dynamo london

Calling all DJ's....

Ever wanted to create your own seamless mixtape but cant DJ / don't have the equipment / cant be bothered mixing live, then messing it all up at the end and ruining the entire thing? ;-)

Well - here is the best bit of interactive design for those that would like to digital DJ, and create their own mix CDs

I have found a piece of software - MixMeister http://www.mixmeister.com/products.html - which allows you to create mixes quickly and easily without the legwork of cueing up the records.

You import your library of music and then drag and drop the tracks you want into a playlist.

The software then automatically beatmatches and picks a spot to mix the two tracks together. You can then use this as a basis to create your mix - changing the fade in / out times, and where the two tracks mix together etc

As a previous DJ mixing purist this was a kind of heresy - but once you get your head around this, the software totally frees you up to be MUCH more creative with the music...example:

• you can edit tracks (extending a breakdown, or moving the end of the track to the front)

• you can loop tracks easily - extending a good bit, or to make it easier to bring new tracks in

• you can add effects (echoes / delays etc) to the track in a few clicks

• you can see all the tracks cued up and how they link together as an overview

The GREAT thing is that you can then go back and tweak the mix (volumes / effects / loops / EQ etc) if it doesnt sound right. this low level sound production facility means that you can tweak your mix until it is exactly how you want it

And the whole thing is really easy to use!

I now spend train journeys editing tracks and creating mix CDs...

You can download free demo software from the site http://www.mixmeister.com/products.html