Click me to start the Real Audio mix of this tutorial


Unfortunately, due to a misunderstanding with Freeserve, the space used for this mix was deleted, the mix with it - so there's no existing version of this mix. Do not fret though dear reader, I'm re-encoding all my mixes as we speak into MP3 versions, and they'll be uploaded in the next couple of weeks (it's currently mid July 2004 as I type.)

But, being as it includes the Vengaboys, it's probably a good thing. Still read ahead though as a guide on what's involved in getting a mix sounding smooth and as good as you can get it. The other mixes on trhe site that work have a similar guide to them - so though you might not have the tunes, you'll still be able to read while listening to it.

Right then, here we go. You'll have to excuse a couple of things, my knowledge of musical structure is kind of self taught, so I might talk about stuff that's absolute bollocks!! It all makes sense in my world, but then the sky is green!!!

All the kills and stuff are relative to having treble at 3 O'clock, Mid at 12 O'clock, and bass at about 2 O'clock at optimum playing position. This will differ on other mixers and stuff, but it means you can work it out from the references I give.

Anyway....

Here's the track list for the Tutorial:-

Blue Adonis - Disco Cop.
Vengaboys - Up and Down.
Nailin and Kane - Beachball (Tall Paul mix)
Mori Kante - Yeke Yeke
Da Hool - Meet her at the Love Parade
Kadoc - Nightrain
BBG - Snappiness.
Bonus track that I have put in since I had to re-record it. (Men behaving Badly - Stand Up)

Blue Adonis - Disco Cop - Vengaboys -Up and Down

Pretty simple start. Press the start button!! (Although I did fade it in, but that's coz it's part of a set I did)
At the end of the tune, it gets repetitive, doing a kind of wizz thing to end each four bars, but it still has the main "du du du-du". At the end, it drops most of its little hooks that make up the rest of the tune. On this one, start Vengaboys from the beginning. Move fader about a quarter of the way in. When the Vengaboys comes fully into the tune, move the fader so that it now favours VB's slightly, kill the bass on Blue Adonis (put it to about 9 O'clock). VB's should have the full amount of bass required. After four bars, kill the treble on Blue Adonis to about 12 O'clock, then with each hi-hat strike of the next four bars, take the fader across slightly. Adonis finishes on a stab, that's when the fader closes off on Vengaboys.

Vengaboys - Up and Down to Nailin and Kane - Beachball (Tall Paul mix)

Line up Beachball so that you're ready to go at the first bass drum - this is about 30/40 seconds into the tune, so look for it.

Wait for VB to go into its large breakdown half way through the tune, then as it comes out, start Beachball from the above point. You're not actually beginning the mix for a while yet, but this way you don't have to worry about timing, it's just a way to make life easier for you.

Put the channel fader on Beachball to 0. Move the cross fader into the middle. You shouldn't be able to hear Beachball. Beachball's EQ's are all set to the optimum point.

Wait for the whole Venga bit to happen fully four times (should take about a minute) and there will be a drop in the beats of Venga, just a kind of ".......and down." at this point, as it goes into this, bring up the channel fader on Beachball, kill the bass (to about 9 O'clock) and the treble very slightly on VB. Move the fader so it slightly favours Beachball.

Let this run for about 8 bars (I think) until the chick on Beachball starts singing (Viva forever or something) as it goes into this, the fader has been moved to about a quarter, favouring Beachball. Vengaboys is doing it's "whoop" bits during this, it'll do a kind of "wind up" noise, do a spin back on VB's and close off the fader - the spin-back helps with the changes in treble quality.

Nailin and Kane - Beachball (Tall Paul mix) to Mori Kante - Yeke Yeke

Wait until the second break in Beachball. As it comes out, let Beachball run through it's bit for 8 bars. Start Yeke Yeke from the beginning, from this point.

Keep the bass killed on Yeke, at about 7 o'clock, you don't want to over power Nailin.

Just before Beachball goes into the last break, you will hear Yeke go into a Crescendo and the chick will be singing "he, he, he, he". As Yeke does its four x cymbal hit Beachball goes into another Breakdown (its last I think) before it manages to go into this breakdown move the fader all the way across, so that Yeke Yeke starts at the point when the breakdown in Beachball would have started. Bring the bass back into Yeke Yeke as you move the cross fader. Sorted.

Mori Kante - Yeke Yeke to Da Hool - Meet her at the Love Parade (N+K Mix)

This one can be improved a bit!! The way it's on the streamed mix is below. If you want to make it tighter, start Da-Hool 4 bars into the breakdown (she's says "Ye ye ye come on yeke yeke" four times, start after the second.

As Yeke comes out of the last breakdown, start Da Hool. It's got that annoying sounding drum at the beginning, so don't let it come in too much, and kill the bass. As Hool goes into the bass melody (annoying drums have stopped), Yeke should be on it's way out of the main part of the tune. With the bass still killed, bring the fader to the center position. After four bars, bring the bass in Da Hool slightly, and Yeke out slightly (Yeke now at 11 O'clock, Nailin at 1) gradually move the fader across in time with the Hi-hats, until Yeke does its last stab. Close fader. On tape, this one can be a bit messy, live, it's fantastic!!

Da Hool - Meet her at the Love Parade to Kadoc - Nightrain

If you want to drop in the "all aboard" intro on this tune during the breakdown, go for it. It works kinda nice, drop it in a couple of times, then as the breakdown comes out, let "The Nightrain" fly, you need to start here anyway, so it's a nice way of doing it.

Again, kill the bass on Kadoc. especially if you are dropping it right off "The Nightrain" vocal, it means that any starting errors won't be as noticeable. As far as I can remember, the intro drums of Nightrain last the same amount of time as the last tune bits of Da Hool. So when Nightrain starts repeating "all aboard" during the chunk of the intro, you're back to just the bones of Da Hool. Bring in a bit more of the bass from Nightrain, (try to leave Da-Hool as it is) then let the natural intro of Kadoc help you out!! On the mix I've uploaded, I kept Da Hool's drums running for another 8 bars, your choice.

Kadoc - Nightrain to BBG - Snappiness.

Cue Snappiness 8 bars in, so that the Hi-hats have just started.

Wait until the mini break after the main break in Kadoc.

Move fader half way in, and start Snappiness at that point. It takes quite a lot of nerve to do it, because it starts with a piano, it sounds awful if you try to adjust the speed, you kinda need to get it bang on first time.

Make sure the bass is about 9 O'clock on BBG, they clash a bit at the moment.

Let them run together for about 8 bars ( I think) Snappiness will then bring in a more chunky bass. Move the fader so it now favours Snappiness, with Kadoc slightly less audible.

Another tune with a fantastic Crescendo that will just tell you to move the fader across!!

And that's it.

Hope this isn't all too vague - and I hope you've got kills!!!

C.ya

Recess



sex levis coke coca-cola