Smart Remixing

by: DJ Luke Stevens

[djlukestevens]

A fun “mixup” of electronic rock, 80′s retro dance, and movie sound clips tailored for the Don Geronimo Show.

[djlukestevens]

Why Do I Need a Remix Template? (Part 2)

In Part 1, we discussed the significance of having a remix template.  To summarize, the main reason for making use of a remix template is to invest less time recreating the repetitive technical aspects of a remix, and devote more time being creative.  In Part 2, we'll examine Ableton's factory default template and how you can build a brand new template from an current session. By default when launching Ableton Live, an empty session is made containing an empty audio and midi track, two return channels, along with a master channel.  Like Ableton, virtually all DAWs permit you to get started with a fresh session, though the terminology, track/channel types, as well as other elements will differ.  If you're creating a remix, you are certainly going to require at a minimum one audio track and a master channel to begin with.  Though I cover remixing in depth in yet another series (stay tuned for my upcoming Smart Remixing tutorial series), I normally begin by importing the original song into an audio track at its original BPM (beats per minute) for warping and manipulating later.  Normally for house music, tracks are brought in at 128 beats per minute, although you might want to raise or lower ("warp") the session tempo later depending on your project.  For you to listen to the audio track, you usually utilize a master channel for routing audio from the audio track to your system's internal or external soundcard and subsequently out to your earphones or speaker system. Once you construct a personalized template, you'll have the option to save your current settings as the default template when starting Ableton or creating a new set.  To undertake this, access Live's Preferences, select the File/Folder tab (left side, fourth tab down), and along the top you will see the 'Save Existing Set as Default' option.  Simply click 'Save', confirm 'Overwrite the Template Set', and your new template is saved.  Based on your DAW, I actually advise leaving the default template alone so your DAW opens up quickly.  As a DJ while playing live, I often times start up Ableton to rapidly warp or edit tracks for direct use in Traktor Scratch Pro.  In this particular scenario, speed, low CPU usage, and minimal hard drive activity is a must.  As you are going to notice, a sizeable, feature-packed template usually requires some time to load and may seriously tax your system. An awesome technique exists in Ableton should you decide that you really wish to revert back to Ableton's factory default template.  Merely reopen a new session while holding down the [shift] button, then just follow the directions explained above to 'Save Current Set as Default'.  Notice: As soon you save your new template, your previous template will be deleted.  Understanding this, you may want to save your former template as a session before reverting back to Ableton's factory default template.  That way, you can simply just reopen any one of your stored sessions and 'Save Current Set as Default' to save your favorite session as the new default template. In Part 3, we are going to begin building our remix template by studying the template I currently use to construct a completely new remix.

[djlukestevens]

Why Do I Want a Remix Template? (Part 1)

As reported by Wikipedia, a remix is defined as an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version.  Additionally, a remixer is defined as someone who uses audio mixing to compose an alternate master recording of a song, adding or subtracting elements, or simply changing the equalization, dynamics, pitch, tempo, playing time, or almost any other aspect of the various musical components. For anyone who has dabbled in music editing, mixing, remixing, and the like, it's possible you'll be accustomed to using templates.  A remix template as defined in this particular post is nothing much more than a customized session template you will form within your Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) that incorporates your most frequently utilized audio tracks, midi tracks, return channels, plug-ins, and other settings you want. Why do you need to have a remix template? Your goal would be to avoid re-inventing the wheel every time you start out a new remix project.  Not surprisingly, making a remix template is not needed should you appreciate starting every remix project over completely from scratch (yes, that is sarcasm.)  However, if you wish to imitate professional remixers and producers who actually earn serious money (hence the term professional), then simply begin making and working with remix templates regularly. In a nutshell, the primary reason for using a remix template should be to invest much less time re-creating the repetitive complex parts of your remix, and spend far more energy being artistic.  A smooth, uninterrupted work-flow is actually essential when remixing, specifically in the case you decide to join a remix contest.  Remix contests are an awesome opportunity to obtain useful, free experience working on your craft and acquiring constructive feedback in the process.  Furthermore, remix contests offer you a opportunity to show off your capabilities and gain recognition for all of your hard work.  Look for a lot more on remix contests in a upcoming write-up. Some of today's well known DAWs are Garage Band (included for free with a Mac), Ableton Live 8 ($337), Avid Pro Tools 10 ($599), Apple Logic Pro 9 ($199), Propellerhead Reason 6 ($399), Steinberg Cubase 6 ($499), and FL Studio Producer 10 ($199.)  While selecting a digital audio workstation is usually a matter of taste, I selected Ableton Live 8 for the speed, fluid workflow style, and user friendliness.  Likewise, for those who utilize multiple DAWs for your projects, you can develop one or more templates in each individual DAW quickly and easily.

For instance, I normally use a remix template in Ableton for editing and mixing, and I make use of a different template in Pro Tools just for mastering.  Note: I recently switched to Ableton for mastering, as my version of Pro Tools M-Powered 8 is just not compatible with the latest version of Macosx Lion.  In case you're new to remixing then you ought to do yourself a big favor and start building remix templates now, instead of later.  Today's best remixers all utilize one or more remix templates in their projects, so why wouldn't you?

In Part 2 of this series, we will look at Ableton's factory default template and how you can create a new remix template from an existing session.  As you will definitely see, your new remix template is going to be a continual "work in progress," as remix templates expand and change over time.  As you pick-up different techniques and methods, you are going to inevitably make modifications to your remix template(s) and build numerous templates for unique tasks.

About the Author: DJ Luke Stevens started spinning vinyl on Detroit's east side back in the mid 80's.  After an action-packed tour of duty in the U.S. Marine Corps, he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology and began the journey into electronic music.  He soon discovered a perfect balance between old school turntablism and software based DJing.  DJ Luke Stevens can be found online at http://www.djluke.org.