Instructions Body

Instructions on how to mix vinyl

This will be a guide on how to mix records together where the records seem to blend into one another smoothly. Most observers think that this is a simple task that takes no effort. That can not be further from the truth as you must posses a good ear, great timing, and the most important;a passion for music! This instruction manual will be a step by step guide so that anyone can read this and be able to start mixing.

Equipment and supplies needed

1. Turntables - The first and most important piece of equipment you will need will be your turntables [record player]. You need a belt driven player in order to mix properly. These will help you to stop or speed up a record quickly with no delay. Technique 1200's are the industry standard as they are used by most professionals. Do not forget that you need two turntables in order to properly mix.

2. Mixer - A DJ mixer is a type of audio mixing console used by disc jockeys. The key features that differentiate a DJ mixer from other types of audio mixers are the ability to redirect (cue) a non-playing source to headphones and the presence of a crossfader, which allows for an easier transition between two sources. They come in all different forms and prices. A normal mixer will have 2 channels which allows you to mix 2 of a total of 4 inputs: 2line ins and 2 phono ins. Some mixers are "one input, one channel" but most modern mixers have 2 inputs for one channel. A button or flip-switch allows you to select the input that is put through to the channel, phono in for the turntables and line in for the rest of the equipment. There are hundreds of mixer on the market now days. My personal preference is the Gemini mixer. I have previously owned 3 Gemini mixers and have thoroughly enjoyed each one with no problems.

3.Headphones- A pair of headphones has to meet a few requirements: Good bass reproduction, good fit and tough design. As far as the demand for good bass reproduction goes, you have to favor the closed-back designs. This will also better keep out the ambient sounds, which is, given the situation, very much desirable. Better, more accurate sound reproduction will help you hear the slightest of differences during transitions. A poor quality set of headphone will make this a lot more difficult.
Good fit speaks for itself, you are likely to want a headphone that has a comfortable fit if you want to survive several hours of mixing. And for design: it is not so much you need a tough headphone, but you need to avoid using a fragile one, which of course comes down to the same thing. You have to be able to twist and bend the headphone repeatedly without wear / causing damage and it has to be able to survive a drop to the floor. (The twisting and bending happens when you listen with only one ear pad on one of your ears, the other pad behind the other ear, or even in your neck.) I have found that Pioneer's headphones have been the been the most durable brand that I have used.

4.Speakers- A quality pair of speakers will be needed in order for you to mix records. Speakers from your home-stereo system will not work due to the fact that they will probably be short circuited by the amount of power that they receives. A professional pair from Bose is a perfect pair for mixing.

5.Vinyl- Very vital, you can not mix without vinyl. Be sure to have at least 10 to 15 records when you first begin to learn. Also make sure that they are of similar genre when purchasing. Having the same beat as other records makes mixing a lot easier when you are matching beats together.

6.Receivers- Receivers are what power the mixer and turntables. Alpine is a brand that is trusted by most professionals because of their dependability. Never power a receiver on with either the mixer or the turntables on. This can do serious damage to all components and may even ruin them.

6. Cords and speaker wire- You will need the proper cords in order to set up your mixer correctly. You will also need speaker wire to connect your speakers.

Step by step instructions on how to mix

We assume that record 1 is playing, and we want to mix in record 2 which has an extended ‘intro’ period with no beats and mainly escalating mid-range sounds.

1.
Set equalization on record 2, by keeping in mind that this is a difficult mix-in and you will be spending most of your time attaining and maintaining sync between the two tracks rather than adjusting knobs. Generally, adjust the treble to -2dB, the mid-range to 0dB and the bass to -4dB. Try not to worry too much about these knobs till the end of the mix-in.

2.
Assuming that you know that record 1 has about 1:30 minutes (say) of ‘outro’ and it’s running at 130 bpm (beats per minute), then we have: 130 X 1.5 min = 195 beats / 32 (beats/period) = 6 periods. (Always work in periods and not minutes. Use the minutes to approximate the closest number of periods. Songs rarely have half periods and almost never smaller fractions than that.)

3.
Go to record 2, listen how many minutes the intro rolls for. Assume here that record 2 has about 2 minutes of ‘intro’. (If you don’t have time, estimate the approximate ‘intro’ time by skip-listening with your needle.) Make sure you determine which is longer, the ‘intro’ of record 2 or the ‘outro’ of record 1. Assume the ‘intro’ of record 2 is longer for this example.

4.
Once the beats start to sound on record 2, use them to quickly acquire a sync with record 1. Now, make sure that your sync is close enough, so that track 2 can stay in sync at least about a minute.

5.
Now here’s the real hard part. Bring the needle on record 2 right at the beginning of the record. Find the point at the very beginning of the track. Usually there will be some form of distinctive beat-like sound, like a clash or a single beat.

6.
Put your headphones on, set head-phone cue for record 2. Hold the vinyl in place with one hand and start deck 2. The plate is now spinning and the record is not.
Remove one ear phone and start jerking record 2 forwards and back across that starting point in line with the beat of record 1 (which is playing on the live speakers). Jerk for 4 or 8 beats and then release.

7.
Let the tracks play and listen to see if there are any asynchronous sounds. Clearly it is hard to tell whether the tracks are in sync with the lack of a beat on record 2, but it is usual for producers to include some kind of a periodic sound during the ‘intro’, for the very purpose of extracting a beat.

8.
If you’re not sure whether sync exists or not, then nudge record 2 a bit forward and listen. Is it better or worse? If worse, break record 2 till you feel that the sound of record 2 rolls with the beat of record 1.

9.
So, you have convinced yourself that you can synchronize the two tracks, so now return the needle to the beginning of record 2. Leave it there.

10.
Half a period (16 beats) before the start of the last 6 periods on record 1, start the plate on record 2, hold the vinyl in place and remove one ear-phone just like before. 8 beats before the start of the mix-in, start jerking record 2 and feel the beat of record 1 sound with that initial sound on record 2.

11.
Release record 2 at the right time. Take your time and listen for a good 1 - 2 periods whether the sync has been attained, make minor adjustments and keep listening.

12.
Sync has now been attained and you’ve spent 2 periods in doing this (approx 30 seconds). Start crossing gently towards the middle position over the next 2 periods. 2 more periods to go.
Start lifting the treble on record 2 to full volume over the next period, while crossing the fader to ¾ mark (towards record 2).

13.
Finally in the last period, you can use the bass knob on record 1 to keep cutting bass to dry out the sound, while lifting the bass on record 2. (Record 2 does not yet have a beat, but lifting the bass will give the sound more authority and will drown out the sound of record 1.)

14.
Now, there are 2 more periods till the beats on record 2 sound. Use this time to lift up the equalization of all frequencies to the +0dB mark, if you haven’t already done it.
Sit back and relax. Don’t forget to also cross the fader all the way or mute the corresponding channel fader of record 1, or you may have a nasty surprise when you start sampling the next record.

15.

Practice,practice,practice. No one ever gets right the 1st time but by following these guidelines and practicing should have you mixing in no time.