Bhangra Mixing Scene

[shwinerz]

Thought I'd just post this thought out there. I got into mixing because I'm into rock music, and I'm a member of a few rock/metal mixing forums and the scene is so much more encouraging.

People will record all the different tracks (guitar/bass/vocals/kicks/snares etc - sometimes midi for the drums) and then share those files with everyone on the forum so everyone can download and have a go at mixing themselves. Newbie mixers, or at least not experienced mixers get feedback on their version of the mix and pointers on what they could improve on.

A while ago on BTF I tried to do something like that, kinda unsurprisingly, people took the samples and didnt post any mixes.

I guess my actual points are:

1. Bhangra Showdown in the UK, the amount of teams getting their mixers done from abroad or by other people in the UK has increased loads.

2. Our 'bhangra mixers scene' isn't nearly as supportive or friendly as it could be. I feel like the attitude of mixers is more - my samples - I worked hard to get this - I'm not sharing. And whilst to an extend I do agree, I reckon its better to go with let me help but maybe not give you every tool in my arsenal.

How can we actually genuinely go about teaching members in new or upcoming teams to do team mixes the same way we can help them improve their dancing ability?

 

[GSingh]

Reading and studying existing work. Then aspiring to make everything that you do, better than what you've heard. This requires long hours wee into the night sometimes, sometimes things just click. Having a mentor of sorts that doesn't hold back criticism also helps a great deal.

 

[Aka$h]

Agreed^, the only way to learn how to mix or how to improve your mixing is to mix. You can watch 100 videos but without actually putting in work, you won't improve. Constantly mixing and spending time on different genres can really expedite yout skill.

 

[mithu]

2. Our 'bhangra mixers scene' isn't nearly as supportive or friendly as it could be. I feel like the attitude of mixers is more - my samples - I worked hard to get this - I'm not sharing. And whilst to an extend I do agree, I reckon its better to go with let me help but maybe not give you every tool in my arsenal.

I'm one of those people. I dont spend hours on end googling and sampling things to be shared publicly. I usually will share with a trust group or someone I know. But 90% of my stuff I wont share publicly unless I'm done using them or have no use to me.

 

[smp]

Agreed^, the only way to learn how to mix or how to improve your mixing is to mix. You can watch 100 videos but without actually putting in work, you won't improve. Constantly mixing and spending time on different genres can really expedite yout skill.

ditto. The only thing to make you a better mixer is to just mix. You can't depend on anyone to show you the way you have to come up with your own technique then work at it every single day. Being frustrated and constantly thinking of why your mixes don't sound up to par with the guy whose mixes you idolize is all part of the process. And keep in mind there's a TON of ways to mix. Just mess around until you stumble on a way that works for you then stick with it and master it

 

[sangeensingh]

1.) There are 100 different "DJs" posting samples every other week on this forum that nobody really enjoys and quite frankly people are tired of attempting to even LISTEN to a subpar product, let alone help. (for this reason I dont open half of the threads anymore)

2.) Nobody makes a REAL effort to learn anymore. There are mixers that have been posting mixes with the same exact loops with a different song behind it for years now with little to no improvement. All the basic information is available on this forum, from basic concepts such as ADJUSTING PITCHES and beat mapping, to using external softwares to master/EQ each sample you put into the mix. I gladly offer feedback to mixes ONLY when i see the person has made an effort to get down the basics and at the very least has a blend of sounds that work, make sense, and are enjoyable. People will be friendly - if it is worth their time. If you're not going to do some simple google/BTF searches to increase the quality of your product, why should the mixers that made the effort to learn just throw the samples (which a lot of us paid for) and knowledge in your lap? Its ALL out there, if you want it bad enough go find it and P R A C T I C E.

Disclaimer: These are MY opinions on the current "Bhangra Mixing Scene"

 

[shwinerz]

As much as I agree I reckon there are barriers when starting up that people might not even be aware of. I know my ear has improved with time so I'm able to make better decisions, but for newbies - they might not know about panning, or not know how best to eq things in.

I agree that you need to spend a lot of work and learn stuff outside of bhangra resources, learning about eq and compression and things, but a lot of people dont actually know what to look for and I reckon thats a problem.

I reckon stickying those 4 videos that I think swi did for Acid Pro (I coudnt find them on btf sorry if they are on a stickied thread).
And maybe point every new mixer to those videos and have almost like a 'basics toolkit' links to a few videos on eq and stuff like that. Every mixer who posts should have gone through that and if needed can refer to sections on it.

Just we're so supportive of bhangra dancing, and not nearly as encouraging for new mixers

 

[kman58]

Mixing is like any other skills: there's basics one has to master before getting to do creative things. It's like playing an instrument like piano or trumpet - no matter what style you want to play (classical, jazz, funk, etc) you have to know your basics like major/minor scales, articulations, etc, because those basics apply to every single style of music and on any instrument.
With mixing it's the exact same, you gotta know the basics like pitch-matching, warping/beatmatching, using necessary EQ/reverb/compression plugins, layering tracks, tempo variations, etc. Depending on what software one uses (huge fan of Ableton here) there's a bajillion excellent Youtube tutorials on how to do each and every one of those things, and many many more! Once someone can learn those necessary basics, they can apply it to bhangra tracks, and at that point it isn't really necessary to have the hottest most hard to find effects and such, it's more a matter of does it sound good, does it make sense, and is it musically accurate.
I agree with Sangeen if people take the effort to learn basics on their own before mixing and posting tracks for critique, they'd be received a lot better.

 

[Basim]

Great topic and good discussion thus far.

I don't mind offering some quick feedback on BTF (when I have the time), but a lot of the mixes just sound so much of the "same." Maybe that's part of the reason why people may hesitate to share their loops/samples/etc as much as mentioned by the OP (shwinerz).

There are often a lot of the same big mistakes being repeated over & over again.. like if one goes through other mixing topics on BTF where people have commented, you can listen to someone's mix and read over the comments people have provided. That alone should help you improve on the major ideas.

As much as I agree with everyone that practice makes perfect (making a ton of mixes is always good), I also believe that implementing a lot of what you learn (i.e. via websites, youtube tutorials,etc) and continuously pushing yourself to have a distance/unique sound is very important. Who cares if not everyone loves every part of your mix - the whole point is to push your mixing ability and display your creativity.

I was hoping the BTF Mixing Ladder that we had allowed some DJ's to get more exposure, show their creativity, and get some feedback along the way. It definitely required a bit more "hustle" since DJ's/mixers only had about a week to come up with something.. but maybe if we can get the monthly mixing contest going (go Swi go! ), which might be better suited for BTF because there won't be as much "administrative" work like we faced with the previous mixing ladder.

Anyway, there are lot of great comments stated by the individuals above, so I don't want to sound like a broken record. Hope this helps.

~ Basim

 

[smp]

Another problem with sharing information is that beginners that don't know anything yet will think that's the only way to get a mix done. That's why I feel all the mixes being posted sound similar cause they're all doing the same exact thing. Swi is one of the top tier mixers in the circuit and he displays how to use beat-mapper very well in his videos but that's just one of the many ways you can make a mix. It's a great tool but I don't think people realize just how many other methods there are without it.

The mix god himself (Klasikhz) does not use beat-mapper. Let's start thinking outside of the box this year

 

[Jusi.Sahota]

I was hoping the BTF Mixing Ladder that we had allowed some DJ's to get more exposure, show their creativity, and get some feedback along the way. It definitely required a bit more "hustle" since DJ's/mixers only had about a week to come up with something.. but maybe if we can get the monthly mixing contest going (go Swi go! ), which might be better suited for BTF because there won't be as much "administrative" work like we faced with the previous mixing ladder.

This defo needs to return. Not only was it great to hear all these mixes - but also brought exposure to BTF. Would like to see more DJ's come out of their shell and compete! (I for one would 100% be dedicated)

 

[shwinerz]

Trying to think of ways to offer information to mixers without saying the usual stuff. Maybe have a sticky very briefly explaining eq or wtv, and then links to youtube video or an article more in depth (not necessarily bhangra eq).

I think if you're going to learn bhangra mixing, you don't know what to type to find Swis videos, so having them easily accessible on this brief could be helpful? I agree of course theres plenty of ways to do it, but I mean like a 'here is what you could do, try it out and see if its for you' could be helpful in pointing people in the right direction.


We could maybe even have a downloadable pack or something? Maybe with some free samples (just free ones already up on the internet) and give some tips and hints or something on there?


Basim after reading your post I had the idea that maybe we make a conscious effort to give reasons why we prefer a certain mix in the mix ladder, the only problem with that is newbie mixers probably wouldn't even enter.

 

[Basim]

We could maybe even have a downloadable pack or something? Maybe with some free samples (just free ones already up on the internet) and give some tips and hints or something on there?

We have these two topics stickied/pinned in the "Bhangra Mixes and Music" section:
http://bhangrateamsforum.com/discuss/bhangra-mixes-and-music/nypd-bhangra-and-6'8-music-proudly-present-folk-loops-sounds-from-punjab/
http://bhangrateamsforum.com/discuss/bhangra-mixes-and-music/sound-effects-for-mixes/

Also, if practically anybody searched the Media Center, there has been a lot of content shared by other individuals over time.. it just might be a bit more buried (in other words, you'll have to search for specific things).

Honestly, I think there are a lot of files out there already out there if a new mixer is really searching for it on on BTF/Google/etc. As far as tips/hints, if you want to compile a compilation of what's currently out there, we could consider pinning that as well - but I think that's part of the entire learning process.. not everything is going to be spelled out for you nor is someone going to take your hand and walk you through everything Your ability to search for content & use tutorials from various places is a big part of being an "online DJ."

~ Basim