Best DJ Software For Mixing Classic Disco

Discussion in 'general discussion' started by TonyG, Jul 2, 2017.

  1. ned944

    ned944 Moderator Staff Member

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    @tonyg0499 You asked a question here, and everyone provided practical and useable answers. All of these are valid, and yet you seem to want to provoke some kind of response. (Which You Have) When asked about your questions clarity, you took a bit to respond, and did so with a bit of Attitude. If you don't want answers don't ask a question, if you don't like the answers, Don't attack anyone. YOU asked The Question.

    And All the rest of you! there is no reason to stay in this thread and Stir the pot. If you give an answer to someone, and you realize the OP is as most of you feel attacking everyone back. It's best to move on. Unfortunately, Some people don't like the answers they asked for and like in real life, just walk away from them or the thread. Simple Solution...

    If this behavior continues I will lock this thread Permanently!
     
    Last edited: Jul 3, 2017
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  2. TonyG

    TonyG Guest

    Took a bit to respond? Since when does the PO has to respond right away? Do you have to stay in front of your computer when you start a thread? I asked the question but the answers were NOT related to the simple question that I asked. Lock the thread, kick me out. Go ahead. I am not going to lose any sleep over it. Before you issue warnings and threats read what took place. Analyze the question that was asked and the answers. Also look at the history between the members involved. This is not the first time they use threads to put other members down. Don't expect respect from me when you start disrespecting me.
     
  3. tooloud

    tooloud Guest

    I think you have edited your question and you refer specifically to 70's disco and you say Traktor, for example, is not suitable. This may be due to the fact that almost all disco songs back then were performed by live musicians without drum machines, hence tempo changes were part and parcel of those performances. Sadly there is no easy answer except to beatmix on the fly, crossfades will need you to ride the tempo. No software that I'm aware of can match the tempo of a track that is fluctuating several times over the course of 8 bars, especially if it starts with guitar and strings, which was common then. Disco songs didn't always come in with a 4/4 Kick.
    Have you mentioned whether the purpose of this is playing live or recording disco mixes at home? If it's in a DAW, then I'd slice up your crossfades into 2 or 4 bars and time stretch them manually to match the next track.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 3, 2017
  4. mild pump milk

    mild pump milk Russian Milk Drunkard

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    I don't understand why you are looking for software for mixing CLASSIC DISCO, because you can do it in every DJ software, and it doesn't depend on genres. One DJ software doesn't sound less or more "discoer" than another one. The concept is usually to mix signals (tracks), synced by time/pitch in one long nonstop track. The question is to sync speed/time/pitch/bpm to arithmetically average of them. So if you have 10 tracks with 100-102 bpm and 1 track with 120 bpm, it is better sync this track to 100 bpm, than all 10 tracks to 120, or make all to 110 or so. Less you pitch/stretch, better the quality of sound.
    First I would measure all bpms and stretch/pitch them to one common bpm with super quality stretch software, like izotope radius in rx or so, then mix them in any daw, so more options to see everything you do, such as waveform accuracy of phases etc., using plugins etc. First before you stretch use gain down to lower speed to avoid clipping etc, also when you mix 2 tracks, you may clip those places where one track crosses / mixes with second one. On master just use some slight compression and limiter to pick up overall loudness. It is safer, than clipping. To avoid artefacts while stretching and post-processing, download flac/wav or high samplerate audio to avoid less and achieve maximum.
    If it is for your live shows, do what I said, it is easier, safer and faster to have pre-made stretched files, than messing up and hurry up to make successful mix at live, if you are not a pro. Use a daw or DJ software, but as a musician and engineer I would use a daw (mix, process, extra editing), pro editor (stretch, edit, restore some stuff in audio).
    I made some good mixsets when I was a kid without any knowledge, I used Nero waveeditor and old cool edit pro. Even know they sound like it was done by a pro.
    Btw I am not a DJ.
     
  5. reliefsan

    reliefsan Audiosexual

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    Friendly reminder to everyone

    Its obviously MONDAY today and its seems like everyone is under the same curse/SPELL - named Monday Blues:bleh::bow::rofl:

    Heres some blues:


    An old saying : treat others like you would like to be treated.

    Love and Respect:guru:
     
  6. Hennessey

    Hennessey Platinum Record

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    your attitude is so wrong.You are rude and unrespectful! If you need help you can not be such an AH ! If you have skills as you said you have a good advices here,take a turntables and you are good to go not to offend people who try to help you! if i were ADMIN or MOD for that kind of ignorant talking i will BAN you for GOOD! Shame on you ,this good comunity and this people are trying to help you on so many ways and all you do is childlish debate!!!! And about repsect you mentoined everybody as i see even if english is not my native language myou have a lot respect from all users,but that ones who you after trying to help you dissrespect! You obviously are not succes as you said....Any DAW can make remixes in terms if you want to use those in tracktor or other soft and they are not tempo synced you can allways do that job in every single DAW! even if i am not a dj and i am not familiar with workflow except tractor a bit,all you need is DAW and a patiente if not do not put up a fight here.Get lost with your stupid attitude!
     
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  7. Hamudi2000

    Hamudi2000 Member

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    I don´t do "Disco" but I did with unquantized live music
     
  8. Hamudi2000

    Hamudi2000 Member

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    That´s easy with Cubase hitpoints
     
  9. tooloud

    tooloud Guest

    Difficult if it has no transient peaks. If you had a lengthy string intro and you're trying to bring in a rhythm, it's largely guess work. But I'm not a DJ and my only experience with similar has been trying to work up an arrangement from an acoustic guitar part which was defying any kind of time structure or tempo. Hence, as I said I broke it down into blocks and forced the guitar to fit me, rather than the other way around.
     
  10. Sylenth.Will.Fall

    Sylenth.Will.Fall Audiosexual

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    Hi Tony, I've only just seen this thread and whilst I have read most of the comments. I haven't read them all so apologies for that.
    As someone who got a pair of SL1200's 30 odd years ago, and who still uses them today (WITHOUT any automation,) I can confirm, disco is one of the hardest genres of all to mix. Even Ableton struggles to warp it correctly. The bottom line is there is no best way to mix disco, other than pick a part of the record where you know the drums are somewhere close to being a constant tempo.

    Being from The UK, my friends and inspirations included CJ Macintosh, and Ben Liebrand (as well as a few others from the Disco Mix Club)
     
  11. electriclash

    electriclash Guest

    tony.. ahem ..retired after this thread if I recall...

    meanwhile was rockin some disco last night:


    Cheers Tony! HNY! :cheers:


    and a lil later this gem: ;)
     
  12. Rhona

    Rhona Guest

  13. electriclash

    electriclash Guest

    eh?
     
  14. electriclash

    electriclash Guest

    best software is a recorder :/

    20171227_202031.jpg
     
  15. quadcore64

    quadcore64 Audiosexual

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    The fact is, you can you any DAw to mix DJ sets. It's a limit of imagination that would preclude you
    from doing so.

    Any DJ specific software with sample loading will also accomplish the same task in a more straight foward
    and somewhat limited scope.
     
  16. Sylenth.Will.Fall

    Sylenth.Will.Fall Audiosexual

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    :lmao: It wasn't just me then!

    It seems you and I are the only ones who mix still with the decks facing the right way around
     
  17. taskforce

    taskforce Audiosexual

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    Wth, i only saw this now, when Sylenth replied. I guess we 're 6 months late. But anyway. As explained in this thread, the thing is many disco songs have variable tempo and often not steady parts and to top that some even have atmospheric intros lacking any kind of tempo indication.
    Some daws have a way to split the audio into short pieces and re-stretch those pieces. The first one to do so was Acid and in Acid its called beatmapping. In Live it's called warping. What Live gives you in this particular occasion is a way to perform live those tracks. Late Sonar versions have a function that mimicks Live's performance mode as well.
    Now, i read almost all answers.
    Warping and re-editing every track in your playlist is the only way to do this if you wanna automate or simply go digital with your live mixes. Splitting a track to many parts always helps. You need to find the parts that vary in speed in every song, split those parts to individual tracks and warp them. You may find you have to do 15-20 splits and different warps or even more for just a single song, so you need to ask yourself is it worth it?
    I mean the experienced DJ hand that pushes the platter a lil faster or drags it slower or varies the pitch slightly when the song starts going off tempo is irreplaceable when spinning live disco music and you know your tracks inside out, meaning you are aware of when and how the tempo anomalies occur in each and every track you play and also possess the technique to smoothly alter speed without any audible artifacts.
    Still, if you put a lot of work warping and manually changing warp markers, slicing, moving-extending or cutting slices and crossfading, finally re-exporting those tracks to new synced versions of the originals, you can automate digitally your playlist. There is still the pitch/root note factor that many djs used to neglect (and still do despite all the tech avail) offering terribly tone clashing sounding mixes because most of them were satisfied or convinced since they got the tempo sync right, all is well, i used to call 'em tone deaf lol. But modern softies like Traktor and Serato have pitch detection so it boils down to just a matter of careful selection once the tracks are already edited to sync with any given tempo speed.
    When i spin Disco (which if my avatar doesn't betray it, is my main thing) i use SL1200 MkIIs, Traktor or Serato, digital vinyl and a selection of normal 12"s. Lately i won't carry more than a 50 piece crate of 12"s really. I personally like to use good old Acid Pro to re-assemble old disco tracks to newer fixed tempo versions but only because i know it better than Live and find it easier and faster to use for this kind of job.
    Finally just for expressing myself as well :), Classic Disco includes all sorts of tracks, some including drum machines as well. Also some famous and some not so famous tracks were recorded under a metronome or click track. One such track that comes to my mind right away is E.L.O.'s - Last train To London. It is almost a perfect 120 BPM although it has no programmed parts and includes some of the coolest live string parts in disco imho.
    Merry Xmas and happy holidays :)
     
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  18. Quartz Pride

    Quartz Pride Newbie

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    Club DJ Pro is a mixing software that is perfect for your mixing needs. Check out more about product features and the latest news.

    Here: http://www.clubdjpro.com/
     
  19. Pure Energy

    Pure Energy Producer

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    From Experience I use Ableton so much easier to stretch the hitpoint so that the timinig is right especialy if you creating an intro and exit to mix in and out from Ableton is my choice I have a Vestax VCM 600 which is the best mixer EVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR :)
     
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