Dj ice

**BOOST** · 04-25-2010, 10:39 AM

My son who is only 13 spinning let me know what you think.

Club
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Xk79hSzTHw

House
http://www.mixcloud.com/search/?mixc...sion&x=16&y=16

**kalspic** · 04-25-2010, 11:30 PM

thats pretty cool. wait till bojamgles puts his imput on it. he's into djing

**CMPD213** · 04-26-2010, 12:18 PM

Tell him to stick with it, has some talent if he's only 13.

**beatango2008** · 04-26-2010, 12:24 PM

Man that is really good, Does he use DJ software on the computer, I use Virtual DJ but he has some really good effects

**BOOST** · 04-27-2010, 06:11 PM

Originally Posted by beatango2008

Man that is really good, Does he use DJ software on the computer, I use Virtual DJ but he has some really good effects

Virtual DJ a cdm 3600, loops and filters and his own effects.

**Bojangles69** · 04-27-2010, 10:22 PM

Wow thats def impressive for a 13 year old, mainly his mixing skills not his technical/musical skills.
He knows how to create a basic groove, he sort of understand build and release, but right now he should be focusing on getting a clean mix down. The kick drum is suppose to be the dominant element in any house or club track, usually maxing out at -1db. While the bass usually maxes out at -3db.

I'm not sure if hes using the wrong levels, if its because he hasn't learned how to sidechain, or if its because he doesn't understand general phasing issues and how to layer sounds but he are a couple quick tips.

His basslines need serious work, they sound digital, thin, and sterile, prob because hes using presets and not layering his bass. But bass usually NEEDS to be layered. If he doesn't understand layering, tell him to read some of the tuts over at tranceaddict.

Make sure hes cutting his kick and bass under 50hz. A sub will usually be low passed while most mid basses are hi passed (around 150hz with a filter) and boosted around 175-200hz with an equal.

Right now it he starts chaining his bass he'll get more punch out of both his kick and basses. But he still needs to learn how to layer punchier basses under his main samples. Producers can sometimes use 4-6 layers or different sounds just on one bassline. All layered together and tweaked for maximum fatness.

Lastly, wherever hes getting his drums from they need to be warmed up, wayyy to digital sounding. Thats that brash, noisy sound that almost irritates your ears when the hihats hit. He needs to use an equal spike, then move it up and down the equal to find these digital artifacts and cut them out of his percussion with equalizers. If he cant do that tell him to low pass his hats just a tiny bit, its really the mid end he has to address but that will cut the higher frequencies and give the illusion of warmth to his hats.

Lastly he should be doing all his mixing in mono, a lot of newbies start mixing in stereo or don't even know how to mix in mono. If he ever gets a track signed in later years, and his track gets played out, and it wasn't at least mastered in mono, he will have sounds dropping out when the dj plays his tune cause most club systems play in mono. Also, producing in mono has its many advantages and is the best way to give each elements its own space.
I keep my kick and bass dead center, (in the stereo field) percussion depends but mostly mono as well, leads can be in either mono or stereo, it depends on how bright the bass line is. If you have a bright bass in mono and a bright lead in mono chances are the bass will win and swallow the lead line.
Thats why I usually layer my main leads, pan one lead 25% right and the other 25% left, then I offset one of the synths 2 ms (miliseconds) just to avoid phasing. This will throw his leads around his kick and bass and widen the stereo field.

For pads you want the widest stereo field possible. You can clone 2 of the same pad sounds, pan one 100% right, another 100% left, then even throw a stereo widener ON TOP of that. Make sure you offset anytime you clone or the pad will phase, offset either sound just a couple of miliseconds.

Most professionals understand how to fill out a stereo field properly, they understand how to conserve head space, they hi cut EVERYTHING but their kick and bass at 75hz, kick and bass get cut under 40-50hz. Anything under 40-50hz can't be heard by the human ear and will only help muddy up your track. Thats the same for the highest frequencies as well, cut them too cause your ears can't hear them anyway but they will ultimately remove headspace from the mix making sounds sound more crammed together.

Also he needs to start filling his tracks out more, theres a lot of parts where hes got a kick playing an a single percussion just looping it endlessly and hes gotta fill those loops out and add variation. Overall I mean the kids 13, at this rate even if he just played around everyday and didn't read a single book on production he'd still be ahead most producers.

But the best producers out there still usually start around 5-6. Its really the years that count the most. Corsten started young, tiesto started super young, a lot of good producers started at astoudingly young ages. Just have him keep at it and in another 4-5 years he may be label potential, who knows.

**BOOST** · 05-09-2010, 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by Bojangles69

Wow thats def impressive for a 13 year old, mainly his mixing skills not his technical/musical skills.
He knows how to create a basic groove, he sort of understand build and release, but right now he should be focusing on getting a clean mix down. The kick drum is suppose to be the dominant element in any house or club track, usually maxing out at -1db. While the bass usually maxes out at -3db.

I'm not sure if hes using the wrong levels, if its because he hasn't learned how to sidechain, or if its because he doesn't understand general phasing issues and how to layer sounds but he are a couple quick tips.

His basslines need serious work, they sound digital, thin, and sterile, prob because hes using presets and not layering his bass. But bass usually NEEDS to be layered. If he doesn't understand layering, tell him to read some of the tuts over at tranceaddict.

Make sure hes cutting his kick and bass under 50hz. A sub will usually be low passed while most mid basses are hi passed (around 150hz with a filter) and boosted around 175-200hz with an equal.

Right now it he starts chaining his bass he'll get more punch out of both his kick and basses. But he still needs to learn how to layer punchier basses under his main samples. Producers can sometimes use 4-6 layers or different sounds just on one bassline. All layered together and tweaked for maximum fatness.

Lastly, wherever hes getting his drums from they need to be warmed up, wayyy to digital sounding. Thats that brash, noisy sound that almost irritates your ears when the hihats hit. He needs to use an equal spike, then move it up and down the equal to find these digital artifacts and cut them out of his percussion with equalizers. If he cant do that tell him to low pass his hats just a tiny bit, its really the mid end he has to address but that will cut the higher frequencies and give the illusion of warmth to his hats.

Lastly he should be doing all his mixing in mono, a lot of newbies start mixing in stereo or don't even know how to mix in mono. If he ever gets a track signed in later years, and his track gets played out, and it wasn't at least mastered in mono, he will have sounds dropping out when the dj plays his tune cause most club systems play in mono. Also, producing in mono has its many advantages and is the best way to give each elements its own space.
I keep my kick and bass dead center, (in the stereo field) percussion depends but mostly mono as well, leads can be in either mono or stereo, it depends on how bright the bass line is. If you have a bright bass in mono and a bright lead in mono chances are the bass will win and swallow the lead line.
Thats why I usually layer my main leads, pan one lead 25% right and the other 25% left, then I offset one of the synths 2 ms (miliseconds) just to avoid phasing. This will throw his leads around his kick and bass and widen the stereo field.

For pads you want the widest stereo field possible. You can clone 2 of the same pad sounds, pan one 100% right, another 100% left, then even throw a stereo widener ON TOP of that. Make sure you offset anytime you clone or the pad will phase, offset either sound just a couple of miliseconds.

Most professionals understand how to fill out a stereo field properly, they understand how to conserve head space, they hi cut EVERYTHING but their kick and bass at 75hz, kick and bass get cut under 40-50hz. Anything under 40-50hz can't be heard by the human ear and will only help muddy up your track. Thats the same for the highest frequencies as well, cut them too cause your ears can't hear them anyway but they will ultimately remove headspace from the mix making sounds sound more crammed together.

Also he needs to start filling his tracks out more, theres a lot of parts where hes got a kick playing an a single percussion just looping it endlessly and hes gotta fill those loops out and add variation. Overall I mean the kids 13, at this rate even if he just played around everyday and didn't read a single book on production he'd still be ahead most producers.

But the best producers out there still usually start around 5-6. Its really the years that count the most. Corsten started young, tiesto started super young, a lot of good producers started at astoudingly young ages. Just have him keep at it and in another 4-5 years he may be label potential, who knows.

Thank you that is the feedback he was looking for. Although he is not looking to produce music, I printed your post and he has read it 20 times and keeps looking re-reading it.