How do DJ's prefer the arrangement in house/tech tracks?

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loulou
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How do DJ's prefer the arrangement in house/tech tracks?

Post by loulou »

Im not a DJ and wondered what are you DJ's looking for in a track, arrangement-wise? A lot of breaks, long parts of just groove etc?

How do you prefer the build up on a track?

I know there's no "right way", but just wanted your opinions :)

Sorry for the gramma I'm dutch
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Re: How do DJ's prefer the arrangement in house/tech tracks?

Post by Themis »

hm i only can tell you what i dont want to hear

artificial build ups with lots of effects, maybe even effects that the DJ could use himself on the mixer.
tracks under 5 minutes
tracks that end really abrupt. dj friendly tracks take slowly element for element out of the track.
dont start your track on the offbeat or anywhere else weird, no one else then the DJ himself will ever hear the first 4 beats anyway.
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tone-def
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Re: How do DJ's prefer the arrangement in house/tech tracks?

Post by tone-def »

i don't like to many breaks.
i don't like breaks really early or really late in the track.
i don't like really long breaks.
i don't like weird fills which add an extra beat to the bar putting everything out of sync when your mixing.
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Re: How do DJ's prefer the arrangement in house/tech tracks?

Post by tone-def »

Themis wrote: dont start your track on the offbeat or anywhere else weird, no one else then the DJ himself will ever hear the first 4 beats anyway.
this can be a pain in the ass too.
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Re: How do DJ's prefer the arrangement in house/tech tracks?

Post by Phase Ghost »

Starting on an offbeat is the most annoying thing a producer can do. You need to give a dj something to mix from. If you're staring a tune with a more ambient intro, that's fine, but when the beat kicks in, start it on the 1st beat. I have a Paul Eg tune (I think) that starts on an off beat and pisses me off to no end. To this day, I still don't know where to start it. sh!t starts like a normal tune and you think it's one the 1, but when you drop it the kick is fucking off.

As far as breakdowns, I like to create those myself when mixing. Little breakdowns are cool, but keep them to the middle. Nothing worse than a long ass ambient breakdown at the end of a tune that leaves you less than a minute to mix the next track in. I usually like to have long mixes to blend the tracks well and sh!t like that makes it difficult.
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hydrogen
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Re: How do DJ's prefer the arrangement in house/tech tracks?

Post by hydrogen »

Great topic. Here is what I do like... All depends on the song though but at least there are options to choose from...

Cool weird intros especially if there is some sort of beat queue so I know where to start.

Cool weird extended songs are awesome after the outro doesn't even need the full beat... It's just nice to have some ambient fill in there could be a looping vocal sample or an extended pad.

Long breakdowns are cool, short ones are fine. Depends on the style but I do not like a lot of extended build up in breakdowns... Because I'd rather do a double drop or just mix into the break.

Plus one almost everything that's already pointed out.

Also songs that suck just don't get played. They have to sound good first. :)
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blizt
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Re: How do DJ's prefer the arrangement in house/tech tracks?

Post by blizt »

I think everyone is pretty much spot on here. So I will add this:

1. Check your favorite producers and analyse how they start and finish their tracks, and where do they place the breaks
2. Never happened to mix one tune and realise how good it mixes in and out? Ask yourself why.
3. I dont like too much those filtered noise sweeps everyone is using. You will sound like everyone out there.
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Re: How do DJ's prefer the arrangement in house/tech tracks?

Post by omnipresence »

Phase Ghost wrote:Starting on an offbeat is the most annoying thing a producer can do. You need to give a dj something to mix from. If you're staring a tune with a more ambient intro, that's fine, but when the beat kicks in, start it on the 1st beat.
Sure, it can be frustrating but if you have a tune that you know is like this why not start mixing it from the point where it's on beat? Or skip forward for a bit to work out where the offbeat sits and then cue it from the start appropriately? I don't think producers should have to overly cater for DJs.
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