through playing the scale. How do you find the root key if MIK is wrong?

[DubSpot]

@jernal024 generally speaking you do it by ear. Start playing through an octave and listen for which note lands on the beginning of your loop and sounds correct. Whatever note is on the first downbeat is generally the tonic (root note of the scale) and then the key will either be a major minor key starting on that note.

[jernal024]

@DubSpot Thanks Endo, do you find MIK to be pretty accurate most times?

[DubSpot]

@jernal024 Endo is actually working on a post for the Dubspot blog at blog.dubspot.com analyzing the accuracy of MIK's detection algorithms. The testing is done and we just have to write it up and put it online.

[jernal024]

@DubSpot Nice! Would it be possible to also add a quick segment or addition to the video that speaks to organizing your music with Key in mind. You guys ROCK. I wish I was in NY or LA so I could taks some Dubspot classes. BTW, when are you going to start offering on-line courses?

[DubSpot]

@jernal024 Endo and DJ Shiftee have a new online Traktor course which will begin April 15th 2011, check out dubspot.com for more info.

[ltrainismyname]

Thanks, Endo--

[MrFaketrix]

Incitefull stuff. Thanks.

[ruukaoz]

or you can just study music, belive me you'll be a much better DJ.

[metaflux2]

@ruukaoz Well said for sure

[Bildabong123]

@ruukaoz Win :)

[liambrown0]

@ruukaoz  thats bollocks

[DeeJayEndo]

@thefishdog this is true. If 2 tracks that are in the same key are raised or lowered by 6% then they are a half step apart from each other. If you play tracks that are similar BPM's then the system works. I am posting a new article soon on the Dubspot Blog on my system of mixing Harmonically without using Key Lock. Stay tuned!

[thefishdog]

only really works if you keep the key lock on in traktor when using scratch. changing pitch on turntables will change the key.

[DeeJayEndo]

This works with Turntables if you use Traktor with timecode vinyl

[DJDavverMusic]

damn. sucks this doesn't work well with turntables.

but great tutorial, and great tips.

thanks @DeeJayEndo and @DubSpot :D

[DeeJayEndo]

@MigoiMusic - There is actually an option to show "Key" and "Track Key" in the decks. in Preferences - Deck Details. I show both so I know what the original key is, then it will tell you what key your currently in based on how fast you are playing the track (ex. +1 means your a half step up). Traktor 2 used to actually tell you the key you're in based on pitch. I have been fighting to get this feature back.

[DeeJayEndo]

If the keys don't show up, you can get them to show up by right clicking on the "Track Collection" icon and choosing "Check Consistancy". This will update all of your tracks ID3 information and the keys will show up after the consistancy check is done.

[DeeJayEndo]

To show the keys in Traktor you need to go to the Mixed in Key Preferences, click on the "Key" tab, then check the option for "Update custom "Initial Key" mp3 tag (viewable in Traktor). Then in Traktor, right click in a grey area in Traktor's browser (above all the categories) and select "Key". This will show the key column in Traktor's Browser. Just a tip: I would run all your music through mixed in key BEFORE bringing it into Traktor.

[CBAtheBboy]

thanks a LOT for this tutorial :D

[ADSuing]

How do you configure your Traktor to read the Key tag?

[MigoiMusic]

You'd have thought by now Traktor should be able to analyse tracks and give you a correct read out by the key rotary knob then have the ability to change the key with no loss of quality to a key that fits the mix so you didn't have to find a track that fits to the right key, you could just choose the track you want to mix and change the key to fit

[MigoiMusic]

P.S. or just do it by ear! but to do that the key rotary knob has to be 100 times better than it currently is

[xbase09]

thanks!

[aphasia8]

@sharpaudio not everyone will become a pro...this helps people understand music in a new way....

coming from someone spending his life studying music.

peace

[PartyRockerRTHENT]

Dude thats just fuckn dope!! Thanks!!!!

[diegopinedao]

thanks for the good info

[DeeJayEndo]

Mixed in Key is about 82% accurate for dance music (especially dance music with harmonic content). I did a study on this which will be posted soon!

[RockerDuk]

Is Mixed In Key very accurate or should i check every track before I use them?

[3S0JJD]

I wished Mixed In Key worked with the AAC format. Darn me ripping all my music in AAC -_-

[forestknauff14]

Really cool. Learned a lot about the Camelot System.

[helmettilt96]

Nice vid keep them coming!

[downwithutube]

I really need to learn how to use Traktor. That was pretty cool!

[ElectricalConnection]

thank you for doing this!