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Cutting vs Mixing


broma

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When I first got decks it was all about mixing, seeing which records worked well together, when to drop a tune in/out, different types blends, wind downs, blah blah, scratching didn't go past the occaisional stabs and babys.

 

As I've got more into scratching I've really neglected mixing. Even if I intend to play about with some mixing I end up just throwing on the instro of one of the tunes I'm trying to mix and getting busy (badly most of the time to be honest) on the cut. My mixing has really, really suffered - not that I was great in the first place but I really fucking suck now. I cut on the left turntable and hardly use the other at all so my coordination on the right deck has almost completely gone (I don't/can't juggle!) I don't even 'listen' to vinyl anymore I can't keep my hands off it and fucking shit up!!

 

Seeing as there's a lot of scratch folk on here I was wondering how people find the balance between the two? Do peeps practice scratching and mixing, or just scratching and the mixing is second nature cos they're good like that?!

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my cuttin is so bad i only doin it when im mixin ie cut the beat in ,

Myself i like to mix it up ,droppin acapellas over instros and just generally mixin tunes..

 

I find a lot of people who cut don't bother mixin at all.thats alright if ur playin at a scatch event but if ur gonna play parties bar etc,you gotta do a bit of both.

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I find a lot of people who cut don't bother mixin at all.thats alright if ur playin at a scatch event but if ur gonna play parties bar etc,you gotta do a bit of both.

 

 

word.

 

I know im not the one to talk cos my mixing is appaling, but getting better. I mainly scratch if there was a scratch to mix time ratio it would be 10:1 in my case.

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I literally haven't mixed in months until today and it was fucking horrible! Been planning a mix cd for time, got the records piled up and ready but I always end of scratching instead. I played a few bars/clubs at one stage but it'd be embarassing now.

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I thought I was the only one :) when I play a club 80% of the time I will cut the next track in because I'm not confident enough in my mixing, I never get down to it properly and I really should because it is my intention to make some of my income off DJing...

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if you ever want to piss of a crowd of people more at a club or bar and watch faces turn from fazed bewilderment to uncertainty and fright, to discomfort and agreesion then try throwing in a juggle battle 32 bar skratch routine in between a jiggy "rap" set. its got to be cash money beat junky style or nothing else cause heads aint ready.

 

some times shit is definitely neede to be left to a jazz club or the kitchen battleroom at a house party.

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when i first got my decks i wanted to primarily mix dance tunes and make my own tapes then learn to scratch. once i had learnt how to mix perfectly (when i say perfectly, the thing that fooks me up most is messing around with the record once it has been dropped cos i get bored easily! and who listens to the key of the track?!?!?!) now i only occasionaly use my decks for mixing cos the tunes i have have been mixed to death.

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had a go at mixing the other day after completely giving up on it for a year to focus on scratching so i could do rad shit for my band and work on my production.

 

I think my mixing has actually improved since i stopped doing it! and when you think about it, it's not rocket science. One beat has to be the same speed as the other. I think mayb i was over thinking it before, or mayb scratching has just made me heaps more comfortable behind the decks.

 

I don't know...

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I only learned to mix so I can play out live. Noone wants to hear scracth over a loop for hours. So, I BPM my records get a set together and spash as much scratching in as possible. I like it!

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i go through phases where i only do mixing..then only scratching..i think the best thing is doing both in moderation so you wont get bored...and having a fresh supply of new songs every so often. With mixing its easy to mix just from on song to another....its what you do afterwards which is harder (and more interesting)..try adding beats (or acapellas) over the top...maybe scratch a bit of the bass beat and let it go so it mixes pefectly in (without having to nudge it one way or another)

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mixing is pretty easy if you ask me... the thing some kids cant do is drop the beat right.. but yall are skratch heads so it shouldnt be a problem... right?

 

 

dope sets that i see are ones that have live remixes for sure... and with a little practice at home... that too... is easy

 

but definatly, if you cant mix... learn how because some one is bound to ask you to spin a party and we all know that skratching in a beat and doing volume fades is not ok

 

 

 

at all...

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Mixing depends on what you are doing. I did a Gig at a bar on saturday which was mainly Funk, Soul, Blues and a few Beats. In 5 hours I probably mixed 3 times cause it ain't suited. It was pretty much stop and start.

 

On tuesday I played at the End where there is a lot of pilled up Ravers. I played Broken Beat, Electro, A Bit of Detroit Techno and a few Beats. I beat matched it all semelessly for the whole night.

 

Haha. I've forgot why I was writing this post. bah.

 

DB. I'd never wear a trucker hat. Eww.

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mixing is pretty easy if you ask me... the thing some kids cant do is drop the beat right.. but yall are skratch heads so it shouldnt be a problem... right?

 

 

dope sets that i see are ones that have live remixes for sure... and with a little practice at home... that too... is easy

 

but definatly, if you cant mix... learn how because some one is bound to ask you to spin a party and we all know that skratching in a beat and doing volume fades is not ok

 

 

 

at all...

 

 

Scratchings well easy as well. All you do is move the record about.

 

Depends what sort of mixing you're doing innit. Yeah a retard could learn to beat match in a couple of hours but that's just the start...

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i reckon for you to call yourself a dj you need good all round skillz. i mix chop drop and scratch a bit of everything. i laugh when folk say well my music cant be mixed its not designed for it .... bollox no music is especially designed for mixing except maybe the newer dance shite. look at all the old school jocks cutting breaks etc you just need to find records that work i.e i showed a jungle playing d.j. a mix that he didnt think possible, it was the jam down in the tube station mixed with a dillinger tune both 160 bpm and amazed the crowd. we used to have fun years ago by dropping a crap tune, then the next dj had to mix another tune into that and so on always trying to catch each other out. made us get creative on the mix.

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