DJ Mixing Lesson Adding a Subtle Loop to a Tune

0:00 What we're going to do is form a loop over another track

Alright guys, I'm going to do a bit of a demonstration for you. What we're going to do is form a loop over another track. I've done this before but this time, slight difference, it's a subtle loop. Alright guys, we're using two tracks from CDPool Global releases April 2015. On my left we have track number 8 from disc number 1, a track entitled No One's Perfect, and on my right from Global April 2015, track number 6 which is the Groove All Stars, a track entitled The Jazz with a J-A-Z-Z-Z-F. Four Z's, not just one. They're posh, you see. Okay, so what I've done as well to try and get this video not as long as it needs to be, I've already formed a loop at a point that I feel is a great part of the track to bring into the No One's Perfect.

So let's have a listen first of all to the Groove All Stars. Again, it's just a lovely groove. It is a groove. It's got that beautiful subtle kind of feel. It's the sort of track that is fantastic in the middle of a mix. This, on the other hand, the No One's Perfect, I can imagine playing this as the sun's going down or the sun's coming up. You know, beautiful blue skies. Wonderful track, absolutely beautiful. Just the breaks, everything about it. Absolutely stunning track. I'll put the names, titles, artists of these two tracks. Also you'll see a link to the CDPool website. Okay, so... What I've done, I have got a loop from the Groove All Stars. Here it is. I set it on my Hot Cube. It's a two-bar loop. Everything I show you here can be done with pretty much any controller out there at the moment now.

3:01 You're adding another layer

Okay. Now this is the slight difference between this tutorial and others I've done. All I want to do, I want to add another layer to the No One's Perfect. When a producer makes a track, they may start off with vocals or a bass line or the kick drum or the synths. They may start off with a snare. What they do then is they layer all of those samples and sounds over each other. Now if everything was at 10 maximum, then it would just be a mush of sound and you wouldn't be able to hear the elements of the track. So what this tutorial is about is adding almost another element to another track. So you're not taking away the feel of the original track. You're adding another layer. It's a bit like an allergy I give you.

I love analogies. Middle of the winter, you're freezing. You know what? You just need... Well, you're not freezing. You're just slightly chilly. You just need one extra blanket to get nice and warm. If you had too many blankets, you'd be too warm. One extra blanket is enough. I'm adding an extra blanket to this track but not all of it, just a little bit of it so... Okay. I haven't got any headphones but demonstration. Now again, very important to bring it in. On the count of one. If you started the loop on the count of one, you need to bring it in on the count of one. Two, three, four. Filter. All the EQ is all at 12 o'clock. Out. What I'm trying to do as well is I'm trying to keep the image of the track in my mind and make sure that I work with the phrasing of the track.

There was a break there. Okay. We're back into a new phrase so I could maybe bring this back in or maybe leave it. The end of the track. Again, if you think about it, what we could be doing now, we could be thinking in advance. That's Blaze. He's tired now so if you can hear him whinging in the background. What I could be doing... In fact, we'll try this now. Let's go to the end of this track. This is... I wasn't intending to do this sort of part or this but here we go. What I'm going to do... Let's pause that. I'm going to now... We're towards the end of Nobody's Perfect. I'm going to bring in the loop of the groove All Stars and then I'm going to make sure that while No One's Perfect fades out, the All Stars takes over from the overall volume of the Nobody's Perfect

5:28 In a way what's happened is the groove All Stars is like the sandwich

And then I'm going to bring another track in on that side over the loop of the groove All Stars. In a way what's happened is the groove All Stars is like the sandwich. It's like the jam in the middle. And it's keeping the two pieces of bread together. This is one piece and the other piece will be over there as well. So let's give it a go. Watch my volume. Okay, so we're out of that now. So now what I need to do is I need to bring in now something else. Okay. I think this should work. Okay. Taking the bass out on the groove All Stars. Low passing it up. We're coming to a break. There, bang. Always... I'm trying to remember the phrasing. My moves, a lot of my moves are about the phrasing. As soon as a phrase starts, maybe an abrupt move.

As soon as a phrase finishes, maybe another abrupt move. Alright, I hope that's been helpful. This track by the way is Da Weird. It's track entitled Funky Alien and it's the original mix and it's from The Global releases again April 2015 and this one is track number 11 from disc 1. Practice and enjoy. Thank you very much. Thank you.

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