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I got Ableton 6 about a week ago and decided to try my hand at making a dubstep mix. I think it turned out alright considering I have no real musical knowledge and am just starting to learn Ableton. I figured I'd put it up to see if I could get any constructive criticism. The tracklist is pretty average and has a lot of Skream tracks in it since I don't have a bunch of songs to choose from. I really like all these songs though so I thought it would make for a good first mix to get my feet wet with.

Link: http://www.sendspace.com/file/1szni2

Tracklist:

Skream-Chest Boxin
Skream-Losing Control
Digital Mystikz-Haunted Bass
Skream-Make Me
Skream-Check It
Kode9-Magnetic City
Scuba-Respirator
Skream-Tapped
Preponderance-Grit
Bass Clef-Cannot Be Straightened
Digital Mystikz-Anti-War Dub
Kode9-Ping
Scuba-Subquaceous

It saddens me that with no DJ experience you can get a program and a week later have a mix done to share on the internet.

Sorry, that makes me sound like an arse and a snob but it just doesn't seem right.

I should perhaps listen before I judge, I know.

Dutty Yuppie wrote:It saddens me that with no DJ experience you can get a program and a week later have a mix done to share on the internet.

Sorry, that makes me sound like an arse and a snob but it just doesn't seem right.

I should perhaps listen before I judge, I know.

That's the way of the world these days matey! Ever since kids with no musical "knowledge" or "skills" started releasing "tunes" that were made on a playstation (with one rubbish synth noise, a vocal sample and a relentless drum loop) the music scene has been blown wide open for all sorts of different approaches to music.

It just means that you have to look a bit further and dig a bit deeper to find the sounds that are ahead of the game... don't believe what people write about themselves, it's all about the sounds.

But at the same time, everyone has to start somewhere, and one cannot make progress without some healthy criticism. As long as everyone retains a sense of humility about their work (rather than getting ableton one week, and the following week declaring that they are the new saviour of the electronic music scene) and everyone keeps moving forward (rather than thinking that DJing in Ableton is the 'be all and end all' of music making) then isn't musical egalitarianism a good thing?

managed to listen to this mix and i know for goddam sure that abbleton&traktors&seratos&finalscratch is not the best way to start dj career (besides, true vinyl fans do not use this kinda stuff in general unless to support the dirty dubplate bizniss).

on the other hand - ain't dj myself, so what can i say?

Dutty Yuppie wrote:It saddens me that with no DJ experience you can get a program and a week later have a mix done to share on the internet.

Sorry, that makes me sound like an arse and a snob but it just doesn't seem right.

I should perhaps listen before I judge, I know.

What is so horrible about opening music/mixing/production to a greater number of people? Yeah, they'll be a lot of crap put out but there's also going to be some great and inventive stuff put out too. Why is this wrong? I'm not looking to become some great DJ, at best this might become a hobby for me and I was just looking for someone to say "Yeah, it's not that great. You could improve it by doing such and such..." I guess about all I can say for your post is that you recognize you're a snob.

son, he wasnt having a go at you at all.

I can fully see where hes coming from, I mean ive been DJing now for, iunno must be 4-5 years or so. And I reckon im just about getting to the level of being able to make a half decent mix. These programs make getting to the level some spend years on getting to with vinyl an overnight thing.

And the trouble is, you're not going to make crap! Theres no problem with making absoloute shit, its a learning curve hey! (some mixes ive recorded in my time, thought were fine and have listened to since just like... shit the bed that was bad) Just that with programs like ableton you can make a mix easily that with vinyl would take months to record alone, let alone learn the skills to get to that level. Im sure you can see how it takes away the idea of DJing being an art form! Its like, i dunno...if someone developed a skateboard that did tricks for you...(rubbish example...)

I spose the argument is that if youre using programs like this the bar of decency is raised, but who knows...Im poifectly happy with vinyl atm

Anyhoo, big ups on doing this, all about making mixes, getting feedback etc. Only way to learn! GWAN SON!

I agree, all this digital mixing/CD decks etc dont really do it for me, love to feel the track on my fingers Keep the vinyls spinnin'!

http://barefiles.com/download.php?id=1650


My mix on there! vinyl all the way...hear them come in and out of tempo on my stanton STR8 30's loll

The Wiggle Baron wrote:son, he wasnt having a go at you at all.

I can fully see where hes coming from, I mean ive been DJing now for, iunno must be 4-5 years or so. And I reckon im just about getting to the level of being able to make a half decent mix. These programs make getting to the level some spend years on getting to with vinyl an overnight thing.

And the trouble is, you're not going to make crap! Theres no problem with making absoloute shit, its a learning curve hey! (some mixes ive recorded in my time, thought were fine and have listened to since just like... shit the bed that was bad) Just that with programs like ableton you can make a mix easily that with vinyl would take months to record alone, let alone learn the skills to get to that level. Im sure you can see how it takes away the idea of DJing being an art form! Its like, i dunno...if someone developed a skateboard that did tricks for you...(rubbish example...)

I spose the argument is that if youre using programs like this the bar of decency is raised, but who knows...Im poifectly happy with vinyl atm

Anyhoo, big ups on doing this, all about making mixes, getting feedback etc. Only way to learn! GWAN SON!

If Dutty was arguing vinyl vs. software, then I apologize for me being the a-hole. When I was reading it, it sounded to me as if he was simply not liking the fact that a person can download a program and get mixing/producing immediately.

Well Conspiracy, I pre-empted that it came across as snobby and I wasn't having a go at you. Simply put, from my point of view, it took me years and years of train-wreck mixing and trial and error to be able to do anything resembling a sub-standard mix. Once I got the hang of it, I was so proud that my patience paid off as your skills rapidly escalate once you get the hang of it. I've been mixing 13 years now and I still think there's a hell of a lot to learn. Dubstep interests me from a DJ perspective because it offers such flexibilty in style.

To be honest, I've always maintained that any old muppet can DJ and the advance in technology is great - as long as you're not expecting to take the DJ world by storm. Good luck to you, seriously, it's just sad that people can put out a mix within a week. I just hope you use the technology to the max to pull off things that can't be done with your typical DJ equipment.

At the end of the day, tune selection is critical so as long as you've got that and can do something original then great. Scratch Eddie - you make good points in your post.

You're entitled to think I'm a snob (I'm really not I can assure you) but I'm sure many others would agree with me.

Again, good luck - I find DJing therapeutic more than anything and if this gives you the same release then who am I to rain on your parade.

Wiggle Baron. Everything's put on a plate for us these days..it's absurd. Even bloody sat nav in everyone's cars mean we're spawning a generation of people who won't know their way around roads off top of their heads!

each to there own innit ,ive been a vinyl junkie since 84 , with over 3000 records covering all genres , having been on my first set of decks in 86 , was addicted till this day , BUT , ive been using ableton fer the last 6 months or so , because i feel you can be as creative if not more so with it , if u make a mix with feeling for them tunes and ya happy with the results big up innit , 6 weks months years , dont matter , enjoying , belonging and feeling the sounds does ,

fack remember the days of pause button mixtapes , pencil in the hole rewinding it so the edit was tight , i might be showing my age but those mixes still stand the test of time

STICK WITH IT BRUV

kidcazual wrote:each to there own innit ,ive been a vinyl junkie since 84 , with over 3000 records covering all genres , having been on my first set of decks in 86 , was addicted till this day , BUT , ive been using ableton fer the last 6 months or so , because i feel you can be as creative if not more so with it , if u make a mix with feeling for them tunes and ya happy with the results big up innit , 6 weks months years , dont matter , enjoying , belonging and feeling the sounds does ,

fack remember the days of pause button mixtapes , pencil in the hole rewinding it so the edit was tight , i might be showing my age but those mixes still stand the test of time

STICK WITH IT BRUV

Amen to that.

There's no reason to come in here with negative comments. Start a discussion thread about software mixing vs decks, but don't ruin the dude's first mix thread with your negative opinions on the direction dj'ing has gone in.


Keep doing your thing, Conspiracy

Edit: Fuck it.

Dl-ing now, I'll give you some feedback when it's done..

Been mixing for 8 or so years on decks, never used ableton for it but I'll give it a listen mate..

Cant be any worse than the 'accident in a machine gun factory' style mixing I started doing when I got my first omnitronic decks.

I had a listen matey, not a completely bad start.. You wana get some cheap decks I'd say and learn a bit more about mixing on the 8 bars if you know what I mean..

Get the tunes to line up better.. then you can work on levels an actual mixing.

I put up a quick mix I just did to show you what I mean, they must have some correlation to mix right.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/8ftaxm

Hope this helps you along a bit.. keep at it.

Ascend wrote:I had a listen matey, not a completely bad start.. You wana get some cheap decks I'd say and learn a bit more about mixing on the 8 bars if you know what I mean..

Get the tunes to line up better.. then you can work on levels an actual mixing.

I put up a quick mix I just did to show you what I mean, they must have some correlation to mix right.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/8ftaxm

Hope this helps you along a bit.. keep at it.

Thanks. I'm hoping the beatmatching and lining them up gets better as I get more used to using Ableton.

big up man. dont mind these folks

blablabla - dont mind these folks! --> RIGHT!

cheers,
m

im with all the vinyl heads on this one but fair play, its just how time goes on i guess but i would advise anyone who wants to start djing, to do it the vinyl way, as you will learn all the basics which are the most important things really.

The growth of understanding follows an ascending spiral rather than a straight line.

Were you on Acid when you though of this madness?

Get some 12" and a cheap setup mate cos you will only regret not learning to mix.