Trade In The Kick For The Snare<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe story of Dubstep’s formation as a genre is essentially made up of people saying\u2026 “You know what this track needs? LOTS MORE BASS”<\/em>. And, as happy as I am that this is how the music turned out, it can make beatmatching an absolute nightmare.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe problem is that the bass of track A is so omnipresent and saturated that you cannot for the life of you hear the bass of track B, which is what you need to do to line the songs up and mix them into one another, but it’s not impossible \u2014 there is a trick!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you’ve got bass blaring through both your monitor and headphones, you need to forget about the bass altogether. I know, I know\u2026 it sounds like set suicide, but, trust me, it works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, you’re not going to ignore everything and let the tracks completely run amok. The trick is to focus on the snare or whatever noise comes in with that snappy treble hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That’s going to be your beatmatching marker. The rest of the music is so bass-heavy that the snare hits stand out like a big old sore thumb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By listening to the snare, you’ll start to realize that this seemingly randomized music actually has a very clean-cut structure \u2014 usually a typical 4\/4 beat. Once you hear it and you’re feeling the rhythm, you’ve got the green light to beat match as you usually would.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Time Out How Long You\u2019re Going To Play Each Track<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nDon’t get me wrong; it’s perfectly okay if you like to include some sort of improvisational aspect to your performances by not thoroughly planning everything out. Still, many great Dubstep DJs prefer a more structured approach to their mixing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Typically speaking, they’ll allocate a minute to a minute and a half to each track they play, as it\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Keeps the energy of the evening electric.<\/li>
- Prevents ear fatigue.<\/li>
- Increases the chances you\u2019ll play more people\u2019s favorite tracks.<\/li>
- Gives you an idea of where you are in the set.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Dubstep Mixing Techniques<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nNow let’s check out a few specific methods for mixing Dubstep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During The Build-Up Of A Drop In Track A<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nI’m a big fan of this mixing technique. It involves letting track A hit one drop as usual, then gently bringing in track B during the build-up towards the next one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The melodic aspect of the second track adds to the intensity of the build, helping to get the crowd pumped up, then, just before the second drop in track A is about to hit, in one quick motion, take track A completely out of the mix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I know removing a drop sounds like the cardinal sin of Dubstep DJing, but if anything, it allows more time to build the tension while keeping everything sonically intriguing. Then, once the first drop in track B hits, the place bounces beyond belief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During The Outro Of A Drop In Track A<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nAnother common way to mix Dubstep music is to use the outro of a drop in track A. Outros usually mean the end of a song, and it’s our job to completely do away with “ends” and keep the party going with seamless transitions, so it’s an ideal place to bring in a new track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As track A starts to fizzle out, simply fade in track B and fade out track A, letting the dance floor know that it’s not time to sit down or head to the bar for another drink just yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Drop Mixing<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nPossibly the most popular and impactful way to mix Dubstep of all is drop mixing, which is exactly what it sounds like. You wait for a drop in track A to come along, then just as it’s about to hit, invert the channel faders, so an unexpected super drop strikes the crowd. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s the kind of musical “aha moment” that will have everyone on the floor turning to each other and screaming “YES.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As with most forms of mixing, to prepare for some sick drop mixing, you need to set your hot cues, but don’t just set track B’s cue as the moment before the drop. It should actually be a little further back, so you have time to beat match the tracks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you’ve checked everything is in sync, it’s just a matter of timing. You need to invert the faders in a single swift motion, giving you that immaculately clean cut between tracks A and B.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But don’t just forget about track A once you’ve successfully transitioned to your secondary jog. Use the channel fader in a quick rhythmic fashion (kind of like how you’d use the crossfader for scratching) to add some powerful accents to your newly established beat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n