Mixing out on Pioneer CDJ's

Thats why i love the 2000's so much as you can see the full tune in front of you and decide where to cue your next track :)

Good point Pionix, with the 2000's yes... but what about the 1000's (smaller not so defined waveform display) and the 800's and 200's etc.

I'd like to get to know how to do this via ear...

Knowing your tracks intimately / seeing how much time is left / viewing the waveform on screen / experience.

I'm going to lift this straight from another website - it'll give you some idea (also, Google '[Genre] structure")

4/4 133bpm

INTRO:

First 16 bars: intro, basic introduction of the main theme, sparse mix with loud kick drum for easy mixing. NEVER NEVER NEVER fade in the track, __ALWAYS__ start the track with a loud clearly discernable kick drum so that the DJ can match the kick with the record currently playing and then adjust the pitch accordingly.

FIRST SECTION OF HARD TRACK:

Bars 17-24: This is your very first section of hard track. All house music is based on the 8 bar loop. Bare minimum there should always be some kind of fill on the 8th bar of every section. This is where you bring in your first layer of additional instrumentation into the mix.

Bars 25-32: Repeat bars 17-24 with slight variation on the fill for bars 28 and 32.

Bars 33-40: Repeat bars 17-24 verbatim

Bars 41-48: Repeat bars 25-32 verbatim

FIRST BREAK:

Bars 49-56: This is the first 8 bar section. This is a very hard part to write because you have to transition from the first 32bar section of hard track into the second section of the break where you drive the crowd into a frenzy. You need to deviate enough to let people know something is coming, but you cannot go too far or you lose the energy. This is where you start building the tension.

Bars 57-64: This is where you drop out the kick drum, break into a more complex rhythm and introduce the next set of weird noise that are going to be the hook for your track. It should build up in two bar units 2-4-6-8 so that by the last two bars of the break the crowd is about to explode.

SECOND SECTION OF HARD TRACK:

Bars 65-104: This is where you drop whatever hook you have come up with to really bring the track into gear. This is basically two 32 bar section pasted back to back. This is where you track it out and let the groove work. The same structure that you used on the first section of hard track applies, but you will want to think about using other sonic tricks to keep peoples ears.

FIRST MIX OUT SECTION:

Bars 105-120: You have just beaten the crowd over the head with the main theme and your first set of production tricks, you need to give the crowd a half minute to catch their breath or give the DJ a chance to mix out into the next record. The arrangement becomes sparse again, and you make it easy for another similiar record to overlap with this section so that the DJ can seamlessly mix out of this record. This is basically the second break, but it is just a stripped down version of the first hard track section. You might want to introduce a new theme here that will be carried out in the next section of hard track, but the main idea is to keep it simple and sparse.

SECOND HARD TRACK SECTION:

Bars 121-184: This section works just like the first section of Hard Track, but with a slightly different hook and a different set of production tricks. You want this section to have a little more punch than the first section in order to justify the second repetition of the track.

SECOND MIX OUT SECTION:

Bars 185-200: This works exactly the same as the first section, but is a little more complicated because it needs to lead into the next section which is:

SECOND BREAK SECTION:

Bars 201-216: Works just like the first break section, but it needs to be even more spectacular because the crowd has already been listening to this record for the last 5 minutes. You need to bear in mind that a beginner DJ may have already flubbed the mix on the last two mix out sections and is starting to sweat it a little.

THIRD HARD TRACK SECTION:

Bars 217-280: This is the last section of Hard Track and this is where you pull out everything you have got to make this track storm. 

This track has already been playing for six minutes, so you have got to hit them with the best variation of the theme.

FINAL MIX OUT SECTION: 

Bars 281-312: This is the outro for a dance record. You just state the basic theme of the record and make the mix sparse and kick drum heavy so that it is easy to mix out of.

There are a million variations on this basic structure. It is how you break the rules of it and how well you write and produce your sounds that sets you apart from other producers. I cannot tell you too much more than that; Just listen to a lot of records, and learn as much as you can about music

Ok thanks

I think my worry was having 16 bars of just drums, at the end of each mix, or alternatively the bass on the 2nd track coming in toooo early? but i would think if it does come in too early, the bass cut on most mixers now, would allow for bass kills so they can overlap? Ie: Pioneer DJM mixer eq

Le protip : 

Reverse cymbal , Cymbal or just the drop itself.. e.g. snare roll - drop press play on the first beat of the drop , works almost for everything.

When I prepare my music in Rekordbox, I like to set Cue markers at several of the possible "mix-out points" near the end of the track.  This way I have a visual indicator in addition to just the waveform display.

I like to mix on either 32 bar or 64 bar segments, and I usually mix my tracks for about 2 or 3 minutes.

As for basslines coming in early, I actually prefer to have a bassline come in earlier rather than later.  With some adjustments to EQs, you can do some cool transitions between basslines and keep the energy level of the overall mix going.  One thing I hate is when people don't mix long enough, and the basslines drop out leaving just kick drums and hi hats, but nothing else.

@Sammy can you explain what you mean? I'm not sure I follow

@Fuse, yes i think basslines coming in early is fine, as you can eq the bass OFF one and blend them, but if its a big key change, I suppose the clashing can be hidden with EQ kills?

Well look i don't know what kind of music you play but in general for EDM.

Lets say it starts intro eg kick-kick-kick then later kick-kick-kick-kick-snare roll - kick <- THIS KICK means to mix in!

(Snare roll above could be everything a cymbal , reverse cymbal a snare roll)

As some tracks Spaceman by Hardwell as example , The piano intro and then it comes to a point where it "Drops" as soon as you hear it incomming pick the first kick of this "Drop"

Here is a photo of one of my tracks analyzed and cue-points set.  If you look at the end of the track, you will see 3 cue points saved.  This is what I do with all of my music before playing out.  I listen to it and save cue points at the various possible mix-out points that I like.  This way I have a visual cue to help if I lose count in my head.

My cue points are always made on 32 bar segments.  I typically will put one cue point at the first beat after the final breakdown, as is the case in this photo example.  Usually, my first saved cue point will be around 2:30 - 2:40 remaining time.

Not saying this is how everyone else should be doing it, but this method has always worked for me.

Yes thats exactly what i thought and what i do, its just with no visual cue, if you lose count it can be frustrating and lose your place in the mix

Its a shame that Pioneers with waveform display doesn't read markers from other editing software like Sound Forge, as I usually drop markers in this as I use it to edit, mash up and extend tracks

My only help is that if i hit the CDJ (TIME REMAIN) which i think is inherent on all including the Cheaper/older CDJ's, is that i listen to the end of a phrase around about the 2.00 or 2.30s time 'remain'

This usually falls in phrase and bar, and is my only cue so to speak on mix out - maybe I should do it earlier? 3.00s?

Why do you need to count? A real DJ feels his music in my opionion and has a feel for it.

Example beep-beep-beep-beepbeew-beep <- looks weird but the beepbeew means your count is at 4 beats , the beep after the beepbeew is were you should press play.

Theres alot in music you can take orientation.

For the most part that's what I do..    There are sometimes tracks that have unusual timing on some sounds, however.  I just like to have the extra visual reference as an aid.

As i am only 15 years old by now and i'm only doing this for about 5 years i cannot say much but ,

I started out at some 800's and some third party mixer , Did it with that for awhile and now i'm on my 1000's and my DJM800 i just try to listen even ofbeat music you'll get a feel of it.