From time to time, you'll see stuff through this site asking for input from you the reader, the same goes for my newsletters I send out, I always ask that if there's something I've missed out, that you remind me of it. A couple of people have been in touch (not bad out of 100,000 visitors!!) Tell me if the color I've used here is a tad off-putting!!

One of these was provided by Dj Kirk - but he keeps forgetting to tell me what one!!

The first is something that I just didn't think to put in here. Don't know why, it must have fled my memory!! Anyway, a couple of mixing tips here, as written by Dj Flash .

The first idea is how to get through a song faster. Some people insist on mixing the begining of one tune with the end of the other and can never mix out of the middle of the tune. If this is the case, this trick will make a song a lot shorter (you need two copies of the same record to do it).

It's simple, all you do (once you have the track mixed in) is you mix across from the first chorus on the first copy to the last chorus on the second copy. There might be a short flange in there (because they're the same exact thing) but it usual sounds good. This can cut a tune from being 8 minutes to 2 minutes or something and can really pick up the pace for the night.

The second idea, which I haven't perfected yet, is more of a trick. Again you need two copies of the same record. You need to have both copies going at the same speed and have both copies at the same part of the song. Once you have this accomplished you simply pull copy B 1/2 a beat behind copy A. This means that the bass drum on copy B hits on the "off beat" of copy A. Then all you do is a quick jerk with the cross fader from A to B then back to A. If you can get this to work right, the crowd will love it and you will sound like the best DJ in the world (even though the trick is relatively easy).

Cheers Flash .

This one is from Dj Deejay, who you might remember I had one of those battle things with a while ago. Anyway.....

You only need one record for this but a sampler is required. Record one beat of the record playing, test it in the headphones make sure its ok. Then you can do that trick by Flash that you've just read, or if your experianced and confident enough you can turn a 4/4 track into a breakbeat track simply by bashing the button.

Here's a tip that was kindly sent out to me by Dj Vyb. This guy seems like a friendly chap, and definitely knows his stuff. Once you're done on my site, click on his banner and go see this guy. If only to listen to his Real Audio Mix. I spend half my time sending him emails, bugging him about tunes! (really appreciate it man!)

Anyway, here's a tip from him. It may seem a bit confusing at first, but re-read it a couple of times, go do it - you'll get it!!

The Massive Buildup-Breakdown Grooveslam: By Dj Vyb

This one is for all you Garage mixing people out there. It's not something I've consciously tried with garage, but I've done it with other genres, the principlies the same. If you're at all confused by the wording, get in touch and I'll see if SirLithium will re-write it:-

I was mixing with a 2 step speed garage track and a tech itch recording record. I was having a bit of trouble figuring out exactly WHAT to do after the crossfader was brought into the middle. So I did some experimenting last night and found that a way (im not exactly sure if its easier , or not "acceptable" or what...)You can mix out of one record and into another is with a bit of fancy cross fader work, and it sounds good to, here is an example:

Record A is the one that is playing, You will bemixing record B in. You have to have the records matched and for ease we will be using only 4/4 measure (where the 0's means not playing, sorry, couldn't get another way to format it)

A) 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
B) 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 1 2 0 0 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

So record A is playing, and B should be matched to A and going. When you get to the piece of the track on A that you want to bring B in on, Slide the fader in the middle for 2 beats, then slide it back to A. Repeat this for each bar until you just want B to be the record playing, then you just slide the fader over to B and then its time for your next record on the A side. You can get very creative with this technique, Im just keeping it simple. Enjoy!

Ok now, for a really tricky effect - you first cut the bass of the second record (or as much as possible) for the trick. Then AFTER the last beat of a couple of measures of the first record you slam the channel fader of record one down and instantly slam it up again but now you slam it up in combination with the channel fader of the second record. And here you've got a really nice tricky effect.

After that you can change on whatever way what you want the bass lines.

Nb: only done with records wich are usable for this kinda work of course. Also do the slamming up thing before the next beat comes up, so the trick is done within a fraction of a second but once you know it, it's very easy to do and gives a funny effect.

Not really a technique as such this one, but if you don't have a reverse button on your decks, and want to play backwards, then give this one from Syntax a try:-

I saw this done by NOMAD (I think he is out of Chicago, I don't remember), and everyone on the floor just completely stopped and stared at this. He shoved a drinking straw through a wide styrofoam container, and put it on the spindle on top of the slipmat then the record on top of the cup, with the straw through the hole. He then turned the counterweight all the way to the back, and flipped the headshell upside down, and let the record fly, playing it in reverse (who needs a mod?). Needless to say, I was impressed.

The important thing here is that the straw helps to centre the styrofoam cup in the middle of the deck if you can manage to get it over the spindle, and also give you something to put through the middle of the record, making sure it's centered. The reason you put the counterwieght all the way to the back is so the needle points right up to the sky - flipping the headshell should be obvious.