Select. Make sure the two tunes you're going be double dropping are keyed correctly. You can pick up key analyzers relatively cheaply these days (try Mixed in Key) or if you're a musical bod you can probably do it by ear with a keyboard. The thing is, if you're going to be playing two tunes together they, need to compliment each other musically or all the DJ skill in the world won't make them sound good together. For the sake of example, two tunes with the most drum 'n' bass that DJs should have kicking around
Listen to J Majik and Wickaman - Dubplate Killas
Cueing - How you go about cueing your tunes will depend largely on what medium you've chosen to DJ through. If you're using vinyl you should already know that you can see the drops on your record. In the case of Dubplate Killas, it can be seen that there is a dark section at the beginning of the record, followed by a smaller, lighter section, followed by a large dark section that makes up the main body of the tune. To plan the mix out, it needs to be broken down into 16bar sections. So if we listen and count the beats, you will see that there are have two 16bars sections of beats, then one 16bar section of build before the bass comes in. Where the bass comes in is the most important part of the record as far as double dropping is concerned as it's this point on both records that you will want to occur simultaneously. If you now look at Where's My Money, you can see there is a smaller, lighter section before the dark section of bass comes in. Listening and counting, you see this tune has two 16bar sections before the bass comes in. So, if you start playing Dubplate Killas, you will wait for one 16bar section to play before starting Where's My Money. Now the tunes will both play through their remaining two 16bar sections and both of their basslines will come in together!
- Then listen to TC - Where's My Money
- Both of these tunes are in B-flat minor, or have Camelot mixing code 3A. This means both of these tunes could be played from start to finish and there would not be a key clash anywhere.
Cueing - How you go about cueing your tunes will depend largely on what medium you've chosen to DJ through. If you're using vinyl you should already know that you can see the drops on your record. In the case of Dubplate Killas, it can be seen that there is a dark section at the beginning of the record, followed by a smaller, lighter section, followed by a large dark section that makes up the main body of the tune. To plan the mix out, it needs to be broken down into 16bar sections. So if we listen and count the beats, you will see that there are have two 16bars sections of beats, then one 16bar section of build before the bass comes in. Where the bass comes in is the most important part of the record as far as double dropping is concerned as it's this point on both records that you will want to occur simultaneously. If you now look at Where's My Money, you can see there is a smaller, lighter section before the dark section of bass comes in. Listening and counting, you see this tune has two 16bar sections before the bass comes in. So, if you start playing Dubplate Killas, you will wait for one 16bar section to play before starting Where's My Money. Now the tunes will both play through their remaining two 16bar sections and both of their basslines will come in together!
NB - CD Mixing - unless you are in the privileged
position of owning CDJ 1000's, which give you a vinyl-esque readout of
the drops in a tune, it can be difficult to judge your drops by section.
It is recommended to use the time display to judge drops. The time that
sections come in roughly on a 175bpm tune are as follows
- 1 16 bar section = 0.21 secs
- 2 16 bar sections = 0.42 secs
- 3 16 bar sections = 1.06 secs
- 4 16 bar sections = 1.28 secs
Using these values can be useful for forward cueing a
tune, for example if you want to drop a beat with a four 16bar section
intro in quickly, you would search to 1.06 secs, then move around a bit
until you find a cymbal or the end of a drum roll that usually signifies
the start of a section. Set this as your cue point, then mix in from here for rapid fire beat dropping!
Mixing - This is pretty much down to preference. As
you approach your mixing point, for example, the part when both
basslines come in together, make sure the gains on your tunes are pretty
much level, cut the bass on Dubplate Killas and pump the bass on
Where's My Money. Boom! You now have two tunes playing as one, creating a
bespoke live remix on the spot! From here, you can have a bit of fun,
cutting bassline phrases in and out of one another, creating a mash up!
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